We Remember Everything

Chapters

When You Know You Walk Alone
Numb the Pain
Make You Forget
Instrumental
Familiar Friend
My Head Is Spinning
It All Went By So Fast
The Part That Hurts The Most
I Know I'm Not Supposed to But I Can't Break Away
Let It Go
Everybody's Fool
You Can Have Everything You Have Ever Wanted
Tonight I Start The Fire
I Don't Want Your Remedy
Is This What You Wanted?
What Have You Become?
I Know You Hear Their Voices
I'm Still So Far From Home
Just Like You
See That Life is Beautiful
Home
You're Gonna Go Far Kid
The Tragic Truth
Just Open Your Eyes
Do Something Right For Once
And I'm Just Scared, So Scared That I'll Fail You
Will You Fail Me Now?
It Only Hurts Just Once
I Can't Survive Alone
I Have To Be With You
Some Things Won't Fade
A Sorrowful Scream
I Can Feel You Judging Me
Now If I Am To Survive
But Should I Write It All Off?
I'd Refuse To Let Things Go
For Now I'm Still Breathing
Now It's Time To Leave
And The World Around Will Never Hear Your Cries
The Animal Soul Is Mine
I Will Escape You
You Are Here, No Escape
So Proud Of You
I'm Not Going Down
Perseverance is The Key To Everything You Achieve
Letting Go Somehow
So Hard To Talk To You
Nothing's Gonna Make This Right Again
Our Promise From That Day
I Won't Give Everything Away
Dead Promises
You'll Be The Death of Me
You Gave Me The Reason Why
You Know You've Got Everybody Fooled
My Head Is Spinning
Numb The Pain
Instrumental
Under Our Spell
Like A Bird In The Sky
It All Went By So Fast
Dear Mother
It's Never Enough
Welcome to the Show
You'll Be The First To Go, And When She Leaves You For Dead, You'll Be The Last To Know
You Don't Like Being Second, I Don't Like Being Wrong
I Will Now Rise From The Ashes, Don't Call Me Pretentious, I'm Sitting Here Making My Own Rules
I've Let Myself Become You, I've Let Myself Become Lost Inside These Thoughts Of You, Giving Up a Part Of Me, I've Let Myself Become You
Nothing Lasts Forever, I'm Sorry, I Can't Be Perfect, Now It's Just Too Late, And We Can't Go Back
I Tried To Be Someone Else, But Nothing Seemed To Change, I Know Now, This Is Who I Really Am Inside
Familiar Faces Smiling Back At Me And I Knew, This Would Make Them Change, The Only Thing That's Going to Bother Me, Is That You'll All Call Yourselves MY Friends, Why Can't You Look Me In The Eyes One Last Time?
The Thinning Line Between, You and My Sanity, Is Quickly Fading, Takes Just a Breeze to Cause a Storm, It Takes Me to Cause a Tragedy
And I Know, I May End Up Failing Too, But I Know, You Are Just Like Me With Someone Disappointed In You
Maybe I'm Not Forsaken, The Silence Speaks The Words Unspoken, Behind The Tears There is Salvation, Behind the Hurt, A New Beginning
Epilogue: We Remember...Everything
Gaiden: That Is The Promise Of Our Future
Gaiden: Your Time Is Running Out
Gaiden: You Can't Quit Until You Try
Gaiden: Wanna Join Me, Come and Play?
Gaiden: TvTroping
Gaiden: Girl's Day Out
Gaiden: Hearts and Hooves Day
Gaiden: Equestria Was Merely a Setback
Gaiden: Foolishly Foolish Foal
Gaiden-Decretum: As If I Met Her Before
Gaiden-Decretum: A Magical Girl, Believing In Justice
We Both Shall Dine In Hell Tonight
It's Time Now For A New Change to Come
Turning All Against The One is An Art That's Hard
I'm Not Afraid of Tomorrow, I'm Only Scared of Myself, Feels Like My Insides Are All On Fire, And I'm Looking Through The Eyes of Someone Else
It's a Long and Lonely Road
I Only Wish You Weren't My Friend
And Sometimes I Think That I'm Not Any Good At All

When You Know You Walk Alone

A/N: Sorry about the wait! Computer kind of died on me, so not only did it take a week to fix, I then had to recover all my files which took a few days...still not even done with that, but I managed to at least get this one back, so I wanted to upload it!

Anyways, special thanks to ShyHeart, Nethalar, Lyrken, Whitedorumon, and Tzeentch for leaving their thoughts with me last chapter, and also to those who have favorited, liked and followed this story! Your support really means a lot to me, and I would love to hear more from everyone about what you think!

Now, enjoy and thanks again for reading!

A lack of good rest might perturb some and alter their moods or attitude, possibly influence their actions. For the proclaimed god of mischief, however, this was far from the case. Countless hours spent slaving over some tome or scroll and entire days without rest made the prospect nothing more than an annoyance.

What was more aggravating to the god was that he must suffer through it as well as his own twisted dreams, only to wake and find himself in an unfamiliar land in a body unlike his own. The prince of Asgard had attempted one morning to revert to his true form...or rather the form he saw as his true self, that of an Æsir.

He was not very surprised when he remained an equine. Whatever magics this land held caused their inhabitants to assume a certain form, he theorized. His change hadn’t been voluntary, after all, and even a sorcerer as skilled as him not shapeshift in their sleep. It took concentration...

Is that why he could not shift back though? Was his concentration plagued by what he had experienced back in his own realm? Loki shook the thoughts away. He had been wandering the forest too long for his taste, but a problem plagued the large green equine. Through a pain in one of them, he fully realized the wings located on his back. This would be a decent enough feature, a pro to having this form, if he hadn’t somehow damaged the right one.

Had the damned wolves brought harm to it? Had his fall done it, and the major pain only beginning to set in after an attempt at using it? He could not tell, but what he could tell was that the the feathery appendage was no use to him right then. He would have to travel on hoof, as he had been.

While shuffling through some brush on his aimless journey, the former King of Asgard noticed something: where he once would have had to worry about his cape snagging on something, there was no such burden for him to face then. He noted just how addled he was for not noticing sooner, but he honestly could care less...

A quick check soon revealed to the green horse that he was, in fact, naked. A less savory aspect of transformation, he reckoned, but at least such a thing ought to be the norm should there be other creatures like the one that had disturbed his dreams. He would have to see about conjuring up his regal gear once he escaped the forest. No use dragging it now.

Inwardly, Loki hoped that not all the inhabitants of this land who the “Princess” implied existed could do such reality altering sorcery...one equine poking around in his head was more than enough, and any more trying to do so would make his years of practice in magic seem commonplace. Run of the mill, as compared to its previously unique status in Asgard.

The entire morning passed as Loki wandered through the woods, with not a single notable encounter with any of the creatures. It was almost if the woodland creatures were all elsewhere, possibly all shacked up together in some unknown cottage, for nothing disturbed Loki. Except the birds. There was this one blue one flitting about the trees that particularly irked him, for while the others were humming their songs, this one saw fit to do so in an off-key manner that countered what otherwise may have been a peaceful and relaxing melody.

As soon as he had grown used to its annoying tune, the bird’s shrill call disappeared. Loki secretly prayed the cause was an eagle or other predatory bird, but found that he soon missed the sound of the other birds who he had left behind too. Even one who preferred solitude and quiet enjoyed some occasional companionship, he reckoned, and he had listened to the song of birds while he studied for days on end. A soothing touch to an otherwise monotonous activity.

The absence of noise reminded the former Giant to grow cautious once more, his pace picking up as his eyes scoured the area near him for some impending threat. None appeared though, and the quickened trotting brought pain to the leg the wolves of timber had injured. Loki slowed down to his former pace, only to find himself walking into a clearing not unlike the one he had started in.

Before he could groan about going in circles, the addled prince took note of something on the other end of the clearing: a massive statue of what appeared to be a large equine being. Curiosity piqued and having nothing better to investigate, Loki altered his journey to satiate his wonder about this mysterious statue.

Upon approaching it, he soon could see that it was far larger than even the mare that he had encountered. At full height she wouldn’t likely even stand above the stone base it was upon, the grey figurine rearing up with a look on its face likely meant to convey disgust and instill fear. In total, Loki marveled at how such an intricate creation was made in a land of beings without hands. The figure had detailed armor and a most odd mane, both curly and containing glowing orbs like the stars of the night sky. They reminded Loki somewhat of the mare he encountered in his dreams, who he thought had a similar mane while having a very different appearance...well, mostly different, as this statue too held the attributes of both a pegasus and a unicorn...

A glance upward and Loki remembered the horn that lay atop his head, a device he supposed may be able to channel some magic...if the inhabitants of this land were able to do such a thing, as he could. He hadn’t tried since his attempt at transforming, but the expert of magic had no doubt he could channel his powers if he so pleased. He just was waiting for a time where it made sense to do so, he told himself.

Still, the fact that the creatures of the land may have crafted this with magic did not specify its purpose or its specific creator, and Loki remained curious about the structure, ‘Who made this, and what is it for?’ he wondered, and a glance down to a plaque on it revealed a title of sorts: Nightmare Moon. No creator was listed, but for the moment the Æsir was appeased as he stood in its shadow, despite the time of day meaning the shadow should be off to the side instead of straight ahead of the structure. Most peculiar, he noted.

Loki sneered at the plaque before looking back up to the statue itself, “Nightmare Moon...I believe even those of Midgard can boast better puns,” observing the face, Loki shook his head and let out a long sigh, “Is this figure supposed to be threatening? To scare he who dare crosses it?”

He snorted derisively at that notion. He had seen Hell Wolves and worse, so some large horse was not a particular worry to him. Even Thor was-

Loki stopped his self amusement when something nearby caused his ears to perk. Noise... Movement...

Hoof trotting.

Loki could only smugly smirk to himself. His wandering paid off, it seemed.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! You must be new around here, because I know everypony in Ponyville and I don’t know you!”

A certain green horse had not taken more than five steps into the candy colored town he had seen from the forest before a pink blur had appeared to greet him. A talking pink pony with a pink mane and an annoying voice.

Loki questioned silently what he had done to deserve this particular fate.

When he didn’t respond, this Pinkie Pie went on blathering and hopped around the area cheerfully, “Ooooh, the silent type, huh? Bet you’re all smart and stuff! So what’s your name, huh?” defying what he considered logic, the pink creature reared up on its back legs and snaked a front hoof around him in a manner he was quite sure horses could not move, “I can’t throw you a welcome to Ponyville party without knowing your name, silly!”

Using one of his own hooves to brush her hoof away, Loki started to walk on into the town: he desired to learn more about this place and its oddities, “Go away, pink one. I do not wish to converse with you.”

As Pinkie Pie hopped to catch up with him, she realized how she had to look up to look him in the eye and giggled at the fact, “Wow, I just realized how big you are! You’re no regular pony, that’s for sure! You’re as big as the Princesses, and they’re super-”

“Loki.”

The pink mare, which Loki noted did not have wings nor a horn as he did, stopped hopping and tilted her head and pulled her face into one of confusion, “What?”

Loki did not even look back at her as he trotted on, instead observing the irregular architecture of this quaint town, “My name is Loki. Will that end your endless procession of nonsense? May I be left in peace?”

“Okey doki, Loki!” She replied with enough enthusiasm to shame Thor when he ordered another drink, only to then up the ante with a bout of laughter before hopping off to annoy some other creature, “Hey, that’s a fun rhyme!”

Passing by what appeared to be gypsy tents on the outskirts of the town, Loki muttered, “Note to self, the pink one goes first.”

Loki could see ahead of him that the inner town had some large crowd going about, with only a few stragglers moving around elsewhere. He did not realize his luck, as if a large crowd were to have witnessed his entrance to the town they may have mistaken him for one of their royalty given his appearance.

Loki decided not to go towards where the crowd lay, instead heading in another direction that if his eyesight was true led to a farm. A small body of water ran through the town though, so Loki aimed his path to cross that of the bridge leading towards the farm, not noticing the murmuring of the few ponies who saw him and noticed his Alicorn form.

Loki observed a shadow cast by a tree flicker as he passed by it, but before he could examine it further a cry of “Watch out!” interrupted him.

Loki had been about to step on the bridge when he felt two things crash into his side, nearly sweeping him from his feet from the sudden impact and the momentum carried by the things assaulting his side. Loki grunted, not feeling much pain at all, but steadied himself before looking down at what had hit him.

A sheepish grin on an orange muzzle met his gaze, and a device with wheels on it lay next to the orange filly. Loki could remember what it was like to be a child and do childish things; the Lady Sif still had not fully gotten over him cutting off all her hair, despite centuries to have done so. But still, Loki was not about to enable this child’s reckless abandon, and turned to face the filly with a stern face.

“Careless child. If you are going to ride around on a,” he swore there was a Midgardian word for this thing, but he couldn’t come up with it even after pausing a moment, “wheeled contraption, then at least go at a respectable and controllable speed.”

The orange filly rubbed the back of the helmet she wore, obviously a bit embarrassed and to Loki’s interest, repentant, “Sorry mister. I promise it won’t happen again.”

He nodded down to the filly as she got back up and mounted her...scooter, that was the word he wanted before, “Good. Be off then and leave me be,” a flapping noise behind him caught his attention, and when he looked he could see that the orange creature was flapping the two wings on its back to seemingly propel itself, “Wait. If you have wings, then what use is this wheeled device?”

The filly hung her head, seemingly in shame Loki noted, and took a moment to form her words, “I can’t fly...yet, at least,” the sad look disappeared from her face quickly though, and the filly grinned cheerfully in a full emotional 180 as she spoke chipperly, “My big sis says she can get me flying in no time though! She’s learning all of the best tricks from her training camp, so I’ll be able to fly like a pro soon!”

The logic behind her statement felt faulty to Loki, who admittedly had no idea how this society’s customs worked or how a horse could even take flight with wings too small to carry its proportionally large body, “If you have an older sibling, why did they not teach you before now?”

The filly glanced to the side and tried to think of how to explain her situation, “Well, you see, she’s not really my big sister, but she kind of took me under her wing...” again, the young equine spoke in a very cheerful voice as she spoke of her sister, “She’s still like the most awesome thing ever though!”

This gave Loki pause. Sibling adoration...before he had envied his brother Thor, Loki had admired him for his strengths. Had reveled in how strong and skillful his brother was. It was only after he noticed how his father, like their realm, put value in these traits over those he himself had exhibited that the love had become melded with envy. But, even after everything, Loki knew that he held some lingering emotion for his sibling...even if they were not related by any blood.

“You love her like your own sibling, even though they are not your blood?”

The child nodded feverishly, a genuine smile on their face that made Loki’s previous annoyance fade, a mixture of other emotions taking its place, “Yeah, of course! Rainbow Dash is my idol and she means everything to me!”

“Interesting. Well then, what is your name, child?” Loki stated with care as he observed them and their scooter. The child seemed fine, likely used to crashing into things, but the device seemed to have a busted wheel while the wood was chipped. The crash had hurt it more than it had him.

“Scootaloo. What is your name, mister?”

“I am Loki. Loki Odinson,” another look at the scooter gave the magic user an idea, “Here, how’s this to make up for the time I’ve squandered?”

The contraption the filly stood on (in an anthropomorphic fashion that made all of Loki’s beliefs in physics crumble) glowed a light blue, as well as the wood fragments around it. The wood rejoined itself perfectly as it all glowed, and to Scootaloo’s amazement her scooter was fixed within mere moments.

Loki smirked as he saw the orange pony observe his magic gleefully, deciding mentally to do a second spell as he spoke, “Now run along, and be careful this time.”

“Woah, thanks mister Loki!” the filly thanked before rolling away in the direction Loki had originally been heading. Loki felt the beginning traces of a smile grace his muzzle as he observed them leave, but he quickly silenced this trace of emotion as he turned towards the nearby forest with a wary eye.

“Reveal yourself. I know you’ve been following me for quite some time now.”

Loki took a step towards the woods, and now not but ten feet from it he could see a figure emerge: a familiar one.

The mare who had been visiting his dreams stood before him in the flesh, as compared to their mental projection he supposed. They stood at about the same height as him, and their dark coat blended into the darkness of the forest they were taking refuge in. She was the one to speak next, her expression and inflection curious, “I am astonished thou art able to track our shadows so easily.”

“Shadow manipulation isn’t that hard a trick,” Loki stated, smugly pleased with himself that his second spell had done as he intended. He took some steps towards her so that he too was in the edge of the forest, now only a breath away from the

The self proclaimed Princess of the Night blinked, taking a more neutral tone as she spoke to the very close stranger to the land, “You must a powerful mage if such a thing is paltry to thou. Thy countrymen must be proud.”

Loki closed his eyes and shook his head very slightly, “Not as much as you would think,” opening them, the prince looked into the blue eyes of the mare who dared to track him both in sleep and in light, “Now, fashion me curious. Why are you stalking me, Princess of the Night, in a time of day that is not your own?”

Her tone comes off indignant at first before quickly evening out to the previous neutral quality, “We can stay up during the day if we so wish, and we have taken an interest in thou for thy uniqueness. You are an unknown who appeared from nowhere for no known reason, yet contain magical power quite formidable, if my senses are correct, and a demeanor quite curious. We do not know whether to see thou as a threat, or simply as another pony.”

Loki scoffed right in her face, but he too adopted a neutral manner after doing so. He could see this was forming to be a game of sorts, so he decided to play along, “I’m not planning on conquering your technicolor equines, if that’s what you are worried about. I would prefer to be left alone, however.”

As if she was accepting his statement, the darker colored equine gave a nonchalant shrug and turned around, her tail catching Loki’s eye: it had a pattern most like the statue he encountered earlier, where he first picked up an oddity in the shadows around him, “If thou remains on good behavior, we see no reason why we should inform sister about your existance.”

“Sister? There are really more of you giant equines?” This fact didn’t come as much of a surprise to Loki, but he had trouble recalling if he had already known it or if logic just prevailed within his mind on a subconscious level.

“You are quite large yourself, but yes, there are others. Besides myself, Princess Luna of the Night, the most noteworthy ponies are my sister Celestia of the day and our fellow princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire.”

This made the foreigner curious, for he still knew almost nothing about this realm other than he would not wish it upon even the creatures of Hell, “If you are in charge of the night as you claim, and your sister the day, then what does this Cadance control?”

Luna let out a small scoff followed by a roll of the eyes, “Love.”

Looking back to the town behind him, Loki gave a sigh as audible as a whisper but with an annoyed tone behind it, “I should have guessed it in this pink, frilly land that such a feminine being existed.”

Luna turned back to him and nodded her head, her blue and starry mane drifting in place to Loki’s fascination, “Her powers are a bit...overpowered. We art of the opinion she should have her powers lowered, for being able to force ponies to love one another is quite vexing in its potential. We art lucky she is a good soul.”

Loki lifted his muzzle up and snorted, “There we go again with the extremely butchered language.”

She too would raise her muzzle, closing her eyes in an indignant manner as she responded in a disgruntled voice, “We cannot change our entire manner of speaking in a short time, ill-mannered welp.”

Thinking back to their previous conversations, Loki laughed at the horse before him. If he was stuck in this land for the time being, why not let himself be amused and have his mind diverted from his home? “That’s the word you were looking for before. Wench is for females, as a tip,” he paused briefly before adding, “You annoying wench.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at her fellow Alicorn with a green coat, her anger rising from his insult, “One had best tread lightly. If thou asks our subjects about our temper, thou will not hear many great things.”

“Oh please, as if I should fear a talking horse.”

Her eyes remained narrowed at him, and her tone became inquisitional, “You keep speaking as if you are not one, and your dreams seem to corroborate this fact. What are you, and why are you in a form you detest if you dislike it so much?”

Not about to state his predicament of not being able to shift forms, Loki decided to answer the question without answering it, “I have my reasons, and I am indeed not some regular candy colored horse unlike yourself.”

Loki had once been the diplomatic one of his band of friends, the one who could deter unnecessary conflict with his silver tongue. But that was against true threats, not horses of varying unnatural colors. Even if this one could see his dreams, the others seemed to be nothing special and were in fact quite small compared to him.

Sensing his complete disrespect, Luna let out a breath in an attempt to calm herself, “Does thou believe dreamwalking is our only specialty?”

“Well, stalking in the shadows has been proven to be another one of your-”

His snarky words were met with a harsh glare, “Tell me, Loki, where dost thou confidence come from?”

After her words ended, she approached the stallion to lean towards him and stare him straight in the eye. When her face would have collided with his, however, she instead felt her head go through his entirely as if he were not there at all.

Behind Luna came a small chuckle as the Loki doppelganger before her disappeared, his tone haughty as he spoke to her, “From the fact that you’ve been talking to that decoy for this whole time-”

His words were those that broke the proverbial camel’s back, and the green Alicorn immediately found himself and the nearby area enshrouded by darkness, cutting him off. Not only was he no longer in the forest, he found that he could not move. A fear not known since his recent altercation with his own family crept into him, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Into the darkness appeared Luna, who stared angrily at the foreign entity who dare mock her, “Again, where dost thou confidence come from? You exist here by our whim, and our whim alone.”

Instead of submitting despite his obvious disadvantage, Loki stared darkly right back at the night princess and shot her a look just as dark back, “Oh go ahead, make me submit. Make me kneel and bow down to your royal, pretentious self. It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”

His words actually caught Luna off guard, whose countenance thusly changed from anger to confusion while her tone retained a slight edge, “I only ask that you drop thou arrogant act and listen. I have no personal qualm with thou, and do not wish to be thine enemy.”

Loki quieted and his scowl lessened, but hung on his face. Luna took this as him being willing to listen, “Better. Now, I will posit again that if you remain on good behavior we will not bring any harm to thou. But if you are to invoke our ire, or that of our people, you will find yourself in quite the predicament. Our sister is even less tolerant for dangerous wildcards, and one must understand just what it means to be in control of the sun itself.”

This managed to get a rise from the prince, who thought the idea incredulous, “You can’t really mean that your sister controls such a large and distant object.”

Luna could only roll her eyes at the newcomer to Equestria, realizing just how ignorant he was, “Seeing as she is the cause for the sun’s setting and rising each and every day, aye, she is in control of it just as I am in control of our moon. Your mistake was to think of us as simple animals. An Alicorn’s power is not a laughing matter.”

Loki decided to err on the side of caution, realizing that at the very least this entity was not one to be trifled with, and secretly worried that her claims about her family were true, “So I’ve learned. But also having learned just how candy coated this world is, I do not intend to stay in proximity to its people another time,” he paused briefly before looking to where the forest would be behind him had the area not turned pitch black, “I will however be staying on this world for the immediate future.”

His words now raised the interest Luna held in the stranger, and she questioned him quietly as she lifted her spell and the area returned to its natural state, “Are you running from your home?”

Free from her binding spell, whatever it had been, Loki turned around and began to take his leave. If she was so worried about her subjects, no good could come from interacting any more with them, so he decided his time in the treacherous forest would have to be prolonged, “No. Far from it.”

His bitter tone struck a cord in the princess, “Were you...banished?”

An abrupt turn of the head was quickly followed by a curt voice, “I do not wish to speak of my origins, and I believe you will respect my privacy in that regard. I expect that my sleep will not be interrupted, and that whatever you may have gleaned from my mind before will be the end of your journeys into the mystery of me.”

“If thou wishes it to be as such, we will not interrupt thy dreams without thy permission. We will, however, keep an eye on thee to make sure no trouble is afoot,” Luna noted with a sigh. She did not like having to be rough, and she was gleaming the notion that this fellow was in someway troubled. Not some malcontent like Discord, who had no capability for true feeling and thus could hardly be put on the receiving end of sympathy.

Loki kept walking away when he noticed that the forest beyond where he had been was covered too in darkness, despite it only being midday, “I believe we’ve reached an agreement. Now, I would appreciate if you would release the second set of seals, your highness.”

“Farewell, Loki,” Luna nodded as she complied to his wish, studying the creature before her as he left, “and we hope that whatever it is you are looking for here, you find.”

And like that, he was gone into the Everfree forest once more.

A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Please leave your thoughts in the comments below, and if you have any questions I will answer them to the best of my non-spoiler ability!

Author's Note

A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Please leave your thoughts in the comments below, and if you have any questions I will answer them to the best of my non-spoiler ability!

Numb the Pain

A/N: Special thanks to Nethalar, ShyHeart, whitedorumon, and tzeentch for commenting on last chapter! Your input is very much appreciated and also taken into account while I write!

It was the beginning of the day’s early afternoon when Celestia found herself confused by her sister walking past their castle’s ornate throne room. Given the time of day, either Luna had awoken early for some reason or she had been without sleep.

Before Luna could finish walking past the open room, Celestia decided she had best call out to her. After all, something might be wrong or something could not. Celestia had vowed not to be as negligent as she had in their past, so it would best to err on the side of caution.

“Luna? I thought you were asleep?”

Luna stopped briefly, looking into the room with a small smirk upon her muzzle, “It would seem not, sister.”

Celestia was at least glad that Luna’s tendency to snark was not impaired, but still she decided to follow up her inquiry. Luna hadn’t been back that long, after all, and she had best demonstrate her care for her younger sibling, “Is anything the matter?”

The night princess closed her eyes as she responded in a voice that held a tinge of weariness, “No, I’m quite fine. We just were attending to some matter concerning a subject’s nightmares. The issue has been resolved for now.”

The idea that Luna was out helping ponies through their problems gladdened Celestia, who was afraid that her sister wouldn’t ever be able to adapt to the changes time had made in their society. One by one, Luna was helping her subjects and showing them that she was not Nightmare Moon. Not any longer.

“I’m glad to hear that, Luna,” Celestia couldn’t help but grow a smile, “Now why don’t you get some sleep before we trade places for the night? It is quite unhealthy not to get enough sleep.”

While the tone held no malice in it, the words Luna spoke as she left came off negatively to the elder sister, “We know quite well the facts regarding sleep, Celestia,”

Her sister gone, Celestia could not help but question that particular snark, “Luna?”

Recurring nightmares were not uncommon amongst some of Equestria’s citizens, and Luna had grown accustomed to this happenstance many, many years ago. There were the ponies whom faced problems amongst their foalmates, such as bullying or exclusion, and there were ponies who had done something or seen something they regretted. There were a myriad of reasons, actually, and Luna had lost track of them all after only months of doing the task, a comparatively short time for the nigh immortal being.

What the ponies with bad dreams all had in common, however, was their willingness to accept her aid. Even in the time before Nightmare Moon Luna had little trouble dealing with her subjects, who all would graciously accept her ways to end their constant misery. Sure, sometimes she was faced with some fear with her booming royal Canterlot voice, but it would all subside in the name of good rest. And now after the Nightmare Moon debacle she was in much the same place, although the process of winning their trust would take a little longer. While ignorant, her subjects were all of quite good natures and accepting of the aid their Princess of the night offered.

Which brought the blue coated alicorn to the problem she had stumbled upon. What had just been another routine nightmare cleansing had become a confrontation with a being not of Equestria, who seemed partially hostile while retaining signs of being lost. Not in the conventional sense, for he was obviously that with how he took multiple days to stumble out of the Everfree forest, but the more metaphorical sense: he acted in a whimsical way, Luna noted, that reminded her of how she herself had been quite some time ago. One moment fine and content, while lashing out and being ill-spirited the next.

Luna frowned at the ceiling from her bed. This Loki appeared to have some family grief from what little she had observed from his nightmare. How much of it had been his mind fabricating something and how much had been his mind playing his lowest moments before him? Luna could not tell, for she had not been able to study it long enough to truly learn anything. In fact, whatever she had learned was quickly forgotten with how confrontational he had been. How moody and disrespectful.

But it all felt so familiar that Luna could not help but sympathize to a level...she by no means excused his rancor, but had a feeling she knew where it came from. His words seemed to imply he was not welcome at home, but Luna did not feel as if he was banished. If he had been banished he would not likely have been forced into a place unknown to him, or so she would believe. She had no idea how his alien customs worked, so it all was speculation...

Except his eyes.

Looking into his blue eyes when she had the chance had given Luna more information than all his words. He seemed weary, as if he had been through a great ordeal, but more so he had...he appeared hurt. As if he was suffering and didn’t know how to deal with it.

“Loki...”

With her curtains obscuring the day’s bright sun, Luna closed her eyes to rest. She was supposed to help other ponies and beings as the princess of Equestria, and she would not give up on this knave.

Not yet.

There was nothingness inside the dream Luna entered, not unlike the previous two she had. It was hardly uncommon for dreams, especially those of the frightful kind, to be dark and almost featureless. This was different though, the princess of the night had realized, for where as a background may be darkened or hard to see in a good amount of nightmares there still existed one. This place was devoid of any form of anything…

In fact, Luna was unnerved while she creeped inside it, only finding in solace in that she had been through two such dreams already. Intent on finding a solution to them, Luna decided that it was best to do what she came to.

The first thing the princess noticed was a soft voice playing all throughout the dark; a woman's voice that was completely unfamiliar to Luna.

Don’t worry, Loki. Everyone is talented at something, and just because yours is not the art of war does not mean you are any less great at what you do. You have so many talents Thor never will, so don't feel sad when the others show appreciation for what he does more so than they do your own skills. They'll come to respect you and them in time, as they have Thor. He too had to earn their respect, remember.

Luna rose a brow, confused as to what this was. She had sensed that Loki was suffering in his sleep…but this woman's soothing voice seemed far from a grievance. As soon as Luna had thought about this, the voice returned to speak into the nothingness.

Loki, I understand you were only playing a prank, but you must go to your friend and apologize for lopping off all of her hair. You wouldn’t have wanted her to do the same to you, would you?

Again, the voice was calm and soothing, not antagonistic or demeaning…Luna had the sudden realization that Loki was dreaming of things his mother must have said to him in the past. Once again the voice rang out again, this time a warm coo.

Come here Loki and let me see that wound…you really must take care of yourself better, Loki. There won't always be a healing chamber when Thor gets you two into trouble.

Was Thor a relative of Loki's too? A friend? These were the things Luna thought about before something changed before her: a ghastly figure that had indescribable features, beyond looking like a pony rearing on its back legs and possessing womanly clothing, then stood in the darkness not too far from Luna, who was the only other thing of shape and color there.

In the hands of the figure lay a bouquet flowers, their color white and their petals few. Luna had never seen this particular kind before, but her attention was quickly diverted from them when the woman's voice emanated now from the place where the apparition stood.

"Oh Loki, you shouldn’t have. You know these are your father’s and I’s favorite flowers. Wherever did you get them? They are such difficult things to find..."

Luna could not help but smile even as the figure disappeared, leaving only darkness again. This was Loki's mother…and it was almost certain to her that they shared a loving relationship. The mother looked after and cared for Loki as if he were her entire world, and Luna could tell that Loki cared for her too by how these were the memories he called upon, as well as how well he visualized the prized flowers he had gifted her at some point.

The warm feeling that had been growing in Luna instantly vanished as a thought came to her; Loki was suffering and in pain somewhere within this dream realm. As this is where the dream was taking place, he must be here listening to his mother and feeling pain. What could have possibly happened to him to be hurt by hearing her?

Luna feared to find out. Had he lost her?

In due time the voice returned again, but Luna could swear she had heard a soft sob act as a prelude to it.

I could not have asked for a better son, Loki. Better sons. You and Thor may not be perfect, but I don’t think I could handle having two boys who were. Even if you two seem to seek trouble, you’ll always be my precious children...

Even having a better idea about his family did not cause the gut feeling of pity and fear to leave Luna, for the sob she thought to have heard previously now broke out again in a much louder fashion. It originated in no particular place, carrying out all throughout the darkness that filled the nightmare. More quiet cries of anguish followed it, their origin undoubtedly Loki given their sound. Luna regretted not being able to face him, but she had to find him within the dream to do so. Her powers could only go so far.

Silence was left in the dream and Luna looked around. Nothing was changing, and the sobs had died down…but then the woman's voice returned, although it sounded different this time. Now…it remained comforting, but it held an amount of fear in it that made the princess of the night uneasy.

He kept the truth from you so you would never feel different. You are our son, Loki, and we your family.

The truth? What was so different about Loki that he would have to have something important hidden from him? The way she made it sound…was Loki adopted?

Luna's ears perked up at the sound of another voice, this one echoing from seemingly nowhere just as the sobs were. Loki's voice.

“Mother...I love you. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done…for how it must hurt you. I wasn’t good enough...I didn’t deserve to be your son and I didn't deserve your love.”

That sentence felt like a physical strike itself to Luna, who was caught completely off guard to hear the weeping and pathetic voice of this abrasive foreigner call out to his mother for forgiveness. Not only did it feel weird to hear…Luna felt sorry for him, for whatever it was he had done was causing him to miss and seek forgiveness from his mother. What was it Loki could have done to have caused his own mother pain?

Luna felt herself wince at that particular thought and of how her own mother must have felt in those years after her banishment…

But the sound of Loki and his mother disappeared and were soon replaced by that of a man whose age came across through his voice.

A fine example of how skill and finesse can overcome the most powerful of foes. Well done, Loki. Thor, you had best learn from your brother, lest he manage to beat you again.

This must be Loki's father, Luna thought to herself. He was grieving over his family and missing them, as well as feeling regret for whatever he did to separate them all.

Loki, I would appreciate it greatly if you would return my favored eyepatch to where it belongs. Even I, Odin the Allfather of Asgard, have a limit to my patience.

Again, mention that Loki was a bit of a mischievous soul…to that, Luna felt some of the sadness building up in her lift. She could remember all the times she had played practical jokes on Celestia, and of how many times she was on the receiving end of such antics.

The gruff voice returned again, this time sounding less annoyed and more amused.

I am most impressed by your cunning, Loki. However, remember to train more than your magical talent and brains, for even Thor won’t fall for the same doppelgänger trick more than once...or a few times as the case may be...

Luna smiled at the mention of Loki's trick for duplicating himself…apparently she was not the only one he used it as a way of tricking, and not the only one caught off guard by it. From the mention of things though Thor appeared to be the dim brother to Loki's intellectual self, so Luna didn't know how she felt about being beat by the trick herself with that in mind. She was certain he would not catch her off guard again with it, that was for sure.

Things in shift in the darkness once more, and this time two figures appear, one to Luna's left and one to her right. The left figure was an old man who stood higher in the nothingness, as if he was on top of a platform or some stairs, whereas the other, more youthful being across from him was on a lower plane. These figures, unlike the mother before them, were more detailed, but the finer details of their clothing appeared to be forgotten. Their faces, however, were wrought with detail and Luna could see every small movement on their unusual heads.

The eyepatch on the elder man tells Luna who that particular figure was meant to represent, but the other one was unknown to her. It could be Loki in his natural form for all she knew, but Luna wanted to wait and hear their voice before jumping to that conclusion.

“STOP!” bellows the figure belonging to this "Asgard’s" Allfather towards the other, who had his arms and hands outstretched to hold some object not inserted into the dream.

From across the darkness the pale skinned being just stood in silence, raven hair slicked back and garbed in green cloth as well as leather. After a moment his back remained turned to the Allfather as he asked, “Am I cursed?" his voice came across as if he was trying to explain to himself something in a rational way,

The voice confirmed the figure's identity to Luna…she was gazing upon Loki in his supposed regular form. An odd being with hands not unlike a dragon's, legs and arms similar to a diamond dog, and a head of noticeable skin except the mane it wore on top and the back. What an odd combination for a pony to witness for the first time, but Luna decided to accept it for what it was. After all, this is how the being she was trying to help truly looked.

“No,” came the sad voice, as if it knew it would soon have to explain something it did not wish to.

Silence hung for a moment before the pale skinned figure in green garb asked, anger inflecting in his tone, “What am I?”

The response given was another one of nothing, yet it was said in the most caring of manners, “You are my son.”

Then the raven locks turn away from the Allfather as the once pale skinned being turned to face Odin, his skin having turned to a blue not unlike princess Luna’s coat. Silence remained in the air once again as the blue skin became pale once more from the top down, the conversion taking its time, “What more than that?”

Luna felt her mouth open a bit at the sight of Loki's transformation. Something was obviously amiss, as Loki's pasty skin color not unlike Celestia's fur seemed to be this species norm if Loki's normal skin and his father's were anything to go by. She, like Loki, was curious as to what revelations Odin was to make. Given what she had heard from Loki's mother previously, Luna could only assume that this was what had been kept from Loki.

No response was given this time by the Allfather, who seemed to have not quite planned for this possibility despite its inevitability.

The once again pale skinned being began to walk towards his father at a slow pace, his words accusing and failing to hold back all of the emotion stirring within him, “The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?”

“No,” came the sad reply from the elderly man, who looked down with his one eye from the place in the darkness he stood at his son. His voice was quiet, adding to the sad emotion it conveyed, “In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small for a Giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering. Left to die,” another brief pause for what was to be a revelation, “Laufey's son.”

The figure in green could not even meet the eyes of his ‘Father’ as he stated more than asked, “Laufeyson?”

A brief moment later, the son was able to face his adoptive father, who merely stated, “Yes,” in the same forlorn voice he had held the whole time.

Having just been told his life has been a lie, the pale skinned ‘Asgardian’ took a few shallow breaths and averted his eyes for a moment before asking, “Why?” His voice was shaky, and his tone holding back a thin level of anger, “You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?”

“You were an innocent child.”

This did not soothe the one whose anger was growing, “No. You took me for a purpose. What was it?” his voice was demanding, his breathing panicked and rapid, and after a moment of no response he yelled, “TELL ME!”

The man he had grown up calling father gave in to his demand, although he appeared to do so with regret, “I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace...through you.”

“What? came the weak, almost inaudible voice of the Jotun who looked as if he was about to break down and cry.

“But those plans no longer matter,” Odin stated in reference to some unknown happenstance.

This was beginning to get into a place where Luna could not understand the whole situation, for she knew nothing of their context. Apparently their land, Asgard supposedly, was at odds with this other land, Jotunheim, from where Loki was born…seemingly not the same kind of creature as the Asgardians, appearing as different to them as a pegasus is to an earth pony given the minute difference of skin color. Other things may be different, but for the moment that was all Luna was able to discern.

The one who was about to cry found his voice again, and the hurt in it was soon coupled with more anger, “So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?”

“Why do you twist my words?” Odin asked indignantly.

The hurt remains, but his voice was now more parts anger than pain, although it would be untrue to say the former did not stem from the latter, “You could have told me what I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?”

“You're my son...I wanted only to protect you from the truth.”

Loki's voice was choking, and his “What, because I... I... I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?

Odin begins to look unwell, and he turns away from his furious son, “No...no...”

As the son chewed his father out and stepped towards him in fury, the old man falls as if onto a platform in the darkness, as if he was becoming more and more ill by the moment, “You know, it all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years, because no matter how much you claim to love me,” the old man reached out to his adoptive son, who didn’t take it and instead continued his tirade, “you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!

The Allfather then collapsed, appearing either comatose or dead with no indication of life. His son, who had reached him while yelling, instantly lost all traces of his anger and bent down to try and help his father.

His hands hovered over Odin for a moment, but they did not touch: they hesitated as if the man standing is afraid to hurt his comatose kin.

They get closer slowly until they are just at the point of being in contact...and when the standing Jotun realizes his touch would not bring harm to Odin, he touches Odin’s hand with his own. No sooner does he do this before he calls out.

His anger dissipated, his tone returned to a scared and hurtful one, “Guards...Guards, please help!”

The two apparitions disappear into the darkness of the nightmare, and in their place appears a green furred pony with raven black hair. The horse was sitting down, its back legs sprawled out carelessly while its front ones limply lay between them, his head facing downward as he cried into the darkness beneath him.

Luna felt her mouth hang open unintentionally as she thought about what she had just witnessed. Loki, and his pseudo father, in their natural states in a very personal moment...

The way things moved in this dreamworld revealed much to Luna, who was then figuring out how the bits of this dream fit together. The positive memories with his father and mother, mixed with painful parts from them both...

Loki was able to manipulate his dream, editing out all the background objects and noises...but the dream otherwise continued. This meant that what remained was meant to be there. That the hurtful memory was played out like he wanted.

He was bringing this suffering upon himself consciously, not just unconsciously. Thus the focus on certain things, and the complete lack of others.

Luna’s eyes fell to what would be the floor in a non-ethereal realm, unable to look directly face the sobbing being before her as he choked out, “Father...forgive me. I never could earn your love like Thor, but I still failed you in the end,” he sobbed again before he could whimper, “But even then, you left me all alone when I needed you the most...what was I to do?”

As much as she wanted to reach out to him, Luna knew that she still had to hold out and observe more. The more she knew when she did confront him about his issues, the more of a hand she could lend, even if it was intrusive to do so.

The pony's figure vanished almost as soon as it appeared, and now another voice replaced it. Male, but more boisterous and young than Loki's father.

Brother, why is it that you lock yourself in your chambers with this heavy tomes when you could be sparring? You do know Father will be watching today.

This would be the previously thought of Thor then…his voice gave her a good feeling, as if he was speaking with care rather than condescension. What was said reminded Luna of a time when her own sister said very similar words…it was when Luna was beginning to realize how interesting it was to use her magical abilities and would spend nights upon nights studying them instead of doing other tasks.

Fandral, stay your tongue. This is my brother Loki, and even if he is a bit odd, it is only my right to say so.

And the next instance of Thor's voice was protective in a way Luna often heard amongst siblings. But with the sense and feeling that Loki was suffering in his nightmare, the memory of Thor doing so only brought more sadness to Luna. Loki was torturing himself with memories of the family he was either separated from or had lost forever.

Loki…I am sorry. I know you wished to be with Father today, but it was not my choice. How about I make it up to you? You and I spar, and I promise not to use Mjolnir. Deal?…Alright, that's the spirit!

Caring…Luna wished Celestia had been able to do more of that years ago. Maybe things would have gone differently.

I do not see why I am the one who has to wear the dress when you are so much more feminine looking, Loki…yes, I know I'm the one who lost Mjolnir, but this is still embarrassing! You promise Father will not hear of this?

Luna did not have enough time to laugh before Loki's pattern of self-inflicted pain continued to its next course; from the darkness appeared two figures who were opposing each other. One Luna recognized instantly as Loki, and the other to her suspicion was Thor, who was different in that his hair was blonde as well as in that he wore silver colored armor.

The figure with blonde hair spoke with Thor's voice in a partially anguished manner, "Why have you done this?"

Loki snarled at his brother, "To prove to Father that I am a worthy son! When he wakes, I will have saved his life, I will have destroyed that race of monsters, and I will be true heir to the throne!"

"You can't kill an entire race!" Thor replied with a bit of disbelief and anger both.

"Why not?" Loki questioned darkly, before adding in his own disbelief, "And what is this new found love for the Frost Giants? You would have killed them all with your bare hands!"

"I've changed," Thor stated in a manner that would make Odin proud, for he had not revealed anything with his statement.

"So have I. Now fight me!"

The figures faded away once more, but this time they once again were replaced with an apparition of Loki's pony self. Luna let out a small breath of relief at this change, for she was worried she would have to witness two brothers re-enact a scene from her own life.

The remaining figure of Loki wept in his place, haven broken himself down in a place he thought to be private, “Brother...please don’t hate me. For turning against you, for envying you...I only did what I thought was truly right.”

Luna had seen enough. She decided then to approach Loki, her pace only being that of a slow trot in light of the atmosphere of the situation.

Even distraught, Loki was attentive, and the sound of her hooves trotting on seemingly nothing caught his ears. He didn’t look back to her, instead continuing to look down beneath him at the emptiness that lay there while he spoke venomously, obviously having felt violated, “How long have you been spying on me?”

Luna had opted to finish walking when she reached his side, as well as not answer his query by starting a different conversation, one that may be more fruitful, “Mother once told my sister and I that we were both fit to be rulers. That we should do so together.”

Loki looked up to her with eyes that shot daggers and a tone of acid, “Isn’t that just wonderful. Living with your sister in an everlasting state of happiness and rays of sunshine-”

Luna looked down and met his eyes, her face impassive as she spoke neutrally, “I hated it, as I’m sure you detested living in your brother’s shadow.”

Surprised partially by her answer, Loki took a moment to refocus his anger at her intruding his sleep once more, “And I suppose you would know just how painful that can feel, Princess Luna of the night,” he said facetiously before he snarled and went on, “It is hard enough for me to discern my own feelings, so forgive me for thinking it would be impossible for you.”

Luna narrowed her eyes a small amount, feeling her natural temper beginning to rise, but she fought it. Now was not the time, “Not quite, you recalcitrant foal,” while harsh, Luna had kept an edge out of her voice. With a brief pause, Luna broke eye contact and looked ahead of her into the nothing Loki had surrounded himself in this place, “I control the night and moon. Our sister, the day and sun. Ponies would enjoy sister’s sunny day, but shun our respective time,” Luna let out a breath as she relived the feelings of pain and anger she felt every time she was glossed over in favor of Celestia, but quickly recovered and continued, “I...grew envious of Celestia. I just wanted to be loved as sister was...”

Loki blinked, partially confused about how this magical candy colored equine who was fit to be in some inane female child’s fantasies was an imperfect, green eyed being who was jealous of the way people loved their sibling and not her. Loki felt something in his chest pang as that same feeling found itself in him, but he shooed the feeling away. He sympathized with the feeling, but he was quite irked with Luna herself.

After another brief pause, Luna continued her narration, “But that was not to be. I was always shunned in favor of Celestia in every manner possible. The one pony I was close to as a friend, my dear sister, became the pony I hated the most,” Luna bit back a surge of anger as she thought about how glorious Celestia saw herself as those many years ago; how she absorbed the attention like a sponge and left none for anypony else, “She stole the spotlight. She took the affections of all our subjects and didn’t act at all sorry that their affections were so fixated on her that I received nothing but their fear and other negative emotions.”

Loki looked back down and nodded, stating in a cold and bitter voice, “Always living in the shadow of your older sibling who, despite despite being no more special, is loved and celebrated by your subjects while you are cast aside and ignored. Always knowing that you are just as deserving of their love, even if not for the exact same things.”

Luna nodded too, stealing a glance down at Loki as he sat pathetically beside her before looking back to the pitch black before her, “So, am I so wrong to think...to have thought...that they should love us too? I mean, why shouldn't they adore us? Is it not within our right? I had done nothing to earn their fear, their distrust and their lack of affection but be myself,” her eyes fell to the ‘floor’ as she paused. After a brief silence she added quietly, “But do our duty for all of their sakes.”

Loki made no effort to interject, for he was intensely staring at the space before him as he pondered something, so Luna took it upon herself to just keep going. Hopefully something would effect the green pony who Luna now felt as if she had a kinship to from their shared experiences and troubles, “But...we’ve seen what happens when we try to take what naturally isn’t ours. Forcing our great, jeweled sky upon our subjects only led to our own downfall,” it was an effort for her not to grate her teeth, “One thousand years spent banished upon our own moon was as maddening as it was humiliating. We have no desire to resume our stay there.”

The son of Odin looked up to Luna warily, but kept to his own thoughts. Here was the same creature that annoyed him thrice so far, and yet...something about their words gave his anger pause. He wanted to yell at them, to chew out this animal for daring to invade his privacy so soon after their arrangement was made...but he didn’t. He considered himself curious.

Luna met his eyes only for his to flicker away, “We apologize, but I...I saw your memories. I always try to help others through their nightmares, so we apologize for entering yours once more,” as he had looked away, Luna did so too before blosing her eyes, “I too turned against our family and did things we regret...things that I had but a millennia to go over and curse my foolishness for.”

Her sorrow angered Loki in a way he couldn’t exactly describe, causing the prince of Asgard to speak with a growling voice, “You shouldn’t feel ashamed for what you did. If you hadn’t been neglected, you wouldn’t have been led down the path you went. If you had been shown proper respect, you wouldn’t have had to forcefully take it,” he stopped himself and took in a breath, his face relaxing. After some silence it softened and became reminiscent of how it looked when he was crying, although no tears fell this time, “It wasn’t your fault,” he stated weakly,

Thinking she had found an opening of sorts, Luna sat her hindquarters down and took the place next to Loki. He didn’t react even as she spoke in response to him in as soothing a tone as she could manage, “Nor was your fall. You had been lied to and shunned for who you truly were your entire life. You deserved the truth, and you deserved respect for who you were instead of neglect caused by who you were not.”

Loki scoffed at her words, but Luna went on, “My sister loved me despite having to defeat and banish me. She still loves me, even though I could have caused the deaths of all our subjects with my maniacal goal of having the night last forever,” Luna grew a smile as a thought came to her, “I’m sure your brother is the same.”

“You haven’t met the oaf. He’s vain. Brash. Completely oblivious.”

Luna had to concede that point, but she did know a thing or two about vain and oblivious siblings, “However, your memories showed just how much he cared for you,” before Loki could retort or claim she was wrong Luna followed up her statement, “Or did I mistake the kindness he showed you? Your brother cares for you,” and then a softer, “Your mother cares for you,” as she diverted her own eyes away from the pony she was soothing.

“Has she passed?” Loki asked carefully, given the manner she said her last sentence.

Luna nodded, beginning to wonder how much of being here was for Loki and how much it was for her at this point, “While I was banished my mother passed. Only fifty two years later, actually. Tia hasn’t said as much, but I believe the events related to me may have had something to do with her departure. She was always so kind, I’m not sure she could take seeing one daughter become wicked, only to be banished by the other.”

Loki straightened himself out and glanced at his unwelcome guest again. Some wouldn’t know what to say at all, but Loki’s penchant for words helped him address the topic to a degree, “I am sorry then for your loss. I do not think I could take that pain, myself, especially with the possibility I had caused her passing.”

He paused before continuing, noticing that a tear had fallen down the night blue mare’s face, “My own mother was the one person I could honestly say loved me without any doubt. She did not care that I was not her own...She wanted to let me know the truth, but father wouldn’t hear of it.”

Luna recalled Loki’s mother mention something along those lines, but before she could find something to say on her own Loki’s tone turned to anger, “Why explain to your son that he’s different, that he is that monster that parents tell scary stories about to their children? Why let him understand that he was to be another kingdom’s ruler instead of leading him on to believe he has a chance of being his believed kingdom’s ruler?”

“Loki-”

The green stallion smashed his hoof down, a crash reverberating throughout the area as if he had broken an object, “I never wanted the throne!” he choked down a sob as he yelled ahead of him, “All I wanted was a chance to earn his respect! Earn his love the same way Thor had! But no, I never had a chance from the start because I am a bloody ice giant!”

His wounds were still fresh, unlike those Luna bore, something she realized a bit late. He still wanted to lash out at all the people he saw at fault for his problems.

Luna brought a hoof to his shoulder as he seethed, hoping he wouldn’t react with violence even if this was only his dream, “Loki...calm down. It’s okay. It’s in the past.”

The physical contact did something, for Loki’s anger was stayed for the moment and he fell back to how he was before...pathetic, “But I...I gave up everything to prove myself...I destroyed my birthplace...my despicable race...slew my true father to prove myself to the one I...”

Loki felt himself freeze in place and his eyes widen when he felt fur rub up against his side and a voice speak softly, “It’s okay. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

Loki blinked, caught off guard and finding that his silver tongue was now one of lead. He didn’t know what to do or say...or what to feel.

An impossibly colored pony felt sympathy for him and he was accepting it.

Loki, prince of Asgard, felt himself leaning against his companion.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you about what you thought!

Author's Note

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you about what you thought!

Make You Forget

A/N: Extremely sorry for the REALLY long delay…a long list of reasons are behind it, ranging from real life circumstances to internet related ones, but I do bring tidings of good news: new chapters will be very rapid as a result of the upcoming Thor movie. The more I hear from readers the more I'll update though, so please take the time after reading to let me know what you think!

Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter: Thewaffler, shyheart, Nethalar, moonsparklethevampony, Vaalintine, whitedorumon, D48, Skywish, and D-Bence35! Your support really means a lot to me, and I hope to hear from you again in the future!

Loki shot upright as he awoke the next morning, his mind racing as it traced back to the night before. His reflection on the night was cut short the moment he realized that he was not where he had fallen asleep, but rather some unfamiliar hut.

Across this hut sat a black and white striped creature with random pieces of jewelry adorning them, but their presence was deemed non-threatening by Loki as he continued to observe them. He knew this species of animal, and of how little a threat it was for a being such as him.

“A Zebra,” Loki scoffed as he began to observe the hut in more detail, noting what appeared to be many potions and tribal-esque objects that gave him a witch-doctor vibe, “Let me guess, you can speak too?”

Realizing that the large, green pony was awake brought the attention of the Zebra away from her work and to her guest, “In fact I can,” noticing Loki’s attention on the hut rather than her, the Zebra decided to explain the situation, “I found you just as the night began. You were passed out in front of a statue, my alicorn who came out of the blue.”

Loki found that nothing in the nearby vicinity was of great interest, just many odd brews obviously created by this crazy relative of horses, “If not hyperactive or reckless, they must have a speech disorder it seems,” another thought crossed the trickster’s mind and he quickly began checking his body over, “Why did you take me in, witch doctor? I will be severely disappointed if I find anything missing.”

His tone caught the previously warm smiling Zebra off guard. She tried only to help him, and he was acting suspicious and now accusing her of removing his body parts. Not a foreigner to mistrust, the Zebra decided it best to let this go and just address his question.

“I only wished to lend a helping hand, but I am afraid your rudeness will not stand,” she regained her warm smile, “I have some food to help your recovery, for a wounded and sick pony was my discovery.”

The recently awoken prince smirked smugly as he stood up, “Tell me, does the rhyming come naturally or do you think about a sentence before you say it?”

The Zebra played this one off with a laugh while gesturing towards her table, “Your rude curiosity is most intriguing, but my patience for it is indeed fatiguing. Come and sit my guest, for being made to leave would not be for the best.”

As Loki tried stretching out his limbs, new wings included, he felt something prevent him from doing so with the two new appendages. Another glance at his body revealed that while not missing entirely, there were familiar things wrapped around his entire mid-abdomen that constricted his wing-movement.

These objects reminded him too much of Thor, who usually had them wrapped around his forehead after a particularly brutal fight.

Loki grunted as he rubbed a hoof over the covered area, “Bandages. Another stranger believing they know what’s best for me.”

“My my, I believe one as grumpy as you may need to meet Pinkie Pie. A little positive energy would not kill you, so come, relax, there is no need to stew.”

Noticing the exit to the hut right nearby where he had been placed in the hut, Loki took off towards it and abruptly ended their conversation.

“I am most apologetic, rhyming zebra, but I honestly do not feel like conversing. Farewell.”

Inside the hut the Zebra sighed, left alone in her home by the curious stranger she had been hoping to learn more from. But if he did not wish to talk, she would not make him.

She only wished she had not made enough stew for two.

Loki had no exact plan after leaving the Zebra behind, only knowing that he did not wish to deal with yet another one of this land’s residents. They all felt so surreal to him, as if they belonged in some work of fiction rather than the reality he was accustomed to.

Besides that however...he needed to collect himself after his last rest. It all was beginning to come back to him be it his grieving over his lost family, his pouring of his emotions out on the pony named Luna, and even remembering how she had recounted her own experiences of being second fiddle to another sibling.

For the first time since his fall, Loki felt...safe. Not just physically, given the challenges he faced in the woods, but mentally. Her story had brought about a safe harbor in his mind by revealing that he was not alone in society’s mistreatment, that there just so happened to be someone who understood his situation.

...and to the distrustful man (now pony), having someone who understood him scared him more than many of the other things he was faced with. What good is a spirit of chaos if they can be read like a book? And how dare this mare shatter his already weak state of being...he had never cried that much he was quite sure, and the wet fur on his face gave him the idea that he had done so extensively during his sleep.

He felt like a mess and needed to clear his head. Loki’s stomach growled as if to throw in its two cents, but he ignored it as he had gone much longer on much less food. What he did require was water. That he could clean himself with, both his wound and his muddied fur not to mention his mind. He had always enjoyed meditating after a good bath in the past and was quite sure it would be the same now even in this alternate form he could not abolish.

It took him a good part of the day to wind through the woods and come across what appeared to be a safe to drink river, having first come across marshes and ponds that were brown and green in color. This river, however, was clear blue and looked as pure as it could be. In all of the travels with Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three he had certainly been subjected to worse, so Loki indulged himself.

First he removed the obstructive bandages, ignoring the pang in the injured one as he did so. The wound had begun to heal but was doing so nowhere as fast as the healing chambers he would have access to back home. The wound appeared to have also been tended to, undoubtedly by the Zebra, but new blood had cropped up from when he tried to move it. Loki cleaned it off before using what magic he could to refresh the bandages and make them like new again.

Next Loki moved to go into the water fully, but stopped when he caught his reflection in the lake. A large, green equine with the long horn of a unicorn and the wings of a Pegasus. How he detested being unable to return to his regular body, but there was little he could do. His attempts to do so had failed, so he had best just not fight it at this point. He was too emotionally drained then to really care anyways.

After all, the form he wanted was still not his true one.

Continuing to look into the river, Loki frowned at the sight of his green eyes. They really ought to be red, but Loki could not blame them for being his favorite color. Like his fur. How had his fur come to be such a ridiculous color anyways? His hair had remained its same black coloration, so this light green fur felt very off to him.

Another thing caught his eye in the reflection, and that was that he was still stark naked. Being naked as an animal had long since stopped being embarrassing to Loki, for he had transformed many times across hundreds of years, but after seeing this princess who visited him and the Zebra wear traces of clothing he could not help but long for his old clothing.

What he’d give for that ‘cow’ or ‘reindeer’ helmet Thor would always jibe him for. At least then he would maintain some level of royal appearance in his perspective, the gold shimmering and displaying its greatness upon his head.

Loki tried to conjure up clothes like he had before in his travels…

Only to find that, like transforming, it was not going to be happening. Nothing appeared and Loki was left naked as the forest around him began to shake.

Loki jumped back from the lake just in time to avoid a giant head crash down into where he had been standing. Loki observed it and the long neck it craned from to see that this giant head belonged to a giant body that so happened to be standing in the area behind him.

Loki chastised himself for not being more alert, and noted that he must remain so if he were to survive this place.

Further inspection revealed that the head was one of many, all of which were on the end of their own hideously long neck all coming from the same body. Four to be exact. Three of which were now lunging at him as well.

Loki placed a double where he was standing then and left to the side, the three heads and the body they all were attached to crashing into the fake him. Loki snorted at the beast’s foolishness, “A Hydra? Here? Thor would quite love this world I presume.”

The monster had little chance to react before the ground beneath it turned to ice and it slid into the river, which too soon began to freeze at a rapid pace from the cold emanating from Loki’s body. The former prince was in no mood to deal with this monster and could care less about tapping into his Frost Giant gifts if it meant his swift safety. Complexity and cunning were for less occupied minds, and only called for on a needed occasion.

The Hydra thrashed in the water as it tried to get out, but the ice encasing its body began to stop that thrashing as it began to succumb to the frigid cold, “Hard to move? It must be hard to break free when you can’t twitch a muscle.”

Only the heads remained above water with a small portion of their necks, all of which smashed against the icy river recklessly and wildly as they tried in vain to save themselves from their fate. From the side of the river Loki smiled grimly at the display, “It’s not particularly a warm day, and I doubt this will defrost anytime soon. I daresay that you may just freeze to death with the chilling temperatures.”

The Hydra let out a shrill shriek from each head and Loki just shook his head, “Oh, you want to be free? It is you who attacked me, monster. I have no sympathy for you. I would likely cook you for dinner if I was not stuck in a vegetarian form.”

With that, Loki left and decided he had best look to setting up a more permanent residence. One where he could leave the bones of this creature to ward off any other such animals who foolishly thought themselves a match for him.

“Anyone home? No? Good.”

Loki had found a most peculiar ruins as the day began to wane, his travel having been hampered by some more now deceased beasts that he had dispatched emotionlessly. The ruins found reminded Loki of a castle, albeit a broken one, and they had drawn his eye instantly as he drew closer to them.

Something about it being a castle felt...comforting to the lost prince.

He soon found himself inspecting its innards, having nothing better to truly do. Upon entering (what appeared to be) the throne room Loki found he was no longer alone.

Standing and looking around inside the same room was the mare of his dreams, quite literally. The princess of this land was sitting and reflecting on the room, her calm demeanor making it seem as if she had been waiting there, for just how long Loki could not discern.

The blue coated mare nodded minutely to the green stallion, “A good day to thou, Loki. It was most difficult to locate you.”

Loki felt himself grow defensive at how this horse inserted herself into his life once more, even if they did have a heart-to-heart the night previously. Who did she think she was after all?

“I would appreciate not being the subjecting of a good stalking.”

That earned a nervous chuckle from the princess, who stood up and approached Loki, “We apologize. You entered a different sleep cycle last night and we did not get to finish our talk.”

His face contorted in exasperation, as if to say ‘fine’, “What is it that troubles that Equine mind of yours?”

Now in front of Loki, Luna averts her eyes down quickly before closing them, “I would pay you back for what I intruded on this past night, if thou so wish.”

Consternated but willing to deal with this one, and only this one, pony for some period of time, Loki shrugged, “If it’ll remove you from my space once more, show me whatever you please. Mind you, I would much prefer an abridged version though.”

“Of course,” Luna was pleased that this Loki was willing to have her share her own experiences, having felt guilty at spying on his the night before. This would make them even in her mind, at which point she could leave him to his own devices.

The broken throne room quickly faded from view and found itself replaced with a prim and proper one, as if the very same room was just made new. The marble and stone were not strewn about, cobwebs did not litter the area and the windows were not missing but rather beautiful stained glass.

Loki approved of the change.

With this change in setting came a change in what populated the room, as now other ponies appeared where previously there were none. Atop a throne sat a tall, regal looking mare with the same unicorn-pegasus features Loki recognized on himself and Luna. Only the coloration was different. White fur and a dark red mane were the most notable features Loki could make out beside the scroll she was levitating before her and reading.

On the throne with the obvious queen of this land was a small, indigo horse that looked as if it was a toddler. Given the nature of this memory, Loki presumed this blue baby was the mare who now stood beside him.

“Your mother, I presume?”

Luna nodded wordlessly as she watched another pony come into focus, this one a filly of white fur and pink hair at the foot of the throne. Her face looked as pleased as Loki’s had in recent times, looking quite annoyed.

The ruler looks down from her throne and pats the white filly on the head, a smile upon the majestic mare’s face, “Celestia, what do thou think of having a sister?”

The filly huffs and turns away fully from her mother, “Luna irks us with her crying. When is she going back?”

“Oh Celestia, Luna is here to stay. Isn’t that right, honey?” the ruler cooed to the child beside her, the young Luna giggling in response and nuzzling with her mother.

The vision began to fade and be replaced with another, giving Loki the time to comment solemnly.

“She loved you,” it hit close to home for him. Even at that time he considered his mother the only person he had attachment to. She had done him no wrong beyond hiding his origins, and had only done so with the best of intentions.

She hadn’t betrayed him. Not like Thor. Not like Odin. She always was there to love him when no-one else would.

Luna responded wistfully, noticing that Loki’s cheek fur had become wet once more, “I was always her little girl, even after I began to mature.”

The scene morphed itself to have an older Celestia leaping forth and crashing into a similarly older Luna, knocking the younger sibling off her feet and resulting in both of them tumbling to the ground.

“Celestia, release thy sister!” a commanding voice yelled across the room, which Loki came to realize was a dining hall of sorts now.

“But she ate my cake!” Celestia complained loudly as she removed herself from Luna, who childishly stuck a tongue out. Present Luna blushed at the display, but laughed at it despite her embarrassment.

Sitting at the head of a table, where Loki was accustomed to seeing his father, was the mother of Luna, “That is no reason to pounce on her. Now, Luna, as amusing as this is I expect thou to go get your sister another slice. Understood?”

“But I didn’t eat it,” Luna whined in a pitiful tone, quite obviously trying to mess with her mother.

Loki could tell a half-truth when he heard one, and the young princess was being quite naughty.

He approved of this as well.

The queen narrowed her eyes at her younger daughter, “Woona, lying to your mother is not a habit you should start.”

Loki mouthed ‘Woona’ to the mare beside him in an attempt to chide her, but she ignored him as she continued to replay her memory.

“But it’s true!” mini-Luna declared...before promptly laughing and pointing to her sister’s mane, “We stuffed it in her mane.”

Surprised that she hadn’t noticed, Celestia ran a hoof through her hair and yelled, “You what!?”

The two fillies quickly found themselves in another tumble which reminded Loki of his time with Thor quite well, especially the days when Thor would be doing something dim and Loki found it fitting to play a prank on him. So every day in their youth and many of the days after to be precise.

The scene cut once more, now being replaced with what Loki could only assume was the private quarters of Luna given how a copy of the one standing beside him now stood in the dimly lit place, looking outside a window with sadness in her eyes.

While looking the same as the mare beside him, Loki had no doubt there was a good one thousand year difference between them. For some reason her banishment hadn’t aged her it seems.

A knock on the room’s door followed by it opening revealed a noticeably older Queen, wrinkles in her face where there had been none previously. A good deal of time had passed, but how much Loki was not quite sure of.

“Mother,” the past Luna greeted quietly, not even turning to face her.

The elderly mare looked as troubled as the younger one, sadness quite apparent on her face, “How are you faring, dear?”

The old Luna huffed indignantly, “Just perfect, locked away in this tower.”

“Nopony prevents thou from visiting the streets, Luna.”

It was an angry mare who turned to face the mother, who in turn stepped back once in shock, “Is that so? Then why is it that the ungrateful welps run and hide when I try to do so? Oh, yes, the princess of the night must be such a terror. Not at all like thine own sister, who is just perfect in every way and adored by all.”

Loki winced as he felt nostalgia hit.

The present Luna, meanwhile, lowered her gaze. She was obviously not proud of this moment.

Luna’s mother tried to console her daughter with a hoof, “They may favor Celestia, but know that thou are both the same in my heart. We are all family, and it is our love towards one another that truly matters. We are all that we have, after all.”

With a long breath the previously seething mare calmed, her facial expression quite similar to the ashamed one of her present self, “You are right mother…We do not wish to be jealous, but there is no pony who is as beloved as she. In her own words no less. She knows of how they mistreat us and she does nothing to prevent it, even if she ought as our own blood.”

With a glance to the window, where lights of a town could be seen, Luna added, “She would bask in their love rather than fully acknowledge our sorrow.”

“You ought best to speak with her. She is your sister, now and forever, even if her eyes are blinded by the very light she gives off and is given in return.”

Luna’s mother lent forward to wrap a hoof around her daughter.

“We love you.”

As this scene faded, nothing came to replace it but the original weathered and broken ruins of a castle Loki had stumbled across. Silence hung in the air a moment before Loki broke it.

“Have things changed since your return?”

Luna blinked to clear her eyes before asking in return, “What?”

Loki took in a breath before speaking again, his inner contemplations causing his speech to be slow, “Do your subjects fear you as much now as they did before? Is the mistrust there even after these years?”

Luna sat on her hindquarters, not caring to stand anymore, “Yes, it remains, if not more so. It is hard to be in public without warranting screams and mass panics. We let sister deal with the entirety of public appearances as such.”

That was exactly what Loki expected, but not what he wished for, “So, even in a land as sugar coated as this forgiveness does make itself easy to acquire.”

Sensing his tone, Luna tried to rectify the path of their conversation, “It begins with those who care for you. Your mother, your father, your bro-”

“Do not mention them to me,” at first venomous, Loki quickly altered his tone to be more neutral, although it could barely hide his raw emotion, “Do you think I have not already been through how my next meeting with them will be. ‘Sorry for attempting to kill you brother. Father, please do not banish me like you did him for far less of a crime.’ I’m sure that’ll just go over great!”

Luna reached a hoof out to touch his shoulder, “There must be others who care.”

Loki did not resist the touch, but made no effort to return the gesture.

“None. There are none who would weep in my name outside of my mother.”

This statement shocked the princess, who rose a brow at just how much more similar his story became to her own with one word, “Loki, how many friends have you had?”

Loki snorted derisively, glancing over to the sitting mare, “I once considered myself a friend, if a marginal one at that, to four warriors who followed my brother,” his eyes avert, his tone growing cold and poisonous once more, “But they betrayed me. They left me for my foolish brother without a second thought.”

Luna brought herself to her full height and made herself directly beside “Loki Odinson, you are a moody, insufferable being,” the hoof previously on his shoulder moved to be around the brooding stallion, pulling him tightly into the princess with unexpected strength, “But if thou ever need somepony to speak with, I will lend my ear, for I stood in your place once.”

Not sure if he was unable or unwilling to remove himself from the physical contact he had not truly been on the receiving end of in quite some time, mental projections and fighting aside, “You ponies are so maudlin.”

The princess could not help but laugh at his snarky statement that she could also not help but agree with, “And you Asgardians are too uptight. But what’s better, to live in bliss or to live in sadness?”

Loki only shook his head, unable to hide the genuine smirk growing on his muzzle. Something about how completely honest and unabashed she was grew on him, those features reminding him much of the Lady Sif at her best, while her capability for softness…

Well, it reminded him much of a certain family member.

“You should smile more.”

The Prince remained silent as the so called smile grew larger. Luna, sensing things had gone quite well and that she had indeed made a new friend, decided it best to take her leave.

“Farewell, Loki. We have our nightly duties to be attending shortly. Please do your best to stay safe.”

“I make no promises.”

It was Luna’s turn to give a snort.

It was a rare occasion for the Princess of the Night to be awake much earlier than her time to reign over the land, and it was rarer for her to be out and about at that time. Luna was quite fond of her sleep, manipulating her own dreams to be however she wished, and quite nervous about confronting the regular population still.

It is for this reason, when Luna touched down from flight at Canterlot Castle, that Celestia was very surprised that this had happened twice now in a short time period. Was something the matter with her younger sister?

“Luna?” Celestia questioned, not sure just what to say or ask.

Luna noticed her sister in their courtyard and greeted her with a bright smile Celestia rarely saw on her anymore, “Yes, sister?”

This made Celestia’s suspicion about something being wrong vanish, instead being replaced with a curiosity of just what could have roused such a good mood from her blue coated sibling. This was quite the improvement over the downtrodden Luna she was growing oh so accustomed to.

“You seem like you are in quite the good mood. Has something happened?”

Luna trotted over to Celestia and looked up to the elder sister with her own eyes glowing quite happily, “Oh, we just found a new friend today.”

Celestia prevented her jaw from dropping too much, quite shocked by this development, “A new friend? Are you finally meeting and befriending other ponies?”

This...well, this was wonderful in Celestia’s perspective. The idea that her sister was finally finding ponies outside their own little circle to speak with...she just might not end up treading down the path she had one thousand years before. The culture was beginning to accept her and now individual ponies too were opening up to Luna...

The not-distraught countenance on Luna made Celestia’s heart feel warm as her sister replied, “You could say that.”

Celestia bent down enough to nuzzle the top of Luna’s head, “I am so happy for you Luna. Now, what is this pony’s name? Do I know them?”

“I do not believe so. His name is Loki. He is quite the intelligent and interesting stallion-”

The warm feeling in Celestia’s chest melted and became something heavier at the admiration within her sibling’s voice, “Luna...”

Luna retracted a bit at the tone of her sister, confusion entering her mind, “What is the matter, Tia?”

“Nothing,” at least I hope, she wanted to add, “but, Luna, you speak of this Loki quite fondly.”

That made the princess of the night tilt her head and laugh, amused by how her sister jumped to conclusions, “You are worried I have the romantic kind of feelings for him? He is nothing but a friend, I assure you, Tia. We only have just met after all.”

“I am pleased to hear that Luna, for your own sake. It is a sad but true fact that our lifespans greatly eclipse those of our fellow pony.”

Luna chuckled again, her head shaking at the notion that she would have feelings for a stuck-up and moody pony like Loki. She didn’t even know what that felt like, so how would she possibly fall for a foreign prince who just so happened to share a strikingly similar history to her?

Luna stopped laughing at that thought before quickly dismissing it, as well as the thoughts of her sister.

“Do not worry about me. I will be quite fine.”

Her fears disapitated and the idea of her sister making friends still in mind, Celestia felt her mouth turn into a small smile, “Well then, I am off to rest. Have a good night, sister.”

“Goodnight, Tia.”

For a lack of better term, Luna was looking forward to whatever…”fun” her new acquaintance and friend would bring.

As dusk began to set over the landscape of the land of equines and monsters both, Loki found himself growing weary. Something felt off to him as he watched the forest in its twilight, the god of mischief feeling something creep down his spine.

He was not alone in the ruins he had decided to call home for the time being.

Expecting to once again be faced with Luna, Loki looked around himself to see who had graced him with their presence.

He spoke even as no figure made itself readily apparent.

“Visiting so soon, are we? I did not know my company was that pleasant.”

Loki went from snarky to alert as the voice spoke and the ruins faded from around him.

“You are mistaken, for we have not met...Loki Odinson.”

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you about what you thought! Getting back in the swing of things with this story, but updates will be quick and even quicker if you drop a comment below! Thanks again!

Instrumental

A/N: Special thanks to Nethalar, D48, and evowizard25 in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it, as the more you let me know about what you enjoy the more I can make the story fit that!

It was with a weary eye that Loki gazed upon the entrance to Ponyville. It was the following day that he had decided to solve future problems by engaging in a relatively menial task, one he hoped would both not draw attention to himself or tax his patience.

“No pink surprise this time? Good.”

The dreaded ‘Pinkie Pie’ was nowhere in sight as Loki entered town. Ponies all were going about their everyday lives, few seeming to notice him at all and those that did not lingering on him too long. Sure, he was really, really tall in comparison, but their panic button was not set off by this fact.

Loki used this lack of attention to his favor, studying the place around him before deciding he could not make head or tail out of the layout. A series of tents in an odd place, houses that looked physically unsound, and other such sights met his eyes. Just how did these ponies function day-to-day anyways with such a random looking town?

Deciding he had best resort to the populace for what he needed, Loki approached the closest equine to him and addressed them.

“Greetings, I am a traveler who knows little of the land. Would it be of trouble to you to assist me?”

The equine, a large but still small in comparison stallion, turned to face Loki from where he stood. His response was quite succinct, “Eenope.”

Loki knew the value of sweet-talking more than most and quickly began to work his silver tongue, “Most kind, my good sir. Now, if I were to desire a map, is there a place I may obtain one in this town?”

“Eeyup,” the stallion replied flatly, not batting a lash.

The lack of a true reply irked Loki a small degree, but kept his composure, “Ahem, where might that be?”

The red stallion only lifted a hoof to point in a direction further into town where a large tree lay. Realizing he would not be hearing much more from this equine, Loki decided it time to depart, “My most humble thanks.”

First visit, a pony would not shut up. This time one would not utter a full sentence. Loki was quite perplexed how there was a pony as stoic as Hogun when the others in the town seemed to be quite bubbly. Then again the one he was most acquainted with was a former green-eyed monster who committed crimes worthy of a long banishment, so there wasn’t a homogenous personality type amongst them.

Before Loki could fully depart on his way to the tree, a blue flash in the sky caught his eye. Following it, Loki watched as it landed atop a nearby cloud and hugged close to it so as to hide their presence. Loki found this odd until a pink and hopping pony he recognized all too well appeared on the ground going about her business.

Upon the sight of the dreaded pink, Loki tried to make himself scarce but found that his large form could not hide behind any other pony nearby and by being in the middle of a street there were no walls to duck behind.

As if a signal flare had been shot, the annoying equine known as Pinkie Pie began to head towards Loki-

Zap!

-only for a lightning bolt to fly down from the sky and nearly strike her, causing her to jump up out of her skin. She darted away at an astonishing speed and quickly left sight, leaving Loki to look up to where the lightning had originated. The cloud it had popped from was moving quite fast and unusually, which made the rainbow tail hanging off of it all the more suspicious.

Loki found himself walking in the same direction as the cloud, which stopped over a nearby building, as well as curious about just whom saved him.

“You on the cloud, who are you?” the prince called out.

A blue head poked down from over the cloud’s side, revealing a mane of hair similar to the tail.

“Oh, hey there. What’s up tall guy?”

Loki smirked as he started to piece together what he just witnessed, “Was that a prank I just witnessed there with the lightning?”

The rainbow haired equine on top of the cloud tossed her head back as a fit of laughter caught her, “Hah, that was classic. Pinkie Pie always falls for that one, even though she’s helped me set it up on other ponies before.”

Music to his ears.

“I am quite the fan of pranks, if I do say so myself. Been doing them longer than you’ve likely been alive, young mare. Care for a few pointers?”

Rubbing a chin with her hoof for a moment, the rainbow maned pony quickly shrugged and flew from the cloud to the ground, “Sure, why not? I’ll love to get the drop on Pinkie Pie next time with something new.”

Loki was surprised with himself as felt himself grinning quite largely. The opportunity to pay that pink equine back for talking his ear off while also having some fun?

Looking down to the considerably smaller equine, Loki laughed, “Excellent. Now, pranks and tricks can grow boring if overused, so it is important you have a good repertoire of them.”

Loki glanced to the side where an orange coated equine with blue hair was walking, or at least where they were walking before the ground beneath them became ice. Loki grinned as the pony slipped and slid out of sight.

Rainbow laughed as a second pony slid unknowingly on the same ice and fell on their back, “Woah, I bet having magic is awesome for pranks!”

“Of course, but one can pull off a good trick with far less,” Loki laughed as the original victim slid and fell again on the ground, “Now, what is your pink friend afraid of most?”

“Well, I don’t know...well actually I do know of some things. Pinkie is really scared of snakes for some reason-”

Snakes? Loki supposed he could do snakes.

With a wave of his hoof, Loki conjured to small snakes out of some rocks on the ground. Or rather, two inanimate snakes that were set to constantly wriggle in place.

The rainbow maned pony gaped at the sight, “Wow, I bet Twi would love to meet you. Are those real?”

Loki shook his head no, “Wouldn’t want them to needlessly cause harm. A prank is no good if it causes more damage than fun.”

He theorized that he would not be looked upon favorably if he repeated the mess that was Thor’s coronation...he really wished those guards had left like he planned, as they would not be dead.

“Take those and place those inside some food she will eat in the coming days. A larger food, such as a cake, will do just fine,” “Now, for the execution, you should mention earlier in the day something concerning the specific kind of food. Then bring it up again later to get her hunger going. And again, and again up until the point where she will eat the first one placed in front of her.”

The blue mare picked one ‘snake’ up in her hoof and grinned at it, “And then bring her to one and she’ll chomp down on it, really psyched up about finally eating one.”

Loki nodded, proud that they could connect the dots, “Precisely. Now, I have enchanted the snakes to give me sight of the event as it transpires. Such simple spells after all. When you have pulled this off I just may help you again.”

A salute was what the mare gave Loki before flying up to her cloud, scooping up the second snake on her way up, “Yes sir!”

Departing without ever asking the mare’s name, Loki set his eyes on his original goal.

Loki quickly noticed the tree was actually another building, having a door built into its side. Having seen similar practices in some of his adventures throughout the centuries, Loki did not bat an eye at the notion of a tree building and instead approached it confidently.

Upon entering the front door, Loki could hear a voice call out to him, “Hello and welcome to Ponyville’s library.”

Loki craned his neck to the side to see a purple furred equine laying down and reading a novel on the floor, eyes and mouth both glowing as if the act of reading was the best thing in the world, “I am Twilight Sparkle and am the local librarian, so if there is anything you need help with just let me know.”

The former prince and king of Asgard glanced around at the wide and circular inside to the tree. It looked quite larger on the inside that the outside, and books lined around the walls the entire way. Loki was quite impressed that a species such as this would have this many books, and it made him more hopeful he might find what he was looking for.

“Where might I find a book of maps for my usage?” he inquired politely.

Eyes still glued on her book, the librarian pointed a hoof to a section of the room without even glancing at Loki, “Our atlases should be right over there. We’ve got ones for Ponyville’s streets, the Everfree Forest, the region in general, all of Equestria and even some for other nations.”

Satisfied by the assistance, Loki approached the section in question. It did not take long for the longtime scholar to locate the very book he desired, and after opening it Loki found himself amazed that he could read it despite its unfamiliar text. He had deciphered and learned many languages over the years, but never before had it been an instantaneous process.

Apparently having this new body had its perks after all, besides the ability of flight he had yet to test.

Pleased that the book he had removed from a shelf, The Complete Atlas of Equestria, Loki looked back to the librarian, “Do I just take the tome?”

Twilight finally closed her book and got up from the ground so she could walk over to her desk, “Well, I have to write down who is taking it of course and what book. Give me a moment.”

After retrieving some parchment and an inked quill, the librarian’s mouth dropped a little at the sight of the towering stallion, “Wow, you’re quite tall for a unicorn, sir. You remind me of the princesses. All you need are wings and you’d be just like them!”

Loki opened his mouth to bring notice to the wings on his sides, or at least he did until he realized that there were still bandages wrapped down his entire abdomen. He hadn’t gone about addressing the wound any further and had forgotten all about them, but now they were obscuring his wings.

Given this pony’s reaction and words, Loki could sense that the wings not being visible had saved him from a good deal of attention, “Is having both wings and a horn not usual?”

The purple equine shook her head and laughed as if what he said was quite silly, “No, it’s very rare in fact! I only know three ponies who do, our princesses. You know, one of them was once a pegasus who became an Alicorn like the other princesses as a result of her good deeds. She used to tell it as a bedtime story when she was my foalsitter.”

Loki was quite stunned that he had run into an acquaintance of the princesses, whom he admitted to be quite curious about after nights of speaking with one of them and hearing of the other royal sister.

The newcomer to Ponyville pressed the matter, “And what of the royalty? What can you tell me of them? I am afraid I am a traveler who knows quite little of this region.”

“Well you couldn’t have asked a better pony! I am the personal student of princess Celestia after all, so I know more than the average pony. So, what do you want to know about them?”

Loki gave her a smirk, amused by her innocent wonder at the mention of books and also pleased by the serendipity of encountering this specific equine, “Everything you know would be most appreciated. I am quite fond of learning.”

“Well, I should start with the founding of Equestria-”

“Loki?”

...

“Loki.”

...

A foot stamps on the ground and the voice grows in volume significantly, it’s tone both confused and worried, “Loki!”

The so-named being snapped his eyes open and shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of his stupor.

“My apologies. I was...lost in thought.”

After having acquired his needed tome, Loki had returned to the place in the forest where the ruined castle still lay. Luna had rightfully guessed he would be at the former castle and had decided to visit him again, not having truly much else to do. Everypony in Canterlot except her sister feared her and would not take the time of day to just be around her.

Loki, however, was growing increasingly tolerant to her visits and the mare of night found herself drawn to the kindred soul. The foreign prince was the less regarded sibling, the outcast of society, hurt by his family’s ignorance, and those were only the negative things. He also appeared to be quite the trickster and also was a user of arcane magic, something she could sympathize with quite well especially given the synergy between those two things.

Standing inside the previously forgotten castle room, Luna approached Loki from where he sat on the dilapidated throne, “I see that, and I apologize for startling you, but I was was worried something might be wrong.”

“No...I am quite fine,” Loki watched as Luna approached him and sat down in front of him, the sight of this princess reminding him of a previous conversation that day, “Say, would you mind granting me some information?”

Luna rose a brow to the odd inquiry but relented, “Of course not, what is it you wish to know?”

A broad grin found itself upon Loki’s face as he recalled his experience in Ponyville that day, “I was on the receiving end of a history lecture by your sister’s student and heard her mention this land has faced severe threats in the past. Given that I have been fighting off monsters in this very forest, I am curious what constitutes an actual threat to this country.”

This took Luna a moment to consider, as she herself was still learning the land and its ways after all that had changed in her absence, “Well, generally the animals in this forest stay in the forest, so our truly grave threats could be considered those that threaten the country itself. Take the Changelings who invaded Canterlot, our capital, for example. They very nearly took everything over and eradicated ponies from the map of Equestria.”

The name sounded quite familiar to Loki, but he decided to confirm his suspicions, “Changelings?”

Luna held a hoof up as she pictured a changeling in her mind, teeth biting her lower lip, “They are similar in size and shape to a pony and are even led by a Queen, who resembles my sister and I in form if not for her more grotesque features. All Changelings have black carapaces with pointed edges and spikes, as well as having holes in their legs and wings.”

Loki noted the odd look on Luna’s face, “Let me guess, they get their name from their ability to shapeshift.”

His visitor affirmed his theory, “Correct. That is why they are so deadly, as they can pose as just about anypony and be anywhere. I am most glad we drove them off, and most recently defeated them again at their newest lair. They are a threat to Equestria no longer.”

That brought back many memories to Loki, some of which brought pain while others brought amusement, “I see. You know, I once was able to change forms but find myself unable to in this new body. Would you happen to know the reason for this?”

“How art thou trying to change form?” having not noticed Loki’s horn glow very much, Luna found herself puzzled at how he was doing magic at all.

“Well, before it was just a simple spell. I could even shapeshift others. All I’ve managed to use in the arcane arts now are some small tricks and my most natural spells.”

The princess was quite sure she had found the solution to his issue, “Do you focus through your horn by any chance?”

Loki frowned as he tried to think back over the past few days, wondering if he even had done that and not recalling any instance where he had, “No, I have not. Or at least, I do not knowingly attempt to when I use my magic. Why do you ask?”

Luna nodded to him as she pieced together how Loki had been casting some of his magic but not all of it, “Well, certain ponies powerful enough in magic can cast smaller spells without the aid of their horn, but that is quite rare.”

Loki nodded towards Luna as he watched her horn glow momentarily. The light outside of the castle became shrouded by clouds, thunder and lightning blasting from them as Luna demonstrated her point. Loki admitted the usage of such magic effortlessly was amazing, as even Thor took a moment to channel his powers of the same variety.

Thor could not dreamwalk to the relief of Loki.

Luna used her power to whisk the clouds away and brighten the sky again. The smile on Loki’s face at her power usage made one appear on her own face, glad to have pleased the haughty prince.

“For more powerful magic, thou must channel the energy through the horn atop your head. Without it you are trying to accomplish an impossible task. There are artifacts that exist that amplify magical ability, but even those require you to first channel the power through your horn.”

Loki nodded to her as he tried to wipe his smile off, noticing that she had seen it, “Would you mind helping me learn how this is done? I would feel a great deal safer in these woods if I did not have to rely on cheap tricks to survive.”

Luna approached the throne and reached a hoof up to tap Loki’s head, the prince grimacing at the touch, “If you wish for aid, we would be most happy with helping you. We too can shapeshift, so it would not be the most difficult task to assist you with this,” to demonstrate, Luna quickly transformed into a taller and darker furred form Loki thought familiar. Luna turned back to her regular form a moment later with a inquisitive expression, “If we may ask, why the Everfree Forest? This is a dangerous land.”

Loki shrugged, glad that she had stopped touching his head, “I have dealt with far worse. It was common practice for my brother, his warriors and I to go on expeditions and quests into the most dangerous places this universe has to offer.”

“Is this truly so? We would care to hear of your tales sometime, Loki,” Luna smiled again, this time in a more cheekish fashion, “Payment for your lessons.”

Loki squirmed in his seat, finding their close proximity quite awkward, “I think that could be arranged. Now, would you mind starting our lessons now? The sooner I can harness my power, the better.”

Not noticing Loki’s discomfort, Luna stayed right in front of where he lay on the throne, “Of course. We have quite some time before it is our time of duties.”

An important thought crossed Loki’s mind, “Do you not sleep?”

Now it was Luna’s turn to shrug, “We can go without regular rest as I can dreamwalk, which requires me to be resting as well, or at least meditating heavily.”

“Quite impressive. I would never have pegged an equine for having such powerful talents,” Loki tried but failed to keep his natural smarminess out of his tone.

Luna rolled her eyes at his racial prejudice, “I always have enjoyed growing my magical talents, more so than my sister anyways. She has a basic variety of spells and powers besides her power to control the sun, where as I have access to more powerful arts.”

“Good thing I am your student and not hers then. Something I have over that librarian who should honestly get out more, coming from an avid reader.”

The mention of her sister’s student made Luna’s eyes light up, “You have met Twilight Sparkle I presume?” at Loki’s nod, Luna laughed, “Is she not quite the nice mare? She is one of the few friends we have here.”

That made Loki laugh as well, “She seems to be quite intelligent and welcoming, but I do not believe I will be visiting her as often as you do me. Something about being lectured for hours on end would grow tiring I would believe.”

Luna closed her eyes and nodded, “Yes, you are correct. We do not visit her often enough simply because we have to deal with sister’s lecturing enough already.”

“Is your sister really all that terrible?”

“Do you want to learn how to use your magic or not?” Luna deflected, a small snarl forming on her face.

Loki decided to return a favor and reached a hoof out to touch her head, “Oh come on, I told you of my woes. Tell me more of yours. Then we can learn your tricks to unlocking my magic.”

Luna plopped her hindquarters on the ground and let out an agitated sigh, “Fine. Yes, Celestia is quite aggravating. She even gave me a lecture on befriending you. Each and every day she reminds us of why we rebelled in the first place,” Luna gazed over to a part of the room that held no importance to Loki, yet caused her eyes to grow hurt, “It is hard to imagine that it was here that we were defeated by Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony. I was so glad to be reunited with Celestia after all that time...”

Loki leaned back in his claimed throne, wincing briefly, “And the novelty of seeing her has worn off I suppose?”

Loki felt his stomach drop at the thought of how things might be if he returned to Asgard. If Thor nearly starting war was a crime worthy of banishment, what he had already committed would no doubt land him a more severe punishment.

Luna glanced up to Loki and nodded, “One thousand years gave us the hope that our sister would have changed in all those years...she may have grown wiser, but Celestia is still flawed,” Luna looked back to the spot in the room, “The believe my defeat here purified me. It did nothing of the sort.”

Luna stomped her foot on the ground and seethed, surprising Loki with the sudden bout of anger, “All it did was strip me of my dark powers those foolish creatures granted me on the moon. But when the source of your overwhelming power is stripped away and you are left defenseless, why not surrender and let them believe that you are one of them again?”

Loki stayed quiet for a moment, wondering if he should interject or if he should let her finish. His silence gave Luna time to breathe out deeply and continue, “We are glad to be among friends these days, but…” Luna wiped a tear growing on her face away, “It took only a moment for our subjects to forget and fear us after first accepting us back.”

Loki leapt from the throne to the ground beside Luna, “You need not worry about those who would blindly judge you. Those who care for you are those that matter,” he took a breath before adding, “But in any case, I think it best that we move on. No use hanging on a sore topic.”

Luna smiled weakly to him as she rose to her feet, “We should go outside then. I think I just may enjoy teaching you, Loki, provided you are not as difficult a student as you are a pony.”

That gave Loki quite a good laugh.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! If you did let me know what you liked in the comment boxes below! Thanks again!

Familiar Friend

A/N: Yes, I have seen Thor The Dark World by now and I would like everypony to know that I will be incorporating aspects of it into the story in due time. I ask that those that may have seen it do not post spoilers in the space below, as they just might also become spoilers for this story itself.

In other news, special thanks to Nethalar, D48, and evowizard25 in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it, as the more you let me know about what you enjoy the more I can make the story fit that!

The pair of like beings spent quite some time going over the basics of magic use in the Equestrian world before actually beginning, Loki quietly deferring to Luna’s knowledge on the subject. The actual time spent practicing it was brief, for while Loki strained himself to harness his power he felt his wounded wing jolt in pain and the former prince stopped channeling his power.

Luna looked to him with concern within the throne room, her newfound companion cringing before her, “We have been meaning to ask about that. Are you okay?”

Loki quickly shook the pain from his face, confident voice hiding his weakness, “Just a trivial wound. I will be fine in no time, I assure you.”

The princess closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, not at all surprised by his stubbornness, “I think you should rest and that we end here for today. We can always continue tomorrow.”

Loki opened his mouth to object, but the feeling of his bandages unraveling and falling down from his sides caught his attention.

“What are you doing?” he complained as he felt the dried blood gluing his wing to the bandage tear, new blood streaming down his side.

Luna leaned forward to inspect Loki’s wing more closely, a frown forming upon her lips, “Your wing looks infected, no wonder it has not healed,” her horn lit up as she stood up normally, “Let me tend to it.”

Loki merely grunted as he felt his wing extend without his permission, another shock of pain racing up through his nervous system. The wound momentarily began to burn, only for the pain to be replaced with a cool and soothing feeling that was much preferable.

In another moment the feelings disappeared completely, leaving Loki confused. With a glance to his side, Loki observed his now mint condition wing that had nary a scratch or drop of blood on it. He did not even fight the pleased smile that crept onto his face.

Luna too found herself smiling as she witnessed his expression, her own being more subdued, “When you spend one thousand years in isolation, you experiment with your capabilities after a short while.”

Loki strolled towards the vacant throne in the room with the intent of sitting upon it as he responded to Luna, “Quite impressive. Self taught magic is quite difficult in my experience. I would never have come this far in my own abilities if not for my mother’s aid.”

The princess of the night found herself impressed by that revelation, not having expected Loki’s not-biological mother to be able to control magic, “Your mother is able to use arcane techniques as well?”

“Yes, she was the one who nurtured that talent of mine. If there is anyone back home with comparable skill to me it would be her. She too can shapeshift and cast illusions, and that is not even mentioning her combat prowess.”

“Your mother is a combatant as well?” Luna found herself quite enamored with this apparently great mother who was intelligent and strong, yet still nurturing to have earned Loki’s devout love even in this time of emotional turmoil.

Loki climbed atop the throne and felt a smaller smile replace the one he had previously, mind reminiscing about his dear mother, “She is more of a diplomat, but to be the queen of a warrior race and the mother of two unruly children requires a certain strength. We listened to her because we loved and feared her both.”

Approaching Loki and his claimed throne, Luna found her own thoughts mirroring Loki’s, “Mother was never a real fighter. She always resorted to words when at all possible. Celestia is quite similar, but will stand up to fight if need be,” with a flash of her horn, Loki found himself pushed from the throne and face first on the floor with Luna in his previous position, “Otherwise she just has me handle the issue with my powers, as I am not afraid to get my hooves dirty.”

It did not take long for Loki to rise to his feet, dusting his green fur and finding himself laughing, “Ever the perfect princess. You are quite darker than one would first assume, not that it is an issue. If threatened, it is only natural to do what one must.”

Luna briefly stuck her tongue out like a foal might before looking towards the window, “Precisely. I have witnessed the now decaying Hydra in the water nearby. I take it that you were the one to freeze it there?”

Loki too looked towards the window, glad that he was not meeting Luna’s gaze lest his eyes betray his calm voice, “I so happen to have an affinity for ice, more natural than anything else. A reminder of just how different I am from those back home,” Loki gave off a small snarl, “A Frost Giant, not one of Asgard. A runt at that.”

Luna kept quiet as Loki stomped a hoof down on the ground, his face nowhere near as pleased as it had been just moments before, “I despise my control of ice, and if I gain access back to my original power I will undoubtedly never use it again.”

Luna found herself frowning too, not happy that he was unhappy as she looked at him directly, “Why shun that aspect of yourself? Are thy so afraid of thy heritage you would cast aside a powerful tool?”

Loki turned his eyes to meet his companion’s, only to avert them a moment later, “I have everything I need without it.”

From atop the throne Luna shrugged, “Power is power. I now understand the meaning of that. While greatly outperforming my sister who had been lax in her studies, I was no match for six simple foals who happened to have a tool that was far greater than my own abilities.”

The sheer absurdity of that statement made Loki scoff, even if he had a source inform him of it earlier that day, “You were defeated by six regular beings?”

“The artifact they used to defeat me was no simple tool. The Elements of Harmony,” Luna grunted as she recalled her downfall in the very room they were in, “They require all six to use their powers in conjunction, as well as for each to demonstrate their moral character. In attempting to drive the six apart I instead brought them together, and their coupled power soon defeated me.”

Loki felt a smug grin grow on his face as the topic shifted from his hated heritage to someone else’s misery, “The absent minded librarian mentioned these artifacts, as well as your defeat as if she were the one to do it. I wonder how much she would be disappointed if she learned her trick was ineffective?”

Luna huffed indignantly and turned her nose up haughtily as she justified her defeat, “There are a great deal of things that can shift the tide of any encounter. The Alicorn Amulet wrought havoc in Ponyville not all that long ago by corrupting and empowering its user. The cosmos themselves assisted our sister’s student, Twilight Sparkle, in defeating the incompetent Queen Chrysalis in her lair. The fool should be trapped there for a good time more.”

The revelation that there were items of great power in this land not unlike Gungnir or Mjolnir came of little surprise to Loki, for after experiencing a shapeshifting and dreamwalking horse he could not truly call himself skeptical in the land’s inherent power, “This land appears to have a great deal of magical talent and energy. I am quite curious to learn more about the causes, so I can harness it for myself.”

A new and random thought struck Luna and the princess quickly changed the subject, “Can you fly?”

Loki was the one to shrug then, “I have not tried to do so, but with the aid you granted it just may be possible. Why?”

Luna grinned down at him as she leapt off the throne and spread her wings with a certain flair, “You seclude yourself as if you are a hermit. Do my subjects scare you that much?”

He rolled his eyes as he sensed where this conversation was going, “Yes. In particular that pink one in the nearby town that has an unhealthy obsession with laughter.”

The previously happy Luna became crestfallen nigh instantly at the mention of a certain pink pony, “Oh yes. Pinkie Pie...”

Her tone perked Loki’s ears up and made his brow rise, “I can hear the distaste in your voice. Is the pink equine a royal pain as well as a regular one?”

Luna closed her eyes and turned her head away from Loki, “We rather not talk about it.”

With that statement Loki found himself in an interesting position to accost his visitor, “Which is all quite fine, but you claim I am acting like an asocial being. Now you’re the one who doesn’t want to talk.”

Luna only opened her eyes to roll them, “Fine. She…” words failed her as she attempted to explain just how the pink being had wronged her, “She just so happened to publicly shame me in front of her entire town. She pretended as if I were still my old, nightmarish self to amuse herself. Ignoring that I am still bitter about those thousand years, I have at least realized I have done wrong and have worked to fix my error.”

Luna glanced down at her hooves, “She didn’t factor in that I might not like having a town and all the children in it think I was some pony-eating villain.”

That caught Loki’s attention, who found himself quite baffled and a tad bit wary, “You used to eat other equines?”

The blue equine found herself glaring at Loki for even considering that notion, “Of course not, but that’s what they think nowadays. Meanwhile my dear sister is praised and loved and has a celebration in her honor every year.”

“And you don’t?” Loki found the idea very familiar, irritatingly so.

Luna snorted, “I do actually, but it is an insulting one. ‘Nightmare Night’ so it is called. It is how the pink one spread her lies about me. The night is about being in fear of Nightmare Moon, who will eat all the fillies and colts if they do not give me candy and hide underneath costumes.”

“I see...it reminds me of another realm’s tradition known as Halloween. It too has a custom of candy and costumes, but it is at no-one’s personal expense generally. Why don’t you cancel this ‘Nightmare Night’ if it pains you so?”

“My subjects adore it...I do not wish to take their ‘fun’ from them,” Luna emphasized the word she had learned with unrestrained disgust.

Loki sat down lazily in front of the throne as he held a hoof up, “If I may suggest, how about you change the holiday then? To make it a night where the collection of treats and the wearing of costumes is for fun only, and not a reflection of some old mare’s tale?”

“Such a thing is no easy feat I hope you realize,” Luna chided.

“It shouldn’t be that hard. A little announcement to your subjects, a year or two of sitting it all out personally, and you might just find that it starts to mend itself.”

Luna found herself perplexed by the term usage, “Sitting it out?”

Loki let off a small chuckle at the confused look on her face, “Your presence causes fear at the moment, yes? Fear inspired by the tales ponies tell about you. By not actually appearing after changing the year, you will allow for ponies to take the new holiday in a direction not related to you. If they wish to, that is. It is a gamble, and may not work, but it is one I believe may prove worth it.”

The night princess gave a polite nod as she thought over his words, “I thank thee for your guidance. Now, enough dancing around the subject. You ought to socialize more, Loki. I have a nation that fears me and I believe I still have more friends among it than you.”

“I prefer it this way. From my visits to that town outside of the forest I am quite sure I have the population pegged. The inhabitants of this place are too...idealistic for my tastes. Too kind. Too bound to things such as friendship and love and all of that hogwash.”

It was Loki’s turn to be accosted, “And why are those things the nonsense you make them sound like? I care deeply for my friends and my family, and I see nothing wrong with that. Although I envy her, I do love my sister Celestia.”

“It is the sheer dribble that is spouted that drives me from them. I am afraid my more experienced and cynical self might just shatter their glass is half full perspectives.”

“Then find more down-to-earth ponies to converse with. Remember, we’re friends and that’s not all that bad, is it?”

“I am quite fine with the idea of having a confidant who I share a certain kinship to, but I do believe in quality over quantity in regards to such matters. One ‘friend’ is enough, given that they earn their place,” Loki explained wearily, mind thinking back to his experiences with the Lady Sif and the three bumbling warriors who he had once thought friends.

“Friendship is two-ways, you know.”

That amused Loki quite greatly, “I daresay you’re right. What do I have to offer you though, I must wonder.”

Luna lifted a hoof to touch Loki’s shoulder gently, “Your companionship is all I require. It’s nice having another mature pony to speak with who is not my sister.”

“Even though I’m not really a pony? Really just some cold-blooded monster?” the Frost Giant said in jest, a layer of truth beneath his words.

Luna lowered her hoof and looked her friend straight in the eye, “Loki, you are what you want to be, and something tells me that what you want to be like your family. Your true, loving family, and not the one that cast you aside.”

Loki’s eyes softened before they closed, the action causing Luna to feel quite distraught, “Now do not give me that face. You need some cheering up, yes? Get up and stretch your wings. We have some flying to do.”

Deciding he really had nothing much better to do at that very moment, Loki relented, “Where are we to head?”

“You have been hiding in these woods far too long. I think it’s about time you come and see where I reside.”

Dehydration, a starving stomach, sleep deprivation and exhaustion from his constant wandering made the otherwise asocial Loki quite open to the idea. It’s not as if these things mattered greatly to him, but it did give him the slight push to accept the idea.

“Why not.”

“I daresay Luna, you are giggling like a filly. Calm down.”

Upon arriving in Luna’s city of Canterlot, Loki quickly found himself overwhelmed by a giddy equine who he had previously believed to be quiet and reflective. They had flown right over the city itself and directly landed in a courtyard of the castle where a group of unicorns quickly scattered to avoid being trampled underfoot by the awkwardly landing Loki. He had taken winged forms before, but it was by no means an area of expertise for him.

As the stunned unicorns all began to reconverge to look at the newly arrived Alicorn whom they knew nothing of, said Alicorn found himself being laughed at by Luna.

“What’s so wrong with being like a filly? They are so innocent and kind,” Luna shooed away the crowd and began to walk towards an entrance of the castle, Loki following behind her as he observed the area and its architecture.

“They also can be annoying and tiring, as with any child,” he retorted, finding himself quite impressed by some of the castle’s construction. It held no candle to the one he had grown up in, but Loki would give credit where it was due.

As the entered a hallway of the castle Luna scoffed playfully, “You can’t tell me every child you’ve met is like that.”

Loki took the chance to grow a smug grin, “Well, not all of them. I was a good child. Quiet. Respectful,” the sideways glance Luna gave him made him grow serious, “And I guess there are some others too...I met one filly in Ponyville that was quite decent, even if they did crash into me with their scooter.”

Luna ignored the ponies in the hallway they were trotting down as they gave her and her guest odd looks, instead just smiling to Loki as she led him towards the throne room of this newer castle, “Ah yes, you have met dear Scootaloo. I admit I’ve taken an interest in that poor filly after I found her in a fit of terrible nightmares on numerous occasions.”

The prince of Asgard found himself actually caught off guard by that revelation. He would never have guessed the young child would be so tormented by something like that. He was suffering from them, sure, but those were mostly brought upon by himself.

Loki considered himself quite curious about this matter, “She was plagued by nightmares? What of?”

Luna sighed heavily, “Scootaloo was afraid she would let her idol down by revealing to her that she was really not as tough as she acted. I gave her some guidance and, in the end, she ended up bonding with her idol over the matter,” a smile found itself upon her muzzle, “I even personally signed the adoption papers.”

Gears clicked into place inside Loki’s mind, the supposed god stating to himself, “Scootaloo was an orphan. That’s why she didn’t learn to fly.”

A child plagued by nightmares about letting down their idol hit quite home to the otherwise guarded prince.

“Yes, I do believe so. Rainbow Dash is taking care of her now and Scootaloo is bound to be flying in no time,” seeing the distraught look upon Loki’s face made Luna brush up against him in an attempt to soothe him, knowing exactly the pain he was replaying, “I see that look. Yes, even here there are beings willing to take in others who are not their own and help raise them. Rainbow cares about Scootaloo, and I think the two are lucky to have one another.”

Loki nodded, voice quiet as he followed beside Luna, “I see.”

Before Luna could press the matter further, another voice cut in to their conversation.

Surprised by her sister being awake not just twice before her time of day but three times in recent memory, Celestia could not help but be surprised by seeing her in the hallway leading to the throne room, “Luna? You’re up?” initial surprise over, Celestia found herself not in the company of one Alicorn but two, one of whom was not Cadance, “Oh, my, hello. Luna, would you mind introducing me to your...guest?”

Luna’s plan of showing off Loki to her sister, a trophy to claim that she too could have a social life, was cinched and the princess was quite pleased, “Of course, sister. Celestia, this is Prince Loki of Asgard. Loki, this is my fellow princess, Celestia.”

“What an honor it is to meet the other half of this nation’s royalty,” Loki gave a half-bow as he stated this in a half-mocking tone that Celestia did not pick up on.

Celestia returned the gesture, her own voice genuine. Genuinely confused with a bit of worry, “A pleasure I must return. I must however admit I have never heard of this Asgard.”

Luna enjoyed this feeling of having her sister uncomfortable. Did an Alicorn that was not herself or her family truly worry her that much? Or was it something else? The sheer greatness of the situation made Luna so happy that she might even claim she was having the previously mentioned ‘fun’.

Loki too sensed the unease of the tall white mare before him, but he did not intend to be on bad behavior just yet. That is something a second visit would call for, so he played the part of smooth talking prince, “That is not surprising, given that I am not native to this realm, but that is all a long story better suited for another time. I would not wish to waste your important time with such trivial matters.”

Celestia nodded to Loki, something about him causing her gut to feel uneasy in a bad way, “Well, I won’t keep you two. I hope you enjoy your visit Prince Loki, and if you should need anything you only need let me know.”

He gave a second bow to her as Celestia began to depart and head the other direction, “Thank you, your Highness.”

After Celestia was far enough from them to be out of earshot, Loki looked to Luna with as large of a mischievous smile as he could muster, “So that was the beloved Celestia. She appears to be everything you said and more.”

Luna found her cheeks grow red, quite irritated by his words. That was not the intent of having him meet her.

“Yes, well, my sister is great and all...” Luna tried her best not to pout, “But I don’t want to talk about that.”

Loki held a hoof up to Luna’s face, intent on pushing this a bit more, “No need to be jealous. It doesn’t suit you,” he paused to give a laugh, “Actually, wait, it does.”

Luna huffed, only giving Loki more fuel to add to the fire, “So what if the topic strays to your taller, wiser-”

“Loki, enough.”

Hearing the hurt in her voice, Loki instantly backed off. If someone from home, say the Lady Sif, had acted the same way towards Thor in his presence he would be irked quite greatly, “Okay, okay. I promise to not divert my divine attention from you,” he let out a laugh again, “Besides, you seem more interesting anyways. She gave me the impression of a cardboard cutout.”

Luna felt herself grow more at-ease at that, glad to see that Loki had just been messing around with her. She was about to respond when something caught Loki’s eye in the hallway that made him speak again.

“And just who might you be?”

Luna turned her attention to behind them, where a golden armored guard stood at attention. From his position he had been tailing them, which Loki now looked to be annoyed by.

“Fl-”

Loki cut him off with a sneer, “Better question, what are you doing here?”

“I am here to protect the royalty-” was all the guard could utter before he was cut off by the severely amused and belittling Loki.

“The royalty who so happen to be physical gods. You are here to protect them. How cute.”

The idea actually brought a smile to Luna’s face as well, having remembered once having had this conversation with Celestia on the worth of their guards, “Oh Loki, leave him alone.”

“I will, as soon as he vacates the area.”

Like the unicorns in the courtyard before, Luna waved a hoof at the guard to send him away, “Begone. Your services are not required.”

“So, this is the supposed Alicorn I was informed of,” a new, uppity voice rang out as the guard departed.

Loki rolled his eyes. Were there any equines he would not encounter in the hallway?

Luna felt her shoulders sag at the very sound of a certain pony, “Oh. You.”

Now approaching them was an above average unicorn in both size and girth, reminding Loki much of a fat ruler who merely sat on his entitlements. Luna felt herself announcing the unfortunate arrival of the unicorn, “Loki, meet the distantly related spawn of a previous princess sister gave power, Prince Blueblood.”

Loki looked over the new arrival before stating the first thing on his mind, “What a pretentious name.”

“And who are you to question me, commoner?” the fat prince seethed, only amusing Loki in the process rather than scaring him. Apparently the prince was too dull to notice the horn and wings on him, which Loki was beginning to understand meant royalty in these lands.

Loki gave an even more mocking bow than he gave to Celestia, “I am sorry, I am afraid I did not introduce myself. Prince Loki of Asgard, protector of the nine realms, archmage, god of mischief, and diplomat to your land. Care to inform me of your title and accomplishments?”

Blueblood angrily ignored Loki’s cutting jab and spoke directly to Luna, “What is this cretin doing here in our palace?”

Luna rose a brow, “We ask the same thing every time we see you.”

And, in a sentence, Loki found himself immensely pleased that he had encountered this mare.

Prince Blueblood puffed up and approached Luna, hooves stamping on the hallway’s carpet, “How dare you! I-”

His words were cut off as the carpet beneath him lifted in the air, tossing him into the air quickly, only for the carpet to catch his fall. Just as he began to yell out in objection, this process repeated again and again, the carpet’s movement acting not at all dissimilar to a trampoline.

Luna turned to Loki, whose horn was lit.

Loki turned to Luna, whose horn was lit.

As they both laughed, Loki was quite sure this was going to be quite a nice partnership.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! If you did please let me know what you liked in the comment boxes below! Seriously, every bit I hear from you helps this college student get motivated both in life and in writing!

My Head Is Spinning

A/N: Special thanks to Nethalar, D48, and evowizard25 in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! Also to thewaffler for having a fun name! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it, as the more you let me know about what you enjoy the more I can make the story fit that!

Luna and Loki had spent much time wandering throughout the hallways of the castle, Luna explaining just about every room they passed to him as she was quite the expert on them. After all, there were few other places she could roam freely in Canterlot without somepony reacting in fear.

Their time spent idly in the castle was not spent freeing Blueblood from his predicament, which the two had agreed to leave behind in search of something more interesting.

Luna had almost brought Loki to the very last room she intended to show off, her own, when the sight of Loki wincing and the sound of him grunting caught her off guard. Loki’s legs buckled for a moment before straightening out, the prince having caught himself.

“Is something the matter?” Luna questioned, worried about her guest’s health. He had been living in the Everfree Forest too long in her opinion, so it was possible something was now ailing him.

Loki did his best to hide his previous expression of pain and play it off as something trivial, “Nothing of the sort, only a mild migraine,” after a moment he briefly winced again and asked, “Would you mind excusing me for now? I wish to go clear my head.”

Wishing to see him better, Luna found herself absently nodding, “Of course. We will see you tomorrow?”

The indifferent shrug was all she needed as Loki departed.

It did not take Celestia long to find Luna again once word spread that her visitor was gone, and it was not with a gleeful face that she did so.

She had not wished to impose herself on her sister during what was quite possibly the first time she ever brought somepony back to visit their home. But a talk needed to be had, and now that she could speak in privacy with her sister she would.

Celestia knocked a hoof on the open door to Luna’s room, her eyes focusing on the blue mare within who was tending to her mane with a brush. Luna paused her task to turn and look at Celestia, her own face the complete opposite of her elder sister's with a bright grin on it.

Good company would do that to you, even after it left.

"Hello, sister."

Celestia narrowed her eyes at her sister, unsure about how to approach the issue she was faced with, “Hello Luna, what is this that I hear of you and your guest humiliating Blueblood?”

The mention of the insufferable stallion brought Luna to rolling her eyes and scoffing, turning back to her own mirror and tending to her ethereal mane once more, “He must learn to lighten up.”

No "I'm sorry" or "I promise it will never happen again". That made Celestia's already unamused mouth turn to a full scowl. She honestly expected better from her own sister.

“That is all you have to say?”

Luna's eyes rolled, but she did not meet her sister's disapproving glare as the night princess snarked, “Oh, we are sorry, is playing a prank with Philomena on an animal caretaker better than putting a deplorable stallion in his place?”

“Luna, we must do our best to act as examples to our subjects,” Celestia paused before adding in a more hushed tone, “And Fluttershy really ought to have known more about a Phoenix.”

The younger sibling groaned as she used her magic to put her brush down. She did not want to deal with Celestia the moodkiller right now, and when Luna turned to face her she made that absolutely clear with her facial expression, “If you want me to stop aggravating that foal, remove him from our premises. I have no time for his entitled and spoiled ways. His ancestor may have deserved their place amongst us, may have, but he has no right to act as if he is any better than any of our other subjects.”

Knowing a lost battle when she saw one, Celestia decided to move on to the real issue she came to discuss, “We will discuss this another time, but there is a more important matter Luna. This ‘Loki’ you brought here.”

That brought a smile back to Luna's face. Her first friend made outside of Celestia's circle, and one that was quickly growing on her for some weird reason, “What of him? Is he not the interesting stallion I said him to be?”

“Too interesting. You may think me inexperienced, Luna, but I have been putting these one thousand years to good use. I know you can tell he is not in his true form. What is he, and what are his intentions here? Do you even know?”

Luna quickly found herself on the defensive again, only this time for the sake of somepony else, “Those are not of your concern, sister. If you wish to ask him yourself go ahead, for it is not my place to say,” a thought came across the blue mare's mind to turn the tables, and the now grinning mare took it, “Jealous?”

From the doorway Celestia found her face growing a bit hotter as her normally stoic face faltered. Jealous? No. Disappointed and miffed? Yes.

“From the reports our guards have given, your guest was quite belittling and his magic brought harm to Blueblood. While I have little tolerance for him, I will not allow such blatant disrespect to be shown in our castle. Such juvenile behavior-”

Celestia's diatribe was cut off by her sister jabbing a hoof in her direction, Luna's voice increasing to a volume not all too dissimilar to the old Canterlot voice. “Thou know nothing, so keep thy mouth still sister. Insulting our friend for some small fun we had together is crossing the line.”

The elder sister found herself lost for words as she considered what Luna said, soon realizing her own emotions on the matter had gotten in the way of her actually giving Luna's guest a chance, “I apologize, Luna. I am just worried that yet another powerful being has entered our land that we have no control over. If his shapeshifted form reveals anything, he is quite a powerful creature. I am worried for our fellow pony, and for you. I need not remind you of the last time a powerful shapeshifter entered our land.”

Luna decided to not inform Celestia that Loki was locked out in a way of his true form, quite sure that entertaining the topic would make Celestia only more curious. As such, Luna decided to laugh off her sister's concerns and instead address the other issue, “You jest. I have spent quite some time with my new companion and I have no doubt we have nothing to worry from him.”

Celestia approached Luna and placed a hoof on her shoulder, “Just be careful Luna. I do not want to see you hurt.”

Luna smiled up to her, genuinely glad to see that Celestia did care for her even after all they had been through, “Thank you for your sentiment, Tia.”

Returning the smile, Celestia nodded to Luna and removed her hoof, “I will be issuing an order for those who encountered your guest to keep quiet on the matter. It will not do to have ponies questioning the sudden arrival of yet another Alicorn. I myself am quite caught off guard and unsure how to react, so I care not to think of how the general populace might react.”

“A wise decision, although I do not see what the big deal is,” Luna never could understand what about Alicorns got ponies so riled up.

Celestia bit her lip as she considered something mentally, “Luna, how powerful is this friend of yours?”

“I would say he is below even you in terms of raw magical talent and far below my own potential, but he is quite skilled and has a great variety to his talents.”

Relief flooded the white mare's face, “Thank you for being so honest. If this is the case then at least we can keep him in check if need be.”

Luna was quite grateful Celestia was oblivious as ever in this case. While not having exactly lied, Luna had only told the truth about the here and now Loki who was having trouble accessing his magic. In the form of an Alicorn Luna had no doubt Loki would unlock even greater magic than he had in his original form.

Luna giggled to Celestia's confusion, “Have the years made you paranoid, Tia?”

The elder sibling shook her head somberly, “No, just wary. First we had to deal with Discord and Sombra...I had you with me then, but these past 1,000 years have been difficult for me to handle all alone. It is the reason I started grooming students and worthy ponies of sharing the title of princess. Such a burden is too hard to bear alone.”

Luna brought a hoof over to Celestia and rubbed it against her sister's leg, “We understand,” she smirked before continuing, “Know, however, that we fully intend to continue our meetings with our newfound friend. His unfamiliarity with this world puts us at ease, as we are not the only stranger to this place anymore.”

Celestia found herself smiling too again, genuinely glad that Luna had found a friend even if he was a bit of a degenerate and a bad influence, “There must be something more than his ignorance from what you have said.”

She received a roll of the eyes and a scoff, “He has a brother who always was perceived as better than him, and he was shunned by others for simply being different.”

“I would laugh if it were not inappropriate to do so,” Celestia took a large breath in before deciding on something, “Well, Luna, if you wish to make this visitor feel at home in Equestria I will not stop you.”

Luna's tongue found its way out of her mouth briefly, “As if you could. Remind me why you turned to the elements of Harmony to defeat me?”

Not about to let Luna have all of the fun with verbal jabs, Celestia stood to her full height and laughed, “I suppose I always was the more physically orientated one, little sister, where you were the one more gifted in magic.”

Their height difference irked Luna, who had always been larger in their teen years only to be stunted now at this size, “Hey, I was still growing until I was trapped in a form not my own.”

The mention of the Nightmare form made by the moon's shadow creatures made Celestia grimace, “I cannot even imagine how horrible it must have been to have those shadow beings control you all that time.”

“And I care too much about you to let you know," Luna replied softly, her eyes falling to the floor. While not under their complete control, they had influenced her and shared her body for quite some time...even for that kind of power Luna swore to never share her body with any such beings again. There were other ways to grow stronger after all, many of which did not include such drawbacks.

“That reminds me of something mother would say back when we were young,” Celestia lamented, memories of their departed parent streaming through her mind.

Luna still could not lift her eyes from the ground, “You take much after her.”

Celestia lowered her neck so that her head was next to her sister's, at which point she rubbed her cheek against her dear sister's, “A coat is not all that one can take after.”

“Oh really? At least you resemble her in both appearance and mannerisms.”

“She never would have wanted us to squabble like we do.”

Luna found herself chuckling at their shared history, “But she would not have been surprised.”

With that, for all of their differences and their past issues, the two found themselves embracing one another gently. They were, and always would be, sisters and not even a thousand years and envy would change that.

However, Luna still was not about to let Celestia know that her fur was slowly turning more and more pink, courtesy of Loki. Pink looked quite dreadful on her sister, but the change amused Luna too much to tell her sister just yet. They were having a moment after all, and since Loki was not there Celestia would be hard pressed to blame him in the end.

Luna would take the fall for this when the time came, but the inevitable look on her sister's face made her think it quite worth it.

“Cutie Mark Crusader adventurers!”

Late one night in the Everfree Forest three fillies found themselves bumbling about, turning over about every rock and inspecting every tree they could find.

Of which there were many.

The three fillies, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, seemed to not care about the forest's suppose danger when deciding to go and find their beloved Cutie Marks in it. And they knew about the dangers, as their families warned them about the forest and forbid them from going in it unattended. Thus why they were there late at night, as they had hatched a plan to sneak out and have fun.

Their fun was quite short-lived, as the forest's relative silence was interrupted by a howl of sorts.

“Did you hear that?” the small white filly named Sweetie Belle questioned, the sudden noise having unnerved her.

Her friend Scootaloo scoffed, not having heard the noise due to having had her head inside the opening of a tree at the time, “What, you scared?”

The howl repeated and Sweetie Belle squeaked in terror, instantly regretting coming to the Everfree Forest without her sister Rarity.

“Okay, you had to hear that!” she exclaimed fearfully, quickly dodging behind her friend Apple Bloom.

Said friend rolled her eyes as she spoke with a twang, “Probably just sum animal-”

A voice the three could barely make out interrupted Apple Bloom, the trio not able to discern where it originated from or from whom it came.

“Intimidation will not do you any favors.”

Their attempts to listen in were quickly halted when Scootaloo found herself now looking right at a fearsome creature with menacing teeth and claws where none had been before.

“Timberwolf.”

Her friends were facing the other way and did not see the threatening creature, “What?”

It's snarl answered their question, with the three fillies quickly bolting away from the beast and towards the way they had come.

“Rarity!” “Rainbow Dash!” “Applejack!” they cried out simultaneously, not even noticing that the monster had not given them chase. For long, at least. The beast now stood in place completely frozen, its regenerative qualities doing it no good in its immobile form.

From nearby Loki shook his head in distaste. Whatever did children think they were doing out here? Sure, he had done some reckless things with Thor when they were younger, but they at least were capable of fending for themselves to some degree. These fillies could do nothing of the sort, and this was no place for them.

“Not going to take credit?”

Loki found himself in the company of another once again, Luna shifting out of the shadows nearby him to stand by his side. Was she implying something?

He feigned ignorance, “Whatever do you mean?”

The princess of that time of day gave a hearty laugh as she observed the frozen Timberwolf, “Given your haughtiness, I was quite sure you would reveal yourself to the fillies and let them know of how you saved them,” Luna calmed her laughter and grinned at her friend, who she noticed had quite oddly had a light blue fur instead of his regular green one, "Am I not right?"

Loki did not feel in the mood to do as she said, although he could not deny it would not be all too out of character for him to hold it over someone else that they owed him, “I do not know what you speak of.”

Sensing that the conversation was not going to continue much farther, Luna decided to change the topic, “Care to continue your lessons?”

“Of course,” the two left the woods by Loki's adopted castle and approached the ruins of the old palace, “However…”

Now in the courtyard of the ruins, Luna found herself faced with a makeshift table with a variety of objects lined up upon it. The sight confused the princess as she tried to make sense of it.

Loki only smiled, “Luna, consider this an intervention.”

“Intervention?” Luna questioned, observing the various things there. She could see a marble, a child's toy, a very large rock, a chair, and finally a bowling ball. What these things had to do with their lesson Luna did not know, but apparently Loki did have a plan for them.

“I do not deny that your ability to speak in a modern context has marginally improved, but it is quite irritating to have to translate everything you say,” Loki stated seriously, although a comical smile found itself upon his face.

Nodding to the objects, Luna decided to clear up their purpose, “What are these for though?”

Loki too looked at the objects, “Every time you mistakenly use the wrong word, one will be flung at you by my enchantment. It will start from the lightest," glancing at the marble, Loki's smile grew, "Consider it some extra practice I have placed upon myself”

The prospect of having a bowling ball lobbed at her was not very appealing to the night princess who was quite sure she would get to that point in no time at all, “Is this not a...crude way of teaching a lesson?”

“An effective one, however. Care to try?” Loki asked, offering her an out if she did not want to partake.

“We-” Luna felt herself wince as a marble crashed into her forehead between her eyes, “-I most certainly will attempt this game of yours. It may be amusing.”

Pleased that she had corrected herself, Loki nodded to her, “That’s better.”

Luna rubbed a hoof to the spot on her head she was quite sure would have a mark the next morning underneath the fur, “Have you been practicing your power outside of our meetings?”

The once again green Alicorn shrugged, “Here and there. A pink furred being who is a shared acquaintance of ours just bit into a cake with fake snakes inside of it today. Small tricks like that are still in my power, but I long to command greater powers like my transformation once again.”

“You can still control shadows, yes? W-" Luna quickly corrected herself before anything else could fly at her, "I know from experience that they are not all too dissimilar, so we can focus on that to help you relearn your old magics.”

“A good a plan as any I suppose.”

Luna managed to only get hit by the toy the entire rest of the night as the duo practiced their arcane talent, much to her relief and Loki's approval.

He did not, however, approve of the welt on his side she gave him for pegging her between the eyes again with yet another object.

A/N: Warning, there be plot ahead! Now that everything is set up we will be getting to the story's meat, and I hope you all will enjoy it!

Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! If you did please let me know what you liked in the comment boxes below! Seriously, every bit I hear from you helps this college student get motivated both in life and in writing!

It All Went By So Fast

A/N: Special thanks to Nethalar, D48, evowizard25, thewaffler, and ketvirtas in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! Also to thewaffler for having a fun name! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it, as the more you let me know about what you enjoy the more I can make the story fit that!

One day on his way back to the castle he had adopted as his own, Loki found himself looking into a stream that ran smoothly through the woods. In the water he could see a reflection of his scraggly hair, tired eyes and generally unkempt appearance.

This was not news to him. He had little experience with grooming himself as a horse after all, yet he did admit that he was beginning to care less and less as things other than vanity took root in his mind.

It was these same thoughts that kept him from noticing the figure sitting atop his throne until he was mere feet from them.

To his shock and surprise, it was not a pony.

“Not expecting a visitor?”

At least physically. Atop the throne sat a pasty skinned humanoid with long, blue hair of various shades with a familiar dark blue tiara placed on top of it. Familiar green eyes sat upon the feminine face, which itself sat upon a neck with a necklace Loki could have sworn to have seen in his dreams before without lying in the slightest.

That necklace was, however, the only thing other than a pair of shoes to cover the otherwise completely bare woman.

“Luna?” Loki asked, quite confused as to what he was seeing. He found himself averting his gaze after his initial analysis of her form, so as to be respectful. That did not stop him from noticing certain...things, such as how the mark of a night sky and its moon that normally was on her Equine hip was similarly on this form’s hip. Did she believe that to be a normal thing?

The visitor laughed in Luna’s voice and made no effort to cover their bare body, “Surprised? I tried to replicate the female form of your race to the best of my ability. Shapeshifting is quite enjoyable I must say, especially the more you change.”

Luna paused when she noticed that Loki was not indeed looking at her marvelous transformation for some unknown reason. This partially irked the princess, who thought he would at least be impressed with her.

“Whatever is the matter with you?” she questioned, one part confused for every part indignant.

Loki coughed nervously, still averting his eyes from her body, “While it may be custom for equines like yourself to normally walk about without much in the ways of clothing, where I am from it is considered...obscene to do so.”

The former mare’s cheeks flushed red at his revelation that she was doing something very wrong, “Oh, my apologies,” with a quick flash a set of blue robes covered her body from neck to foot, Luna not knowing what exactly was obscene and going with an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach, “Better?”

Glancing up to Luna, Loki felt a smirk grow upon his tired face before he could restrain it as he admired her form. She had a body not unlike the desirable Lady Sif, who was the most athletic and toned woman he had ever met outside of the Valkyries and those men-haters did not count in his eyes. Not after the time they nearly killed him and Thor for merely being male...

Needless to say, Loki found himself quite impressed with the form she had taken and the accuracy of it as far as he could see, and from what he had seen.

Loki looked from abdomen to green eyes, “Much. I must say that in this form you are quite ravishing. You are an impressive shapeshifter.”

Luna bowed partially, the undertones of his words not comprehended, “Thank you. I tried to emulate your mother’s appearance the best I could since she is my only reference-”

Loki retched loudly, abruptly cutting Luna off.

“Luna, please do not equate yourself to my mother right after I say something like that. I may just need to repress this conversation.”

Luna laughed nervously as she put the whole picture together, realizing that she may have just mentally scarred Loki.

Loki shook the damnable memories from his mind and began to focus his energy, “Anyways, now it is my turn to show off.”

In a spark, Loki’s green form found itself replaced with the orange guard with blue hair from his visit to Canterlot. Loki bowed in the alternate form, speaking with a voice that was as mocking as he could manage, “Random annoying guard at your service, my lord.”

Luna made a mental note to herself to make sure that guard was reassigned to the Crystal Empire in the coming months, lest Loki seek him out to harass him more.

This, however, amused her greatly and she laughed heartily in her new form, “Oh Loki, you are terrible.”

Loki laughed too before shifting to another form, this time growing in height significantly instead of shrinking. His new, white fur glistened comically as he stood before Luna as her very sibling.

Loki changed his voice to mimic Celestia’s as well, Luna already pounding her fist down as tears of laughter streamed down her face, “How about this? Am I doing this correctly, sister? Are my hindquarters too large, just like my big head?”

“Tia would have a fit,” Luna managed to cough out during her laughing fit, her hands wiping the tears from her eyes.

Loki shifted again quickly, this time to an even bigger pain in Luna’s eyes: that being a pink monstrosity they both agreed they disliked, “Of laughter I hope!”

Luna rolled her eyes as she calmed down, “I have seen better.”

The other shapeshifter returned to his regular equine form and let out a breath to demonstrate the tired feeling he now had after that brief exercise, “I will admit it is quite tiring to cast such magic while I am still unaccustomed to this form. Nothing some practice will not fix though.”

“Have you tried to resume your normal form? We have not worked on it, but I am curious if you have done so on your own.”

Despite all of their practice the past few weeks, Loki had not actually tried to accomplish that feat. He had worked on smaller, less difficult forms as well as non-complex ones, but he was worried about possibly messing up his own true form, “Not yet. Care to watch?”

Luna nodded and Loki started to focus, energy gathering at his horn, “Note that I will be wearing clothes after this,” after a moment’s contemplation and no spellcasting, Loki added, “Hopefully.”

Luna lifted her brows, not to mention the corners of her mouth, in an amused fashion as she spoke bemusedly, “It would not be the most terrible tragedy to befall us.”

He rolled his eyes and promptly ignored her as he continued to focus his energy. In her own transformed state Luna happily watched Loki’s equine form disappear in a flash, only for the form from his dreams to replace it.

The green eyes and long black hair remained the same on him, but Luna found herself inspecting the rest of him. Now his pale body was clothed in green, black and brown leather of what appeared to be a fine quality. On top of his head rest a golden helmet with two ram-like horns that made Luna want to laugh, Loki’s sense of fashion obviously...different.

“This is…” Loki could not finish his own words as he observed each of his arms, glad that they were not hooves for once.

Luna lifted a foot out to touch his chest and get his attention. As Loki looked up to her she smiled, green eyes meeting green eyes, “Good to be in your own skin, is it not?”

He returned the warm look with one of his own, feeling genuinely happy unlike most of the despair he had been facing in recent times. He had managed to overcome something with the help of this newfound ally, and that instantly set aside that moment from many in his then recent memory.

That feeling, however, was fleeting, as a realization dawned upon him.

Loki sighed, “Yes, I will admit it is. But this is a trick. A spell. I am unsure why my natural state of being has changed, but that is another issue altogether. Thank you for your assistance these past few weeks.”

Luna nodded to his thanks and kept smiling at him even after his face had fallen, still glad to see that her ‘friend’ could now feel more comfortable.

Comfortable...that word brought another idea to Luna’s brain.

Nodding at Loki’s very odd garb, Luna spoke her mind, “You know, you need not be so naked in your pony form if you please. I could have clothes made for your specific desires should you wish it.”

Loki looked to his own clothes as well and grinned, finding the idea of an equine version of them to be quite amusing. Whatever would the others back home think to seeing a horse version of his clothing? They made fun of it as it was. For that matter, what would they think of seeing a Loki-equine? That would surely be an interesting laugh.

“That would be most gracious of you. I could always conjure up clothing to be honest, with the right practice, but real garbs always feel the best.”

Luna chuckled at his honesty, “And they do not tend to disappear when you run out of energy, as little as it takes to maintain them. So, would you care for some ostentatious dress akin to what you are wearing?”

“Well excuse me princess, here I thought that my clothes were quite dashing,” Loki jested, not actually feeling offended. It was not as bad as being called a cow, per say, like his brother was fond of doing.

Luna stuck her tongue out partially at him, “I find it quite adorable to be honest.”

That made the prideful prince of Asgard scoff, “Adorable? Am I some rabbit?”

Luna lifted her foot up high to touch Loki’s forehead instead of his chest, “Yes. With the two long ears protruding from your helmet, you are my dear bunny rabbit.”

Loki realized this was going to go nowhere and remembered he actually had things planned for the day ahead of him, so he took a hand to her foot and removed it from his head, “As amusing as this is, I was just preparing to leave and attend to something when you arrived. Would you mind visiting back tomorrow?”

“Of course. It is not as if we do not have any better things to be doing, our fluffy rabbit.”

Loki groaned as she burst out into a fit of laughter.

“How high did she jump?”

“I’m surprised she didn’t land on the moon! She actually hit the ceiling she went so high!”

Loki had been...busy when his enchanted snakes revealed they had scared a certain pink pony witless, and so he had set aside time to look more into the matter.

He found himself quite pleased with the blue Pegasus he found himself talking to, the mare none-the-wiser of his transformed state. His wings were completely hidden so as to not arouse suspicion, and as such other ponies were just passing him off as an absurdly tall unicorn.

Loki smiled down to the blue mare, glad that not every equine he ran into was insane or extremely quirky, “Now that you have accomplished my task, I propose that we properly introduce ourselves. I am Loki Odinson, known from where I come for my trickery.”

He quickly noted the pride in her voice, “I’m Rainbow Dash, Equestria’s number one flier and always up for a good prank. You got any other ideas?”

Something about her name rang a bell in Loki’s mind, but he ignored it as his thoughts began to formulate a plan, “Your friend’s name is Pinkie Pie, correct? How heavy a sleeper is she?”

“I’m not kidding when I say she can sleep through a hurricane. Why?” Rainbow questioned.

With a quick flash, Loki summoned a bottle he had been working on the past few days. Seeing the Witch-Doctor’s house had gotten him to think about brewing potions and this was one such experiment of his that he was eager to try out.

“I have some tricks unusable to one without magic, but there are many other ways to have a good time,” he floated the small bottle over to Rainbow Dash, “Take this dye. Sprinkle some on her while she rests and she will awake to find herself no longer able to live up to her name for a day or so.”

Realizing what the clear bottle of purple fluid might do, Rainbow snickered, “What color will she be? I got to think of some jokes before.”

He shrugged nonchalantly, “It can be whatever color you wish, as you only need shake the bottle vigorously to change it, but I suggest something darker as it will be more of a contrast to her regular coat.”

Rainbow Dash tucked the brewed substance away into her satchel bag when an idea struck her mind, “Would you mind pulling off a prank yourself? I’d love to see you in action with your magic!”

Deciding that he had some free time, Loki decided he may just as well, “I may just do that. Do you have any friends in particular who you care to have some fun with?”

“Well, the only one who is around right now is Twilight, I think.”

Loki remembered the bookworm who had keyed him in on a good deal of information he needed and who lent him the map he desired, “I know where she resides. Care to follow?”

“You bet!”

Twilight Sparkle was lazily reading a book in her home when something brushed up against her tail. At first thinking it to be Spike inconsiderately brushing against her, she ignored it.

Then she felt the same thing brush against where her Cutie Mark lay. Her eyes shot open at the feeling of scales, and her ears quivered at the sound of a hiss.

“Snake!” she yelled as she shot to her feet and dashed across the round room at full galloping speed.

After she got as far away from the place she had been reading as possible, Twilight let out a breath and looked back to where she had been before. No snake was in sight, and neither was her assistant.

Twilight called out to her aide, “Spike, what’s with all the snakes around Ponyville? Take a letter! We need to have this fixed-”

Something behind her tapped her on the head, making Twilight twist around to see that a black snake was hanging out of her bookshelf and looking at her.

“How did it even get up there!?” she squealed as her whole body began to shake.

“Boo,” the snake whispered to her softly.

Having had enough of this bad dream, Twilight ran around to her staircase while yelling, “Talking snake, talking snake!”

Only, the snake reappeared on top of the staircase.

The snake snickered sinisterly, “Our hero, folks. Can defeat monsters, but quivers at the sight of a harmless reptile.”

“Getoutgetoutgetout!” Twilight leapt over the snake and dashed right to her bed, pulling her blankets over her as fast as she could to try and hide from the monstrosity.

“Hi.”

The snake was in the bed.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-”

Rainbow Dash had been observing her friend through the windows of the treehouse, so Loki took it as his cue to end the prank when she fell down out of the sky laughing her hindquarters off. He was surprised she was still able to breathe with all of her laughter, but was at least pleased that the creature he had conjured did its duty.

“Any others?” he boredly questioned, having thought this to be quite easy a prank.

“I bet Fluttershy could use a visit at her cottage. She’s probably done tending to her animals by now.”

“What need I do to have my fun there?”

“Well, Fluttershy is really into animals. Almost to a creepy level,” Rainbow grew a thoughtful expression as she considered the idea more, “Haven’t pranked her in forever since Pinkie doesn’t allow it. I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s all just some harmless fun.”

Loki was pleased to see that she was on the same page as him, “You are quite correct. Now, what experience does she have with aquatic beings?”

“I adopted my pet tortoise Tank from her, but she doesn’t really keep much fish-things around. Probably because she feeds them to the other animals.”

The hypocrisy of that action made Loki quite confused, but he decided to ignore it, “Odd. Well then, I know how to handle this.”

Fluttershy was minding her own business and trying to get her rabbit to eat his food when something caught her attention.

It had eight small limbs and a squishy round body on top of them with an eye on either side of the body. And it was crawling across the floor in circles nearby her.

Ignoring the disobedient rabbit she had been trying to feed, Fluttershy turned her full attention to the new creature in her house, “Oh, hello there. What’s your name?”

The creature turned to her and started to move towards her, letting out squishy noises as it crawled across the floor.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t catch that.”

The creature reached where she stood and lifted one of its small limbs to her hoof, revealing that it had some kind of suction cup on the bottom of it that stuck to Fluttershy. Then it stuck another limb to her, and another, and another and it did this until it was fully wrapped around one yellow hoof of the animal caretaker.

“Umm, okay, you sure have a lot of arms mister-”

The odd creature quickly scaled up her hoof and crawled onto her face, its suction cups sticking to her fur and the limbs wrapping partially around her.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want you on my face mister squish. Please get down?”

Mister squish did not listen as it revealed what it had underneath its tentacles: a beak.

“Biting bad, biting bad!” Fluttershy yelled as she began to run about the room, her nose being softly grabbed between the beak.

With a strong twist of the head Fluttershy managed to dislodge the creature, it bouncing across the floor and making more squish noises, “Bad mister squishy. You don’t crawl on others faces like that-”

From its new position the now angry mister squish shot out a black jet of ink that crashed right into Fluttershy, who squealed as she became drenched in a torrent of icky liquid.

“Eeep!”

Loki deemed that enough pony harassment for the day and turned to his prank partner, “Your turn. I expect to hear good things when I return, and I look forward to hearing what devious color you turn that pink foal.”

“Hehe, you bet!”

Loki yawned on his throne as he went over the events in his sleep the night before. He refused to close his eyes lest he relive what was waiting there, but the general exhaustion he felt made this quite difficult.

He almost missed Luna entered the room completely, jolting himself upright as she approached him with a playful and curious look.

“Loki, wherever did you get that staff?”

Staff?

Loki looked down to his side where a golden scepter with a blue orb towards one end lay. He groggily tried to remember something about it but found himself unable to do so, quite confused as to how it got there. How had he not noticed it, he wondered?

“This…” Loki pushed the spear looking scepter away from him on the throne, memories coming back to him about it, “This is nothing. Just something I found in my travels.”

Luna approached him and kept her gaze on the object Loki certainly did not want her to touch, “May I see it?”

“I’d rather you not. What if it is cursed?” Loki warned as if he had no idea what it was capable of.

“Oh Loki, whatever could it do? After all you seem to be just fine by it,” her horn lit up and the scepter lifted into the air away from Loki and towards her. Inspecting the overall small scepter closer, Luna admired its craftsmanship while again sticking a tongue out at him, “See I’m perfectly fine.”

Loki felt himself grow agitated the more she held it away from him for reasons he could not explain, “May I please have it back?”

Luna laughed at his tone and placed the scepter back down, rolling her eyes at him, “Oh fine, here’s your precious scepter.”

Loki felt his stress leave as she did this, only for it to partially return as she asked, “So, you have been traveling?”

He decided to be snarky to deflect the topic, “I do have a life outside of our meetings, I must admit.”

She understood that sentiment completely and smiled with her eyes closed, “I wish you had been here a millennium ago. It would have been quite nice to have somepony to share with that was not mother.”

Loki’s eyes glossed over the scepter before they made their way to Luna, “I find it hard to remember what I was even doing at that time...I wonder if that was the time period when Thor lost his prized weapon and had to pose as a bride to retrieve it.”

“Your brother pretended to be a girl? Is this the same brother who is the musclebound brute you speak of with such reverence?” Luna could not help the sound of oncoming laughter from her voice, very amused by the very premise Loki brought forth.

“The one and only. There were many frills.”

Luna lost her composure completely and laughed loudly once before responding, “How did this come about?”

Loki sighed as the memory came back to mind, remembering how amusing it had been and how annoying it had been to rectify, “Thor had stupidly lost his weapon, Mjolnir, and we needed to recover it. Do not ask me how he managed to lose something he can summon to him at any time and can solely wield. My brother managed the impossible quite often.”

“Mew-mew?” the world he said sounded quite weird to Luna and she desired explanation.

Loki’s disdain was ever apparent as he repeated the name, “Mjolnir. It is a powerful hammer said to be the weapon of a king because of its power to both create and to destroy. It is for this reason that my brother wields it, the heir to our throne.”

“You have mentioned previously he would utilize the destruction aspect quite often,” Luna spoke sadly, not condoning reckless use of force by any.

“Well, with more realms than he could count and even more wars, my brother rarely found himself without something to fight and slay,” he paused as he glanced down to the scepter again, “Such an innocent realm…”

Luna lifted a brow at his saddened tone, “What are you musing now, Loki?”

He shook his head and sighed, before looking back up to her with a small and fake smile, “Oh, nothing you need worry yourself with.”

“I am pleased to hear this,” Luna gave him a smirk all too similar to his normal ones, “Now, Loki, there was something of great importance I wished to discuss with you.”

“Is that so? Come on now, whatever could be so vital that a princess would consider it important to another royal being?”

“I think we should see other ponies.”

Loki blinked momentarily as he tried to make sense of her statement, “Come again? I was under the impression we were doing just...fine.”

“Loki, do not fret, it is not you. It is me,” Luna reached a hoof out to his shoulder on top of the throne, “I just believe that limiting our social interactions to one another is not very healthy. You really ought to meet other ponies.”

“And however do you suppose I do this?”

Luna smiled at his question, having something in mind just for this reason, “There is a festival of sorts going on in Ponyville in a few days time. I think it would be a good opportunity for you, and you would not even have to do so alone. Many of the competitions will involve partners after all, so I may still accompany you. But I would not be your only company”

Loki thought briefly before he came up with an answer, yawning as he spoke, “I will attempt to attend this event.”

The night princess noted his dead-tired appearance and frowned at it, “You appear exhausted. Have you been resting well?”

“Would you not know already?” Loki joked, knowing her ability to dreamwalk quite well.

To Loki’s relief she shook her head no, “No, I would not. I have been respecting your sleep and leaving it be. Would you care for me to check on you again?”

He sighed and he too shook his head, “I would rather you not.”

“Is something the matter?” his concerned companion asked, now a little worried for his well-being.

“There are just a great many things on my mind. May we leave it at that?”

Luna gave him a reassuring smile, “Of course, but if you ever need my aid just let me know.”

The days passed by and on the morn of the event Luna found herself waiting at the Ponyville festival, ready to celebrate it with Loki as well as bring attention to how she too could form friends.

Despite her long period of waiting, Luna found herself very alone despite the occasional groveling of a subject who passed by.

“Loki?” she spoke out, hoping that maybe he would answer her.

Silence met her.

The feeling of dejection made Luna’s heart feel crushed. Why would Loki not be there? Should she check on him in the forest? Why would he go back on his word?

“We have never been stood up before by anypony…”

With a nose turned up in the air, Luna huffed.

“He better have a good explanation for this.”

She would just have to have fun without him. Show him what happens when he does not hold to his word.

A good distance from Ponyville, a dark lair with a large populace was lazily sitting about. They were all trapped inside of their own fortress of mazes and puzzles and had no way out, so why bother?

At least, that’s what they thought in the time they had been trapped there.

“It took some effort to find you here.”

The group of trapped souls looked up the the exit, once sealed but now opened.

Their leader, a wounded a weakened creature by the name of Queen Chrysalis stood up from where she previously lay and inspected the source of the voice with narrowed eyes.

“And who is this who seeks me out? Friend or foe?”

A bipedal creature with a staff in its hand bowed to her as it stood in the doorway, one arm gesturing towards the offered freedom.

“Friend, your highness. I am Loki, prince of Asgard,” he stood up from his bow and grinned at her, “And I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

A/N: Yes, you will have to live with that cliffhanger.

The Part That Hurts The Most

A/N: Special thanks to D48, evowizard25, thewaffler, and ketvirtas in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it, as the more you let me know about what you enjoy the more I can make the story fit that!

Inside Celestia’s room calmly sat one royal sister who was about to pass off her duty to her junior sibling who was there with a scowl and tense body. Celestia had been reading some reports and drinking tea when Luna had slammed the door open, but she had her back turned and as such did not see the reason the door had been slammed.

It had not been out of excitement.

“How was your trip to Ponyville?”

Luna’s eyes narrowed to a thin glare, staring not at her sister’s back but the open balcony in the room where the day’s fading light poured in from and assaulted her eyes, “The festival and its games were fun, but I am still displeased with how we were stood up.”

Celestia placed down her parchment and turned to face Luna, instantly noticing the completely angry expression on Luna’s face.

It had been quite some time since she had seen her sister completely seethe.

“Stood up?” Celestia asked cautiously, not wanting to provoke the topic.

Luna stomped both hooves in aggravation as she thought back to how ridiculous she had looked standing around most the day waiting for somepony who just was not coming, “Loki did not bother to show up the entire day despite his word that he would-”

Her sister cut her tirade off with a calm statement, “Luna, take a breath.”

Luna, realizing how she had let her emotions take hold of her, quickly inhaled a large breath before letting it out very slowly. Celestia had taught a certain Crystal Empire ruler to handle stress in a similar fashion after she had been forced to learn how to handle stress in a very long one thousand years.

After the breath Celestia turned around to fully face Luna and gave her a smile, “Better?”

The next breath was an indignant huff, Luna’s eyes closing angrily. A moment later they softened and Luna’s shoulders sagged, her hindquarters finding a place on the floor as she spoke solemnly, “No.”

Celestia approached her sad sister slowly, a sad look growing on her own face as she observed the distraught face before her, “Have you tried talking to him about his absence? Perhaps he had good reason to not attend.”

Luna looked her sister in the eye and felt the hurt she was feeling carry across they shared sight, “I visited his residence and he was nowhere to be found. No note, no anything.”

To be truthful, if it had been Twilight Sparkle or one of the other element bearers Luna knew she would not be so furious. But Loki, who she trusted more than even her own sister, abandoning her like that caused a pang in her she did not want to identify.

“Sounds to me like a dear friend is angry her boyfriend did not come to the date she arranged.”

Both Luna and Celestia twisted around to face the chimera known as Discord, who had let himself in through the room’s open balcony. Celestia glared while Luna seethed at his intrusion, furious that her talk with her sister had been wrongfully interrupted by the arrogant trickster.

“I have no time for your mockery, Discord!” Luna yelled as she brought light to her horn, charging up energy in it but not fully intending to wound the intruder. Only sting or lightly maim.

Celestia glanced over to her sister as her annoyance at Discord’s appearance grew, “Luna, calm yourself.”

Discord, true to form, just laughed it off and floated over to Luna who he quickly lent an elbow on, “Yeah, listen to the old granny here.”

“What business do you have here, Discord?” Celestia questioned as her eyes continued to glare at him, the normally calm princess actually more agitated than her younger sibling. She only was better at restraining that anger, having had much practice and remembering the lessons her mother taught so many years prior.

Discord shrugged and disappeared, reappearing right beside Celestia with an alcoholic beverage in hand that he took to swirling around. After he wrapped an arm around Celestia, that is, “I only wished to say hello. Fluttershy has not been the best of company the past few days. Something about a sea monstrosity.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and sighed, accepting that she would be losing some sleep over this as the day drew to a close, “I will entertain you later, Discord, if it will mean you depart. May Luna and I speak in both peace and privacy for now?”

Discord groaned as he relented, knowing that angering Celestia was not about to lead to a happy ending, “Oh fine, I guess I can find a way to keep myself entertained,” the sight of an orange guard with blue hair passing by in the hallway gave the trickster all he needed to have fun though, and Discord departed in a puff of smoke, “Ooh, perfect! Toodaloo!”

“Luna-”

Celestia was cut off as another puff of smoke brought Discord back into the room, the chaos lord chuckling as he interrupted once again, “Oh, forgot to ask, who’s the lucky stallion?” Luna’s silence only caused him to probe further, “Mare?” her horn lit in anger once again, “Rock?”

“Discord,” Luna growled through gritted teeth, thoroughly fed up with anything aggravating that day.

The glowing horn of both sisters caused Discord to laugh abruptly before leaving again, “I will take that as my exit cue!”

As the room quieted in his absence, the sisters looked back to one another. Upon their eyes meeting, Luna quickly averted her own to the balcony while Celestia kept her own focused on her obviously hurt sister.

“Luna, you are quite agitated. Do you wish to talk about it?”

“What is there to talk about?” Luna complained, not really knowing the reason for her intense anger. While Discord was surely an annoyance, she had done well ignoring him before. Now she felt completely unchecked rage at him for what was not even his worst offense.

Celestia lowered herself to Luna’s level and gave her a reassuring look, “Sometimes ponies you care about can do ill-advised and inconsiderate things. I know, having done it myself. Part of a good relationship is accepting somepony despite their flaws and mistakes, but also knowing that not everypony out there can be a part of a true, lasting friendship.”

Luna’s tone was sardonic as an annoyed smirk grew on her face, “Like Discord?”

The elder sibling turned her gaze towards the hallway where yelps of terror could be heard, “That remains to be seen. I do try to keep him content with his current way of life, lest he lapse back into the king of chaos we both knew so well.”

Luna tried thinking back over recent times and realized with a blush that she rarely spent any of her free time other than with Loki. The blush only grew when she realized that she had also been spending the free time she did have outside of him thinking about him.

This would range from thinking about what he has revealed about himself to theorizing just what went on inside his arrogant green head, and the more Luna became aware of this the more she felt embarrassed. Not to even mention how she also was practicing her own abilities to impress him, given his critical nature, and even was looking into learning some new spells just so she could show off.

All of the above led Luna to the conclusion that maybe she was just a bit too close to her friend, “Well, Loki has put up with me a lot...I may have been a bit clingy. Perhaps he needed his space?”

Celestia smiled as she realized her sister actually was willing to share the blame, not putting it all upon her friend. Luna’s frequent absences would seem to support the idea she put forth, and so Celestia nodded while using a gentle tone, “A wise observation. Now, when you next see him, how about you talk to him about the matter?”

Luna felt herself grow ashamed partly at how angry she had grown. Loki would not just leave her like that for no reason. He had not specifically said so, but she knew he cared more than that about her to just do something so mean. After all, he always seemed to enjoy their little meetings and had even seemed to grow expectant of them.

She too was quite fond of seeing him on a regular basis...he was fun. Like Discord, only not destructive or malicious.

Luna felt a small, but genuine, smile grow on her muzzle, “That sounds like a good idea, Tia. Thank you.”

She turned to leave, content on going about her duties of the night, but her sister’s voice stopped her.

“Luna, before you go, there is one more thing I would like to discuss.”

Luna craned her neck back to face Celestia, who looked concerned, “Yes?”

“With the way your friend got under your skin, and how Discord similarly angered you on the issue…” Celestia’s voice trailed off and her face morphed into a more happy one, “You know, never mind. Just a fleeting thought.”

Luna was able to pick up on what Celestia had been going to say. It linked back to when they first spoke of Loki...and Luna realized something changed between the two conversations.

She could not picture her life now without her fellow pariah.

Luna turned around to face Celestia now in full. She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself to what she would actually say.

“I...am thinking I am beginning to have the romantic kind of feelings for Loki.”

Celestia found herself not entirely shocked while also a bit surprised to actually hear her sister say this. She knew that Luna would not likely just leave things like that, so she merely nodded to allow her to continue.

“I invited him to come with me to the festival so we could do things together,” Luna sighed as she thought back to her day, “I suppose that is why I was so infuriated despite the fun I did have.”

In a swift movement Celestia approached Luna and wrapped a hoof around her, lowering her head down and bringing it in to touch Luna’s fur, “I may know little about your friend, but I will be the first to say that you should follow your heart. You deserve somepony to care for you, Luna.”

Luna returned the hug and brought her head into Celestia’s chest, “I am grateful there already is,” the smaller sister felt tears streak down her face, “I almost lost you.”

“Are you distraught over the Changeling invasion after all this time?” a sob was all Celestia needed to feel tears threaten to run down her own face. This was the emotional side of Luna she had neglected for so long, and she was not about to make that grievous mistake again, “Oh Luna, you need not worry. I may have been defeated, but everything worked out in the end did it not? You were on important business at the time. There is nothing wrong with that.”

The princess of night cared not that she was wetting her sister’s chest fur as she thought back to the events that nearly leveled Canterlot. She had not been there. She had let it happen.

Her faith in her sister having been restored in the past weeks, Luna realized just how glad she was the Chrysalis had bumbled the opportunity to slay Celestia that she herself would have taken not all too far back.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Luna.”

A scream in the hallway cut the moment off, and the laughter that followed cackling down the hallway made both sisters groan. Some royal guardsman was likely going to need therapy, and Discord would need disciplinary action.

“I think I should tend to that. I do not know when I will manage to rid our castle of him, so have a good night Luna,” the one they agreed before should handle Discord chuckled a bit as another scream echoed down the hallway, this being the same voice but with a different pitch. Like it was a mare’s now.

Luna nodded back to Celestia as her sister left the her own room, left to think alone about what she had just realized about herself.

She loved an egotistical prince from a foreign land who she still knew only bits and pieces about. But the journey into his mystery was quite an enjoyable one for her, and she intended to see it through.

If it was any consolation, she thought, at least Loki was not Discord. Her sister’s authoritative tone down the hallway and the laughs thrown at her (quite possibly in a literal fashion) made Luna envy her just a little less.

Loki also happened to not be a rock, which she too was grateful for.

After she had tended to the night’s most urgent matters, Luna decided a small peek into whatever dream Loki may be having that night wouldn’t hurt.

He had appeared quite exhausted earlier that week, so there was the question of whether he was even sleeping to face too. If not, a look would reveal that, and if so then she would confront him about that too.

While not furious still, Luna fully intended to speak to him of how he abandoned her that day.

After a short while Luna realized she could not locate him, so she decided to pay his normal resting place a quick visit. Was he simply idling before actually sleeping, or was he still missing?

Her wings brought her to the site of her ancient defeat at the hooves of Celestia. The ruins that Loki had so claimed to be his temporary home were still and quiet as Luna landed down. It took her no time at all to reach the long-forgotten throne room, and the sight inside surprised her more than she had thought it would.

Loki was at the throne he normally sat at like normal, but his eyes were staring off into nothingness. It was as if he was completely vacated mentally. His exhausted and gaunt appearance scared her, as he obviously was not in good health.

“Loki?” Luna called out from across the room, hoping to stir him from his stupor.

She approached him slowly, growing increasingly worried as he remained completely still.

“Loki!” she yelled as she rushed to his side, her apprehension about the complete silence on his part reaching its boiling point. Her voice did not rip him from his condition, nor did her hoof touching his blank face.

Channeling her magic, Luna had an idea cross her mind. While not as used to it as her regular dreamwalking, she could try to enter his awake mind and attempt to see what was wrong that way.

With a breath, Luna recast her magic in a different way this time and soon found herself having an out of body experience. As if Luna had been torn from her body she found herself looking around in a completely different setting. A desolate one not all too unfamiliar to the moon.

Only, this place was populated by two bipedal beings. One was Loki in his full dress, his features appearing completely normal unlike his now weakened equine form, while the other was a shrouded being Luna had no knowledge of. Neither seemed to take notice of her as she looked on, the mare a good distance away from either of them and just watching at first to try and make sense of what was happening.

Loki’s figure grimaced as the other figure paced around him in an impatient manner, “Why waste time on this isolated rock with no knowledge of the world beyond itself?”

The other being held a hand out in a gesture, “You may have not noticed this, Laufeyson, but this is where you are stranded for now. A land of untold magical power and ability, with artifacts powerful enough to rival your own abilities I would imagine. If only the populace wasn’t so weak, they might be able to use them.”

Loki shook his head, grimace staying plastered on his face, “They are not weak. Not all of them.”

The other nodded to Loki and approached him threateningly with a a finger jabbed at the pale skinned prince, “Oh yes, there is that witch we have observed. A possible ally who you have squandered through your own emotions.”

Feeling that she should not intervene, as the situation was out of her comprehension, Luna just held back and watched on. She could not really make out their words, but their tones told her all she needed to. This being had to be something from back home come to harangue him about something, and whatever it was it was not a good thing.

"It is not my fault. I’m not to blame-” Loki started to speak in a shout of his own, only to be cut off with a growl.

The figure leaned into him and hissed at Loki in a most threatening tone, their tone not rising like before, “Your lies mean nothing. Do not let the witch stay your hand.”

Loki shifted in place and gripped tighter the same scepter Luna had seen in real life, “So you have said in your previous visits. Have you not taken note of my recent feat? You have the army you desire, we only need meet the opportunity to use it.”

“Do not forget your purpose, Loki Laufeyson, for we have not,” the figure paced around him again as it continued to threaten, “And if you do...there will be no realm, no barren moon, no abandoned castle we cannot find you.”

The other reaches a hand out to touch Loki’s face, “You think that you know pain? You will long for something so sweet-”

Upon their skin contacting, Luna felt herself blasted out of Loki’s mind as an intense and searing pain gripped her.

Now in the real world again, she found herself stumbling back a bit before seeing that Loki too had been removed from the trance. He was gasping, having too felt the intense pain, and fell down on his throne.

Luna did her best to compose herself after the very odd event, shaking off the headache she now felt as she approached Loki again. The sight of Loki in pain and knowing that whatever had hurt him had likely been doing this previously made her eyes go soft, “Are you okay? What has happened to you?”

Loki weakly looked up to Luna and, with a grin, choked out, “Sorry...I believe I may have missed something today.”

His body collapsed on the throne, having reached its breaking point.

What Loki did not expect to next see after collapsing was a dark ceiling that was not a part of his normal habitat. He was on his back on a most comfortable surface, with a deep blue blanket on top of him.

His body did not ache and while his stomach rumbled, he did not feel weak like he had the night before.

What he did feel, however, were a pair of hooves wrapped around him and a head resting against his body.

He need not turn to face her to know that the figure beside him was his companion.

“Luna...”

“Yes Loki?” she tiredly responded, a noiseless yawn leaving her lips.

He gave her a glance along with his common smirk, “You’re...a bit close,” he nudged her ribs, “Companions don’t get this close.”

Luna returned the smirk and did not budge an inch, instead closing her eyes and enjoying the moment, “But from what I’ve observed other ponies show physical closeness quite often. Is this different from your culture?”

Loki sighed as he recalled a certain incident with a naked woman on his throne not knowing that humanoids wore clothing. It was possible she really was just ignorant, so he tried to bite his tongue and not scold her for this partially embarrassing proximity and position, “No...it is a gender issue. The friends you’ve all observed are female, I do believe.”

“Oh...are you uncomfortable?” her voice was playful as she remained exactly just where she was.

“No, I want you to move away because I am completely comfortable,” he replied with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

Nodding, Luna moved to be even closer to Loki on her bed. Their faces were pressed up closely to one another, Loki cursing his previous exhaustion for not being able to escape. Even though he was feeling spectacularly more fit than the night before.

His excuses to himself did not have to make perfect sense.

“Is this better?” Luna asked innocently with an even larger grin.

Loki could only close his eyes in resignation, “Insufferable.”

“Oh, is poor Loki afraid to be close to a mare?” she taunted jokingly, just glad that he was not reacting poorly to their proximity. Sure, he was uncomfortable, but he was not scrambling to get up. Which, to her, meant that on some level he was enjoying this.

“Yes, actually,” he lazily opened his eyes again to look about the area, “Where are we by any chance?”

“My bedchambers. I brought you back to Canterlot, no easy feat I will inform you, so you could rest better,” she tried not to blush as she thought to the other side of why she brought him to here. Sleeping beside him made her feel...good.

Not that she did anything, she would declare fervently should anypony accuse her. Just being beside the snarky prince was all she needed for a good sleep.

Loki sighed but gave no further response, instead contemplating the ceiling in a way that made Luna sure he was reliving the night’s events.

“Loki, what is the matter? I know something is wrong.”

“If left to my own devices, nothing will be wrong,” he stated in a way that came off like ‘do not ask me about this topic’ to Luna.

Luna was unsure if she should reveal how much she knew, so she just acquiesced to his desire of privacy, “I will not force you to speak your troubles to me, but I hope you know I am here for you should you wish to.”

“Your room is large, quite like your head,” Loki thoughtfully responded to redirect the subject.

“Almost too large,” Luna tried to keep her voice even as she boldly asked, “How is the Everfree Forest treating you?”

“No.”

“What?”

Loki sighed and tilted his head so that he was facing her, “I know where this conversation is going, and I’m saying no.”

“But Loki-”

Luna’s protest was quickly cut off by Loki speaking in a soft, caring tone, “I value your companionship greatly...I truly do, Luna,” he removed himself from her hooves and got up out of the bed, which he found to be a circular structure with dark blue sheets and a black frame, “But I’m not moving in with you.”

Now Luna was on the defensive in a way, although she was glad to have at least copped a statement of caring from Loki, “I just want to offer you a place in our large home. I’m sure there is a room-”

“No,” Loki responded curtly as he sat on the bed, his expression nigh unreadable as he tried to mull things over in his mind.

Luna relented meekly, not wanting to push the issue any further, “Fine.”

A minute of silence passed before Luna tried to broach another topic, not wanting to remain in the awkward silence.

“What is your realm like?”

Loki’s response was instant, as if he had already thought it out before, “It is a bloody, destructive place not fit for any of the inhabitants of this place, not to mention yourself.”

“It is that terrible?” Luna was quite worried to hear his opinion of the place, and the dour look upon his face only helped her unease. What had he had to face before coming to Equestria to make him think that way?

Loki sighed as he thought. He did not abhor his world...he only did not wish to have it collide with this one, “Yes and no. There are some good things, but not nearly enough to account for the terrible side. Never go there. That would be a terrible thing more likely than not, and especially never send a more innocent creature there. They would forever rue your name.”

“Do you want to go back?” it seemed like a dumb question given what he had said, but Luna asked it nonetheless. Loki had revealed he still loved his family dearly, even if those feelings were muddled with resentment she could sympathize with all too much.

He turned to face her with a grim countenance followed by a sneer, “What do you think, Luna?”

“You did not answer me,” Luna noted, knowing that he could skirt around the topic if she let him.

“Your question assumes a difference in my opinion on going home. Seeing as nothing has changed in regards to my own realm, I do not see how-”

Luna jumped up out of her covers and jabbed Loki in the side with a hoof, “Enough with your dancing around the subject. Loki, prince of Asgard and prince of Jotunheim, I, princess Luna of Equestria, command thou to answer our simple question.”

He rolled his eyes as he swatted down her hoof, “Well, if you insist,” Loki took a breath in before answering her, “At some point, yes, I suppose I do wish to confront the demons that lay back home. But I am in no hurry to go back there.”

The fact that he wanted resolution, but not immediately, made Luna quite pleased. It gave her more time to have him to herself after all, “Good.”

Her response surprised and amused Loki, who twisted on the bed to face the princess, “Good? You wish me to stay here and eternally annoy you and your subjects?”

Luna stuck her tongue out at him once again, having grown fond of doing so, “I can handle your trickery. Worst comes to worst, we have rock hard ways of coercing your good behavior.”

“If I do say so myself, I don’t believe a face as delicate as mine could stand being turned to granite.”

“We could always make...other arrangements,” Luna stated in a suggestive manner.

Loki rose a brow, enticed by the prospect of not being turned to stone, “And what would those curtail?”

Luna leant in close to his ear and whispered, “If you do anything bad I’ll be mad at you.”

The god of mischief could only roll his eyes at that, “Ooh, so threatening,” he could not, however, roll his eyes at being socked in the shoulder by a strong hoof, “Ow!”

“Do not test me, Loki Odinson. I am not known for my even temper,” Luna warned jokingly as she retracted her hoof.

Loki decided to joke back, albeit in a more mocking manner, “Of course not, because you are not known. Your own people do not have a clue about the real you, and not many others would I can imagine.”

Luna ignored the mockery and instead moved so that she was once again leaning on him, “You do.”

Their position only made Loki snark more, “Luna, we are lucky no-one is here to witness this display, for some may actually think you fancy me.”

“Do not leave me, Loki Odinson.”

He silently wrapped a hoof around her, not sure how to respond to her.

Luna had no idea how much that simple request hurt him.

A/N: Fun fact, I am on break now and have a great chance to write now. If I hear from enough people I can update as soon as later today (as it is early morning here), so please leave your thoughts in the comments section below! If not, I'll work on one of my other stories later today and get to finishing the next chapter of this right afterwards.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! If you did please let me know what you liked in the comment boxes below! Seriously, every bit I hear from you helps this college student get motivated both in life and in writing!

I Know I'm Not Supposed to But I Can't Break Away

A/N: Special thanks to D48, evowizard25, and lmaozorzz in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it in the comment section below!

Entire days passed by inside of Canterlot’s castle where Loki lounged about, only leaving his guest room to visit Luna in her own on occasion. She continued to teach him how to harness his powers, but she had convinced him to do the same for her in her Asgardian form. After all, she had no horn to channel power through and as such it was almost like learning from scratch.

Despite his overall isolation, Loki’s health and appearance were on the rise. Every day he seemed more smug and confident than the day before, a positive change compared to his nearly catatonic state when Luna found him.

The guards began to patrol around Loki’s room when possible, all afraid that he may exit and subject them to some form of trickery. Luna had made him promise to stop doing that, but it did not curb their fears just as it did not remove Loki’s temptation to continue harassing that first guard he had encountered in the castle.

Luna quietly recommended the guard to the city’s best shrink.

On the occasion he ran into Celestia on the way to Luna’s room, Loki found himself baffled by the coy wink she would give him. What was Luna telling her sister, he wondered quite often.

On the day when the disgraced prince of Asgard finally considered himself fit to be about and was done lounging, he awoke to find in his room a full set of his normal clothes, albeit shaped to the form of a pony. The helmet was missing from the equation, but Loki always could just conjure it up when he required it.

As Loki looked more over the expertly crafted clothes, two tags caught his eyes. One was a tag off the side saying that this had been made at and shipped from a place named the Carousel Boutique, and one being a small card attached to it.

Loki,

Consider this a gift from me to say thank you for everything. You are a good friend, as well as the closest I have ever had. I am always here for you, just as I know you are here for me.

The clothes were crafted by our world’s finest seamstress, so I hope you find them satisfactory. I did my best to recall their original appearance.

Sincerely,

Luna

Loki gave a small smile to the card as he thought about it. With how things were going, maybe everything could work out in the end.

Luna was not in the castle when Loki decided he would leave, so he did so quietly and without informing the servants so that they might just keep doing their duties tending to the room as if he was there.

Loki found that flying in his clothes was not at all difficult, the outfit having been specifically made to accommodate his natural (equine) body quite well. However the measurements were taken, he was not quite sure, but he was impressed with the results.

He was going to return to the castle ruins and peruse the many books found in its library when loud screaming distracted him from elsewhere in the forest. Young, adolescent screaming that sounded quite familiar.

Loki turned and flew towards the disturbance, his face falling as he realized that young fillies apparently were not taught that dangerous woods were very bad places to hang out, “Oh you can not be serious.”

It took him little time to glimpse the forms of three young horses running across a field in the forest away from a large blue, ethereal looking bear. Right as it closed in on them and got ready to swipe at the trio, a blast of blue energy sent it reeling.

The three young fillies kept running for another moment until they saw that the bear was not chasing them, but rather that it had been knocked back and was not even up on its feet. Between them and it stood Loki, who was wielding the golden staff he had apparently dragged with him to Canterlot in his sleep those nights ago.

Loki sent another blast into the creature’s body, the blast tearing through the clear creature and its semi-physical state. It writhed briefly before pausing to die, no more movement coming from the beast and no blood spilling from its odd form.

The threat over, Loki turned to face the three irresponsible beings behind him with a scowl.

“Has it not dawned on you three that these woods are not for play?”

Having just seen a giant Alicorn swoop down and save them by killing an Ursa Minor, the three young fillies were awestruck by the events. The scowl and growl of his voice, however, made that being awestruck change into being a bit scared.

“Uhhhhh...” they muttered in unison, not knowing what to say back to the stallion who stood before them in quite regal clothing.

The awkward situation took a turn when another voice entered the fray, all four previous equines turning to face its source, “Loki, you are scaring them.”

The fillies all jumped up, two of joy and one of a bit of fear, “Princess Luna!” “Princess Luna?” “Nightma’ Moon?”

Nodding first to the three young ponies and then to Loki, Luna continued to walk towards the group as she gave them a reassuring smile, “Hello children. Are you all well?”

The responding cheerful chirps confirmed completely that the three fillies were fit and fine. They also had the side effect of having Loki close his eyes and take in deep breaths. Panicking one moment, cheerful the next. He was quite sure these equines would be the end of him, the rest of his life be damned.

So enraptured in his self-pity and aggravation at the fillies with no survival skills, Loki completely missed their conversation with Luna and the giggles that followed. He only opened his eyes and became aware that he was still in the situation when one filly poked his leg with a hoof.

The filly, a Pegasus with orange fur, looked curiously up at Loki as she spoke, “Aren’t you Lothor? You fixed my scooter a couple months ago I think.”

Loki nodded to Scootaloo, whom he was glad to see was not suffering from cranial injuries resulting from reckless scooter crashes, “The name is Loki, and yes we have met before,” he cast his gaze down upon the other fillies, whose attention had also been redirected to Loki, “I am afraid I do not know you two.”

One filly, a white furred Unicorn, jumped up and down with a big grin on her face, “I’m Sweetie Belle, mister alicorn Lothor!”

“And ah’m Apple Bloom!” the last one introduced herself, being just a regular pony with yellow fur.

“It is a pleasure,” no it wasn’t, “Now may I ask where your adult supervisors are?”

Sweetie Belle shrugged and chimed in, “Our families are all busy, so we decided to hang out. Do you want to hang out with us too, mister Lowkey?”

While he did intend to accomplish his own laundry list of goals, Loki had a feeling in his gut that he would be spending his time with the trio. At least Luna was there to support him and prevent anything from going terribly wrong.

Loki took a breath in, “If it will keep you from getting yourselves killed, then fine. Luna, how about-”

A quick look around revealed that Luna was nowhere in sight. Not even at the edges of the clearing, nor in the forest beyond or the sky above.

“Where in the nine realms could she have gone?”

“Can we go adventuring to find her?” Sweetie Belle asked innocently, bright grin beaming right at Loki who was having none of it.

“No. Too dangerous,” he reiterated as he tried to calm himself. These were children he was dealing with, and while they may not be very intelligent they were not entirely to blame for that. He could be angry with the naivete and stupidity when they grow up.

Sweetie Belle’s head hung and she put on the pouting face she oft used on her sister to get her to do as the young filly wished, “Awwwww.”

Loki rolled his eyes at the attempt to make him feel bad. He tried exterminating his own race in the not-too distant past. Puppydog eyes would not make him feel bad about telling a filly that her plan to go get herself killed was stupid. He had dealt with much greater issues than an upturned lip.

“That will not work on me. Until Luna returns from whatever it is she just abandoned me to do, we will stay right here in this clearing.”

The three fillies relented with grumbles about him being a joykill, but Loki ignored them all. He was doing what was in their best interest after all and they would defer to his judgment as an adult who just saved their lives.

It did not take the Unicorn long to return to a state of cheerfulness, jumping over to Loki and looking up at him with a smile, “You can do magic right?” he nodded as his horn glowed and the scepter he held twirled around, “Show us tricks!”

He was willing to show off his talents if it would distract the fillies from their suicidal tendencies. The only problem was figuring out what to do or cast that would not draw the attention of more animals, the decaying Ursa Minor nearby being an example of why that was bad.

Loki quickly realized a safe trick and smiled at the three fillies, trying to put them at ease, “Okay then. Now, I am going to cast some photographic illusions. I want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind.”

Loki conjured an image of Thor looking as gritty in his armor, the figure standing stall in its silver, blue and red uniform and holding his famous hammer Mjolnir. Loki imagined and smiled at the thought of how he could get these fillies to-

“He looks like a hero, whatever he is!” “I really like his mane thing!” “Hero!”

Loki did his absolute best to not groan at their ignorance, “You don’t know him like I know him.”

So, they thought Thor looked like a hero despite his brutish appearance? How about a real hero?

Loki projected before him an image of himself as he spirited away the Thor image, including in it the golden helmet he was now wearing.

“He looks kinda evil.” “I can’t see his mane very well…” “Bad guy!”

Now Loki felt a bit underappreciated, “I would have gone for incredibly smart and good looking,”

Scootaloo nervously spoke, having realized that the guy in the projection looked a bit like Loki and not wanting to possibly anger him, “He has a scary face though.”

“You have a scary face,” Loki responded childishly

“No you do!”

“You do times infinity.”

“You do infinity times two.”

Loki blinked at her last statement. An infinite number could not exactly be doubled as nothing is larger than being infinite, the number going on forever, “That is not even a thing.”

A brief pause later, Loki removed the projection of his normal form and started to think about ways to talk and keep them engaged for now. What did children like? What did they not like?

That second one was quite promising.

“Okay, how many of you have siblings?” he asked the group, who had all taken to huddling together on a rock nearby them, the unicorn not quite fitting on with the other two but trying hard to remain in place.

They all rose their hooves in the air, this action causing the Unicorn to fall off the rock as it was what was holding her there.

The Pegasus clarified herself as she held her hoof up, “Sorta.”

Loki nodded, glad that this was a topic they could discuss, “How many have brothers?”

Only the regular pony rose a hand this time to Loki’s chagrin, “Now, has your brother ever acted like a boisterous braggart and been cast out, only to return and take what is yours?”

Apple Fritter or whatever shook her head, “Uhhh, no? Big Mac isn’t mean lahk that.”

Not a single annoying brother amongst the three of them? Loki groaned and rolled his eyes before trying again, “Oh for heavens sake, are any of you adopted?”

The Pegasus rose a hoof as the Unicorn tackled the yellow pony off the rock and the two began to fight over the space on it.

Loki ignored the scuffle on the ground as he looked to Scootaloo, “Does your foster parent love you?”

She nodded her head vigorously and the largest smile Loki could imagine emerged on her face, “Of course! Rainbow Dash is the best pony around.”

The name rang a bell in Loki’s mind and a previous conversation he had with Princess Luna on the subject came to mind, “I actually happen to know your foster parent I believe. Blue, fond of pranks?”

The filly’s eyes lit up and the smile somehow grew, “You’ve met her? Isn’t she totally awesome?”

Loki knew too little about the mare to classify her in such a way, but if it would please the filly he would relent, “Sure, let’s go with that. I do respect someone who enjoys a good prank.”

From beneath the Unicorn, who had been winning the scuffle after she initiated it, came the voice of Apple Pie, “Don’t ya mean somepony?”

The Asgardian prince groaned at the terminology, “Your speaking privileges are revoked.”

“Revahked?” she questioned, not knowing the meaning of the word.

A flash of the horn later, the filly’s mouth zipped shut and would not open even as she tried to do so. The now mute Apple Cider made Loki grin smugly, “Better.”

Sweetie Belle climbed off of Apple Bloom as Scootaloo began to laugh at her friend’s predicament, “That’s like what Trixie did to Pinkie!”

Loki did not like the sound of that, “Someone already did this?”

The Pegasus nodded, “Yeah, a magician named Trixie who has come to Ponyville before.”

Loki groaned, “Borrowing material from a servant of chaos is one thing, but treading in the footsteps of a street magician is too far,” he dispelled the magic and stuck a tongue out at Apple Blossom for some reason he could not fully understand. Since when did he stick his tongue out?

“Yer mean!” she complained before turning to Sweetie Belle and knocking her over, instigating another scuffle.

Once again ignoring the two warring friends, Scootaloo looked intently up at Loki from her nice perch on the rock, “So, how did you meet Rainbow? Did you guys prank somepony?”

“Why yes, that has been the extent to our relationship. Tell me, has the energetic pink creature changed colors at all?” he was quite curious if the prank had been followed up on, as that was the last of that particular dye he had. He would have to brew some more and relive the times when not-so-ladylike Sif tried hunting him for altering her hair.

“Yeah! Pinkie Pie became Purple Pie! You two were behind that?”

Loki laughed heartily at that, “Seems like lady Dash did her part then,” after quieting his laugh, Loki had an idea concerning the filly he found less annoying than the other two, “Make sure she teaches you how to pull off a good trick. When you reach an adult age, I will teach you some of my own tricks. It will be my gift to you.”

From beneath Apple Bloom came Sweetie’s voice, sounding very hopeful, “Ooh, what can I get?”

Loki groaned. What did he look like? A gift horse?

“I’m sure there is a saddle I could give you.”

“Saddle?” the young filly questioned, although Loki was unsure if she was curious about what it was or why he would give her a saddle. To be honest, he got the idea from how her friend was currently sitting on top of her back.

“Padding put on an equine’s back to allow for someone to ride it,” he clarified.

Shoving Apple Blossom off of her, Sweetie Belle complained, “Why would anypony want somepony to sit on them?”

Loki did see her point, there not seeming to be any bipedal creatures whatsoever in the area, and tried to come up with a solution to the problem he made, “Do you know anyone who could fit on your back?”

“Ooh, I bet Spike would love to ride me! He always wants to act like a heroic knight charging into battle,” the filly was jumping up and down in delight at the thought of enacting this plan...for some reason Loki could not fathom and was trying not to wrap his brain around.

Seeing Loki’s befuddled face made Scootaloo clarify her friend’s behavior, “She’s special.”

Loki cast off his look of confusion and replaced it with a small frown, “So I have noticed. But then again, so are all of you. I believe I should ask why you three find near-certain death to be so entertaining.”

“We’re here looking fer ahr Cutie Marks!” Apple Blossom chimed in cheerfully, glad for being able to speak again.

To this, Loki could only give a flat, “What.”

Sweetie Belle spoke up next in her squeaky voice, “That’s right, we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders and we want to find out what our talents are!”

“So you started with seeing if you die particularly well?” Loki snarked, not understanding their reasoning.

“Well, no, we just explore a lot. You know, try everything,” Scootaloo added bashfully, realizing that maybe this was not their best plan ever. Which was saying something for the trio.

“Please explain to me the significance of this mark and why you would be so reckless for it.”

“A pony gets their Cutie Mark when they find out what they are good at. You know, what it’s their destiny to do!” Squeaky Belle was the one clarifying something this time, to the chagrin of Loki’s ears.

Scootaloo followed up on what her friend said, “We haven’t found out what we’re good at yet, so we work together to try and find them!”

In hindsight Loki realized this would explain why Luna would have a moon on her rear end while Celestia had a sun there. Neither seemed the type to just go and get tattoos, so there being a natural reason for their existence made sense to him. At least before the shenanigans regarding changing them, “That would explain all of the rear tattoos I have been seeing.”

Sweetie Belle questioned, moving so she could see his side, “What’s yours?”

His fully clothed form kept any from seeing his regular fur, so Loki banished it for the time being so he could humor the children. Just enough to show the area they were looking for, that is, as he quite liked his comfortable clothes.

Scootaloo too looked to see his side, and her brows raised when she read what was there, “You’re good at being Princess Luna’s property?”

If the mark meant what you were destined to do...Loki had not even thought to change it these past few days, he realized. He had given a matching mark to Luna though, and she had not changed it so he had stopped thinking about it…

Loki found himself in quite the predicament now that he came to realize the implications of his, not-going-to-call-it-a-cutie-mark, tattoo, “She has a similar mark. Just some small fun we have been having.”

That explanation did little tp stop the seeds of heresy from growing in the mind of the fillies. Sweetie Belle grew to have the grin Scootaloo held earlier on as she got real close to him and questioned, “Are you and the princess special someponies?”

Scootaloo, quite the Princess Luna fan, felt her own smile returning, “Ooh, ooh, you’re dating princess Luna? That’s awesome!”

Loki realized his grievous error in not shutting down this conversation before it went too far, “I believe you are mistaken. The princess known as Luna is a good friend of mine, yes, but-”

“But your funny Cutie Mark makes it seem like you two are datin’,” the last one, Apple Blossom, asked.

“If you aren’t special someponies, but you both really like eachother, are you both too scared to tell eachother how you feel?” Sweetie Belle questioned innocently, albeit with devilish intentions behind her words Loki was quite sure.

Scootaloo decided to get onboard the ship as well, “Yeah, we could totally try to help with that!”

“That worked so well last time,” Snarky Belle said as she rolled her eyes.

Apple Blossom reprimanded her friends, “Girls, we agreed naht to mess with anypony’s love life, remember?”

“Yeah, but this is different if they already like eachother!” Scootaloo argued, wanting this to be a thing without going back on the lesson they learned before.

“Do I get a say in this?” Loki asked, quite sure the answer he would receive was no.

Sweetie Belle put a hoof around Loki, earning a small groan, as she tried to sound reassuring, “It’s okay mister Lackey, we’re here to help you. Am I right, girls?”

Apple Blossom started to object when Scootaloo nudged her in the side, at which point the trio yelled in unison.

“Cutie Mark Crusader true matchmakers!”

A fifth voice caught the attention of them all once again, “Hold yourselves, children.”

They all looked to see Princess Luna touching down beside them with a smile on her face, Loki quite sure she had heard some of their rambling. She winked at her friend when she noticed his visible Cutie Mark, to which Loki quickly brought his clothes back into being there to avoid further embarrassment.

Truth be told, he had not changed it back after the fillies noticed because he could not actually do so. Luna’s magic was too much for him to dispel on his own, and for some reason she had poured quite a deal of energy into this particular spell. Loki’s only compensation was that she was walking around with a ‘Property of Loki’ mark on her, so the embarrassment should be mutual.

Luna turned to the children, “I have located Rarity and have cleared a path for you straight to Ponyville where she will be meeting you. There are no monsters who will be threatening you now.”

Sweetie Belle’s lip turned up and she put on a face with the sole intent of guilt tripping Princess Luna, “Awww, but we wanted to-”

Scootaloo shoved a hoof on her friend’s mouth, “Shhhh.”

“But-” Sweetie Belle tried to object, desperately wanting to tackle this Luna/Loki thing, when Scootaloo cut her off again.

“Shhhh!”

Apple Bloom nodded towards the direction of Ponyville and started to head that way, her two friends following behind her. Scootaloo turned her head back as she walked behind her friends, “Bye mister Loki. Come by Ponyville sometime, okay?”

Loki nodded to the group of odd beings, “Farewell children. It has been most...interesting.”

Luna smirked at him as the fillies departed into the brush of the woods, “You handled them quite well I would say.”

Haughtiness found its way into Loki as he tried to find a topic other than what the fillies had been suggesting moments prior, “There are only children. Stupid, ignorant children but children nonetheless. Nothing I could not handle.”

Luna nodded before bluntly changing the topic, “Celestia would like our diary back.”

Loki snorted derisively, “She can have it. I do not require it anymore.”

“And why might that be?” Luna lifted an eyebrow, quite curious as to why Loki would give up such valuable information and opportunity for blackmail.

He smiled at her, “Because I have made a spare,” the laugh that resulted from Luna gave him the impression she was actually pleased by this instead of angry he stole her diary, “You do not care for me to turn it in?”

Luna shook her head, “Of course not. I have nothing to hide in that old thing. Only Tia does.”

“How much do you remember from it?” Loki asked through curiosity born from reading both of their sections. Whereas Celestia’s was about her lessons learned and also the things she kept secret, Luna’s was closer to venting about Celestia’s arrogance and ignorance. The fact that Celestia never once noted her sister’s attitude despite being the same book seemed to prove Luna’s case back in the day.

“Very little to be honest. I lost interest in reading Celestia’s boring style many years before my banishment.”

That gave Loki a smirk, “You have missed quite a bit then I would say. Care to take a look?”

Luna returned it, ever willing to listen to her sister’s dark secrets, “It would be a pleasure. I prefer reading at home, however. Care to join me?”

Loki was highly anticipating Luna’s gut reaction to some of the entries, so the idea of visiting her chambers was not out of the question, “I do care to see your face when reading some of her more...in-depth tales, so I will join you. Then again it is possible that we can listen to Celestia re-enact those same stories if we put our ears to her door tonight.”

Luna was uncertain what he meant by that, but she was willing to give it a try.

Something else, or more specifically a certain somepony, caught Luna’s attention and Luna found herself feeling a bit hot in the face, “I have not had the chance to say it yet, but you look quite handsome in your outfit.”

Loki took a bow without the smugness that accompanied it when he did it to Celestia, actually quite impressed by the finished product, “Thank you for granting me it. You have to have one great memory to remember all the details from your brief viewings of my garb.”

Luna found herself sitting down as she spoke back in a soothing voice, “I tend to try my best for you, my handsome prince, although I also happen to have a great memory.”

Loki would not be himself if he did not return the usual nice statement with a snarky one, “I would return the pleasantries about looking good in your clothing, but you are stark naked.”

She was not about to let Loki have the last word, “I hate wearing frilly things others seem to believe fit for females, although I believe you once called me ravishing in my shapeshifted form. Do you think me attractive in this form as well?”

Her attempt to catch him flat footed was a complete success.

It took Loki a few moments to first contain his surprise and then come up with a clinical response that wouldn’t have her kill him, “By my regular tastes, I will admit that I do not find horses to be very attractive. That is considered bestiality in my world,” he took in a nervous breath before speaking the rest, “But, I suppose that based on your various physical traits that you are a very attractive for your kind.”

Luna lent her head on Loki and rubbed it there, causing him to blush at their proximity, “Thank you, Loki.”

The prince of Asgard tried desperately to find something, anything at all, to relieve him of this situation when a certain story and statue concerning Luna came to mind.

“Speaking of appearances, I hear you transformed physically when you became the dreaded Nightmare Moon. Would you mind if I could see a glimpse of it?”

Luna took the bait for the conversation change, leaning back now and also taking a step back.

“Well, I suppose I could. Give me a moment.”

As she activated her powers a dark shroud wrapped around Luna, twisting around and covering her form completely. Loki watched with much interest as the form grew and shifted before the darkness faded, revealing a much taller and lankier mare than before with a dark black fur and a lighter blue set of accessories than Luna normally wore, with the addition of a helmet.

Loki actually found himself quite impressed by the finished product, much like his clothes before it. This was the form Luna had taken when she was acting out independently against her sister and land for mistreating her…

It was how she wanted to look, in a way. An adept shapeshifter could take any form and she chose this one in particular, like how Loki chose to remain in the skin of an Asgardian despite his natural blue appearance with Frost Giant markings.

Loki continued to inspect the mare before him, her initial menacing face melting into a more bashful one as he looked at her, “An interesting change. I must say I find this form to hold a more femme fatale look to your previous one’s more adorable appearance,” her quick grin made him clarify, “For horses, that is. It is not like I have perversions-”

Using a partly unfamiliar voice, its inflection less boisterous and more calm than Luna’s regular, this pseudo-Nightmare Moon craned her long neck down to whisper in Loki’s ear, “I may not have much to compare it to, but I find your other form to be quite intriguing.”

To reciprocate her effort, Loki transformed into his Asgardian form as he mumbled, “Maybe there is something to what those children were thinking.”

Luna shifted forms once again, this time taking her bipedal form to match Loki’s own. Loki was relieved upon noticing she remembered to clothe it, given the incident regarding nudity the first time she did this.

She leant towards him and looked intently at his pale face, “Loki?”

Loki was curious what she possibly could have to say at this point, “Yes?”

Luna pointed up to his raven hair, “You have a large tree branch in your hair. You must have not noticed it when you swooped down and saved the fillies.”

Surprising both royal heirs was a voice yelled from the forest beyond them, “Oh come on! Kiss alr-” a rustling of brush cut it off before they could locate the source, although the squeaky voice was quite familiar to Loki now.

Apparently the fillies had been spying on them...Loki found little wrong with that, given that he did it to others, but admittedly he was disappointed that she revealed herself through her anguish that they had not kissed despite their proximity. She should have remained undetected, for some less kind than him do not like being spied upon.

“They are quite the interesting group,” Loki quipped glancing towards the bush he was sure the fillies were in and then back to Luna, who had not moved back any and was still very close to his face.

Luna looked to where Loki had and then to his green eyes with her own pair, a grin upon her soft features as a very bold thought crossed her mind. Her blush revealed what it was to Loki before she even spoke, “You know, I would almost hate to disappoint them.”

The good mood Loki had been in the past few days returned to Loki with a temptation known as Cur Non by those who spoke latin, and ‘Why not?’ to those who did not.

Luna suggested the idea, but Loki was the one who leant forward to kiss her. It was returned instantly by Luna, who also snaked her arms around his back and brought him into a tight embrace.

Loki was surprised when Luna twisted him a bit and dipped him, their lips still touching.

“Yes!” the bush voice returned, albeit with a second voice belonging to Scootaloo joining it.

When the moment ended and they pulled apart, Loki grinned at Luna whose pale face had turned a bright red, “Happy?”

“Not quite. Are you still up for visiting Canterlot tonight?”

“After we escort the children home, of course,” Loki gave an innocent look to Luna, “And, of course, there is always the rest of the day.”

A/N: Go to the following link to watch Loki argue with little kids Loki Vs Kids on Comedy Central

Let It Go

A/N: Special thanks to D48, evowizard25, Drgnwolf, Navis and Ketvirtas in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it in the comment section below!

“Loki?”

Situated on top of Luna’s most comfortable bed with a weathered tome in hoof, Loki cast his gaze lazily over to the exhausted mare who had just entered, “Yes?”

Luna let out a tired breath before trotting over to the bed, flopping over on it with a complete lack of energy, “Remind me why I ever wished to rule this land alone.”

Sensing that he would have to hear it out soon enough, Loki prompted her, “What did you do?”

“Celestia tricked us into taking over her duties…” Luna crawled over on the bed so that she was laying beside her ‘friend’. Loki did little to react to this, instead just reading as she explained her day’s exploits, “Little did I know that that she had a full day of meetings and other boring matters. Who would expect the day before a ceremony to be so enervating?”

Loki rolled his eyes. Had she never once thought about what being ruler would be like besides being on top of the power, social, and economic pyramid?

There were many reasons why he had not before sought Agard’s throne, and having to sit through endless meetings was one of them. Alongside never truly being respected or loved, having a brother who stole the spotlight and ignorant citizens.

Luna continued to complain as she brought her hooves around Loki’s body, “So much paperwork to handle. And that is not to mention our advisor had the gall to suggest bran biscuits over pastries.”

Having been a ‘most favored guest’ of the castle for a few weeks now had keyed Loki in on some facts he had not previously known about Luna. One of them was her surprising sweet tooth. Whereas her sister would gorge herself on cake whenever dessert presented itself, Luna ate smaller quantities in more regular intervals.

As Luna yawned, the trickster from Asgard could swear he could see a piece of popcorn between her teeth, “You should try to eat a little healthier, lest you grow fat. I would hate to see your stomach in as poor shape as the rotund Volstagg from my home.”

Luna tilted her nose up in defiance, “I shall grow fat and round if and when I please. It is my body.”

Loki’s eyes rolled before he could stop them, “Not everything you consume can be candy, butter covered bagels or that popped corn you seem to love.”

“But popcorn is love!” Luna rubbed her head against Loki affectionately, making sure not to stab him, “Like you.”

Loki put his book down and placed her head where it had been, groaning as she continued to cuddle with him, “It pleases me to know I am the equivalent of food.”

“If you were a food I would eat you. I bet you would taste like apple.”

He had no real way to respond to that particular rebuttal of hers.

“Ignoring that.”

Luna huffed and poked him in the side, “Fine, sour apple it is then.”

Loki turned to face her on the bed, his horn glowing as he closed the open door of the room, “How about we forget the food and-”

The very recently closed door slammed back open as a servant rushed into the room and cut Loki off in their haste.

“Princess Luna, your sister Princess Celestia has been looking for you! You must begin preparations for the dress rehearsal for the ceremony tomorrow.”

Loki’s face could not have been more annoyed as he looked to the pony with a snarl, the servant not seeming to even notice that they were interrupting the two, “It is common courtesy to knock first.”

Realization sunk in that a cuddling session had been brought to a close, and the servant shuffled nervously in place, “I, uh-”

Luna waved a hoof to dismiss the servant, the pony closing the door behind them. After this was done Luna gave her friend a serious look, “Loki, I must apologize, but I do have to go prepare.”

Her words did little to convince him, “Prepare for what? Sitting around and watching your sister’s student be made your equal?”

Luna snorted derisively at the last part, “Equal,” a sigh escaped her lips as her gaze went over to the corner of the room, “But I still have to tend to the matter of what I will be wearing. Celestia wishes me to wear something frilly.”

Loki looked to where she was looking and found himself absolutely hating the purple-ish thing that was trying to pass off as a dress, “You put that abomination on and I will tear it off.”

Luna brought a shoeless hoof to his chest and laughed, “I am quite liking the sound of that.”

His eyes stayed on the ugly dress, his mind turning as he tried to think of a better suited alternative. Nothing particularly came to mind except Luna going naked, possibly with her normal decorative clothing-

Loki’s eyes lit as a solution came upon him.

He put a hoof to her chest as well as a smirk grew upon him, “How about instead of your normal jewelry you wear your Nightmare Moon accessories? I bet you have them and can. It may just send a message to your sister.”

With a moment’s pause, Luna nodded with a brow raised, “That message being?”

“That you disapprove of this event. She is your equal, yet is doing this without your approval,” Loki explained with distaste, still not very pleased with Celestia for this sleight.

Luna’s lips turned up in curls, “I like the sound of this. I will have to resize some accessories, but the idea is quite sound.”

Thinking back to the lanky form of Nightmare Moon posed Loki with a question he was not quite sure he had an answer to. He was having trouble remembering smaller details from their conversations because of the plague of sleep deprivation he had had, so he decided to ask anyways.

“You can shapeshift, and when you take your Nightmare form you grow taller and more slender. If that’s how you like looking, why not have that be your regular appearance?”

The question made Luna shrink into a ball of sorts as she brought herself closer in to Loki, “Transforming and being trapped in that state for a millenium has stunted my natural growth, as I was quite young back then,” she paused and took in a small breath before resuming, “I do enjoy appearing more like how I should be rather than how I am, but I am afraid others will be fearful of me appearing too much like Nightmare Moon.”

Luna sprung out of the bed with a startling speed. Recollecting herself on her feet, Luna turned to Loki with a weak smile, “As I will not be spending hours dressing, would you care to explore the city some before we need to return?”

He still had not been beyond the castle in Canterlot, having taken quite fondly to annoying those within it, so the prince found himself relenting to her wishes, “If you so please. I am just killing time as it is.”

“Nightmare Moon!”

Loki’s first opinions of the city’s denizens was not a fond one. Seeing a crowd flee at the first sight of Luna due to their ill-earned fear of her caused a torrent of snakes to pour on them from a nearby balcony.

“Loki.”

Surprised that he was about to be reprimanded by Luna of all ponies, he responded indignantly, “What?”

Luna caught him off guard when she kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you.”

“These snakes are not even on fire! Whoever is doing this is doing it wrong!” a voice complained from the crowd of few ponies who were not fleeing. It came from a pony in a most peculiar outfit that made Loki start observing the other clothes to be witnessed. Surely enough, the entire town was dressed in an over-the-top manner with a decor Loki had only ever witnessed at high society events on Midgard.

Put simply, he hated them. He had nothing against dressing nice, but to wear clothes to show off? That was a level of petty even he would not sink to.

“How ostentatious.”

Luna snorted as she glanced over his specially crafted clothing, “You are one to talk.”

“At least I act with a degree of class when it comes to my own set,” he commented, not exactly denying her point while also feeling as if he was above these ponies, “So, what are we even going to do here if everyone will just flee?”

“More stayed until the snakes came out,” Luna joked, “But there is plenty more to Canterlot than a single block.”

Loki mindlessly let himself be dragged along by Luna as she brought him around to various places, sights and things that he could care less for. She was enjoying herself, he supposed, so he tried to act interested but he honestly had much larger things on his mind than these trivial things.

His attention only snapped back to his current surroundings when a pony’s shouting caught his ear. Luna too had her attention caught as they walked past a marketplace where ponies scurried about.

The sound came from a light purple Pegasus mare who was turned towards an old white coated stallion in a butler’s outfit. Her faced seemed to seethe as he stood there impassively, not revealing whatever emotion was beneath his stoic face.

“All I said was that I would be retiring, madame.”

The semi-old mare growled at him, “You cannot leave us! Your family has served ours for generations, it is your duty!”

Luna and Loki nodded to one another, both deciding to intervene in the situation and hopefully diffuse it. Luna hated seeing unnecessary conflict, especially in such a public place, whereas Loki just was not fond of seeing an old man be scolded over what sounded like nothing.

The white stallion nodded to the angry mess before him, “Exactly madame, which is why I will be-”

“Excuse me, is there a problem here?”

The attention of both the ponies of interest looked to Princess Luna, who was standing up at her full height and trying to look imposing to the mare who seemed to be the aggressor.

The mare shrunk away from the princess and began to stutter, “N-no, just disciplining our hired help, princess Luna.”

Loki scoffed, “For retiring?”

The mare opened her mouth to speak, only for Luna to cut her off, “I expect that you take this up with him in a more private space where you do not make a scene of yourself,” Luna glanced the the elderly butler before looking at her again, “And have it be known that he may retire if he so pleases. Nopony is anypony else’s slave, understood?”

The rich witch bowed nervously, “As you command, princess.”

Loki smirked at the irony. Commanding a pony to not treat someone else as if they were lower than them, and being able to do so because they are bound to obey you.

Not that he minded. Royalty had their uses after all.

Loki and Luna had parted ways after they had wasted some hours accomplishing not much of anything but being together. Loki had no desire to be a part of the whole practice ceremony process and had left Luna to participate, in her Nightmare Moon regalia, on her own.

After all, he had an appointment to keep that night.

Landing in the Everfree Forest and the entering the decrepit castle within was easy for him even in the dark, as he had long since learned his way around the land thanks to Twilight Sparkle’s maps.

Inside the castle Loki approached the throne room he had previously taken up residence in and, to no surprise, his guest was there.

“I have done my part. Please tell me you have done the same,” the visitor stated in a dry manner, as if they had no faith in Loki.

Not fond of being insulted, the prince snarled as he looked upon them, “Of course. What could possibly stop me from doing my duty?”

Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings approached him and rolled her eyes, “Oh, I don’t know, maybe an immortal soul who you have fallen for?”

Loki grunted, “You mistake actions for feelings.”

Chrysalis shook her head sadly, “I will admit I am disappointed in your performance. You have not even managed to bring her back to her old ways. In fact, I believe her even further from her useful form than before you started to influence her.”

“She will join us, or she will fall like the rest,” Loki replied coldly, focusing on Luna’s ancient throne before him and not meeting Chrysalis’ eyes.

His partner snarled, “You had best assure that. To have her oppose us would complicate matters,” her tone softened considerably as a diabolical smile crept on her face, “Although, there is another option.”

Loki found himself unnerved by her shift, “Another option?”

Chrysalis cackled, “Where was she during the Changeling invasion from before? This is a question many have asked I would imagine, for not only did she miss the royal wedding but also was absent all but at the very end of the conflict.”

Realization dawned on Loki, “She let you take on and defeat her sister, whose reputation as an all-powerful being would be tarnished,” the idea that not all too long ago Luna had actually assisted a coup of sorts made Loki’s stomach drop, “Who you may have slain.”

“Precisely. Do not let that warm muzzle distract you from the fact that this mare once tried slaying her own sister to enact a reign of terror that would have killed every being in the land. The sun is quite important, especially for those who eat plants I hear,” her tone was smug as she recalled her previous invasion of Canterlot, which would have been much harder if the powerful Princess Luna had not bowed out and let her have her way.

Loki attempted to put on a smug grin of his own, “Then what have we to worry? What is set in motion cannot be stopped, so long as you do not turn your back this time, and if Luna were to be caught between her sister and I, I daresay she will choose me,” that Loki could say without any hesitation.

Chrysalis nodded to him, as if she was accepting his statement, “I will leave you to handle her then.”

“Wait for my signal. Then you may feed as you wish.”

She rolled her eyes again and snorted, “Of course, we have been over this. I am just pleased that you have actually pulled through on your end. Ta-ta, lover boy.”

With that, the Queen of the Changelings departed from the broken castle, leaving Loki alone amongst the ruins.

Left to his own devices, the prince transformed into his Asgardian form. Now standing upright and with his scepter in hand, Loki felt more comfortable. Having hands and greater dexterity were things he was quite fond of, even if being a horse was not the most unfamiliar thing to him.

Looking down at a hand, Loki could not help but think about the blue skin that lay beneath the illusion. He was a Frost Giant, a secret long kept from him and everyone else by his family. ‘He can’t handle the truth’ they had thought when they concealed his true heritage, never to let him know until it was too late.

Well, now he knew, and it did not change a thing for him. He had slain Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants and his true father, all to prove to his chosen father that he was as worthy a son as Thor. He had tried wiping the Frost Giants from existence, as if killing them would purify himself. But again, none of it mattered like it had previously to him.

Loki held the hand out before him and let loose his ice powers, a pillar of ice forming. With a simple spell Loki carved the ice to mimic his father’s form, at which point he cast an illusion on top of the physical form to create the full being.

The lost prince walked around the statue and inspected it with a fallen expression, “It is interesting how much perspective I have been granted by being removed from Asgard. I need not fear disappointing you, father. Of not earning your approval.”

Loki twisted his body and whipped his scepter arm out so that the weapon collided with the ice as hard as he could make it, “But then again, I never could, could I? Heavens know I tried to be that perfect prince you desired,” the ice cracked and began to crumble to the ground only for Loki to blast it with the scepter’s power and reduce it, and the illusion, to nothing, “But that time has passed. I have let you go just as you had me.”

Left with the broken ice and silence, Loki spirited the scepter away and instead formed two small balls of ice in his hands, one in each hand, “It is time to see what I can do with my own fate. No more machinations by those above me,” Loki tossed one ball to the side and crushed the other in his bare, blue hand where the ice touched, “Now I carve my own path, even if I know not where it leads. I do not care what they will say, nothing will hold me back.”

Loki kicked the pile of ice on the ground angrily and growled at it, fighting hard to keep his tone from being furious, “Asgard could vanish for all I care. I am never going back. I do not need you anymore, old man. You left me when I needed you the most, but no, you just left me alone with the truth. Why tell me at any point in my entire life? Why not let me find out for myself?”

Casting up an image of Thor this time, Loki repeated the process of destroying the creation by bringing back his scepter, his normally pale skin turning blue as he cast his magic, “Well now I know!” Loki’s anger evaporated as he thought to what was planned, determination instead creeping in, “But the past will stay in the past, as your perfect prince is far gone. I hope you are watching when I finish this. Unable to do anything about it with the Bifrost destroyed. Watch as I become a rightful king once more.”

Loki knelt down on the ground and took a hand to the pieces that had once represented his father Odin’s face, “I could have loved you no more, Father,” he choked back a sob as he dropped the face down on the ground, “I am sorry Luna, but I am not sure if I can handle that feeling once again.”

It was a sunken, puffy eyed Loki who returned to Canterlot two days later. He had missed the coronation in his grief, but he honestly did not give a damn so long as it had served its purpose. What he wanted was to see Luna, whom he desired to speak with the most urgency.

It being morning, Luna should have just gone to sleep given her sleeping habits. But when Loki visited their chambers he found no sleeping mare.

“Luna?”

Screaming out in the hallway made Loki’s eyes shoot open, anxiety pumping into his veins as he worried if things had already begun. He raced out of the room to find that guardsmen were running about aimlessly up and down the corridor. Having arrived on her balcony, Loki had not been subject to this madness and as such he required explanation.

He grabbed the closest guard to him on his way out and dragged them into the room, “Guardsman, what is it?”

The random stallion responded in a voice too deep to take seriously for Loki, “The princesses have gone missing!”

His words were taken seriously, however, and Loki’s eyes widened, “What?”

The guardsman swallowed his breath as he continued, “They have gone missing in the night! None know where they are, although we are searching-”

“But how-” Loki cut himself off and shook his head, pointing a hoof to the doorway, “Never mind. Get out, you buffoon. I will find her if I have to tear down this whole castle.”

The guard scurried out and Loki followed after them, closing Luna’s door and locking it with the magic seal he had recently had put in place on it. Nothing had been out of place in Luna’s room. No signs of struggle, which meant she had to have been somewhere else.

The absolute fury Loki felt was something he was sure he had only felt once before. He did not know who it was who did this. He did not know where they were. But he would find them, and he would kill them.

Loki crossed Chrysalis off the list of suspects because she was fond of plans like he was and would not double cross him even before the plan. After or during, possibly, but not until things were in their favor and well along. But that left him with little else to go on.

“Where did they go missing?” he yelled out in the hallway, expecting some form of response from the panicked guardsmen.

One stopped their useless running about to address the question, “Princess Celestia vanished outside of the room Princess Twilight was staying in, but we do not know where Princess Luna was sir!”

“Well then everyone start searching where she was last seen, imbecile, and bring me to where Celestia vanished,” Loki snarled as the guardsman stood in place, as if they were expecting something, “What are you waiting for? Now!”

His yell made a few of them jump up in fear, quickly running towards where they should have started their search. Loki followed behind them with just as much haste, his anger boiling at how incompetent these guards were to have let Luna go missing without a trace.

Upon arriving outside Twilight’s chamber the group stopped when one guard tripped over a large stem of a plant that was extended from the floor. The stem was bristling with thorns and was darkly colored, screaming the word evil as if it was trying to draw attention to itself.

Loki groaned audibly and slapped a guard across the face, “No one noticed the obviously tainted plant sprouted from the floor?”

All of the guards between one another nervously, not sure how to respond to the royal guest who obviously despised them.

Loki sighed as he realized he had to return to where he just had been, “Thank you all for your incompetence, you worthless guards.”

Upon touching down in the Everfree Forest again, Loki instantly found his eyes drawn to the crowd of ponies gathering by the bridge outside of the castle ruins. Amongst them, however, was the only one he cared about.

By the time Loki reached them they were in the nearby town. Luna had gone ahead of them with the hopes of leaving quickly, for she really did not want to spend much more time in the Everfree Forest. Despite this rush she found it a pleasant surprise when she found herself almost tackled off her feet by Loki, his hooves wrapping around her as he gripped her tightly, “You are safe.”

Luna scoffed as she returned the hug, “Of course I am. Did you think some thorns would harm me?”

“When I came back, both you and your sister had vanished with little trace.”

“You were worried.”

Loki grunted, not wanting to say he had been worried out of his mind, and instead tried to change the subject, “What set into motion this turn of events? Who was behind this?”

Luna shrugged as if she did not care in the slightest, “It was an ancient plan of Discord, who had thought that plan had happened years before,” she grinned at first before realizing how intense Loki was looking, causing her face to turn into a frown, “I really worried you.”

He released her and turned away, shaking his head, “I will be returning to the castle. You enjoy yourself.”

“Loki, could you join us? The others intend to celebrate, and I mentioned I would join them. Only Celestia and Applejack are returning to Canterlot to prepare some festivities there, while the others are going to relax here,” noticing his lack of response, Luna pleaded softly, “Please?”

Loki shook his head sorrowfully, “There is a matter I need to tend to in Canterlot now that you and your sister are accounted for,” he glanced over to her with a sad smile, “When it is over I will make it up to you.”

That blank check made Luna content with him departing for the time being, “Promise?”

“Trust me.”

Celestia was tending to some administrative tasks related to property damaged during the panic that had resulted from her and Luna disappearing when a pony entered the throne room’s entrance to her surprise.

The Princess of the Sun and day put down her work to give a warm smile to the pink Alicorn who was approaching her, “Cadance? What are you doing here?”

The leader of the Crystal Empire smiled back at her as she galloped towards Celestia, embracing the elder Alicorn joyfully, “I heard that you and Luna had gone missing and I came to help. It seems I arrived a little too late.”

Celestia nodded to her and returned the embrace briefly, “Thank you for your concern.”

The reason for its briefness was because a guard rushed to the entrance of the throne room where Loki, wearing a horned helmet, had let himself in. Hovering beside him was a golden staff of sorts Celestia had not encountered before, but she had no time to ask him about it before the guard confronted him.

“Hey, what are you doing-” was all the orange coated and blue maned guard could manage to say before Loki swung the sharp staff around and collided it with the guard’s face, knocking him off his feet and back with a vicious slash.

Celestia gasped as Cadance let go of her, the elder completely shocked at what was unfolding before her, “Loki, what is the meaning of this?”

Loki smirked up at her, as he brought his scepter back to where it had been, “Oh use that brain of yours. What do you think is happening?”

Celestia got off of her throne and started towards the traitor, “Guards, seize him!”

Loki shook his head and laughed as the guards in the room rushed towards him, easily dispatching each with blue blasts from his potent weapon, “Chrysalis, now would be a most favorable time to do your part.”

Celestia stopped her charge as she witnessed Cadance transform into Queen Chrysalis for the second time in her life. She could not voice her shock before a powerful blast of magic caught her in the side and blasted her off the entire platform and into a wall.

Celestia crashed into the ground and began to black out as she watched the last of the room’s guards be defeated by Loki, only for Chrysalis to hop over to her and menacingly smirk down at her, “No...not again…”

“Oh, you had best believe it, Celestia,” the Queen cackled as Celestia tried and failed to rise. Chrysalis paid this effort with another powerful blast that singed the white coat Celestia had, turning the princess grey on one side.

As Celestia tried to get up yet again Loki approached her with a smirk of his own, holding his scepter out to her chest, “Relax, this only takes a moment.”

Canterlot was to fall that night.

A/N: Been waiting to post that last bit for awhile...yes, I am evil. Have fun hypothesizing, speculating, and theorizing until I finish finals this week and can write again. I’d honestly like to hear ‘em.

Here's a Loki video with a fitting song for next chapter: Loki-Break

Everybody's Fool

A/N: Special thanks to D48, Evowizard25, Ketvirtas, Drgnwolf and Killabyte in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it in the comment section below!

Warning about incoming tough chapter. Brace yourself with the promise that I do indeed like happy endings. We just aren't anywhere close to the end yet.

Loki stepped over the bleeding body of the door guardsman with a smirk on his face. The many guards in the room all lay unconscious, their combat capability matching their bodyguarding and detective skills.

What Loki did not expect when he stepped over the guard was for an orange mare with a hat to leap in through the open doorway and take a swing at his head with a front hoof. Loki jumped back to avoid the blow, with the mare landing on top of the defeated guard.

She yelled at Loki angrily as she leapt forward again, “Stop it right there, you no good-”

A powerful blue blast to her body blasted her out of the doorway and back into the hallway where she came from. Loki took the moment after the blast to turn to Chrysalis, who had transformed back into the form of Cadance.

“However did this one get past your forces?” he questioned with a grunt. Chrysalis had brought the entirety of her forces into Canterlot under the guise of a crowd honoring the newest princess of the land. They outnumbered the guards by such a wide margin that to have one pony actually reach the throne room was surprising, even if that one was not a guard.

As she approached him Chrysalis nodded towards the doorway, a smirk growing on her lip, “This is one of the bearers of harmony. They are nothing to be underestimated, but a pony is a pony after all.”

The orange mare groaned as she limped back into the room, “What have you dun to the princesses?”

On the equine Loki noticed that there was burnt fur where his hit had struck her, but she was bleeding elsewhere on her body from what appeared to be bites and scratches. He had intentionally used a weak shot on her, expecting it to knock her out like the guards, but found himself impressed by their determination.

Impressed enough to up the ante.

Loki turned from the mare and towards the newest addition to his team, who lumbered over to his side, “Celestia, care to demonstrate?”

The Princess of the Sun took no time to fire a powerful and bright beam from her horn to knock the intruder out of the room a second time, this time causing the mare to slam into the wall across from the door and fall down limply.

Loki’s eyes rolled at the complete overkill from that strike. He knew his scepter could let him control other beings until they next slept or were knocked out, to a startling degree, but he was going to have to micromanage Celestia more lest she actually slay an equine.

“Oh dear, I hope she is not dead. She looks like she would make a strong worker.”

Chrysalis walked past him and into the hallway in her pink form, “Changelings and ponies living together in perfect harmony...as master and slave. I do say, your idea is quite superb. But why not kill those who resist? Would it not set an example?”

The green Alicorn shook his head as he followed behind her and willed Celestia to do the same, his eyes quickly noting the many Changelings standing over “We have yet to see Luna play her hand, and she may object to violent measures. We have been over this,” Loki scolded, “Once she bloodies her own hooves a little, there is nothing to stop us from continuing.”

Cadance, or rather Chrysalis, shrugged her shoulders as she altered her appearance to display false wounds, “I say we best address our new subjects and introduce them to their new rulers.”

Luna had enjoyed the celebration party thrown together by Pinkie Pie in Ponyville, and it was with a good mood that she found herself returning to Canterlot with hopes of having yet another party, this time catered by the Apple family. The other Ponyville heroes had tagged along, and even managed to be convinced by their little family members to bring them along on the train ride to Canterlot despite how late it was.

As the train approached Canterlot, however, an awestruck white furred Unicorn brought the sight that it was to everypony’s attention.

Buildings had fallen, a smoke plume rose from a far part of the city, and the train was heading right for the city at full speed.

“What has happened?” Twilight questioned as she rose from her seat to go to the window. Her stunned friend moved out of the way to allow her to see, at which point everypony in the train car rushed to a window to see as well.

Their faces quickly were wracked in fear.

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried out, worried as to what may have happened to her sister. Beside her Sweetie Belle looked up to her own sister, who quickly brought a hoof around the younger Unicorn.

Luna bit her lip as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Canterlot was under siege of some sort, but by whom? The darkness shrouded who the culprits may be and the distance they were still at did not help the matter.

Furthermore, where were Loki and Celestia and why were they not stopping this? Something in Luna’s gut did a flip as she realized just how bad things must be if both Loki and her sister were not able to stem whatever was happening.

Was the Everfree Forest going rampant again? That would not make sense given that its corruption had been lifted. Had Discord done this? It did not match his particular bombastic style, but one could never be certain with the chaos lord.

“What the heck is going on?” the blue Pegasus known as Rainbow Dash questioned from where she hovered above the others.

Luna shook her head sadly, “I know not, but we will be there shortly enough. Things might not be as bad as they seem from here.”

She was not sure if she was trying to convince herself of them with that. The feeling in her gut made it seem all the worse, for she could not help but feel that Loki and her sister were in some sort of danger.

The group fell into silence as the train rapidly approached their destination. Upon arriving, Luna ordered the train’s operator to remain in the station before the group disembarked. The train station and everything around it was completely devoid of ponies, although various broken things all about the place made it look like a battle had been waged.

The three young fillies who had come with the group initially tried to follow the others off of the train, but Luna instead stood in their way to block them.

“Stay here you three. We will investigate this matter, but you must stay safe. Understood?”

Sweetie Belle’s older sister Rarity walked back on the train as well, “I will stay and look after these three. Do be careful everyone.”

As the group of mares left the station they did so slowly. The complete lack of ponies in the area made them all worried, and so they cautiously walked from it.

Luna, after peeking around an empty street’s corner, looked to the other two with wings there and nodded up.

“I have a most terrible of feelings. We should take to the skies and look about for whatever has caused this disturbance.”

“Yes ma’am!” Rainbow Dash saluted her princess and bolted upward, her timid friend Fluttershy following slowly after her. Luna too took off from the ground, sending a frown Twilight’s way as the purple Alicorn attempted to lift off to no success.

From the sky Rainbow Dash jabbed a hoof over towards Canterlot Castle, where she could see hordes of figures gathering, “Those are Changelings! They’re rounding everypony up!”

Princess Twilight began to gallop in the direction that Rainbow was pointing and her friends followed quickly behind, “How did such a large group of Changelings possibly enter Canterlot without anypony noticing?”

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure the Changelings will know!” Rainbow Dash yelled down to the others as she darted ahead quickly, catching up to them and maintaining the same speed. She did not wish to outpace them and be caught alone, given the overwhelming odds. They had been defeated by the horde previously, but this time they had Luna and a more powerful Twilight to possibly handle the creatures.

Meanwhile, Luna was still contemplating the situation and what they knew so far. The Changelings would be no threat to somepony as powerful as Loki, and they could only take Celestia down after draining a significant amount of love. But Celestia would not just let the Changelings do this...

Luna winced at the thought of what her loved one’s state could possibly be at this point and found herself cursing the fact that she had not dealt with the Changeling threat once and for all, even though they had been previously locked away.

“Loki, Tia…I’m coming,” she whispered as she flew off towards where the town’s inhabitants all were.

Whatever the Changelings were doing, Luna would put an end to it, and if they had touched a single piece of fur on Celestia or Loki…

Luna snarled in anger. She would murder these creatures if they had done anything to those she loved.

Standing in front of Canterlot castle and above the gathered up crowd of ponies from the town, Loki cleared his throat before slamming one edge of his scepter down to quiet the crowd. The slam echoed quite loudly as magic pulsed from the staff, drawing the attention of those before him and the Changelings who surrounded them all.

“Greetings upperclass twits and nobles of Canterlot. I am Loki of Asgard, and I have come here to bring about a new world. A world where ponies are able to live with their neighbors, the Changelings, in a much more beneficial way to both races.”

The previously bustling crowd silenced as they all cowered in fear. Queen Chrysalis, having reverted back to her true form after fooling some more guards, gave him an approving smirk.

Loki continued on, the intended reaction of the equines having been demonstrated, “Kneel to me, equines, and I will see that every one of you lives.”

“That’s not going to happen!” a voice yelled from the crowd, but Loki had trouble discerning where exactly it had originated. With a sea of equines to look through the prince decided he best approach the issue of this heckler in another way.

Loki levitated the limp body of the orange mare from earlier up in the air and tossed her at the feet of the crowd he stood before and over, “If that is the case I will demonstrate to you all what happens when you defy me.”

The same voice from before cried out, a purple body with a unicorn horn and wings forcing its way to the front of the crowd, “Applejack!”

Chrysalis laughed at the anguish of her foe, “We meet again, Twilight. Congratulations on your coronation, I must thank you for it. It allowed for me to bring my entire force in undetected under the guise of your adoring fans.”

The response was nonverbal, instead being a growl and a powerful blast of magic from the former unicorn. Both Loki and Chrysalis avoided it, the beam instead colliding with one of the countless Changelings in the area and evaporating what once was a head.

Loki snorted at the outrage, “Feisty. Are you mad that I am ruining your big day? Many apologies, but how do you think I found these Changelings to suit my needs? With the knowledge lent to me by you and your precious books.”

A light blue blur caught Loki’s eye and he quickly let off a blast from his scepter in its direction, causing the dashing figure to change their flight path that would have made them crash into him. The figure, Rainbow Dash, recovered from the event quickly by swooping around and stopping beside Twilight, “Woah, not cool man. Here I thought you were some cool prankster like me.”

The sight of his previous partner in mischief brought a small frown to Loki’s face, “My apologies, but this is about business not pleasure.”

More ponies from the crowd pushed forward, including the pink monstrosity Loki found enervating and a light yellow Pegasus he was quite sure was becoming acquainted with the cephalopod he left in her house.

The pink one shook a hoof towards Loki, who simply wondered how his partner’s useless forces let these unwelcome guests in, “Hey, we were going to have a party! You can’t just do something wacko like this! Okey dokey, Loki?!”

Her rant would have continued if a powerful blast from above had not knocked her into the ground and shattered the area around her. The others by her gasped, only avoiding the strike themselves by a bit, before they looked up to see what caused it.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked, dumbfounded by what she was seeing. Above them was her mentor and fellow princess, Celestia, and her horn was flickering dangerously as she hovered above them all with her giant sized wings. The crowd of ponies behind those rebelling gasped and some cries of terror escaped their lips, but none moved to do anything but cower in fear.

Loki smirked at the mares who now stood before him, already thinking he knew how this would play out, “This battle is over. She is my pawn to use,” his tone became mocking, “You may still surrender and be forgiven for your treasonous actions.”

Rainbow Dash growled and flung herself forward with the sole intent on wiping the smirk off of his face, “Hey, no-one messes with the Princess and gets away with it!”

Right before she collided with him Loki smashed her down into the ground with the scepter, “I am sorry, what were you saying?”

Loki nodded towards the others and hoped Chrysalis would lend a hand just to make matters easier. After she noted this and began to approach them Loki lowered his scepter down to Rainbow Dash who was struggling to rise, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you need all six elements to use your powers, correct?” the others gasped as he touched the scepter to where her heart would be, “I thought so.”

The previously struggling Rainbow Dash rose to her feet effortlessly and turned to face her friends, eyes turning black briefly before settling on an icy blue matching Loki’s own.

“What did you do to her?” Twilight yelled, her horn glowing as she prepared to fire it at Loki. This was foiled when Chrysalis engaged her, leaping down from the platform she and Loki had been on to attack the purple mare who had bested her.

Chrysalis cackled as she locked horns with the young Alicorn, easily beginning to force her back towards the crowd with their difference in physical strength, “Nothing much, besides mind manipulation. Have fun with your precious elements now.”

Loki turned his attention to Pinkie Pie as she rose weakly from her place in the crater she formed. As soon as she rose to her feet he blasted her back with his own power, making sure to limit it as she was tossed into the crowd of equines they had emerged from. The fact that the crowd moved out of the way to let her tumble and crash back made the prince almost feel sorry for the mare.

Almost.

“Your champions are weak, but they fight valiantly for you. And not one of you lifts a hoof to save them. It makes me wonder why they would fight so ardently for your sorry hides,” Loki looked down the Pegasus he had recruited to his cause, “Daughter of Bifrost, teach your citizens a lesson for me would you?”

It took her little time to dash forward and deck the first pony she could see, an elderly purple coated mare, before turning and smashing the stallion beside her. The ponies in the front of the crowd quivered in fear, not even moving to protect themselves from the beating they were about to receive.

Rainbow continued to beat upon those in front of her brutally, her mind numb state not registering how wrong what she was doing was. She looked at the hundreds and hundreds of ponies before her not as her people, but as targets.

Loki looked to the last of the ponies who had stepped forward, the pale yellow Pegasus, and willed Rainbow Dash to turn her attention toward the quivering and awe struck mare. Shutterfly or whatever was cringing as she watched everything go on, to nervous to even fly away and having nowhere to run to as Rainbow Dash lunged for her.

“Rainbow Dash!” a small voice called out from the crowd.

As Rainbow began to pound away at her friend with strike after strike, and Chrysalis continued to fight Twilight who was surprising her with her newfound Alicorn power, the broken Applejack on the ground grumbled, “Scootaloo?”

Sure enough, the young filly had left the care of Rarity to follow her idol who was now viciously attacking her oldest friend. Scootaloo tried to run up to the two to see why Rainbow was doing this and to try and stop her, but a kick Fluttershy dodged collided right with the filly’s head and sent her flying backwards. She was knocked out instantly by the blow, but none of the townspeople moved a hoof to help her. They were still too afraid to oppose the army of Changelings who vastly outnumbered them, as well as the usurper and Celestia.

Having watched this happen, Loki felt his mouth open but he halted his words. He had, in essence, just done the equivalent of forcing Odin to strike Thor or himself, and done this to a child nonetheless. It felt like a self-inflicted punch to the gut, and Loki knew he would not forgive himself if any permanent harm were to come to the filly.

Applejack growled from where she lay, pathetically trying to lift herself up from the ground to no avail, “Aw now it’s on, partner!”

Loki moved to leave his stage and use the magic Luna had taught him to heal. He would right his error. Or rather, he would have if he had not been blindsided by the stage becoming enveloped in shadows that quickly converged on the space before him. Before Loki could react to this the shadows collided with him and knocked him back, their shape ending up as none other than Luna.

And she was not happy.

“I will not stand for this, Loki,” she said, face contorted in anger as she stared venomously at the stallion before her.

Luna wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth and tried to laugh off her entrance, not wanting to display what he was really feeling, “Oh why hello, Luna. I was wondering what was taking you so long.”

His companion turned back to the ponies he had been soundly thrashing as well as Chrysalis, “Leave them be. They are of no threat to you,” her furious glare returned to Loki, her glare chilling and more threatening than any Loki had encountered before, “I intended to watch and see what your plans and intentions were, but you have forced my hand. I cannot let you follow this course of action.”

Her words were not exactly what Loki wanted to hear, his voice coming out with a hint of condescension, “You would protect the people who would fear you? Who belittle you?”

Luna huffed as they continued to lock their eyes, “I could not care less, actually. Who am I to say you are wrong for seizing power? I have tried to do the same myself,” her horn lit up and she snorted, “But, this harming everypony I care about is another matter entirely.”

The blast of magical energy from her horn passed straight through Loki. Only, it was not Loki, but an illusion he cast and so the magic instead wiped out an entire group of Changelings that had been standing guard behind Loki.

Loki had repositioned himself to be beside her, where he used the power of the scepter to send both an attack from Celestia and from it to assault Luna’s side. His weaker strike hit her as she avoided the attack from her sister, but in total she appeared unfazed by his attack.

Glancing up to her sister and then back down to Loki, Luna returned fire with a derisive laugh, “Even with Celestia you are nothing more than a crafty, well rounded trickster Loki. You do not have the power to face me.”

He gestured to his scepter as he avoided her strike and returned with another of his own, “But this, I am afraid, does.”

From the ground below Chrysalis blasted her opponent Twilight back and turned to face Loki, whom she scolded with exasperation, “Oh quit your lover’s quarrel and be done with this! If you will not join us, princess, we will have to remove you from the equation!”

Chrysalis prepared to send a beam of her own towards Luna, but the strike missed completely and hit the ground as Twilight tackled into Chrysalis’ side and sent her stumbling in one direction, “Just die already!”

Twilight followed up the physical blow with a magical one, knocking Chrysalis down just as her Applejack limped over to her side. The new princess yelled to the next youngest one there as she prepared to attack yet again, “Luna, we can handle her, you go handle him!”

Luna did not hear Twilight at all as she continued to engage in the almost dance she and Loki were enacting, with one blasting away at the other only to be avoided or blocked. She had tunnel vision on Loki, who she felt betrayed and angry at for this conspiracy and she was quite sure her blood would continue to boil until she could defeat him.

One of her beams connected with Loki, but again it passed through as it was merely an illusion. The high speed of the combat was making it harder and harder for Luna to gauge whether things were an illusion or not, for she was trying to dodge his attacks all the meanwhile having Celestia blasting away at her from above.

The fact that Loki tricked her in the fight made Luna’s tunnel vision worsen, as it reminded her of how he had pulled the wool over her eyes these past months, “You and your tricks! Stand and fight me!”

Loki laughed at her, intent on increasing her anger if it would mean she would both oppose him as well as not think clearly, “If you fall for them, why not keep playing them?”

“And what of these past few months. Were we all just your fools?” Luna growled at him as a beam from Celestia nicked her side.

Loki laughed, his plan to aggravate her working quite well, so he did what he did best: lie, “You have caught me red-handed I am afraid. Ever since I first saw one of your colorful equines I thought to enslave them.”

Instead of angering Luna more, something clicked in her mind. He was lying when he had no reason to. And he had reacted with shock when Scootaloo was harmed. Nopony was noticeably dead, and he seemed to be holding the leash on the Changelings from doing anything too rash like their last invasion.

Something was wrong. His actions were conflicting, his words were not reflective of what he truly felt, and he was not utilizing Celestia’s full power to slay her despite having full control of her it seemed.

Luna jumped back to disengage from the fight, narrowly avoid another volley of strikes from both Loki and her brainwashed sister, “You lie, as you always do. This is not you.”

Loki tried once again to laugh despite her words, “Well why else would I be doing this if not for myself? I have no loyalties anymore, not after I was cast aside by my realm and family.”

Luna felt her anger flow out of her as she thought more about the possibility that Loki was not indeed betraying her. She thought she had glimpsed a piece of that sad, broken man she had found not all too long ago in their extended lifetimes. The Loki she had spent these days with would not be doing this of his own volition.

“Loki, stop this madness. I refuse to believe your falsehoods. Stand down, and we can talk about whomever is forcing your hand.”

Chrysalis managed to beat back both Twilight and Applejack with a swing of her body, giving her a chance to comment of the other battle being waged, “You mean ‘the Other’? Cheerful fellow I would say, be it the threats, insults-”

Loki pointed his scepter at a new target, that being Chrysalis, “Know your place, insect!” he yelled in an almost panic.

She responded with a roll of the eyes, not taking his threat seriously, “What is the point in keeping it a secret when none of them can do a thing about it?”

Seeing Twilight and the others all unable to muster up any strength to keep on fighting, and knowing that she could not face Chrysalis, Celestia and Loki alone, Luna decided she had best think of a new plan.

She disappeared into the night’s shadows, Chrysalis looking around wildly in an attempt to find her. Loki held a hoof up to halt her search, however, as he had something greater on his mind than finding Luna.

“Let her go. We have defeated Celestia, Discord and soon will finish cleaning up the other heroes of Equestria. We should consolidate our forces, then see if we can find and face her.”

Chrysalis sighed, “You mean my forces. And yes, I see your point,” she looked to the crowd with a wicked smile, “Very well, your marefriend may live for now.”

Loki looked down at the ground where bloodied equines lay about and where pieces of Changelings lay, not able to look anyone in the eye as he spoke, “You keep insisting there is something where there is not.”

He received a mocking chuckle in response, “Remember, my partner, love is something of a specialty of mine and it is radiating off you like light from the sun.”

Luna touched down at the farthest abandoned street she could from the ended brawl in a hurry, having made up her mind of how she could confront such a powerful force. Time was what she needed, which is why she began a powerful summoning spell the second she landed.

The princess was soon joined in a puff of smoke by the god of chaos himself, Discord. He was about to bite into a piece of white, pink and blue cake when he noticed he was not in fact where he thought he had been.

He tossed the cake away and looked to Luna, who “You rang? Seriously, what is with everypony having me come to handle their every whim and desire tonight?”

Luna ignored his annoyed state, “Discord, I need to ask of you a favor. This city is under siege by the Changelings and everypony else has been defeated. Celestia and Rainbow Dash have even been mind controlled into fighting against everyone else. Can you buy me the time I need to fix this?”

Discord shrugged nonchalantly as he conjured up a pair of gaudy sunglasses despite it being night, “I suppose. I could probably wrap the whole mess up myself, but I will do what I can.”

Luna spread her wings to ready her flight again, “Do what you please, but I would most prefer if you left the one known as Loki in one piece.”

“Oooh, I know just the trick!” Discord joyfully snapped his fingers and disappeared, leaving Luna alone in the dark street.

It took her a moment to lift off, as first the tears came.

Inside the new throne room he had lay claim to was a lounging Loki, who was waiting for the inevitable return of Luna. He had to wrap up the issue of her before he continue on with his plan, but the idleness was killing him. He had a schedule to keep after all and Luna had best fit into that for her people’s own good.

He stifled a yawn, having worked quite hard to keep his body masked the past week to hide how he was not sleeping. Luna would think he would sleep second and wake up first, but that was not the case at all. In reality he looked little better than he had at his absolute worst weeks back, and the lack of regular sleep was beginning to get to him.

Chrysalis was outside directing her forces while Loki kept Celestia by his side, knowing that Chrysalis too had the ability to control minds. He did not want to risk having the powerful goddess falling under his partner’s control, as he was expecting to be stabbed in the back at the first opportunity. Chrysalis wanted power for herself and her race, and he had no place in that after the invasion went through. Not that it completely mattered to him, but having a powerful bodyguard would not hurt matters much he reckoned.

A bright flash of light brought Loki out of his musings and his attention focused on the odd being that lay before him. They had a body similar to a dragon or serpent in overall shape, while they had a paw for one hand, a goat’s horn and many other odd body parts that did not look like they belonged together.

Loki manipulated his scepter to aim at the new arrival, having a feeling who this might be and not wanting to take them lightly, “Who are you, chimera?”

“Draconequus, actually, but I can see where the confusion comes from,” the being gave a mocking bow from where it hovered in the air, “The name is Discord, and I have to say that I’m not a fan of your remodeling. Less unconscious guards would make the place look a lot better in my opinion.”

Discord landed on the ground and began to walk towards Loki, eyes focused on the giant white mare beside him, “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’m a fan of you taking over my favorite pony to annoy. You can only find so many of these immortal beings you can rag on endlessly, after all.”

Loki charged up the scepter’s energy to fire, a blue aura forming around its tip, but withheld the attack as he spoke, “I have no time for you. Begone.”

Discord teleported himself beside Loki, wedging in between him and Celestia, and wrapped an arm around the green Alicorn, “Oh come now, can’t we talk? I don’t think Luna would be happy if you were to harm her sister’s best friend.”

Discord tapped his hand to Loki’s head once in an attempt to use his own mind altering abilities on him. As Loki’s color did not fade to grey, Discord tried again. Nothing happened besides Loki snarling, causing Discord to rub his chin as he pondered the issue, “You know, usually that works.”

“I don’t have time for your games.”

The scepter’s power blasted Discord away from the throne, only for the chimera to recover midair with a yelp.

“That smarts!” Discord brushed himself where the strike hit him on the chest, “And to think Luna had such great things to say about you! And to think I believed her to be a good judge of character-”

Loki fired another blast, also willing Celestia to do the same, “Be silent!”

Discord avoided Loki’s attack and smirked, “You ought to work on your aim-” he did not, however, anticipate a second attack from a different position due to his terrible lack of situational awareness. As he crashed on the floor Discord groaned, “Wait, what the Celestia was that?”

“Celestia, actually,” Loki snarked as he prepared to fire another blast at the intruder.

“Now that just isn’t playing fair-”

Loki snorted as Discord collapsed on the floor, having been struck with Celestia’s full power as well as Loki’s own, “Hypocrite.”

Asgard’s wayward prince looked about boredly as the room quieted. He had done his research, and he needed to wait for a specific time to use that mirror of Celestia’s. Having her under his control gave him access to its whereabouts, as planned, and now he just needed to make sure everything was set the way he wanted it by the time it opened.

He could wait, even if there was too much suspense for his liking.

In the abandoned castle in the Everfree Forest, Luna found herself retracing where she had been years back when she had been defeated by Twilight Sparkle and her allies. A specific spot in the room, actually, where she was absolutely certain after visiting Loki so often that she would find something.

“I know you still lurk about, shadows. Come out!” Luna yelled inside the room where her own plan for conquering Equestria was thwarted. How that felt like a lifetime ago to the Princess, who now was here with the opposite intention in mind.

Nothing responded, but Luna knew better.

Luna called out again, “Those Elements could strip you from me, but they could not eliminate you entirely. I would have perished long ago if they were that powerful.”

Surely enough, the shadows within the room twisted and moved until the revealed the form of a creature Luna was quite familiar with. It had once been her skin for over a millenium, transforming her into Nightmare Moon and granting her its power.

Power that she now needed, despite the risk that presented.

The creature addressed her with a voice similar to the howl of the wind, “Your familiar did not notice us during his long stay. You did, however. How?”

Luna approached the creature and stared it down, “I once shared a body with you, I think I can tell when you are in the same room.”

“What then have you come here for? To finish us?” it questioned, readying to vanish into the night once more. It, however, knew it could not flee successfully. Not after how it had been wounded to the point of death by the Elements of Harmony, so it simply limped on in the shadows where it was defeated.

To its surprise she shook her head no, “To join with you. I need your strength once again. Only now I intend to save Equestria.”

The being narrowed its yellow glowing eyes within the opaque darkness that formed it, “How the tables have turned then. Why would we assist you in such a noble goal?”

“I have no care for what your personal opinions and desires are. You will join me or you will be destroyed. And I know just how much you care for your own skins to let that happen,” Luna held a hoof out to the creature as she narrowed her own eyes at it, “I will not let you control me once again. I will suppress you, but would you rather live on here for eternity, unable to recover from what was done to you?”

With a burst of speed, Luna found herself having the darkness of the creature wrap around her once again. She had no expected it completely the last time this happened, and so it was able to impress its will upon her own, but now she was ready. She would not give in to it once more.

She would become the true Nightmare Moon one last time if it meant she could end this.

A/N: Well that escalated quickly!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you don’t hate me too much! I would very much appreciate hearing from you about what you thought, and that you will join me next chapter as the conflict continues!

You Can Have Everything You Have Ever Wanted

A/N: Special thanks to D48, Evowizard25, Ketvirtas, and Killabyte in particular for your more in-depth reviews last chapter, but thanks to everyone who let me know how much they enjoyed it! I hope that you continue to do so and let me know what you think about it in the comment section below!

Warning about yet another tough chapter. Brace yourself with the promise that I do indeed like happy endings. We just aren't anywhere close to the end yet.

“You won’t get away with this! Princess Luna will come back and kick yer flank!”

Loki partially missed the silence that had been found in the throne room before Chrysalis decided to make him babysit the special prisoners they had accrued as she went about finishing up the Canterlot invasion and round up the few strays still left.

It all started when she noticed that he had taken the wounded filly and willed his mind controlled Rainbow Dash to go about patching them up. Chrysalis had noticed and decided if he had such a fondness for treating the enemies, he could make sure none of the others went and died before the execution time.

With Luna opposing them so staunchly now Loki had no way of stopping Chrysalis from killing those in her way, except maybe killing her. He considered himself lucky she was laughably arrogant and wanted to make a show out of whole killing them thing.

Since none of the prisoners had originally been awake, Loki had been able to control them like their Pegasus ally. Not that it would do him any good even if he did control them, all of them being so woefully weak compared to him and presenting no true threat.

Then they woke up almost simultaneously and the nagging began.

Loki rubbed his forehead with a hoof as he tried to calm the growing headache he had, “I apologize for the shackles, I really do,” he removed the hoof and glared at Pinkie Pie, “Except for you. I never found you all that endearing.”

“Hey, I thought we were friends!” she complained loudly, trying to shake off her green-goo shackles that the changelings had placed upon them. Loki had little faith in the strength of them, but he could always knock out the mares should they actually break free. They had nowhere to run with all the Changelings around in the halls and streets.

Loki could truly not bring himself to like the mare, for her complete radiance of cheer angered Loki. No-one could be that happy constantly and be sane, and his brief experience with her beforehand had not endeared her to him at all, “Not everyone you meet is a friend, nor do they want to be. You really ought to learn that,” a side effect of his partner’s planned event actually brought a smile to his lips, “Not that it will matter when Chrysalis executes you.”

A knock on the door revealed Chrysalis, who had come to pick up the prisoners. The stage was set outside for their public devouring and the starving Queen could not wait to feast upon those who had thwarted her plans not once but twice, “And oh how I will enjoy that moment when in front of the masses I-”

She was not the only one to arrive, however, as a large portion of the ceiling burst and a jet of purple-black mist rushed in through the opening. The room darkened as the night sky became apparent and as the mist swirled around it, soon thereafter grouping in the middle of the room between both Loki and Chrysalis.

Both smirked at the sight of Nightmare Moon’s imposing form, while the captured ponies only gasped as she stepped over the unconscious Discord.

Loki spread his wings and leapt down to where Nightmare Moon stood, looking Luna’s transformation over with great curiosity, “You return, and in the form of an usurper. Have you had a sudden change of heart?”

Luna looked at down to him with narrowed eyes, nodding silently before glancing over to Chrysalis. Loki gave her a confused look that was hidden from Chrysalis’ view by Nightmare Moon’s body, but a smirk and a nod made the trickster realize what she was getting at.

Chrysalis approached Nightmare Moon with a cackling laughter as Loki stepped to be by Luna’s side, “Glad to see that you have come to your senses,” Chrysalis turned around to face the captives in the room’s corner, “Now, we can finish-”

The leader of the Changelings found herself victim of not one but two powerful strikes to her backside which sent her crashing forward, only to be struck again and again before she could even react.

“I do not particularly care for those who would harm those I care about,” Nightmare Moon snorted as her horn stopped glowing, her face contorted in anger as she tried to keep her power in check. She would kill the Changeling Queen if not for how every time she used her power she risked letting the shadow take over, for it was through its power that she could defeat such a powerful foe so easily.

Loki too stopped firing with his scepter and walked forward, approaching the spell-burnt body of Chrysalis that he was sure had more holes in it than before on the wings and limbs.

He chuckled as he poked the unconscious Chrysalis with his scepter, receiving no response, “Well done, Luna. Now, we had best-”

His words did not finish as another bolt of magic crashed into him, Nightmare Moon snorting as she backstabbed him as well to the surprise of the girls in the corner, “That includes you, Loki. As much as I love you, you have harmed everypony we love. Including yourself.”

The shot failed to do anything, however, as it passed right through the illusion of Loki. He had anticipated the possibility of Luna turning on him and had prepared as such. He admittedly was both glad and disappointed Luna had done so for exactly the same reason.

Not that he would tell her.

Loki sighed from behind Luna, where he charged up the power of his scepter but held his fire, “How poetic. But you forget, I hold the power here, especially now that I will have complete control over the Changeling forces as well.”

Nightmare Moon turned to face him with a scowl, having been outwitted by Loki, “Why not use your controlling magic on her right now as we speak?”

“Unconsciousness wears the effects off I am afraid, so I will have to wait for her to awaken,” Loki cast his gaze over to Chrysalis, who did not stir in the slightest, “I do hope she gets up soon now that our alliance has fallen to pieces.”

The revelation about the scepter’s power made Nightmare Moon’s eyes widen in gleeful surprise. If that was the case, she knew exactly what she had to do.

The former villain of Equestria began to charge her horn just as Loki did his staff, “Is that so?”

She dodged to the side and let out the burst of energy from her horn straight at Loki. He deftly dodged it and fired back, missing due to her movement and not firing another blast because of the yelp of pain he heard behind him.

Loki turned to see that the mind controlled Rainbow Dash he had kept as a guard had just been slammed into the wall and now fell to the ground beside the still unconscious Scootaloo. She was out before she hit the ground, making Loki snarl, “Smart move, but what help can these pathetic equines be to your cause when I hold your sister under my power?”

Her reaction was not what he expected, “As distractions,” Luna changed her target and fired out multiple beams of purple-blue-green energy. They collided with the goo keeping the heroes from Ponyville from moving, which let Nightmare Moon enact the second part of her plan, “Get him while I take out my dear sister.”

The whole display made Loki laugh, as he was quite sure her attempt would be futile. He nodded towards Nightmare Moon and willed Celestia to attack her all out, not pulling any stops like before, “I appreciate the effort, but-”

A blast to his helmeted face cut Loki off and made him grunt in pain, his head turning to face the purple offender. Twilight rushed towards him as she fired more shots at him all the while yelling.

“That’s for everypony you’ve hurt!”

Loki lifted a brow as she and her friends charged at him, “Everyone I have hurt? So says the murderer. Tell me, how is that Changeling you shot doing? Did you ask him?” Loki flapped his wings and jumped over where they all had originally been, making their charge pointless, “Well, I guess it would be hard to when he is laying in pieces outside where you slew him.”

As she turned around to face Loki Twilight had her eyes grow wide. His words cut into her as she tried to think about what they might mean, “What?”

“Focus, Twi!” her orange ally with neither horn nor wing accosted, already beginning to run at Loki again while a furious yellow Pegasus and howling angry pink monster followed behind.

Twilight lifted a hoof up as the others rushed past her, “But-” she shook her head, trying to think about how Discord once used mind games to mess with them, “Nevermind! I’m going to take you down!”

Loki laughed as they all crashed through one of his illusions. Such minimal effort with such great effect. As they steadied themselves and looked for where he had gone, he took a shot at them all with a focus on Pinkie Pie.

She turned around to face him only to catch a blast of energy to the face, singing the poofy mane on her head and knocking her out in one shot. The others did not take kindly to this, and Twilight teleported to where Loki had moved. Just as she reached him she let out a shot at him, not hitting but also putting the prince on the defensive for a moment.

That moment let Applejack slam into him at full speed, pushing him back a bit with the impact but not causing any true harm because of his natural toughness and the armor he wore.

It did, however, then allow for a followup blast from Twilight’s horn that actually made Loki feel pain. He was surprised by the former Unicorn’s magical power and was realizing that he had sold her short and underestimated her.

As such, he lunged at her with a swing of his scepter with the intent on taking control of the young Alicorn. If he could harness her power as well as Celestia’s there was nothing Luna could do to stop him before he could finish stalling for time.

His strike missed as a yellow flash tackled the scepter down, the pony wrestling it to the ground being none other than Fluttershy. Loki groaned at the inconvenience before using his magic to lift the scepter back up, Fluttershy clinging to it. With a strong flick she was thrown to the side where she crashed into Rainbow Dash.

The previously unconscious blue mare rubbed her head as Fluttershy apologized for colliding with her, “What the heck is going on here?”

A quick look around the room revealed Loki fending off Twilight and Applejack, Nightmare Moon fighting Celestia in a beam tug of war and winning handedly, and also a sleeping Scootaloo beside her. Rainbow Dash shook off the dizziness she felt and flew up and at Loki, “Oh, right!”

The prince dodged Rainbow Dash’s lunge, “Get out of my way-” this then left him open for another strike from Twilight which grazed his side and ruined a part of his outfit. That hurt him more than whatever hits had struck him before, and he seethed as such, “This was a gift from Luna.”

“You obviously don’t deserve it!” Twilight retorted as he charged at her, swinging the scepter furiously at her with the intent on having one of its many blows strike her heart. Not to kill, but to control her for it required a connection with a being’s heart for whatever reason the creators had decided.

“How dare you use my masterpiece in such an uncouth manner!” a voice called from the still open doorway, revealing the white Unicorn Loki had little experience with.

“Rarity?” Applejack questioned before a swing from Loki’s scepter knocked her over on her side and a blast sent her tumbling across the ground.

Rarity growled as she ran towards the fight with her horn glowing, “I would not have made that if I knew it would be worn by such a terrible pony.”

That gave Loki and idea, and he avoided the charging mare not by dodging left or right but rather by grabbing her horn in one hand and diverting her charge, “Too bad for you I am not a pony.”

His sudden transformation into his Asgardian form caught all of his combatants completely off guard, as they had no idea what he had just transformed into. He now stood at a smaller height and much lower overall size, but the similar clothing and helmet made it certain it was the same being.

“What-”

Rarity’s question would not be answered as Loki grabbed his scepter in hand and slammed it down on her back, smashing her strongly into the ground. With a moment of respite Loki turned his attention to where Luna continued to engage her sister in battle.

Celestia had been losing their fight quite terribly, not landing any major blows against Nightmare Moon who in turn had blasted away at her sister with increasing power each strike. This was not because Nightmare Moon was trying to permanently harm her sibling, but rather because she was having a harder and harder time controlling the being that did wish to.

The only times she had actually been struck in the fight had been when she was too busy repressing the will of the creature she had fused with to focus on anything else, and even then Nightmare Moon was still in control of the situation. If she was not fighting her sister, who she would be able to beat on a regular day even without this massive power boost, Nightmare Moon would have won already given just how much of a beating an Alicorn could take.

Nightmare Moon groaned as she let out another shot, the will of the being surrounding her body surging to the top of her mind. She fought it off again as the shot connected with its intended target, Celestia’s head, and blasted her back at full force. The resulting crash into the wall made the white furred princess fall almost lifelessly on the ground, letting Nightmare Moon let out a deep breath.

“Sleep, sister,” she whispered as she noted the lifting and falling chest of Celestia, who was luckily still breathing. There was once a time when Luna would have gladly finished her in such a moment of weakness, but that had passed. As flawed as Celestia could be, Luna knew that her elder sister meant well and was good. She would not let this creature finish the job it had started a thousand years prior.

Seeing his trump card fall made Loki panic as he realized he still had not reached the time he needed to stall until. He knocked aside Twilight and put space in between himself and the mob of ponies all piling on to him, cursing as he did so, “Damn you all.”

In the middle of the room Discord began to move a bit as he mumbled weakly, “I haven’t seen this many stars since my head got stuck in Luna’s mane.”

Nightmare Moon approached Loki who was now in between all of the ponies who were opposing him. She smirked at him as she realized just how much she had managed to turn the tables on him, “An interesting turn of events, would you not say Loki dear? It is not too late to stop this. You can still be forgiven, just end this,” she felt her eyes soften against her will, her voice also softening, “You can still be with me...still have everything you could ever want…”

“I know,” Loki responded with a lowered gaze, “But I cannot.”

He looked back up to her with pleading eyes, “Luna, come with me. Think of what we could do together. No-one could cast us aside, tell us how to be...together we could be so much more. We would be the greatest team there ever has been. There would be nothing out of our reach. Limitless capability.”

Nightmare Moon shook her head as she felt tears threaten to run down from her eyes, “I am sorry Loki, but I cannot either,” she successfully fended off the water stream and approached Loki with an outstretched hoof, “Would you care to tell me what your goal is in doing all of this?”

Before Luna could touch Loki or he could respond, another voice cut in from behind Luna.

By where she had been utterly wrecked in by the betrayal she had suffered Queen Chrysalis rose to her feet weakly and scoffed, coughing out blood as she spoke, “Hah, all he is trying to do is make his master think-”

Loki’s eyes narrowed at her, “Look at that, you are awake now,” he lifted his scepter and pointed it at his former ally, “I would greatly appreciate you never speaking again.”

Instead of firing as everypony else expected him to do, Loki instead leapt with great agility at Chrysalis who was too wounded to avoid him. His scepter collided with her chest and tore partially into it as its magic began to wash over her, her green eyes becoming a matching shade of blue to Loki’s.

“Keep them busy,” he hissed to Chrysalis as he bolted towards the door.

Seeing his attempt at departing, Nightmare Moon slammed her hooves down angrily and chased after him, “Oh no you don’t!”

Chrysalis moved to intercept her, but Nightmare Moon easily bashed aside the wounded Changeling in her attempt to give chase to Loki. It did, however, but Loki enough time to put some distance in-between himself and Luna which he used to transform back into his equine form so that he could gallop away faster.

“Loki! Get back here at once!” his pursuer called out to him as she barreled down the hallway and over Changelings after him, not even paying attention to where they were headed as she continued to charge.

Loki kept running through the halls until he took a sharp turn into a room that Nightmare Moon knew all too well, and was surprised to see him run into.

“Celestia’s room?” she questioned to herself as she continued to chase him. Upon entering the room she instantly noticed that Loki was jumping towards a mirror in the room, but instead of crashing into it he instead passed through it like it was some sort of portal.

Realizing that he must have some good reason for this, Nightmare moon leapt towards the mirror as well without a second thought.

Entering the portal made Luna feel like she was using a teleportation spell, her stomach feeling sick and her mind spinning as she was forced through space. The feeling felt like it would never end, with colors and things flashing by the Luna could not even hope to comprehend. Her entire body began to tingle as it continued, and by the time it ended Luna could almost gasp in pain because of how weird her body felt.

At the end Luna found herself gasping on the ground of some unknown place, but what caught her attention was not the hooves she should be looking down at but the hands with fingers on them that replaced her blue hooves. The pale skin was even paler this time around from when she last transformed, and Luna noticed as she rose from being on her knees that her frame was different. She was taller and larger in most ways, yet retained a more thin frame overall.

Ignoring whatever magics had to have transformed her like when Loki visited her own world, Luna glanced about the room she was in to try and make sense of this more, “What is this place?”

The room was dimly lit and had flickering lights where destroyed metal structures lay. Bodies of more humanoids lay about the room unmoving and without the signs of breathing Celestia had shown. Luna’s eyes widened as she noticed some figures in the room actually standing, including one she recognized instantly.

“Loki!” she called out, quickly running off the small platform she found herself on and at the man she had trusted.

A figure across from Loki with brown skin and one eye looked over to Luna as she rushed towards Loki, “A friend of yours?”

Loki scoffed at how he had actually been followed by the headstrong mare, “Yes, actually. But I do not believe she will be siding with me currently,” Loki smirked at her as she tripped over a fallen body, not fully used to her Asgardian form, “Had a change of heart, Luna?”

A bolt of lightning shot past him and Loki began regretting how he taught her how to use magic in this form to pay her back, “Well then.”

The humanoid closest to Loki’s side lifted a small device Luna had no idea about up and aimed it at the darker skinned resident in the room, a loud bang quickly followed by the dark skinned man falling over. Luna stopped rushing towards Loki to look over at the fallen man, a debate raging in her mind about whether to go help him or to pursue Loki, who had turned and was leaving the room with a various group of other people Luna had no idea about.

Realizing that the shadow presence had disappeared for some reason and that she could effortlessly choose to do something selfless, she rushed over to the side of the fallen man and cast her healing magic where she could see his wound. She did not know how the hand device with the loud bang worked, but she would not let it kill someone.

The room was littered with enough bodies she was sure Loki had killed from the scorch marks and throwing knives apparent on them.

After her spell the man on the ground began to get up, no longer clutching his side. Luna helped him all the way to his feet and asked, “Are you okay?”

He nodded to her and turned so that his one eye could see her, “I have no idea what the hell you just did, but thanks,” he pulled out another device Luna had no idea about and brought it to his mouth, “Give me a moment, okay? ”

Luna nodded as he shouted some orders into the device, probably some sort of message carrier Luna hypothesized. After a brief exchange he turned back to Luna.

“You, lady in the black dress, come with me. We have to get out of here and catch that boyfriend of yours before he does more harm.”

He ran towards the room’s exit and Luna followed behind him, her eye catching a swirling vortex opposite the exit and towards where she had appeared. Had their appearance made this vortex appear Luna wondered to herself briefly before it no longer was in sight.

It took a bit of effort for Luna to adjust to running on two legs instead of four, but her practice with Loki made the task not the hardest of things she had ever done. She kept up with the man until the reached what looked like a large metal contraption shaped like an oval with a tail jutting out the back and with straight spider legs on top. Seeing him climb aboard it led to Luna doing the same through the open part on the side.

Luna took in a breath as the machine jumped to life, the spider legs on top spinning rapidly and the contraption lifting off the ground as if it had wings. Apparently this was some kind of flying carriage that did not need to be pulled or enchanted, so Luna just kept quiet as it took off. Apparently it would lead them to Loki, and that was all that she cared about.

After the vehicle flew out a bit and the sight of another metal contraption that could move, only this one on the ground, came to view Luna looked to the man beside her, “How many-” she cut herself off before she could say pony, “people has Loki killed?”

He did not look at her as he pulled out a similar device to the one that wounded him, “I can give you an exact number later, but right now I am a bit busy trying to stop a crazy ass Asgardian from stealing the most powerful object I have ever seen.”

“Object?” Luna questioned, curious as to what it may be. Would it explain all of this madness Loki was causing?

“Not the time!” he scolded as he moved to the side of the vehicle and began letting off the same loud banging noises that had harmed him, Luna looking over his shoulder and noting that Loki was on the back of the ground vehicle.

“Can those harm him?” Luna questioned.

“They didn't when he was killing my bodyguards, but they can stop that vehicle!” he responded just as a blue blast went flying from the ground vehicle into the one Luna found herself in. The light from the blast was fully visible in the night sky, especially as it tore through the section of the flying metal box right next to Luna.

The vehicle began to spin and twirl, rapidly losing altitude with the dark skinned cyclops besides Luna bracing himself as it did so.

“Jump!” he yelled as it drew closer to the ground, doing the action himself to escape the falling death machine.

Luna, not having had much experience in the whole jumping with two legs thing, questioned him a second too late, “Jump?”

Realizing that there was yet another two-leg in the front of the flying machine, Luna used her teleportation magic first to go there and then to teleport into the relative safety of the ground with the pilot in tow.

As the flying machine crashed and the one of the ground Loki was riding in drove off in the dark night, the cyclops looked to Luna as she wiped off some dust that kicked up on her, “Are you okay?”

Luna nodded as she looked down to the other humanoid by her side, who was letting out a sigh of relief.

She had no idea what was happening, but Luna intended to find out. That way she could stop Loki and bring him home.

Because, maybe, if it made sense it would stop hurting so much.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope you don’t hate me too much! I would very much appreciate hearing from you about what you thought, and that you will join me next chapter as the battle continues!

Tonight I Start The Fire

A/N: Longest chapter thus far. Woohoo! That being said, I don't exactly own the last scene...just a part of it.

Very special thanks to D48, Killabyte, Evowizard25, Drgnwolf, Ketvirtas, leo0074, and Cadmium for your more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story! Seeing as how the first 4 likes/dislikes of this story were all dislikes from the moment I published (people not liking the idea I suppose), I'd say we've come a long way from that!

Thank you for your support, and I hope to hear from everyone about what they think at the end of the chapter! It really does mean a lot to me, and it is what fuels faster updates! Now, enjoy!

It took almost no time at all for Luna to tend to the wounded agents of the organization that introduced itself as S.H.I.E.L.D. which stood for something Luna could not remember. It seemed that someone really wanted the initials to spell out shield and that’s all that Luna cared about. She was helping them because they opposed Loki and because she could. They, along with their world (which Luna had gleamed was the Earth Loki spoke of), was of no true concern to her.

Loki was. Luna would grab him and leave. Possibly find a way to bring him to his own realm, but he was her first and only priority. These beings only would serve as tools to furthering that end.

More wounded were being pulling out of the wreckage of the facility Luna had arrived at, which had crumbled into pieces after she left it. It had something to do with the object Loki stole, known as the Tesseract.

Save the object, end his scheme, yada, yada yada. Luna had been through others trying to destroy the world or enact some crazy scheme, so none of that was new to her. Loki being the one messing things up, a world she had no idea about, and a race she did not know were.

Her talk with a man who introduced himself as Director Fury went something like this.

“Okay, I think it’s about time we talked,” the dark skinned man Luna had saved approached her after she finished her self appointed task of helping those whom Loki had brought harm to.

Luna nodded to him but said nothing, instead standing up to her full humanoid height from where she had crouched on the ground to help a wounded man.

The Director of Shield took the moment to continue, “You are connected to Loki, but given what he has said and what you have done I can assume you are not working with him on this.”

As much as being on Loki’s team would be nice and easy, Luna shook her head no. She cared not to see Loki do as she had done in her own past, “Correct. He left for this world after instigating an invasion on my own. I do not know if he intends to repeat the process, but I will do anything in my power to stop him.”

The one eyed man nodded, his tone still containing a piece of apprehension, “That is good to hear. Are you an Asgardian as well?”

She was surely not about to explain the whole thing of how she was a horse who could shapeshift and was for some reason not a horse at the moment thing to him.

“No, I am of another realm entirely. Loki ended up there by accident, where we bonded,” Luna banished the smile that popped up unknowingly, “Something has taken control of him, however, either through threat or sorcery. I care to find out who or what has done this.”

Director Fury nodded, “While as interesting a pursuit that may be, we first have to deal with the threat presented to us. Loki has taken the Tesseract, a blue cube that contains nigh unlimited power,” the magical artifact that felt so generic to Luna, “So, for now I need you to stay here with my teams until I can find a way to work you into our operation.”

Seeing as how Luna was unsure how anything around her worked and she was uncomfortable asking such a busy person she thought it best to not let things continue much after that, “Understood.”

The Director turned to leave Luna in the ruined room they had been using as an infirmary, but before he left he turned.

“Oh, and Princess?” a small smile graced his lips, “Thanks for helping me out back there. Not that I couldn’t have survived that trivial wound of course.”

As soon as the leader left Luna found herself being approached by a second man in a suit, this one with a pink skin color and short cropped hair. He had a smile on him that put Luna at ease, it being a somewhat awkward and kind smile that wouldn’t be missing on Twilight.

The man found a way to broach a conversation with her by referencing the one he had just listened in on, “So, Director Fury said you have a connection with Loki.”

Luna really did not wish to have a repeat of her last conversation, but she kindly returned the smile, “He is my closest friend. I have come here to stop him and whomever is causing him to do these horrible acts,” she nodded to the man before her, who lay unconscious from the wound that had previously gutted him through the chest.

The suited man looked down with sympathy for the wounded man before looking back to Luna with his ever-present smile, “My name is Agent Coulson. You probably want to be brought up to speed on the situation.”

She let out an exasperated breath, “I have gleamed enough for my tastes. Catch Loki, get the object back, save the world,” she resumed her smile with a small laugh as she noticed just how nice this man appeared to be. Similar to a child’s stuffed animal, she reckoned.

She noticed that his name was similar to Loki Odinson’s and addressed him as such.“Thank you for the offer, however. I am Princess Luna, son of Coul.”

Having heard it before, it did nothing faze Coulson. His arms were crossed on his chest as he nervously asked, “I heard you are able to do magic. Mind if I…” he cleared his throat and tried again, “Mind if I see it? I’m a bit of a fan.”

A fan of magic amongst these people unable to wield the arcane? Luna could see herself enjoying this.

The eyes of the Agent glimmered as he watched a ball of electricity form in the palm of Luna’s hand, completely controlled and as circular as a tennis ball. He looked up to the much taller woman, who he noted was not wearing heels, and gave an approving nod.

“Thor might be jealous that he is not the only one able to use lightning anymore.”

The name snapped Luna’s attention to what he was saying, the electricity dissipating in her hand as she rose an eyebrow, “You know Thor?”

Seeing that he had found some common ground, the agent’s smile grew a small bit as he replied, “Sort of. I once spoke with him before we knew who he was. Didn’t really say much, but I suppose being unable to lift your favorite hammer might do that.”

Pictures of a blonde haired muscular man in a wedding gown came to mind, “Loki has spoken much about Thor. He sounds like quite the arrogant man.”

Coulson shrugged, “He’s not all that bad. I think his time on Earth made him learn his lesson.”

“I am pleased to hear that. If he is a better person now I can only hope Loki can make amends. Loki is who he is because of how his brother’s attitude and actions shaped him,” “A feeling I know quite well.”

“Big sister you don’t like?” he asked in his soft voice, a high level of perception hidden beneath his modest way.

Luna snickered at how that was a huge understatement, “That is one way of putting it. I tried offing the arrogant foal a thousand years back, but that did not really work out for me. It’s so good to be back from being banished all that time.”

Coulson gave a small, understanding nod, “I can see why you hit it off with him,” he paused before his face shifted to one of confusion, “You are on our team, right?”

It took Luna a moment to give a reassuring smile to him, her honest opinion being that she did not care at all about his team. Only their shared goal of stopping Loki, “Of course. He invaded my own world before yours, and I do want to find who is controlling Loki.”

That drew the attention of the agent, “Controlling him?”

Luna sighed and lowered her gaze, “I had diffused the timebomb that was Loki when he arrived on my world. Somep-someone else is forcing his hand," she had to correct herself before she used the word pony, "He still has his own personal feelings, but he would not be doing any of this if someone else was not threatening him into doing it.”

He remained skeptical, “Are you sure? He seems to be in control from what I’ve heard.”

Looking into the man’s kind eyes reminded Luna of how she used to spend entire days looking into Loki’s. How the green suited his fur coat so well…

When they were green that was. They shifted multiple times in her time with him, going between green and blue, and in hindsight something stood out to Luna.

When Loki could not sleep his eyes had been blue. When he lay with her and slept until dusk they were green.

The princess looked away from the mortal’s innocent eyes, “One thing I have noticed is that my Loki’s eyes are green in his preferred state. Another thing I have noticed is that they are currently blue, not unlike those he controls with that scepter of his.”

Coulson felt his opinion on the Asgardian who just murdered many people he knew, having seen how people could be controlled against their will in his many years with Shield. If what Luna said was true, then Loki was as much a victim as those he harmed, “He might be controlled just like the agents he brought with him?”

Luna was quite glad to find someone who was willing to hear her plight, even though she was not sure how influential this agent was, “Precisely. In addition to the figure I once saw in a shared vision between him and I, I am almost certain that even if Loki thinks he is the one doing this of his own will that he is indeed not. It would correlate with how his control stops working on those who sleep, as he has been quite restless these past months.”

Coulson gave the downtrodden Luna a comforting smile, knowing the sight of a lover in pain quite well, “You really care for him, don’t you?”

Luna smirked and let out a small laugh, “He has issues I will admit, but we all do. He just has been pushed to his absolute limits.”

A brief look of pain flashed across the face of Coulson, but he recovered quickly and kept his face stoic as he spoke, “I know just what you’re talking about. I’m sorry for what you must be going through, and I promise we will do everything in our power to stop him without killing him.”

She felt her smile grow, not being able to help how genuinely kind this man appeared to be, “Thank you, Agent Coulson.”

His original smile returned, “Call me Phil, Princess Luna.”

“Then you may call me Luna. I will hold you to your promise though,” she jokingly warned as she returned the favor he extended.

Coulson looked to the door and then back to Luna, “I have to go run an errand for Director Fury. How about I see if we can bring you to our base on the way? Better chance you can catch up with Loki from there.”

Not having any reason to stay in the facility now that Loki was long gone, Luna shrugged. Anything to be ready for him.

“That would be most appreciated.”

It took until the next day for Luna to find herself at their base of operations, a large mechanical hulk that floated atop the water like a ship but unlike any she had seen before.

More aerial machines, named planes and helicopters, landed on the gigantic thing, which she was told was named an Aircraft Carrier, which interested Luna quite greatly. Equestria had nowhere near the amount of technology to be found here, although seeing as how these were all instruments of war she was partially glad for that.

She followed the two she knew, Director Fury and Agent Coulson, around aimlessly and without a word as they went about their duties on-board the ship. She was so enraptured by the technology surrounding her that she almost did not notice as the ship shook violently. A glance outside revealed that the water they had been resting on was quickly growing distant.

They were going up despite the massive size of this thing.

Luna turned to Director Fury and decided to ask him about the matter, “Did this ship just take flight?”

His response held barely veiled agitation, still having not found Loki and not wanting to deal with inane questions, “How perceptive of you. Yes, we are taking flight now that we have the personnel we have been waiting for.”

Realizing when she should not be interrupting him, Luna halted the flow of questions that she had meant to ask, “Understood.”

“Now, as amusing as our bridge might be, I would prefer if you wait in your room on standby. We need you ready for when Loki acts,” Fury stated, both in truth and as a way to remove her from the soon to be crowded bridge. The new arrivals, a man named Banner and and another named Rogers, would have their own more serious questions to answer and he did not want to complicate matters by adding an unknown to the mix.

Doctor Banner was not known for having a good temper, and to keep an unknown of any sorts around him would not be good for everyone’s livelihood on the ship.

Luna left the bridge with the intent of doing as she was told, deferring to the judgment of the person in charge of everything around her. Besides, until they told her where Loki was she had nothing to do and nothing she particularly wanted to.

On the way to the room she had been shown upon her arrival, Luna overheard some of the soldiers walking down the hallway. She have ignored them if their excited voices had not caught her attention.

“They brought the big guy on the ship I heard,” one said to the other with a chuckle.

The other rose an eyebrow and questioned his fellow soldier, “Captain America?”

The first one shook his head, “No, the green one. You know, the doctor guy who gets angry and smashes things.”

Green person? That did not seem normal to Luna, who had noticed that every human was somewhere between pale white and a very deep, almost black, brown. Green was very out of place on that scale.

The second one seemed to recognize who they were talking about as he slapped his apparent friend on the back as they passed Luna, “Oh, doctor Banner. The Hulk! I saw the footage from New York where he beat down the Abomination. Imagine what he can do for Shield!”

“But having that thing on a ship? What if he gets angry here?” the first one complained, his voice worried for some reason unknown to Luna. Why would he be scared of an ally?

“Don’t worry, Director Fury knows what he is doing.”

Luna could only hope that was the case.

Not having anything to do and being free sounded a lot better to Luna than it actually was. The room she was lent was not her own or even familiar, precluding activities involving it, and for every moment she was left bored she was left to think about how Loki was loose. And likely harming someone. And that she wasn’t able to do anything about it.

The solitude and boredom were driving Luna insane, as she had little tolerance for them after her long acquaintance with them both. She could be alone if it meant she was doing something, but merely sitting around on her flank was not something she cared much for.

As such, she wandered through the halls until a unique room caught her attention. It was better than just sitting around after all, so she entered its open doorway without permission.

The only inhabitant of the room, a middle-aged human fiddling with some mechanical objects in the room, looked up to see Luna. He did not expect a visitor, especially not a woman with deep blue hair wearing a black robe, so he was a bit cautious about her entry, “Hello there. May I help you with something?”

Luna shrugged at him, looking at the various contraptions and gadgets to be found. Everything was so new to her that even the smallest computer drew her attention like a child in a candy store. Or Celestia in a candy store for that matter.

“No, I am just wandering about. This looked like a more interesting room than the boring one Director Fury sent me to.”

The doctor felt himself relax a portion when he realized that this person was another person dragged in by the Director, “Understandable. Well, welcome to my lab. I am Doctor Banner.”

Luna remembered the name from the soldiers she passed and looked over the man to make sure she was not missing something, “You look less green than I have heard.”

Banner sighed and glanced to the side, feeling depressed that the first thing that came to mind about him was his other side, “I see. So the others know about my party trick. I don’t particularly care for turning into that other guy, what with his rage issues and whatnot.”

Luna sensed his unease and held her hands up, “I apologize if I may have offended you. I am a bit new to all of this. From where I come from everything is quite different.”

“And might that be?” Banner inquired, curious about who Luna was.

Luna bowed to him as she realized she was invading his workplace, “I am from a land named Equestria, of which I am its princess. Princess Luna, steward of the night.”

He nodded slowly, “Equestria.”

She could see that the intelligent man knew what the scientific name for a horse was, “A land of horses, yes.”

“But you are not a horse,” he noted, looking her over carefully. To him she just looked like any other extremely tall but lean woman, even if her hair was odd and an unnatural color.

Luna chuckled as she channeled her magical ability, “Oh, I am,” in a quick flash she returned to her regular form, somewhat glad to be on four hooves again, “You are not the only one who can shapeshift, Doctor Banner.”

The doctor’s eyes widened as he studied the creature before him. This was certainly something new, “I will admit I am impressed. I have never met a talking horse before.”

Luna shifted back into her humanoid body and looked it over, “I find that this form is not quite so terrible. There are advantages to having thumbs and fingers.”

Banner chuckled as he watched her wiggle her digits, “I can only imagine,” after she stopped doing it he decided to inquire about something that would hopefully put him more at ease, “So, what have they brought you on-board for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The princess looked to Banner and gave him a weak smile, “Loki is my lover. I have taken it upon myself to foil whatever he has planned, and after saving the Director’s life they brought me along.”

“I see. I’m glad you at least know why you are on this ship,” he remarked, his voice dry.

His tone made Luna wonder what was wrong with him, “Have they brought you in without reason?”

Banner sighed as he looked over the readings on a computer to his side, “Well, bringing on-board a scientist to track something that any of their top analysts could do is a bit suspicious.”

Luna filled the pieces together as to why he was feeling nervous, “Especially when that scientist can turn into a raging monster.”

He frowned, prompting Luna to hold her hands up again, “I apologize again, but it is highly suspect as you noted,” after a moment of silence a thought crossed Luna’s mind, “Have you tried curing your affliction?”

Resigned was the best word Luna could describe him as when he responded, “Yes. I strived to find a cure for years, but when nothing came of it I gave up,” he looked her in the eye, his own displaying sadness, “I would never become that thing again if I could.”

“I know not what you have been through, but I do know what it is like to have your body transformed and your mind addled. Unable to control yourself fully,” Luna responded, thinking to how she had lost some of her own control when fusing with the shadow being. Especially in the past.

Where it had gone when she traveled across realms, she did not know, but her humanoid form was different from how it had originally been she noticed. She had gained height and felt the power she had wielded as Nightmare Moon, which led her to believe that the being still was with her. Why she could not feel its presence was another matter entirely, one she was almost scared to find the answer to.

Luna shook off her mental discussion to continue relating to Banner’s plight, “When I made a deal with a wicked being I gained unparalleled power, but did so at the cost of my moral constraints. I fused with a being who longed to do evil acts, acts that I was not even opposed to at the time but now regret in full.”

Doctor Banner looked down to the floor as he rested his elbows on top of a work table, “It’s not the transformation that I regret most. It’s how it has changed other parts of my life that I…”

He trailed off with a sad breath. Realizing he was done speaking for the moment, Luna walked over to him and placed a hand on the depressed man’s shoulder. Apparently whatever afflicted him was not under his control, and he was paying the consequences for it.

Luna rubbed his shoulder to console him, “Does it keep you from family?” he nodded before sighing, “Friends? A lover?”

That made him give a sarcastic laugh, “As if I could ever have one. Yet another thing the other guy took from me.”

Luna raising an eyebrow made the doctor explain, “Too much excitement and the other guy shows up,” he looked past the table with a sad smile, “Even if I could have a family I wouldn’t. Too much risk involved.”

Luna snorted as she thought of her own history, “Celibacy is something I know much of. My sister and I vowed to not lay with mortals ever since we were but foals, for any offspring would live shorter lives than us and we would greatly outlive our lovers.”

A light-bulb lit in the doctor’s brain that made him grin, “Thus the immortal being from Asgard who, from what I’ve heard, can shapeshift.”

Her smirk grew sad and sour, “I will admit I thought it to be a blessing, I suppose having a foal would be too much to ask for after the sins I’ve committed. And to think that I even jokingly thought of names the other night.”

Doctor Banner gave her a smile as he tried to cheer her up, “You would not be alone. We all have our fantasies,” he glanced back to the area past the table, “Keen. Bella. Odette.”

Luna returned the smile as she tried to stem her tears, “Given my own race’s naming conventions, I was thinking something like Sleep Near,” Cutie Marks were genetic after all to some degree, and her night related powers would undoubtedly influence any offspring’s own talents.

“Only one?” he questioned, noting that she stopped at one name.

Luna nodded sadly as she once again reflected on her own history, “Having grown up under my sister’s shadow, and having a lover who did the same under his brother’s, I would think it irresponsible to subject a child to that treatment with the shackles of royalty.”

“Must be tough being rich and powerful,” Banner dryly retorted.

While noting his point and promptly ignoring it, Luna rolled her eyes, “It is hard when your kingdom fears you simply for being different. Hard when they adore your sibling who works no harder or better for their sake. Hard when they dedicate an entire holiday to mocking your name and treating you as a threatening specter.”

It did not take Banner long to realize he had gone a bit far with his humor, “I am the one who must apologize this time.”

Luna had a tougher skin than to have been wounded by such a small matter, “No need,” she sighed as her mind tugged back to her missing lover, “Loki is no different from me in that regard. It is why he made such a good partner.”

“So, when this is all over, what’s your plan? If we do catch him and foil whatever he has going on, where does that leave you two?”

Luna sighed, not honestly having an answer to that, “I do not know. It will depend on the circumstances surrounding his defeat I suppose,” her theory from before surfaced in her mind, as it would influence how she handled Loki after his capture, “Someone is controlling him, so I want to find out who and why. Then I can work on forgiving Loki for what he was forced to do, and on punishing him for what he chose to.”

“Quite fair,” he noted, not saying anything more.

“And what of you? What happens when things end here?” Luna turned the question on him.

The doctor shrugged as a knock on the room’s doorway took both of their attention, “I suppose I will go back to living my solitary life. Help those I can.”

The figure in the doorway was none other than Director Fury, who had somehow located Luna with minimal effort. Luna was quite impressed, not knowing what a security camera was.

He addressed the only woman in the room, “Hey, your highness, we’ve found Loki. I wanted to see if you would be up for helping catch him.”

Before responding to her host, she first looked to the dry witted man beside her with a grin, “You are a good man, Doctor Banner.”

He nodded and returned the grin, “You seem like quite the decent horse, Princess,” Luna took that as a farewell and she began to walk over to Loki, “Have fun.”

As she reached Fury by the exit Luna questioned him, “Where is he?”

The Director stepped out of her way to let her into the hallway, revealing another man not far down the hallway who was wearing a blue tight uniform with white and red on it as well as wielding a large target-esque shield.

Fury’s voice remained neutral as he spoke to Luna, “Germany, a country a bit away from here. You’ll be joined by a few of our top agents, so I hope you can live up to your boast.”

The powerful Alicorn snorted, remembering how she had Loki on his heels running from her before, “I could manage it alone, so having a team will make this too easy.”

Knowing many with far worse egos, Fury let her arrogance slide as he nodded to the other man in the hallway, “Follow red, white and blue boy over there. He’s the field leader for the mission.”

Luna approached the blue suited soldier and put herself in step with him, noting that he was walking fairly quickly.

“Greetings. I hear you are to assist me in catching Loki. I am Princess Luna.”

“Assist?” the soldier questioned. He had been told he would be receiving help by a new consultant, not that he would be helping them.

Luna laughed as she looked over his muscular form, noting that while strong he did not appear anywhere close to where Loki was, “I do not mean to belittle your abilities, but I am afraid I have witnessed just how fragile you all are compared to Loki and I.”

He kept any irritation out of his voice as he responded factually, “Another Asgardian.”

“Not quite. I only am taking the form of one for convenience.”

“So you’re a shapeshifter. Can you cast magic?” having a powerful mage to counterbalance a shapeshifting mage might just come in handy, the soldier believed. It would surely make her pride worth it.

Luna nodded to him as the continued towards whatever destination they were going to, “It is my chosen specialty. I could even move your moon for you if you so please, but it appears to be doing just fine on its own.”

The soldier found himself impressed by her boast, albeit unsure how much he could believe it, “Well, I am Steve Rogers. Others around here call me Captain America, and if you can actually move the moon I have to say that this Loki character stands no chance.”

They reached a large open space with many planes stored within it, making Luna think that she would be riding on one again. Her stomach had retched on the last one she had been on, the one transporting her to this ship, and so the prospect was not one she was very keen of. In fact, she would just call it a day if not for how it would lead her to Loki. It could fly faster than her, to Luna’s chagrin, so it was a necessary evil she supposed.

As the Captain America approached one plane in particular he glanced over to Luna, who followed behind, “And, so you know, I am not the most fragile guy around here. I think I’ll hold my own.”

The two stepped up the plane’s loading ramp, it being a transport vessel rather than a dedicated fighter jet, when Luna laughed at her comrade, “This will be interesting. Would you mind distracting him for me then? If he assumes he is not under threat of facing me he likely will let his guard down to some degree. He is quite arrogant.”

Captain America sat down in the seat closest to the ship’s exit and began to strap himself in, “You would know,” Luna completely missed his meaning of that due to her own mind equating it to how she knew Loki inside and out. Another agent of Shield walked into the loading area and the Captain gestured towards the new arrival, “Agent Romanoff, this is Luna. She is going to help us catch Loki.”

Luna observed the woman. Quite beautiful from what Luna could tell, with a figure that made many of the other females Luna had run into look plain. Luna, however, believed herself to still be a step above the red haired, petite being who was nothing more than a regular mortal.

“A pleasure,” Romanoff said to Luna, giving her a fake smile. She had not been informed of a third wheel accompanying them, not that she could not adjust. Having the unknown woman join them made her feel uneasy for a reason she could not fathom.

Luna just nodded back to her with a big grin, all the while her mind still trying to determine what the two large swells of flesh on their bodies were meant for. The skintight outfit Romanoff wore really seemed to accentuate that part of her for whatever reason.

Luna shrugged as Romanoff left the back of the plane to the front so she could pilot it, deciding that she would either ask Loki about the mystery or inspect the matter further when she next got the chance to shower.

A crowd of civilians were fleeing in the night from the high society party they had been attending, terror at the forefront of their mind after they witnessed a man having his eye impaled while he was still alive in a gruesome display by a sharply dressed man with pale skin, slicked back raven hair and an oddly shaped cane.

The chaos grew worse when the murderer stepped outside now wearing a golden helmet with two large horns off of its top, his next action being to destroy a coming police car with the scepter he wielded.

Standing before the crowd of people, Loki called out to them all softly.

“Kneel before me.”

When none did, Loki cast out illusions of himself to herd the crowd together as he went to repeat himself.

“I said,” he slammed his scepter down and yelled, “Kneel!”

The crowd quieted as Loki looked them over, glad that things were going according to plan. He felt himself grin as he watched them obey, holding his arms out to them all as if they were welcoming, “Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?”

He approached them slowly, holding out his scepter towards them as he walked amongst their number, “It’s the unspoken truth of humanity that you that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”

A law of nature being that Loki’s bubble must always be popped, one sole man amongst the crowd stood up.

An elderly man spoke out to Loki, “Not to men like you.”

That felt like an insult to Loki, who considered himself quite unique and above all others, “There are no men like me.”

“There are always men like you,” the old man retorted indignantly.

Amongst the crowd, Loki pointed his scepter right to the rebelling man, “Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example.”

Loki shot a blast from his scepter, only for it to ricochet right back into him and knock him off his feet. The prince of Asgard scrambled up to see that his shot had been blocked by Captain America, whom he had been told much of by his mind controlled Shield allies.

People cleared a path between the two and Captain America approached his foe, “You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.”

Loki stood back up fully on his feet with the help of his scepter, his face smug as he spoke to the new arrival, “The soldier. A man out of time.”

“I’m not the one out of time” the Captain replied, bringing to Loki’s attention a large gunship nearby that had its weapons pointed at him.

“Loki, drop the weapon and stand down,” a woman’s voice demanded over the flying ship’s speakers

To this respond to this, Loki fired a blast from his scepter that nearly clipped the vehicle as it strafed to the side. Captain America took this time to throw his shield at Loki like a boomerang, catching Loki off guard and allowing the Captain to also punch the Asgardian while he caught his own shield.

Loki’s response to this was to strike with his scepter physically, his first strike being blocked by the Captain’s shield as well as the second, but Loki had directed his strikes so that his third would connect directly with his opponent’s body after the previous blow was blocked.

The hit sent the soldier sprawling back, but he managed to catch himself in a roll as the crowd around them all dispersed. Hurt by the strike, Captain America attempted to strike Loki at range with his shield again only for it to be batted away to the side by Loki.

Captain America followed this up with a lunge forward, throwing a jab at Loki that was deftly dodged and retaliated with a swing of the scepter by Loki. The Captain ducked under this and another swing to position himself to strike Loki, only for Loki to completely ignore the hit and swing his scepter one last time to knock Captain America sprawling again.

Loki took the moment to posture, walking over to his downed foe and placing his scepter to their head, his breath heavy because of the combat.

“Kneel.”

In one movement Captain America twisted his body around to kick Loki high on his body while also moving the scepter, “Not today.”

Loki stumbled back only a bit before regaining his footing and just grabbing his foe, whom he had much greater strength than. With his hold Loki tossed the Captain to the side like a rag-doll as the plane nearby could only watch the two combatants knock each other around.

The same plane soon found itself blasting music from its speakers, loudly announcing the arrival of a figure in red and gold armor that flew in from the sky and blasted Loki back off his feet with two bursts of energy from its palms.

The figure landed by Loki and held one palm out to the Asgardian, who looked at it warily, as the man within the red suit spoke to its opponent, “Make a move reindeer games.”

Loki tried his best not to smile as he removed his golden armor through magic and held up his hands, attempting to signal that he was surrendering.

“Good move,” the man in the red suit responded.

Captain America got up and approached his reinforcement. He spoke professionally to the man, although he did not sound overly fond of him, “Mr. Stark.”

The man in the suit, Stark, responded tersely, “Capt-”

Just as he had blasted Loki back with energy, Stark found himself being knocked back by a dark purple, green and blue energy wave by a figure who seemed to suddenly apparate in front of Loki.

Captain America looked at a ticked off Luna, who was eying Stark as he got up from the ground, “Okay, what was that?”

Loki felt the repressed smirk find its way out, genuinely glad to see her, “Hello again Luna. Miss me already?”

Luna repaid the sentiment with a spinning kick to the face that knocked him on his back.

Stark stumbled over to the group in his suit of armor and pointed past Luna to the stunned Loki and then to Luna, “Maybe I’m a little bit confused, but you sure as hell aren’t on his team, so why did you hit me?”

Luna smiled to the red armored man while responding in as cheerful a voice as she could muster, “Touch him again and I will end your life.”

“I was hitting him too,” Captain America noted, not sure why he was not being threatened.

Luna patted him on the arm and laughed, “But you were not harming him in the slightest,” her eyes narrowed on Stark once more as her voice shifted to be more serious and vengeful, “You were and can.”

Stark knocked himself on the head with one hand and laughed, “Now I think I’m getting it. Boyfriend go evil and you want to stop him?”

From the ground Loki objected, “Evil is a bit of an exaggeration-”

Luna levitated his scepter to her hand, which she then brought down on her lover’s gut forcefully, “Your speaking privileges are revoked until you help us fix this all, Loki.”

She had been quite fine watching her ally try to catch Loki, planning on swooping in and catching Loki off guard when the man wearing some kind of iron suit arrived and actually upped the ante. Luna had thought it would be quick and simple to beat Loki when he was not expecting a true challenge, and she was right. She was just brought to anger by how someone other than her had hurt her beloved.

Stark gave a whistle, impressed by the woman who was able to do magic it seemed and could also bring Loki physical pain when even Captain America could not, “Don’t think I’ve ever seen a whipped god before. Now, I’m afraid we haven’t met. Mind explaining things a bit so I can wrap my head around how this prick picked up a girl like you?”

Luna was growing tired of the introduction game, but decided to relent once more, “I am Luna, a princess from yet another land you know nothing of. I mean you and your people no harm, but Loki is mine to deal with and I will not tolerate your interference.”

“Well excuse me too, because he is invading our world. I think we have some say on how to deal with him,” Stark retorted indignantly.

“I will return him to his home, where he will stand trial for first invading my own world and then your own.”

The red and golden man nodded to her, before conceding her point, “Fair I guess. Well, we best be going. Don’t want Director Fury to live up to his name.”

Everyone present was sure that it would be one hell of a long ride home that dark night.

Author's Note

A/N: Please let me know your thoughts in the space below! The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading, and I do hoped you enjoyed.

I Don't Want Your Remedy

A/N: Special thanks to D48, Evowizard25, Drgnwolf, Cadmium, Ketvirtas and Farista Sairuv for your more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story!

I hope you enjoy and that I can hear from you after about what you think! Think of it as a holiday gift to me!

Onboard the plane that had brought her to Loki’s location, Luna sat with a scowl beside said mischief maker. He was innocently sitting there, not saying a word, but that was not what was bothering her.

The man in a full suit of red and gold armor was the issue. He had pulled his faceplate up and Luna could see his tanned face, as well as the eyes that looked first at her, then to Loki, and then back to her.

Apparently his parents had not taught him that staring was rude.

After minutes of this back and forth Stark threw his hands up in the air, “For the life of me I cannot see it.”

Both Luna and Loki rose a brow, prompting him to explain. Luna considered moving the scepter she held from pointing at Loki to pointing at Stark, but let him speak.

Stark looked at Luna while pointing at Loki, “Is he good in bed? Because the last time I checked killing innocent people isn’t hot,” that gave him a thought, his eyes looking away before looking back to Luna suspiciously, “Well, so long as you’re not a psychopath. Tell me, what was the goal in hitting me again?”

“Are your feelings hurt that a girl beat you?” Captain America joked from the other side of the flying machine’s bay.

Stark pointed a finger at the soldier, “Hey, she caught me off guard, Capsicle. At least I wasn’t on ice for a century,” he turned his attention back to Luna, “I’d like to see you try that again when I’m looking.”

The transformed Alicorn rolled her eyes at the mortal, “Like you caught Loki off guard?”

The red and gold armor lifted one hand up and pointed it at Luna, the same hand that had knocked Loki off his feet. In return, Luna finally pointed the Scepter she stole from Loki at Stark and gave him a glare that threatened him to make a move.

Captain America stood up and moved in-between the two, “Don’t. You’ll break the ship.”

Luna lowered her staff and Stark followed suit with his hand, both still glaring at eachother and neither noticing the giant grin on Loki’s face.

The mischief maker smiled at Stark, “I think it’s my personality, for the record,” Stark snorted and Loki turned to the woman beside him, “Luna, mind hitting him for me again when we get off?”

“I’m tempted,” Luna whispered in an aggravated voice.

Using the advanced systems of his armor Stark heard her clear as day, “Hey, same team remember?”

Luna pointed her staff at Stark again, “No, your team wants Loki to get the Tesseract back. My team wants Loki back in one piece. Not the same, although similar.”

Loki nodded to Luna, “I like her team better.”

The staff swiveled back to face Loki, who scowled as it scratched his face, “What did I say about talking until you call off this madness?”

This all made Stark snicker from across the plane, “Okay, from the way it looks I am going to assume that she’s the dominant one.”

“Knock it off Stark,” Captain America warned, having just been about to sit down again.

Stark turned his attention to the soldier, “Why should I, old man? She’s the one who is dating the guy we were brought in to catch. She’s not even a part of Nick Fury’s little team.”

Luna smirked smugly at Stark, “Director Fury personally brought me aboard after I helped him.”

Stark rolled his eyes, “How nice that must have been. ‘Sorry my boyfriend just murdered your agents, let me try to stop him.’ Why are you even here? We obviously have this all under control.”

“Captain, would it be permissible for Mr. Stark to have an accident on the way?” Luna asked, finding herself fed up with the shorter man.

“I am sensing a hostile work environment. Are you sensing a hostile work environment, Cap?” Stark sarcastically complained.

A loud rumble outside the plane caught the attention of all, silencing their conversation. Another rumble followed by the crash of thunder made Loki’s eyes widen, his gaze falling to the window of the ship.

Captain America chided the Asgardian, “What’s the matter? Scared of a little lightning?”

Loki looked around nervously, “I’m not overly fond of what follows.”

He could not move in time to dodge the punch to his face by Luna, whose favorite element of nature to manipulate was lightning. It could harm and scare both, particularly useful tools for her duty of protecting Equestria.

Loki looked over to her, now having a bruised cheek in addition to the already bruised part of it, “I didn’t mean you-”

His clarification was cut off by the one whom he had feared, a tall figure with silver armor, a red cape and blonde hair opened up the hatch in the back of the slow moving plane. Before anyone could even stand up the tall figure grabbed Loki by the throat and pulled him out of the plane, not saying as much as a word.

Stark put his faceplate back on, dumbstruck by what just happened, “Now there's that guy.”

“Thor,” Luna gasped, realizing who it must have been. Thor, god of thunder. The armor and cape matched what Loki had shown her through apparitions and description.

And he had taken Loki. Luna was hesitant about confronting him, knowing that if Thor took him to their home he could possibly end this matter, but also worried about how Loki’s barbaric culture would handle things.

“Is he a friendly?” Captain America asked, also unsure how to proceed.

Stark walked over to the exit Thor had opened, “Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost.”

Captain America reached a hand out to his ally, not wanting to rush into anything, “Stark, we need a plan of attack!”

Stark looked back to Captain America, “I have a plan. Attack.”

This said, he jumped out of the hoverjet and raced after Thor and leaving his allies behind.

His brashness made up Luna’s mind as well. Using her magic, Luna took her natural form and spread her wings in the suddenly small aircraft. Looking back to the stunned Captain America, Luna spoke to him.

“Loki’s brother or not, I had best make sure Loki does not escape in this coming battle. I will return with them.”

The soldier nodded to the talking horse as they leapt off the plane and gave chase to the other two, wings flapping as Luna desperately tried to catch up.

From the cockpit of the jet came the voice of Agent Romanoff, who had been observing the situation over the camera.

“I'd sit this one out, Cap.”

Captain America took a parachute from the plane’s wall and approached the edge, “I don't see how I can,” pulling the parachute on, he prepared himself to leap, “I think that old saying about pigs flying should be changed to horses now.”

Maybe Luna had not been bluffing about her abilities.

Somewhere out in the European mountains of Earth, Thor throws Loki into the side of a nearly flat mountain top and lands beside him. He raises the mighty hammer, Mjolnir, and he looks down at his brother angrily.

He had thought Loki to be dead, but to learn that he survived and was doing terrible deeds was almost worse.

“Where is the Tesseract?” Thor barked loudly at Loki, who laughed at his sibling in return.

“I missed you too,” Loki chokes out despite the pain he felt from his impact, coughing from his pain.

Thor looked at Loki menacingly, threatening him with his hammer, “Do I look to be in a gaming mood?”

Loki took it all in stride and jovially responded as he stood up, “Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth.”

Thor dropped his hammer, causing the mountain to quake. With his hands free he grabs Loki forcefully, his dear younger brother, and while extremely furious for what Loki has done Thor cannot help but care for his sibling.

Even to beings as powerful as them, family meant everything.

Thor’s voice quieted and his face softened, “I thought you dead.”

Loki’s snarkiness left him as he thought to the events surrounding his fall. He never had learned how things had been after his defeat, “Did you mourn?”

“We all did. Our father-”

Loki holds his index finger out to point at Thor’s face, “Your father,” Loki placed emphasis on the first word, his words as cold as his world of origin. Loki knocked Thor’s hands off of him and slipped by his brother, “He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?”

Having spoken to his father about why Loki tried destroying all of Jotunheim, Thor did know of Loki’s true parentage. He knew Loki was not like him, but rather the son of the late king of Jotunheim Laufey.

None of that mattered to Thor however.

As Loki continued to walk away from him Thor pleaded with Loki, chasing after him, “We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?”

Loki turned to face Thor, voice betraying the mixed emotions he felt. The resentment, anger and sadness, “I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be king!”

Thor’s quick temper rose as he responded, the entirety of his willpower keeping him from throttling Loki, “So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights. No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki.”

His brother’s sentiment only amused Loki, who found himself laughing, “And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you ideally threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?”

Now Thor was the one amused, “You think yourself above them.”

Not understanding the question, given that he was in every way superior to them, Loki responded bluntly, “Well, yes.”

Having finished approaching Loki, Thor spoke to him like a teacher, “Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. A throne would suit you ill.”

Angrily, Loki shoved his brother to the side and walked past him. Thinking to everything he had experienced not during his time in Equestria, but rather his time away from it, Loki felt indignant at how he was being scolded like a child by his ignorant brother, “I've seen worlds you've never known about!”

He walked back up to where Thor had first slammed him before turning around, “I have grown, Odinson, in my exile!” he seethed at Thor’s surname, “I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-”

Thor cut him off and approached Loki, “Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?”

Loki was at the end of his patience for his older brother and lost all control in his voice as he yelled, “I am a king!”

Similarly Thor lost his own patience and shoved Loki before grabbing him once again, “Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream!”

His voice and face softened again as his thoughts went to their family, who Loki now claimed to not be a part of, “You come home.”

Loki took a moment to compose himself and place another smirk on his face.

“I don't have it.”

Thor’s response was to summon his hammer, which flew to the Asgardian’s hand.

Loki could tell that he was getting under Thor’s skin, so he did what any rightful younger sibling would do and continued.

“You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off I know not where.”

Thor pointed the hammer at Loki threateningly, “You listen well, brother. I-”

He did not finish, for a red blur smashed into him and knocked him off the cliff. This left Loki alone to watch them both tumble down from the top of the mountain to the forest below.

Quite amused by this, Loki continued the conversation as if Thor was still there, “I'm listening.”

Loki looked down from the cliff to the woods below where a fight broke out between his two enemies, smugly grinning as they knocked each other back and forth.

Luna landing beside him in her equine form did not surprise him, nor did her transforming back into her Asgardian form. She silently watched with him, even finding herself smirking at the brilliance of the situation. This would be the perfect opportunity for Loki to pull something, if she were not to be there.

Luna actually found herself giggling, “Just let them kill one another. A pretty good plan I must say.”

Loki looked at her indigo robe out of the corner of his eye, “And here I was thinking you to be some saint who would oppose me until her dying breath.”

Her shoulders shrugged as she gave Loki a worried glance, “You forget that I have been where you are before.”

Thor’s hammer slamming down on the shield of the newly arrived Captain America sent out a shockwave across the forest, leveling a good portion of it in the nearby area.

Loki gave an impressed whistle, “A nice hit. You have made some grand friends I must say.”

Luna watched Thor get up from the shockwave and then turned to Loki with a smirk he might be proud of due to its smugness, “I look forward to speaking with your brother. Seems quite cheerful.”

“He is not my brother,” Loki responded icily.

A punch to his shoulder caught him off guard. Luna lowered her fist and rolled her eyes at him, “Oh drop it. Did you not spend the entirety of your life as if he was your true kin?” Loki kept quiet, not having a response for her, “Then what does your blood have anything to do with it?”

He narrowed his eyes as he watched the group assembled to catch him make their way up the mountain, “I do not need to hear this a second time.”

Luna took a handful of his garb and shook him lightly, “And what of your mother? Would you forsake her over blood?”

Loki caught Luna’s chiding look, “I despise your ability to read me.”

She returned his sentiment with a stuck out tongue and a laugh, “I love you too dear.”

He shook his head and looked back to the approaching group of men, “You know, if you were not here it would be quite easy to slip away. Too much effort I reckon to do it now.”

“Precisely. No matter who would have won the skirmish down there, I would be here to take you home. I didn’t care who wins between them so long as they assist me in ending your schemes.”

“You really do not know what you are getting into,” Loki muttered, not explaining what he meant by that.

Luna pulled Loki so that he was face to face with her, looking right into his blue eyes while narrowing her own set, “Well then let me. Loki, I don’t know what to make of you. One moment you are killing innocents and another you are like the man I fell for.”

Loki diverted his gaze momentarily before looking back into hers, “Luna, you may either join me or forget me. I do not care to fight you now that there is no need for it.”

Luna opened her mouth to respond when another voice chimed in, belonging to her absolute favorite individual there that she wanted to put through a wall.

“You lovebirds ready?” Stark complained, having finished the scenic route up the mountain that Captain America had suggested, the three all having been winded after the fight and none of them having been in any rush.

Thor looked to Stark and then to Loki, who had a mysterious blue robed woman grabbing on to him, “Lovebirds?”

Stark laughed at Thor’s expense to the chagrin of all there except him, “Yeah, apparently since the last time you saw your brother he went on Match.com. I didn’t even know they had a function to search for horses, but here we are.”

Thor looked over the woman more closely and found no sign of her being an equine, “I see no horse,” realizing that he was being rude, Thor held a hand out to the stranger, “Who may you be, miss?”

Luna took the hand and released Loki, smiling brightly at Thor, “I am sure we can get introductions in later. Shall we bring back our shared friend and foe?”

Luna found herself back where she was not all too long ago, sitting in the hoverjet beside Loki and across from the others which now included Thor. The trip was relatively silent until Thor gave an unsubtle cough.

“So...you two are courting?”

Luna nodded to him, a sad smile on her face as she thought back to what fun she had with the mischief maker beside her, “Yes. Or at least we were until this debacle.”

The blonde haired man nodded to Luna, looked to Loki who was staring off into space, and then back to Luna, “I am Thor Odinson, but I assume you already know that. Loki is fond of storytelling last I checked.”

That surely brought a smile to Luna’s face without a trace of sadness, “Quite. It’s how we bonded,” “I am Luna.”

“Nothing too slanderous I hope,” Thor commented, knowing Loki’s tendency to say humiliating things about him. Not that they were not true.

Luna laughed as she tugged on her robes, “How was it wearing a wedding dress?”

Thor looked at his brother with a glint in his eye as he relived the memory, “Not as fun as it was beating Loki into the dirt for not just casting an illusion on me like he could have.”

Loki rolled his eyes before staring back at the floor, “It wouldn’t have been as fun.”

Beside Thor the red armored man opened his big mouth again, “So you did wear your mother’s drapes?”

Luna felt that she was missing some context, but decided to go with it anyways.

Luna held a hand out towards the loudmouth and smiled at Thor cheerfully, “This is mister Stark. I dislike him quite much.”

Thor nodded, “I can understand the sentiment.”

Before Stark could comment Captain America pointed a finger at him, warning him about starting another argument. They both began to argue with one another about that very issue as Thor and Loki continued their own conversation.

“So, what realm do you hail from?” Thor questioned the shapeshifting mare, a grin on his face. The idea that Loki had fostered some kind of relationship with this woman made him hopeful for his brother, as he apparently still had the soft spoken and caring Loki within him if he had wooed her.

That, and Thor thought maybe having a lover to keep him in check might be the best thing ever to happen to Asgard.

Luna nudged Loki, “I come from a land named Equestria, where Loki has been staying these past months. I live there with my sister, Celestia, and together we rule over the land.”

Thor was quite impressed by this revelation, nodding his head as he tried to understand the implications of what she said. His face had as large a grin as it could manage when he finally spoke, “So if I were to have nephews and nieces they would be heir to Asgard, Jotunheim and your land,” he chuckled as both Luna and Loki grew flustered, “And I thought I was privileged.”

“Thor?” Loki asked innocently.

“Yes brother?” Thor responded hopefully.

“Shut up.”

Loki’s hushing the topic made Luna suspicious, and she leant over to glare at him closely, “What, do you not want children?”

Loki massaged his head where he was sure a migraine was about to grow, “I do not particularly care to discuss the subject in front of my enemies and my brother, no.”

“You did not answer the question,” Luna chided, finding herself quickly forgetting why they were all on this plane and focused on how she needed to have a certain talk with her lover about their future.

Stark, being himself, decided to butt in, “She’s right you know.”

Luna pointed a finger at him again, “You stay out of this.”

Thor was still smiling like a festival had been thrown in his honor, enjoying what he had learned of his sister-in-law to be,“I cannot wait for mother to hear the news.”

Praying that their trip be short and that he be placed in a solitary cell was Loki, who grumbled, “You all are insufferable.”

Author's Note

Please join in the holiday spirit and let me know your thoughts in the space below! A holiday present to me of sorts, since I'm updating on Christmas of all days. The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading, happy holidays, and I do hoped you enjoyed.

Is This What You Wanted?

A/N: Special thanks to Evowizard25, D48, Cadmium, Drgnwolf, JaceArveduin, Ketvirtas, and Farista Sairuv for our more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story!

I hope you enjoy and that I can hear from you after about what you think! Think of it as a holiday gift to me! Happy almost New Year everyone.

As soon as they returned to the flying ship that Shield called its home Loki was torn away from her by armed guards and the scepter was torn from her hands. Luna moved to protest their forcefulness when Coulson stepped in her way, having waited at the landing pad to greet them.

“Where are they taking him?” Luna asked him as the other people she had been riding with dispersed into the hangar.

Coulson nodded over to the soldiers and Loki, “To the cell we have for him. I am supposed to bring you there too.”

Luna gave him a sad smile as she turned to follow them, “To chat with him and see what he knows.”

“Precisely. I convinced Director Fury to let you get first dibs on him. You’ll miss the meeting we have about Loki though,” Coulson responded with his ever apparent smile.

With a glance over at Stark, Luna laughed, “Thank you. I only wish Stark could be so accommodating.”

Phil Coulson knew the feeling quite well from his own experience with the man, but also knew that there was a heart of gold beneath the first few layers of jerk, “He is not so bad when you get used to him,” Coulson chuckled, “Takes awhile though.”

Luna did not doubt him, noticing that Stark was currently arguing with Captain America across the hangar, “You can say that again.”

The rest of their walk was silent until they reached the detention center where Loki would be kept, at which point they stood outside the room to let the soldiers do their thing. After minutes of silence the soldiers left, along with Director Fury who must have been inside waiting, which meant that Loki was secure.

Coulson turned to Luna to part ways, “So, here you are. If you could find out anything useful, or somehow convince him to stop this, it would be most appreciated.”

Luna nodded to him before entering, her mind thinking about what to say. Of what she wanted to say.

The room was quite open except for a circular and completely sealed cell in the middle. A catwalk around the edge of the room extended to the middle where the cell lay, and from a look at the floor it appeared as if the cell was made to be dropped.

Loki scoffed as Luna approached him, but she cut him off as she walked across the room, “The others are having a meeting to discuss you. It seems though that director Fury thought it might be a good idea if I could sweet talk you in the meantime.”

Loki gave her a smug, condescending look, “How nice of him. And so long after he threatened to have me killed if I so much as try to escape my containment cell.”

Luna looked to the floor that was quite similar in design to some of the trap floors she had designed in her ancient castle so many years ago, “Why does this ship have this particular creation anyways?”

That gave him a laugh, “For the one known as Doctor Banner. The Hulk, as he is called by the other Midgardians. If he were to unleash his power he could level this entire ship with almost nothing those inside could do to stop him.”

She took the opportunity to turn the table on him, “So they trust him being outside his cell so that you can be in it instead. Good to know they trust you so much.”

Loki fell quiet and so she narrowed her eyes while continuing, “Now, they expect me to extract whatever I can from you, but we both know that won’t be happening. Instead I will just warn you that you had best tread lightly, for my patience is running thin Loki. They can find your Tesseract with or without you I am sure, and your plan will be foiled at which point you are going home. To Asgard, where I will make sure you will be tried for your crimes.”

She turned to leave before ending with a smarmy tone.

“I will visit you later. Have fun in your cell, dear.”

Loki felt his shoulders sag as the door closed and he was left alone.

Luna had hoped that everyone would be on the bridge of the ship where Director Fury worked, but found that when she arrived there was no sight of Thor, Captain America, Stark, or Doctor Banner.

“You just missed everyone.”

Luna turned to see the red haired woman that flew the plane she had been on earlier, Agent Romanoff.

Not as tense as the many soldiers and agents on the ship, Luna just shrugged. They were worried about their world ending, and while she did not particularly want that to happen Luna was not exactly fearful for them. They had Loki after all, “It is no matter. I suppose I will just wander.”

Luna turned to leave the boring bridge, but the red maned agent caught her arm gently, “Hey, mind if I talk to you before you do that?”

The princess turned back to face her, “Of course not. Has your Director asked you to find out everything I know? Learn more about me?”

Luna found it hard to read the face of Romanoff as the woman spoke, realizing that she was dealing with a professional actress of emotions, “We are all just a bit apprehensive about your relationship with the prisoner. You have proven helpful so far, but given the nature of your-”

Luna lifted a finger to silence her, her own face turning to a grin, “No need to worry about me doing anything crazy. I only wish to see justice brought to Loki and whomever is pulling his strings.”

The agent nodded, “That’s good to hear,” lowering her voice and glancing around the room, she added, “I have to say I did enjoy seeing you take Stark down a notch in Germany.”

“I am not the most fond of attention seekers. I grew up with one. I have had my share,” Luna joked, only to realize that she could understand one emotion on the face of her current ally.

The woman was distraught over something. Something Luna could sympathize with quite well.

Luna shifted her lifted hand so that it was resting on the significantly shorter woman’s shoulder, trying to comfort her physically, “You seem to be distressed. Is something the matter?”

Romanoff’s gaze fell to the side, “One of the agents Loki has taken control over...he happened to be someone I have worked with in the past,” her eyes returned to Luna, her face impassive while she spoke, “Agent Barton. I owe him quite a bit for what he has done for me.”

That would do it. Luna once again could sympathize with the younger being, “And now he is fighting against you and harming your allies.”

The agent pursed her lips, “Do you happen to know anything about the way the scepter works?”

Luna drew her hand back and swung it through the air while a chipper smile found its way on her face, “Knock him out and you’ll get him back. The control is lost when they fall unconscious, so a punch to the face ought to do the trick.”

That rose her partner’s brow, “Really? That simple?”

“From what I have observed and what Loki has said, yes,” Luna lowered her hand so that it once again rested on the other woman’s shoulder, “Now, as I know the pain of having a loved one being forced to oppose you, I will make you a promise. Anything I can do within my power to bring back Agent Barton I will.”

Romanoff smiled back at Luna, “Thank you, that is really kind of you,” reaching into a pocket, the agent retrieved a small photo, “Here’s a picture, in case you run into him.”

Luna received the picture and looked it over. A pale skinned man with short cropped hair was not uncommon amongst the ship’s crew, but this one in particular was familiar to Luna. He was one of the first she had seen after all.

Luna sighed as she handed it back, “I have encountered him before. He was the one who shot your director when I first arrived with one of those gun things you all carry around.”

Romanoff fell silent at that, giving time for an idea to come to Luna’s mind, “Thinking about it more, would it be too much to ask for us to render Loki unconscious? I would care to test my theory.”

The Agent gave a small shrug, “I suppose, but Director Fury would rather not open his cell. Keep him contained for the time being given his potential.”

Luna cursed her own lack of planning on the matter, “I should have thought of this on the way here. Oh well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what happens while Doctor Banner searches for the Tesseract.”

Romanoff nodded and tilted her head towards the door, “Agreed. It has been good talking with you, and I wouldn’t want to keep you from your roaming.”

Luna nodded back as the Agent began to depart, “Likewise.”

Seeing as how she still had no idea how almost anything worked on the ship and that she was quite curious about it all, Luna decided to first look about on the bridge. Surely something would catch her eye.

All of the monitors on what she had learned were called computers showed random symbols and things Luna had no comprehension of to her dismay, especially since she did not wish to interrupt their work to ask them.

One screen of one worker, however, differed from all the others. A man who was actually smiling at his seat rather than keeping an uptight and serious face, his screen showed a figure moving back and forth on the bottom of the screen. At the top there were more figures, which were firing beams of some kind down at the bottom figure which was returning fire.

A game.

Luna tapped him on the shoulder, intent on learning more of this. She had become quite interested in games since the end of her banishment, “What is this thing you are doing?”

He hit a key on the board before him and the screen shifted to look like everyone else’s, “Uh, nothing. Just working.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at him, desiring to play this game of his whether he liked it or not, “I don’t care for liars.”

He hit the same key again and the screen shifted back. Looking around suspiciously, he whispered to her, “Well, this is a video game named Galaga. Just don’t tell anyone.”

“Show me more.”

Some time later, Luna had managed to get the bridge worker to set up a computer in her personal quarters with a copy of this ‘Galaga’ so that she could kill time. All it took was blackmail concerning his work activities or rather their lack thereof.

Working tirelessly at getting past the first few levels without losing at the old arcade game, Luna almost did not hear the knock at her door. She shut down her guilty pleasure that was helping her hand-eye coordination and went to the door.

Upon opening it, she was not at all surprised to see who it was. Thor stood there in his armor, a semi-nervous expression on his face.

Luna spoke first, waving him into the room, “I was expecting a visit from you.”

Thor bowed to her as she sat down on the cot the room provided, “I apologize if I am intruding. I only wish to get to know my brother’s lover more.”

Luna gestured to the chair in front of her computer, “Make yourself comfortable.”

He graciously took the seat and turned it to face her bad, giving Luna the chance to speak again, “Loki has spoken much of you. You seem much more mild mannered than he mentioned.”

Thor gave a sad smile at that, wanting to laugh at her words but his feelings of regret outweighing that, “I have tempered myself much in this past year. I am not the same person my brother remembers, just as I am not sure if he is the same brother I remember.”

Seeing his face made Luna attempt to comfort him as she had Romanoff earlier, “The Loki we both care for is in there, do not worry. We just need to bring him back to the surface from whomever is controlling him.”

Her words captured his attention, “So you too can see the influence of someone greater? I was thinking myself alone in that.”

Luna scowled as she thought back to a precursor to this whole mess that she had ignored, “I once heard Loki being threatened by a dark figure while he stayed in my realm. If his mind is even still in control of itself, there is something still pulling his strings.”

Tho clenched his fists angrily, doing his best not to slam them down on the table beside him so as to not break it, “After this conflict has ended and I have restored balance to the Nine Realms I will find this figure you speak of and punish them for what they have caused. Until they are found, my brother remains the face of this coming war.”

Luna found that she still was not exactly in the loop, so she pressed Thor on the matter, “So what exactly is Loki doing?”

“He intends to use the power of the Tesseract to summon an army named the Chitauri that will conquer Earth, at which point he will lord over it.”

His words only confirmed Luna’s goals, “I would most appreciate joining you on that quest you spoke of. I am very intolerant of those who would harm my loved ones, not to mention cause needless strife.”

“Then you and I have common ground,” Thor grinned before letting out a hearty laugh, “I have a feeling Mother would approve of you, and father would have to be mad to not. A powerful sorceress princess who can keep Loki in check is almost too good to be true.”

Luna gave an impolite yawn to demonstrate how much she cared, “Whether they approve or not will not change my relationship with Loki one way or the other.”

Thor agreed with her fully as he closed his eyes sadly, “I am very much the same in my feelings towards how they view my human love, Jane. Father disapproves on the grounds that she is but a moment in our lifetimes, but that does not stop my heart.”

Luna could hear the hurt in his voice, and she realized that he must be suffering from an alternate path than what she and Celestia had taken. Vowing to not be with mortals was actually easy for Luna, but for a less antisocial being she could see how such a thing might not be that easy.

“I am sorry to hear that. The heart, for all the joy it can bring, seems almost more fit to cause pain and sorrow,” another thought crossed her mind, given that they were talking about parental approval, “I suppose I will never know what mother would think of Loki. Something tells me she wouldn’t be too happy with how he wrecked everything back home.”

Thor grimly frowned, “Loki has brought your realm to its knees as well. How many has he slain there?”

To his surprise, Luna formed a zero with her fingers that she was beginning to grow attached to, and not in the physical sense, “Not a soul. I actually was the one to spill blood by harming and killing his troops. Changelings.”

That word was a familiar one to the well traveled Thor, not that he had ever encountered the same variety, “A shapeshifter leading shapeshifters. Fitting.”

Luna was glad that he at least knew what she was talking about, but a strange feeling came over her as she thought about the issue though. Things back home could have been so much easier if Loki had done things differently, and given that he was quite the planner Luna could only speculate as to why he didn’t do things right.

“Something felt wrong about it to be honest. Their true leader was supposedly his partner, also knowing something about who manipulates Loki, but your brother turned on her and attempted to kill her the first chance he got. His also keeping every single prisoner he had alive was a surprise.”

Thor frowned, “Yet Loki fights for real here. I think I can tell why.”

Luna rose her eyebrow and let him continue, “He had no quarrel with your world, but the figure forcing his hand in this conflict made him lead a similar invasion to this in your world where he resided. Loki, ever the trickster, likely set it up to fail from the start after first making it seem like it would work.”

That put things in perspective for Luna, who began to make sense of what had happened, “So that is why he did not begin the invasion while my sister and I were gone...he knew he needed one of us to first win the fight, and then have the other defeat them. He really does like to gamble with his plans.”

Thor agreed with her, “All the more reason I find it unsettling he was captured so easily. The soldier in blue tights, Stevens, was no threat to him it sounds and the one they are calling Iron Man, Stark, could not likely capture Loki even with Steven’s assistance.”

Luna frowned as she remembered the fight with Loki, “I was there, but Loki did not know that until after he surrendered.”

“Precisely. Did Loki wish to be captured?”

That made Luna’s stomach churn. What could Loki possibly be plotting if he was captured? He could not teleport through physical objects like she could, so he could not escape his cell provided it was tough enough, but what then?

Whatever it could be, it was not anything good which made Luna all the more nervous, but she tried to remain optimistic, “If he is deliberately sabotaging his own invasion, then it would not be farfetched.”

Thor sighed as he glanced at the door, “I think he means to succeed in this one. Loki has not forgiven me for what has happened between us, so he would take the world I protect to spite me.”

“I will pay him another visit later. These past days have been quite enervating and I think it is time to rest.”

Thor stood up and headed to the door, “Have a good rest, Princess.”

After Thor left and she locked the door, Luna wanted to go about her nightly rituals, but found that she could not in the unfamiliar room.

The computer in the corner of the room was tempting though. Luna glanced to the bed, then back to the computer, and found herself torn.

One more game before resting could not hurt, right?

Upon waking the next day, Luna found her need to wander again stifled by her desire to eat. She had not inquired about the matter of food since she arrived, and now found her stomach rumbling.

It was for this reason that she went wandering for food, hoping to run into someone she knew so that she could inquire about the matter. Not long after resolving herself to this did she remember that Doctor Banner would likely be in his lab room, so Luna headed that way.

As she drew closer, Luna’s stomach continued to pang until her nose caught a whiff of something delicious just as she reached the outside of the room. Aggravated voices inside ignored, Luna entered the room and instantly found her eyes drawn to two things: the Scepter across the room and the bag of blueberries held by Stark, who was arguing with the Director Fury, Doctor Banner, Thor, Agent Romanoff, and Captain America about something.

The others glanced briefly to her as she levitated the bag from Stark to herself in a flash, stuffing a hand inside the floating bag so she could retrieve the delicious food inside.

“Why is everyone arguing?” Luna chimed in through a half-full mouth.

Stark, miffed by having his food stolen, frowned at her as he spoke, “Director Fury here was using the Tesseract to make weapons of mass destruction,” he turned to the others and continued the conversation while putting an arm around Banner, “And, back to this guy, why shouldn't he let off a little steam?”

Captain America approached Stark and shoved him away from banner, “You know damn well why! Back off!”

Luna watched with interest as Stark took a step forward to confront the Captain face-to-face, “Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me.”

Luna was hoping the Captain might squash him, viewing the display as an interesting movie of sorts, as the man responded with a cutting question, “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

Stark responded in a matter-of-fact tone, “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”

The Captain was having none of that, “I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”

Again, Stark gave a snarky comeback, “I think I would just cut the wire.”

“Always a way out…” Captain America gave him a disapproving smile, “You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.”

That did it for Stark, who responded angrily to Luna’s delight.

“A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!”

Steve puffed up his chest at Tony who just stood there unmoving. Luna looked around the room to see that, like herself, none of the others seemed to want to intervene. Let the two men let out their steam.

After a moment of silence the Captain spoke threateningly, “Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds.”

The situation amused Thor, who laughed at the two, “You people are so petty... and tiny.”

“Yeah, this is a team…” Doctor Banner muttered, not really pleased with how things were going. Luna finished off the bag of delicious food and tossed it back at Stark, who grunted as it collided with his head but doing nothing else because of his standoff with Captain America.

Director Fury decided that a high stress environment might not be the best place for someone with dangerous anger management, so he decided to remove Banner from the situation, “Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr.Banner back to his-”

Banner cut him off, his tone agitated to the point that Luna actually became worried, “Where? You rented my room.”

The Director tried to diffuse the escalating situation, “The cell was just in case-”

Luna glared at the cyclops as she thought about the room they were speaking of, “You needed to kill him. A room that would let you drop and kill him in case he got big and green. But my lover is in there instead, as he should be, so I suppose that leaves Banner to be amongst the general population.”

The room’s attention turned back to Banner, who was growing increasingly mad as the conversation continued. He looked around at them all and frowned, “You all wanna know my secret? You wanna know how I stay calm?”

Romanoff and Fury lowered their hands to their guns, knowing that anything more might send the Doctor over the edge. Furthermore, what Doctor Banner held in his hands worried them almost as much as his other form.

Captain America was the one to speak, ending his standoff with Stark to confront Banner, “Doctor Banner...put down the scepter.”

Banner looked down to see that he was holding Loki’s scepter, which he had not grabbed knowingly. He was confused about this and about to apologize when a computer in the room beeped and grabbed everyone’s attention.

Stark observed the computer, “Got it.”

Banner put down the scepter and walked over to the computer, “Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my little party trick after all.”

Thor, having even less knowledge of computers than Luna now, questioned what was happening, “Have you located the Tesseract?”

Stark nodded, “Yeah, just like our lady in the blue dress there found my blueberries. Thanks for eating my breakfast by the way, when I drop dead from hunger later we can all blame you.”

Luna rolled her eyes, “Oh please, as if a man as rich as you claim to be cannot afford more,” she smirked, “Although I would be most interested in that last part.”

Stark pointed a finger at her but Captain America cut him off in an attempt to stop the tide of rising emotions, “Look, all of us-”

Stark turned to leave, but Steve stopped him in his tracks, “You're not going alone!”

“You gonna stop me?” Stark questioned in an obvious attempt to provoke his supposed ally.

Rogers was fed up enough to willingly take the bait, “Put on the suit, let's find out.”

“I'm not afraid to hit an old man.”

Luna did not understand the comment, likening it to the one earlier about the Captain being frozen for a hundred years, and decided to question the idea later. However, she did wish to put the mortals in their place for acting like they were so tough.

“May I face whomever wins? I would most enjoy crushing that tin armor Stark wears.”

Captain America didn’t even turn to her, more intent on glaring at the shorter man in front of him, “This is between us,” he scowled at Stark, “Put on the suit.”

At that moment Banner who was looking at the computer monitor noticed something that shocked him, “Oh, my God!”

The ship shakes violently and the room does as well. Everyone was thrown in every direction, with Luna tumbling back out into the hallway while Steve, Fury, Thor and Stark are thrown across the room while Natasha and Banner are tossed down into the lower equipment room from the lab.

Steve looks to Stark from where he was tossed.

“Put on the suit!”

Now having another reason to get suited up, he responds worriedly, “Yep!”

Steve helped Tony up and out of the lab as Luna managed to pull herself to her feet and stumble back in. She helped Fury sit up, the man clutching his ribs as he put on his earpiece.

He began to bark orders out to someone, who Luna did not know, but she looked around the room to try and find Banner and Romanoff. A glance to a hole in the room revealed where they had gone, but she had no time to check on them.

Something was happening, and Luna would be damned if Loki was not the cause of it.

The Director continued to yell orders, “Coulson! Initiate official lockdown in the detention section then get to the armory! Move out!”

He turned to Luna, “I need you to go secure your boyfriend. Get going, and take out any soldiers who don’t look like ours on the way! Coulson will be there to support you later. We’re being boarded by an unknown force and they are working on destroying the things keeping us up here in the sky.”

Luna nodded to him before twisting around and dashing out the door, her thoughts all focused on Loki.

She was not about to let someone just take him away now. Not when they had found the Tesseract and were about to finish this whole mess.

Author's Note

Please join in the holiday spirit and let me know your thoughts in the space below! The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading, happy holidays, and I do hoped you enjoyed.

What Have You Become?

A/N: Special thanks to D48, Evowizard25, Drgnwolf, Ketvirtas, Cadmium, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Mutie Genic, Farista Sairuv and Kyle Guardian of Harmony for our more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story!

I hope you enjoy and that I can hear from you after about what you think! Think of it as a holiday gift to me! Happy New Year everyone.

Luna had half a mind to teleport directly to Loki’s cell before another thought crossed her mind. In her fights with him the only edge he had had on her were his tricks and the scepter he held, one of which was in the nearby vicinity.

Before Director Fury could even react to her stealing the alien artifact that they had taken from her upon arrival, Luna had vanished from sight.

The ship tilted and shook again just as Luna appeared in the detainment room with Loki, tossing her off balance and into the console in front of his cell. Luna made sure not to press any of the various instruments on it, not wanting to free him, before righting herself and glaring at the still occupied cell where Loki was barely withholding his amusement.

Luna straightened out her dress and used the scepter as a crutch to keep herself up as the ship shook again, “Good. You are still here.”

Loki smiled at her facetiously, “Of course I am. Has something happened?”

Not in the mood to deal with his bad behavior, Luna pointed his own scepter at him threateningly with warning eyes, “You know full well the ship is under attack. Now I will just stay here in case one of your minions tries to free you.”

He glanced her over, perhaps a second longer than he would anyone else, before stating, “I think you might have a hard time doing that.”

Luna took a step back from the console, keeping her aim at Loki, “What do you have up your sleeve, Loki?”

The far door that Coulson had once brought Luna to in order to let her see Loki was blasted across the room, landing in a burnt mess from where an explosive charge left it. Luna whipped herself around to look at the disturbance as Loki narrated, “I originally intended to have a smaller crew infiltrate this Helicarrier, but when I remembered you would be here and be in my way I decided to double the amount.”

A dozen and a half men rushed through the now open doorway and waved their guns towards Luna, none firing but all preparing to do just that. Luna pointed the golden scepter at them to threaten them back, but her stomach dropped as she thought about how she had no idea how powerful the weapons she was facing were. They could not scratch Loki, but any good old blade could wound a pony. And these were much more sophisticated weapons than just blades.

Loki took a seat in his cell to prepare and watch the show, “Half to destroy the ship, half to free me. Have fun.”

Not about to let them get the first move, Luna leapt into the air of the very open room, intending to close her distance to the soldiers as their weapons were ranged to her knowledge. There was no way they could overpower her in close combat, even if they likely had more combat training in their humanoid forms.

They opened fire as she leapt, the muzzles of their weapons flashing as bullets poured forth. Luna’s speed was considerable in her leap, so the majority of the shots missed, but the weapons were designed for rapid fire and as such some stray shots still collided with Luna.

Luna’s eyes snapped shut as she felt one bullet scrape past her thigh, three collide with her shoulder and upper right arm, and another catch her in the gut. Not as painful as being struck by the full power of Celestia, but the humans and their weapons managed to make Luna bleed.

While airborne Luna let out the power of the scepter, a blue pulse shooting forth from it and colliding with two of the soldiers. Its unrestrained power sent them hurtling back through their crowd, knocking another three over as the others all scrambled to avoid Luna as she landed on top of the fallen pile.

Upon closer inspection, the soldiers' eyes were not blue. They were doing this out of their own free will and choice, and as such any sympathy Luna might have had for these men dropped to a negative level.

Quickly jumping forward, Luna avoided the gunfire of one soldier which then hit one of his still standing comrades in the back. Ignoring this, Luna impaled the scepter into another soldier, only to twist it and him with her strength around to slam into another soldier.

One unlucky soul attempted to knife the sister of night from behind, and he was unlucky because he succeeded. Luna growled as she felt more of her blood trickle down her blue dress, turning around and elbowing the offender in the face with enough force to cave in the cheek and other parts of his lower face. He was thrown back with such force that when he hit a wall he left a dent, falling forward off of this with no signs of ever getting back up.

Noticing that some of the soldiers in the pile were about to rise, Luna released a blast of her own energy at them with enough power that she was sure they would not be rejoining the skirmish.

The nine remaining soldiers turned their weapons on her and fired, one more being taken out by friendly fire as the remaining bullets all bombarded Luna. The princess felt herself stumble back as some of the shots managed to tear into her flesh, one even tearing off skin off her cheek.

Their shots did not cease, however, and the professional soldiers poured the entirety of their ammo clips into the physical goddess whom they had been warned about. Luna was forced back even more until she tripped over one fallen foe, crashing on to the ground without struggling anymore.

The soldiers approached their target cautiously, believing her to be dead until a laugh brought them all to attention again.

Luna sat up from her fallen position as more bullet fire was poured into her, ignoring the new pain as she wiped blood from her lips, “It’s been awhile since I’ve been that hurt, at least physically,” her eyes shot to Loki, who was actually surprised his soldiers had proven so useful in taking her down so far.

So far.

The bullets stopped connecting with flesh, instead whizzing uselessly through the air and ricocheting off the metal walls as Luna completely vanished in a black cloud. The soldiers looked worriedly around for the missing target.

One was so unlucky to find her, as a scepter found its way through his gut. He gurgled something intelligible as his allies turned and fired at him and his killer, only for their shots to end his pain as Luna had once again vanished.

Her voice did not disappear however, rumbling out from the very shadows of the room, “Congratulations on making me try. Your reward for this matter is death, unless you surrender.”

No soldiers made a move to signal a white flag, so one of them dropped dead without his head the next moment.

“You think I jest. You would come here and harm my allies, kill us all, and release Loki so that his maniacal plan can be unleashed?” her voice chuckled from the shadows, “I do not care for you at all.”

Loki narrowed his eyes as he watched another soldier be torn apart from a precision strike from Luna, and another. Her fighting was brutal and unforgiving, not unlike what he witnessed of Jotunheim’s warriors, but they were barbaric. They were evil.

Given her different physical form than when she transformed prior, this one having greater height to the point she even stood taller than him or Thor, Loki presumed that her change to Nightmare Moon was not restrained to her equine form. And in her hand she held the scepter, which he knew of course amplified the very nicest and kindest emotions to be found in a wielder...

A blood curdling scream drew Loki’s attentions to what Luna was specifically doing, and he found himself surprised to see her grab a soldier, disappear, and then reappear high in the air only to let go of the man. The other soldiers just let him fall, too scared for their own lives to move to help, but he did not impact the ground right away. First he was skewered on the scepter through gravity, only to then be tossed with disgust to the ground by Luna who vanished as bullets flew by where she had been.

Luna’s continuing assassinations of his soldiers drew her attention away from one wounded man who crawled over to Loki’s cell console. Luna noticed just as she finished killing the last of his standing men what was about to happen and so she teleported right over to there as another figure rushed into the room.

Loki’s soldier released the lock on the cell just as a bladed scepter was thrust through his gut. He fell lifelessly to the ground as the cell door opened and Loki grinned.

“Oh look at that.”

“No!” a hammy voice yelled from behind Luna.

The new person in the room was Thor, who dashed to Loki’s cell and prepared to tackle his wayward brother back into containment if he needed to. Seeing Thor’s charge, Luna too rushed to where Loki braced himself, the doorway of the cell, with Thor by her side.

They both tumbled right through Loki, his illusion dissipating as his real self sealed the cell made to contain doctor Banner.

He smugly grinned at the two of them as they turned and rose from the floor of the cell, “Will you two ever not fall for that?”

Thor pounded his hammer angrily at the side of the cell to almost no effect, Luna instead just having her mouth and eyes widen as she watched Loki’s hand on the control panel.

The room was designed to drop the cell if need be to kill the dangerous prisoner held inside.

Loki looked to the control panel and then to Thor, “The humans think us immortal. Should we test that, brother?”

Luna growled as she pointed his own scepter at him despite the durable cell in between them, “Don’t. You. Dare, Loki.”

Noticing that she still held the scepter, Loki pointed to the ground beside him, “You can teleport. Come out and make me.”

She furiously obliged, teleporting from the cell to where Loki stood so that she could smash that smug look off his face with his own weapon.

What happened instead was the scepter swinging right through Loki, who once again had substituted himself with an illusion, and who now stood to the side where he deftly swiped the scepter from Luna. Unable to react in time, Luna could not dodge the blast from the scepter that slammed her into the wall, nor could she then avoid in her dazed state the torrent of ice Loki shot towards her. The ice molded her to the wall, leaving her face free while preventing the rest of her from moving.

Loki sighed and shook his head as Luna instantly began to thrash about to no effect, “Stay put.”

A thud across the room took everyone’s attention away from that, however. One of Loki’s guards had managed to get back up after the massacre Luna enacted, only to be knocked down by the butt of a very, very large gun.

The wielder of this gun, Agent Coulson, pointed it towards Loki. His voice remained as polite as ever as he ordered, “Move away, please.”

Loki warily looked at the human, unsure as to why such an ant could possibly think they could fight him. It took an entire team of elite soldiers to just nick Luna here and there, and Loki was from a race by far more durable than Luna’s.

So did this human desire to die?

Coulson waved the large gun in his hands a little, “You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer after Thor. Even I don't know what it does,” the front of the gun glowed orange as Phil powered it up, “Do you wanna find out?”

The gun quickly dropped from pointing at Loki to pointing at the floor as a silver blade erupted through Coulson’s chest, the man in a suit crumbling onto the floor and the nearby wall as Loki reappeared behind him.

Luna stopped all attempts to get free as she watched a human she considered a friend fall to Loki, Thor screaming from within the cell as he watched the display. Neither could move to do anything about it, and neither could believe what they had just seen.

Loki’s fake self by the control panel faded as he approached it once again. He amusedly pointed to his scepter, which held the blood of many humans on it now, before lowering a hand to the panel. Thor’s eyes widened as Loki activated it, the floor in the center of the room disappearing as the cell dropped from the ship and entered free fall.

Luna felt a tear run down her face as Loki approached her. He knelt down to where she lay frozen to the wall and floor, and surprisingly held a finger out to her blood and tear stained cheek.

Before Loki could say anything, Coulson’s voice rang out from across the room, “You’re going to lose.”

Loki, prideful as ever, turned from Luna to Coulson and stood up to his full height, “Am I?”

“It’s in your nature,” Coulson replied, politely insulting the same man who had just brutally impaled him. Luna was just glad to hear his voice, as it meant the strike had not slain him at least just yet, and she craned her head as best she could in her position to see him.

Loki took a step towards the wounded agent, “Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky...where is my disadvantage?”

Heroes scattered? Luna was curious as to what he meant by that, but she knew he at least meant Thor. Who else could be missing?

Phil’s response was another insult, “You lack conviction.”

The Asgardian prince was not fond of being insulted by any, nonetheless those he considered beneath himself, so he missed something glowing orange as he angrily retorted, “I don’t think I-”

The large gun Coulson still held onto discharged a blast comparable to something even an Alicorn might throw out, impressing Luna as said blast collided with Loki and sent him crashing through the wall and into another room. He had been too wrapped up in their conversation and too overconfident to avoid it or have an illusion up, and he paid the price.

The ice on Luna cracked and began to melt to her joy, it’s existence being tied to Loki’s power. With him stunned in another room, it weakened enough for the wounded princess to force herself free. She conjured up what magic she could to blast off the rest of it, flopping to the floor weakly as a chill ran down her spine.

From across the room Coulson cheekily spoke to himself, “So that’s what it does.”

“H-hold on,” Luna gasped as she tried to crawl, too weak to pull herself to her feet after the damage she sustained in the past few minutes. She was too weak to heal all of her own wounds just yet, and what power she did have needed to go towards healing her wounded ally and friend.

Loki may have possibly just slain Thor, but she would not let him take two she cared about from her.

Coulson could see her current state, and he could tell her attempt to get to him was futile as she dragged her bleeding self across the floor slowly, “Save your energy. They’re going to need you.”

“Coulson!” a new voice yelled out, which Luna weakly recognized as belonging to Director Fury.

Sure enough, the one eyed leader of Shield had rushed over to Coulson and knelt down beside him.

Coulson apologized to his leader as blood trickled down his own face, “Sorry boss. I couldn’t stop him…”

“Just stay awake. Eyes on me!” Fury ordered his agent, the dark skinned man apparently having none of this mortally wounded business.

Phil, however, was more realistic about his situation, “No. I’m clocked out here.”

Fury still refused to just accept that one of his most trusted agents, quite possibly even a friend, was dying in front of him, “Not an option.”

“It's okay, boss. This was never going to work... if they didn't have something... to…”

His words never finished, leaving the two others in the room to mourn in the silence left by the now deceased Phil Coulson.

“Agent Coulson is down,” Fury announced over his communicator solemnly.

Luna slammed a fist onto the floor. Mind control or not, she was going to hurt Loki for this.

Only Captain America, Stark and Luna were able to drag themselves to the meeting Fury called later after the crisis had ended. Stark and Rogers had stopped the Helicarrier from falling to its demise as well as that of its crew, but Loki had escaped. Thor had been dropped to his supposed death by his own brother. Luna had no idea about Banner, Romanoff or anyone else, but Coulson was dead.

She was finishing healing off the various wounds she had sustained when Fury spoke to them all in the meeting room.

He pulled out a handful of cards, “These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them.”

Fury threw the cards towards Captain America, the set soaked in thick, sticky blood that those who sat around the table could plainly see had dripped from Coulson. The Captain picked them up and looked at their stained state sorrowfully.

Luna looked down at the ground at their sight, beyond furious at herself for her inability to prevent the event and distraught over how she had lost a friend. Someone had genuinely been kind to her and offered her support when she needed it, and now they lay dead and she could not even lift a finger to stop it because of Loki’s trickery.

The cards...Luna assumed they were some form of fan cards pertaining to Captain America, who she was beginning to notice seemed to be an inspirational figure. Phil must have been a fan of his and wanted his hero to sign them, but now the kind and geeky man would never have the chance.

Luna only tried to imagine if one of her own subjects who actually worshipped her, like Scootaloo after she assisted the filly in her dreams, had been slain. How it must feel to be the hero who could not even protect their own worshipper. The Captain must be hurting inside to know he let someone down like that, even if he had not been there to fail Coulson as Luna had.

Fury continued to speak to the crowd, all of them shocked and dazed from what had transpired, “We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you,” he paused as he reflected on Phil, “Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming.”

He glanced over to Stark and Luna with his one eye, “Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative.”

This was never going to work if they didn’t have something…

Luna felt realization dawn on her as she thought about what Coulson may have been trying to say.

Fury’s voice was downtrodden as he continued to be the only one able to find their voice, “The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes.”

Stark got up and walked off, not wanting to hear what Fury was saying anymore. The one eyed man looked down and sighed, reflecting on the situation they now found themselves in poorly.

“Well, it's an old fashioned notion.”

The meeting quickly fell apart as silence drifted in. No-one knew what to say or what to do. They had lost and had no guidance to lead them out of their crushing defeat.

Luna too sauntered off from the room, having nothing to say or add. All she knew was that she wanted to speak with Stark, who seemed just as upset as her.

She would rather argue and let off steam than wallow in this pain.

Author's Note

Happy New Year again, hope you enjoyed my very first update of the year, and please join in the holiday spirit and let me know your thoughts in the space below! The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading, happy holidays, and I do hoped you enjoyed.

I Know You Hear Their Voices

A/N: Special thanks to Evowizard25, D48, Drgnwolf, Cadmium, pvtspoon, leo0074, MoonSparle the Vampony, Farista Sairuv, and kyle guardian of harmony for your more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story!

I hope you enjoy and that I can hear from you after about what you think!

Luna knew where Stark was going to go, but had no energy left in her to teleport there after all of the healing she had done to her body. Her pale human skin no longer was red with blood or torn and punctured all over. Healing itself would not be exhausting, but it had been all of what energy Luna had gathered since confronting Loki and his men.

She only wished she had it then.

After leaving the meeting room Luna headed straight to where her most recent fight had taken place. Where Loki made a fool of her and Thor, to her own frustration. Luna really wanted something to hit after all of that, to release the pent up anger she never got to unleash upon Loki’s face, but the barren and destroyed hallway she stumbled down offered no good target.

Luna leaned her body on one wall and took a breather as she felt her energy begin to return to her. She had blown her energy killing those fools when she did not need to, but now that no more healing need be done she was beginning to feel her energy pick up.

As she pulled herself off the structure something in the corridor caught her attention. A low whisper that came from nowhere in particular. No other live person stood in the hallway, yet Luna was sure she had heard someone.

It only took another few steps for the voice to return, this time loud enough for her to make out what it was saying.

“Kill him.”

Luna twisted her head around from side to side, even glancing behind herself to look for whoever was speaking, “Who’s there?”

No response was given. Luna bit her lip, her mind trying to convince herself that she was just hearing things.

Nothing more was said before Luna turned into another corridor, nearing the location of the former cell room. Once again there was no sign of life in the hallway, and similarly the voice returned and haunted the hallway.

“Murder…”

Luna was beginning to become fed up with whatever was speaking to her. The voice seemed familiar, and yet she had no idea as to whom it belonged. Like she had heard it but one time, not enough to know it’s owner.

“You will make him pay,” the voice whispered, Luna swearing that it was within her own mind as it did not have a point of origin in the hallway.

“Okay, this isn’t funny!” she shouted out, not knowing who she was addressing and not caring so long as it stopped.

“Run a blade through him where he-”

Luna stomped her foot on the ground, denting the metal where her foot collided as she yelled over the voice, “Enough!”

It did not seem to even notice her, and it continued its suggestions, “Kill Loki like you killed his men.”

Her fists balled and her nails dug into her hand as Luna seethed at whatever was slipping these inappropriate messages to her, “They were bad by their own choice! They deserved everything that happened to them!”

“And Loki does not?”

Luna strode down the hallway as fast as she could manage, wanting this to end and hoping that catching up to Stark and having company would end the madness.

This too did nothing to stop the whisper from continuing, “Your friend’s soul demands justice-”

Luna’s day had been less than spectacular, she was emotional over losing a friend to her lover, and she had not yet sorted through her own feelings on the whole issue. She hadn’t had the time.

As such, she was about ready to explode as she reached the door of the room Loki’s cell had been in, “Whatever you are, get out of my head!”

It spoke again as Luna opened the door, “With Odinson dead, no-one could stop you-”

The sound of the door slamming overcame the disembodied voice while also drawing the attention of the room’s one inhabitant, Stark. He looked over from where he stood, where Coulson had fallen, to Luna with concern.

“You okay?”

Luna brought a hand to her head and massaged her temple, a headache having arisen between her ears, “Just fine,”

Stark turned back to where he had been looking, drawing Luna’s attention to it as well. The wall was stained with blood, as was the entrance to the room where the dead bodies of Loki’s forces had laid.

Luna could not bring herself to look directly at Stark as she spoke, feeling guilty about everything that happened in the room.

“Look...I know we don’t get along…”

Stark glanced back to her, his face changing from distress to a hint of anger as he spoke, “That’s selling it a little short. I think I might even like Cap more than you, Blue.”

Luna’s previous hope was proven to be ill founded when the voice returned, “Why allow a mortal to be so disrespectful? An example should be made of him.”

She shook her head in an attempt to dispel the bad thoughts being injected in her mind, “Shut up and listen. This bickering...we can’t keep doing this if we want to stop Loki.”

Stark’s gaze fell again and he grew silent, the billionaire philanthropist not finding something snarky to say because of the grief he felt. Luna took his silence as an opportunity to offer an olive branch, her eyes growing soft, “Phil was a friend to me too, and I can not forgive Loki for what he has done.”

His head hung and his eyes closed. “I’m willing to partially get over myself if you are. Truce?”

The door behind Luna opened and Captain America entered, nodding sadly to her before approaching Stark and standing in between the two of them.

Rogers gave Stark a look of pity as he had Luna, “Was he married?”

The shorter man shook his head, “No. There was a uh...cellist, I think.”

Luna lowered herself to the ground and inspected the thick coats of blood spoiling the steel wall by her. To think that she had caused this made her feel sick with herself. What had gotten into her during that fight?

Rogers continued to console his partner, “I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man.”

The response surprised both the Captain and Luna, who turned away from the wall to Stark as it was said, “He was an idiot.”

“An idiot?” Luna questioned, contempt in her voice. She had thought Stark was a friend of Coulson. It seemed that way given how distressed he had appeared upon learning about what happened to Coulson.

Stark turned to her, his voice part angry and part choked up, “For taking on Loki alone.”

His words made the pieces click in Luna’s mind. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Stark was suffering from the second stage of grief, while she was still in her fourth and had no plan on moving past it anytime soon.

Stark was just as hurt as her, but he was having trouble accepting the situation. Luna doubted he ever had lost someone close to him before, something she had grown accustomed to in her long life.

Steve was not exactly picking up on all the clues like Luna was, “He was doing his job.”

“He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have…” Stark could not finish his words as he dragged himself through third stage while slowly losing any traces of his anger.

Luna leaned forward and placed her forehead on the bloodied wall, wanting to just rest again. Close her eyes and forget.

The Captain tried to console his begrudging ally, “Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony.”

Stark continued to look at where Coulson had laid while he bled to death, “Right. How did that work for him?”

That brought the Captain to the same conclusion Luna had met earlier, “Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?”

Stark turned around sharply towards Rogers, “WE ARE NOT SOLDIERS! I am not marching to Fury's fife!”

Even Luna did not consider herself a true soldier. She fought to protect Equestria on a daily basis, but that did not make her a trained soldier like the captain. When every foe she faced was easily defeated, where she was the only one in danger, and while she had no doubt in what she did. A guardian and a soldier did not always have to be one and the same.

Not about to enter a shouting match, Rogers kept himself cool and controlled while responding, “Neither am I! He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list-”

Stark returned his view to the wall as he muttered, “He made it personal.”

Still in control of his emotions, the Captain missed the weight Stark’s words held, “That's not the point.”

Tony Stark approached his taller ally with apprehension, “That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?”

A fourth voice answered him.

“To tear your forces apart. Wasn’t that obvious?”

Luna’s eyes shot open and she rushed to her feet at the sound of Loki’s voice. Surely enough, the prince of Asgard had appeared right behind Stark with his scepter in hand. Tony swirled around to face Loki, whose face was not one of smugness and malicious glee as it had been earlier.

It was one of regret.

“What the hell are you still doing here?” Tony spat out, ready to attack the Asgardian even without his powered armor.

Loki shook his head and held his hands up peacefully, “Never left actually. Sorry to disappoint, but no-one really looked for me,” he looked to where he murdered their shared friend, “I am sorry for your loss. More so because I caused it.”

At that, Tony drew his arm back and the Captain brought himself into a fighting stance. Loki held out his arm with the scepter, “I wouldn’t if I was you,” he released the scepter and let it fall to the floor, “I’m not here to fight. I could have slipped away and continued their plan, but I don’t really feel up to that.”

Both Stark and Rogers opened their mouths to talk as Loki strode past them, but the way he ignored them on his way to Luna caught both off guard.

Luna stood still as Loki walked towards her. She had no idea how to react, but something in her gut made her want to deck him across the face. When he was a foot away from her he lifted a hand to her cheek, Luna recoiling as he spoke, “I thought something was wrong with you. Tell me, what happened to that creature who bonded with you to form Nightmare Moon?”

She batted his hand away as he tried to touch her again, “I still feel its power, Luna, but not its presence,” he ignored her protests and brought his arms around her back to pull her closer, “Luna, whatever it has done to you-”

Looking down to him, Luna snorted as tears found their way to her eyes, “Who are you to talk!? You-”

He gripped her tightly as she struggled to get free, Captain America moving to pull him off her if need be, “I know you’re intelligent enough to have picked up on some things. What color are my eyes, Luna?”

The mention of the trick she realized made Luna instantly stop struggling as she instead focused on looking into Loki’s face. Besides the exhausted appearance Loki had, something stood out to Luna.

“Green…” she mumbled softly, but everyone in the room could tell what she said. Stark had hacked Shield’s files and knew what that meant for the prince, but the Captain was only left confused.

Loki smiled at her as he continued their eye contact, observing the eyes that should be a shade of aqua but instead appeared cerulean, “Right. Yours are more blue than normal though. That scepter you took from me lends its user great power, but it corrupts them with their own dark emotions,” he let go partially so that he could turn and look at the discarded scepter, “It allows those on the other side of it to communicate with you.”

Stark looked to the scepter too, the immense hatred he had for Loki being put on hold as he thought about what the Asgardian was saying, “Woah, hold on, are you saying that her using that thing messed her brain up? Messed yours up?”

Loki let go of Luna completely, to her chagrin, and approached Stark and the scepter, “Yes, so you must be curious why I have not destroyed it now that I am free of their control,” he kicked the golden object so that it rolled across the floor, “The scepter is a powerful tool. If my forces continue to enact the plan I put into place, then it may be the only way to stop them.”

Captain America spoke up, his voice rightly apprehensive, “And why should we trust you?”

The fallen prince turned to the man he defeated in Germany. Loki’s voice took a tone of anger that surprised the man in blue, white and red, “You can trust my fury at how I have been manipulated, bullied, and forced into committing terrible crimes in two realms that I have no quarrel with.”

Stark narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, his mind considering running to go grab his damaged suit of Iron Man armor, “Forgive me if I’m not convinced. You seemed pretty into all of this.”

“Yes, I so happen to despise my brother for everything he has caused and I do want revenge on him for that…” Loki’s voice trailed off as he turned around fully to the place where his cell had once been, “I suppose I may already have, but that is beside the point. His arrogance led to events that drove my family apart and led to my disgrace, and this happens to be the world he loves. The darkest side of me would take it from him and hurt him for what he has done, but the brother that has saved his elder blonde oaf of a sibling would not.”

As furious as he was that Loki killed one of the few people Stark had ever let be close to him, what Stark had learned about the matter thus far curtailed that anger. If Loki truly was not to blame, rather just being the puppet used by some other being to commit the crime, then should he still be blamed for Coulson’s death?

Stark tried to rationalize the situation more, the genius caught between anger and reason, “They took your rage at Thor and turned it towards conquering Earth.”

Loki admitted his guilt where it lay, “Yes, but even then I was reluctant. Why incite conflict and reopen the wounds related to my family’s deceit when I could just forget and stay away?”

Tony was growing more and more sure he would be viciously beating some alien in the future the more and more they talked, “So they blackmailed you to do their bidding.”

Luna had been observing Loki as the others spoke and had picked up on that he was indeed telling the truth. She could feel it. She wanted it to be true as much as she didn’t. What could these beings have possibly done to her beloved trickster?

Loki hung his head similarly to how Stark had earlier, “Yes. Not only did they convince me I wanted what they did, but they held something over me,” he closed his eyes as he steeled himself to reveal that, yes, he indeed did love others, “Someone, rather. My mother.”

Forcing someone else to murder a friend, brainwashing them and supplementing that with blackmail against their mother. Whomever lorded over Loki was finding more and more ways to get on Tony’s bad side, and Stark found himself beginning to feel sorry for the same man he had been so willing to kill minutes before, “That is low. I’m not okay with what you’ve done, but I am even less okay with whoever these guys are.”

Loki nodded to Stark before turning to Luna, “When I began courting you their attention turned to the powerful being I had found. They thought you too weak willed, too kind to do their bidding. I kept from them your history of wicked behavior to prevent them from wrapping you up with everything.”

Captain America interjected, his focus being on the issue at hand. They could always talk about this subject later, “Where are your forces and how can we stop them?”

The wayward prince sighed and looked to Tony, “It may just be too late at this point, but they are at your personal building Stark. Stark Tower I believe it is named?”

“That makes complete sense, since the energy our reactor-” Tony cut himself off before he began to babble about things the others would not understand, instead rushing towards the exit, “I’m going to go head them off. The faster we get there the more lives we can save.”

Captain Rogers was less convinced, although he was beginning to feel a pang in his gut the more Loki revealed about this whole situation, “You’re just going to trust him? He killed Coulson. He nearly killed us.”

“I can kick his ass later, but right now there are a lot of people about to be hurt because some even bigger jerk decided to play god with a god,” Stark flippantly replied.

Loki grabbed his golden instrument on the ground and picked it up, quickly tossing it towards Stark, “Take the scepter. Your metal suit should provide some protection from its power. Just be quick. There should be a generator on top of the tower that can only be destroyed with the scepter.”

Tony rotated and caught the scepter as he started to backpedal, “Got it. I’ll catch you all later,” he turned to the door and hurried out, “Make sure he doesn’t screw everything up here again Cap!”

After the man had left, the three remaining souls in the room fell into a silence. Loki approached Luna again, but Captain America felt uneasy about the whole situation. Loki claimed to not want to fight, but he also let himself be captured so that he could destroy their base. What could the soldier trust about the manipulative man?

Rogers eyed the two lovers as they embraced across the room, “So, where does that leave us?”

Loki ignored him and spoke to Luna instead, “With the scepter away from you, its effects should leave you. Your contact with it brought you to their attention, and I have a feeling they would have supplanted me with you as their herald should you have held on to it much longer-”

Having been jerked around emotionally and physically all day, when Luna brought her head to rest on Loki her body gave out. It had endured enough and the princess of the night collapsed, her slight frame falling against Loki’s.

Loki sat beside Luna’s bed, having been brought to her room by Captain America upon request after she collapsed. The exhausted Luna was now laying on her bed, recuperating from all the stress she had been placed under.

The guard who had originally stationed himself outside of the room was scared off by Loki, who spent ten straight minutes looking at the with a smug grin. It had the unnerving effect desired by Loki, and he was left alone with Luna as Rogers left the room to report to Director Fury some while ago.

The sight of Luna sleeping in her humanoid form brought a genuine smile to Loki’s lips. He had seen her sleep in her equine body, usually from very close quarters, but this was something new to him.

He brought a hand to her long dark blue hair and ran his fingers through it, not encountering a single knot as he did so. Her hair, or rather mane, was always so flawless. He wasn’t sure what made it so beautiful, nor did he know what made it seemingly float and sway in place while having an almost incorporeal appearance, but he did not care. It was a trait of Luna, and that’s all he needed to know in order to adore it.

Loki lowered his head to lay beside hers, letting out a tired breath as his head touched her bed. While not the most comfortable structure he had ever rested on, Loki had seen far worse and chronic sleep deprivation was getting to him.

Luna’s soft breaths beside him made Loki’s smile grow, for he could only wonder what was going on within her unconscious mind at that moment, “I only wish I could see into your dreams like you can mine.”

“She can do that?” a voice asked from the now open doorway. Loki lifted his upper body and turned it to face Fury, who was looking down at the two of them suspiciously. After being informed that Loki was still on the Helicarrier, was not seemingly hostile anymore, and actually seemed to want to help the crew stop his own plan, Fury decided to confront the man.

Loki gave him a weak smile, not knowing where this conversation was going to go, “Yes, it happens to be how we met. Hello Director Fury.”

The ever blunt Director did not have a kind tone as he addressed Loki, “Explain to me why I shouldn’t have you thrown in another cell.”

“You are quite bold to come here alone.”

Fury could not tell if that was a compliment or a veiled threat, but he knew full well that it did not matter which it was as Loki was the one in power between the two of them, “Captain Rogers tells me you revealed the location of the Tesseract and a portal of sorts. Stark is headed there now because what you told him makes sense and we have nothing else.”

The one eyed man narrowed that one eye at Loki, “Even if I wanted to detain you, which I do, I couldn’t right now, given that Doctor Banner and your brother are out sightseeing and Rogers alone can’t fight you. So why not talk to you face to face when there is nothing I can do to stop you from killing us all anyways?“

Loki nodded as he conceded to what his visitor was saying, “You raise a good point, but have nothing to worry over. Now that I have been freed of their direct control, I do not intend to oppose you and your agents any longer,” he returned to looking and smiling at the woman sleeping beside him, “I am here for Luna, just as she came for me. I intend to find Thor after she awakens, and then we can go home. Stark should save this world within the hour.”

Fury frowned as his mind thought ahead to what happened after that point, “So we’re supposed to just let you go I suppose.”

The prince was resigned to his fate in some ways, so he only shrugged as he thought about the most likely outcome of how his situation would be handled, “I am sure I will be brought to justice for my crimes when I return home. Thor may become violent if you try and pass judgment on me here.”

“Very well then,” Fury turned his eye on the new addition to the team he had put together who happened to be sleeping soundly, “How is she doing?”

Loki brushed a hand over Luna’s cheek and smiled down at her, “Fine. She is just tired from all of the fighting I would suppose. Bullets harm her kind much easier than they do my own and it must have taken a great deal of her power to just fix herself up,” his smile faded, “Having your mind tormented by foreign voices could not have helped matters.”

Fury snorted at the obviousness of that last statement before speaking in an actual warm voice, “She seems to be a good soul. She really does care about you, Loki Odinson. I’d be on my knees begging for her forgiveness when she wakes up.”

A quiet murmur came from the bed, “I like the sound of kneeling.”

Luna slowly opened her eyes and Loki smiled down at her, bringing her into an embrace as she sat up on the structure, “How are you faring?”

She yawned and stretched her arms out before returning the embrace, “Better,” she brought her lips to his cheek, embarrassing Loki in front of the snickering Fury, “Better now that you’re back.”

Fury turned to leave, “I’ll leave you two alone. I have a situation to handle.”

Alone once again after Fury shut the door, Loki was the first to try and speak. His voice was quick, as he wanted to get it off his chest, “I am sorry for everything Luna. My deception, my-”

Luna covered his mouth with a hand as she stared into his green eyes, “When they got in my head…” she shivered as she thought about the things that she had to hear earlier, and compared that to how long Loki had been under their influence, “Dear Celestia, what did they do to you?”

Loki’s eyes were cast aside as she removed her hand from his face, “I care for you too much to let you know the details, but I’ve told you the basics.”

Luna replaced her hand with her mouth, kissing Loki right on the lips and whispering, “I love you.”

That made him give a nervous chuckle, his eyes remaining away from Luna’s, “I think quite warmly of you too.”

His inability to say the simple phrase irked Luna to no end and she crossed her arms over her weirdly curved chest, “Why do you have such trouble saying it?”

His shoulders sagging conveyed the same emotion that he spoke with, “Luna, when I return to Asgard I will be imprisoned for what I have done. How long I do not know, but-”

“You think I can’t wait? I spent one thousand years on a moon, Loki. I will wait for the man I love.”

“Can we not talk about this now?” he nervously shifted in his chair as he finally resumed eye contact.

An awkward silence fell as Luna acquiesced to his desire, but no other easy topic presented itself. After some thinking, Luna came upon what they should discuss however. A question he asked before that she did not answer.

It was the one about the Nightmare being that she had bonded with. The one that she had to resist, just as she had to ignore the voice not much earlier. With a check on her own energy, Luna could feel the power of it still within her, but the being’s consciousness had disappeared.

That, while scaring her, at least helped explain her brutal actions as of recent.

Luna was the one who became nervous as she spoke, “The being of shadow...I can feel it. It’s a part of me now. Not just an addition, but my own flesh. Possibly my own mind. That teleportation between realms must have bonded us.”

Loki brought her in for a hug to comfort her, knowing full well what it was like to have your mind altered unwillingly, “You will be okay. You’re still Luna, the majestic blue mare who managed to capture the divine attention of the trickster god. I’m sure that between us we can find a way around this.”

Drawing back from him, Luna nodded as another emotion sparked within her, “Loki?”

“Yes?”

“Apologize.”

“What?” his eyebrow rose, “For Equestria? Earth? The agent I slew before you?”

Luna let go of him so that she could punch him in the ribs, “His name was Phil,” she gripped his chest and tugged it so that their faces were an inch apart, “Phil Coulson. And to answer you, everything. Do you know just how much you’ve done?”

He sadly did, almost wishing to be ignorant as it might help absolve him of the crimes, “Yes. More so than Barton does in the medical ward we passed. I think he’ll be paying us a visit when he learns I’m here.”

The name of the agent Romanoff wished to free from Loki’s control caught Luna’s attention, “They managed to capture him?”

“Yes. Knocked him out, as per your suggestion I hear. I wish I could thank the son of Coul for doing the same to me,” Loki wanted to put a grin on his face, but held off from doing so lest he anger Luna through insensitivity.

He held his head low as he continued, “You saw the effects the scepter had on me before. It can be emotionally and physically draining to just be around it, and to be under its control keeps one from resting.”

Luna frowned as she thought back to the night prior, “I rested fine last night, if not long.”

“Then their control was not strong on you then. But I could hear their voices here today, and they were not speaking to me,” he paused before having a look of regret wash over him, “No, they were speaking to you.”

“How could they talk to me without the scepter though?” Luna questioned, nervous about these unknown beings Loki did not seem to wish to talk about for whatever reason.

“Beings powerful enough to craft such a tool can do a great deal of things. It merely being in the general vicinity can let them send you visions. Tell you things,” he looked down to his hand where he once held the powerful and dangerous artifact, “Holding it, however, lends a far greater danger.”

Luna huffed at him as she thought back to when she first became suspicious, “I remember interrupting one of their sessions with you...you assured me that everything was fine.”

“A necessary lie at the time, for which I apologize.”

He received a tight and forceful hug as Luna retorted, “I would rather you not do that anymore. Yes, I understand you wanted to protect me from whomever controlled you, but I also want to know when you are being hurt. When you are in trouble.”

“I make no such promise, for I know it is one that I cannot keep,” Loki responded, voice forlorn as he did so. As he returned her hug, he found a tear in the back of her dress that he stuck a hand into so that he could feel her back’s smooth skin.

Loki was the one to lean forward and kiss her on the lips this time, continuing with conviction, “But I will promise you that I will do my very best to never bring you harm again, be it physical or emotional. I know you have been through a lot in these past days, and I would be wrong to not acknowledge my full hand in that.”

Using her restored strength, Luna tugged Loki and turned her body so that he lay on top of her on her one person bed. She wanted to sleep again, but had a feeling he would want to as well. He laughed at her playfulness, and found himself resting on his own sort of pillow not long thereafter.

Things were bad, but for now they had their peace.

Author's Note

Hahaha, and here I'm thinking some of ya'll thought we'd be continuing the Avengers more by the script. As fun as that'd be, nope! I know how trying the seriousness has been on you all, and so I had this breather planned for awhile. My gift to you, free of charge!

Please let me know your thoughts in the space below! The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading and I do hoped you enjoyed.

I'm Still So Far From Home

A/N: Special thanks to EvoWizard25, D48, Drgnwolf, Ketvirtas, Farista Sairuv, emerald blade, leo0074, PhantomPheonix, Invisible Blade, Mutie Genix, Cadmium, and Sarikano for your more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story!

I hope you enjoy and that I can hear from you after about what you think!

It was in a scramble that Loki lifted himself off of Luna’s chest, for the noise of the door opening woke the poor Asgardian. Loki was prepared to lash out at whomever entered, physically or verbally depending on the intruder. He had not slept so well in some days, and if this was something trivial he would not be at all pleased.

The intruder was none other than the Director of Shield, who had the corner of his mouth curl up in a grin at the sight of Loki getting up from his makeshift bed and pillow. Luna stirred because of Loki’s movement, mumbling out something Fury could only assume was a swear in her own culture.

The one eyed man watched amusedly as the two sat up on the bed, having already known because of the room’s built-in camera that he needn’t worry about interrupting anything he didn’t want to, “Hey, sorry to wake you two, but I wanted to let you know that somebody wants to see you at Stark Tower.”

The first one up, Loki, massaged his temple as a headache born from waking up at the wrong time came over him, “Who?”

Fury snorted, “The egotist himself. Stark has invited the whole misfit group to eat at some kind of food place. Shawarma I believe it is called?”

Luna rose from the bed and stretched her arms out, a large yawn making its way past her lips as she stood to her full, tall height, “May Loki come as well?”

The director looked to Luna while giving a tilt of the head towards Loki, “Nothing I could do to stop him, especially since Stark added him to the invitation list.”

Loki got up completely and stood beside Luna, putting an arm around her gently, “What happened with the Tesseract?”

Fury watched with interest the actions of the couple, for Luna returned the gesture with “Your instructions to Stark allowed him to stop it before it ever opened the portal.”

Asgard’s dark haired prince turned his gaze over to Fury, keeping his arm around Luna to make sure she did not feel neglected. His spoke slowly, hesitation creeping into him as he thought about where things would go from there, “I am glad to hear that.”

Fury could read the feeling apparent on Loki’s face, having seen the fear of the future creep up on many an agent’s face over the years, “Oh cheer up. Those guys don’t seem to hold a grudge long if you try to be on their good side.”

Luna tugged on Loki’s sleeve and beamed at him happily, “Let’s go Loki. I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

She pulled the reluctant Loki towards the door, but on the way Fury grabbed his other arm to stop them.

The one eyed man spoke to Loki, “In case you’re wondering, yes, we have found your brother. He’s fine and is headed to join Stark right now along with Doctor Banner. It’ll be a nice and big ol’ reunion.”

Despite himself, Loki smiled.

“Thank you Director Fury.”

A Hoverjet brought the two to Stark Tower, a large tower in a city Luna could only compare in size to Manehatten. The tower had S.T.A.R.K. in enormously sized letters on one side for all to see the egotism of its creator. The two were let off on a landing pad near the top of the building, the hoverjet pilot taking off instantly thereafter due to some spite they held for Loki.

Loki and Luna decided to let themselves in the building when no one came to let them in, the inside revealing a very lavish room with its very own bar set up on one side. As they both inspected the empty room, they were greeted.

“Welcome. We have been expecting you, miss Luna, mister Loki.”

The voice felt unnatural to Luna, who shifted and began inspecting the room for the voice’s source. There was not another person in the room, but Loki seemed to not be worried in the slightest.

That only made her more nervous as she called out, “Who said that? I have had enough with hearing voices.”

The voice returned to Loki’s amusement, “My name is Jarvis, miss. I am mister Stark’s personal assistant and computer. Is there anything I may help you with?”

So he was a piece of technology Luna only held a very basic grasp for? That made her feel better. Computers had Galaga. Threatening voices did not.

“Computer? Can you play games?” Luna asked, going from scared to completely chipper in a heartbeat.

The polite voice from nowhere responded, “I have a wide variety-”

Not being savvy to Luna’s new interest and wanting to get on with whatever Stark had planned, Loki interrupted Jarvis, “Luna, I do not believe this to be the time.”

Luna shoved him playfully and laughed as he stumbled a bit, “Oh you’re no fun,” composing herself, she too decided to move on with things, “Jarvis, where is Stark?”

“Mister Stark has left to go attend his get together. I have been instructed to assist you in locating it. The instructions are on the bar.”

Luna was liking the whole omniscient butler thing, and the voice even reminded her of that butler who quit working for his terrible mistress the other day, “Thank you Jarvis.”

Loki was eyeing the bar as she said this and so he spoke up, “Would it be permissible for me to have a small drink?”

Jarvis almost sounded snarky as he spoke, “Mister Stark believed that may be the case. Your drink is next to the instructions.”

Stark might just be a genius if he could predict Loki like that, even amusing Luna in the process, “Isn’t that nice of him?”

Jarvis piped up while Loki rolled his eyes, “A second glass is for you, miss, should you desire it.”

Loki shot Luna a mocking smile, “Isn’t that nice of him?”

“Oh shut up and get our drinks, love.”

The food place Luna and Loki were directed to was seemed a bit strange from the outside, but not as strange as the looks they got while walking through the city to it. A man in antiquated clothing with odd coloration and a woman with blue hair and a blue dress so dark it was almost black tended to draw the odd glance. Luckily for the duo the city had seen much stranger things and people, so the attention wasn’t too grand as they hurried across the streets.

More eyes were turned, however, when Luna walked out into the street at one point with a lack of understanding how car traffic worked. She saw someone in front of her walk across when the signal said for them to, but did not understand the whole signal part.

The car that hit her bent around where it struck and only managed to knock her a couple feet since the driver, to their credit, had tried to hit the brakes. Luna frowned at them before continuing across the street, Loki following behind while questioning if he should ask if she or the driver was okay.

When the two finally entered the Shawarma place all eyes there turned to them as well, only these ones were familiar. Not only Stark was there, but Captain Rogers “America”, Doctor Bruce Banner, Agents Romanoff and Barton, and finally Thor all were gathered around a couple tables that had been pulled together. Their gazes were a mixture of apprehension and concern except for the host, who was smirking as he tended to do.

Stark stood up and held his arms out in a welcoming manner to Loki, “The man of the hour! How’s it hanging Reindeer man?”

Loki nodded to Stark, but his opportunity to respond was cut off by Thor standing and approaching his wayward brother.

The blonde haired sibling looked to the raven haired one with narrow eyes, “Loki.”

Looking first down to Thor’s side where his hammer rested and then around the room, Loki sighed, “Oh dear, you brought your dear Mjolnir. I would rather not break this place with my body-”

Thor cut him off with outstretched arms that invited Loki to hug him, “It is good to have you back, brother.”

Loki hesitated to do so, glancing to Luna for her support, only for her to say with a laugh, “Go on.”

With that, Loki approached his broader sibling and embraced him for the first time in what felt like years. Thor wrapped his own arms around Loki and used a tighter grip than his slim brother could manage, intentionally making him slightly uncomfortable.

Thor’s tone was half joking and half threatening as he spoke to Loki, “If you ever drop me out of a vessel mid flight again, I will be giving you a much tighter hug brother.”

Things seemingly back to normal between them, Loki returned to the snarky behavior he was expected to exhibit, “I think I still remember when you would hurt poor mother’s back while we were growing up. Too dull to control your own strength.”

That caused Thor to chortle and release Loki, “And you too frail to do such a thing even if you tried.”

With the two brothers apart, Luna stepped beside Loki and turned him to face her to everyone’s confusion. She only gave an innocent smile as all eyes turned to her.

“Well, now that you two are done, I’ve been waiting to do this in front of you all.”

Loki had no time to react to her punch that crashed into his gut, doubling him over and making the tall woman chuckle.

“Can’t say I did not see that coming,” Loki coughed out, grateful she had not hit him with enough force to actually fly through a wall like he was sure she could.

Luna turned her attention from him to the crowd, “Anyone else before we start to dine? This way Loki does not cough up what he inhales.”

Agent Barton, whose legs were resting on Romanoff’s lap, rubbed his chin in thought, “I suppose I want to put an arrow between your eyes, but word is you were as much a pawn as me.”

Loki rubbed his gut and stood up straight with a frown, “You would be correct.”

Barton shrugged, “Then let me be the first to say welcome back to the land of the sane,” he looked between everyone gathered before adding, “Well, maybe minus some of our present company.”

Captain America laughed at his ally’s joke, “I am just glad this all didn’t get worse.”

The still standing Stark frowned at that, “Things got bad enough I’d say,” he turned and pointed to one of three extra seats. As he spoke a full scowl crept up on his face and his voice became quite serious, “No one sits in that seat.”

Realizing the symbolism of the seat, a place set for a departed member of a family, Loki bowed his head, “There is nothing I can do to make up for what I have done, but I will give you all my sincerest apology and my condolences.”

Banner let out a large breath from his seat, venting some anxiety he felt over the situation, “You know, I’ve gotta say, I like him better on our team.”

Stark approached Loki so that they were only inches apart, billionaire looking up at Loki intensely.

“You helped us out. You’ve got my thanks for that, but if you such as sneeze the wrong way I’m taking you down. You may not have been in control, but you killed Phil and I won’t forgive you for that,” he lifted his pointer finger threateningly, “Am I clear?”

Loki nodded slowly and spoke even slower, “Crystal.”

The tension in the room having reached its climax, Stark went about changing that. He spun around on his heel and faced everyone else while throwing his arms up.

“Good! Now how about we have some grub?” he looked over to one of the workers, who was trying to do their best not to stare at the very odd group of customers, “I have no idea what anything on the menu is. May I have whatever’s your best whatever you serve?”

Thor laughed as he took his seat again, “Have you never been to this place before?”

Stark shrugged as he too sat down, “Nope. While I scanned the area for any more of Loki’s goons I found this place. Thought it’d be interesting.”

Luna nudged Loki over to the open seats that were available and gave him a wink. He begrudgingly took one and she sat beside him, quickly mimicking Barton and placing her legs up on Loki’s lap. He rolled his eyes while both Stark and Banner snorted, Romanoff instead blushing because of the attention it drew to her own situation.

Meanwhile Thor was missing out on the scene because he and Captain America were both perusing a menu thoughtfully. After a moment he came across an item that sounded acceptable, but finding it brought up an issue in his mind as he spoke to the worker Stark had, “I would like one of this. I am not sure how I can repay you, however.”

Stark laughed at the mention of money, “Don’t worry, I’ve got the bill. Billionaire, remember?”

“Oh yes. I must repay you with a proper feast in Asgard one of these days,” the thought of a good, old fashioned feast at home made Thor quite cheerful, “Speaking of, I cannot wait for the feast we will have when we return, brother!”

Loki was less optimistic, but glad he had his drink earlier. Alcohol to soothe the mind.

Noticing that her lover was once again falling into his tendency of thinking the worst and worrying, Luna took his hand and rubbed it under the table, “It’s over, Loki. No need to fret.”

He sighed at her ignorance, but let the matter go.

Not over. Just a lull passing itself off as a moment of peace.

After a meal that Loki did not wish to repeat, the group gathered once again to see Thor and Loki off. Just to be sure everything went well and he no longer would have to deal with Asgardians wrecking Earth, Director Fury had a device hastily constructed under the advice of Thor and Loki that would hold the Tesseract and also use its power to transport them to Asgard.

Luna could not help but smile at how smart her lover could be in his knowledge of the arcane. Not that her own knowledge was scarce. She only wished she could share it with more than just him...

She was shook from her thoughts when Thor spoke to his younger brother.

In Thor’s hand was the device, a cylinder that held the Tesseract in a clear portion in the middle and with two handles on the side. Twisting the handles so that they faced the same way would activate the device and cause the transportation, so Thor obviously did not hand it to Loki just yet, “Are you ready?”

Loki drolly responded, “As ready as I ever will be.”

Thor turned to the other person who would be coming home with him, “And you, lady Luna?”

Luna had her arms wrapped around Loki quite tightly, intending to teleport right alongside him, “I am quite fine. Are you sure it is fine that I am coming?”

That made the bruiser laugh, “Sure? Of course you may join us! Mother would scold me if I were not to bring you with us.”

Thor held the device out and waited for Loki to take it. As Loki reached his hand over, Luna grabbed his arm, “Thor, before we go, I have something I have to admit. This...isn’t my natural form.”

The warrior prince shrugged, not honestly seeing that as an issue with his upbringing, “I have no quarrel with shapeshifters, my own mother and brother both having the power.”

His reaction helped calm the nerves that had just spiked in Luna as that idea came to her, “I just wanted to let that be clear before we left. I naturally transformed into this state when we traveled to Earth, so I know not of what form I will have upon entering Asgard.”

Not very knowledgeable about magic, Thor questioned this, “If it is one to your disliking, can you not change it?”

“Some make the usage of magic easier than others,” Luna muttered, remembering her first time trying magic as an Asgardian.

Thor turned to the crowd gathered around them on the area that Shield had appropriated for them to do this, “Well, if that’s all, farewell my friends. I will return one day, after I have taken care of matters back home. If you ever need my assistance, I am sure your Director can find some way to call for my aid.”

Everyone waved their farewells, including Luna, who whispered to Loki.

“You sure you’re ready Loki?”

He grunted, and she kissed him on the cheek.

“Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”

With that, Loki took the cylinder in hand and twisted it, blue energy surrounding them before the trio disappeared into thin air.

The trip ended on top of a bridge that Luna could recognize because of Loki’s tales. The one named Bifrost, like the pony she knew of who was now the grandparent to young Scootaloo.

One look at the scenery around her astounded Luna. Asgard was beautiful, with a golden and antique city before her at the end of the bridge and beautiful land and mountains beyond it. She felt kind of guilty as the thought of living there popped in her mind, what with her duties to Equestria being so important, but the sight alone was breathtaking.

Her little daydream was interrupted when Loki spoke to a figure they had appeared before, but Luna had not noticed because of her wonder.

“Hello Heimdall,” Loki cheekily greeted.

The man before them was tall and broad, looking as strong as Thor but older. His skin was dark like Director Fury’s and his eyes were a shocking orange. The man in golden armor did not appear to be very fond of his returning prince, as he spoke curtly, “Loki.”

Loki continued his cheeky tone, the dislike appearing mutual, “Did you ever apply for your citizenship after what happened between us?”

Heimdall made no movement, standing as if he was a statue on the bridge Luna now realized was broken not too far behind her, “There was no need. Orders spoken by a fake king carry no weight.”

The rumbling of hooves was a familiar one to Luna, and her ears picked up on it before the others. In the distance a whole fleet of horses was racing towards the bridge, causing Luna to note from her position behind Loki, “Well here comes the entourage.”

The horses reached them quickly, with what appeared to be guards in full ceremonial armor not unlike Canterlot’s dismounting while a man with one eye and even more regal armor got off in front of them. His aged hair and beard made Luna wonder just how old he was, given the length of time his species lived, and soon enough she realized that this was him.

Odin. Loki’s father. It was finally time she would meet the parents of her beloved.

Before anyone previously present could greet the aged man, he pointed to Loki and ordered his guards behind him, “Seize the prisoner.”

Luna felt Loki be torn from her arms despite her strength, being quickly reminded that these people were on about the same level as her own kind and as such she was not a god among mortals anymore.

This did not stop her from protesting, “What?”

Thor too complained as the Tesseract was taken forcefully from his hands by another guard, “Father, what is the meaning of this?”

Odin turned to Thor and narrowed his one eye, a deep scowl on his face and anger in his voice, “This Frost Giant committed genocide against his own race, usurped our throne, tried slaying you thrice, brought conflict to two innocent realms and now returns home. What did you think would happen upon bringing him here?”

Thor was not about to back down while Loki was put into chains the guards brought and thrown atop a horse, “I thought the all-seeing Allfather would take into account circumstances-”

His father pointed a finger threateningly at his oldest son, “Do not speak back to me, boy,” his attention quickly fell to the woman standing before him and his scowl deepened, “And who is this woman you have brought with you? Another Midgardian you have a fancy for?”

“Luna is not of Midgard-”

Luna stepped forward out of pride and silenced Thor, “I can speak for myself, thank you,” now closer to Odin, she narrowed her own eyes and scowled at him, “You are making a mistake.”

Odin scoffed at her boldness, “Do not presume to know about matters beyond you, child,” he turned to his guards again, “Bring him to his cell. Do not permit Frigga to see him.”

The guards all mounted and turned to leave, Odin following suit behind them. Thor tried to grab his father by the shoulder only for Heimdall to put an arm in his way to halt him.

“Father!” Thor called as they all left, their horses hooves stomping down the bridge away from them.

Luna could only gape as she thought about what just happened. They had returned Loki to his home after his long absence and instead of there being any form of rejoice, he was grabbed and whisked away to a prison.

She gripped her hand tightly to the point her nails dug into her skin, but she didn’t care.

Who did that surprisingly short old man think he was?

Author's Note

Happy 20th chapter!

Please let me know your thoughts in the space below! The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading and I do hoped you enjoyed.

Just Like You

A/N: Special thanks to Evowizard25, Drgnwolf, D48, Ketvirtas, PhantomPhoenix, Sarikano, Mutie Genic, MoonSparkle The Vampony, and Cadmium for your more in-depth comments last chapter, but thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought and everyone who has favorited and liked this story!

I hope you enjoy and that I can hear from you after about what you think!

With no heed for personal safety, Luna shapeshifted into her equine form and prepared to gallop forward at full speed. Thor was the only one there that batted an eyelash at the transformation, Heimdall not at all surprised.

Thor grabbed the fur on Luna’s shoulder and gripped with his tremendous strength, “Wait!”

Luna cast her eyes back to him and snorted as the pain began to get to her. Loki’s brother was quite strong, that she now knew. Thor took her pause as an opening to explain himself, “We all knew this was going to happen to some degree, even if father’s actions were excessive-“

To break free of his grip Luna shifted back to her humanoid form, batting away the hand that once held her shoulder, “Loki is, largely, innocent and they dragged him off without even asking a question. Loki has told me of how this man can see anything he looks for,” she turned around to face the guard who had greeted them, but even her scowl did not cause his face to be anything but impassive, “So, sir Heimdall, have you not observed everything that has occurred?”

Loki had spoke of the all seeing guard of Asgard capable of seeing anything he wished and listen in on anything he desired, so long as he could focus on it. Loki would bring this fact up as an insult, as Loki had no issues sneaking by the supposedly perceptive man using his magic.

Heimdall gave a slight nod to Luna, his orange eyes growing an uneasy feeling in her because of their intensity, “I have.”

Ignoring the fear growing in her gut, Luna pushed past Thor to approach Heimdall and jab a finger into his chest, “Then you know Loki to be innocent! And yet you let him be dragged off.”

Heimdall sighed and would have looked past her if she did not meet his height, “My last experience with Loki in person ended in his attempting to turn me into an ice statue. My feelings towards him may not be the most sympathetic,” he met eye contact with Luna again, his tone still neutral and face impassive, “He will stand trial. My king is a fair man, and he will no doubt treat his own son with the respect he deserves given the circumstances Loki has found himself in.”

The mention of Loki’s circumstances revealed a greater deal of knowledge than Luna was even assuming the man had, shocking her long enough for Heimdall to speak again.

Heimdall lifted his large blade so that its tip was perpendicular and no longer resting on the ground, “I would have struck Loki down upon arriving had he been the tyrant he had been upon leaving Asgard,” the sword quickly returned to its position resting on the Bifrost, “I will admit that I was not sure what to do when I found him in another land in another form-“

Thor laughed at the thought of Loki as a horse, but Luna cut him off to narrow her eyes at Heimdall. There were certain things she did not wish for any other being to see, and to have this stranger do so made her feel invaded, “You were spying on us.”

The smallest of smiles crept upon the otherwise stoic man’s face, “Do not worry, I have long since learned when I am intruding as well as when I should use discretion,” it disappeared as he gave a respectful nod to her, “Your time with him did much to cure the darkness that had weaved its way into his heart.”

“How much have you told the others?”

“Little. I only have spoken of the incident in your capital city, as it appeared as if we should intervene. The battle shifted realms before we could think to do anything about it, as our primary method of transport is out of commission. The Allfather has not requested any updates since after my discovery of Loki’s coercion, so he remains ignorant.”

“I…” Luna swallowed her pride with a small sigh, “Thank you, soldier.”

Thor brought a hand up to Heimdall’s back and smiled to the man, “I appreciate your assistance, Heimdall. Thank you for looking after Asgard in my absence.”

Not one for physical gestures it seemed, Heimdall dryly replied, “It is my eternal duty,” he turned his attention back to Luna as she turned to head after the king, “Your frustration at the Allfather is not unfounded, but know that I have an oath to my king. Should any harm come to him, I will know, and it will be paid in kind.”

Luna cackled as she beckoned Thor to follow, calming herself down to speak, “I do not intend to cause him any great harm…just whatever will convince him not to throw Loki in jail for the rest of his life. I’m the only one who gets to tell Loki where he sleeps.”

With Thor leading them it did not take long for Luna and the prince to reach the castle that all of Asgard was centered around. Observing the beautiful landscapes and architecture were not on the forefront of Luna’s mind as they approached, her thoughts instead turned to how for all she knew Loki could be executed. Thor had admitted to knowing not about how the matter would be handled, since this was the first time Asgard was faced with such a complex case.

The building dwarfed in size the one Luna lorded over in Canterlot, with a golden feel to it and its many structures. The guards too were wearing golden armor that shined, as well as resembled in part the ornate outfit that Loki would wear on occasion with the helmet-horns. None paid mind to the two as they entered, their duty being to be there and stand at attention at all times in preparation of any threat.

The part of the building that Thor lead her to did not appear to be a dungeon or throne room, leaving Luna confused. Where had he brought them?

Thor stopped at a door and pushed it open, revealing a large and tidy room that appeared as if no soul had touched in quite some time. He entered and Luna followed, still curious about what this was.

Any ambiguity about the place was lost when Luna’s eyes found a green sheeted bed, tomes neatly placed on an army of bookcases and some placed lazily on a table that had a spare golden helmet resting on top of it. Loki’s headgear specifically.

Thor sadly looked over the room, “If my suspicions are correct, Loki’s trial will be taking place shortly. For now I suggest you wait here. I will confront father first and attempt to explain everything. He must know of Loki’s dark benefactors if he is to see reason.”

As much as she wished to be there to tell the Allfather off, Luna knew that doing so might lead to bad things for Loki given her brashness. Thor introducing the information to him may be the most appropriate solution, and then having her own experience support his could seal the deal.

“Thank you.”

Thor left without another word, not having a moment to spare given the situation. With nothing but the presence of the room left to greet her, Luna took to sifting about it as the door closed behind Thor.

The bookcase revealed many arcane tomes with languages Luna had never encountered before. She was just glad she could understand Loki’s kind, even if they were different. That was not something she had asked Loki about, but she would bet that it had something to do with how he could read all of these books. His kind seemed to be able to communicate with all others, and so maybe becoming one temporarily had granted her the ability to do the same. How else could she have spoken to Stark, Banner and the others on Earth?

Then again, she still couldn’t read any of the things marking these books. Perhaps Loki was just smart enough to decipher them? Luna enjoyed having such an intelligent man to be with when he wasn’t using it to pull off overly complicated schemes of world domination.

That thought drew her back to the situation at hand, the most recent of the many issues Loki has had to face in his life and by extension the newest of Luna’s own limitless supply.

“When will Loki and I be given a break? Has everything we’ve been through not been enough?” Luna ranted to the empty room, not actually expecting a reply.

To Loki’s credit the room was very sparse, not overcrowded with things of self-adoration as Luna might have expected with his ego. The only picture to be found was not of him alone, but rather a portrait made of both him and a figure Luna recognized as his mother.

As crazy as he had been driven to in recent days, Luna had no doubt that Loki still loved his mother. She would call him a mother’s boy if she wasn’t afraid of hurting his feelings, as while it was true he was still an egotist. An egotist who had a very soft spot for his mother and a certain shapeshifting horse, who so happened to reciprocate the feeling despite her own ways.

Luna loved her mother too, even if she was gone now. The feeling of never being able to say apologize to her was one Luna tried her best to forget, for Luna’s own error had brought about that pain.

Her sister, for the most part, seemed to have come to terms with the fact long before Luna’s return. With nearly an entire millennium to accept her mother’s passing, she was in a better place than Luna who only learned of their mother’s passing upon returning. A part of her had feared during her long exile how her mother would take it all, take Luna trying to kill Celestia, but the truth was not until after her original tenure as Nightmare Moon had ended.

Luna took a seat at Loki’s table and let out a depressed breath, “Celestia…what is happening back in Equestria? I can only fear the worst given the state it was left in,” her hands took the helmet from the table and began to play with it absently, “I pray the Changelings have been fully driven off. That Loki’s intended failure actually was one.”

Looking into the helmet reflected Luna’s own appearance to a degree, which got her interested in inspecting her body more. A quick look around the room revealed that the egotist did in fact have a mirror, in which Luna could see herself from the seat.

A tall, more so than even Loki’s large brother, and slim woman met Luna in the reflection. Her indigo hair and midnight blue garment contrasted her pale skin greatly, the princess of night not at all surprised about her paleness. After all, she did spend most her time inside and only recently began venturing out into the actual sun. Still, it reminded her of a chessboard with how the colors contrasted.

Looking over her form more, Luna still found herself a bit perturbed by how little she knew about humanoids. She had yet to inspect her body much underneath the cloth, so she was still left to wonder what the swell of a chest could do besides get in her way. She also wondered if she had her Cutie Mark, known simply as a Mark back in her day, because of how Loki mentioned his kind don’t have them. If she did not, Luna would be sure to rectify that. It would feel odd to not have it after centuries and centuries of being so attached to it.

None of this changed the fact that her humanoid form was more similar to Nightmare Moon’s frame than her original one, and the thought of that only reminded Luna about why she even needed to make that transformation in the first place. Everything in her mind was circling back to the topic at hand, and so she pondered quietly in the otherwise silent room.

“Perhaps Heimdall can lend me insight on how Equestria fares…”

A yawn cut her musing off, and brought about another line of thought.

“I must return to my old sleeping schedule. It is quite taxing to be awake at varying hours consistently,” She looked over to the green and empty bed mischievously, “This classic atmosphere is quite nice, however. Much more familiar than Midgard.”

Luna tiredly stumbled over to the bed and quickly found herself wrapping its green sheets around her, burying her face into the closest pillow and enjoying the silk feel on it.

Her own antics amused her, “If anypony had told me a year ago that I was to fall in love with a fellow former omnicidal maniac who had family issues, I would have labeled them mad.”

She found herself peacefully drifting off as she inhaled Loki’s, and only Loki’s, scent.

A short nap would not hurt things.

It took Thor quite some time to meet with his father, who sat on his throne as the room was being prepared for what would be Loki’s trial where Odin would decide his punishment.

The reason for the time it took was that he first had tried to talk to Loki directly in the dungeon in order to learn more to tell their father about Loki’s corrupters, but Thor was disallowed under the order of Odin to see him. The guards had not let him in, and Thor had decided it was not worth the effort of fighting through them to get that information. It could only make everything worse if a fight were to break out after all in what would look like a jailbreak.

The guards at the throne room apparently had been given the same orders, as they too resisted letting him in. Thor, tired of the resistance he was facing, did his best to convince them that he needed to go in. That his father needed the information he was to give. This convincing took what felt to the warrior like centuries, and after this he was let in on the condition he leave when done given the privacy of the event.

Odin noticed Thor walking across the long room towards him and held a hand up to halt him from the throne he sat upon, “Begone, Thor. You are not required for this. This is to between Loki and I.”

Thor kneeled and bowed his head, both to show respect and to bolster the chances what he was going to say would let him stay, “Father, I have important knowledge concerning Loki. I only wish to discuss it before you make any-“

The Allfather cut him off, tone beginning harshly and slowly morphing to become “You will be asked if and when any information is required from you. I thank you for your insistence, but this is not the time.”

Stepping out from the side of the throne room, previously unnoticed by Thor, was a woman in regal clothes that befit her status as Queen of Asgard, “Let us go Thor. I think we should speak outside.”

Knowing that his father had a short fuse and accepting that he would get to tell him in the near future, Thor relented, “As you wish, father.”

His mother took his arm while Thor stood up, the two turning to leave when a cacophony of boots caught their ears. Into the chamber came a whole array of guards who were all centered around a familiar figure. Loki stood in chains between them, the sight of which brought a frown to both his brother’s and mother’s face.

“Loki,” Frigga’s let out softly as the guards stopped by her and Thor, Loki having stopped his own pace to look at them.

Loki ignored Thor in favor of his only family member he did not have some level of contempt for, “Hello Mother. Have I made you proud?”

She authoritatively pleaded with him, “Please, don’t make this worse.”

Thor opened his mouth to speak, but Loki tilted his head and spoke first.

“Define worse.”

From the throne came Odin’s voice, drawing Loki’s attention to him instead, “Enough. I will speak to the prisoner alone.”

Thor and his mother continued on their way out silently, not sure what was going to happen between Loki and his previously beloved father, but both hoping that nothing too drastic would happen. They passed another guard on the way out, this one trailing behind the others and closing the door.

Inside the throne room, Loki stood before his father with his familiar smirk. He would not make this encounter easy for his father in payment for how his father failed him.

“I really don’t see what all of the fuss is about.”

Odin was not pleased with Loki’s tone, “Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go there is war, ruin, and death.”

Despite the dark benefactors behind the effort and their influence, Loki had not had any ill intentions for the people themselves. After all, Asgard had looked after their world for millennia, “I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent god,” Loki narrowed his eyes, “Just like you.”

Odin did not take the personal jab well, “Only we do not seek to conquer them. To subjugate them to our will. We only seek to help other races and support them in their times of need.”

Loki’s mouth twisted into a sick smile, “Oh, and why not tell me about the last race who dared oppose Asgard in any manner?” he laughed, “That’s right, they were wiped out for being the savages they were. Quite the friendly bunch, aren’t we?”

Odin narrowed his one eye, “You were the one who used the Bifrost to harm Jotunheim and your people.”

Loki’s joviality quickly left him, “Oh, I apologize for ending a conflict without costing our people unnecessary lives. And you have been so kind to them since I’ve left, or so I have been told. Tell me, are they all still freezing on that desolate rock without their leader and a portion of their population? Is this not their time of need?”

Odin leaned back in his throne, “And what would you have me do? Take in the people who tried slaying me? Who have warred with our kind for centuries?”

Loki rolled his eyes, “Well, yes. That is generally what helping requires you to do, swallow your pride. But you can’t do that, can you, even if it would help a dying race?”

Odin scoffed and brought himself forward on the throne so that he was leaning towards Loki, “I think we have forgotten who is on trial here. All of this because Loki Laufeyson desires a throne.”

That made Loki grow rigid. He had not desired the throne until it had been his. Until it had been taken from him, “It is my birthright.”

“Your birthright was to die!” Odin spat venomously before calming himself, “As a child, cast out onto that frozen rock. If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me.”

First observing the guards and at the room around him, Loki gave Odin a pleading look, “If I am for the axe, then for mercy’s sake, just swing it.”

Odin did not have a response for that, so Loki continued.

“It’s not that I don’t love our little talks, it’s just...” his voice trailed off as he came to a realization.

Somewhere since the time he had learned of his true parentage, since his father had let him fall into madness alone, and since he had not tried to comfort him, Loki no longer wanted more than anything to please him. He no longer cared.

His voice was soft as he finished, “I don’t love them.”

“Frigga is the only reason you are alive, and you will never see her again. You will spend the rest of your days in the dungeon.”

For the first time in a long time, Loki had nothing smart to say. He was not able to be snarky. He was too busy dealing with the way his stomach dropped at how his father just said he would never see his mother again.

Loki could not keep the anger out of his voice, “And what of Thor? You’ll make that witless oaf king while I rot in chains for crimes not of my control?”

Odin almost took pleasure out of his response, ignoring what Loki said about control, “Thor must strive to undo the damage you have done, he will bring order to the nine realms, and then, yes, he will be king.”

The guards took Loki and dragged him out of the room, leaving only Odin and a handful of guards behind. Their conversation was over and his fate was determined.

One of the guards who remained, the one who had last passed Thor and Frigga, did not follow the crowd with Loki as they had before. Instead they approached Odin’s throne to his confusion.

The lips of the guard moved, but instead of a man’s voice a female’s voice came from it to the Allfather’s surprise, “And here I thought the beloved father Loki spoke of would have a soul.”

Odin lifted his eyebrows and began to respond, only for the guard’s image to be replaced with the woman who had been accompanying Thor earlier in the day.

He did not know what she was planning on doing, but Odin did not fear her even if she could use illusions like Loki, “Tread wisely, foreigner.”

“I will do the contrary unless you will accept your responsibility in what has transpired, Odin Allfather,” Luna took another step towards the throne as the guards in the room rushed to surround her from behind, “You are an old, feeble man unfit for the role you find yourself in.”

Still not caring if she thought herself menacing or not, Odin just sat back in his throne, “To say a ruler is unfit is to invite conflict. Ill advised, given your trespassing.”

Luna snorted and scowled at him, not caring about the many guards that circled around her, “I was speaking of your role as a father. I pity Loki for ever pouring his love and adoration into you these many years.”

Odin did not feel like being lectured by another child, so he waved his hand at his guards, “Remove her.”

They moved to do so, but she disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. They all looked around to find her, only to discover that her new location was standing over the Allfather right at his throne. In one hand was a conjured dagger made of ice, fashioned by Luna specifically to evoke the dagger used by Laufey in his own assassination attempt.

“I brought this as a backup plan. I have been told your race respects strength, so here I am demonstrating my own. Care to hear me out?”

Odin narrowed his eye and snarled, “If you harm me you will never leave this place.”

Luna took a step back and whisked the dagger away into the pocket dimension she had stored it in, “Then do not make me. You would be best to not make an enemy of me, for I am not known for my unwavering temper. What I am known for is for striking fear in those around me with my magic.”

“As if you are the worst foe I have encountered in my life, girl.”

“The name is Luna, foal, and I will be the last of your foes if you continue down this path,” “Loki left out some details about what you would jail him for. He was not the one in control, not that you cared to question him about that when he briefly mentioned it. He’s honestly too prideful to say someone else was pulling the strings.”

“Control Loki? You must not know him that well, child.”

“Oh and I suppose you do, father who neglects his child and plays favorites.”

“You act as if you hold the higher moral ground, but you do not. You come here and threaten me, the-”

Luna bringing her arm back suddenly to catch a guard that had been creeping up on her by the throat prevented Odin from finishing.

His words only seemed to amuse her, “You want a threat?” gripping the man tightly and squeezing his throat to a suffocating level, she lifted him up and into the air while turning her attention to the man instead of Odin, “Touch me again, and I will kill you.”

The few others guards who had stayed behind rushed forward to help their comrade, but they tumbled down the stairs as Luna tossed him at them. Luna was not a diplomat and was sure Celestia could handle this all a lot better, but this was what she knew. She’d bash as many heads as it took for Odin to listen to her.

Before the situation could escalate further though, a voice called from across the chamber.

“Odin.”

All eyes turned to face Frigga and Thor, who now stood in the throne room once more. Thor was looking at the pile of guards with amusement, but the fact that there was a fight breaking out in the first place had the opposite effect on him.

Odin stood up from his throne so he could see his wife better, “Frigga, would you mind helping me remove this vagrant?”

Frigga had a scowl as she spoke, “Yes, I would mind. She speaks the truth of Loki. Thor has corroborated her story, as has Heimdall who is waiting outside.”

Odin growled as he turned to Luna, “Then I shall hear this story out. Explain this matter so I can better understand.”

Luna smiled and stepped back from him to stop invading his personal space, “What we know is that Loki was tortured, blackmailed with threats against his mother’s life, and had his mind altered by some unknown group bent on controlling Earth.”

That gave the Allfather pause. He had not heard this information previously, and if two of his most trusted advisors and his son corroborated it he was more than willing to listen. As furious as hearing that Loki had nearly brought war to two realms made him, hearing that someone else made him do it was even worse for him.

Odin nodded as he sunk back onto his throne, “Go on.”

Luna was pleased to see that the Allfather’s moods and temperament varied as much as her own, that she wasn’t alone in that or in how she felt finding that Loki was coerced into his crimes, “We know not of how his controllers will retaliate, only that their ruthlessness knows no bounds and that they will no doubt try to finish the work they had Loki begin.”

She took in a breath as she looked to Frigga and Thor, then back to Odin to continue, “Loki needs to be protected, as well as punished fairly. He took matters into his own hands and did not confide the truth of the invasions until after the fact, so he remains partially responsible. But the true blame is far from his.”

Odin felt the color draining from his face as he realized that he had been in error to not question Loki further. His son’s own arrogance had assisted this, yes, but he would have been punished severely for something he had no power over it seems.

The Allfather gripped his fist tightly as he imagined the throat of whoever was behind this, “I will have my men search for these fiends, for they threaten not only one of the realms we protect but also Asgard if they can control Loki in such a matter. Loki will be put under house arrest until we have settled the matter and made sure their influence is gone. At that point I will decide how to handle the situation.”

Luna bowed politely, quite pleased with how Frigga had turned things around with the information Thor had given her along with Heimdall, “Thank you for your consideration, Allfather.”

Odin laughed at the complete shift in her attitude, noting that she was ready to slit his throat mere minutes ago and now she was gracefully bowing to him now that he had reconsidered on his Loki decision, “It takes a brave or foolish woman to confront me in such a manner. I am assuming you are the consort of Loki, so I can only also assume you are the former. I have no quarrel with you, but I would recommend a less aggressive approach in our future meetings.”

Luna could not help but feel relieved, but she hid it through arrogance, “I only wished to let you know where I stand, Allfather. Concerning this world my only loyalty lays within Loki, the son who was corrupted by the terrible fiends I have spoken of. If he steps out of line at their behest again, I will be the first to put him in his place.”

Odin nodded to the disgruntled guards in the room, “You possess impressive powers. Of what race do you hail?”

“I am an Alicorn, a rare race that has previously not had contact with your kind. We are physical gods on our world similar to how you are in comparison to your Midgardian counterparts, only my sister and I have the power to move the moon and sun with our magic. We are also our land’s rulers, given our capabilities.”

The notion that this woman before him could hold such great powers would have made the Allfather laugh if not for her brief demonstration of skill and for how she had drawn Loki’s interest, “You must be quite the sorcerer. My wife is quite adept with magic, and I am no stranger, but our land is mostly without it.”

“One third of our populace has the ability to use magic for specified tasks, and races similar to our own like the Changelings can too harness it. We are a land of great magical potential, which is why I believe we became a target for Loki’s controllers as well.”

Odin inspected Luna closer and grinned, “This is all very surprising for a race of sentient horses.”

Luna looked around to see if Frigga reacted at that at all, only to find that she and Thor had both departed likely to see Loki. That did not stop the guards from hearing though, and so she felt a little embarrassed. Would their culture mind that her original form was so different from Loki’s own?

“You can see through my transformation now?”

Odin grunted, “With some effort, yes, I can see through many illusions, having have lived thousands of years with a master illusionist and the son she taught. You do not appear to be actively keeping it, however, so I will admit I am intrigued as to how you maintain this form.”

The princess looked over herself briefly, “Upon traveling to Midgard I was placed in this form without any warning. I can transform if I please, but I find that this one is more suited for your worlds.”

“Leave it to Loki to court a horse,” Odin snorted, “Now, I have much to consider and take care of if this news you bring is true, so leave me be. Heimdall and I have much to speak of. Loki will remain in the dungeon until his punishment is reconsidered, but for now you may take residence in his former chambers.”

Luna took her leave, glad that the situation with Loki was taken care of for she had many other issues to face in the coming days and she did not want to be warring with a king over her lover’s punishment.

Author's Note

Please let me know your thoughts in the space below! The more I know about what you guys like and enjoy, the more I can add in regards to it! Thank you for reading and I do hoped you enjoyed.

See That Life is Beautiful

A/N: Special thanks to Evowizard25, Drgnwolf, nukestar, Invisible Blade, MoonSparkle The Vampony, PhantomPheonix, Mutie Genic, Ketvirtas, leo0074, D-Bence35, Cadmium, and Newborn Cretin for your comments last chapter, and especially The_Whovian16 for the longest review I've ever seen!

I think this may be the longest chapter now. It was actually quite fun to write, and I hope you'll let me know what you thought about it in the comments below!

Upon leaving the Allfather’s throne room, Luna found that there was some people waiting for her. Three, specifically, although one was just leaving.

Heimdall had come the moment Luna had revealed her hand in the throne room, but had arrived just as the situation had simmered down and had kept out of the matter to keep tempers from rising.

This left the other two, a familiar dirty blonde man who considered Loki his brother even if they did not share blood, and a woman who Loki cared for as deeply as Luna.

The woman waved Thor away and smiled to Luna, “Greetings. I am Frigga, Loki’s mother.”

Luna noticed Thor nod to her as he left the two be, quickly shifting her attention to the woman she had long waited to meet, “He has spoke much of you. I am Princess Luna of Equestria, Loki’s companion,” with a blush, Luna added sheepishly, “And lover.

Frigga motioned for Luna to come over beside her, also turning to walk down the hallway. Her face was partly stoic and partly amused, quite surprised about Loki’s catch, “It takes an extraordinary will to stand up to my husband like that. It is something I have seen few do, and fewer do successfully.”

The princess of night kept her eyes away from Frigga’s as she thought back to the rash situation she had just instigated, “Loki loves you. Maybe even more than me. To never be allowed to see you...” her pale hands gripped tightly as the two walked down the hall of the castle, “I could not allow his father to remove you from his life.”

Frigga sighed, understanding the feeling behind what caused her fellow female to go to such drastic measures even if they were quite short sighted, “My husband has grown stubborn in his age, but he can be influenced. I happen to disagree with him on this particular subject, the very reason Loki has not been executed for his crimes, however unwilling they may have been.”

The queen of Asgard turned to face the crestfallen Luna and sent her a warm smile, “I believe Loki needs someone like you. He can be just as stubborn as his father, but he needs others to help him cope with everything that has happened. Both to and by him.”

She turned to face the direction they were walking again as Luna finally managed to gather up the courage needed to look directly at the queen, finding the action harder than the threats she had been giving the past few minutes, “And, for the record, I intended to visit Loki whether my husband allowed it or not. Solitude would only make the inner conflicts he struggles with grow more severe.”

Having revealed her origin to the Allfather and all present, something was eating at Luna that she wished to clarify, “Lady Frigga, I must ask, do you at all mind that I am not of your kind?”

The queen gave her a smile not all dissimilar to those that Loki would use, “I rose a son who belonged to a race that has warred with my own for centuries. I think I can handle a shapeshifting equine.”

At the mention of the word shapeshift, Frigga became a reflection of Luna in an instant. Luna gaped at the flawless shift, something not even Changelings often could do, and had to admit to herself that she was impressed. Even her own shapeshifting had a brief flash of color to signal it, so the magic being used by this more elder woman was quite impressive.

Luna gave an impressed nod as Frigga shifted back just as seamlessly, also finding herself smiling not under her own volition, “Your husband spoke of how he learned to see through illusions by being around you and Loki. I see you are indeed skilled.”

Frigga smiled back, appreciating the compliment of another magic user, “Of course. Who did you think taught Loki what he knows about magic?” her words were as prideful as Luna could expect from the haughty Loki. Apparently that was not something passed down genetically, but rather learned.

“You know, I believe I see why Loki loves you so much. You are quite the mother,” Luna chuckled for a brief moment as she thought about how much of a momma’s boy her lover was.

Frigga laughed as well, finding herself more and more pleased with Loki’s lover even if she had just threatened the Allfather, “You should have seen me twenty centuries ago.”

Luna shrugged, “Sorry, but I spent the last ten on a desolate moon.”

That rose a different question than Luna had expected to have to answer, “Another long lived race. Alicorns you said?”

The princess nodded to the queen, “We too are similar to physical gods, so our lifespans are quite extended compared to most races.”

Frigga gestured to Luna, “I would be most interested in learning more of your kind when the chance arises. After all, I need more than my family, garden and politics to spend my time on.”

Luna blushed as she thought about what other kinds of questions that may accompany those concerning her race, but tried to keep herself composed despite this, “Of course, if you would not mind teaching me of your own kind. I get the feeling Loki is the blacksheep and thus not the most prime example of your people.”

Frigga waved a hand towards a nearby window that gave a view of a stunningly beautiful courtyard, “I would be remiss if I did not show you Asgard in its fullest capacity, especially as we await Loki’s new sentence.”

That brought a shift in Luna’s facial expression, “Will he be okay?”

“With time, I believe so,” Frigga too felt her face change to a more saddened expression, “As for now all we can do is be there for him when he needs us.”

Luna’s eyes fell to the floor once again as guilt crept into her, “I will admit a part of me was tempted to just give up on him. He murdered a friend of mine during his time on Midgard, and the only thing keeping me from paying him back in full is that he was not in his right mind at the time.”

Frigga brought a hand around to Luna’s back supportively, realizing how trying this all must have been for the poor girl, “Would you mind telling me more about yourself as we walk? I would be most appreciative of knowing more of my future daughter-in-law.”

The princess could not feel more flustered at that very moment, “Loki and I are not engaged, but I will not mind speaking about myself.”

Frigga removed her hand and gave a large smile to the blushing mare in disguise, “When Loki cares about someone it is a deep connection that never leaves. Provided you stay by his side, I am merely stating the obvious conclusion,” Frigga rose a brow while retaining her smile, “Now, you mentioned being away for a millennium. Whatever could have caused that?”

Any idea that she could not be more embarrassed went out the window as it managed to go up a notch with that very question.

“The other reason I am not being as harsh on Loki as I might have otherwise been is that I’ve stood in his place before. I have an elder sister who is adored by our land, while I was always shunned and feared wrongfully, left to forever be under her shadow,” Luna mumbled, partially ashamed she was admitting this and about to tell this story to her lover’s mother of all people.

Frigga could recognize the similarity to be found there. After all, Loki had never managed to outgrow his brother’s shadow and it had led to the tragedy that had befallen their family, “Is there some great difference between you and your sister?”

Luna’s temper began to rise, but she kept it in check on account of who she was speaking with, “Other than her being oblivious, there is the fact that I control the moon and night while she controls the day and sun. Much different than here, where it appears to be natural,” her restraint began to waver as she continued, “Because I reigned over the night I was ignored, and because of ignorance I was feared for quite some time.”

Frigga only nodding, Luna continued on with her tale that many knew so well by then, “It eventually got to the point that I snapped. I utilized the power of a dark being to try and slay my sister, and I very nearly succeeded. I only lost when a powerful artifact was turned on me and so banished me to our world’s moon. I escaped my prison ten centuries later, only but recently in our long lives.”

With a greater idea of the circumstances that drew Luna to Loki, Frigga continued to nod, “I take it that your kingdom was less than pleased about your return. Time may heal some wounds, but can expand others by letting them fester.”

“Precisely. It does not help that when I returned I was still united with the dark being. It was a partnership then, one that I was the dominant leader of,” Luna sighed as she thought about the trouble she had had with it recently, as well as its apparent disappearance into her own being, “I was defeated once again upon returning, with it being separated from my being along with a part of my power. Despite having been in control I played innocent, as if they had freed me from its power.”

The queen placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, noticing how she seemed to be hurt in the same very fashion her son was for so long. Luna almost felt like a carbon copy of her son, whom with his pride and arrogance unsurprisingly found a partner who was very much the same as him, “I can see how Loki might be sympathetic with and to you.”

Luna appreciated the gesture, but did not know how to respond to it physically given her own lack of knowledge on relationships and social interaction, “I have had my time to make peace with my emotions and my sister, and now I wish to serve my land again. This is all just about the time I met Loki, who fell to our land after his fall here.”

“I am assuming he was quite rude upon first meeting you,” Frigga did little to hide the groan in her voice. She did know of her son’s sharp tongue quite well after all, despite never having been on the receiving end of it. There was always the army of complaints lodged against Loki when he was younger for it though, and he only had grown bolder as time went on.

Luna remembered those first days all too well, and could not help but feel the irony in how she sought out Loki as a possible threat only to fall for him, “To some degree, although I did earn some of that by invading his dreams and stalking him to make sure he was not a threat.”

That caught the inner-mage of Frigga’s attention, “Invading his dreams?”

The ego Luna normally would have found its way out of her flustered state at the chance to boast, “I can dreamwalk. One of my special talents. I help the ponies of my land sleep better and confront their nightmares and insecurities.”

Frigga brought a finger to her chin as her mind began to turn and think about how best she could utilize such a ability, “A useful skill I would imagine.”

Luna nodded and finally looked up to Loki’s mother again, “Yes, and it is what drew me to Loki. Having done my job quite well these years I found it quite disturbing to find an unknown pony having nightmares.”

Nostalgia washed over Luna, but it was a bittersweet kind. It was how she met Loki, but it was not the most perfect of meetings, “He was reliving memories of you, Thor and your husband. Some directly painful, and others were actually good memories. Ones that he feared would not happen ever again.”

Frigga fell silent at that, and Luna followed suit. The elder woman stopped walking to point to a large room that Luna peered into.

“Our main feasting hall,” Luna’s look inside revealed that this was indeed the case, with many signs of food visible within on its long table with enough seats for an entire crowd, “You may become very accustomed to this place during your stay given our propensity to feast. You’ll be eating enough for two of your kind by the time you leave I would assume, as compared to how most of us consume five times what most others would.”

“I have never been a heavy eater, but I will try to keep up,” Luna brought a hand to the back of her head and blushed again, “I do not eat meat though, so you know.”

Loki was always a picky eater, so having a simple vegetarian was nothing for the experienced queen, “More for Thor and his friends then. I will make sure there is plenty for you to dine on. You’re skinny enough as it is.”

The two resumed their walk about the castle, with silence greeting them both at first until Frigga resumed the original conversation suddenly.

“Would you mind looking after Loki in his dreams tonight?”

Luna nodded affirmatively, regretful that she had not been recently, “I fully intend to. I have been giving him space to dream on his own without my interruption, but that has backfired on me for I would have learned of this whole mess long before it ever occurred.”

“Thank you. He can use every comfort he can get,” Frigga took in a breath before extending her inquiry, “Would I be out of place to ask that you help my other son as well? Thor has suffered greatly in these months. We all thought Loki to be dead, and then he reappears only to cause chaos.”

“Of course, milady.”

Frigga only gave a nod back as thanks, instead using her voice to address the next structure of the castle she was hoping Luna would become a more permanent resident of, “I do not think it at all coincidental that our healing chambers, located this way, are close to the dining hall.”

Luna chuckled at the thought of how many citizens of Asgard had to have a trip there due to indigestion, “Very wise of whomever made this castle.”

The halls were beautiful, with quite a regal architecture to them as befitting of a castle, and familiar enough for Luna to feel at home. Just as Frigga would have it.

After hours of wandering the castle, being shown everything ranging from Odin’s Ravens to the sparring grounds where Luna secretly desired to join in, the two woman parted ways with the agreement that they would continue the tour some other time. Frigga did not wish to overwhelm their guest after all, and was sure that the pseudo-woman could use some time for herself.

With this granted time, Luna decided to retrace her steps and check in with the dark skinned man who had greeted her upon arriving. After all, ability to see and hear was unparalleled in all manners not Loki related.

It was for this reason that without even turning he knew Luna was approaching him, and that he got the first word in when she began to greet him.

“You desire to know of your nation’s condition.”

Luna felt impressed by the scope of his ability, despite how invasive it could be, “Yes, if you would not mind.”

Heimdall turned to her and flashed her a smile she did not fully understand coming from the stoic man, “Not at all, milady. It is my duty to serve Asgard as well as its guests,” he turned back to looking towards the broken edge of the Bifrost, “Your realm remains safe. Your sister and her warriors have drove off the threat Loki brought with ease, the Changeling forces scattered after the defeat of their matriarch.”

“Thank you,” not every fear she had gripping her was answered though, “Were their any casualties to your knowledge? Mass panic?”

The guardian’s voice was less rigid than when he spoke to Loki as he replied, “No on both accounts. Your sister has gone out of her way to keep the matter quiet, which is helped by how there were no permanent casualties. Some, however, have quite the array of scrapes and bruises to heal after the conflict.”

He turned his head again, this time to frown, “The energy it would take to transport you home would be significant. It may be some time before you can make your return.”

Luna bit her lip. She did desire to return, and knew she had to sooner than later, but Asgard was quite alluring at the moment and was giving her mixed emotions on the matter. She did not wish to leave the fragile Loki just yet, “How long do you estimate?”

“Days. Weeks,” Heimdall shrugged the most minute amount, “It is not outside of the Allfather’s power to send you along your way, but I would give asking him some time. Too soon and he will refuse you. With some time, however, asking him to return will no doubt succeed. He would be rid of you for the time being after all.”

Luna sensed that Heimdall was not exactly pleased about her way of confronting the Allfather. Her voice was guarded and cautious as she tried to find a way to explain herself, “About that…”

Heimdall held a hand up to quiet her, “You have no need to apologize. Even my king makes errors in judgment, an important fact for any who serve under him to realize. Despite this, I have sworn my service, as no being is perfect and he is my king.”

Luna nodded, but had no idea where to carry the conversation from there. Considering the matter done, Heimdall decided to change the subject.

“As we speak I think you should know that a feast celebrating the return of our prince is being put together to make up for the previous greeting he was given.”

Luna’s blue eyebrow lifted, the princess intrigued by this development, “Is that so? I take it I may attend?”

“I can only assume so. There are many who are curious to meet you, milady.”

The ambiguity of his words only made Luna more curious, “Those being?”

Heimdall’s smirk returned, unknown to Luna given his back being to her still, “Specifically all of Asgard who has been told the tale of how a lover of Loki has arrived, threatened the Allfather, and managed to do so without being executed. Many are interested in this.”

Luna’s mind was made up on what she would be spending that night doing, “I’d hate to disappoint them then. Farewell Heimdall, I assume you will not be joining us?”

“Perhaps later. Even I must eat now and again.”

“Ahhh, Luna! It is good to see you!”

Luna had wandered back to the feast hall Frigga had shown her, not having any issue finding it except for running into the guard she had most humiliated in the whole confronting Odin scene. He had purposefully bumped into her, not expecting to be knocked off his feet as if he had just ran into a horse. Luna smirked down at the mustached and bald man, his helmet having fallen off from the collision.

All it took was a reminder of her threat to kill him should he ever touch her again for him to scamper off like a child fleeing from punishment.

Upon finally arriving at the feast, Luna was stunned to find that the once empty hall was now filled with guests of varying sizes and professions, with no two people in the place looking the same despite the dozens and dozens that crowded it.

Despite the large crowd, it took Thor no time to locate her and find his way through it to her. All it took was some gentle pushing through couples dancing and nobles chatting.

Luna smiled to Thor and waited for him to reach her, glad that no-one seemed to know who she was just yet. Being the center of attention in such an unfamiliar place would be quite nerve wracking, especially given how she knew almost nothing of their customs or how they acted outside of what she had seen from Loki and a little from Thor.

As Thor finally got to her he first gave her a greeting and fleeting hug that Luna was sure broke a bone or two, “Loki will be released shortly, but after the feast he will be confined to his room for the near future.”

Luna gave a nervous chuckle as she tried to stretch her back from the suffering it just endured, “Better than wasting away in a dungeon endlessly, no?”

The blonde man took her by the wrist and nodded towards the feast table, “You are right. Now, come, my friends desire to meet you!”

Luna felt herself being dragged that direction as Thor began to leave, deciding not to resist his pulling because of her own curiosity about his companions. And how his grip was so strong that she would only harm herself in attempting to escape it.

Upon reaching the place Thor desired to at the table he released Luna to instead use that hand to pat a slim man with similar dirty blonde hair on the back, interrupting the man who was previously kissing a woman beside him, “This is Fandral, the most notorious womanizer of the nine realms.”

Fandral grumbled as he turned around in his seat, only to have his jaw drop as he noticed the sight that lay behind him. His eyes ogled Luna from head to toe, which Luna found less flattering than he likely would have hoped in his speechless state.

Luna extended a hand while also rolling her eyes at his blatant perversion, “I am Luna, princess of Equestria. And yes, Equestria as in horses. I am a horse too, as well as Loki’s lover, and I don’t enjoy being ‘hit on’. Touch me and I will put you in the ground.”

Not at all off-put by her words, having heard similar things before in his many escapades minus the horse part, Fandral laughed it all off and held his hands up in peace, “Triply off limits then. Such a shame too, for you make quite the beautiful Asgardian!”

From across the table came another voice, this one belonging to a female. “Forgive him, he has always been a pig.”

Luna looked over to where it came from and noticed a woman who wore armor like some of the men rather than cloth or silk like the other women in the room. Using prior knowledge, Luna made an assumption about her identity, “If this is Fandral, you would be the warrior Lady Sif. Loki has spoke of your group.”

Sif looked at Luna, unimpressed in comparison to Fandral’s ogling, “Correct. You are Loki’s consort if I am not mistaken.”

Sensing a bit of hostility, which Luna chalked up to her relationship with the traitor Loki, Luna responded in a fake hurt voice, “That is such an ugly word,” with a snap of her fingers, Luna undid the magic to be found on Sif’s head and the lady’s raven black hair turned a vibrant blonde, “You know, I think I prefer you with black hair.”

Sif could feel the change in her hair and fought the temptation to look at a strand. Loki had cut off all her hair and made it grow back with his own hair color when they were younger, and he had never once let her live it down.

With another snap of her fingers Luna returned the hair to how Loki left it, and Sif snorted, “I see he has told you his stories. How juvenile.”

Luna decided that if she stayed long enough that this warrior woman would regret judging her based off of her lover. With a shrug, Luna took a seat beside Fandral on the opposite side of the woman he had returned to making out with. To do this though she first had to nudge over an obese warrior a bit, the man inhaling food at a rate faster than Luna thought possible, “I do not know about that. Pranks are quite universal after all. What, are you bitter?”

Sif shook her head derisively at Luna before returning to her own meal before her, “Believe me, I have other reasons to have anger towards Loki.”

The previously oblivious fat warrior to Luna’s side joined in on the conversation as he stuffed himself on another piece of meat, “Why so grumpy Sif? There’s a feast to dig into!”

A servant placed a plate of green, leafy food before Luna, drawing another snort from Sif and a moment in which Thor realized why anyone would eat such a meatless meal. Before tending to the food presented, Luna thought back to Loki’s tales and remembered the mention of a large and hungry man, “Volstagg I am assuming?”

Volstagg turned to face Luna, seemingly just noticing her there, “Ah, yes ma’am! You would be Loki’s lover everyone has been hearing so much about?”

Luna could appreciate that two out of the three friends introduced to her were at least decent, if interesting, “That I am. How are you enjoying the feast?”

Volstagg grabbed another leg of meat and took a chunk out of it before responding, “It is most wonderful! It’s made me actually glad the prince is back!”

Luna frowned, “Were you previously not?”

Volstagg stopped eating for a moment to think before shrugging exaggeratedly, “More mixed feelings than anything. He did some bad stuff for some understandable reasons,” he pointed over to the very corner of the room where a man with narrower eyes than many of the others in the room stood alone, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, “Hogun over there isn’t too happy with him still, and Sif has this thing with holding grudges more tightly than Fandral does a damsel!”

Fandral turned from the woman he was tending to in order to retort, “Or you do your meal.”

Not at all insulted, Volstagg grabbed more food, “And here’s to that!” as Luna ate the first bite of her food assortment she watched as Volstagg downed a goblet of presumably alcohol only to toss it behind him and let it break as he finished, “Another!”

Luna rose her brow at the destruction, “Another?”

Still standing, Thor patted her own the back and caused her to choke briefly on her food, “It is our custom. I learned on Midgard that other cultures do not share it.”

Luna stopped herself from choking and swallowed before responding, “My sister would be the one trying to kill me if I ever smashed her tea set.”

Her words caught the attention of Volstagg, who pointed a haunch of meat at her, “So, talking about killing, are the rumors true? Did you really walk up to the Allfather and threaten to kill him?”

Her ego rose up again and a smirk crossed her face, “Walk? No. Teleport and put a knife to his throat? Yes.”

Fandral nodded in appreciation, “Bold, and willing to use force before reason. You sure you weren’t born here and swapped with Loki at birth?”

Luna chuckled as she thought about the possibility, “Perhaps. Loki was quite fine with being a horse after all.”

Volstagg grabbed her arm much more gently than Thor might, seeming to actually know how to control his great strength, “Wait, you’re going to tell me that he spent his entire time in your realm as a horse.”

“He and I are shapeshifters. We can assume any form we wish as it…suits us and what we are doing,” Fandral gave a wolf whistle that made Luna roll her eyes, not that he was far off in his perversion. She lifted a hand up and moved the fingers around to demonstrate her growing dexterity with it, “Hands are quite the nice thing to have, even if I can levitate whatever I wish with my magic.”

Her new beefy friend to her side had run out of food to down, and so an idea struck his mind, “Is that so? Mind levitating me some meat?”

Fandral decided to get on this as well and pointed to a young woman across the table who was shyly looking at him, “If we’re taking requests, I think that blonde over there is quite lonely.”

Why not indulge them? Luna stretched and yawned, to show off of course, as she picked up an entire platter of meat and placed it before Volstagg, a magical aura around it the entire time as a similar one formed around the blonde woman. The shy woman let out a small sound as she was lifted from the table and placed gently in Fandral’s lap.

Mouth hanging open once again, Fandral turned to Luna and questioned, “So, when are you moving in, Milady?”

Luna had to speak out of Volstagg’s armpit, as he brought a large arm around her and embraced her in thanks for the new food, “I cannot simply live here, as interesting as that might be. I do have a home to return to and nation to rule.”

Fandral gave a quick kiss to the woman in his lap’s cheek, “Let me get this straight. You are a horse who can use magic that is the ruler of a land of horses who is powerful enough to threaten the Allfather, all the while being Loki’s lover?” Luna nodded and he gave another whistle, “Not everyday you meet someone like that. Or is it somehorse?”

Luna appreciated his attempt and smiled at the pervert, “Somepony.”

He slapped a palm to his forehead, “My mistake,” a tug on his collar brought his attention to the women surrounding the other sides of him, “Oh, my apologies, but I have things to tend to.”

Luna found herself laughing at his antics as he began to handle both of the women simultaneously, the princess not even knowing such a thing was possible. Volstagg noticed her amusement and gave her a pat on the back like Thor before him, this time not causing her to choke because of his restraint, “Don’t mind the lech, he’s got a good heart and is pretty harmless unless you’re on the other side of the battlefield.”

Sensing that he was a gentle soul, Luna decided he was a good source to ask about what now bugged her mind, “Volstagg, may I ask you a question?”

“Anything, milady!” and another chunk of meat disappeared as if it had never been there. Luna was actually finding herself impressed by his gluttony, only possibly matched by Celestia when left with cake.

“Did you ever consider Loki a friend?”

Volstagg took no time at all to ponder the question, instead giving a hearty laugh, “Of course! He was always there with us on our adventures, even if he complained now and again about getting his nice clothes dirty. Without him we’d have perished on more than one occasion, and he isn’t that bad of a cook!”

He swallowed his current mouthful of food before continuing, “Then he went insane and tried to kill his brother. Word is that someone’s been screwing with his head though. That true?”

Seeing an opportunity to twist how people would interpret events, Luna decided to tell him a vague truth, “Yes. A currently unknown dark power desires to conquer Midgard, and they wished to use Loki to accomplish this. They tried to use him to conquer my world as well, but that too was thwarted.”

Not knowing he had just been led to believe that Loki’s madness stemmed not from only his own issues but also an outside source, Volstagg nodded as if he understood, “I see. Can’t blame a lad for going a bit crazy if someone’s been screwing with his head,” he rose a ginger eyebrow, “He better now?”

Luna gave him a reassuring smile, glad that her plan seemingly worked. Now word might spread that would lend a possible explanation for Loki’s actions, excusing him to those who would hear it who did not already know the full truth, “He’s getting there. We cut off their contact with him, so he should be fine now so long as they do not come knocking on our doors for him.”

Volstagg rose to his full height and flexed his muscles, only being a little shorter than the very lanky Luna’s full height while being much larger otherwise, “Well if they do I’ll be the first to show them their way out!” he slammed his current leg of meat on the table like a hammer crashing down, “It’d be such a shame to see them drive him insane again, especially since a fine lady such as yourself does not deserve to be put through that twice.”

The previously social and bustling crowd in the room quieted in a flash, drawing Luna’s attention to what they were all looking at. Volstagg too looked, another hearty laugh escaping his lips as he noticed why everything got so quiet.

Volstagg looked down to the still sitting Luna and pointed a thumb at the prince, “Speak of the devil. Go get ‘em! Bet he’s missed your company,” he returned to his seat and his hands found their way onto more food, “If you need me I will be finishing the entire table of food, but I’ll be sure to save enough for the two of you.”

Luna rose as the crowd began to make noise again, first a murmur and then the previous level of noise returned as if it had never been interrupted. Luna decided to get through the crowd in the easiest manner possible, teleporting right beside her beloved who was not at all surprised as she appeared.

The princess took a quick step forward to embrace him tightly, albeit not as tightly as Thor would, “Loki.”

He returned the embrace and whispered into her ear, “We have to talk later.”

Luna drew back slightly to see him face to face, “Of course. Can we just enjoy ourselves for now though?”

Loki gave her a skeptical glance, ignoring the derisive looks he got as he continued to embrace the foreign lady, “I don’t see why we can’t enjoy ourselves later of course. After we talk.”

Luna flashed him a toothy smile, “I like the way you think.”

That line of thinking was quickly put to rest as another figure appeared next to them. Loki turned to face her and embrace the new addition to the small group amongst the whole crowd, “Mother. I hope I’ve made you proud.”

Ignoring his reference to their last talk, Frigga instead looked to Luna with a smile as she put her arms around Loki for the first time in what felt like forever, “You have in regards to your chosen lover.”

Loki was the one to draw back this time, giving Frigga a quizzical glance, “You think this was a choice? I could not get rid of her, so I made the best of my situation.”

Frigga gave him a warning glance, “Loki, your father can attest to how making such jokes may have repercussions you will not enjoy.”

Catching her meaning, Loki held his hands up in surrender to Luna’s amusement, “I see that I am outnumbered here,” turning and looking around, Loki soon caught sight of his brother who lingered not too far away, “Hey, blonde oaf of a brother, I need you!”

Thor made his way through the crowd again to reach them, smiling cheekily at Loki all the way, “You called, fragile princess?”

The younger prince turned to Luna and flashed her a smile similar to her own, “It is hard enough to handle Luna by myself. I am afraid I cannot handle her and mother both simultaneously without some assistance.”

Thor nodded, understanding fully the situation his brother was in, “Oh, I see,” he turned on his heel and walked back to the feast with a wave, “Have fun with that.”

Luna actually doubled over in laughter at the sight of Loki’s shocked face. Even the scheming and cynical Loki had not expected his dear brother to do that.

“He will pay for this,” Loki stated as a promise more to himself than to anyone else.

The blue haired woman managed to tame her laughing enough to speak, “I wish my sister was so entertaining.”

Loki pursed his lips, “She is quite stuffy. I daresay I do not know what that chimera sees in her.”

Luna rolled her eyes, “That’s the point. She’s the polar opposite of him and so she’s even more fun to mess with, while also having enough feelings for him to put up with it.”

Not wishing to be a third wheel, Frigga bowed out of the conversation, “I think I will see about reeling my missing husband in. Excuse me.”

After she departed, Luna could not help but smile at Frigga’s leaving figure, “Your mother is amazing.”

Loki was pleased that Luna seemed to get along just fine with his mother, although that was not the issue they needed to really discuss. Still, he too adored his mother and as such continued to conversation, “Did she show you her sparring skills?”

“No, unfortunately. Just how skilled is she?”

Loki levitated a glance of wine over to himself and took a sip from it, “In a dress she has fought off assassins before with nothing more than a letter opener. I think she does so to be fair to them.”

Luna moved to do the same, but Loki stopped her. Luna stuck her tongue out at him, only for Loki to take the glass she intended to have and drink it himself, “I look forward to spending more time with her.”

He called forth yet another drink, sending the empty glasses back to where they came from with minimal effort after all of his time with Luna, “Please don’t. She’ll be pressuring you for grandchildren in no time.”

That brought a blush to Luna’s face, at which point she managed to grab a drink before Loki and gulf it down. Might as well have alcohol while she still could, “I thought you loved your mother enough to do anything she wished.”

Loki sighed and massaged his temple, “Most of the time, yes. But I draw the line at my nightly rituals with you.”

Luna actually was glad that she now had someone to help her in pressuring Loki to do certain things, since he was normally so selfish and stubborn, “So she can help me get whatever I want from you?”

He lifted a finger to point at her warningly, not liking that she had realized his one weakness outside of her, “Don’t you dare.”

Luna brought him into another hug, this one placing their faces close together with neither one of the two caring about the stares they were receiving, “I jest, Loki. I’m just so happy to have you back.”

She pulled him into a kiss, which he soon returned. They were together again, whatever others thought be damned.

Nothing major had happened after their reunion at the feast, for Odin had not made an appearance and Frigga had not returned. Loki had managed to find a place with Luna beside Volstagg, who cheerfully welcomed the prince back and even offered the slight man some of his plate’s meat. Not having eaten meat in a very long time, Loki graciously accepted. He did not know what Luna had said to the large man, but he actually seemed to be no more critical of him than before the drama of their lives began.

Loki had to admit that Luna could be crafty when she wanted. Which is what he needed to talk to her about,

He locked the door behind them when they entered his chambers, Luna bee-lining straight for his comfy bed after the long day they both had had. Loki rolled his eyes as she flopped on top of it and spread out.

Luna could not help but yawn for real this time as her messed up sleep habits returned to haunt her, “So, Loki, what did you wish to speak about?”

Loki approached the bed and tentatively sat on the edge of it, turning his body to face the laying down Luna, “I heard you had interesting meeting with my father. Care to tell me how it went?”

Her stomach dropped at his words, knowing where this conversation was going, “I kind of threatened him…” he grimaced and she rose to a sitting position, her voice defensive, “What? He was planning on having you locked away for the rest of your life.”

“So you rationally speak to him along with my brother and Heimdall who know what you are speaking about and explain it to him to have me released after the fact. You don’t assault him and almost earn your place under an axe!” Loki scolded her, voice growing more and more agitated throughout.

Luna reached for one of his hands in an attempt to squeeze it, “Loki, calm down, it all worked out-“

Loki batted her hand away, his eyes narrowing at her, “No, Luna, I will not calm down. You are going to be checked out by our doctors immediately. Whatever it is that you fused with to face me, it is impacting your judgment and bringing you to do reckless things.”

“I am just fine,” Luna snorted, not fully believing her own words but also not wanting to back down against him just yet.

“Oh really? What about that one time you threatened a king, of a land of people as strong as you no less, in his own throne room? Oh yes, that just so happened to work out so it’s fine. All fine.”

Not wanting this to ruin their night, Luna decided to throw in the tower before it could escalate any further, “Loki, I get it. Just stop. I’ll go tomorrow, okay?”

Loki opened his mouth to talk, but words failed him, “I…” he turned away from her and hung his head, “Yes. Fine.”

“Luna, I’m sorry, it’s just…” he sighed as he tried to think about what he wanted to say. Tired from everything he too had been through, he found himself laying down completely on his bed, “I do not desire to see you change into something you are not. I do not wish to see you harmed.”

Luna climbed on top of his lap and changed into her pony clothes, bringing herself over him and taking his face in her hands so that she could pull him into a kiss, “I know Loki. That’s why I love you.”

Author's Note

If you have a certain question about the last scene, the answer happens to be yes.

Again, I think this may be the longest chapter now. It was actually quite fun to write, and I hope you'll let me know what you thought about it in the comments below! Thank you for reading!

Home

A/N: Special thanks to Evowizard25, King Sombrony, Cadmium, Sarikano (even if it wasn't at all about the chapter), New Spark, Killabyte, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter! Your support means a great deal to me and it is what keeps me writing so much so quickly. Case and point, this chapter is now the longest chapter. Screw last chapter being the longest, this one is now.

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

It was with almost no sleep that Luna greeted Loki the next morning. Or afternoon. She had no clock to keep track of time, and her own internal clock for the shifting of Equestria’s day and night held no water on this different world that operated without beings like her and Celestia.

As his eyes fluttered and adjusted to the dim room Luna brought a hand over his chest. His heart was racing, befitting of the dreams she had been privy to that night.

His guard had been down and he had not noticed her presence…not that he likely would have noticed her outside of the brutal and wicked imagery shown there. Whatever Loki was basing his dream off of, it was no haven for his mind.

Given his general aversion to her interrupting his dreams, Luna had let them be. Furthermore, Loki was not present in them as he was previously and there was nothing for her to truly confront with his physical absence in the abstract realm.

Torture was going through his mind as if that was the norm. Had this been what he had been enduring these past days?

“Loki, are you okay?”

He did a good job feigning ignorance as he turned underneath his sheets to face her, “Never felt better. I will admit I am a bit worn out from last night’s proceedings.”

Knowing that he would only push back if she pressured him, Luna decided to leave the issue for another day and joined in on his ignorance, “Last night? I thought it was this morning?”

He snickered as he brought a hand to her cheerk, “Very clever.”

With a last nod to what kept her up throughout the night, Luna moved her hand so that it covered his, “Loki, you know I am here for you if you need me.”

His façade was strong, with the prince even smiling at her, “I am fine. No need to worry on my behalf now that my mind is my own.”

Content, Luna leaned forward to kiss him.

“Another?” she questioned jokingly, both knowing what the response would be and enjoying the reference to Asgardian tradition.

Loki’s mouth opened to respond underneath her lips, only for knocking on the door to halt them.

Luna was less than pleased as she called to whomever was knocking, “Who is it?”

A voice she did not recognize, likely some random guard of the castle, responded through the closed and locked door, “Sir Heimdall has requested your presence, milady.”

Luna shifted to the side of the bed so she could rise, Loki instead stretching out and groaning, “What could that boring man possibly want?”

Luna pursed her lips as she stood up, “It might have something to do with Equestria. I have a duty to hear what he has to say.”

Loki covered his face with his hands as he thought over the house arrest he was currently under, “Fine, I will be here with a fine book until you return. I have a good deal to catch up on after all, and all the time in the world to do it.”

“I will be back for you later, okay?” Luna reassured him as she approached the door.

A thought crossed Loki’s mind and a quick peek revealed to him that he was indeed correct. It took him long enough to get over how she walked around as a horse, but as a humanoid it was a whole new matter.

“Luna, forgetting something?”

The princess thought for a moment about what she could possibly be missing, only to remember with a quick glance down.

Humanoids wore clothes normally, which she was most definitely not.

Heimdall stood at his post once more when Luna came to confront him, overlooking the parts of the Bifrost still under construction. Or rather, staring in that direction as he overlooked all of Asgard with his special sight granted to him as Gatekeeper.

He did not need to turn to know that Luna had just arrived behind him.

“I see that you are finally awake.”

Luna shrugged, considering her odd waking hour fine for everything she got out of it, “I am normally nocturnal, but recent events have thrown off my sleep patterns. So, what did you summon me for?”

Heimdall turned around to face her, his golden eyes meeting her own easily due to their shared height, “A meeting with the Allfather has brought to his attention that your realm requires you to assist in its reparations. I do not wish to cut your stay short-“

She sighed as she tried to work out in her head just how many days she had been gone, “I understand. My duties must come first.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the work being done on the realm’s one regular form of transportation, “Our work on the Bifrost will be finished in the coming months. When it is, I will be in contact with you and return you at your convenience.”

Luna gave a small bow of respect to the man for his service and offer, “Thank you for your assistance. I suppose I should see the Allfather to return?”

“You would be correct.”

She turned around on her heel and waved, “Farewell Heimdall, and see you sooner rather than later, okay?”

He too turned around, ready to resume his everlasting duty, “Farewell. I will do my best to keep Loki in line during your absence, although I believe you have a greater arsenal to keep him stable than I.”

She could not see it, but the stoic man smirked as she began laughing at his subtle humor. Even a Gatekeeper could have some humor.

The front gates of the castle happened to not be empty outside of the regularly posted guards, as two men sat atop them when Luna approached the castle. One was a slim man with blonde hair and a dashing goatee while the other had a mane of red hair and another growing from his chin in a large beard that matched his girth.

Fandral and Volstagg were waiting for her.

The slimmer man stood up to greet the princess with open arms, “Going somewhere, milady?”

Luna accepted the hug, if only as one of farewell, “I just found out that I may return to my home, and that it needs my assistance at the moment. I apologize that I can not stay longer.”

Volstagg rose as well, albeit with a big grin on his face that would not be ill fit on Pinkie Pie, “What can a couple hours more hurt? We were hoping that you would accompany us to the sparring grounds.”

That rose her brow, not at all having expected it, “To fight?”

Further inspection revealed both men to be wearing their full combat gear, with Volstagg having plate armor covering him while Fandral was covered in what appeared to be protective leather mixed with regal clothing. Quite befitting of two warriors, as well as a womanizer in the second case.

Luna could not remember what the two had been wearing the night before, but the outfits seemed familiar. Did they normally wear their combat clothing?

Fandral turned to Volstagg and rose his own eyebrows, “That is generally what a sparring ground is for, correct me if I am wrong,” he turned back to Luna just in time to catch her rolling her eyes, “You see, all of Asgard is interested in you now that the rumor mills are spreading tales of the foreigner princess stood up to the Allfather.”

Volstagg stuck a thumb out at his smaller companion, “Fandral here did not help the matter any when he spoke to his lady friends about it, quite exaggeratedly I might add.”

The womanizer acted in fake hurt at his friend’s accusation, “Exaggeration is our art, my friend, but that is beside the point. From what I have gathered, about half of us are outraged, while the rest are impressed that you humiliated our guards so greatly.”

Luna was still unconvinced, “And this all means?”

Fandral moved to her side and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer so he could whisper, “I have gathered some influential nobles at the sparring arena. Seeing you demonstrate those skills you used to best our guardsmen will no doubt impress them, and quite possibly help boost public opinion of you.”

A selfish thought crossed Luna’s mind, that being that Celestia really ought to have tried something like this back a thousand years ago. Maybe not the same exact thing, but anything at all to help improve the reputation of her ‘dear’ sister would have been nice of the elder sibling to do…

“Who will I be fighting?” Luna questioned, unsure about what she might be signing on for.

Volstagg moved to Luna’s other side and wrapped an arm of his own around the lanky woman, “Us of course! The Warriors Three are second to none outside the royal family, I will have you know. You’re not the only one who could take on a slew of guards and humiliate them.”

Fandral whispered to counteract his boisterous comrade, “Now I don’t know how good you are at regular combat, but you cannot use magic to defeat us. Doing so will only make the others believe you are some wretch who can not win in a fair fight.”

Volstagg realized his error in this little scheme and quieted his own voice, “And, just in case, we won’t be giving it our all. You can’t be all that used to fighting in that body just yet, and we do want to let you make a good first impression here.”

They…wanted to help her. Luna was a bit dumbfounded. Only Twilight and her friends had ever extended her this feeling in Equestria, and only a couple of others on Midgard had been friendly to her off the bat…

“I…I don’t know what to say. Why do you two want to help me so much?”

Fandral urged her up the steps and towards the castle’s front doors, “Lady Sif and the Warriors Three are currently divided over the issue of Loki, which you are an extension of. Volstagg and I would have him show that he is still the lovable trickster we all knew, while Hogun and Sif remain skeptical. Thor assures me that we are the right ones, but I will not give Loki any fuel to possibly turn rotten again.”

Volstagg kept in step with them, his smile still large on his face, “So that means we don’t want him getting angry about some of our land being mad at you. Help you, and we can help Loki. Not to mention that you seem quite the lady yourself.”

That phrasing amused Luna, who only partly considered herself one, “You have not fought me yet. I would hold off on calling me lady. No magic, correct?”

“Right. Good ol’ training weapons, should you choose to use them. Fists are fine too.”

With a look down to the dress she had conjured that morning, Luna smirked. This actually might be fun, and helpful.

“I think I should change into something more fitting for combat.”

“Come one, come all, and witness the battle of your lifetime! The Warriors Three will be combating the beautiful princess Luna of the newly discovered realm, Equestria!”

Fandral had gathered quite the crowd around the sparring grounds he had mentioned, a wide open space surrounded by extensions of the castle. With no roof, the ground revealed the beautiful sun above that reminded Luna quite greatly of her sister and her royal flank.

The crowd gathered had been in some wonder and confusion about who this woman in indigo and black armor was. The purple sigil with a white moon in the middle on her breastplate was of no house they knew of, and her long and flowing blue hair was quite unfamiliar to most of them as well.

Some, however, easily recognized her as the one who had greeted Loki at his welcoming feast the night prior, as well as the one who left with him after its processions.

She had not been wearing this ornate armor the night before however, and even those that had seen her were confused as to how she had managed to have a personally colored set of their own type of armor fitted to her so quickly. None would assume magic and conjured clothing as the reason.

The biggest question on the gathered crowd’s mind was how this woman thought she could face the Warriors Three and even compete. After all, she was not Sif, who had proved to be an exception to their male-warrior culture.

From his position in the center of it all, the crowd being gathered around the edge of the ground, Fandral continued his announcements.

“Now the rules are simple. Our lady here will be fighting each of us in a fair one on one match, starting with my good friend Volstagg here,” he gestured to the bulky man, who stood beside the silent Hogun who had to be dragged there to join the proceedings, “Training weapons only, so as to not scar any of our delicate faces. This is for fun after all! After him will be me, and then our dear Hogun the grim.”

He winked at Luna who then lifted the indigo helmet, conjured to resemble her Nightmare Moon one, in her hand to her head. In full armor Fandral had to admit the giant woman appeared quite fierce, only a horizontal slit visible of her face underneath the helmet revealing her blue-green eyes.

“Now, let me clear out of the way as our contestants in this little ‘bout choose their weapons. Good luck to all, and have fun!” Fandral stepped away and towards the crowd so that they could have their room.

Volstagg moved towards the pile of training weapons brought for the event and removed from it a wooden axe made for fake combat. It had been some time since he used such a fake weapon, but its almost weightless feeling meant he could swing it fast and gave him a good feeling.

This feeling left him when Luna did not move to even take a weapon, just standing there in her armor. He could not read her expression with her helmet on, which only unnerved him more.

“Are both participants ready?”

Volstagg nodded and moved to the middle of the twenty meter by twenty meter green made for practices just like this, Luna reciprocating and doing the same with a smirk underneath her helmet.

Still unnerved, but attempting to hide it with a smile, Volstagg leaned towards her and whispered, “Please don’t make me look that bad. My family is watching.”

A quick look to the side revealed a portly woman who did not appear to be of the nobility like the others gathered, some children gathered around her that Luna assumed to Volstagg’s children. She was interacting with three, but Luna could not be sure if the many that also were near them were of any connection.

A family man it seems. Luna’s smirk relaxed as she thought about how to do this without humiliating him, even without her magic.

Luna nodded to him, “Let’s give them a good show then.”

Fandral pumped a fist into the air, “Then let the fight begin!”

Volstagg swung the lightweight contraption in his hands straight at Luna, the speed at which made it an almost impossible strike to avoid.

Unfortunately for him, Luna had the speed of her original form and was already behind him by the time his strike would have hit her. Volstagg quickly recovered and brought the axe around full circle in an arc, only for Luna to lift her arm and block the strike.

The impact actually surprised Luna, who was knocked stumbling back a few feet from it. The axe, however, given the force of Volstagg crashing into Luna’s armor cracked partially.

With a glance at the now semi-broken weapon, Volstagg had to admit he was impressed. That strike could have knocked many an Asgardian off their feet, which meant that this woman was no regular one.

He laughed as Luna recovered from the strike and resumed a fighting stance, “You are strong for a lady.”

He charged again and swung downward this time, this time contacting the ground with it. With this second strike the abused weapon broke under his strength and snapped in two, Luna not having been the one struck this time.

Volstagg realized with some realization that he was not going all out, but was not exactly taking it easy on this lady. And he had no idea where she had moved to with her equine granted speed.

“Tell me, have you ever had a horse kick you?”

The man twisted around to find Luna, only to have Luna’s legs connect with his gut and knock him not only off his feet but into the air and back a good ten feet.

Luna was enjoying the unnoticeable magic of her Nightmare Moon form, that of shifting through shadows, which mixed with her speed made it appear that she was not doing anything out of the ordinary except moving quickly.

It was something small, and given her unfamiliarity with hand to hand combat she was not about to confront such warriors without an edge to fall back on. It was with this that she appeared behind Volstagg and planted both feet in his body when he missed.

The crowd was impressed by the strike knocking the large man such a distance, especially while wearing plate armor, and even Fandral found himself rooting for the newcomer over his friend for a moment, “What a powerful kick! If Volstagg were not one of Asgard’s finest I have no doubt we would be dragging him to the healing chambers.”

Volstagg, to his credit, recovered quickly and picked himself off the ground. The front of his armor had two large dents where Luna’s feet had connected, and a small amount of blood dribbled down his chin that he wiped away quickly.

“Good one. Now it’s my turn!”

Volstagg rushed forward, expecting Luna to dodge him again, and prepared to tackle her with his body. To mix things up, Luna instead prepared to grab him.

Just as Volstagg reached her, Luna crouched down and let him collide with one of her shoulders. Her armor softened the blow, but the impact still hurt her greatly.

The effect, however, was worth it as his weight was thrown off balance by this. Luna used his momentum to grab his body and flip the large man over her and let him slam down on his back under his own weight and power.

After a moment Luna turned and approached the downed man, whose head was spinning too greatly to actually rise on his own. She felt bad about the slightly underhanded tactics she was using, but this was not about the actual fighting. This was about making the people think she was an impressive warrior.

She held a hand out to him, “Good fight.”

He took it and laughed as she helped him to his feet, “That it was! I’ll admit I am impressed. We have to do this again when you visit again, and I won’t be falling for your little tricks then.”

His attention was swept up in the kids that rushed to his side, and he quickly embraced them as they did so. Luna felt herself smiling at the man and his family as they had a moment before leading him off to the side.

Fandral found himself laughing at the proceedings, quite impressed that Luna could counter Volstagg’s weight despite her own skinny frame, “And he is down for the count! Who fought an untrained lady could battle so well?”

“She’s not the first.”

Fandral turned to the bitter voice in the crowd and pointed to the warrior lady it originated from, “I did say untrained, Lady Sif. Now, I suppose it is I who must face our challenger next. Wish me luck!”

The pretty boy grabbed a training sword from the assortment nearby and approached Luna as she watched Volstagg reunite with his family.

“Please don’t harm the face unnecessarily,” Fandral joked to Luna, who only smirked again underneath her helmet.

“Define unnecessarily.”

He lifted a hand up into the air, “And so the fight begins!”

With the sword in his hand he began to twirl it around and do fancy tricks Luna paid absolutely no attention to as he boasted, “Now, I won’t be going easy on you-”

His voice was cut off by a swift punch to the bridge of his nose. Even Luna knew how to strike someone, and Fandral instantly began regretting his bravado.

“I’m sorry, what?” Luna joked as he wiped blood from his now broken nose.

He recovered and prepared to strike her, “Well, let’s see how you feel about this!”

His swing was interrupted by her fist punching the blade and snapping the thin and dull steel of his rapier.

Fandral looked down at his now very short sword and sighed, “Oh dear, right. Horse goddess. Should have expected something like that.”

Luna stifled a giggle as he tossed his sword to the side and gave a bow, the man having no physical way of hurting her, “And that’s where I must forfeit. Would not want to leave the ladies of the land to their lonesome selves.”

“It was a valiant effort,” she joked, despite how untrue that statement was. Volstagg could combat her on some level due to his brute strength, but the finesse of a swordsman was wasted on someone powerful enough to snap the weapon in two.

“I thank you,” he bowed and waved for the last of the trio to join Luna, “Hogun, you’re up!”

As Fandral left the field Luna caught sight of something interesting in the hands of the last warrior. He was not holding a sparring weapon, but rather a regular mace that one might find on a battlefield. The warrior was wearing armor that appeared like a scaled down version of Volstagg’s, sacrificing some defense for speed and finesse.

Luna actually was concerned this may be a challenge given the man’s grim expression.

“I do not practice with toys,” Hogun explained to Luna, although the venom in her voice made her question whether this applied to everyone or just those associated with Loki.

Luna studied the man briefly and noticed that he appeared to have different features than the majority of Asgardians. While his skin was not a much darker shade like Heimdall, his face had narrower eyes. Was this how humanoids had different races in comparison to Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns?

The princess nodded to him, still making no move to take a weapon of her own, “Very well, if that’s how you are going to be.”

Neither were listening as Fandral signaled for the next round to start in-between curses about his broken nose, both instead just pacing around and inspecting the other.

“The rules state that we use regular sparring tools. Too afraid to face me with a toy?” Luna taunted the warrior, hoping to provoke him.

Having been about to strike anyways, Hogun channeled the irritation he felt at her barbed words into the swing of his mace. Luna used the same speed and magic she had with Volstagg to dodge it without appearing to be using the latter, now behind him.

Hogun twisted around with a fake-out attack, only to then turn back again to where he first hit in anticipation of Luna shifting space. His attack caught her in the gut and actually winded her, the strength of those in this realm being something to marvel at.

Hogun did not let the momentary advantage go to waste and quickly brought his elbow down on the head of the bent over Luna. The strike hit, but she never hit the ground and instead appeared a dozen feet away.

The last of the Warriors Three turned slowly to Luna as she regained her breath, knowing that acting rashly like Volstagg or with gusto like Fandral he could not beat this powerful being. She would not make that mistake again, “I at least do not need magic to win my battles for me.”

Luna gave a pained laugh at the mention of magic, realizing that he must have seen through that one at least, “You were the one to break the rules. I will stop the moment you place that weapon down.”

Hogun did not oblige, instead drawing and throwing a blade from his belt at Luna. The Princess would avoid it if it would not pass by her and hit someone in the crowd, instead being forced into blocking it and standing her ground.

The blade harmlessly bounced off her armor, but gave Hogun the time he needed to strike at her again. Either he would have struck a crowd member and she would be seen as a coward, or she would stand still and give him the opportunity to strike at her. No matter what she did she would be helping his cause.

Luna disappeared in a black cloud and reappeared at a decidedly random place elsewhere so that he could not again strike her. This time Luna decided to branch out her talents and focus on something she had Loki teach her, something that required concentration she had been in short supply of recently.

Hogun watched as two more Lunas appeared beside the original, her illusions quickly swapping places with the original and eachother to confuse him. The warrior groaned as he watched his chances slip away.

“Trickery.”

Luna had all three illusions smile and speak, “You learn a bit from being around Loki.”

Lining up all three, Luna had them all charge at him single file. He could not swipe at them to find out this way, and lunging forward would leave him wide open for an attack.

Not that it mattered, because she utilized her teleportation to appear beside him and strike him across the face as he prepared for her initial charge.

Who could fault someone for playing dirty in self defense?

To her surprise, Luna could hear some cheers from the crowd. Their origin appeared to be from where Volstagg’s family stood, but more could be heard from elsewhere.

Hogun had broken the rules of the fight, and he was being paid back in kind.

Invigorated by the positive reaction, Luna followed up her first strike with a kick swinging at his gut. The strike acted as revenge for Hogun’s first, as it knocked the wind out of him.

It did not stun him, however, and the warrior quickly swung his mace up to connect with Luna’s chin. Not having expected a strike of any sorts, Luna’s brief arrogance caught up to her and her head tilted back from the impact.

Hogun used this time to stand up fully and bring the mace across Luna’s face, only for it to strike through a dark mist instead. Luna reappeared behind him and quickly summoned a real weapon to herself, quickly jamming the base of it’s golden shaft into his spine.

The strike made Hogun seethe in pain as he fell to his knees, not ready to give up yet but in a great deal of pain. However, he never had the chance to take action.

“Stop this at once!”

Standing in a now parted place amongst the crowd was the short but powerful Allfather, whose features revealed that he was not at all pleased.

All present fell silent and bowed to him, many having not noticed his presence up until he spoke. Luna too found herself bowing when her opponent did so, following his lead in the matter. She removed her helmet to reveal her face to him, her hair now a bigger mess than it was when she had woken up due to the helmet.

It is what she would expect from her own subjects, after all, but customs were not always the same as demonstrated by some cup smashing the night prior.

Odin approached Luna and stood before her with a grim look on his face. Then looking to Fandral and Volstagg, who were both bowing politely as well, he found a small grin growing on his features.

“Princess Luna of Equestria, I admire your fighting prowess. It helps soothe my nerves that my men were not humiliated by a low class fighter,” he turned to Hogun instead as he continued, “Although I draw the line at having one of my men draw their true weapon on you. You are our guest.”

Luna kept her head bowed, “It is no trouble milord.”

Her response intrigued the Allfather, who turned back to her with a grin, “Am I to assume that this is because you could have beaten him without the restraint on your true talent?”

Seeing the perfect opportunity to shame her last foe, Luna continued, “Yes, milord.”

It was true. She had only been using a piece of her magical talent, something she doubted this soldier had.

Odin placed a hand on her armored shoulder and laughed, “I would be lying if I did not say I believed you,” he looked up and rose his voice, “Leave us, and know that this woman is to be treated with the utmost respect. Even I need to be reminded of my fallibility at times, especially when I make grievous errors.”

The crowd all began to mill out, leaving only Fandral and Volstagg who had stayed behind to tell their new friend farewell. Even Hogun had slipped away, as did Lady Sif, neither of whom were pleased by how Loki’s chosen lover was not someone to be trifled with.

Fandral gave a half bow to his king and then to Luna, “Good day sir, and farewell Luna. Safe travels.”

Volstagg waved from where his family was gathered, still happy despite his loss, “Do come and visit again! I am sure my daughters can learn a thing or two from you about being strong, assertive women!”

Luna waved to them both and found herself with quite the genuine smile on her face. It was nice meeting two simple and kind men like them, “I will. Thank you for your companionship.”

As they too left Odin let himself catch the smile bug, “They are impressive warriors, but their hearts lay elsewhere.”

Luna turned from the leaving men to her lover’s father, “Food and noblewomen, it would appear. I would prefer a nice womanizer and a hearty glutton over a fierce warrior any day.”

To her surprise Odin nodded in agreement, speaking in a tone much more lighthearted than she thought him capable of, “Something we can agree on. The realms are moving ever closer to constant peace, when warriors will be all but a last resort rather than a constant force we need.”

Luna sighed at the mention of conflict, eyes falling down to the broken axe Volstagg had used, “My land knows no true war. We have many who have regular lives not at all effected by war, but we do have the occasional invader who is defeated by nightfall by our champions.”

Odin too looked to the broken tool with his one eye, “I would be most interested in reading and learning the history of your kind. I have been working towards a less bellicose approach in my ruling, as compared to the constant warfare my father and his father thrived from.”

Luna shifted her gaze from the axe to Odin. Her face had a smirk on to match the idea she had, “I would be more than willing to lend you our historical documents, under a condition.”

“That being?” Odin was quite curious to see if she would made any ridiculous claims.

Luna’s eyes fell back to the practice blade, “Prior to now our realms had no contact. Loki arriving on my world brought attention to it that previously did not exist, unbeknownst to him. My society cannot confront the threat that took Loki from us both, and should it come to our door we would be left defenseless I fear.”

Odin brought a hand to his white bearded chin and thought momentarily on the issue. After speaking more with Thor and Frigga he had no agenda against this woman or her people, knowing her actions to be a result of her care for Loki that he himself had lost somewhere along this trying journey.

After consideration, the Allfather nodded to her, “Asgard protects all realms it allies with, and I would be wrong to turn down a potential ally in these trying times. Your land will be protected, especially considering your relationship with my son. Should you two marry we could have this bond be sealed through blood.”

Luna was regretting that she was not still wearing her helmet, as it would have prevented her blush from showing, “He and I have not been together that long.”

Odin sniggered, “I knew Frigga for less than a month before I wed her. I was a boy then, and my actions were not all too dissimilar to your friend Fandral’s. I tried to woo her, and instead of her swooning for me because of my heritage I found myself in the healing chamber.”

The princess found herself honestly impressed, “Wait, she put you there?”

“Yes, in fact after she finished with me she was the one to bring me there. She did not care that I was prince, she only cared that I dishonored her with my vulgar behavior,” he let out a chuckle and sigh as he remembered those thousands of years ago, “We wed not long after.”

Luna rose a blue eyebrow, “Love at first strike?”

To her surprise Odin nodded, “I have not incurred her wrath to that degree since, but I have always feared it,” he looked over the indigo and black armor on Luna’s form and admired its design, “I see much of her in you. I can see why Loki would be so smitten.”

His words hit an insecurity Luna had been holding close to her heart, “To be truthful, I am the one smitten. Loki is the very first relationship I have had because of a vow my sister and I took years ago,” her eyes closed as she tried to finish stating her fear, “I fear though that…”

Odin placed a hand on her shoulder again despite their height difference, “His feelings are true, if muddled in his current state. His first action upon being released was to inquire about your condition.”

Thinking about how most kingdoms she had encountered worked with fusing families, Luna found something that she had an issue with, “In order to make this ‘partnership’ official, would I by chance have to live here?”

The Allfather shook his head, “I would not make you leave your kingdom. What you desire to do is up to you and Loki, but after speaking to Frigga I believe this to be the most beneficial action to all parties.”

Luna felt her blush creeping on again, for the idea of marrying Loki was both a great and frightening prospect, “I will speak to Loki about it in the near future. No need to rush.”

Odin found himself laughing again, remembering how he was the one who earlier said to Frigga that they should not pressure them, “You would be correct. I have tried many times over many years to find suitable wives for my sons, but they both are too unruly. Too oblivious to the heart. You would be doing me a great favor in taming him.”

Luna did not feel that she could meet the smaller man’s gaze, instead embarrassed about her own previous behavior now that his own head had cooled off, “I thank you, Allfather. I apologize for my previous actions…I know not what I was thinking.”

“I was a threat to a loved one. You did nothing that my own wife would not have. She was a few feet away under an invisibility spell waiting for you to take action. When you backed down, so did she.”

Luna could sense the pride in his voice as he said that. Luna was instead both impressed at Frigga’s capabilities and a bit frightened that she did not notice the threat to her own self. The queen must have only pretended to actually leave using her illusions or something along those lines to have pulled it off.

“Any way I can make amends though?” Luna questioned, hoping to find some way to

Odin sighed and crossed his hands behind his back, “Yes, there is. Go to your land and help repair the damage done there. Thor will be doing the same with the realms we have lost contact with in recent times as soon as we finish the Bifrost.”

Being away from Loki for an extended period of time, especially given the state he had been in the past few days, made Luna uneasy, “Heimdall said it would be done in the near future. Is that true?”

The Allfather could read the worry on her face and tried his best to comfort her, “It will be weeks if everything goes well. Having Loki’s arcane knowledge should help with its reconstruction. For now I can use my own powers to return you home, though it will be quite taxing on us both. Dark energy is nothing to be trifled with.”

Luna knew firsthand the truth in that, albeit a different kind of dark energy she would assume, “I see. May I say goodbye to Loki before I leave?”

“Of course. I will be waiting at my throne for when you are ready.”

“I thank you again, Allfather.”

Luna opened the door to Loki’s room to find that he had not seemingly moved, being located on his bed with a book in hand. She smiled at him while she closed the door behind her, glad to see him again after the past few interesting hours.

Loki glanced up at her and took in the fact that she was wearing armor, “You return after so long.”

The fake humanoid gave a nervous laugh, hoping he did not mind too much about her detour, “I apologize. Fandral and Volstagg dragged me off to show my combat prowess off to some nobles.”

That put things into perspective for Loki, who looked back to the book in his hand, “I see. He may be fierce, but I did not believe you would have needed that armor for Heimdall.”

Luna sat down on the bed and tried to close the book, to which Loki pulled it away from her, “Loki, I am going to be returning to Equestria today.”

He shut the book on his own, his voice troubled, “So soon?”

Luna touched one of his hands and gave it a small squeeze, “I know, I am sorry,” she sighed as she thought about the ponies back in Equestria who would need her help after Loki’s invasion, “It’s just that they need me there. To help clean up after what happened. You understand, right?”

Loki could not fault her for cleaning up after him, so he took her hand in his own and returned the squeeze, “Yes, I suppose I do. I am the one to blame after all.”

“Please, be good while I am gone, okay Loki? I will return the moment I can,” Luna promised and warned both.

He rolled his eyes, “I suppose I can,” he followed it up with a whisper in her ear, “Care to give me some incentive?”

Luna blushed and locked the door with her telekinesis.

“Well, I do not remember your father giving me a time limit on the offer to go back home. I suppose I have some time.”

Celestia was sitting in bed mewling over some clean up documents for Canterlot when a hoof knocking on her door caught her attention. The mannerism of the knock was quite familiar to the long lived Alicorn, who knew instantly who it was.

“Luna?”

Celestia turned from her bed to see the large and dark form of her sister standing there, a smile on her black furred muzzle.

“It is good to see you again sister.”

Ignoring the form Luna was in, she instead leapt to her hooves to go embrace her sister, “How are you?” she tried to keep any sniffling out of her voice as she hugged Luna tightly, “Nopony knew what happened to you. We feared the worst…”

Luna returned the embrace, glad to be at her sister’s height for once, “I have been just fine. It’s kind of a long story to be honest.”

Celestia pulled back and gave her dear sister a warm smile, her own eyes watering slightly, “I have time.”

The white furred sister nodded over to her bed for Nightmare Moon to come join her there, which Luna gracefully obliged to. The Allfather was quite right about inter-realm transportation, it did take something out of you…not that she had much energy to begin with.

Luna let out a long yawn as she lay down on Celestia’s oversized bed, boredly poking a tea pot by it, “To set the record straight for you, Loki was under the control of some unknown force, one that his people are now tracking down.”

Celestia lay down beside her, feeling tired herself and not having the luxury of healing magic to heal the wounds sustained recently. She levitated the tea away from Luna and instead poured two glasses of it for them, giving one to her tired sibling and bringing one to her own lips, “I see. Is he well?”

“Mentally, no, but he is recovering,” Luna took a sip of her tea and resisted the urge to spit it out. She and Celestia had very different tastes when it came to most things, and the tea was definitely not to the night sister’s liking, “He had left Equestria to go conquer another planet under their orders, but some of the realm’s inhabitants and I managed to put an end to the scheme.”

Luna fully expected to hear protective big sister Celestia pipe up then, telling her that Loki is a bad influence and that she should not associate with him and just leave him to his own misery.

Instead, she got the following, “Luna, I am not about to tell you where to place your emotions. I know full well what a second chance can result in, as shown both by yourself and Discord. I will afford Loki the opportunity to bring himself back to my graces, should he wish to.”

Luna put her terrible tea down and rolled over to hug her sister again, “Thank you.”

Celestia chuckled as she rubbed Luna’s back, “The way you were walking gives me the feeling that all is well between you two. If you can forgive him, I am sure I will have no problem doing so.”

One topic down, and many to go. Luna let her tired eyes close as she embraced Celestia, “How are the others?”

“Twilight has been helping me handle the administrative nightmare that resulted from yet another invasion. She is a little shaken up about it, but has not talked about why yet with me. I have decided to give her space on the matter, but if she continues to be unnerved I will speak to her more directly,” Luna could tell even without looking that Celestia was frowning because her protégé-substitute daughter-thing was feeling bad and was not talking to her about it.

Celestia sighed and shook her head to clear her thoughts, “The other former element bearers are doing well. No permanent injuries, and they are all returning to everyday life quite well.”

“And Discord?” Luna playfully inquired.

Celestia, for the first time, realized that it was now a bit awkward that she was cuddling with Luna like they were still fillies. Given, after all, who else usually spent their time in the bed, “He is fine, except for his wounded ego. He can be so childish, especially when he’s not on top.”

Luna found much amusement out of her sister’s words, “Loki is more fine with not being on top, so long as it’s someone he wants there.”

Even Celestia could tell that the conversation had two levels to it, and she smiled at how they did not even have to alter what they were saying to make it that way, “I suppose Discord will just have to learn his place, even if his ego is bruised by it.”

Caring to move past that particular subject with her sister, Luna decided to bring up another subject to replace it, “I met Loki’s family after we brought him to justice.”

Celestia was genuinely interested in whatever Luna had to report, for these might be her in-laws in the future, “Oh? How did that go?”

Luna bit her lip as she tried to think of a word for what she went through. After all, she had never had to meet a family like this before, “Well? His mother and father seem to like me. They also desire Loki and I to marry.”

Celestia took another sip from her tea while she prodded Luna to go on, “Did they not care about the species gap?”

“Not at all, given that I am a long lived shapeshifter. He won’t be outliving me, and I can take their form on a whim.”

“You two must enjoy your shared shapeshifting greatly,” Luna’s face went red under her fur, for she knew Celestia was purposefully teasing her and not just making an innocent observation, “Speaking of form, I see that you have returned to…that.”

Luna had begun to forget all about the Nightmare Moon change, having spent a great deal of her life in this body and having just gotten back into the hang of how it feels, “A necessary power boost to confront Loki while he had you under his thrall and Discord defeated.”

Celestia nodded but rose the brow not covered by her flowing hair, “Can you not resume your original form now?”

The princess of night shook her head no, “Transporting between worlds seems to have made this change permanent, although Loki will be looking into finding a cure I believe.”

It crossed Luna’s mind that she had not taken her trip to the Asgardian doctor’s office…or said goodbye to Thor…or Frigga…

That moment she decided that next time she departed from Asgard she would not spend the entirety of an afternoon with Loki to scramble her mind before going. He had that effect.

Celestia honestly did not care too much about the particular form her sister took so long as she was okay, but that did not mean that their subjects would be so open minded, “I only fear that your appearance may startle some of our subjects.”

Luna on the other hand had absolutely no care as to how others would look at her. She had tried turning into any other pony form in her spare time to no avail, and so if they were going to be ungrateful whelps then let them be, “I as well, but they will have to deal with it for now. My equine form is locked in this appearance.”

The elder sister prodded the younger one’s head with her own, taking care to not hit her with her horn, “As long as you do not return to your previous reason for taking it, I see no reason why a change must be made. It is about time that our subjects learned that they need not fear you, no matter your appearance.”

Celestia was not the only one glad that her sister was okay. Luna was trying her best to not cry either.

“I am glad you are okay, Tia.”

Celestia could not help but smile at her sister’s words, for they were from her unguarded and tired mind. As close to as from the heart as they could come.

The elder sister let out a breath and whispered softly to Luna, “This may be asking a lot, but I need you here for now. There is still much work to do. Things to catch up on.”

“Tomorrow…”

Celestia smiled. She could allow her exhausted sibling that much.

“If you wish, then of course, Luna. Goodnight.”

Author's Note

Thank you for reading! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, and do know that the triad of my three favorite ponies will soon be complete in this story!

You're Gonna Go Far Kid

A/N: Special thanks to Evowizard25, Ketvirtas, D48, Drgnwolf, King Sombrony, leo0074, Invisible Blade, ZeroInfinity, The_Whovian16, PhantomPhoenix, MoonSparkle The Vampony and Killabyte for your comments last chapter! Your support means a great deal to me and it is what keeps me writing so much so quickly.

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I know I had a lot of fun making this chapter, so I hope you can at least have part of that!

Luna did not miss the looks she received on the way to the throne room the next afternoon when she woke after a much needed rest. The regular ponies going about the castle were one thing, for Luna had long since decided them to be ignorant and arrogant foals, but even the guards had to keep themselves from panicking at the sight of her.

It was difficult for Luna to not feel indignant over their reactions. Had she not taken this form for their sakes, to confront a foe they were all too weak to face on their own? It was not as if the “Royal Guard” was really good for anything but appearances or cleaning up the work that she or Twilight’s group had done.

Sure, Luna had gained a great deal of raw power from this transformation, but was being more powerful than any other being in Equestria save Discord now really a crime? It was not as if she had any ill plans in store for Equestria…

Her frustrations would have gone un-vented if not for a chance encounter with a certain despised Prince. Blueblood had dared scoff at her as she walked by him when she previously had intended to treat him with indifference.

The guards who feared her probably did so more now as they attempted to pull Blueblood out of the wall he had been shoved part-way through. Luna would take the flak from Celestia if it meant letting go of a little of this new stress. She had not thought she would return to such ungrateful ponies.

“Good morning. Sleep well?”

Luna gave her sister a large smile as she entered the throne room, even managing to ignore the guards who quickly trembled within.

“Not as well as the other night, I must say,” Luna approached the throne and with a flap of the wings landed beside Celestia, brushing her own black fur against Celestia’s white fur, “Thank you.”

Celestia returned the gesture, though she followed it up by looking past Luna to cast a stern look at the guards in the room. They were looking to her for comfort, given their fear of the wicked Nightmare Moon. They would not receive any from Celestia who was not going to let this behavior continue.

The sun princess’s harsh look morphed into a pseudo-welcoming one, her mouth turning into a smile as she looked down at all of the guards in the throne room, “If you all have something to say, please do speak. Know that your occupation is on the line though. Any insult or discrimination against my sister is not to be tolerated, not after what she has done to save all of your own hides.”

When Luna turned to face them all, she was indeed impressed to see the both shamed and fearful faces of the soldiers. She was also surprised to see that somepony else had entered the throne room, a book hovering in front of the new arrival’s face as she trotted obliviously past the shamed guards.

Celestia was pleased to see her prized student and now fellow Princess, “Oh, Twilight, would you mind helping Luna here catch up on things?”

Luna was pleased as well to see a familiar, friendly face. Twilight was quite the good companion for Celestia, being both loyal and determined to please. Luna could only imagine how nice it was to have a second like that, an understudy to teach everything you know…

Looking more at Twilight, Luna had an idea. The one formerly known as Nightmare Moon had quite a deal of time that needed filling. And if Celestia could do something, who was to say Luna could not do better?

Twilight’s response was a noncommittal, “Sure.”

Luna thought more about her new idea for a moment before realizing the tone that had come from the usually happy or nervous mare. Unemotional was not Twilight’s forte usually, with the mare overreacting to a great deal of events and being smug in many more.

This was a bit off.

Luna left Celestia’s side as quickly as she had taken it, gliding down to be beside the newest Princess, “Is something bothering you, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight put on a weak facade, her smile quite fake as she responded, “No, I’m quite fine. Just busy, busy, busy. That’s all.”

Luna cast her gaze back to Celestia, who only gave a sad nod, before deciding to let it go for now. Twilight needed to want to get better if she was to do so, no matter whatever was bothering her.

“Well then, catch me up with what you need to. I have something I intend to see to today.”

“Get out of here!”

Luna had barely left the castle for her own plans when she began to hear shouts and the stomping of angry hooves. Initially expecting this to be a result of her appearance, Luna was ready to play it off until she realized that she was flying high above those on the street who were so angry. They likely had no idea she was there.

“Canterlot has no place for wash-ups raising racket.”

“Yeah, get off the stage! You shouldn’t even be up there!”

On the ground was a crowd gathered around the stage Loki had used during his brief reign of terror. The crowd was large, albeit not anywhere near the entirety of the city like had been there after the Changelings rounded them up.

What was drawing their ire was a pony with a blue fur similar to the one Luna had when she was younger, if a bit closer to Rainbow Dash’s. They had a purple cloak with stars of both blue and yellow, and on top of their unicorn head was a similar patterned hat.

The pony gave a polite cough as she tried to continue the show that this crowd of ponies had come to crash, magical fireworks going off around her along with a snap or two of thunder as she spoke.

“As it so happens, The Great and Powerful Trixie has a permit to perform here. Princess-”

A rock knocking her hat off gave the street magician a fright as the crowd began to boo her. The high society ponies of Canterlot had heard of the infamous Trixie, and given how they would treat even national heroes as if they were trash they had even less respect for a pony whose reputation was as dirty as some villains.

Trixe levitated her hat into the air before her face to dust it off, noting a large tear on the side. The reason for placing it before her face was twofold though, as the prideful mare did not care to let the others see how their words were getting to her.

She tried to block out every voice, but her concentration was shattered when another rock tore through her hat and collided with her head with the aid of a magic. Trixie dropped her hat in surprise, taking a step back to touch her now bleeding cheek.

The pony who had taken to the rocks, a child no less, yelled at her in a spoiled voice, “No one likes you, go back to wherever you came from!”

Trixie snorted at the utter humiliation she was facing, ready to chew out this terrible crowd when she noticed all of their faces twist into expressions of terror.

“N-Ni…” the crowd choked out, none amongst it able to finish their sentence before they turned tail and raced away at full speed.

Trixie could not help but be baffled by this turn of events. Was it something she had done?

“What is wrong? My fireworks are not that scary.”

“Nightmare Moon!” the last of the crowd screamed as they fled in terror, their hooves carrying them away from the platform as fast as they could manage.

Upon mention of Equestria’s former menace, Trixie spun around to see if she too could spot the black coated mare.

The performer did not expect to turn directly around into said fur, bumping into Nightmare Moon’s chest and stumbling back in fright caused by the scare.

Trixie bit her lip as she looked up at one of the royal sisters. Nightmare Moon was looking past her at the fleeing ponies, with a degree of pleasure and distaste both. Nothing about her seemed to be at all ill-intentioned though, and soon enough she looked down to Trixie with a small smile.

Tales of how Nightmare Moon had arrived to confront the foes of Equestria only to disappear chasing them off had rose throughout Equestria since the invasion. While others were unsure about how to see that, Trixie was not about to be ungrateful.

Trixie bowed down before she could think of what she was doing, “P-princess Luna, I uh, can explain…I think.”

Luna laugh came out as a cackle, the Princess not really realizing it, “There is no need to. This city has a serious infestation by arrogant foals.”

As much as she wished it to be otherwise, Trixie could not disagree. She cast her gaze to the side and rubbed a blue hoof to her still bleeding cheek.

“I only came to try and cheer everypony up after word got out about the invasion…”

Luna knelt down and gave the most reassuring smile she could muster. This was perfect, “For that, you have my thanks,” she brought a hoof to Trixie’s face tentatively and moved the young mare’s own hoof away. Now able to see the wound, Luna immediately went about mending it with her magic. Trixie felt the blood stop trickling and the pain of the gash disappear in an instant, surprising the young magician.

Luna stood back up and kept smiling at the performer, “But know that this city, for all of its greatness, is a lost cause. My sister’s light handed ways have ensured that, not to mention that their agitation over recent events must be rising tensions.”

Trixie fumbled with words of thanks for the healing done, but Luna had enough of seeing the mare grovel on the ground.

“Pick yourself up. You have no need to grovel and quiver, Trixie Lulamoon.”

The use of her full name surprised Trixie, who slowly rose and picked up her damaged hat again, “You know who I am?”

Luna nodded before sitting her hindquarters down to appear more relaxed, “I have kept tabs on all of the adventures of Celestia’s student, Twilight Sparkle, whom I hear you have a rivalry of sorts with. Is this true?”

As Luna had thought, this was quite perfect.

Trixie flushed red in anger at the mention of the other mare, “Sort of. I kind of was the only one who actually cared about that.”

Luna nodded, understanding the anger of being overshadowed and also ignored, “Were you not also the one to harness the power of the Alicorn amulet?”

Any redness not caused by blood left Trixie’s face as guilt flooded her, the mare’s gaze falling to the stage beneath them both, “Yes.”

The Princess brought a hoof out to Trixie’s face and lifted it up gently, “Do not think of this as an inquisition,” eyes meeting, Luna laughed, “I would be the last pony who could criticize another pony over using a corrupting power to settle a grudge.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that…” Trixie’s eyes darted down again before she caught herself and brought them back up, “Well why do you look like Nightmare Moon again, Princess Luna?”

At least somepony wanted to set the record straight, to Luna’s relief, “Precisely what I was speaking of. I took this form again to confront the Changelings and their leader, and events that happened afterwards have prevented me from shedding it.”

Trixie found herself smiling back, “Oh, okay then. Then the stories are true. So-“ her face flushed red again as she thought about what she almost said, “Never mind.”

Luna was intrigued, “Go on.”

“You’re not evil again?” Trixie asked nervously, her lip almost bleeding from how much she was biting it.

The larger mare’s eyes rolled, “That’s subjective, but I suppose you could say I am reformed. I have been for some time.”

Trixie sat down too then, sensing that the conversation would be going on for some time. The Princess spoke of something that was of interest to the performer though. After being exposed as a fraud and after enslaving a town to her will, not many ponies were welcoming her back on stage. Her previous face gash was proof enough of that.

“How do you do it? The ponies are all still scared of you, but at least you can boss them around…”

Luna brought a hoof to where her necklace should be, only to feel that it was not there, “Feeling guilty about the Alicorn Amulet?”

Trixie nodded slowly, the mare still nervous about why one of the land’s royalty would be talking with her about all of these things if she was not about to get in some kind of trouble.

Luna cared not about punishing Trixie though. In fact, it was even less on her mind than the necklace that she now was missing for whatever reason, “What drove you to first using it and falling under its power? I would care to hear your side of things.”

“I visited Ponyville, and while I was there Princess Twilight’s friends heckled me on stage. I did what any performer should and shut them down,” Trixie gave a nervous smile and laugh, “Humiliated them.”

“As you should. Those six can get quite preachy when they desire to,” Luna cackled again, remembering all too well what it’s like to be opposed to them.

Trixie threw a hoof up in the air, glad that somepony finally agreed with her about the issue, “Exactly! So, after my show, these two kids who had seen my act brought an Ursa to Ponyville to test my abilities…”

“I too would like to see your powers, but there are better ways,” Luna let slip in a whisper. Trixie caught some of it, but largely ignored it in order to continue.

Trixie’s voice became more and more agitated as she continued to tell her story, “I stayed and tried to confront the Ursa, but it destroyed my wagon-slash-stage-slash-house. Then Twilight came and levitated it away, humiliating me in front of the town because she did what I couldn’t.”

Luna could only picture Celestia’s student innocently doing something like that. While kind hearted, Twilight was quite oblivious in certain regards and probably had not thought to see thing’s from Trixie’s perspective, “I heard from Twilight that the kids brought that Ursa Minor into Ponyville after an encounter with Spike, her assistant. He called you a fraud if I do remember correctly.”

Trixie’s anger deflated again, “I did lie about being able to face an Ursa Major, but I’m a performer…”

The pseudo-Nightmare Moon could hardly fault a pony whose job is to make themselves look amazing for boasting, as it was not something you could really bust them over. Could you fault a guard for using force to do their job? A Princess for using manipulation?

“It’s your thing. So, if I have the record straight, Twilight’s friends heckled you for doing your very job, led to an Ursa being brought to town that you would later be blamed for, led to your property being destroyed, and humiliated you to the point your reputation was ruined?”

Trixie nodding weakly was quickly halted by Luna cackling at the top of her lungs.

“If I had been you I would have killed them. You seeking to humiliate Twilight is a little tame in comparison.”

Trixie was unsure how to take that semi-praise, “Thanks?”

Calming herself down, “Did you know the Alicorn Amulet corrupts its user before you used it?”

“No, I just knew it was powerful and could let me face Princess Celestia’s personal student…it took forever to earn enough bits from working on that rock farm to buy it.”

Luna scoffed, “I do not know why we do not call them quarries like other nations. Another thing I can blame Celestia for in my absence.”

Trixie was sensing animosity of some kind and so innocently questioned, “Do you two get along?”

Luna switched to a nervous laugh, realizing that she may have been a little too honest, “Now? Yes, of course, but I have my qualms with how she has let certain things happen during my banishment.”

She cleared he throat and rose to all four hooves, her head nodding to Trixie.

“Now, miss Lulamoon, I would like to see your powers.”

Trixie looked down to her hat and then back up to Luna, confused as to what she was talking about, “My powers?”

Luna nodded. It was time she began working on her plan, “I heard the crack of thunder earlier. I am a fan of it myself. However the skies are clear today, and I assume that the populace of this town would never stoop to such a practice.”

Trixie laughed and quickly took the due credit, rising to her feet quickly, “That was me. Not anything big though,” her ego quickly fizzled as her thoughts returned to the mare who ruined everything for her in the first place, “I know a lot of magic, but I can’t help but feel weak compared to Twilight.”

It was with some regret that Luna admitted to herself that no pony she found would likely have comparable raw magical strength as Twilight, especially after her unsanctioned ascension, but power was not all that mattered.

“No two ponies are the same in their magical talent. While Celestia was quite similar to me in terms of raw power before my transformation, she does not have the same depth of knowledge I have,” Luna explained and boasted both.

Trixie nodded despite still having questions, “How is Twilight so powerful then?”

Luna shook her head, “Celestia’s school trains a Unicorn in the basics of magic they will need in life, but it does not delve much beyond that from what I have been informed. After all, it would be impossible to have a school that could teach unicorns of every talent and specialty. The scope would be impossible.”

Luna leaned in towards Trixie, craning her neck down to be more at her level, “Now, given that Twilight was my sister’s prized and personal student, she received some more attention. Her talent is magic itself, and under the right circumstances she has even defeated Queen Chrysalis.”

“How is that possible? Chrysalis beat Celestia! That just isn’t fair!” Trixie complained, not having known just how overpowered her rival was.

Luna, on the other hand, noticed that Trixie’s voice sounded like someone else’s…

“Ignoring how much you sound like the Changeling Queen, I did mention that it was under the right circumstances. If Celestia or I had been given that boost she received Queen Chrysalis would not have lived to invade us again, or had enough ashes to fit in a tea cup.”

Trixie felt flustered about her overreaction, “Oh, uhm, I see.”

Luna rose up to her full height and assumed an authoritative voice, “Now, enough chit-chat. Go on. Show me the extent of your abilities. I could use a good show after the past few days I have had.”

Trixie too rose up, also giving a small bow, “If you so wish it, I will do my best, Princess.”

The two stepped apart to give eachother space, one to perform and one to watch, with Luna even sitting once again. Trixie felt her nerves bunch up as she tried to think about what to do that could possibly impressive Luna, who was more powerful than she could ever hope to be, and who was the highest profile pony she had ever had give her attention.

Trixie conjured the fireworks and lights she normally would to start off a show, putting more effort into making the fireworks explode larger and over a wider spread than usual. Seeing a small smile creep on Luna’s face, Trixie pushed her power a bit further and conjured up a cloud amidst the explosions of her fireworks, the cloud made to send out bolts of lightning as had drawn Luna’s attention previously.

While the result were not large or powerful bolts, the ability to control the elements to some degree was very impressive in Luna’s book. Even Loki was unable to do such a feat outside of his natural affinity for ice. Such a talent could be harnessed into something greater if work was put into it, and not just to wow and impress other ponies.

Luna found herself genuinely impressed by the display. Twilight might be able to lift an Ursa with her magical power, but Luna had never once seen her do something along these lines.

A cursory glance to Trixie’s hip revealed a magician’s wand and a moon. Luna could not help but see the irony in that last part.

“Impressive.”

Trixie blushed and bowed her head, “Thank you.”

Luna was actually appreciating having somepony else she could talk to who was not her lover for once. She briefly pondered if this was what it was like for Celestia with having Twilight?

“I notice that you do not seem to fear me as much as ou-“ Luna caught her verbal error and corrected it. And to think she had been doing so well since Loki’s speech lessons, “My other subjects do. May I ask why?”

Trixie frowned, finding that she actually was liking the maligned Princess, “You are our princess, and there has been a lot of talk about how you fought to stop the Changelings a few days ago. You also seem a lot nicer than some stories would suggest.”

Talent, potential, and respect. Exactly what Luna desired.

“Well, I think I have made up my mind. Miss Lulamoon, how goes your living situation?”

Trixie rubbed one of her own shoulders at the topic of money, “I still have no home or stage of my own, and I have no bits after traveling here and getting my permit.”

Luna looked over the young mare again and found that she appeared to be quite thinner than the average pony her age. How little had she been eating these past years? “You do look quite thin. Care to come with me back to Canterlot Castle?”

The performer blinked in confusion, “Wait, seriously?”

Luna turned around so that her head was facing the castle, “I would rather you not be starved while I tell you more about my proposal.”

That only made Trixie more curious, “Proposal?”

A smug grin turned to face Trixie, “If you are willing, I am looking for a student of my own. It is quite fortunate I found one so talented,” Luna kept herself from laughing as Trixie’s jaw dropped, “Only if you so wish, though.”

Trixie did wish to pick her jaw up off the floor, but found herself unable, “I-I, uh-“

Luna snorted, “A nod will do.”

Upon receiving the instantaneous nod, she turned back to the castle, “I am pleased. There will be some conditions, however.”

Trixie rose her brow. She was curious as to what that could mean, not that almost anything could be a deal breaker for this opportunity, “Conditions?”

“You must take your studies seriously, and you must help me when I so require your talents. I will be taking several trips in the future that may take days to weeks, and I need somepony to take care of my paperwork during that time.”

Given that she would have gone back to work on the rock farm if need be, Trixie found this to be much more than fair, “Of course, anything! I promise to do my very best!”

Luna started to walk back to the castle, no longer having a reason to be in the city she so despised, “I will hold you to that.”

Trixie, however, did not follow after her right away, “Princess, I…” she swallowed her breath nervously as she tried to find the right words, “Not to sound ungrateful, but do I really deserve this opportunity?”

Luna rolled her eyes once again, just wishing that Trixie would accept her good will and let that be that, “Relax. I am a firm believer in getting your just dues, and you sound as if you are in need of some help after all you have been through. Become my student and you will not ever have to worry about bits or a home again.”

Trixie bowed again humbly, “Thank you, Princess Luna.”

“Now come along, my little pony. I do not know about you but I would care for some nourishment.”

Luna smirked to herself as she wondered about just how long she wanted to steal her sister’s phrase, Trixie racing to keep up with her long steps as she left the stage.

Trixie desperately wanted to let out an impressed whistle, but was quite unsure if doing so was against any kind of etiquette the place might have. After all, she did not want to mess up what she now had going for her.

The reason for this suppressed whistle was the castle itself. Upon entering, now with less fear emanating from the guards, Luna had taken Trixie through the halls towards the dining hall.

Trixie was wowed by how expensive everything looked, still keeping her worn and now ripped hat atop her head and her similarly weathered cloak on her back. A single item anywhere in sight was probably worth more than anything Trixie had.

“This place is huge. I’ve never been here before…”

Luna could have sword everypony in existence had been in there at some point, “Not even at the Royal Wedding?”

Trixie shook her head no, “I was not invited for better or worse.”

That only earned a shrug from the Princess, who was sure Trixie would see those events lose their novelty soon enough, “You did not miss much. The most interesting part was the first Changeling Invasion of recent history.”

Trixie snickered as she sensed Luna’s derisive tone towards it, “Was it really bad?”

Luna gave a fake yawn to insult it further, “A large wedding with way too many ponies for somepony no-one knows about marrying another pony no-one really knows about. I can think of better events I have attended.”

“How would you do your own wedding if you had one?”

“Bold question,” one that actually made Luna think for a moment, despite the rumbling in her stomach, “I would only invite a select group of ponies I desire to be there. It would be private, and not house the entirety of Canterlot in it. Outside of that, I would be open to negotiate with my lover about the whole matter.”

Not really seeing a way to continue the conversation, Trixie just smiled and nodded as they continued down the hallway. On the way Luna too note of the place where there had been a hole in the wall earlier, but was now fixed. Quick service given Twilight’s brief overview of tasks needed to be done followed by a short visit to Canterlot.

After a brief silence, Luna stopped in front of two large doors and pushed them open with a hoof. Trixie looked inside, only to see tables and tables of food. The Great and Powerful Trixie was quickly fighting the urge to drool over the feast available.

Luna smiled at the starved pony, “Well here we are. Any food you want at any point of the day is available here.”

Trixie’s starved stomach did the talking for her, “I can eat anything?”

“Why you could try the tables and chairs for all I care, but I doubt they would be very appetizing. I will warn you that you should stay away from cake, as Celestia has a weakness for it and may grow angry if there is not enough for herself,” Luna joked.

“Trixie?”

Both the blue and formerly blue mare looked around the room to find where the voice came from, only to see that it had come from a nearby table. Twilight Sparkle was sitting down eating food with a book at her side when the two arrived, only to be quite surprised by who came in with Princess Luna.

Trixie rose a brow as well, not expecting for the Ponyville resident to be in Canterlot, “Twilight?”

“What are you doing here?” the newest Alicorn asked, not understanding what Trixie could possibly be doing in the dining hall with Luna.

Luna brought a hoof to Trixie’s shoulder and smiled at Twilight, “She is my guest, as well as my first student.”

Twilight strained to put on a happy expression, “Oh, wow, congratulations?”

Trixie glared at her former rival, something irritating her as she observed Twilight’s new wings, “Thank you for your letter, Princess.”

The new Princess did not think anypony would find out about that, and as such found herself as flustered as Trixie had been earlier, “Oh, that little thing? Just a joke, haha.”

Luna felt as if she was missing here, “Letter? Joke?”

Trixie huffed, “One of the first things Princess Twilight here did was add ‘The Great and Powerful’ to the beginning of my name. I don’t care about that, but she signed it with ‘Princess Twilight Sparkle’ as if to rub it in.”

So Trixie still had a grudge against Twilight, who was not above playfully messing with her. Things could definitely be worse, especially since being jealous of Twilight could fuel Trixie’s own studies.

Luna looked down to her new student with a wry grin, “Am I sensing this is going to be a thing?”

Trixie instantly backtracked, not knowing if she should let her temper fly like that, “Not if you don’t want it to be, Princess Luna.”

The Princess of Night laughed, lowering her hoof from Trixie so as to not be too touchy, “I do not care honestly if you two do this little childish routine so long as it does not interfere with anything else. Twilight, you will stop sending childish letters when you should be doing paperwork,” she smiled down at her student, “Trixie, you will be learning a spell to turn her into a sheep should she continue pestering you.”

While she may have been indifferent earlier in the day, Twilight was quickly becoming more emotional as she was drawn away from her thoughts to something entirely new.

“Sheep?” she squeaked nervously, not even sure how that was possible but also not wanting to question Luna’s power.

Luna smiled to Twilight now to unnerve her more, “From my experience they are the dumbest animals in the land, a fitting punishment for childish behavior. It would only be temporary of course.”

Twilight shook her head and turned back to her book, hoping that Luna was merely jesting, “Yeah, good luck with that. I’m going to finish eat.”

Trixie leaned towards Luna to whisper, “I’m not sure I’m strong enough for a spell like that.”

Luna patted the blue mare on the head with a laugh, not caring to lower her own voice, “Oh, believe me, you will be. I’m learning it myself at the moment, and it is not the power I struggle with but rather the complexity. I think I should have it finished by tomorrow.”

“You must be a fast learner. How can you learn spells so easily? I usually read about them and learn everything I can before even trying them.”

Luna pointed to a table which Trixie quickly took a seat at, her eyes like dinner plates as they observed all of the food available, “One thousand years of isolation and a great deal of free time leaves little for a pony to do. I had a lot of time to practice things and learn tricks to gaining new powers.”

Luna took a seat beside Trixie as the latter began to eat as quickly as she could politely do so, eating with correct manners than Luna herself loathed to use at times. Looking around the room for anything she could possibly wish to eat not at this table, Luna’s eye caught something else entirely.

She prodded Trixie on the shoulder as the new student continued to eat, pointing with the other hoof to an orange coated stallion with blue hair, “Oh, a quick first rule. You see this guard?”

Trixie paused her devouring of all food nearby to look at the random guard, noticing nothing interesting at all about the stallion, “Yes. What about him?”

Luna snickered as she caught sight of an assortment of pies. She would have the blueberry one of them, but that left many others to be used in more…interesting ways.

“You are permitted to do anything and everything humiliating to him. In honor of a very close friend of mine of course who would always do just that.”

Trixie noticed the now floating pies and grabbed one of her own with her telekinesis, “Anything?”

Luna nodded, “Precisely.”

“I see…”

The guard screamed as he saw a pie begin flying at him. Nopony in the room moved to help him, not a single soul actually caring as the pie began to chase him around and around.

Just as the guard managed to outmaneuver the pie by leaping over a table, knocking food onto Twilight’s book to her extreme anger, the other pies that Luna had taken all crashed into him. The pie Trixie had been chasing him with originally added insult to injury by smashing into his face after this point, leaving both mares amused.

“Oh my, this is more fun than I thought it would be.”

Luna could see that this apprentice thing could work out quite beautifully if done right.

“Welcome to Canterlot Castle.”

After eating and discussing more in-depth details about the apprenticeship, Luna decided she had best have a place for Trixie to sleep be made. A simple order and a room was being prepared immediately, nearby Luna’s own habitat no less, with the only thing left to do being bringing Trixie to it.

On the way, however, they ran into somepony else who was heading to their own room. Celestia smiled as she noticed her sister coming down the hallway and greeted her warmly, completely ignoring the Blueblood incident under the pretense that Luna was very stressed and that he had it coming.

“Good afternoon Luna. Preparing for your shift?”

Luna nodded before looking down to the mare beside her, “Yes, but I have something else I am tending to first.”

Celestia too looked down, only with the added expression of surprise, “Oh? Who is this?”

“Celestia, I do not believe you have met my protégé in person before. This is Trixie Lulamoon. I intend to teach her everything I can about magic, like how you worked with Twilight.”

Celestia gave a polite nod to her sister’s guest, “It is a pleasure to meet you, miss Lulamoon.”

Trixie bowed down completely, still not sure about all the etiquette involved with this place, “It is an honor to meet you, Princess.”

Celestia turned back to Luna and gave her a cheeky smile, Celestia’s hooves slowly trotting towards her door, “Well, I must begin preparing for bed. See to it that she does not try to take over Canterlot like the last guest who you taught magic, okay?”

As Celestia departed Trixie could not help but feel uncomfortable. Luna was laughing though, despite the painful memories also brought up, “She jests. My romantic partner was forced into doing something unsavory, and he is being punished for his actions.”

Trixie nodded slowly, “I see,” her understanding went from seemingly complete to very confused as something else came to mind, “You know, I didn’t even know the Princesses had those.”

Luna let out a content sigh as she thought back to two nights prior, “It is a most recent phenomenon I must admit.”

It did not take the two long to reach the room set aside for Trixie, for with Luna’s long steps and Trixie’s desperate attempt to keep up they moved at quite the fast pace.

“Now, here is your room. You may use it at your leisure. Our servants will tend to your needs, you only need not abuse their hospitality,” Luna explained as Trixie opened the door.

Trixie bowed down to the point where her horn was kissing the ground, unable to properly show just how grateful she felt.

“Thank you so very much, Princess, for everything you have offered me. I...I am really not all that sure I deserve this.”

Luna smiled at Trixie, knowing that her apprentice was not the only one who was going to be better off because of this, “All you need do is listen to and learn what I say and have to show you.”

“I will not disappoint you, Princess!”

“I’m sure you won’t. Now, have a good night, Trixie. Tomorrow we get started.”

Luna only hoped that would be the case, not that she was dubious. After all, where had she heard of a pony who was treated like dirt, was jealous of somepony else and who only wanted to do a little good, but did something maniacal as a result of pride?

Author's Note

Now I have all three of my favorite ponies in the story...Luna, Rainbow Dash, and Trixie. Yay for blue ponies! (Or formerly blue in the former's case). I've been waiting awhile for this moment to come with Trixie being Luna's apprentice.

Thank you for reading! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

EDIT 6/17/15: Looking back at this chapter is so nice, because this is the launching point for the entirety of the rest of the story. What will happen from here on out all began and was set in stone here...so now, as the story ends, it is quite the nostalgic albeit sad moment to look back on.

The Tragic Truth

A/N: Special thanks to The_Whovian16, D48, Evowizard25, Killabyte, Drgnwolf, King Sombrony, ZeroInfinity, Cadmium, Rebel Badger, PhantomPhoenix, Mutie Genic, and Jade Skysong for your comments last chapter! Your support means a great deal to me and it is what keeps me writing so much so quickly.

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I know I had a lot of fun making this chapter, so I hope you can at least have part of that!

Despite it being nearly midday the second prince of Asgard was still in bed. He had nothing to do, no guards pestering him to attend this or that event, and his mother could not be visiting him at every point. Even with her ability to project herself through illusions, and thus talk and listen to him from elsewhere, a queen did have her own duties to tend to.

Even in spite of his isolation, Loki found himself better off. Hard conversations awaited his inevitable talks with the Allfather and others who would inquire just as to what happened to him. Questions Loki feared he could not answer truthfully in his own interest, not that he had never lied before.

Looking down at the jewelry in his hand, a blue necklace with a moon symbol on it, Loki felt a pang of regret. Lying semi-maliciously to those who had wronged him was second nature to the prince. Not to those who had only done the best for him.

But what could he say? That, when offered, he had left the door open? That he had taken their powerful scepter, it being under the guise of an act of good faith? That it could only bring out the worst of someone, not bring forth a monster that previously had not existed?

Yes, they had threatened Frigga. Then they threatened Luna. Then their interest grew to include the previously ignored mare, who had demonstrated her powers in the presence of Loki. The more heralds they could control the better.

Not a day later Loki gave himself willingly to them, hoping to divert their attention to himself. The nightmares had ended, the mental torment subsided whenever they deemed him on task, and all was fine.

Threats were not what made Loki bow to them though. He had put himself on that road because of his anger. His jealousy. And now they would be coming at their first convenience to punish him.

Loki lowered his head into his hands, the necklace’s cool surface brushing against the side of his face. The images shown to him were maddening before, and now without the scepter’s influence he was free of them. His handler however stated that he would wish for death after what they had in store for him should he fail.

The prince would rather just be put under an axe an executed than see what they had in store for him. What could possibly be worse than unending images of your friends and family tortured, beaten, killed? Or feeling every sensation they do as it happens?

Loki had long thought Asgard to be the pinnacle of power in the universe. The master he had served pushed that idea out and instead made him realize just how mortal they were.

Thanos. The Other. One a genocidal monster and the other his ruthless advisor.

Thanos could kill Loki, Thor and all of Asgard’s finest single handedly if his plans went unchecked. And then there was his army. Or rather, armies. He accepted only the strongest and useful under his command.

Loki ignored the drop on his hand as he thought about how he almost enacted one of the madman’s other purges. Thanos would not have actually given Loki control of his army as promised, he would have turned it on him the moment his usefulness ended.

Asgard’s prince desired to know the reason for the slaughters enacted by Thanos, but it was all he could do to learn even his name and overall objectives. The Tesseract was only one of a set. A set research had revealed to be of six.

The Tesseract was said to have unlimited power…and the powerful omnicidal being who desired it was not hoping to acquire one.

Loki was not at all surprised to hear the door push open and a familiar silver armored and blonde haired warrior to enter unabashedly, not caring if Loki wanted him to enter or not.

“Brother,” Thor greeted, nodding to Loki as he shut the door behind himself.

Loki looked not to Thor but to the many locks that had just been broken by Thor’s strength. Nothing a little magic could not fix, but a bothersome task to handle nonetheless, “Brother.”

Thor one handedly grabbed a seat from Loki’s reading table and lifted it off the ground, plopping it next to Loki’s bed in the place he had seen his mother place it many times before bed centuries earlier, “How are you faring?”

“As fine as I can in this cage.”

As he sat, the one who would win all of their brute force competitions was a bit puzzled by Loki’s labeling of the room, “This is your own room.”

“One that I may not leave,” the one who would always win all of their finesse related competitions retorted, “What, does the Allfather not trust me for some reason?”

Thor waved his hand around aimlessly, “He intends to have us clean up this whole mess, and by that I mean the both of us. The Nine Realms are beginning to fall apart without our guidance, what with the Bifrost destroyed.”

Having absolutely no ulterior motives whatsoever, Loki rose a single brow and sat up straight, “How is that going by the way?”

A smile cracked on the warrior-brother’s face. He could not pass up the opportunity to rib Loki, “Is that desire to see your lover I hear?”

“No more than you yours,” Loki responded dryly. Thor was no doubt pining to see his lover Jane after not having the opportunity to do so on Earth recently.

Loki remembered an offhand threat thrown her way being said by him in an attempt to get at Thor, so the younger son feared he may have brought the conversation the wrong way.

Thor seemed determined not to devolve this conversation into a bickering match, as he instead kept smiling at Loki, “Then very much indeed. Tell me Loki, however did you find such a…woman?”

“What, is she too good for me?” Loki questioned smarmily.

Thor leaned over and point his index finger at his brother, “Bluntly, yes,” he sat up and held his hands up in peace when Loki instantly glared at him, “Not that I am not happy for you.”

Loki rolled his eyes before bringing them to look at the necklace in his palm, “I am sure she has told you the whole situation between her and myself. From what I gather she has to keep explaining it often so that others do not kill me.”

Thor went back to pointing a finger at Loki, “That is not true. My intention was only to harm and maim, never kill.”

That wrought a small laugh from Loki, who after everything that had transpired between them was fully surprised Thor was even willing to speak with him, nonetheless jokingly. He would have to inquire about that the first opportunity he had.

As Loki pondered his brother’s jovial attitude, Thor changed their topic to an extent, “I have grown better at detecting your lies, Loki, and so I will ask you this and I expect a truthful answer. What are your intentions with her?”

Loki lifted his eyes from the necklace to the wall past his bed, “I honestly did not have any but a few days ago. I had hoped to leave her behind in her world with the idea that I was a wicked villain.”

Thor nodded as Luna’s recounting of the tale played in his mind, “But she followed you and never once faltered in trying to protect you, even from yourself.”

Loki glanced over to Thor and nodded hesitantly, “Precisely. I would honestly rather never put her through all of this. That was going to be my final gift to her, keeping her away from those who would hurt her.”

With crossed arms and a grim face, Thor had something else he wanted to talk about, “You have not spoken of those that manipulated you to great detail. Could you share some more information by chance?”

Thinking back to Thanos, Loki’s green eyes fell down to his similarly green sheets. Even without a single Infinity Gem Thanos could stomp on Thor, even if he had his merry band of friends from Midgard supporting him. And telling Thor or anyone who would tell Thor about Thanos would make the elder prince go off and try to slay the monster for his crimes not only against Earth, Asgard, and his family, but for his crimes against the universe at large.

Loki stared his brother straight in the face, doing his best to convey the seriousness of what he had to say with a voice free of any joke or humor.

“If I reveal everything you will die the moment you try to do anything about them. That is what I know,” Loki’s eyes fell down to the hammer at Thor’s side, “We think ourselves gods amongst men…the man they follow makes us appear no better than mortals ourselves. I am grateful every day that I have managed to keep them from this realm and from Luna’s.”

Thor frowned. For something to frighten Loki to this degree was impressive indeed, to the point Thor was questioning his own abilities. Make them appear mortal? What could possibly have such power?

“Did they have an interest in Luna or her realm?”

“For precisely the reason they held me in such high regards. Powerful magical outcast who has resentment towards their world and family,” Loki clenched the fist not holding Luna’s necklace, his pale skin growing paler from his own grip, “They care not which realm burns, only that as many die in the process as possible.”

Thor leaned towards his brother and brought a hand out to touch his shoulder. Loki winced at the touch, but Thor ignored this.

“Loki…do not let her go.”

Nervous due to their proximity, Loki cast a fake smile and scoffed, “As if I could, even if I did try.”

Thor narrowed his eyes, and went back to pointing a finger while keeping the one hand on Loki, “I am serious. Asgard deserves a Queen as great as mother.”

His brothers words only baffled Loki, who now found himself genuinely amused at the ridiculous things being said, “What makes you think I will ever inherit the crown now?”

With a deep breath, Thor leant back and removed his grasp from Loki, “You and I both know that I am not fit to lead. Not yet at least. But you have the intellect and cunning called for, as well as some mediocre fighting capabilities that will be passable as king.”

“But why her? Rumor has it that our own people are not too fond of her,” it was a valid question after all. Why would his brother think that someone hated by their people would make a good queen?

Not being allowed to leave did not stop Loki from talking to those who visited. Namely, his mother.

Thor shrugged nonchalantly, “Astounding magical potential, similarly passable combat abilities, and a boldness that is required,” he sighed again as he addressed the reason why Loki questioned him, “And that is only select crowd you speak of, mostly amongst the guards. But the majority have fallen for her after hearing of how she managed to best our friends in combat.”

Loki had to admit his brother could be right every now and again, even if he was not right about the line of succession. However there was something else he was curious to know, not being privy to all of the details about Luna’s recent combat experience in Asgard.

“How did she fare against Lady Sif?”

He had fought alongside Lady Sif and the Warriors Three in many adventures and quests of heroic glory long before he tried to prove his worth by destroying Jotunheim. Of the four Lady Sif had always appeared the most capable, being more of a leader than the silent Hogun, more graceful and serious than the boisterous Volstagg, and more powerful than the pretty boy Fandral.

If any of them were to give Luna a good fight, it would be Sif. Not win of course, of that Loki was sure, but a decent fight nonetheless. Sif could only possibly win in combat if Luna had no access to any of her magic, but otherwise he was sure the talking horse could find a way to slip a spell or two past anyone’s attention.

Thor shook his head sadly, having been informed about the fight only afterwards and sad to have missed it, “They never drew blades against one another. Fandral did not wish for things to devolve into a woman-woman fight in the eyes of the onlookers. While Sif is an impressive warrior, to have such a combat would only belittle both in their eyes no matter who won.”

Logic had once been beyond Thor’s capability. To be able to explain such a situation and give insight on what might have happened was utterly stunning in his brother’s eyes.

Loki was the one to point a finger this time, “You are not the brute I grew up with. Where is he?”

Thor laughed and gave a hearty slap on the back to Loki, “And you are not the wallflower hiding behind mother’s skirt.”

As Loki recoiled from the slap, Thor stood up and kept laughing, “So, you may not leave your room, but this does not mean I can not bring you a selection of rings from the treasure-”

“Did mother put you up to this?” Loki cut him off with exasperation evident in his voice.

Thor preferred flustered Loki to crazy Loki, so he kept up the good cheer while calming his own laughter, “No, be she and I happen to agree that this mare of yours is quite possibly the best thing to happen to you in recent times.”

Before Loki could form a retort, the object in his hand caught Thor’s attention, “Is that her necklace?”

Loki moved it away from Thor, holding it out towards the vacant half of the bed as he asked guardedly, “And what if it is?”

“So, should I have the ring fashioned for a hand or a hoof? And what type of gem would she prefer?”

Loki began counting on his fingers silently before looking to Thor quizzically, “How many times have I tried killing you personally?”

Thor thought back as well “Two, if the Destroyer does not count. Our fight at the Bifrost and you dropping me out of a vessel.”

“The humans have a saying along the lines of ‘third time is the charm’. Do not tempt me,” Loki responded with a sneer, although his attempt to sound threatening only made Thor laugh again.

Thor crossed his arms as he thought back to what an ‘interesting’ human he met on Earth told him, “I too have learned things while on Midgard. There is a term for desiring two characters in a fictional work to be together, known as shipping. While not fictional, you will find that I ship you and this Luna quite hard. I will do what is necessary to bring you together.”

Realizing his brother’s insistence would not wane without reason, Loki attempted to bring forth his reason. Or rather just one of them.

“Thor, I am not marrying her. We have been in a relationship a whole month.”

“It took mother and father weeks, and me a few days to fall in love. I am sure you in your many months have done the same. What can it hurt?” Thor jokingly asked his brother, now with arms spread out.

Loki brought his face down into his hands again, really not wanting to get into this topic any further, “I am not going to have this conversation. Thor, please respect my wishes and leave the issue alone.”

The god of Thunder pointed a finger at Loki in a jokingly-serious manner, “For now. Do not expect this to be the last you hear of this.”

Given that both his mother and Thor were in on this together now, Loki was far from off the hook, “Oh, I am under no illusions that it will. After all, our dear mother has a great deal of free time.”

Thor began to laugh again, but Loki silenced him with a glare. He had had enough of this merriment from his brother.

“What has you so amused? I care to know so I can end it.”

Thor’s radiant smile beamed down to Loki, “Despite your claims to the contrary, you still consider us your family.”

That word gave Loki pause. He had been born and left to die by his own parents. He had given up everything to prove himself to a man who had almost just executed him if not for the pleading of Loki’s adoptive mother. Here near him was a brother he had tried killing thrice, the Destroyer incident included, and who looked as if he would embrace Loki at the slightest provocation.

And then there was Luna, who had decided one night to reach out to him despite his sour attitude because he needed someone. The thought now of losing someone so supportive…

Loki sighed as he thought over his life’s circumstances, both their ups and their downs, “Family are those you choose to care for, not those you are born to.”

Given the provocation needed, Thor brought himself over to Loki and pulled him into a forceful hug. No resistance would be allowed, and knowing this Loki gave none. He did not return it, but his not pulling away said enough to Thor.

They were brothers, even if things had been tense between them in recent times. Nothing could change that bond, even despite everything each had done to wrong the other.

After a moment of complete silence, Thor relinquished the hug and gave Loki’s back a break from the pressure it had been put under. Before turning to leave, Thor had one last thing to say. The real reason he had come.

“Before I leave, there is one other matter I wish to discuss. Father would have you assist in the Bifrost’s reconstruction.”

“About time I can leave-” Loki began to get off the bed until Thor held a halting hand out to him.

“You will be staying here and studying the necessary information to direct us better in building it.”

His chance at freedom squashed instantaneously. Loki was ever so pleased, “Lovely.”

Thor waved to Loki in a similar manner to when he abandoned him nights prior to their mother and Luna, “Fret not, the sooner we have the Bifrost finished the sooner you may steal more jewelry.”

Loki summoned a paper and quill to his side from his desk across the room. Maybe sending Thor a list of a hundred ways Loki could have him killed at any point in the day would stop this nonsense.

After sleeping in to the early afternoon, Trixie could say that she was going to very much like the schedule her teacher kept. Stay up all night and sleep from early morning to afternoon. Ever so perfect for a now former performer who had always been up late anyways, either traveling or performing late into each night.

Luna too was pleased to be back to her regular sleeping habits, as she found having a regular night’s rest gave her a clearer mind. More controlled. She needed that until she could find a way to rid herself of the alteration to her body.

The two had decided to meet in one of the castle’s gardens, Trixie arriving early both out of excitement and anxiety. She even beat Luna there, who had slept a little past when she had intended due to her previously distorted sleeping schedule and amount.

The entire wing by the garden was deserted, with Luna having dismissed every single nonessential worker and shooed out all others who may have lingered. She did not want anything distracting Trixie from what she had planned. The first day should be as perfect as possible after all.

“Before we start, tell me, what is your preferred method of learning?” Luna questioned Trixie as the latter looked around the courtyard nervously. A large variety of objects, including boulders, had been added to it quite conspicuously. What did Luna have planned for her she wondered?

While observing the various additions to the garden Trixie cleared her throat, “Well, because I’m a performer I like things that I can learn everything about before using it on stage. Any unaccounted detail or unexpected event can ruin a show after all.”

Luna nodded, having done the exact same process herself albeit for her own benefit, not the amusement of others, “So reading?”

Trixie flushed embarrassedly as she thought about how mentioning that might draw a comparison to Twilight, “Yes, but it is by no means a hobby. After developing my routine some time ago I have not had much need to expand my knowledge. Why change what is not broken in a routine?”

It did not call for much change in what Luna had planned. In fact, it did not change what Luna had planned for that day at all, “Well then, I see that a varied approach is called for.”

Using her telekinesis, Luna brought forth one of the various odd additions to the garden. This first one was a very large brown sack that was tied at the top and had a strange and lumpy texture to it towards the bottom.

She dropped the object in front of Trixie, who was unsure what it was for, “This sack is filled with useless things. Pick it up with your telekinesis and bring it across the courtyard.”

Not thinking too much of it, Trixie picked up the sack only to notice that it was actually quite heavy. More so than it looked like it should. Her magic around it became visibly strained as she turned her attention to the distance she would have to carry it.

Her eyes widened when she realized that this courtyard was long. Very long. And the way Luna was looking was not the short way across, but rather the longer way.

Trixie laughed nervously as she fought to keep the bag under control, “Can I move?”

That, Luna smiled, was the true test. Holding it could be difficult for Trixie, yes, but to extend her magical power the entire distance would be extremely enervating for her. Quite possibly too much for the unicorn to handle in fact, given that the measured distance Luna had of the garden was three hundred meters.

Luna shook her head with a reassuring smile to Trixie, “No. Stand still.”

Trixie fought the gut reaction to gape at her teacher’s response, not wanting to appear to be a complainer. With a gulp Trixie called forth everything she had to strengthen her hold on the bag.

Luna watched with interest as Trixie began to force the bag across the landscape as quickly as she could manage, not having been told to do so slowly. Just watching the light blue mare as she concentrated was of interest to Luna, as she could note how much it was draining from her and just how hard she was trying to keep up her appearances by not breathing too heavily or wheezing.

The bag almost fell halfway when Trixie let out a long breath, only to be caught a moment before contacting with the ground. With a huff Trixie lifted it up again, her teeth biting her lip as she fought to keep it up in the air. It wobbled again before quickly straightening out and moving forth once more, Trixie’s eyes straining as the horn’s purple glow began to intensify.

Luna moved beside Trixie and placed a hoof softly on her shoulder, Trixie catching with a glance the smile the princess was giving her. The fact that Luna was not looking at her critically, as if she was failing, soothed Trixie’s nerves and it did not take much longer for her to move the heavy bag the remaining distance.

“There,” Trixie announced with a deep breath accompanying it, her front hoof wiping some sweat off her brow from below her damaged purple hat.

Luna lowered her hoof from Trixie and looked over to the bag. She was impressed that Trixie had made it the whole distance. She would have at least passed her at half of the full garden, given that this was a preliminary exercise anyways, “You have very impressive control, but your raw power is lacking. Fixable, but something to keep in mind.”

Trixie removed her scraggly hat to the ground beside her self-consciously, realizing that such a worn piece of clothing might not be suitable in the presence of a princess.

That was not all she was self-conscious about, for she felt both proud and embarrassed by the princess’s praise, “All of my tricks are complex spells, but don’t really call for much magical power.”

Luna turned back to Trixie and without even focusing on it teleported the bag in front of them. She caught sight of Trixie’s hat removal and thought back to the damage it sustained the day prior, giving her an idea, “This useless waste of space in a bag, roughly the weight of a heavyset stallion who has been eating Celestia’s cake, was a struggle for you to sustain. If we are going to have you master the most powerful spells, you will need to build up your power.”

Trixie only nodded, not wanting to interrupt her most generous teacher. She was determined to not screw this opportunity up.

Given the opportunity to speak, Luna continued on, “Twilight lifted an Ursa minor before her ascension. This would no doubt be impossible at your current level,” she gave as Loki a smirk as she could, “By the time I am done with you, lifting an Ursa Major should be of no issue.”

The sheer audacity of what had been just said shocked Trixie, “Wait, how?”

Luna nodded to the other objects in the area she had brought, most notably the different sized boulders whose largest dwarfed even her in size, “Gradual power growth through exercise. Set your own pace, but I will not be teaching you anything specific until you can do what Twilight did when you first met her.”

As if to show off, Luna effortlessly lifted all of them by herself simultaneously and made them go around one another like a Ferris wheel. Trixie could not fully keep herself from gaping at the spectacle, impressed by the power her princess and teacher wielded.

Just as quickly as she had lifted them, Luna dropped them to the ground with a crash. She chuckled at the sight of Trixie’s amazement, bringing a blue shoed hoof to the top of her student’s head, “And who knows? I can move the moon, so the sky is literally the limit.”

Trixie blushed from embarrassment once again even as Luna removed her hoof and turned to leave. Somepony was appreciating her talents again, and a princess no less.

“When you think you are ready to progress in your studies, let me know. I will expect results within one month from now however.”

Trixie nodded feverishly even if Luna could not see her, quickly turning and bowing to her teacher as she departed, “Yes, of course. Anything else, Princess Luna?”

Luna turned to her disciple and smiled at the sight of her bowing. It was nice to see some old fashioned respect for once from one of her subjects rather than familiarity or disrespect.

“Focus on this solely for the week and see what progress you can make. Then I will introduce the administrative tasks you will be taking on in my absences.”

“How is your new student settling in?”

After tending to some backlogged paperwork from her absence, Luna had arranged to sit down and meet with her sister over dinner. Celestia had booted out Discord so that she could spend quality time with her sister, although promising that this time it would not leave him without a bed for the night.

Topics began with things like the reconstruction efforts that were going well with Discord’s grudging assistance to the nice lack of disrespect from Prince Blueblood in each of the two princesses lives that day. Celestia, however, had thought of something else to speak about.

While taking a sip of tea Luna thought back to her instructing of Trixie and the exercise she had her working on, “She seems to be just fine. Possibly overwhelmed, but eager to please.”

Celestia smiled at her sister as brightly as the sun, “I think it is wonderful that you are taking somepony under your wing.”

Luna smiled back at her, not about to say just about everything she had in mind with Trixie, “I have my reasons, but I agree. It is quite nice to have her around.”

The elder sister nodded and took a sip of her own tea, a content sigh escaping her lips as she thought back across the years she had advised Twilight, “Teaching is no easy task. It took me many centuries to find an effective method.”

“Letting her teach herself and only intervening when she seriously screws up?” Luna jokingly questioned, having noticed her sister’s favorite way of making Twilight learn something new.

Celestia unflinchingly rose an eyebrow and returned the jab, “And where is Trixie now?”

Luna realized that she was in no position to mock her sister for that type of teaching when it was how she was starting things with Trixie. As such she laughed in return, “Doing just that. I do intend to be more direct after she grows her powers.”

“I see. It is not common that one is as gifted as Twilight, so I suppose some catching up needs to be done,” Celestia responded softly, still smiling but with a small glint in her eye.

A glint that told Luna everything she needed to know: Celestia was on to her, although to what level she did not know. As such Luna just rose an eyebrow and decided to let Celestia reveal how much she had found out.

“Oh come now, don’t be surprised. I’m not so oblivious to notice that you took in Twilight’s rival as a student of all ponies. I can recognize a challenge when I see one.”

Luna rolled her eyes, glad that she was only partially on the money with that observation, “Well, it isn’t much of a challenge what with Twilight being an Alicorn now. I just intend to let Trixie meet her potential.”

Celestia continued to knowingly smirk at Luna, even though she had not ascertained anything else from her sister, “Oh is that so?”

“Whatever do you mean, sister?” Luna innocently responded before letting out a small laughing snort.

“No other reasons?” Celestia jokingly pressed.

“Of course. What, do you think me some nefarious schemer?” to emphasize her point, Luna brought a hoof to her own chest. She had trouble keeping a straight face because of the look Celestia was giving her.

Celestia shook her head and took another tea sip, “Me? Never. I mean, you look nothing like a villain.”

Both of them long having since finished eating, Luna stood up to leave, “I think I am going to go see how Trixie is doing.”

Celestia nodded to her sister, “Thank you for eating with me. I daresay this was nicer than whatever Discord would have had planned.”

Luna snickered on her way out, giving no other verbal response. It was on the black coated mare’s mind that her sister might be having yet another Royal Canterlot Wedding on her hooves, only this time for it to be Celestia’s own. Discord was living with her now after all.

As Luna left, Celestia thought back to their conversation on Trixie. The idea of Luna taking somepony, even Twilight’s former rival of sorts, under her wing was quite precious. She had not thought her sister to be the type to be so generous in this way, but she was happy for them both.

“I think you will both do just fine,” she whispered to nopony in particular.

Maybe having somepony else close to Luna other than Loki could help her in her state of high emotions.

Upon reaching the courtyard Luna could not see any sight of her apprentice. She had not set a time for her to stay, but Luna’s gut feeling was that Trixie would not have left after only about six hours.

It took her a moment to realize that she maybe should not be looking at the height she was, instead lowering her gaze a little to find Trixie laying on the ground nearby.

“Trixie?” Luna questioned her student, who was laying on her side as the night began to grow dark. Her face was exhausted, and with a quick check Luna noticed that one of the boulders she had brought was lying on the opposite side of the garden. The smallest of them, but the fact that Trixie must have worked her tail off to do it brought a proud smile to her face.

“Oh, hey Princess…” Trixie weakly stated, her lungs huffing from the work she had done some minutes prior. She had been practicing nonstop, even if the bag of useless things had grown more unruly over time.

Having correctly assumed that Trixie would not have left, Luna lowered the food she brought with her down in front of Trixie, “Here. It’s important to keep yourself properly nourished.”

At the sight of food, despite her exhaustion, the starved magician tore into it. Her hoof, not her exhausted magic, shoved a full bread roll in and she inhaled it so quickly Luna found herself chuckling again.

The rest of the food was quickly disposed of as Luna questioned, “How did it go?”

Trixie yawned and mumbled something before her head fell on top of the plate she had just sucked up like a vacuum cleaner. Luna smiled down at her as her student drifted off to exhausted sleep, having taken her duty seriously that day.

Luna levitated the now sleeping mare gently on top of her back and looked back to her. While initially being a little dubious, Luna was quite certain she had made the absolute best decision.

She craned her head back so that she could see some of Trixie. The blue mare’s tattered purple cloak reminded Luna of another piece of clothing Trixie had brought, and soon enough Luna levitated Trixie’s hat over to her sleeping head.

“Keep up the good work. It’ll pay off, I promise.”

Author's Note

No points for you guys if you know what Luna has in mind for our Great and Powerful student :trollestia:

Thank you for reading! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Just Open Your Eyes

A/N: Special thanks to D48, Killabyte, Evowizard25, King Sombrony, Drgnwolf, ABitterPill, Ketvirtas, PhantomPhoenix, JaceArveduin, ZeroInfinity, New Spark, D-Bence35, and Invisible Blade for your comments last chapter! Your support means a great deal to me and it is what keeps me writing so much so quickly.

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I know I had a lot of fun making this chapter, so I hope you can at least have part of that!

Luna had been content to leave Trixie to her own work for the most part as the days of the week passed by, stopping by only occasionally for a moment to bring her student something to eat.

Trixie did not seem to seek food on her own as she trained Luna noted, although she did not bring it up with her. Was it sheepishness about taking food from the royal dining hall? Or was it a leftover from having not had a steady flow of food in the recent year? Luna did not know which, but she did know just how important nutrition could be after a bout of starvation herself.

At the beginning of their second week together, Luna returned to the field that Trixie had been working in and gradually building her magical power. Luna had promised to introduce Trixie to the administrative side of things the next week, and so she best keep her word about that.

“Trixie?”

Standing at one edge of the field with teeth clenched and a sweating brow was the student, her unicorn horn glowing the same purple as her eyes as she lifted the smallest of the boulders across the courtyard at a reasonable pace. The rock was halfway across the field, but at the sound of the voice it took up pace and crossed the entire way immediately after.

The princess smirked at the sudden bout of determination, glad that her student was taking to this so well. Trixie took a moment to breathe in deeply before addressing her teacher, her magical effort having left her winded.

Even at rest now, traces of lingering pain and exhaustion could be found on the former stage performer’s face in the moonlit night, “Oh, hello Princess. Is there anything you need?”

“No, I am just fine. How are things going?” Luna shook her head no before placing down the plate of food she had brought.

Having noticed Trixie’s preference for it, she had made sure to bring a warm loaf of buttered bread. Its simplicity and relative cheapness explained all she needed to about why her student would prefer such a meal. Even so, fresh vegetables sat beside it on the plate as well as a cup of milk sitting in the middle of the plate.

Trixie nodded her thanks before beginning her meal, quickly wolfing down the bread first despite its relative lack of nutrition before starting on the rest. After the bread was finished in mere moments she swallowed and replied, “I’m getting better.”

“Take your time and do your best,” her mentor chuckled, a double meaning in her words. The rate at which Trixie rushed through food made her seem so desperate to eat it. Perhaps she was beginning to remember what it was like to eat regularly?

After broccoli met its demise, Trixie looked back to Luna again. Something had come to mind as she practiced her levitation that she could not shake, “Can I ask a question Princess?”

Luna sat down by Trixie as her student gorged herself on the remaining food and took intermittent sips of the milk, “Go ahead.”

Trixie made sure her mouth was not full before she spoke, “Well, from all the stories I have heard about the battles here in Equestria, nopony seems to use telekinesis during them. Wouldn’t preventing somepony from moving at all be an effective way of winning?”

That brought a smile to Luna’s face. Understanding how to do a spell was one thing, like knowing how to do multiplication, but knowing how to apply it and understand when to best do so was another.

“Quite perceptive of you. Yes, it would, and as I am sure you know it is possible to move other beings with your magic,” Luna kept herself from snorting as Trixie guzzled down the last of the milk in one swig, “The issue of this is reliability and focus. It can take a great deal of effort to hold a non-living object, so having something that would struggle and act against your power would be substantially more difficult.”

An unacceptable pout formed on Trixie’s face at the mention of moving living creatures, “Twilight lifted the Ursa.”

Luna rolled her own eyes. Part of what she liked about Trixie was that she was jealous, something that Luna was all too familiar with as was Loki, but it could also pose its own problems, “Which she also put to sleep. Do not compare yourself to her in that regard. Find and focus on your own strengths.”

Trixie bit her lower lip and dropped her eyes to the empty plate before her, “But what can I do that she can not?”

Luna outstretched a hoof to touch Trixie’s forehead, also giving her a reassuring smile as she did so, “Do what you just did a moment ago. Think things through.”

Trixie’s expression lightened and she began to smile at her mentor. Taking this as proof of her encouragement working, Luna continued, “Twilight is straightforward in her magic usage and, while intelligent otherwise, not the most clever with its usage. There is more to magical power than just raw potential. That is what will make you special. That is what will make you better than she ever will be.”

Ego stroked, Trixie stood up so that she could bow to Luna, “Thank you, princess.”

Luna rose as well, craning her neck towards the direction they needed to head, “Follow me. It is about time we expanded the scope of your studies.”

Trixie found herself with a dropped jaw just for a second when Luna lit a light in her workroom. It was not one of astoundment at seeing great and powerful artifacts and objects, or even interesting and profound artwork.

It was the complete and utter mess that was the room. Stacks of paper littered the room in seemingly random positions and order, with no true sense able to be made of them by sight alone.

Luna could not reprimand her student for how her expression betrayed her, for even Luna realized it was an issue. One of many reasons she needed somepony to help her out, “This is my office. As you can see, it does not get much use, nor is it very well kept.”

“Can somepony not just clean it?” Trixie questioned, not sure why a Princess would have such a disorganized mess of a room to work in. Dust was littered on the sparse furniture to be found, as well as the few traces of floor to be discovered.

The princess gave a sheepish grin to her student, “I prefer leaving things where I know they are, even if nopony else can understand the layout,” she trotted carefully over to the main desk of the large and completely cluttered room, making sure with each step not to knock over a pile of papers, “This being said, it is important you and I get on the same page, so some cleaning is in order.”

Once at her desk, Luna cast a spell she picked up from Loki to bring a broom hidden underneath some paper to life. This being done, she also levitated all of the paper into the air and cast another spell from Loki on it all. Within moments the papers swirled around the air in a display that completely stunned Trixie.

After a few moments had passed the broom had furiously swept away any traces of dust from the room, and the papers themselves had organized into nice piles based on their primary content.

With a glance at Trixie’s impressed face, Luna found herself pleased to have do so, “What, you don’t think I cleaned my own things did you?”

Trixie picked up a piece of paper wordlessly with her magic so that she could check it and the one underneath it. Both were reports about monster attacks, but what was noticeable was that they were in chronological order based on when the attacks took place.

As Trixie began to ruffle through some papers to test the power of the spell Luna spoke, “You will learn this trick in time. It is quite the timesaver when you do not want anypony snooping around in your documents.”

Also noticed by Trixie was how the stack of papers she was nearby were all about monster attacks in Equestria, with each stack of papers having to do with a different severity of attack. Some of the stacks contained papers stamped for having been resolved, while others were stamped about being fake or false reports.

Luna took a seat at her desk and looked over the papers that littered it, those being the ones that her sorting spell decided were most important, “Now, Celestia is the more paperwork savvy and experienced one as much more of it is required for her time of day. My duties require more brawn, such as when I relocated the Ursas near Ponyville so no further disturbances would arise.”

Not having the patience to handle so much paper at the moment, Luna rose from her seat and gestured for Trixie to take it instead.

“Despite this, there are quite a lot of things even I am supposed to handle. I will be teaching you how to go through these documents and do so in a way that accurately represents me.”

“Represents you?” Trixie questioned as she moved around the desk to take the seat, doing so hesitantly because of the act itself feeling sacrilegious. Taking the Princess of Night’s own seat? A week before Trixie would have been grateful to take seat next to a campfire in the Everfree Forest.

Despite Trixie being on her teacher’s tall seat now, she was still only Luna’s height given their regular difference in size. This allowed Luna to look into Trixie’s eyes at an equal level as she explained what she meant with her words.

“What things to give my signature to, what to deny,” she turned to the pile of papers with a small laugh, “what monster handling requests to handle, which reported bouts of nightmares to take note of. These kinds of things. I have not the time to handle them all, nor Equestria the funds to pay for every little pony who stupidly loses everything they own in the Everfree Forest to a roaming dragon.”

Having lost everything herself in a circumstance not of her own doing, Trixie wished she had known there were ways to get paid back for the damage. But what was done was done, and so she simply nodded, “Understood.”

“You will begin each day, or afternoon if you prefer your schedule to match my own, taking care of the business here. It will not always be this busy, and is only an issue after any major crisis,” “After finishing here you will continue your magical studies. The days and weeks I may be gone you will be left a schedule to keep to, as well as tomes to study for my return.”

“Will I be handling any of the monster attacks while you’re gone?”

“Not yet. There will be plenty of time for that.”

Despite despising it, Luna began the part of the lesson about how everything worked. She only hoped Trixie could retain it all so she would not have to repeat the information ever again, not caring much for this whole administrative piece to her job.

Either way, it would be a long, long night for the princess. But one worth it if she had to do this duty less often.

After setting Trixie up with everything she needed to begin her paperwork experience, Luna set off to go to her own room so that she could dreamwalk. There ought to be quite a few ponies who were left traumatized after the second Changeling invasion in Canterlot of recent history, so there was work she could catch up on while also helping her own public image.

While deciding on her way whether to appear in the dreams and nightmares as Nightmare Moon or her original form, she bumped into a pony who similarly had something on their mind. Luna looked down to see Twilight rubbing her head from the collision.

After a moment of being dazed, Twilight mumbled an apology before continuing on her way. Even though it was way past when Twilight should be awake, or rather because of it and her continued odd behavior, Luna called after her.

“Twilight, are you okay?”

Twilight turned around to face Luna, mumbling another apology before dropping her tired eyes to the ground. Luna frowned as she realized she may have run into one pony with nightmares before even getting to her bed.

Luna narrowed her eyes at Twilight, “No lying. I have had about as many of those as I care to see for the century.”

The new princess took a breath in when she realized she wasn’t getting off the hook, “Kind of.”

Still displeased to see the physical reminder of Twilight’s ascension, Luna snorted at the purple mare’s flying appendages, “Wings that annoying to have now?” Twilight made no comment, so Luna continued, “I have a feeling this isn’t about being a Princess now.”

“No, not really…I’m grateful for everything Celestia has given me, but I can’t help but feel that I do not deserve...” Twilight took in a small breath before letting it out in a prolonged sigh. Luna could tell something was really wrong, and could see that Twilight’s own exhaustion was preventing her from masking it.

Luna swallowed her own pride to begin her retort to Twilight’s attitude, “If anypony were to become a Princess, I would say it should be you Twilight. National heroine and a former wielder of the elements of harmony, which are now sadly defunct,” she approached Twilight and brought a hoof to her shoulder firmly, “But that does not mean that we need you. We may, in time, but at this moment you are just a unicorn who so happens to have wings.”

Tired Twilight sluggishly rose a brow, confused as to what Luna might be saying, “What do you mean?”

Luna sighed and shook her head at her sister’s pupil. Her first friend of a sort, one who had been given power that Luna did not approve of despite their connection, “There is no throne for you to sit upon, no time of day for you to rule over, and nothing you can contribute now that you could not have already as a regular Unicorn. Your title is for show, and even then with how disrespectful our population can be in certain regions even that carries little weight.”

The elder princess brought her hoof down to Twilight’s wing and gave it a brief touch, “So don’t let this little formality give you any pause.”

Having understood Luna’s point and also having had her ego trampled on a bit, Twilight had no more resistance in her to give. She sighed again before confessing what was troubling her mind so greatly.

“I killed someone.”

The phrasing, someone rather than somepony, suggested that it was not one of their own who died but rather another race. And Luna knew just who that could refer to, “During the Changeling invasion?”

Twilight nodded solemnly, “I missed with my magic and hit a Changeling instead…”

Any sympathy Luna could feel for the mare vanished, her voice growing aggravated even as she tried to reign it in, “One ounce of blood on your hooves and you feel as if you are not worthy. That’s the issue you’re having.”

Luna leaned in to Twilight, invading her personal space and bringing their faces only an inch apart. Twilight recoiled from this, although Luna kept them at that distance and advanced on the stumbling mare as she backed up groggily, “Tell me Twilight, what do you think it is that I do during the night?”

“Help ponies sleep and move the moon?” Twilight responded with a swallow of air, nervous about the close up treatment she was being subjected to.

The space invader rolled her eyes, “Oh how adorable. I do guide ponies through their sleep, but I can vanquish just about every nightmare that comes up in a small fraction of the night. I do much less diplomatic work than Celestia you must know, which still leaves the rest of the night.”

Twilight tripped and her flank landed on the carpet of the hallway, leading Luna to stop advancing and only stand over her, “The threats you and your companions face are the leftovers of what I do not manage to stop. It is quite the fun task facing down the horrors of the Everfree Forest.”

Luna brought a hoof to Twilight’s chin so she could lift it, her own expression softening, “You think blood makes you unfit to be a princess? I would claim the contrary. You spilt the blood of an enemy who wished to conquer and devour your nation. You fought bravely and make sure that did not happen, even taking on the Changeling Queen herself in combat. Stop being so naïve. Blood and politics have long been intertwined. Even Celestia would say the same.”

Luna relinquished her touch and shook her head at the younger princess, “The title given to you may be for show, but you can not let your insecurities ruin your life about it. One day you may actually be in charge of something, but until then you need to leave such thoughts behind you and act your part. Do not make a mockery of our now shared title.”

With her sister’s pupil still a bit shocked Luna turned to leave, having said the feelings and thoughts that she had not been able to get off her chest since Twilight’s ascension was first brought up to her.

“Goodnight Twilight. I expect you to not be brooding over nothing the next time I see you. And if you really must, have a backbone about it. The only thing worse would be to appear weak,” she snorted as she remembered the pitiful attitude the young mare had been displaying over such a trivial matter, “Save the brooding for when something is truly wrong.”

Having found her voice, Twilight indignantly called after Luna, “Like when a coltfriend tries taking over Canterlot?”

Luna turned to Twilight with a smirk, not at all put off by her words but rather impressed by her gutsiness, “A nice improvement on your attitude, although you will have to do better than that. After all, ‘tries’ would imply he only attempted, not succeeded,” she pointed a hoof to Twilight’s heart, “Keep that feeling though. The next time somepony disrespects you, bring it back. You’ll need it to survive the political life one day.”

Twilight rose her brow again, confused about Luna’s mention of ‘one day’, “What could possibly change that would make me take on more responsibilities? Celestia already confirmed to me that I won’t be outliving anypony, so I won’t be able to replace either of you.”

The elder princess returned to leaving, keeping a smirk on her face as she departed down the hallway, “You are correct in that assumption about age. But age is not the only thing that can distract from duties, and I assume Celestia has you as a backup in case anything develops.”

With that, she ended the conversation by leaving the area and leaving Twilight on the floor with the younger mare’s thoughts racing about everything she had been told.

Did Luna really resent her so much now because of her ascension? And if so, why?

After dreamwalking for a short while, Luna decided to return to see how Trixie was faring with all the paperwork. She had given her enough knowledge and guidance to know what she was supposed to do with it all, but she knew firsthand how aggravating it could be, especially without any help.

It was for this reason that Luna was not at all surprised or angry that the first thing that Trixie did when she returned to see her was complain.

“Why are half of these requests from the Crystal Empire?” Trixie groaned as Luna walked through her office door, stifling a small giggle as she did so.

A talk she had had with Celestia had granted Luna the knowledge she needed to answer that question, although she still could not understand why the military force under Shining Armor could not tend to these things on their own.

“They will be holding the Equestrian Games or whatever they are called. They do not want snow monsters, shadow beings, and the like terrorizing the event or land in the time leading up to it.”

The mention of the event took any negativity right out of Trixie, whose expression of exasperation was replaced with one of excitement, “I can’t wait to see it! They always have very interesting magical competitions, where only the highest level of Unicorns compete.”

That caught Luna’s interest. Depending on what details her pupil could reveal to her about this thing, plans may have to be arranged regarding it, “I have not attended one before. What happens at the events?”

Trixie sat back in her new seat as she tried to recall what she could about the games, “Well, they have competitions that use varying skills and strength to accomplish, and ponies from each city and town are allowed to compete. It’s really huge, like the largest show of every four years!”

“Is that so?” Luna could not believe her luck, “Tell me more about the magical competitions you mentioned.”

A small dose of bitterness entered Trixie’s voice, “It mostly has students from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, although sometimes an interesting challenger appears from somewhere else.”

That did little to deter Luna’s interest, her mind already having hatched a scheme for the events, “Compared to Twilight Sparkle, how skilled and talented are these ponies? In your opinion.”

“They are powerful, but not as strong as her. They are more practiced and refined though, since they spend a great deal of time solely preparing for the events.”

And with that, Luna’s mind was completely set, “And when is this all?”

“Later this year.”

Luna smiled in a smug manner at her student, one small detail having popped up in her mind’s scheme, “I take it Alicorns can not compete.”

Trixie scoffed, realizing that Luna was thinking about how Twilight could likely not be a participant now, “That would be ridiculous and unfair to all the other ponies who are competing.”

“Wonderful. You will win this competition in whatever capacity you can. As many magical events as you can enter and securely win,” Luna proclaimed, completely sure in her ability to make Trixie entire levels above those she would be competing with. After all, they were secondhand students of her sister, so what could they hope to compare to her own personally trained student?

“I will have to apply to join the Canterlot team. I can’t just compete.”

Despite having a prestigious position, Trixie did not wish to use that as a way to get a spot. Furthermore she was not even confident enough in herself that she could reliably compete with and beat the best of the entire nation, and failing would only humiliate her public image further.

Realizing what Trixie’s scowl might be about, Luna thought about the time table they were working with for this, “When are the trials for this team?”

“A couple months from now,” Trixie replied through a drawn out yawn, the early hours of the day catching up to her.

Luna approached her student and patted her head affectionately, “You will have the skills you will need to overcome any regular pony by then.”

Observing how dreary Trixie’s eyes were and how tired even she was getting, Luna removed her hoof and nodded to the door, “It is getting very early in the morning. I recommend you get your sleep, my promising student.”

“Thank you princess.”

True to form, Trixie dropped dead asleep in the seat and her face crashed onto the desk and on one of the papers she had been mulling over.

Luna chuckled to herself as she figured she would have to bring her student to bed again. Trixie was proving to be quite the dedicated pupil, to the point she was working herself into the ground. Luna would make sure to keep track of her dear student’s health, because having her grow ill would only set them back.

And, Luna realized, something felt good about taking care of the younger mare. With her telekinesis Luna picked Trixie up and placed her on her own black coated back.

The Princess of Night was quite curious what Loki would think of Trixie.

Frigga was surprised upon entering his room to find her son not sitting in his bed or at his reading table, but rather at his desk. His face was intensely focused on the architecture plans set before him, many books concerning ancient arcane knowledge at his side and floating in the air with their pages open.

Despite his intense focus on the project before him, Loki could tell when his mother entered and as such greeted her with a small turn of the head, “Mother.”

“How are you, Loki?” Frigga questioned as she set down a plate of food on his reading table, knowing that without specific prodding he might forget or forego a meal.

She had taken to bringing him them out of her own fear that any food not from her might be poisoned, given that not all in Asgard were so happy to have him back. Loki, for his part, could also not leave to get any on his own given his confinement to his room.

Loki only sighed in response, turning back to his work with an annoyed expression. He was not particularly fond of the life he was living at the moment, nor was he happy about how his adoptive father was not even addressing the issue with him personally.

Able to read him and his thoughts well after all the years she had been his mother, Frigga knew what was bringing him distress. She used her magic to bring a chair from the reading table over to his side and then took seat in it. Now beside him, she took his sickly pale hand in her own.

“You must know that even though your father has forgiven you for what you have done on Midgard, he and many others still remember what you tried to do here before then,” Frigga explained.

It had been a hard day for her when she witnessed her sons fight to the death, only for one to then attempt suicide by falling into the rift of space beneath Asgard. It was a day Frigga wished to never remember for the grief it wrought in her, although now it was nipping back at her with how Loki was back to her and facing the consequences of it.

Loki did not turn to face her, instead staring intensely down at the paper before him, “I killed Laufey. I destroyed any threat the Frost Giants once posed. And for this I am looked down upon?”

Frigga frowned as she moved her hand to rub his upper arm, “You tried having your own brother killed.”

“Even he has forgiven me, and you must admit I was doing us all a favor by preventing him from being king. Had he been made king then he would have led us into a bloody, fruitless war.”

“The reason does not change the act, Loki.”

“And what am I supposed to do? I had tried giving up on my hatred and anger, but of course something had to drag me back down. What do you want from me?”

His mother brought her hand back down to his so she could give it a warm squeeze, all the while speaking in a motherly tone, “I only want my son back, and I have just that. But the others want something more. They want you to earn back their trust, and that begins with the project you have been working on. I hear the Bifrost has greatly improved since your expertise has been brought to its reconstruction.”

“It will be finished in the coming weeks,” Loki replied tersely, doing his best to keep his anger from his voice. Despite this his fist clenched and the skin on it grew even whiter.

Frigga turned from him to his desk, where his attention continued to rest. On it, off to the corner, was a familiar pendant that brought a smile to the mother’s face. A memento.

Knowing that having the Bifrost up and running would mean Loki could see his significant other again, Frigga jokingly questioned him about the pendant, “Are you expecting a visitor?”

“It would surprise me if the talking horse did not return,” Loki replied in a monotone, trying not to reveal the relief he felt at how much closer to Luna his work was bringing him.

Interested by his wording about ‘the talking horse’, Frigga chuckled, “Did she have the opportunity to meet the non speaking kind?”

“I do not believe so. I doubt she will be very pleased by the difference in intelligence between their like species.”

Sensing that Loki was not in a very talkative mood, Frigga stood up to leave, “Well, when you see her, make sure to send her my way. I am most interested in studying her dark malady so that it may be cured.”

He nodded to her but gave no further response, his thoughts all wrapped up in the work before him. Frigga admired the way he was working towards seeing the foreign princess again, as even though this would also help his reputation among Asgard it was notably not the reason he was doing it.

“I will see you later, Loki. Please do your best to not dwell on what is wrong and instead focus on what is not.”

As his mother left, Loki’s eyes fell to the indigo pendant on his desk. The moon in the center of it brought him solace that even his mother could not.

His hand reached for the pendant and Loki soon found the object in his palm, his eyes looking down to it pensively. There was someone else out there who knew what he felt. Someone else who was facing the scorn of their public eye, and who was doing what they could to make amends.

As the door shut behind Frigga, Loki whispered to himself in as much a faint voice as he could manage.

“Please forgive me.”

Author's Note

Ohoho, and the fun begins. At least for me. This chapter is basically foreshadowing for a lot of what is to come, mixed with character interaction and development :rainbowlaugh:

Question (to be added onto whatever comment you were going to post): would you be interested in me posting my music playlist for this series in some way? If you haven't picked up on it, every chapter title is another lyric from a song that was listened to while writing/planning the chapter because it is significant in some way.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter in the comments below, and I hope you all are as excited as I am for the chapters that are yet to come! Thank you for reading, and don't forget to motivate this lovely college student with your loving comments below :heart:

Do Something Right For Once

A/N: Special thanks to JaceArveduin, Mutie Genic, ArcaneVisions, hs0003, Killabyte, Evowizard25, New Spark, Cadmium, MoonSparkle The Vampony, and The Batmane of equestria for your comments last chapter! They certainly have helped me, so I'm really grateful for your support.

In other news, cutest chapter so far? Cutest chapter so far. Pretty sure. Love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments after you see my proof!

Luna hummed to herself contently as she walked through Canterlot Castle, feeling very good that night as she became reacquainted with the place. Having finished her current business in Asgard she had returned to see how her student was doing since she had last seen her.

Before going to see Trixie Luna first checked her office though for anything of great importance, knowing that her sister would complain if she did not tend to anything that needed attention. Surely enough, there were some new papers that Trixie had organized for her to look at. The top of the pile was a report on Ursa attacks on a rural pony town that had no way of defending itself, the Ursas reportedly having come from the Everfree Forest.

Luna sighed as she looked it over. This was not the sole case of monsters leaving the Everfree Forest since the forest had been cleansed of Discord’s influence at the cost of the Elements of Harmony.

There were dozens of these events that could be handled, but Luna was hesitant about touching the matter at all. Defending a place from an attack would be no issue, but to enter the now chaotic Everfree Forest was to ask for trouble. Luna knew herself able to best any Ursa or Manticore, but some reports even included dragons and other fearsome beasts roaming about. To confront the whole lot of them in their own territory could spell death, especially since any one encounter could lead to others.

Given the volatile nature of these beasts who now are out of place in the cleansed forest, they would likely confront one another and wipe eachother out in short time. Luna only hoped the ponies around the area could bide their time until then and stop stupidly entering the woods when it was perfectly possible to go around.

Besides the new influx of monster requests, Luna also found a letter on her desk from her sister. Her first thought was just to ignore it and whatever critical advice lay inside, but Luna knew she really ought to hear it out. She still bit her lip while opening it and taking to the seat that was formerly meant solely for her but now had traces of blue fur.

“Dear Sister,

During your absence it has come to my attention that our “esteemed” guest Blueblood was put through a wall by your student. I spoke with her on the matter and it seems that he was harassing her through indirect methods to try and get around the punishment you levied at him through your decree.”

Luna found herself cackling at the idea that her dear, loyal student put Blueblood through a wall much like she had recently. Perhaps she was being quite the good influence on Trixie? After all, her student should learn not to tolerate fools with entitlement issues. One must earn or deserve their title and position after all.

Stifling her laughter, Luna steeled herself for whatever Celestia had done to punish Trixie.

“As befitting of your decree, I had its order carried out fully. Blueblood will likely be missing until his fur grows back, having supposedly fled the country. Preliminary polls have revealed that the entirety of Canterlot is pleased at this news, and your approval ratings here have bumped up from 1% to 17%.”

Luna snorted at the thought of how ponies now liked her for the exact behavior they originally disliked her for. Violence and showing ponies their place.

“To be honest, the foal had been getting on my nerves as it was and I am glad to not have him pestering me for favors anymore. I hope this is the end of this for now, and I hope your medical visit went well. You having yours made me remember for the first time in years that I should have one myself, so I suppose I should thank you. Please stop by and see me when you can, but there is certainly no rush. Love, Celestia.”

The pseudo Nightmare Moon smiled at the paper, glad for once about how her sister handled an issue with Blueblood. Luna only regretted not seeing how embarrassed the arrogant foal must have been.

“Trixie?”

The apprentice’s ears perked up and she quickly dropped the boulder she was working with to turn and see the cheerful voice of her teacher and princess. Even if Luna was a bit serious and not dripping with high praise, Trixie was still greatly pleased to see her again.

“Princess Luna!” the student exuberantly called back as she rushed up to the tall and slender black furred mare across the courtyard. Trixie found herself about to tackle-hug one of Luna’s legs before she caught herself and stopped right in front of her with a blush.

A simple hoof pat on the top of her head was how Luna returned the affection as she smiled down at her flustered student, “Did you miss me?”

Trixie rubbed the back of her head as she continued to be as flustered as the blood in her cheeks would allow, “I, uh…”

Luna lowered her hoof from Trixie’s forehead and nodded towards the rocks back where Trixie was working in the courtyard, “Can I see the progress you have made?”

The student steeled her emotions for a moment so that she could focus, desiring to do her absolute best for her most generous teacher, “Of course, princess.”

With her magic Trixie lifted one of the largest of the boulders provided in the courtyard, although after a brief second of hovering it dropped to the ground with a crash.

Trixie found herself even more embarrassed than she had been before, “Wow, that sucked. Let’s try again.”

Luna craned her neck down so that she could speak softly into Trixie’s ear, “Just relax.”

With a deep breath and closed eyes, Trixie did her best to cool her nerves. She knew she would have to do this test at some point, but she was originally thinking she would have at least the rest of the week to continue expanding her skills.

Still, she had practiced moving these boulders the entire month and she would be damned if she could not lift them on command now. She may not have managed to lift the very biggest boulders left for her, but she knew she could handle the smaller ones with no issue now.

With her purple magic surrounding it, Trixie lifted one of the mid-tier boulders into the air and starting rotating it around the courtyard’s air at a fast pace. Despite its speed, Luna noted how it was completely under control as her student manipulated it.

Trixie gave her mentor a glance to see if she should go on, to which Luna nodded. The rock continued to move under Trixie’s power for entire minutes before the young mare even began to show any signs of exhaustion. Luna found the resolute nature of her apprentice to be most welcome, and after seeing that Trixie had indeed improved from when they started she halted her student.

“Your power is still lacking, but it will steadily grow as you practice more difficult spells and magic. Your endurance is quite spectacular though and I am quite impressed by it.”

Trixie bowed her head slightly at the praise, feeling modest for once given the source of the words. After this acknowledgement Luna continued on.

“I think it is about time that I actually begin teaching you personally. Do you feel ready?”

The simple fact that her skill was acknowledged was enough for Trixie’s ego to rise a bit from the low it had been hanging at since her disgrace. Having Luna give her approval kickstarted her confidence, and so she nodded once with resolution to say yes. She might still have doubts, but they didn’t matter so long as somepony as great as princess Luna believed she was capable.

Luna returned the nod, “Good. I am curious though, what avenue of magic would you care to explore first? I only ask because there is quite the range.”

Being able to choose her course of study? Trixie had not expected that, and so she had no answer. Luna picked up on this and decided it would be best to demonstrate the three schools of magic she was accustomed to herself.

With a black and cobalt flash of light the mare that stood next to Trixie was replaced with a humanoid form that caught the younger mare off guard. In her Asgardian body Luna gave Trixie a bow before turning back to her regular body, “Transformation and illusions.”

Luna turned her horn towards the boulder Trixie had first tried to lift and shot a stream of magic out at it. The boulder shattered upon impact, sending many smaller boulders in every direction. Trixie began to duck for cover before a light blue screen appeared before her and reflected the rocks heading her way. Luna laughed as some bounced off her body harmlessly, being much larger and tougher than her apprentice physically.

Still trying to impress her student in a nonchalant fashion, Luna looked up to the sky and channeled her power again. Trixie watched her mentor’s eyes glow white right before jumping at the boom of thunder. Whereas the early night sky had been clear before, now clouds lined it and lightning was striking down threateningly.

Luna called off the storm while Trixie tried to act as if she hadn’t been scared a moment before, “Combat and elemental.”

The princess groaned as she thought about the least fun of the many skills she had accrued over her long life, not even having an idea about how to demonstrate them given the range of the category, “And finally, common utility.”

The thought of a certain purple coated Alicorn brought to Trixie’s mind how it felt to always be a step behind and never able to catch up.

Trixie scowled as she thought of her rival’s seemingly limitless potential and power, “I want to learn everything Twilight Sparkle knows first. Anything she can do, I want to do better.”

Luna knew that Trixie had no hope of beating Twilight at her own game, but perhaps she could give Trixie the tools she needed to work around that. After all, the act of doing a spell was not all the mattered. How Trixie implemented them was what mattered, and coupled with her impressive endurance Luna would reckon that Trixie could string a series of them together.

The princess thought about Twilight’s skillset and what she could actually teach Trixie from it, “Twilight’s knowledge is quite utility based…” after a moment the most important spell Celestia’s student could do popped in Luna’s head, “Let’s start with her most useful skill, teleportation.”

Trixie’s eyes lit up at the chance to show off. She powered up her horn and disappeared in a flash only reappear where she had been when Luna arrived. Upon reappearing she flashed Luna a toothy smile, “Like that?”

Luna fought the urge to snort at Trixie’s attempt to show off. Teleportation wasn’t actually all that high level for magic…it was taking it to the next level that was nigh impossible for magic users, “So you already have some practice. It is a useful skill to have, and when expertly applied can be an invaluable tool.”

“Stand still,” Luna ordered her student, who quickly complied in anticipation of something happening. Luna grinned at her and Trixie waited for something to happen. When nothing did, Trixie glanced around to see if her teacher was actually doing anything. Luna was still just grinning at her…

…from where Trixie had been. Trixie looked down at her hooves and then around her to find that she had swapped places entirely with her teacher. Luna was still looking at her smugly, having simultaneously teleported Trixie and herself to their opposing places. Not the hardest trick she could do, but it would no doubt leave an impression.

Now that Trixie had realized the swap Luna spoke, “When I am done with you, you’ll be able to teleport through walls and across great distances. But it will take some time to learn everything there is to it, and so for now we will focus on succession and repetition of teleportation.”

Trixie’s laugh was nervous and forced as she teleported to Luna’s side again, “I can barely teleport twice in a row without a headache…”

Luna noticed Trixie wobble a bit upon arriving at her side, and took this moment to roll her own eyes playfully, “And that is why we practice. Your endurance should help once you grow more used to the act as a whole.”

Luna quickly teleported on top of one of the boulders so she could look down at her student from a distance, “Now, your goal is to catch me. I will make no movements except teleportation. Are you ready?”

Trixie nodded and prepared herself to teleport at the first signal that she could. She had no doubt she would be unable to catch her teacher, but she would do her best before throwing in the inevitable towel.

At the sight of Trixie’s horn glowing Luna gave the command, “Go.”

Trixie charged towards the rock before teleporting on top, not magically powerful enough to jump the same distance Luna had. Upon reaching the top she found herself alone. She started looking around for Luna before her teacher’s voice called out to her from the place Trixie has started.

“Over here,” Luna called lazily as Trixie hopped off the large boulder and to the ground, at which point the increasingly tired student teleported forward as fast and far as she could.

Luna smirked at Trixie as the apprentice reappeared, her student having come up short of where Luna had been. Not that she was still there, now being on the roof of the building where she took a seat while speaking to Trixie from her new perch, “Missed.”

Trixie could tell just how much she was being played with, but that did not stop the now stumbling mare from teleporting the twelve feet up in the air she needed to get to Luna’s spot.

Only, she was too late once again. Luna was sitting on the lawn beneath as Trixie struggled to keep herself upright from how tired and dizzy she felt, “Too slow.”

Trixie moved to teleport again, but Luna could see that her student did not have it in her to do so. She was too busy keeping her stomach in line, and it was a losing battle.

“Oh dear,” Luna whispered to herself.

The training session promptly ended when Trixie lost her lunch on top of the roof right before slipping and falling down. Luna utilized her teleportation to go underneath where Trixie was falling, catching her student on her back.

Luna shifted Trixie on her back so that she was more secure. There was little chance her student was feeling up to walking at that point, so Luna planned to carry her, “Plan on not eating before these sessions, okay?”

“But…I…gotcha…” Trixie mumbled directly before she fainted from her magical exertion. Despite the strain even this medium level spell put Trixie under, Luna had to give credit where it was due. Trixie had teleported about a half dozen times when she mentioned that two used to be an issue. For one month of work her student was shaping up quite well.

Luna could not help also but be amused by Trixie’s fake ‘victory’, although she did have to admit if Trixie was not completely wrecked physically after her exercise she would have indeed won right then by tricking her mentor. Instead it was Luna who had caught Trixie.

“Let’s go get you cleaned up before dinner,” Luna whispered to her now snoring student.

“Got you!”

Luna had been about to taunt Trixie playfully again when her student psyched her out by teleporting twice in rapid succession, once towards where Luna had been and a second time to where she actually was. Trixie beamed at her teacher happily, proud of herself for succeeding finally in the task.

For her part, Luna was surprised. She did not expect Trixie to pick the spell up so easily, although her prior knowledge likely had something to do with it. The texts she had lent Trixie likely had something to do with it as well, but her student had improved quite greatly regardless. Improvement was improvement, no matter the reason or source.

“I am impressed. It only took you two weeks to improve enough to catch up to me.”

As Trixie continued to smile proudly, Luna took note of how heavily her student was breathing. Now that the spell was not too hard for her, Trixie was able to use it as often as she would like. With her large pool of endurance this was not much of an issue so long as she remembered not to overtax herself. Overexertion was possible for a unicorn to do, and it could even be deadly if they pushed themselves too far.

Luna kneeled down to Trixie’s level and gave her a reassuring smile, wanting her student to know that she was indeed proud of her, “Always remember your limits, but be sure to push them in order to make progress.”

Trixie took in a deep breath. She had to teleport fourteen times to catch Luna that day, and the effort had left her completely winded. The range of the teleportation had increased as did the speed, for Luna had increased the test’s difficulty the more they did it. The fourteen she did were far more difficult than the ones she had originally done, and yet she found them easier to do as a whole.

After expelling her breath Trixie gave her teacher an affirmative nod, “Right.”

Luna stood up to her full height and turned around to leave the courtyard, motioning with a yank of the head for Trixie to follow, “I think you have mastered this skill well enough for now. It is time we expand your powers in another way.”

“Where are we going, princess?” Trixie questioned as she fell into step beside Luna.

“I will be taking you to a master of illusions and tricks,” Luna chuckled as she tried thinking what an Asgardian Trixie would look like, “Luckily for you, going through the Bifrost does not transform you.”

Trixie rose a single brow in confusion, not knowing of any great pony illusionist, “Who are we seeing?”

“My lover, Loki. He can be an insufferable child at times, but I have a feeling you two will get along regardless.”

The prospect of meeting her princess’s lover who was rumored to have been the one who let the Changelings into Canterlot a second time…worried Trixie to say the slightest.

Luna could sense Trixie’s apprehension and thought of something that the two shared in common. It took only moments for the princess to come up with one such thing, “If it gives you any comfort, he hates Blueblood as well. While Loki was here he and I had quite the time pranking the arrogant foal.”

Despite the prospect of working more that day while being tired in addition to meeting someone new, Trixie found herself kind of looking forward to the trip and smiling at the prospect.

“I like him already.”

Loki was not surprised to hear hooves trotting towards his door. After all, Luna was under no obligation to transform every time she visited. What surprised him was that the trotting was quieter and also accompanied by footsteps that he recognized as Luna’s.

Because of this confusion Loki was sitting upright and prepared for whatever would walk through his door when Luna and Trixie arrived. Luna was in her Asgardian body while Trixie was still in her equine form, feeling very self conscious around so many unfamiliar beings who were even riding horses around.

Because of this nervousness Trixie partially hid behind Luna as her mentor opened and entered Loki’s room. Luna was not about to let Trixie be sheepish around Loki of all people, so she stepped out of the way and introduced the pony was in full sight.

“Loki, this is my student, Trixie Lulamoon.”

Loki looked at the blue horse blankly, revealing no thought or emotion as he observed the pony who stood in his doorway.

Trixie gave Loki an awkward smile and a bow to show respect to what Luna had explained was a foreign prince, as well as her lover, “It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

So this small thing was what was occupying Luna’s time these days?

Still, Luna would not have taken anything less than useful as an apprentice, so Loki could fathom that despite appearances that this mare could have some potential.

Loki brought out his own smile with all the joking facetiousness that it entailed.

“Oh, don’t say that just yet. I could be wicked for all you know.”

Luna approached Loki while laughing at his attitude, “He jests,” she eyed him carefully before giving him a peck on the check, “Partially.”

Trixie’s nervousness continued through a laugh, still not sure if she should be worried about this man. The only thing keeping her from freaking out completely was her teacher’s reassurance, and even that was a bit shaky.

Luna could sense Trixie’s nerves, but her apprentice would have to learn to have a bit of a backbone if she was ever to move up in the world. Luna turned from Loki and walked up to Trixie, giving her a pat on the head before heading out the door.

“Now, you two have fun and do your best to learn something Trixie, since you will need his tricks in the coming months.”

Luna closed the door behind herself, leaving the two to work alone in privacy. She had cleared this with Loki a bit back and so he knew what to do, although he was not used to teaching magic much like Luna was not. It would be a learning experience for both him and Trixie.

Still seated on his bed, Loki gestured for Trixie to approach him, “Tell me, what do you know of illusions?”

Trixie took a couple steps forward, but mostly kept her distance from across the room, “Not much, really. I haven’t done any before…at least correctly.”

Loki nodded and nonchalantly cast an illusion of himself getting up and walking over to her while masking his real body so that it was invisible, “It is good she brought you here in your equine form. It would be even more difficult to learn in a transformed state.”

To her credit, Trixie was wary of the illusion and gave it a poke with a hoof as it reached her. Loki nodded at her perception, glad that she was circumspect of him given what knowledge she had of his skills.

Loki dispelled the illusory him and stood up for real, “I think a better demonstration is in order to begin.”

The large but empty room became filled with copies of Loki, none of which appeared different in any way. Loki was breaking out the big guns with this one, intent on both showing his prowess to his temporary student and also showing that she has a long way to go to get on his level.

“Tell me, which of these is the real me?”

Trixie bit her lip as she looked around the room, completely unsure which actually was Loki. She only knew that it was not the one who was where he had originally been. While doing his illusion there had been a brief flash Trixie recognized as Luna’s method of teleportation, only with a green flicker rather than a black and blue one.

“It could be any of them. You teleported when you cast the spell because it would be pointless to cast if you did not also move.”

Loki, despite himself, found himself grinning. The mare was indeed competent.

Maybe he wouldn’t be contemplating suicide after an hour of this.

Luna decided after having a nice tea table conversation with Lady Frigga to come back and see how Trixie was handling Loki. She had not wanted to be a third wheel for them, especially since her own illusion skills were paltry compared to Loki’s. He had a greater aptitude for them than her, but she was okay with that knowing that she had him beat in many other ways.

That’s one thing she liked about their partnership. They complemented each other in some ways, while they shared strengths in others.

Luna did not bother knocking on Loki’s door before entering, which may not have been the best plan as it caused Trixie to jump a bit at the sudden entrance and interrupt her current spell. Loki was unfazed by the entrance, although he was amused by the mare who had fallen on her face.

Luna peered around the door at Trixie and had trouble keeping herself from laughing, “Making progress?”

Loki shrugged, not wanting to reveal just how much he was admiring his lover’s student’s knack for this, “Seemingly. Watch.”

He looked to Trixie again before laughing at her as she finally managed to get up from her fall. Her face was bright red underneath her blue fur as she pouted at Loki.

“Don’t look at me like that! That door was merely a setback!”

Loki stifled his laughter as Luna gave him a look, but he was still laughing on the inside. Trixie ignored him and began channeling her magic again.

After a few moments a blue and blurry illusion appeared next to Trixie, but it quickly disappeared as her spell failed. She was still flustered and her attention was scattered, especially since she was now demonstrating her new spell to Luna.

Loki knelt down and put an arm around Trixie, “Oh come now, you were doing it just fine a moment ago. Don’t be nervous now that she’s back.”

Luna smiled over to Trixie in an attempt to help soothe her nerves and it did have some effect, for Trixie managed to gather her concentration and use her remaining strength to create a second, albeit fake, Trixie in the room.

Luna continued to smile as her student proved that her special talent was indeed magic, “Very good, Trixie. I have to say I was not expecting you to have learned the technique in a single afternoon.”

Loki smiled proudly down to Trixie as he stood up, “She requires practice, but the foundation is there for you to continue this path of study.”

Trixie poked her hoof at the floor and mumbled her thanks to Loki. Luna too wanted to show her appreciation for his effort, and so she crossed the room to embrace him.

“Thank you.”

Loki returned it just in time to catch her lips on his own. Meanwhile, Trixie uncast her illusion and continued to sit where she had been, not sure what to do as the two older adults did their making out session right next to her.

“I can, um, leave if you want…”

Luna pulled back from Loki and laughed to herself, having momentarily forgotten about the whole Trixie sitting right there thing, “Oh don’t be silly. You’ll be staying here and practicing for the rest of the day while I go out. I was just checking in.”

To Loki’s dismay Luna waved goodbye and left the two to get back to work.

As hot and cold as Luna could be, Loki wouldn’t have it any other way. He snorted as his lover shut the door behind herself and he looked down to Trixie with a smirk, “She’s something, isn’t she?”

Trixie went back to poking the ground with a hoof and looking at it as well, not wanting to risk the chance of her teacher possibly overhearing her.

Loki rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Oh you’re no fun. Where did we leave off?”

After having what had to have been gallons of alcohol for how much her head hurt after the feast Volstagg and Fandral dragged her off to, Luna was sure of two things. One, she would be sticking to fine wine from there on out and only on special occasions. And two, she needed to lay down and sleep as soon as possible.

Luna stumbled into Loki’s room in the early hours of the morning with the intention of the latter. First though, even drunk, Luna had her regular priorities as well.

“Wheress is Trixie?” she slurred to Loki, who was seated at his reading table in the now dark room.

Loki sighed as he pointed to his bed, where Luna soon noticed that someone was sleeping. Or rather, somepony. On top of his sheets was a ball of blue curled up fur.

Luna had no way of filtering her mind at seeing Trixie like that, “Oh how adowable. Did you put her there when she got sleepy?”

Loki could smell the alcohol off of Luna, and he honestly wish he had some himself. It would help with explaining how he let a small equine steal his bed.

The prince gripped his temple as he thought back only a few minutes, “She was so tired while mixing illusions and teleporting that she ended up on the bed by accident. Of course, after feeling the soft sheets, she decided to get more comfortable and what you see before you happened.”

Luna stumbled over to the bed, at which point she drunkenly fell on it and began laughing softly.

The princess crawled over her passed out pupil and took refuge on the far side of the bed, glad to be able to lay down at last as she yawned, “If you don’t want her there why, hic, don’t you kicka her off?”

Loki suddenly realized that he was now faced with two females who were stealing his bed. Luna would be enough of an issue given her alcohol, but her student as well...

“I thought I’d make you do it. Your student after all.”

To his further dismay Luna only laughed at him while pulling his silk sheets over Trixie and wrapping her arms around the still sleeping student, “She’s too precious to move though.”

“You coming?”

Loki’s face went to his palms. He would never let her go out and get this drunk again, “You can not be serious.”

“Of coursh I am.”

Looking first at the sleeping horse and then at the transformed drunk horse, Loki weighed his options.

He could stay up the rest of the night, but it was not like he could just leave the two of them. He was confined to his room after all. Furthermore, Luna probably needed someone to watch over her given just how drunk she was…

He got up and approached the bed while groaning. He would hate himself in the morning for this if he did not hate himself for this instantly.

He crawled on the bed, making sure to be as far from the blue fur ball as he could and not fall off, “The things I do for love.”

Drunk Luna was loving every moment of it though, “Oh come on, it’sh just one night.”

Loki tugged a blanket off Trixie, “When you said you were getting a student I did not know you had signed adoption papers.”

Luna stuck her tongue out at him from across the bed, “Oh ha-ha.”

“She couldn’t have taken your side?”

“Stahp complaining and go to sleep.”

Author's Note

So, let me know what you think in the comments below! I'm going to start my work on rewriting the earlier chapters tomorrow, so next update will be a little slow.

(Comments are :heart: )

And I'm Just Scared, So Scared That I'll Fail You

A/N: Special thanks to ArcaneVisions, King Sombrony, Cadmium, Evowizard25, D48, Killabyte, chaos5367, JaceArveduin, Obsidian Raindrop, Drgnwolf, D-Bence35, New Spark, nukestar, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Mutie Genic, The Whovian16, and Hela for your comments last chapter! They certainly have helped me, so I'm really grateful for your support.

Chapter title once again brought to you by Relient K's "More Than Useless"

I'm spoiling you guys! Really long chapter ahead for you all to check out, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments! This was my whole Saturday, from me with love!

“Luna, are you sure you want to go through with this?”

A month after her last visit Luna had received word from Asgard that they may have some way of fixing her current ailment. Frigga had found a possible remedy, but they had no way of knowing until they tried it.

Even then the spellbook it was retrieved from hinted at what else may come: temporary loss of magic, which would mean Luna would be left relatively defenseless. Frigga recommended having Asgard’s guards take care of her in the meantime, but Luna had passed off the idea. She would be fine in her own, relatively safe realm after all.

Luna stretched out on the medical table to make herself comfortable. This would take some time apparently, and losing access to her magical power sounded quite painful, “The being I have melded with should be removed. I am willing to accept the consequences of this.”

“Your magical abilities will be suppressed,” Frigga warned again. As physically powerful as Luna was, there were threats looming around the horizon that may use this as an opportunity.

This possibility did not disturb Luna as much, who would be in a castle with her sister and Discord, who happened to be able to warp reality, “So long as that is not permanent, so be it. I can do without my magic for a brief time, and any who say otherwise can enjoy being trampled underhoof.”

The doctor from Luna’s previous visit, Eir, interjected, “What research we have done suggests that it will be no more than one month at the longest. The issue is not actually losing it entirely for that time, rather it should be impossible to gain access to it. You will be disconnected, like how the being is being disconnected from you.”

Luna frowned at that. While this may accomplish the goal they were working towards, that being freedom from her nightmarish self, a part of her mind still wondered how she would possibly cope if it ended up being permanent, “And it will not return along with the power?”

Frigga took one of Luna’s front hooves in her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “We willl have to see. My texts are most vague on the subject.”

Frigga was Loki’s teacher in magic, and Luna had a feeling that she would not have brought this treatment up if she had serious doubts about its chances of success.

“Do it.”

More reports of Ursa attacks, fatalities, and other Everfree Forest related issues were waiting for Luna upon returning to Equestria. To her regret, she returned with the black fur of Nightmare Moon rather than her own shade of blue.

The procedure had been a partial success, and the readings showed that it removed part of the dark influence within Luna, but it was by no means a complete one. Less than five percent had been estimated as being gone now.

The side effect, however, was in full force. Luna did her best to not groan and grit her teeth at the loss of her power, which she could only desperately hope would return soon.

“How was your trip, princess?”

Luna shook off her bad feelings and the feeling of helplessness that accompanied being without magic. She had an apprentice to tend to.

With a yawn Luna took a seat beside the real Trixie, who was working on her illusion techniques in the courtyard, “Tiring for all of the right reasons. Loki says hello.”

The mention of the prince made Trixie blush profusely and quiet entirely, with her seven illusions even fading as she thought back to her first and only meeting with Loki a month prior. She was still using his illusion abilities, but had stopped thinking of him with some effort.

Luna could read the embarrassment on Trixie’s face well and found herself amused. Luna knew why her student was so put off, “Still flustered?”

Trixie averted her eyes as she poked at the ground with a hoof, “Not as much as Prince Loki was…”

Luna rolled her eyes. Loki had been such a baby that morning. And no, that was not just her hangover at the time being angry at his sudden yelp that woke everyone in the hallway, “He was not expecting to have two sets of hooves around him when he woke.”

Trixie cleared her throat as she thought to the next part of their little…incident, “Or for his brother to walk in…”

Instead of being flustered Luna was instead remembering the situation with a bit of joy, given how much everyone was laughing at the time, “And mother.”

Trixie nodded, “I would be wrong to say I was not completely embarrassed.”

Luna tried to not snicker. Trixie may still be working on getting her arrogant pride back, but she was so adorable while she was flustered.

Luna brought a hoof around Trixie’s shoulder, “These things happen. I was drunk, you were tired, and it was Loki’s bed after all. He’s too prideful to just give it up to us I would assume.”

Trixie looked up to her teacher with a nervous smile. There was another reason she felt so off because of the encounter, and that was that it felt like she had failed Luna in some way, “It was not the best way to be introduced to more royalty, or so I think.”

“Lady Frigga isn’t there to judge you, and don’t mind Thor. So what if the ruffian spent the next full day on his back laughing? I know you are new to dealing with royalty, but it is time you get acclimated.”

Again, that was not the full picture, and something else was off with Trixie. Something more…personal.

“Well…”

Trixie had to think hard how she wanted to phrase this. After all, it could lead to any number of responses, many of which would hurt her feelings.

“They thought I was…”

Luna had not put any thought into Thor’s joking tone or Frigga’s follow up to it. It had just been a joke after all, although Luna could see how it might put her student off a bit.

“Their horses have shorter life cycles than our own. Much shorter in fact,” Luna moved her hoof from Trixie’s shoulder to her hair to tousle it, “What, did them mistaking you for my daughter startle you?”

Trixie only could nod as her eyes reverted to being bound to the ground. Luna was not as put off by the idea though, seeing as how she could understand why Thor may have come to that conclusion. They had similarities, and would have even more if Luna was not trapped in her Nightmare Moon form.

Still, Trixie needed comforting, and so she would be given just that, “A horse with a similar moon marking is a rare thing to come by. The situation they found us in likely did not help matters much.”

While touching Trixie’s hair Luna could feel some sweat in it, which brought her mind back to why they were both there. Trixie had work to do, and this was not contributing to that.

Luna stood up to physically show the change in topic, “Now, enough of this chit chat. It’s been a whole month and you are still flustered. It is time for us to forget the matter and continue our exercises.”

Trixie was very much in favor of the idea, and she too rose to her hooves. To show her progression since Luna left a day ago, Trixie summoned forth her illusions again and with a little extra effort added one to their count to make a total of eight.

That impressed Luna greatly, who was not expecting such improvement. It had been a month, but she would have been satiated with four or five illusory Trixies. And the more Trixie used at once, the faster her pool of magic to draw from would grow which would then facilitate faster and exponential growth.

Luna turned to where Trixie should be, only to notice that it was instead an illusion of her apprentice now. Trixie had teleported and swapped places with an illusion, just as Loki would have her do it, “Impressive. You have been improving remarkably with your work.”

“Thank you, princess,” the Trixies spoke in a chorus. Another magic trick Loki must have passed on, to disable sound as a way of determining which was the true self.

Still, there was one thing Luna knew she could do to determine which was the real Trixie. Her apprentice had not fully mastered the technique yet, and only one of her had a shadow. Even without her magical powers Luna could use such mundane things to track the real one, “You are the one who has been putting the effort in. No need to thank me.”

“But I do owe everything I have to you, princess,” the illusions disappeared, leaving a bowing Trixie before Luna, “Without you I—I’m nothing.”

Luna narrowed her eyes down at Trixie. This was not the attitude her apprentice should have, especially not after proving over the course of months that she was something spectacular.

“Lift your head.”

It was an order, and Trixie felt her spine stiffen at it. She complied and rose her eyes slowly to meet her mentor’s, who was still holding a serious expression.

Luna lifted a hoof to Trixie’s chin to finish raising it, “You are my apprentice. My chosen student. You are only as great and powerful as you act. You think that you are nothing because others look down on you? Then am I a monster only because those of Canterlot believe me to be?”

Trixie shook her head no, but had no words to respond with.

Luna moved her hoof to brush across Trixie’s blue cheek, “Do not let their views on what and who you are ever change who you actually are. They can react however they wish, but as long as you stand strong and be yourself you have nothing to worry about. Never let anyone change who you are.”

Praise, despite not being Luna’s strong suit, should be given where it was due and so she would give it now. Her apprentice still did not feel as if she deserved what she had despite her own efforts.

“I doubt many other Unicorns could have mastered Loki’s illusion technique and in fact seem to be learning how to better use it than him in such a short time. Be proud of yourself or no-one else will.”

Trotting in the hallway nearby filled the silence left after Luna’s words. The princess turned her gaze over to it and was surprised to see Twilight Sparkle walking casually by, her face focused on the document floating before her.

Apparently Celestia had Twilight visiting for something, but Luna did not care about the reason. The fact was this could serve as the perfect confidence boost to her student in addition to helping her reputation.

Luna looked down to Trixie again, this time with a mischievous smirk, “You still doubt your worth?”

Before Trixie could open her mouth, Luna had turned back to Twilight and yelled to her loudly.

“Twilight, we would have words with you!”

The purple Alicorn had her attention caught and quickly turned from her document to Luna and Trixie, whom she had not even noticed before. She approached the two at a casual pace and with a smile, not knowing what Luna could possibly need from her.

As Twilight drew closer Luna looked between the two youngsters with a grin, “What would you say to a duel of magic with Trixie tomorrow afternoon?”

While not the most competitive pony, Twilight did have to admit it might be fun to try out her magical skills for what would be the first time in a long time. Her time was not as free as it had been before her ascension, “What kind?”

Trixie was growing pale beside Luna as her teacher continued speaking.

“Combat. It would only be a sparring session.”

Twilight smiled at the sound of the challenge, “Sure, if it’s just for practice I don’t see why not.”

“Good. Meet us here at this time tomorrow.”

Twilight nodded to them and gave a wave as she departed. Once they were alone again Trixie took no to turn Luna and freak out.

“How can I possibly win against her? I’ll get destroyed!”

Luna closed her eyes. This is exactly what she needed to do away with.

“Can she cast illusions?” was the rhetorical response.

That fact made Trixie bite her lip as she realized that yes, she indeed had something up on Twilight. Still, she needed a magical artifact to out do her before and that was before Twilight became an Alicorn.

“Not like I can now, but—”

Luna cut her off, “Trust me, I have a plan. One that carries forward to the Equestria Games as well.”

“How will I win though?” Trixie complained, not wanting to be humiliated once again by Twilight Sparkle of all ponies.

Luna smiled at her student knowingly. She didn’t expect her to win, especially not when it suited her more to lose.

“You won’t. It’s the show you’ll put on that matters.”

One word in particular perked Trixie’s ears up, “Show?”

There was a small chuckle Luna could not help but let out as she thought about the long term plan she had brewing now, “Win now and all eyes would be cast on you, quite possibly in a negative fashion given her public image versus your own. They may believe you to have cheated if you do.”

Trixie nodded, already knowing quite well her reputation amongst other ponies. Sensing that Luna had more to say though, she let her speak.

“Lose now, lose in a close fashion, and you will cultivate interest. After all, she is an Alicorn and you are not. Trust me, do exactly as I say for the upcoming duel and you will know victory in the end.”

Luna had let word out that a duel would be taking place, and by dripping through the grapevine she managed to accrue quite the crowd at the field where she and Trixie trained their magic together. The turnout went beyond even her expectations, not that she minded. The more publicity the better.

Amongst the gathering crowd was Celestia, who had just returned from a lunch with Discord to find a great deal of commotion in her castle. She enjoyed good entertainment, so she set aside the time in her day required to view the coming duel. After all, it involved her own apprentice.

Luna greeted her sibling as both Trixie and Twilight prepared themselves for the coming duel, “It is good to see you, sister.”

Celestia nuzzled heads with her sister before sitting down beside her cheerfully, “How have you been, Luna?”

“Very well. I am sorry that I have been so busy these past weeks and not had a proper chance to see how you are doing,” Luna apologized, feeling she ought to given how little she had seen her recently.

“I can say the same. Things have gotten busier for me now that I have had to add things and appointments to my schedule. The Everfree Forest keeping you busy?”

Luna sighed at the mention of work, knowing that it would be impossible to tackle the issue until her magic returned, “It is all I can do to stem the tide of beasts that no longer feel at home in the purified woods. Even so, I will have to wait for some time to regain my magical power after my recent procedure.”

Celestia gave her sister a reassuring look to cheer her up, “Just do your best. Now, I am curious to see just what has you so confident that your student can defeat my own.”

With raised eyebrows and a laugh Luna responded, “Confident? Why, this is only a sparring session my dear sister. I only wish to give my dear student the chance to see just how much she has learned.”

Celestia could tell her sister had something up her sleeve, but she would let the matter pass. After all, Twilight was no doubt going to win. Twilight was better than Trixie before even becoming an Alicorn, and Celestia knew just how talented her own student was, “Well, so long as you are not hoping to win, I too am looking forward to this.”

Luna only nodded to Celestia before departing her resting place to meet up with Trixie, who was warming up her powers in the field’s center. Luna was ready to get her own version of Fandral’s challenge started, but she needed to know Trixie was too.

“Trixie, are you ready?”

Trixie’s eyes darted around the field to the multitude of ponies gathering around, noting that there must at least be a hundred, “Yes, princess.”

“Good. Ignore the crowd. They don’t matter. Remember what I’ve taught and told you and you’ll do just fine.”

Trixie nodded affirmatively, giving Luna the heads up to start things. Luna approached the space between the two and made sure to not be in the direct line between the two opposing horses. Trixie and Twilight locked gazes as Luna announced the rules.

“You will be using standard combat dueling rules. Either pony who is knocked out of the ring or is down for ten seconds will lose. No fatal blows are allowed, and contestants are not allowed to use physically altering spells on their opponents such as age spells.”

As Luna left to take her place by Celestia, Trixie snorted at her rival. They had unfinished business from their last duel.

“Good luck, Twilight. May the best mare actually win this time.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she tucked her wings in, “Are you still on about that? All I did was trick you.”

Now seated, Luna prepared to start things, “Are you two ready?”

Both the Unicorn and former Unicorn nodded inside the thirty foot diameter ring they stood in, giving Luna all she needed to start the match.

“Let the duel begin!”

Twilight started right off by shooting a stream of magic to where Trixie stood, only for it to pass straight through Trixie. Twilight took a moment to halt her magic beam to instead observe what just happened.

“What the heck?”

A purple blast of energy caught Twilight in the side, knocking her a couple feet to the side before she caught herself. Twilight noticed the first Trixie fade and with a turn of the head noticed where Trixie now stood to her right.

Twilight retaliated with another blast of her own, only for it to pass entirely through Trixie again and for another blast of energy to slam into her, this time from the left.

Twilight growled as she noticed some of the ponies gathered in the crowd laughing at this turn of events, only for her irritation to grow when she noticed that she now had a Trixie looking at her in every direction, “When did you learn that!?”

Trixie had all of her illusions laugh alongside her in an insulting chorus, “I’ve been taking my studies seriously!”

Every one of the Trixies began to charge up their horn to strike, and Twilight panicked as she realized she had no idea what to do. Trixie could teleport and take the place of any one of them, which meant that no matter which way she dodged she could still be hit. If Twilight teleported outside the ring Trixie had formed she would be dangerously close to the edge of the arena, at which point a single good hit could make her lose.

But she couldn’t just stand there and take the hits forever. Trixie’s beams hurt, and this one likely more so, and Twilight knew she could weather a few more of them given their lack of relative power. But to be endlessly hit from every direction? She could not possibly stand through that, even if the individual hits were weak in comparison to Twilight’s own.

As all the Trixie’s let loose their beams of magic, Twilight reacted first and thought second. She watched as all the beams passed through one another, despite being fake, beneath her.

She was up in the air, above the crossfire that would have beaten her. The crowd had an audible groan as Twilight’s physical difference from Trixie became apparent, and as her advantage came into play.

The many Trixies on the ground shook their heads disapprovingly, further mocking Twilight for her dodge, “Tsk, tsk, Twilight.”

Luna turned to her sister with raised eyebrows, having intended for this to happen but still playing her part in this charade, “Wings are not disallowed by the official rules, but they are hardly fair, would you not agree?”

Celestia, all for fairness, nodded as she called over to the arena where Twilight was lowering down to the ground, “Agreed. Twilight, no more flying. It is an unfair advantage.”

“Understood,” Twilight called back as she thought about how to win the match despite Trixie’s illusion magic. Another blast of magic slammed into her and shook her before she thought of how to win, at which point she charged up her own horn to unleash its power.

Trixie did not expect the burst of magical power in every direction Twilight sent out, quickly finding herself knocked a few feet back. This moment of surprise caused her illusions to disappear, a chance Twilight seized to locate the real Trixie and send her most powerful attack straight at her.

Trixie caught her footing just as Twilight’s torrent of magical power crashed into her. The blast pushed her back across the ground with great force, but Trixie dug her hooves in to try and halt herself.

As Twilight ended her attack, she looked forward with surprise to see that Trixie was still standing. The fur on her crest was singed and she was panting heavily from the head on attack she had just received, but she was still upright and ready to fight.

Unfortunately for her, her back hooves were just outside of the ring. Trixie had lost, even though she had taken a brutal attack that greatly outclassed her own power.

Despite this loss, Luna could not be happier. Things had gone perfectly after all, “And the victor is Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight approached her rival at the edge of the ring with a smile on her face. She was genuinely surprised and impressed by how much Trixie had caught up despite her own leaps in power, “You did really well, Trixie. I thought you had me there.”

Twilight held a hoof out to shake in good sportsmanship, which Trixie accepted reluctantly. As much as she knew she would lose going into this, it did not soften the blow to her pride at all.

Trixie ignored the blood drizzling down her partially singed face as they shook hooves. There was one last piece of the plan to do, and she would do her part, “I did.”

Twilight realized what she was referring to and could not help but feel embarrassed, “Sorry about the wings. It was just second nature.”

Trixie was pleased to see the seed of doubt sewn, at which point she lowered her hoof and turned around to approach her teacher on the sidelines, “Whatever you say.”

The crowd dispersed, whispers throughout it questioning how a normal unicorn could do so well against an Alicorn or just how powerful Trixie was, given that she had done the mentioned feat. Listening in was Luna, who met with Trixie as all the others left them behind.

Luna brought a hoof to Trixie’s black and blue mane, “Well done.”

Trixie cast her eyes towards the departing Twilight sparkle with annoyance, “I lost still.”

That was what Luna wanted. Pride. Trixie was getting back on her game with showing her competitive side, “But you did put on a good show. Or did you not hear the surprise of those gathered?”

Luna had not actually expected Trixie to be standing after getting hit by Twilight. Twilight had killed a Changeling with a similar strike, and Luna had actually prepared to bring her apprentice to the medical wing of their castle or even Asgard’s more advanced one after the duel. To have taken the hit and be still standing was a testament to Trixie’s determination, as well as her growing endurance and power.

To show that she was indeed serious, Luna flashed as proud a look as she could to the younger mare, “I am proud of you. Do not fret. Now we only need to have you confirmed for the Equestria Games in two weeks time.”

In that moment, for once, Trixie was able to forget her past disgraces. Her teacher, her princess, was proud of her, and she actually felt some hubris in her own development. She would have had Twilight Sparkle beat if not for her wings, which gave Twilight the time to develop a strategy to beat her.

“Thank you, princess Luna.”

“You earned this moment. Be proud of it.”

Things quieted down after the duel, with there only being a murmur about it a week later. Still, the view of Canterlot’s elite had changed from condemnation to interest in Trixie with the lack of Blueblood there to pollute their opinions. It was with this newfound, albeit very minor, popularity that Trixie found herself pushing herself even more in her training with Luna.

Luna had been focusing on what she could teach Trixie without her own powers, even bringing books on the magical abilities they were developing in the young unicorn. They were paying off too, as Trixie became more and more refined in her usage of Loki’s illusion trick and teleportation. Given the rate of improvement, Luna was pretty sure Trixie would be able to teleport through physical objects soon without fear of finding herself fused with them.

As Trixie worked on controlling her eleventh and twelfth illusions in addition to all of the others, Luna found herself smiling at her work. Was this how Celestia felt back when she had Twilight as a student, or was it something more?

“Keep up the good work. It is already paying off.”

Trixie turned to Luna with a beaming smile right before collapsing on her side, laughing weakly as her exhaustion caught up with her. She had been pushing herself for close to six hours now and had not taken a break yet.

Luna joined in the light laughter as Trixie tried her best to get upright to no avail, “However, being well rested is just as important a part of preparing.”

“I will, Princess,” Trixie responded before flopping on her back and giving up on her attempt to get up, taking the idea of rest and putting it to application that very moment.

Luna moved and shifted herself so that she was relaxing next to Trixie now, “I won’t let your dreams bother you. I know you must be on edge about the competition, and nerves can disturb sleep greatly.”

Trixie softly poked Luna in the side, “Can you still use your dream powers?”

The touch tickled Luna, who had to fight not to laugh at it, “To a minor degree. It is something innate to me. It has not been effected like my other powers. Sadly Celestia has had to take on my moon duties as my powers return because while I can move it, it is just barely.”

A yawn caught Trixie, who closed her eyes under Luna’s night sky, “When will you be able to cast magic again?”

“Some weeks from now, but don’t worry. I can still tutor you and lend you my knowledge in the meantime. You will be fine.”

Luna sensed her apprentice drift off to sleep from her exhaustion. With her being asleep, Luna nuzzled her head to Trixie’s now snoring one.

“I cannot wait to see you outshine whatever arrogant Canterlot citizens show up.”

For the sake of the Equestria Games an entire stadium had been set aside for the Canterlot team try outs. There were hundreds of eligible Unicorns, so they needed to have open try outs every time to keep their position as the best of all of Equestria at magic. Not that it was difficult given that they had as many Unicorns as many other towns and cities put together, and thus more talent to use.

The sign ups for the event were at the inside gate, while inside the stadium was a stage, a table for judges, and equipment for the various trials. Going horizontally across the large grass field were bullseye targets, while standing at one edge of the field was a lined up group of punching bags.

Trixie entered the stadium by herself to sign up, bringing with her a satchel of all the possible forms she could need. The pony at the registering table, however, tilted their nose up at her as she drew close.

Trixie ignored their rude expression and instead smiled at him politely, not willing to lower herself to his level, “Hello, I am here to register for the Equestria Games try outs.”

The stallion in charge of the registration snorted at her from behind his counter, “To register you must actually take residence in the town or city you are applying to join for. The last time I checked, a wandering and washed up magician has no place of residence. Have you found a box to live in at any town by some chance?”

Trixie continued smiling at him, having just the tool to shut him up, “I’m glad you asked. I will be applying to join the Canterlot team. Here is proof of my residence.”

She retrieved a document from Princess Luna stating the room Trixie was residing in at Canterlot Castle to be her own for the duration of her studies. She levitated it over to the stallion, who read it with part confusion and another part disgust.

Trixie could see why her teacher hated Canterlot so much.

The stallion behind the counter tossed it back at Trixie after reading it, “Canterlot Castle? You almost surprised me there. Why bring something so completely fake?”

“I do not take kindly to my documents being called fakes, foal.”

Princess Luna now stood over Trixie, having appeared out of seemingly nowhere to both Trixie and the registration pony’s shared surprise.

The pony behind the counter recovered after Trixie who smugly looked at him as he tripped up on his words, “Ni—Princess Luna, it is quite the surprise to see you! Whatever reason could you have for coming here this day?”

Luna made her eyes as narrow as a snake’s before leaning down to glare at the stallion at point blank range, “I was wondering what was taking my student so long from my audience seat. Seems an obstructive bureaucrat is to blame.”

He pulled back as far from her as he could in his seat while preparing a quill with his magic, “I apologize princess, I did not know that this was your apprentice. I will register her at once.”

Once he finished signing Trixie in, Luna turned to her apprentice to give her a final nod. This was an even more important event than facing Twilight, and this time success was mandatory.

Not that there was any chance these noponies could stand up to her apprentice. After all, could any of them boast the levels of skill and endurance Trixie was growing to have?

“Do your best. What can they possibly do to hold a candle to you?”

After seeing Trixie off Luna returned to her seats in the audience, purposefully arriving through an entrance above all the other seats so that ponies would not cower as she found place to sit. They wouldn’t be looking behind them as much as they would be looking forward after all in the stadium. She needed a few seats to herself anyways since she was significantly larger than the others and wanted to see things from the same view the regular ponies would, not caring to take the royalty booth oh so far from the action.

As the dozens of contestants arranged themselves on the field Luna found her ears being bombarded by the stupid words of the ponies before her.

“Is that Trixie?”

“What’s she doing up there?”

“I hear she’s Nightmare Moon’s apprentice now.”

“Nightmare Moon? Don’t you mean Princess Luna?”

“No, Nightmare Moon’s back and she’s training herself an apprentice to overthrow Celestia and Princess Twilight. Heard it all from Blueblood.”

“Yeah, and I heard they killed him after he bothered Trixie!”

“I don’t really miss him much. At least Trixie can put on a show.”

“She’s a nopony though! Why would Luna take her in? What chance does she think she has here, competing for the best Unicorn team?”

“Didn’t she face Twilight in a duel the other day?”

“Yeah, and she almost won! Twilight had to use her wings.”

“Whatever, she’s still a washed up magician. Get off the field you—”

Luna had enough of these pathetic noponies and their drivel, using her long neck to crane down between two of the offenders.

“Boo.”

The nearby crowd jumped and screamed, quickly moving as far as they could from Luna’s head in their seat.

Now that she had their attention, Luna thought now would be the best time to clear things up, “Blueblood left the country under his own free will, not that I mind,” she leaned back to her own seats, “And my apprentice will be shown respect or Blueblood will not be the only one shaved head to hoof.”

One of the startled ponies jabbed a hoof in Luna’s direction, “Praise Celestia and the sun! We’ll, uhm, we’ll never bow down to—”

Luna narrowing her eyes at the mare trying to stand up to her, instantly frightening the mare into silence, “Oh, I’m sorry, do continue,” the mare fell off their seat in fear as Luna continued to stare at them, “No? Nothing else to say?”

The crowd hushed and turned from Luna as a pony with a wizard’s hat came out onto the field before the contestants. Luna was not at all surprised that these idiots were making a show out of this, but she was going to enjoy seeing Trixie put the other contestants in their places.

The pony with a stupid looking hat, a somewhat young Unicorn with an energetic face, turned to the crowd. With his magic he amplified his voice to announce to the few hundred ponies sitting in the stadium.

“For our first trial, our contestants must perform their most powerful spells to impress the judges in under thirty seconds. Only the top sixteen scores will move on, at which point the second trial will be done. Now, without further adieu, let the trials begin!”

Luna watched with disinterest as ponies took to the stage set up and did their best to curry favor with the three judges set up at a nearby table. The judges, three boring looking mares past their prime, appeared almost as disinterested as Luna and gave out increasingly lower and lower scores as the performances went on.

That was until Trixie took the stage in a flash, teleporting and letting out her fireworks to announce her arrival. At this point she cast her illusion spell, and from these fifteen extra Trixies she shot out a new volley of fireworks that quickly stunned the entire crowd.

The announcer was as surprised as everypony else, and rightfully so as Trixie impressed the entirety of those gathered, “Illusion magic intermixed with teleportation, and on such a large scale? What impressive skills for such a young unicorn!”

Luna smirked at the display, the smirk growing as she listened to the ever changing opinion of the fools in front of her.

“She’s actually good!”

“Maybe she isn’t as bad as the news columns say.”

In the end Trixie earned the highest marks out of any contestant, instantly passing onward to the next round while so many others had to go home. The crowd in the stadium milled quite a bit as the failure Unicorns left, their families and supporters leaving as well.

Once only the remaining sixteen were left the announcer amplified his voice again while pointing to the next area of the trial, “Now, the second trial! Our last sixteen contestants will now be reduced to the final eight. Those eight will participate in the final trial, which will leave four unicorns for the Equestria Games team of Canterlot. This trial will have the contestants use skill to aim at the various targets to earn the best score they can in the time given. One shot per target is allowed.”

Again, Luna ignored the other ponies outside of Trixie as even their best were seemingly not at all close to her in ability, even if these were the best of the previous crop.

Once Trixie got up for her turn she utilized her teleportation to get close to every target and hit each and every one spot on, only not getting a single bullseye. Once again, she passed on to the next round with no contest from her competitors.

The doubtful ponies before Luna once again found themselves stunned by this display of skill from Trixie, who was last seen in the public as a starved and destitute magician.

“A near perfect score. How’d she get so good?”

Luna snorted. Hard work was how she got so good, as well as the guidance of two masters of magic.

The announcer returned to pester the eardrums of the audience as the second last group of Unicorns was milled out, “In our final trial we will now move to a test of strength. The four unicorns able to send their bag the farthest in a single magic blast will join the Canterlot team.”

And in that one moment Luna felt her stomach drop. A strength competition? Trixie had improved, sure, but she had not even reached the strength of Twilight prior to the Unicorn becoming an Alicorn.

She might actually lose this time, even if she gave it her all.

“Trixie…” Luna whispered to herself as the bad feeling in her continued to rise.

She had finished with the highest marks of the previous two groups, though given the style of the competition that meant little here. Given her competition, Trixie could actually lose here and both she and Luna knew this.

The Unicorns lined up behind their bags that they would have to send flying, and Luna could swear she caught a glimpse of nervousness rise on Trixie’s face. At the command of the announcer, each Unicorn powered up their horns and prepared to strike.

When he commanded again, they shot their bags forward one at a time across the field. Trixie was the second to fire, and hers did not go nearly as far as the first contestant’s.

With the following bags shot across, Luna tried keeping track of just where Trixie stood amongst them. In the end, she found herself shocked by the result.

The announcer was surprised too, albeit with enthusiasm, “And there is a tie between the fourth place contestants two and seven! Our panel will have to discuss the matter, at which point the team will be finalized.”

Trixie had tied for the last spot on the team…the alternate position. Even if she did qualify at this point, she would not be on the actual team unless something unfortunate happened to one of the ones above her.

Luna looked down to Trixie on the field, who was trying her best to keep composed as her efforts crashed down around her.

After a minute of discussion, the announcer returned to speak to the crowd with his obnoxious voice, “Given that contestant seven has a longer reputation with Canterlot and has resided here their whole life, they will be representing the city in the Equestria Games.”

Trixie gaped at the decision and how it had nothing to do with their skills, but rather their background, “Can we not just do another trial between the two of us? I beat them at every other competition.”

One of the panel members shot Trixie a glance similar to what Luna could send someone’s way, “I am sorry, girl, but we do not want a fraud representing our city. Actually defeat an Ursa and maybe we can discuss the matter further. Until then, contestant seven will be the Canterlot representative.”

And with that, the competition was over.

Trixie had lost.

The entire stadium was soon empty, save for two ponies that once again stayed behind after everypony, except the panel staff and competition workers, left. Trixie tried to find her voice, but she was too focused on not crying to succeed.

Not only did this crush her recovering self worth, but the glance she had received from Luna was one of disappointment.

Before leaving, Luna only had one thing to say, trying to come to terms with her own feelings.

“I should not have placed my expectations so high so early in your training.”

Trixie reached a hoof out towards her teacher as she departed, struggling to find what to say still, “Princess…”

Her legs buckled underneath her, having been shaking nervously this whole time, and Trixie failed in her attempts to hold back her sobbing. Tears rushed to her as she felt every bit of self worth she had vanish.

On their way out the panel passed by Trixie dismissively, not caring that she was breaking down in the slightest.

“Good luck next time, Ursa slayer.”

“Yeah, why don’t you go and vanquish a real one? You have as much of a chance of doing that as you do of ever competing in the Equestria Games.”

“—not even able to qualify for the team with a princess as her coach. What a loser. How does she even live with herself?”

Trixie wished she had her hat to hide her face as they laughed at her, not wanting them to see her cry like this.

She had let down the one pony she cared about pleasing, and done so publically. How could she ever make it up to Luna after all Luna had done for her?

Luna smashed a hoof down in frustration as she closed her room’s door behind her. This was not how things should be. This was not what she expected from Trixie.

She had ruined the plan. The timeline set would have to be changed, new arrangements made…

Luna would most be definitely be lying to herself if she did not admit to being disappointed and irritated. Not solely at Trixie however, as Trixie was by far the most talented Unicorn there. She had even tied with her competitor, only for her reputation to lose her the tie. Luna, as much as she did not want to change her schedule, would not be pulling strings to fix that. If word got out that she changed a judge’s opinion it would destroy Trixie’s growing reputation before it could amount to anything.

Still, knowing Trixie these past months, Luna had no doubt the Unicorn was out training. Making herself better to excuse her failure.

She was a good student, with potential to be so much more…more than even Trixie herself knew.

Luna felt a bittersweet smile grow on her as she realized she would be bringing her apprentice food from the pantry again. After all, Trixie would no doubt be too busy focusing on training and improving her powers that night to get anything to eat for herself.

Trixie may suffer from an inferiority complex and be recovering from how she lost everything, but Luna would not add to the issue. Trixie deserved the same loyalty and hard work she put in.

It was admittedly harder to carry food without the aid of telekinesis, but Luna did her best to balance the plate and everything on it on top of her large back. There would be no crying over spilt milk.

“Trixie?” Luna called out to the courtyard like so many other nights, trying to make her voice sound soft. Sound motherly.

No response came, so Luna tried again, “Trixie, where are you?”

Luna looked around and found that in the dimming light she could not find her student there. Could she be in her room, crying away the disappointment? Luna doubted it given her student’s determination.

So where was she?

Luna placed the food down where Trixie normally had it in the grass before turning and semi-rushing back to the residential part of the castle. In took only a moment to confirm Trixie was not in her room, for the door swung open as Luna tried knocking on it. It opened to reveal nothing except that Trixie’s damaged cape and hat were missing with everything else remaining in place.

The feeling Luna had earlier when her stomach dropped did not even compare to what she felt right then. Instead of just anxious, she was absolutely terrified. Where could Trixie have gone? She had returned at some point, even if it took Luna awhile to get around to checking on her.

It had been hours since the competition and Trixie did not even leave a note. Every single warning was shooting off in Luna’s mind as she rushed down the hallway to catch up to a guard who was pacing around idly.

“Have you seen my student?” she demanded of him with a full dose of fear in her voice.

The guard shook his head no, “Not for some hours, milady.”

Luna cursed herself for her own attitude that afternoon, knowing that if she had just been supportive Trixie might not have run away to do whatever she was doing, “Do you know where she was headed?”

“She left for the front gates.”

“Have every guard look for Trixie! Search the castle and city, understood?”

Luna pushed past him, rushing down the hall to find her student.

The princess was crying and did not care who saw. Trixie was the one and only thing on her mind.

Author's Note

Where's Trixie? Anybody know or have an inkling? Even if you don't, please let me know what you think about the chapter in the comments below!

(Comments are :heart: )

Will You Fail Me Now?

A/N: A/N: Special thanks to Guilop, Cadmium, ZeroInfinity, King Sombrony, ArcaneVisions, JaceArveduin, Chaos5367, Mutie Genic, New Spark, Obsidian Raindrop, Killabyte, Drgnwolf, Evowizard25, for your comments last chapter! They certainly have helped me, so I'm really grateful for your support.

Chapter title now brought to you by Trust Company's "Stronger"

A big shout out to RainbowBob, who featured this story the other day in their journal! Thank you for your support!

So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter even if it is a bit intense! I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart:

Knowing that Trixie could have gone anywhere was not a settling thought to Luna. Outside of the castle Trixie had nothing, so if she had just run away she would be left destitute.

But, with Trixie’s low level of confidence shattered, Luna feared that she may do something more than just run away. What that was, Luna had no idea, but she was not going to leave things to chance and wait to find out.

Luna’s first stop was to check Trixie’s room again for clues. The room was sparsely decorated outside of the elegant furniture it had started with, but one thing did catch Luna’s eye.

On Trixie’s desk was the moon necklace that Luna had since deduced that Loki had taken. It seems Trixie had taken it back, yet not returned it. Also on the desk were some of Luna’s books, as well as a framed picture taken from a magazine that had both Luna and Trixie together in it.

Luna would be more appreciative of the shrine if Trixie was not missing. Upon further inspection, Trixie’s room left no obvious clues outside of the now missing hat and cape that Trixie had not even asked to have mended during her stay.

The next place Luna thought to check was her own office, where Trixie spent a great deal of time when she was not in the training field or asleep. She was pleased to find that the door was unlocked despite having been closed earlier, as not only was it a sign somepony had been using it but also meant Luna did not have to fumble around for a key since she had no magic to open it with.

Luna rushed across the empty room to her desk, where Trixie would work. Perhaps Trixie had left some indication of her destination there? A note?

Surely enough, Luna found what she was looking for. But it was no note or message.

“Of all the—”

It was a monster report with its map torn off. A report regarding a constant menace Luna had not been able to stop yet, one that had claimed quite a few pony lives in recent times.

Trixie had left to stop the Ursa Major of Everfree Forest.

Light was beginning to fade from the day when Trixie arrived, although not to the point where seeing was impossible. In fact, the sun was just at the point where through the trees it shined perfectly into the cave Trixie was now standing before.

The cave was not the deepest of caves, although it was quite large and had a ceiling high enough to fit the monster that called it home.

Monsters would be more accurate, Trixie thought. After all, there was both an Ursa Major and an Ursa Minor that took residence there. And because of their savagery caused by the change in Everfree’s environment, there were less residents of nearby pony towns.

The sleeping forms of the two bears brought pause to Trixie, who only hesitantly began to approach them.

“Princess Luna, I am sorry, but this is something I have to do. Not just for you.”

The deep breaths of the large creatures put her more on edge, but Trixie’s mind was made. She was going to do this even if it killed her. Even the pony who had taken her in was disappointed in her. Trixie could care less about her own safety.

Trixie took a breath in of her own as she continued to enter the cave at a careful pace. She did not want to upset their sleep just yet, “Okay.”

The bones of a deceased pony greeted Trixie partway into the cave. Not the most comforting of greetings, but Trixie pushed them out of her mind to instead focus on her plan. Her attention was on the Ursa Major, eyes locked on the purple monstrosity that Trixie had come to make pay for its crimes.

She placed the bag she brought with her down. Her horn began to glow its purple aura as Trixie called forth as much power as she could. With focus and attention Trixie aimed at the closest ankle of the sleeping Ursa and unleashed her strike, a barrage of bright fireworks shooting out to burn the fur and skin there.

The beast howled as it awoke in pain, its sleep being interrupted by the stinging in its ankle. The Ursa flailed briefly as it tried to rise to its full height in the cramped cave. Trixie, meanwhile, powered up another strike to fire at the monster.

“I seem to have gotten your attention. Your cub and I are already quite familiar.”

Just as the Ursa finished rising Trixie’s second strike slammed into the same exact spot as the first, burning the fur and skin ever so slightly more than the first strike.

The Ursa Major roared down at Trixie while its cub began to stir from its own rest. The paw strike that followed the roar slammed into the cave’s floor where Trixie had been, though a singing strike to its leg from a different location revealed that Trixie had not perished.

Trixie had teleported at the first sign of the bear’s paw moving, ending up instead to the side of the creature where she was able to fire off her next attack.

As the creature turned its large body in the cave Trixie continued to unleash blast after blast into the same general area on it, moving to keep up with the more cumbersome being’s own movement. After turning enough the Ursa leapt forward with its body, which was again avoided by Trixie who teleported to the entire other side of the creature.

“The reports have said you two have slain fourteen of my kind,” Trixie let loose another barrage of sparkling fire to strike the Ursa as her voice slowly morphed into a yell, “As Princess Luna’s apprentice, I will make sure you harm nopony else!”

The Ursa shrugged off the blast because it did little more than irritate what was already singed. Trixie’s strikes lacked the power to cause the Ursa more pain than what a papercut might be like. With a growl the Ursa swung around in a sweeping motion to try and hit as much area as it could.

Having anticipated this, Trixie avoided the attack by leaping to one side at which point she shot out a beam of magical energy into the minor wound she had created.

“Can’t beat what you can’t hit, beast!”

The Ursa bellowed as her magic broke the skin on its ankle and drew blood. While still horribly insignificant, repeated cuts to the same place were taking their toll on the outermost layers of skin now that fur had been burnt off.

In blinding anger the Ursa Major rushed forward again, but when Trixie teleported to avoid it the cramped nature of the cave caused the Ursa to crash its head into a wall.

Trixie sneered, ignoring the rising feelings of exhaustion as she continued to use her most powerful magic, “Does that hurt? I’ve grown stronger since your cub humiliated me!”

With no time wasted reeling after connecting its face with the wall, the Ursa kicked a leg out to where Trixie had fired from. Unfortunately for the towering monstrosity, the pest who had come into its home was not there when the strike hit the spot.

This time Trixie had teleported right beside the leg she was focusing on, knowing that because of its outstretched limb the Ursa would have trouble swiping at her at that very moment.

With her point blank range, Trixie wasted no time pouring blast after blast of her relatively weak energy at the Ursa, “I lost everything!”

Trixie preemptively teleported away and to the side, finding herself next to the now awake Ursa Minor. The Minor was watching the fight with a mixture of fear and anger, not liking that this small pony was harming its caretaker but also not able to join into the fray with how the Ursa Major was beserking.

“My house!” Trixie shouted as she quickly shot at the Major and avoided a quick strike from the Minor with her teleportation.

The Ursa major stomped down on the ground, letting out a small quake that shook the entire cavern. As Trixie reappeared by the cave entrance where she first shot the Ursa, she too was caught in the shake and lost her footing. Despite this, Trixie fired another round of explosive magic at her enemy, “My job!”

The shots were not exactly on target, with some even hitting the cavern ceiling, but that did not stop Trixie from continuing her grievance list, “My life!”

As the Ursa Major moved to attack her at the cave’s mouth, Trixie again teleported to another place in the cave. The stress was increasing every time she performed the trick, having already used her powers earlier in the day and not had a night to refresh herself.

Still, Trixie powered through the minor exhaustion to strike out again from the Ursa Major’s flank. She charged up her power as the bear tried to locate her, finishing her charge just as its face turned to her.

“Princess Luna gave me all of that back and more, so I will do anything to deserve her kindness!”

Despite its size the Ursa moved with great speed, its paw striking Trixie just as she blasted into its leg again. The impact sent Trixie flying back into the cave wall, though mid-crash Trixie used her magic to teleport away so that she could avoid the Ursa’s follow up strike that right then smashed the wall.

Trixie stumbled after she appeared in the center of the cave, now behind the Ursa. The hit she took left her completely winded, not that she was running at full energy before it. This did not stop her from using her telekinesis to open her bag by the cavern’s entrance, nor did it stop her from sending a small vial hurtling at the Ursa’s face as it turned around again.

Trixie coughed up some blood as she sped up the projectile, “Even if you do hit me, I’m not going to back down. I’m through being pushed around!”

To the Ursa’s surprise searing hot liquid crashed into its leg and shattered glass entered its wounds, both warranting another roar of anger from the beast. This anguish gave Trixie a moment to breathe as the Ursa flailed hopelessly to remove the poison now stinging its limb.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Trixie taunted the beast. The Ursa Major did not hear her words due to its own rage. Its vision became partially blurry as it prepared to murder Trixie once again.

The Ursa stomped its front paws down where Trixie was, or rather where a blue fuzzy thing was that ought to have been Trixie. Instead the paws passed right through Trixie’s illusion of herself, purposefully less defined that it could have been to conserve on her own waning energy.

The festering and profusely bleeding leg of the Ursa found its other side being bombarded next, as Trixie had used the moment of distraction to reposition herself and attack again.

“That’s basilisk venom. My Princess took it from one she slew and stored it in her desk. She wasn’t using it, so I thought I might make good use of it.”

The Ursa Minor moved to try and attack Trixie itself, but its parent got in the way as it turned towards Trixie’s voice.

“And for the next act, I’ll cut your leg in two!”

Luna knew exactly where the Ursa’s location was even without the report’s map. Unable to teleport there, Luna was not sparing the precious moments she had to inform anypony else. She bolted out of the nearest door and took flight, not caring if she made a scene at all.

She had found her desk drawer open as well with some of the supplies and things kept inside missing. Interestingly enough, Trixie had not taken anything akin to the Alicorn Amulet she once used even though Luna had such trinkets, but instead took basilisk poison among other things.

Luna could tell her apprentice wanted this to be under her own power, even if it meant throwing in a few tricks.

Now that she knew what Trixie was planning and where she was going to be, Luna found her in almost no time. Upon landing at the cave Luna peered inside to see her student dancing around the Ursa Major who lived there.

Trixie was suffering from some major bruises and was seemingly exhausted, no doubt having been using everything she had to fight off the monster. Just as Luna arrived though the Ursa, with a very wounded leg that was beginning to show inner flesh, connected its paw with Trixie’s side.

“Trixie!”

Her student crashed and rolled across the rough ground before coming to a stop a few dozen feet away from where she had been standing. The Ursa moved in for the kill, bearing its claws down on her—

Only for the claws to embed themselves in the ground, Trixie’s illusion fading away. Surprised, Luna looked around for her student, “What in the—”

Trixie hacking up blood gave away her new position to the Ursa. One side of her had a gash going down from shoulder to hip, and blood was flowing freely from the wound. Other scrapes and cuts marred her blue body, but Trixie ignored them all to continue on fighting against the Ursa.

As Trixie shot at the Ursa’s wounded leg again Luna, out of fear, snapped at her, “What do you think you are doing?!”

Trixie created four illusions around the room to throw off the Ursa, who was beginning to slow down due to its crippling leg wound around its ankle. With this moment of safety, Trixie shouted to her teacher with indignation, “I don’t need your help! Stay back!”

By the cave’s entrance, Luna tried to think of what to say. Even if she got involved, she had no magic. Luna would only get in the way if she tried helping, being no more than a tall horse in this situation.

She couldn’t help her student even if she wanted. Luna felt her stomach drop at that realization, not having thought of it until that point.

The Ursa took no time in swiping furiously at the fake Trixies as the real one dashed across the cave to get a better shot at the wound she had been cultivating. Trixie felt as if her ribs were broken, but her single minded determination kept her moving.

Just as Trixie reached her new position the Ursa ran out of illusions to test, though it was too late as Trixie already shot off another magical blast that collided directly with the wound. Despite her wounds and mounting exhaustion Trixie had retained her pinpoint aim from the competition earlier.

The Ursa’s leg buckled underneath it temporarily, lending Luna an opportunity to call out to Trixie again. After all, despite what damage Trixie had done thus far, Trixie was even worse off than the Ursa and was far more exhausted than it was.

“Trixie, you don’t have to prove anything to me!”

Trixie used her magic to summon a cloud in the air, with which she shot a decent sized bolt of lightning down at the wounded Ursa Major’s leg. Teleporting to the side would have been too much of a waste of energy, so she needed to think of other ways to keep the pressure on that joint.

The Ursa Major began to rise again, largely ignoring the lightning that continued to strike it as a mere nuisance. Trixie, meanwhile, spoke back to her princess, “I am sick and tired of being looked down on! I’d rather die than lose everything again!”

Despite previously not being willing to get in the way, the Ursa Minor leapt forward to pound Trixie. The bear missed as Trixie rolled away and created illusions of herself to throw them both into confusion again.

This would prove useless as the Ursa Major rose up and blitzed Trixie with its impressive speed, slamming her straight into the wall and pinning her there with its body. Now having its prey in its grasp, the Ursa grasped her with a paw and lifted her up into the air.

Luna gasped as she watched the beast begin to clench its paw, crushing her student’s body within it with only Trixie’s head poking out at the top.

“Get away from her!”

Trixie screamed in agony as certain bones in her body broke under the pressure. Still, she did not stop fighting. Trixie’s horn flashed before she shot out a weak shot at the Ursa, striking the eye of the beast that gripped her so tightly.

Despite the relative weakness of the strike, it was enough to get it to loosen its grip. Trixie began to fall as it let go of her, but to avoid dying from the fall she teleported in mid air to the ground beneath her. Upon hitting the ground she crumpled down, unable to stand right away because of her sustained damage.

As the Ursa shook its head in pain from the eye damage it took Trixie coughed out blood onto the ground, saying with a weak but determined voice, “Y—you haven’t beaten me yet!”

The Ursa Major’s issue with eyesight did not stop the Ursa Minor from trying to intercede once again, the smaller but still gigantic bear charging at Trixie feverishly.

Hearing it roar got Trixie to pull herself up, her voice raising to a very loud level as she turned from the Ursa Major to the Minor, “You better stay outta this!”

Luna watched in awe as Trixie telekinetically grabbed the Ursa Minor by the limbs on one half its body as well as some of its torso. The beast’s momentum was instead turned into a swing as Trixie collided the Minor with the Major’s weakened limb, sweeping out both of its rear legs in the process.

The sweeping arc continued until Trixie let go of the Minor and let it continue on its way until it crashed into the cavern wall. The cave shook and fragments crumbled from the ceiling, but the Ursa Minor did not stir.

Still watching, Luna felt tears roll down her cheeks as Trixie nearly collapsed after accomplishing this. If Trixie died fighting these monsters Luna was not sure she could ever forgive herself, because she knew that she was partly to blame because of her own ignorant dismissiveness earlier.

The Ursa Major did not particularly like seeing its cub beaten like that, so its next strike was with a speed that Trixie was forced to dodge with teleportation. She was already wounded and weakened, so having to use a chunk of energy she barely had was causing her to feel unthinkable anguish.

A thought came across Trixie’s mind that made her smile despite her pain though. Given her level of torment and agony, what was a little more pain? It would only hurt a little longer anyways. This fight could not last much longer.

Trixie cast, with a scream of pain, Loki’s mass illusion technique. Now having a total of sixteen extra Trixies in the room, the mare swapped places with one of them that gave her a better shot at the Ursa’s leg.

Knowing what Trixie was about to do, having instructed her about how to almost beat Twilight with the same technique, Luna gasped. At full power Trixie could do this maneuver for a minute before growing tired, so doing so while half dead…

“Trixie, you’ll kill yourself!” Luna sobbed as she cursed herself for her own lack of magic. She could not do anything at all to save Trixie, since running up to them would only get herself killed.

Trixie ignored Luna as she began to first attack the Ursa from one direction only to teleport and attack it from another when it discovered which of the Trixie’s attacking it was the real one. Trixie’s wounds bled more and more as she continued the high-strain technique, but she ignored them as she continued to focus on the Ursa’s leg.

As the attacks continued, more and more white bone could be made from underneath the layers of flesh being burned, blasted and occasionally electrocuted from the floating cloud in the room. The Ursa squealed in pain while hunting down Trixie, now trying to use its nose to determine which Trixie was which.

This proved difficult however because of how much of her blood was strewn about the cave. Trixie managed to actually tear through to the bone completely by the time the Ursa got lucky in its thrashing and struck her with a paw.

The Ursa did not realize that it had connected a hit with Trixie, so it continued to strike at illusions while Trixie fostered an intimate relationship with the ground, being unable to leave it.

She coughed up blood as she tried to rise, but her hooves were failing her, “If I...”

The Ursa Major continued thrashing madly, some of its strikes colliding with the walls and shaking everything. As it continued to do this however its exposed leg began to feel the strain of its upper body weight, causing the Ursa even more pain than what had drove it mad in the first place.

Forgotten and ignored on the ground, Trixie first pushed one hoof fiercely into the ground to prop herself up, “Everypony wants me to do this…I can’t return to what I was unless I win…”

As she finished speaking, Luna found herself beyond impressed with her apprentice. Part of her wanted to run in, grab Trixie, and just escape with her, but the rampaging Ursa was in-between the two of them and she was not sure she could do it.

Trixie, despite her exhaustion, broken bones and bleeding lacerations, was standing again. One of her legs was bent and almost limp, while blood streamed from her lips and body wounds freely.

Still, she was both alive and standing to Luna’s relief. There was still a chance that they could run and prevent this from getting any worse.

The Ursa seemed to hear the panting of Trixie as she rose up. It turned to face her as she struggled to breathe, “I…”

Trixie inhaled deeply before coughing up more blood, a purple glow forming around her horn, “I’m—”

The Ursa finished turning to her just in time to receive an explosion of fireworks to its face, Trixie simultaneously yelling at the top of her lungs, “I AM PRINCESS LUNA’S APPRENTICE! I AM GOING TO BE THE STRONGEST MAGE EQUESTRIA HAS EVER SEEN! DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ME!”

As the Ursa reeled back in pain from her burst of fire, Trixie quickly went about pressing her advantage. The Ursa’s wounded leg snapped and broke beneath it, causing it to tumble and crash into the back of the cave.

The Ursa being unable to move, Trixie’s long gambit had worked. She knew that an immobile creature was as good as dead and fought accordingly, so this success only spurred her onward.

“I have not come this far to be stopped! I will not let my future be jeopardized by some mongrel!”

“Now—” Trixie hacked up blood twice before catching her breath enough to finish speaking, her horn glowing bright as she stored what little power she had left in her, “Now you’ll taste my true power!”

Unable to protect itself or move to avoid Trixie’s power, the Ursa Major soon found its forehead being assaulted by the beam of energy coming from her. Blue ethereal fur began to burn as Trixie gasped in pain, the strain of her efforts literally pulling her closer and closer to the brink of death.

Luna slowly moved towards Trixie, still not able to help her in any fashion without getting in the way because now the Ursa Minor was stirring. This did not stop her from realizing that one way or another this would soon be over, at which point she would need to grab Trixie and run.

One of Trixie’s legs buckled completely under her, causing her stream of magic to go from the Ursa Major’s head to the cavern wall and then ceiling as Trixie jerked around in an attempt to aim again. Despite her bones being bruised, with some even broken, Trixie forced the leg to straighten out so she could stand straight again.

Her magic pounded back into the Ursa’s face where the burnt fur began to peel away to show the skin of the bear. Blood appeared where the magic struck, not to mention that which continued to pour from Trixie’s various wounds. Her straining efforts were causing her wounds to reopen and drip more of her life fluid to the ground.

Soon enough bone became visible on the defeated Ursa, and it was not long before a hole large enough was formed in its head that it stopped all struggling.

Trixie had won.

“She—She did it,” Luna gaped as she tried to process what just happened. As rocks began to fall from the ceiling, Luna pondered how she wouldn’t be burying Trixie. Her tears of sorrow morphed into tears of happiness as Luna discovered just how much that meant to her.

Her feeling of relief and elation did not last long. A harsh growl from behind Trixie sent Luna’s heart into her throat, her mind jumping back to the Ursa still not slain.

“The Ursa Minor!” Luna yelled as she leaped to action.

The younger bear had partially recovered from its previous defeat, now able to stand on four legs. Seeing its parent slain drove it to madness too, its eyes focused on the blue mare who had done the deed. It was seeing red, both literally with its own blood dripping down its forehead as well as figuratively with how rage swelled within it.

It prepared to charge and spring forward as Luna prepared to do the very same, “Trixie, watch out! Behind you!”

Despite the warning, Trixie had hit her limit. There was not an ounce of energy left in the apprentice as the cavern began to collapse around them all. Teleporting with its great strain was beyond her power, not to mention just plain walking.

Trixie knew she could not get out of the way of either the Ursa or the many falling pieces of the cavern ceiling, so she made no attempt to. With this moment she instead turned to her teacher with a sad smile.

“I’m sorry for letting you down…princess.”

Author's Note

Well, if Trixie hasn't proven it to you yet, here you have the proof: she's become a badass under Luna and Loki.

Thank you for reading, and I'd love to hear what you think in the comments! Remember, comments are :heart: !

It Only Hurts Just Once

A/N: Special thanks to King Sombrony, chaos5367, New Spark, JaceArveduin, ArcaneVisions, Obsidian Raindrop, Mutie Genic, Killabyte, Invisible Blade, NightmareChimera, Anyne, hs0003, Drgnwolf, Guilop, Pirony, and ABitterPill for your comments last chapter! It was quite nice knowing how much you all cared about Trixie, and it is great comments like those that keep me writing at such a fast pace! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Breaking Benjamin's "Unknown Soldier"

A big shout out to RainbowBob, who featured this story the other day in their journal! Thank you for your support!

So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter even if it is a bit intense again! I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart:

Small beams of light poked through the boulders that had crumbled from the Ursa cave ceiling. Across from the rockslide rested the body of the Ursa Major, which had lifeless eyes glaring forward from its final resting place. In the now crowded cave’s center lay the body of the Ursa Minor, which lay unmoving under the boulders that had collapsed on top of it.

Nearby it, in a small clearing where no rocks had fallen, were two similarly unmoving bodies of ponies. The larger one had taken the smaller one over to the space after escaping the earth that had fallen on them both, having shielded her apprentice’s body with her own at the very last moment.

While successful in preventing Trixie from being crushed to a pulp underneath the stones, Luna was not able to do so without a cost. Her spine was bruised from where she took the brunt of the falling debris, making every movement below the shoulder tinge with abhorrent pain. However, what made Luna collapse beside Trixie’s unmoving body was the other wounds she had incurred.

Similar to Trixie, Luna now bore deep gashes across one side that bled profusely. Unable to cast magic, Luna had no way of stemming the tide of crimson blood from her partially exposed skin where her fur had been ripped off.

It had been trying to shrug off the boulder that had threatened to crush her and her student, thus leaving Luna in no position to do much of anything after freeing them both. She had picked Trixie up by the scruff of her neck and weakly dragged the still pony to where the trace amounts of light were shining in.

Flopping on her own side, Luna could tell instantly through a sharp jolt of new pain that her wing was as cut up as her side. Feathers weakly held on to where a gash cut across her most fragile of limbs. Luna powered through the pain as best as she could, knowing that she had to stay strong.

Luna twisted her head as she coughed up blood, not wanting to spit it on Trixie. Trixie had not moved since collapsing from her life threatening level of strain and wounds incurred from the Ursas, but Luna was not about to throw up blood on her, especially if she was just taking a much needed rest.

Now laying beside Trixie, Luna brought a hoof out to touch Trixie’s chest. She needed to know if she was already too late.

Luna ignored the wetness of Trixie’s blood soaked fur as she waited for a heartbeat.

“Please…”

Luna did not intend to convince anyone, but the small beat of Trixie’s heart showed that she indeed had. Trixie had not departed their world just yet, though she remained unconscious and at death’s door.

Before collapsing herself, Luna weakly pulled herself around her student’s body. She needed to rest just like Trixie, but she would be damned if she would not continue protecting her from the collapsing ceiling even in sleep.

Being crushed by the falling stones would hurt less than losing somepony she cared for.

More light peaking into the collapsed cave managed to wake one of the ponies within. The increase was minimal, but it was enough.

Through a bruised eye that had dried blood dripped across the lid, Trixie tried to look towards the source of the light. When she had collapsed it had been nighttime, and she had fully not expected to wake.

Her half open eye had blurry vision as it tried to focus on what was in front of Trixie. As she attempted this Trixie attempted to move a hoof, only to find that she was too weak to do even that. Every inch of her being felt pain, though Trixie could hardly complain. She had not expected at all to survive, so pain was more of a relief than an issue at that very moment.

As Trixie’s vision finished adjusting, the almost dead mare could make out the source of the light. It was shining in through a crevice in the pile of boulders that were in the way of the light. The reason for the recent crevice was standing beside the stone wall, and that was the black coated mare who had taken Trixie under her wing.

Luna was working at the wall, removing what rocks she could and kicking at others. Without her full powers and with her wounds, Luna could not put as much of a dent into them as she normally would be able to. But if Luna was as she normally was there would be no issue, given that she could just teleport Trixie and herself out.

Trixie took to watching Luna throw herself at the cave in, stunned at the ferocity Luna was displaying despite her visible wounds. The normally majestic Nightmare Moon had rugged, bloodied fur on top where purple bruising was showing beneath where some fur had been scraped off.

This was compounded by the gashes going diagonally from her shoulder down to her hip on one side. Fully torn, showing that the claws had time to sink in when they struck. Trixie winced at the thought, glad that her own lack of constitution caused her own self to be knocked back whenever she was hit.

Trixie was grateful that her pain sensors were overloading in a way, since she could not tell just how bad off she was. She couldn’t move to look at herself, and her position only afforded her a view of the ground before her.

Still, the dark staining pool on the ground was not comforting to Trixie. Either it was her own blood, which meant that she really was done for, while if it was Luna’s that meant that Trixie’s teacher was as gravely wounded as she appeared.

Trixie tried to find her voice, but only managed to cough pathetically as more blood escaped her lips. This noise was enough to catch Luna’s attention, who stopped kicking back at the rocks so that she could rush over to Trixie’s side. Like the adrenaline had kept Trixie moving the night before, Luna’s own helped her forget the pain she was suffering from.

Luna bent down to Trixie’s level and put her head up against her student’s, nuzzling her face against Trixie’s own, “Don’t say anything, just rest.”

Ignoring Luna’s warning, Trixie found a small piece of her voice in order to whisper, “I’m sorry.”

Trixie knew that this was all her own fault. She didn’t have to overreact and be so reckless, but her bruised ego had suffered too much for her to do anything else. Despite it being one of many reactions possible, it was the one that Trixie had to pursue. Still, Trixie found herself crying out of the one eye she could feel and move despite her own hubris.

Still nuzzling against Trixie, Luna could feel the tears dripping down the otherwise blood covered face. Luna could sympathize with having ego cloud judgment, and she wasn’t about to have Trixie blame just herself. Trixie made the decision to come, but it was the fault of all those who led her to make that decision as well.

“Hey, hey, don’t cry,” Luna crooned as she brought her hooves forward to embrace her wounded apprentice.

Trixie would require a miracle to live, and every moment she drew breath was a smaller one. Luna was not going to have her die with regrets or apologizing.

Try as she might, Trixie was unable to stem the tears that were dripping down now. Seeing her mentor so hurt up close was shredding the last pieces of self-worth Trixie had, as trampled as they had already been, “You’re hurt. Why…”

Luna glanced back to her wounded side before shaking her head. She knew Trixie would insist if she kept quiet, so after a moment of hesitation Luna turned towards the Ursa Minor’s still body, “The cave collapsing did not stop the Ursa Minor from striking one last time.”

She had managed to put herself in-between not only Trixie and the falling debris, but also between her and the charging Ursa. And, unlike Trixie’s wounds, they were much more than skin deep.

“Can’t…” Trixie coughed again, but swallowed the blood she was tasting in her mouth, “Heal…”

Luna lowered her head in defeat. Another thing lost with her temporary power loss that could last up to an entire month, “My magic is sealed still.”

Trixie’s eye closed and Luna felt her own heart skip a beat. Trixie needed to rest if she was going to survive, but the thought that she might not wake up haunted Luna.

“Trixie, you are by far the most worthy student I could hope for.”

Despite her broken sense of pride, Trixie had one thing she could be proud of. Against all odds, she had done what she had come to do. The murderous Ursas were put down, and no other ponies would have to suffer because of them. She had proven herself.

“I did it…”

Luna smiled as she lowered her mouth to Trixie’s battered ear, “You can brag all you want about having slain an Ursa now. Two at once even, once we get out of here.”

“Are we t—trapped?” Trixie coughed.

Luna debated lying to her, but given that Trixie herself had seen the rocks she knew it would be quite futile, “For now. Somepony will come along and find us though. Don’t worry.”

The princess only hoped that what she said was not actually a lie.

Still confined to his room in Asgard, Loki was biting his lip in frustration. Luna was not often late, and yet she had not appeared at all despite how over half the day had passed by.

Irritated by this tardiness, and worried about what might be the cause, Loki got up from his bed and approached his door. Once there he opened it, casting an illusion while teleporting behind the guards posted outside who quickly turned to face the now fake-Loki.

The fake-Loki spoke to the two men stationed to keep Loki inside, “Send for my mother. I care to speak with her.”

“And leave you unguarded, traitor prince?” one of the guards, a man with a thick mustache and a bald head, scoffed.

Loki could not believe how difficult some people could be, “To be honest I am being polite. If I wanted to I could leave on my own, I am merely choosing not to in some foolhardy attempt to earn my family’s trust back.”

The man snorted at Loki, “I would like to see you try to escape.”

He had said this just as the real Loki unraveled the man’s pants so that they fell to the floor around his feet. The man, in surprise, stumbled and crashed over onto the floor as the real Loki uncloaked himself and stepped on top of the fool’s back.

“I daresay I already have succeeded.”

Loki turned to the other guard with a yawn, “Go fetch my mother while this clown tries to fix his clothes.”

Luna probably was just bothering his mother about something or another. Loki could only dread whatever they were planning for him, but he supposed whatever it was it would kill the boredom he was suffering from.

After Trixie drifted off into sleep, Luna had gone about forcing a way through the rocks that kept them from the outside world. As she pounded away at them again and again Luna idly thought about how convenient it would be for Heimdall to see her predicament and send her the help she needed.

No help came though. She continued her efforts, careful to not upset the rock pile in a way that would worsen the situation. Still, fighting against the rubble proved to be a two steps forward, one step back situation as each rock pounded to dust shifted others so that it was an ever changing puzzle.

Luna growled as she was forced to change her approach yet again as the boulders shifted and threatened to fall in a destructive way. She was not quite sure she had it in her to lift one of them off of her body again, and causing them all to tumble the wrong way could bring harm to Trixie as well.

Her mentor’s growl woke Trixie up, who was beginning to regain some of her strength as her wounds began to fix themselves ever so slowly. While believing that she should have died already, Trixie was not about to question it. Not yet at least.

“Why?”

Luna was once again distracted from her work when she realized Trixie had spoken, “Huh?”

Trixie managed to prop herself up with her less wounded front hoof, but it only brought her up a small degree given how being less wounded was not saying much, “Why did you do this for me? Now you’re going to die with me.”

Deciding that a break was in order given the recent setback, Luna moved to once again be beside Trixie. She took care not to aggravate Trixie’s, or her own, wounds as she lifted Trixie’s chin up to look her in the eye.

“For the same reason you were hurt by my stupid words at the trials.”

Trixie’s one open eye winced at the mention of what Luna said then, for Trixie was almost quite sure it had been more harming than everything said up to that point given the dismissal it had contained, “Princess…”

As Trixie’s voice trailed off, Luna picked up the verbal slack. Luna pulled Trixie into a hug while again avoiding her more wounded parts, “I would do anything for you.”

The embrace and the statement that accompanied it made Trixie forget about the pain for a moment. She had earned the approval she had so desperately craved from Luna, whom had done so much for her.

This was, what Trixie imagined, what it felt like to have a loving embrace.

“I—”

Her voice stopped as her inner fears rushed to the surface. She felt like she had to get this off her chest, even if it could embarrass her later. After all, she might not get the chance to say it later.

Trixie brought her head into Luna’s crest, “I think of you as a mother, Princess. You have taken care of me all these months even though I was nothing more than a street rat. I know so little about who you really are, but you mean everything to me.”

Luna could not hide her gasp as her brain processed what her ears just heard. She had not actually thought of things in that way before, but in some way it did not feel all that off to her, “A mother? You do?”

Trixie could not even tell if she was blushing, but she knew she normally would be given how embarrassed she was revealing this, “I know I’m an adult, but—”

She took a deep breath in before continuing, needing to gather her nerve together, “You gave me a place to live. You make sure I’m doing well, both eating and sleeping. And you care how I am feeling, and treat me well when so many other ponies see me as a laughingstock.”

With a wistful sigh, Luna looked down to the surrogate daughter she was grateful to still have alive, “What an honor.”

The way Trixie viewed her, as good as it made Luna feel, also made her feel more self-conscious than ever. She was not exactly a role model, and with the dark influence of her Nightmare Moon side Luna knew she was not exactly even up to her normal low standards. The way she had treated Trixie at the end of the competition was proof enough that she was not truly worthy of the honor bestowed upon her.

Luna was not known for being a welcoming and loving pony. She was a practitioner of tough love and had low tolerance for everything not within her own goals. She was not her sister, and that was coming to mind more than ever.

“Trixie, I am—I am not my sister. Celestia’s always been the warm, compassionate one who just knows what to say and do. I’m not sure I’m ready to be a real mother. But…”

As Luna trailed off she tried to think of what to say. Despite her self doubt, she did not want to come off as rejecting Trixie’s admiration for Luna truly did enjoy knowing that somepony other than her sister or Loki loved her that much. She just felt guilty about her own failings.

“Still, you’ve done nothing but prove my hopes right. I took you in so that you may become my heir, my second like Celestia has Twilight. You’re the most dedicated, faithful student I could hope for. I never thought though that you would, on a personal level, be more than that…”

Luna lowered her lips to Trixie’s forehead and gave her a light kiss, “I’m happy for once that I was wrong. I love you.”

Trixie made no response other than shifting in Luna’s chest, the apprentice’s breathing showing that she was close to being asleep again.

Luna kissed Trixie again while stroking her apprentice’s ruined coat through the shreds of Trixie’s destroyed cape, “Trixie, stay strong, okay? I promise you I will get us both out of here even if I have to knock down the whole cave by myself.”

Loki had taken to reading while waiting for his mother to arrive, though he found himself partially startled when her figure appeared in the room without entering through the door.

A projected illusion she could communicate through. He had dealt with them before, not that he was fond of doing so when he could just as easily talk to the real thing.

“You sent for me, Loki?”

He closed the tome before him and placed it on his desk while turning his chair to face the apparition, “Can we not do this in person?”

Frigga shook her head, “I figured this would be a quicker method of communication. Is it something important?”

“No, not really. I was just wondering if Luna was with you. She said she would visit the day after her student’s trial, which would have been yesterday.”

Loki’s mother smiled at him knowingly, “Oh, you mean Trixie’s entry to the Equestria Games.”

Loki hated that she knew that. His mother knowing things like that meant she was talking to Luna a lot behind his back, and that could only lead to terrible conclusions.

“Yes, that. So is Luna with you or is she just late?”

Frigga winked at him coyly, “I’m quite sure she is late.”

Loki ignored her so he could go back to reading, “Very well then. May you let me know when she does arrive?”

“Of course. Though I must ask, how are you doing Loki?”

Realizing that his mother would not just leave without a sufficient response, Loki relented, “Wasting away from boredom. The visits from you, Thor and Luna are what are keeping me sane.”

“I apologize Loki. I have been trying to convince your father to lift your punishment, especially in lieu of what we have learned since the incident on Midgard.”

He let out a long breath as he thought to his own true crimes, “I still am guilty of my crimes preceding it.”

“We were all to blame for what happened then.”

Not desiring to go over this again, Loki conjured up a new topic to discuss, “How goes Thor’s quest to liberate the Nine Realms now that we have access to the Bifrost?”

Frigga smiled even though he was dodging the topic. He would not say it to anyone, but his choice in topic showed that he still cared for his brother despite all that had transpired, “He and Lady Sif’s troupe have managed to quell some of the uprisings and raider attacks that have come about after our absence. There is still much work to be done.”

“I am sure they could use another hand.”

Frigga shook her head no, thinking that Loki was implying he could help them out, “They will have to manage as they are for now I am afraid.”

Her response only made Loki laugh, “You thought I was referring to myself?”

Realizing now what he meant, Frigga firmly responded to his actual intent, “I am not sure involving Luna would be wise.”

Loki could not see what the issue could be with Luna helping out a little, “She could rival Thor in combat I am quite sure, meaning that any work they do would be that much quicker. That is not to mention how having a magic user who can heal might be useful. Think of all the lives that can be saved.”

Again, Frigga rebuffed his offer of Luna’s services, “Loki, given the basis of your activities with her I advise against it.”

Loki suddenly felt sick to his stomach. His mother was implying and prying both at the same time, and it made him quite uncomfortable. Still, he knew he had to say something to that or make her think the worst.

“She’s not with child, mother. We would know if she was.”

Frigga pointed her finger at him sharply, “Maybe not now, but I would prefer caution to be excised. I will only put in my support for her assisting them if your visits are do not remain confined to your bed.”

True to form, Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes while speaking in a mocking tone, “It’s not as if that could continue anyways. She’s sure to bring her apprentice along now that she has me teaching her magic, and any previously private activities would be quite awkward with a visitor.”

His mother always had enjoyed his snarkiness in her own way, being quite sharp tongued herself, “You are right though. If she assists Thor we can help unite the Nine Realms again at a faster rate, saving lives.”

“Well, eight of nine realms is good enough,” Loki corrected, knowing that they did not truly look over one of the realms that belonged to their nine. It just was one in name only given their inability to actually look over it in any shape or form.

Frigga nodded in agreement, knowing what he was referring to instantly, “Niflheim is and will remain out of our reach. The mists and dangers there prevent our influence, not that there is any indication that we have anything there to protect.”

“Even Heimdall cannot peer into it. A useful trick for masking your presence from him is to mimic the mists there.”

“Another thing you get from me. Did you by chance see who wrote those books on the mists?” Frigga quipped.

Loki only shrugged, not having ever realized he was reading her texts when trying to find ways of breaking the law, “I generally skip the title pages and the fanfare that follows.”

Frigga smiled fondly as she thought to how the dedicated gatekeeper of Asgard had two blights on his perfect record, only one of which he even acknowledged, “The guardian to our realm would never admit to being unable to track his very Queen, especially not when her talents in magic are largely unknown.”

Frigga opened her mouth to continue, but her conjured form turned to its side. Given that it was mimicking her own actions, Loki assumed that she had turned to someone speaking to her. After a moment of silence she resumed her previous position, speaking to Loki.

“Word is that your brother has returned from another battle along with the Warriors Three. I will let you know when Luna arrives, and contact Heimdall if she remains missing.”

“Thank you.”

The third time Luna was interrupted it was not by Trixie. As Luna worked on finishing a passageway out for herself and Trixie, a mighty bellow echoed across the cavern.

The Ursa Minor had not died, and it was not happy.

The beast had taken the majority of the falling debris by Luna and Trixie, and the wounds it now sported were a testament to how it too was not doing well.

“It’s still alive? Oh you have to be kidding me!” Luna screamed as she noticed that they had not finished the job. Given how wounded they were and how they were only ninety percent done with forcing their way out, being trapped in an enclosed space with an Ursa was not a good thing.

A few feet away from her, Trixie was struggling to rise to her feet. As the only one capable of casting magic at the moment and the one directly responsible for the situation, Trixie felt as if she had to.

“Trixie, not in your condition—”

Trixie’s horn lit up as she found her footing, the Ursa beginning to rise from underneath the rubble that had lodged itself on the bear. The light on Trixie’s horn was brighter than Luna ever had seen it, and the Princess found herself recoiling from the powerful aura emanating from it.

Every last piece of magical power Trixie could harness was being put into this, and Luna felt her stomach flip at how it might drain what little fuel Trixie was living off of.

“I won’t let it harm you or anypony else!” Trixie shouted as she unleashed a torrent of power forward at the Ursa, her aim being at its mouth just as it prepared to roar again.

The beam caught the back of the beast’s throat, with the constant stream continuing into the open maw as the Ursa struggled to clamp it’s mouth on the pure energy pouring into its throat.

Trixie, meanwhile, was fighting to not collapse and scream in agony as her wounds tore open as her body tensed and strained under the agony presented by the magic she was using.

Continuing to prove her determination and will, Trixie managed to keep herself running long enough for the Ursa to crash into the ground with a recently made hole in its head. It had not been able to rise quickly enough from the rubble to stop her, and her wounds were not enough to kill her before she had accomplished the deed.

Before Trixie could fall over and expire for good, Luna leapt over to her and caught her on her back. Lifting Trixie up so that she straddled her back, Luna carried her wordlessly over to the rock structure. The Minor may have been slain, but doing so just pushed Trixie even closer to the brink of death. It was now or never for escaping.

The Ursa’s brief attempt at rising and the resulting crash into the ground had shifted the landscape once again, although this time it was favorable to Luna. With a few well placed kicks she shattered a rock, bringing forth a bright ray of light as the Everfree Forest was revealed from the now vacant place where pebbles remained.

Luna darted through the opening, not caring for the possibility that something else might shift. Once outside of the rockslide, she let out of breath of relief, making sure to shift Trixie on her back to keep the younger mare mounted there, “Okay, we’re out. Just hang in there a little more, okay?”

“Sure…”

Luna moved as fast as her tired and aching legs could towards the exit. Freedom was granted to her, and she would not let Trixie die after everything they had been through.

The orange coated and red maned beast at the edge of the cave had a different plan though.

Luna stopped in her tracks as she observed the last piece in a slew of bad luck, “No.”

It made sense, which is what made Luna even more angry. The stench of blood stained the cave, and any predator worth its weight could be drawn to such a bloodbath. This beast was only here to pick up the scraps, of which there were plenty.

The Manticore eyed Luna over warily, seeming to recognize her as a powerful being but also taking note of her wounds. Noticing its attention to her, Luna lowered Trixie to the ground and helped her to her feet with the use of her own teeth.

“Trixie, get to the edge of the cave. Use your fireworks and draw as much attention as you can to here.”

Trixie almost fell over as she tried to just stay conscious, not having almost any energy at all left in her being, “But what about you?”

“I got more meat on me. I’ll keep it busy,” Trixie did not move, causing Luna to growl, “What are you waiting for? Go now!”

She complied reluctantly, limping towards the exit while angling to go around the Manticore. It turned to face Trixie, not about to let its prey escape, but the beast’s attention was torn back to the giant mare charging straight at it.

Luna snorted as she checked her shoulder into the chimera’s face, knocking it back with the sudden blow. She was not going to let it hurt Trixie. She was not going to let this monster be the end of either of them. It was just one more thing in her way that they would have to get through, odds be damned.

In response to her strike, the Manticore took a swipe with its large lion paw at her. Luna was sluggish in dodging it and the swipe connected with her already wounded wing and side, winding her instantly given her prior wounds.

With Luna kneeling over in pain, the monster turned its attention to Trixie. The apprentice had hobbled over to the edge of the cave and was about to shoot off her fireworks, but her exhaustion made her pause briefly before continuing.

Before the Manticore could even think about taking advantage of this momentary pause Luna pulled herself up and headbutted the Manticore horn first. The growing rage and pain in her had sparked something familiar, and Luna found a sudden burst of energy stemming from an all too recognizable source.

As Luna drove her now glowing horn straight into the Manticore’s throat she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Damn you beast, I am getting us out of here!”

While Trixie shot off a volley of her light tricks, Luna was beginning to cast magic of her own. Her powers were flooding back to her as her rage and desire to protect her student triumphed over the magical block that was only supposed to last a month at longest. Something about the dire situation lit the fuse needed to kick it back into gear, and Luna was about to make an example of something that sought to harm somepony she loved.

Luna pushed forward and forced her foe to start stumbling back as she advanced on it. The Manticore struggled only briefly before the glow from Luna’s horn became an actual beam of magic that coursed straight through the monster’s entire body. First exiting the entire other end of the Manticore as a thin beam, the size quickly began to increase to match Luna’s pouring of power. Within moments the beam enveloped the entirety of the Manticore in a beam of black, green, purple and blue light.

Not a single trace of the Manticore remained as Luna’s beam faded after half a minute, while similarly the nearby landscape directly behind the Manticore was left smoldering from the magical energy that had swathed through it like hot butter.

From her position at the edge of the cave, Trixie called out to Luna as her teacher collapsed suddenly, “Princess!”

Luna’s powers had returned, but that did not solve her physical wounds or energy level.

Trixie tried to move towards Luna, but her own physical state caused her to trip and collapse. Exhausted, Trixie drifted into unconsciousness almost instantly after hitting the ground.

The light show put on by the two of them had done its part however. Having only collapsed physically and not mentally, Luna grew a small smile as a flash of rainbow streaked through the sky.

They had really done it.

“Woah, you two need help?” came the familiar voice of Rainbow Dash, who landed by the cave’s mouth with a shocked expression.

Luna nodded over to Trixie from her own position on the ground, “Get her to the hospital, I will be right behind you. I just need a moment.”

Rainbow rushed to Trixie’s side, her loyalty to her princess overriding any questions she may have had about the situation, “Got it!”

Not ten minutes later, Luna stumbled into the Ponyville hospital where she was sure Rainbow Dash had taken Trixie given the geographic proximity and Rainbow’s residence in the town.

Rainbow was arguing with a pony at the front desk about how she had just shoved a patient on a stretcher when Luna arrived. Every medical practitioner in the nearby area instantly rushed to her side in a frenzy to assist the princess, completely dropping whatever they had been tending to before.

“Princess, let me look at your wounds—” one doctor started before Luna snappd at them all.

She jabbed a hoof at the unconscious Trixie, “Do not touch me. I am fine. Help her now.”

The doctor who had tried speaking bowed his head, “Of course.”

While all the medical professionals there rushed to Trixie aid, Luna grabbed the talking doctor before he too could go to her, “Call in whatever specialists and doctors you need to.”

“If I may ask, what happened?

Luna’s head sunk as she thought back to how useless she had been, “Trixie just slew an Ursa Major and an Ursa Minor by herself, sustaining wounds from the former. My own are from the latter, having been unable to use my magic to fight it off. Trixie defeated them though.”

The doctor observed the fresh and still bleeding cuts on Luna with interest, “Are those Manticore wounds?”

“One happened to come by to scavenge what was left.”

Luna looked across the room to where the other doctors were wheeling away Trixie to be treated. The sight of her student in such a bad state made her tear up despite her hardest efforts not to. She was too exhausted to do any further magic, including healing Trixie. Luna would have to wait for that, and time was something that Trixie might not have.

“Please…”

“We will do what we can,” the doctor promised to the worried princess.

Luna nodded absently as she felt everything from the past day catch up with her, both emotional and physical.

She felt sick to her stomach from it all.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear what you thought in the comments below! Remember, comments are :heart: and help updates be faster!

I Can't Survive Alone

A/N: Special thanks to Mutie Genic, ZeroInfinity, New Spark, HaoKyruss, ArcaneVisions, Killabyte, King Sombrony, ABitterPill, Obsidian Raindrop, Drgnwolf, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Cadmium, PhantomPhoenix, and gakuseiakira for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing at such a fast pace! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Stephanie's "Friends"

A big shout out to RainbowBob, who featured this story the other day in their journal! Thank you for your support!

So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter even if it is a bit intense again! I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart:

“How is she?”

Luna was staving off collapsing from her own wounds as she slowly rekindled her magic, having regained it and exhausted it all with little time spent in-between. After waiting for the doctor’s to finish surgery on Trixie, Luna had approached her now resting apprentice to see just how she fared.

Little of Trixie’s body was visible underneath the various bandages and medical instruments holding her together, the sight of which caused Luna to cringe.

The doctor she had addressed when entering the room, specifically set aside for Trixie, responded with a heavy voice, “Comatose, but stable. Some of her wounds were infected and we are treating them the best we can.”

Luna nodded while reaching into her partially replenished magic pool. Now it was her turn to help Trixie and repay the loyalty she had given.

“Now that I am rested I can lend what little power I have…”

The healing magic Luna had was for physical wounds and trauma, and as such Trixie’s condition improved drastically as the magic washed over her body. Despite this improvement, she did not stir in the slightest even as the medical readings improved of the machines Luna had little knowledge of.

Luna looked down to Trixie guiltily as she approached her bedside. All of this because of a bad bag toss…

“There…I cannot make her wake with just healing magic, but she should be better off now.”

Before she even realized it Luna was reaching a hoof out to touch Trixie as her apprentice rested, but she stopped herself before her hoof managed to reach the bandaged mare.

Bag toss…

There was something she had to do. Luna would worry about her own wounds later especially since they were not something beyond the capabilities of her healing.

“Where are you going?” the doctor called to Luna as she proceeded to turn around and head for the door at a brisk pace.

“I have something I must take care of. I will return later.”

Searching through the Canterlot records about families did not take long for Luna to do at all. Her sudden arrival and wounded appearance caused many ponies to gasp in shock before scampering off to go tell someone about what they had seen.

Luna was done before anypony could confront her about what happened to her, and she wanted it that way. She had no time to waste with the imbeciles of Canterlot, at least not the ones she was researching.

While rummaging through the records, Luna came across something she was tempted to peer into. She had only taken a cursory glance at Trixie’s official records when she took her in, but in light of recent events she was tempted to look more into them.

Nopony had taken Trixie in and supported her when she was down on her luck for so long. Did she even have any family alive to support her? If not, that would help explain the way she had been so taken by her teacher.

In the end Luna decided against doing it, seeing it as an invasion of privacy of somepony she cared for. For the same reason she did not often bother Loki’s dreams, she would hold off on peering into what Trixie had never brought up. Trixie could tell her if she ever felt ready or felt it was necessary.

The other files granted the information Luna needed though, and after taking what she needed she went outside the castle to where she had left two very large piles of flesh and fur.

Now she only needed to track down the ponies she was so interested in.

Being a princess had its advantages obviously, and among them was easily tracking down a trio of ponies who were lounging in one of their private estates in Canterlot.

The three judges of the Canterlot magic team stopped their lounging around their outside pool when their Princess of the Night landed her flight right in front of them. Two yelped while another dropped the drink they were holding, the glass crashing on the well maintained grass.

By the time any of them could find their voices Luna had already beat them to the punch. Her horn had been glowing when she landed, but the glow disappeared as two large objects dropped from the sky and crashed into the pool behind Luna.

“She did it. By herself my student slew both an Ursa Major and an Ursa Minor,” Luna threw her head back to the giant bear paws she had just dropped in the pool, “At the same time. Happy now?”

The first of the Canterlot elite to recover from the surprise did so with a scoff, “Oh come now, you cannot expect us to believe such a fraud did something so impossible. Why, who is to say you did not slay it yourself?”

Luna had kept her own wounds not inflicted by the Ursa visible this long just to show off at this particular moment. She turned her side to the judges where the collapsing parts of the cave slammed into her and scraped off fur.

The princess’s eyes narrowed at the unicorn who dared question her, “I was unable to use my magic at the time, foal. I almost died just by watching because of how the cave collapsed as collateral damage.”

One of the others sat up in their lawn chair, ignoring the expensive glass they had broken, “And where is your student now, the supposed winner of this fake fight?”

Luna had to restrain herself from blowing away a second monster that day with her magic. Her impulse control might not have been what it once was, but it was just enough to spare the lives of these three.

For now.

“She is comatose and undergoing medical treatment. One might even say because of you three,” Luna snarled, taking a threatening step towards them.

“Wh—what do you want from us?” the last of the three choked out, scared by the way Luna advanced towards them.

Luna continued approaching towards the three until she was face to face with the closest one, glaring directly into their eyes with as much vitriol as she could muster, “You will instate her on this team of yours. You will give her the highest available position on the team for when she wakes. Not doing so will result in the termination of your position and revoking of your citizenship to this nation.”

“Celestia would never allow such—”

With her magic Luna lifted the terrible excuse for a pony up into the air by their neck, using her magic to constrict the judge’s throat to the point where breathing would be difficult, not to even mention talking.

The other two gasped while Luna growled, “Because of your repugnant behavior my student almost lost her life. And believe me, if for some reason she never wakes I will inflict upon you three the same fate Celestia be damned.”

As suddenly as she had grabbed the competition judge, Luna let them go. The Unicorn dropped to the ground with a gasp, drawing in as much air as they could to counter the suffocation they had been subjected to.

Knowing that she had their full attention and fear now, Luna continued, “For now though, I have the full support of my sister to discipline you all to the full extent of my power as Princess, should you not repent and do everything in your power to set right what you have caused.”

The three seemed indignant and scared both as they looked at Luna, none of them saying a word. Seeing that she might have to play her trump card of coercion, Luna sighed and shook her head. She had no love for nepotism when it was not also a case of merit.

“If you do not think Trixie worthy now, then let’s see how your nieces and nephews fare against an Ursa. I would not mind making a second trip, and I know where their other caves are.”

Their eyes all went wide at that, or rather wider given their previous state of fear. Luna could tell she had struck a nerve.

“You would not dare,” one of the judges growled back at Luna, something in her causing a backbone to arise.

Luna rolled her eyes and smiled at the sudden change, “Oh, I’m sorry. It was your child, not nephew, that tied with Trixie. Funny how in a competition of precise, accurate measurement that a tie could happen. An almost impossible feat, like a single Unicorn defeating two Ursas.”

The Unicorn who still had a voice to speak with jabbed a hoof angrily in Luna’s direction, the allegations Luna was raising making them even more uncomfortable than before, “I will not let you say these slanderous about me and my son—”

She stopped her threat when everything around the four gathered ponies grew to be pitch black. A complete void of detail surrounded them as darkness enshrouded everything within their sight.

They were in Luna’s domain now, who had disappeared into the dark only to reappear in front of the Unicorn who had been speaking. A dark tendril extended from the void to wrap firstly around the Unicorn’s throat and then mouth, silencing them completely while the other two shrieked in horror.

Ignoring the other two, Luna focused her fury on this one. However, her fury was bridled, and instead of shouting Luna was only seething.

“As you protect your family, I will protect mine. And that begins with preventing arrogant foals such as you three from driving her to do something as suicidal as this. Trixie never did anything to you, yet you and the others of this city treated her with such disdain that she nearly died.”

“You—you weren’t the kindest to her that day either,” choked out the one who was prone on the ground where Luna dropped them.

Their rebuttal was not as wounding to Luna as they likely intended, for it was already an open wound. Luna knew she was yet another reason for Trixie doing what she did, and being told that did nothing to change how she already felt.

“And who are you to judge?” Luna snapped, “Are you there when I bring her the dinner she forgets to eat because she is working so hard to impress me? Or when I bring her to bed after an exhausting day of work?”

Luna shut her eyes as she thought about how close Trixie had come to dying, “I made a mistake the other day, one I will never forgive myself for or forget, but I know and accept my blame.”

With a bright flash the pool, grass and other parts of the surrounding area returned to view with the darkness Luna had summoned disappearing. The Unicorn choked by the dark tendril gasped as they managed to get more than a sliver of air down their throat, while the other two looked around in a panic.

While the three readjusted themselves to the real world once again, Luna narrowed her eyes at them all and continued her previous threat, “I once was not above murdering my own sister. I’ve gotten better from then, but keep that in mind as you reconsider things. This is your second chance. Be fair, be kind, and maybe I will forgive you. I have had enough with the toxic culture in this city and this is where I draw the line.”

With that, Luna spread her wings to prepare for flight. She had gotten her point across, and the day was beginning to segue from afternoon to night. Luna had a very important night ahead of her, and she had no more time to waste here.

“Good night, citizens. I hope you can sleep well with the nightmares sure to plague you until your conscience is cleared.”

No two regular dreams were alike for any one pony, and the variation grew even more between different ponies. Still, there was a common theme to most ponies given their personalities and mindsets.

Luna generally only tended to those who were suffering in their dreams in some way, as they were the ones in need of help and guidance. Still, the number of those who suffered in their dreams was quite grand and Luna could not tend to them all. She was lucky to get to a few dozen a night, as some required more time than others.

Fillies were simpler to handle than full grown adults after all, and Luna preferred tending to them anyways. Because of this dilemma though, Luna had not visited Trixie’s dreams prior to taking her on as an apprentice. After taking her in, Luna had mostly let Trixie be. Her apprentice was active during the same time as her anyways, so it would be difficult to tend to her sleep irregularities as other ponies.

So, when stepping into Trixie’s dream, Luna found herself both surprised and not.

The setting was a stage, like one might find at an opera hall or theater, only instead of singers and actors there was a single pony center stage. Looking weak and alone, a blue mare in torn purple garments sat in front of pony silhouettes.

The idea that Trixie was still envisioning herself in front of a crowd was what surprised Luna. What, sadly, did not surprise the princess was that some of the crowd was laughing uproariously at the mare on stage. Others were yelling at her and throwing things at the magician.

None of them seemed to notice or care that she was crying there, looking completely alone and miserable.

Not able to stomach this uproar and humiliation for longer than the second it took to observe it, Luna dispelled it and silenced the dream. Similar to what happened earlier with the three judges, darkness replaced everything in the dream leaving only Trixie and her teacher.

Instead of fear though, this darkness was there to act as a sanctuary for Trixie. Taking away what was disturbing her rather than removing what makes one comfortable.

The silence did not stop Trixie from crying, and since the young mare’s eyes were shut to hide her from the horror that was her sleep Trixie could not see that they had left. Luna felt her heart pang at the quiet, sobbing mess that was her apprentice. The pony who looked up to her like a mother and needed her.

Despite everything Luna had tried to do for her, Trixie still had no sense of self worth. Luna had hoped that defeating the Ursa’s would help to cure that, but it seemed that her recent feat had not conquered her personal feelings of inadequacy.

Luna took no time to rush over to Trixie’s side, not burdened in the dream world by the exhaustion and pain that had resulted from their recent cave dwelling.

When Luna reached her student she quickly brought a hoof to her face, wiping away the imaginary tears dripping down her face, “Trixie?”

Shocked out of her reverie by the physical touch within the dream, Trixie blinked rapidly while looking around before realizing that Luna was in front of her.

“P—princess?”

Like many other ponies, Trixie was slow to the uptake with realizing just that she was in a dream. The complete void around her did not worry her, but it did raise her suspicions.

“What happened?” she questioned, still taking in the situation while wiping away her own tears now. Even in the dream world she did not want to look weak in front of her teacher.

Luna brought Trixie into her chest with a tight hug, preventing her surrogate child from wiping any more of her own tears away. Luna did it to show Trixie that she cared, while Trixie did it to exhibit strength she did not have. Luna did not like weakness, but she could accept it in those she loved.

She brought a hoof up and down Trixie’s back, stroking her softly to console her, “You are asleep in the real world. I have entered your dream to check up on you.”

Trixie appreciated the comfort, though the revelation that she was sleeping rested worryingly upon her. Luna had only said she was sleeping, but Trixie had the feeling that given their shared damage that it might not be the whole truth.

She brought her hooves around Luna to return the embrace, feeling warm even if it was only a dream, “Oh, I see. That would explain the never ending laughter…”

Luna nuzzled her own forehead with Trixie’s, taking care to avoid her horn despite how it wouldn’t hurt. Luna felt kind of silly, having not done something like this with anyone who was not Celestia, their mother, or Loki, but that was not enough to give her pause. After all, what was a little affection going to hurt?

After a moment of this not public display of affection, Luna pulled back. With a hoof she rose Trixie’s head up so that they could meet their eyes. Luna wanted Trixie to be able to see the pride in her teacher’s eye, “No one will be laughing at you soon enough. You’re the best Unicorn there is.”

Instead of a verbal response, Trixie dug her face back into Luna’s chest and wrapped her front legs around her tightly. While she had been dying earlier Trixie had been worried Luna would rebuff her, but having Luna return the love she felt made Trixie feel secure for the first time in years.

Luna could sense Trixie’s mood beginning to shift for the better, so she thought about how she might be able to continue that trend. Given their setting, a perfect idea came up to the dreamshaper, “Tell me, what would you like to be dreaming of?”

Trixie’s face flushed as she thought of how her dreams used to be like as compared to how they were then, “Promise you won’t laugh?”

The embarrassment Trixie was feeling gave Luna some…ideas about what her apprentice might like, “Why, do you have particularly embarrassing preferences?”

“No, of course not!” Trixie pouted as she shook her head exaggeratedly from side to side.

She looked down to the void below her with her blush remaining beneath her blue fur, completely embarrassed as she thought about how to phrase it.

“I just…my good dreams are about being with somepony who appreciates me.”

Luna rose a brow as she tried to interpret Trixie’s meaning.

“A lover?”

That made Trixie turn red like a tomato, knowing instantly that she had misspoke.

Her head shook again as she tried to dissuade her teacher’s interpretation, who was now laughing, “No…I’ve never really been that interested in that kind of thing. Just somepony who is there for me and understands me…”

Luna pulled Trixie back into a tight hug, whispering into the young mare’s ear.

“Then do I need to change anything?”

Trixie’s ears drooped down as she thought of how that reality had slipped right past her. Luna was the kind of support that she always wanted in many ways.

“No, I’m fine.”

Something struck Luna that she had never considered before, something that she actually considered to be quite important. Just as Trixie knew little personally about Luna, Luna similarly had not learned too much about Trixie personally.

“Do you not have friends to support you?”

Trixie’s ears fell even more and Luna could feel that Trixie had shut her eyes against her chest. A nerve had been struck, one that Trixie might have hidden behind with her prideful facade in real life but now was too open to hide her true feelings.

Luna knew the pain of not having anypony to be there for you quite well. Once upon a time not even Celestia was there for her, her sister too arrogant and blind to notice how Luna was suffering underneath her shadow.

Luna returned to stroking Trixie’s back dotingly, “It is okay. External companionship is not necessary for happiness, even if it can help. I know how loneliness and isolation can feel quite well.”

Trixie rubbed her face in Luna’s fur as she quietly asked, “Does having Loki help?”

That made Luna smile. At least Trixie was thinking of her caregiver’s success rather than her failure, displaying a small tinge of optimism in her otherwise downtrodden views, “Yes, to some degree. Another isolated, lonely soul to share my woe with. I prefer the time I spend doing more constructive and fun activities with him.”

Given that they were still in Trixie’s dream and that she could make things happen without Luna’s permission, a sudden flash of Luna and Loki explicitly kissing under covers appeared as a wallpaper to the dream to reflect the sudden imagery that coursed through Trixie’s mind. Luna laughed at the change, while Trixie wanted to shrink away and die as the imagery faded.

“Sorry.”

As Luna’s abyss returned she laughed at where Trixie’s mind went, “No no, I had that coming. I actually meant, for example, the time I spend learning magic with him. Not that you are wrong. I enjoy that as well.”

The imagery returned again, but this time with a variety between Asgardian Loki, Asgardian Luna, pony Luna, and pony Loki that Trixie had seen in a tabloid. Trixie quickly silenced these thoughts by punching her face with her own hoof, growing more and more embarrassed with every passing moment.

Luna rolled her eyes as she telekinetically stopped Trixie from further striking her own face, “Oh don’t be so flustered. And to answer your question, yes, shapeshifting is useful.”

“I wish I had somepony like that…” Trixie pouted, not at all meaning what her words made things sound like.

This time Luna could not help but roar in laughter, thinking that Trixie had just outed herself as a complete pervert. Trixie realized her mistake almost instantly and hastily went about correcting it, even shoving Luna gently in the chest.

“No, I meant to learn magic with! I already said I’m not looking for that other kind of companionship!” she calmed down with a deep breath while Luna’s laughter did the same, “I have you and Loki to learn magic from, but not with. I can only imagine what the discovery must feel like.”

“If you say so,” Luna snickered, “Though I suppose it’s another thing you have up on Twilight. I hear that the first stallion she began dating in Canterlot turned out to be a jerk. Thankfully she listened when Celestia told her to dump him.”

Glad to move off of her own lack of a love life, Trixie’s ears perked up completely, “Who was it? Blueblood?”

Luna shrugged, not really caring, “Oh no, some random guard. Flash Simply or something like that. The guard we regularly mess with.”

Trixie’s embarrassment completely left her as thoughts of fun pranks came to mind, as well as the irony of how Twilight would date the stallion they pranked jokingly all the time, “Oh, him! No wonder Twilight likes him. She probably pities the fool. So you’re telling me we were justified in doing that to him?”

Luna nodded back to Trixie, “Yeah. Complete and total arrogant foal. I for one am glad Twilight took Celestia’s advice and ditched him. Probably a cousin of Blueblood come to think of it. Ponies that I am quite sure the world would be better without.”

Trixie’s self-consciousness returned to her with Luna’s words, “We’re not that humble ourselves.”

“I manipulate the forces of nature to my very whim, and you are my aspiring champion. We have our reasons to exude confidence,” Luna smiled down at Trixie brightly, “When he moves a moon, let me know and I’ll give him slack. Or slays two Ursas by himself.”

The highest of Trixie’s self conscious fears came to the forefront of her mind as well, with the Alicorn Amulet that she once used to rule Ponyville glowing as the backdrop to her dream, “Are we evil?”

Luna noted that recovering Trixie’s self worth should be one of their shared major goals in the coming months, although Luna already had a major plan in motion to do just that, “Again with the self doubt. You are not evil, even with your Alicorn Amulet stint. A case could be made for my own morality, but I do care for Equestria and the ponies in it.”

“But you hate them all.”

Luna was the one to shake her head this time, “You misunderstand. I despise Canterlot’s population, as well as the general ignorance Celestia has cultivated across the nation in these many years. I would go so far as to fight my own lover to protect them all though, despite my reservations.”

Luna sighed as she thought back to her conflict with Loki not all too long ago. A conflict she did not wish to ever have to endure again. She dispelled the trance the memory put her under so she could continue with her moral lesson for her pupil.

“Tough love so to speak. I am critical of them all because I care. I know we can do better, yet we do not. Similar to how I love my sister despite her faults.”

Luna separated from Trixie so that she could bring a hoof to her own chest.

“For all it’s worth, this vigilance extends to myself. I once was where you were in self-confidence because I couldn’t get over how inferior I was to Celestia in so many ways. I still am in quite a few.”

Trixie looked down again, thinking firstly of the parallel between her and Twilight. Twilight was known for being good at everything she set her mind to, being far too perfect a pony to be considered fair to everypony left. To have such a mare as a counterpart was enough to fuel one’s envy endlessly.

Still, Luna had heard about Trixie’s “everything you can do, I can do better” attitude. A view Luna herself once held centuries ago, when she still wanted to triumph over Celestia in every way and prove herself the superior sibling. A feeling Loki had felt when he suffered underneath his brother.

Living her own life and observing those of kindred souls, Luna had come to a conclusion. She could excel at what she was good at, but agonizing over what she would never surpass others in was not healthy.

Luna took Trixie’s face with her front hooves to lift the mare’s gaze, “You don’t need to be perfect, or the best at everything or even anything.”

“Princess…”

Luna wordlessly took Trixie back into her hooves, not wanting to let her go again.

Trixie had meant every word she said in the cave, and found her feelings of adoration both vindicated and returned. She felt appreciated, just as she desired to beneath her natural haughtiness that she could not bear to bring out in front of her princess whom she owed so much to.

However, Trixie had a feeling that given everything that had happened, this might be the last time they spoke. The way Luna was coddling her mentally meant that she was not able to do so physically…

Trixie could tell she was comatose, and with that knowledge she could not help but fear that she might never awaken. To earn Luna’s motherly love only to not be able to fully experience it saddened Trixie greater than any of the insults that were thrown at her these past years.

Still, she appreciated that she had earned it. Her teacher cared for her in the same way.

Trixie felt herself crying into Luna’s crest. Even if it was only imaginary tears it was her mind, “If I don’t wake up…thank you. Thank you for everything.”

Luna too was crying, a part of her angry and bitter over how her manipulation of dreams did not extend this far. She could not simply wake Trixie up, nor could she heal her enough to rouse her.

“Don’t leave me.”

Luna stayed like that until Trixie’s mind drifted off, not dreaming but still alive. She made sure that she was with her as long as Trixie could think, and would return the next time Trixie’s brain went to dreaming.

She would just have to hope that Trixie would pull herself through this like she had the Ursa encounter. Having grown a place in her heart for Trixie, Luna could not bear to live alone without her.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear what you thought in the comments below! Remember, comments are :heart: and help updates be faster!

I Have To Be With You

A/N: Special thanks to Mutie Genic, Rispy5655, ArcaneVisions, Cadmium, Obsidian Raindrop, Ketvirtas, HaoKyruss, King Sombrony, Evowizard25, JaceArveduin, PhantomPhoenix, gakuseiakira, Drgnwolf, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Killabyte, and Sable Dawn for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing at such a fast pace! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Evanescence's "Taking Over Me"

10 to 1 nopony guesses what happens this chapter despite my subtle foreshadowing in earlier chapters! I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

“Luna!”

For once hearing Celestia yelling was not something to annoy Luna. Instead, while laying on her bed in an attempt to rest from her exhaustion, it was a comfort. Celestia’s voice was full of worry, the kind that came from loving another unconditionally.

Luna was learning more and more about what that meant again.

As Celestia pushed open Luna’s door and hurried inside with an unusual gait, Luna rolled over on her own bed to face her in the dark room, “Hello sister.”

Celestia slowed down to return to a regular trot, her breath heavy as she did the simple task. Like her student, Twilight, Celestia was not the most physically fit despite being a physical goddess due to spending all day doing stationary tasks, and as such rushing from the throne room to the resident area of the castle was enough for the mare among other reasons.

Still, her minor weight gain aside, Celestia had to make absolutely certain that her sister was okay. Celestia could make out Luna’s form in the darkness of the room, and with a wince noticed the damage that had been done. Luna had repaired the tears of flesh, but her fur had not miraculously returned where it had been torn.

“I’ve been informed about what happened…I’m so sorry. How is Trixie faring?”

As Celestia approached the bed Luna did her own part to move over to the edge to better converse with her sister. Celestia pulled the low energy Nightmare Moon Luna into a tight embrace, which was weakly returned by Luna.

Luna felt too tired to cry any further, her face already damp from earlier when she spoke with Trixie, “Trixie will be fine, given time. Her wounds have been taken care of so she only needs to wake up.”

Celestia had only heard of Trixie’s vicious wounds, so hearing that she might not even wake from them brought another level of pain to the equation. She could not even imagine what it would be like if it was Twilight in that position.

“Do you think she will remain comatose?”

Luna shook her head slowly, but a small smile found its way on to her muzzle. She had hope, despite what happened, “Given how much energy she exerted in such a short period of time, I would be surprised if she hadn’t been drained so severely.”

“I heard about her feats…” Celestia pulled back from Luna to look her in the eyes, showing the pride she felt as best as she could, “She should be proud of herself when she joins us again. There are few, if any, common ponies who could claim to do such a thing.”

“Once she does,” Luna repeated, her faint smile fading as memories of her own part in the tragedy came to mind.

Celestia could see her sister’s pain, but she knew that Luna was strong. She could make it through this, especially if she had things to accomplish in the meantime. Luna was driven if nothing else, and Celestia would not let her sister dwell in a mission of self-induced agony. That needed to have something to take its place.

The elder sat down in front of the younger, hooves comfortably spread out before her, “Luna, I know you are feeling down, and rightfully so, but there is something important we must speak about.”

Luna snapped out of her pain for a moment to observe Celestia. Whatever could her sister wish to discuss of such importance? “Oh?”

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Luna could see an expression on Celestia’s face that could be called embarrassment. A tinge of fear. Celestia glanced down at the floor of Luna’s bedroom before meekly looking back up to her sister, “My relations with Discord have resulted in a…development.”

Celestia cleared her throat before moving her front hooves to her stomach, “Luna, I am with foal.”

That one sentence winded Luna more than being struck by the Ursa Minor. Her sister was pregnant. As a result of a hush-hush affair she was having. Luna did not know whether to laugh, be happy for Celestia, or comfort her. Did Celestia mind about this development? If she did, she likely would have brought it up sooner.

After thinking it over for a moment of pregnant silence, Luna smiled at her sister and then down to her stomach where either a niece or nephew was waiting to be born. Celestia’s stomach showed no great difference in size from its normal form, but Luna could only imagine how her sister might be waddling awkwardly in the coming months.

“Congratulations, sister,” Luna kept herself from snickering at her mental image of a fat Celestia. How many possibilities it could raise for Discord to prank her…and at the thought of that, Luna came up with an important question, “Does Discord know?”

Celestia sighed, half giving away the answer, “Has he come by to mention it to you and laugh jovially?”

“No.”

“Then there is your answer,” Celestia joked weakly. No she had not told him yet. Luna and the doctors Celestia had been making appointments with were the only ones who knew.

Another important question was on Luna’s mind, one that made had her cross referencing Celestia’s stomach with the answer to the question, “So, how far along are you?”

Celestia felt partially awkward in overtly talking about her sexual encounters with her younger sister, instead of just covertly joking about them like they normally would, “It is hard to say, I must be honest. I have not had any explicit encounters in the recent months, yet I only received any sign of this but a few weeks back. I am not sure if it is my being an Alicorn or the father being Discord that is making the timing so odd.”

Luna felt herself pale at that revelation. Celestia had been pregnant for months and was not even showing. Just how long would Luna’s own pregnancy last should she decide to have a child with Loki? Luna could accept the regular timetable for carrying a child as a simple fact of life, but she could almost not bear the thought of being so vulnerable and having to be so careful for years. So much could go wrong in that time frame.

“I suppose I can expect the same in the future,” Luna said through a forced laugh.

Celestia nodded, sensing her sister’s apprehension, “I would think. Now, what is important about this is that I can not, for the safety of the foal, go about my regular levels of duties and stress. I will need to delegate some of my tasks to both you and Twilight, though not all of them.”

Luna nodded, fully understanding. She would do anything to assure the safety of her own foal in the same situation, so she could hardly fault Celestia for wanting to take it easy in the meantime, “Whatever you need, sister.”

“Thank you Luna. I hope, when the time comes, I can return the favor,” Celestia winked, purposefully causing Luna to blush underneath her black fur.

Luna could appreciate her sister’s words, but given her current plan and internal timeline she had set she did not foresee it being anytime soon, “We’ll see. Thank you for the sentiment however.”

The room fell silent again as neither sister could find their voice. After this silence continued on for what Celestia felt was too long, she spoke up by going back to the previous topic, “I do not know how long this will last. It has been some time since mother had you after all, and however long that pregnancy was will likely be altered now by the parentage of my own foal.”

Luna could wholly sympathize with the strangeness of mixing races and hoping for it to work out, “I can only imagine—”

Hooves rushing down the hallway caught Luna’s attention and she cut herself off to see what the disturbance was.

Celestia too looked to see what the issue was, only for three ponies to all try barreling into the room at once. This did not work, and only the one in front managed to get through. It was a royal guard who was wheezing heavily, possibly less used to running than Celestia given the utter uselessness of their post.

“Princess, these men desired to see you, saying they know you personally.”

Luna looked behind the guard to see two familiar ponies. Or rather, Asgardians in the bodies of ponies. Luna shooed the guard away as two of the Warriors Three tried standing up from their positions on the ground, their heads dizzy from the collision and their bodies unused to the form they were in.

“Next time Lady Frigga casts her magic on us, she first has to let us learn how to walk before sending us off. I daresay we’ve made fools of ourselves,” the pony that was Fandral noted, his well maintained mustache having carried over to his pony form.

“Gentlemen,” Luna warmly greeted as the two finally managed to enter the dark room. Celestia was amused and confused both as she observed the blundering duo, unsure just of whom they might be.

Now standing, Fandral took a bow to Luna, “Hello, milady, how are you this fine—what in Hel happened to your coat?”

“Probably the same reason you two are here to escort me to Asgard. My apprentice fought two monsters and triumphed, but she and I were mauled in the process.”

The thought of a friend of his and her apprentice being harmed brought Fandral to fury, “Those fiends! Why, I’ll—” his brain having lagged behind his mouth a moment, his tone changed completely to one of intrigue rather than anger, “She? I’ve never lain with a horse…”

Volstagg gave Fandral a hard slap on the side as he chortled, “Really? Fashion me surprised!”

“You’ve probably ea—”

Fandral cut off his retort when he realized that horses were not carnivores, nor would they likely enjoy hearing that Volstagg has probably eaten one of them before.

Luna was the one to break the awkward pause this time, “Yes, she. No, you may not sleep with her. She’s in a coma, she’s like a daughter to me, and she does not care for that sort of activity anyways.”

That further humbled the lustful man-pony, with Fandral giving a sorrowful bow to excuse his words, “Oh, my sincerest apologies.”

Thinking it about time she clued her sister in on the situation, Luna turned back to Celestia with a smile, “Celestia, this is Fandral, one of Asgard’s finest warriors in his regular form, and apparently their greatest pervert in any. The one over there is Volstagg, Fandral’s partner and probably the only one in existence whose stomach will outdo your own these coming months and years.”

Celestia rolled her eyes at her sister’s playful jab before smiling over to the two newcomers, “It is a pleasure to meet you both. I would ask if you need anything, but it does not appear you will be staying long.”

Fandral sighed, not liking the answer he was going to have to give, “That, I am afraid, we will not be doing. Though we really ought to find a good place like this to relax and take a break when our work in the Nine Realms is done, Volstagg.”

“That we ought to, pervert!”

“My lust cannot possibly outperform your gluttony, portly.”

Luna cleared her throat to silence them, “Gentlemen, can we go pick up my apprentice and leave before this devolves into a hoof-fight?”

Both of them bowed this time, with Volstagg apologizing on their behalf, “Yes, of course. Our apologies.”

Luna weakly rose from her bed and stumbled over to the two boisterous stallions. It took some effort with her aching body, but she turned back to Celestia and gave her a smile.

“Celestia, I will return as soon as Trixie and I are in better conditions. Then I will speak with you just how to handle this development of yours.”

Celestia assumed that this race of powerful beings had similarly great medical facilities, so she let her sister go with them to assure she was taken care of, “Thank you Luna. Please rest as best as you can.”

“I will. Goodnight, Tia.”

With the warriors following behind her, Luna started down the hallway towards the front of the castle. She would bring them to a place in the courtyards where Heimdall could pick them up with the Bifrost and not cause any unnecessary damage with its great power. Perhaps having him recall them in one of the Judge’s gardens would be best though?

As they walked, or limped in Luna’s case, along the path Luna thought it best to figure out just how they found out she needed help.

“Was Lady Frigga worried?”

Fandral laughed as he began to recount the true tale behind their arrival, “Well, you see, Loki first humiliated a guardsman who was standing vigilantly by the door of our dear prince. He wished to speak to the queen about your absence, thinking she might be the cause—”

Volstagg, not happy that Fandral was taking all of the opportunities to talk, cut him off while bumping into him, “—But when the guard did not let him he embarrassed him well enough to get the other guard to fetch the queen. Upon speaking to her, Loki learned that you were just plain tardy, and we all waited patiently for our favorite equine to arrive.”

The plural word used made Luna curious, “All?”

Volstagg smiled brightly at her, “Yes, Loki, our queen, Thor, Fandral, and I. We waited patiently until one of us had the startling idea of asking Heimdall what was keeping you!”

Fandral bumped his friend back with gritted teeth, not knowing any better way to fight as an equine, “Actually, Loki and I had the idea earlier, but our oafish companions had the utmost faith that you would arrive the very next moment. Or the one after that. And so we waited. When Loki grew impatient, Heimdall informed us that you were still in your land.”

Fandral moved over so he could see the wounds that still left their mark on Luna, “He did not, however, tell us about your condition or that of your apprentice. Apparently his brief glimpse of you missed that little important piece of information. Might have caught you on your bad side.”

Their energy was both entertaining and draining for Luna, who really just wanted to sleep now that it was all over, “Thank you both for coming…we must set up a better way of communicating than just hoping Heimdall sends messengers.”

After retrieving Trixie, the four were picked up by Heimdall and brought to the Bifrost and bridge to Asgard. The sudden transportation left the already groggy Luna even more out of it, and she stumbled upon arriving.

Heimdall rushed from his post to where the four arrived, having seen the damage incurred on Luna this time around and having taken note of the ragdoll apprentice she had on her back. While he came to their side, Luna lowered Trixie onto Volstagg’s back gently.

“Bring her to the medical facilities you have. I will be along shortly. I just need to rest for a moment.”

Volstagg and Fandral nodded, speaking in unison as they moved as fast as they could in their equine forms without disturbing Trixie, “Of course, milady.”

This left Luna, who nearly crumpled onto the floor, and Heimdall, who was worried about the wounds to her body.

“Your wounds…” the stoic man started, but was unable to finish. He had no idea what had happened to her, even though she was a princess who was tied to his own royalty. He felt guilty for not keeping a better eye on her.

Luna spared enough energy to transform into her Asgardian form, which only required two legs to stand and thus was easier on her, “It is a long story…I am sure you can listen in on it later.”

“Do you require assistance, Princess?”

Luna could appreciate his sense of duty, but her own pride disallowed her from accepting it, “No, I am fine. I just needed to gather my strength. I am fine. Thank you for your concern.”

She started to head towards the exit of the Bifrost’s structure, towards its bridge to Asgard. She could power through these last bits of strain just to earn a comfy bed in their infirmary.

It was no difficult task for Loki to escape his room, never truly having been trapped there to begin with by anything but his own repentance. After his mother had come to tell him that Luna had finally come, but had done so in an extremely exhausted state with a comatose apprentice alongside her, Loki had wasted no time leaving the confines of his increasingly boring room.

When he reached the medical center of Asgard’s castle, Loki found himself shocked to see that his mother had not even told him the entire truth. Luna’s body showed recently closed wounds where she obviously healed herself, and dried blood was visible on the extremely torn clothing she was clad in.

She was resting on a table they had set aside for her, having not placed her in a healing chamber because she claimed to ‘only need sleep’ and that ‘Trixie needs them more’. Frigga still arranged for Luna to have whatever comforts, be it pillows or blankets, that she required, and so Luna was resting quite nicely while Loki arrived.

“Luna!”

Luna lazily looked up to him as Loki ran over to her side, not caring that he shouldn’t actually be able to be there given his house arrest, “Hey Loki. Long time no see. How are you?”

Loki used the levitation magic learned from Luna to bring a chair over to himself, placing it beside her bed and taking seat in it so that he could be beside her. He did not care if he would make a scene, he just knew that Luna was hurt and that he was ready to kill whomever or whatever was responsible.

Loki took one of her hands in his own and winced at how faint she was. She must have lost a lot of blood before managing to heal her wounds he assumed, “Better than you I presume. Whatever happened to you?”

Luna’s eyes closed and she brought her head over to his arm, “Talk later…”

He took her head with his other arm and brought her into his chest. He did not know what did this, but a part of him could not help but wonder if this was Thanos’ doing. The madman had a penchant for excessive violence, and Luna was battered as she could be.

“Of course.”

Loki felt Luna drift off into sleep underneath his arms in the seconds afterwards, his lover comforted by his touch. He ignored the doctors in the room whispering about his presence as he instead began to stroke Luna’s dark hair.

He could not tell how long he had been doing this before someone called his name. Someone whose voice he had not heard for quite some time.

“Loki.”

Loki did not even spare his adoptive father Odin a look. His tending to Luna slowed, but Loki kept his focus on her, “I am not leaving.”

“Good. I would have accosted you more for remaining in your room,” Odin said with a forced chuckle. Their rift still remained, and neither was exactly sure if they wanted to mend it nor how even if they did.

When Loki gave no further response, Odin prepared to leave. As he did so he spoke one last time, “Next time though, please try not to break the limbs of the guards on your way out.”

To this Loki did respond, even turning to look Odin in the eye. The Allfather’s one eye could see Loki’s cold and violent gaze, telling him all he needed to know about how much Loki cared.

“That bald headed fool would not allow me to come, so I persuaded him otherwise. I would do it again without any hesitation or regret.”

Odin left without saying anything else, breaking their eye contact and walking out. Not exactly alone, but not caring about the doctors, Loki moved his arms so he could lower his head on to Luna’s.

“Luna…please be okay.”

Hours later Luna jolted from her sleep. Weirdly enough, she could not remember what she had been dreaming, only knowing that it had been chilling.

Looking up to see Loki leaning on top of her spirited away any sense of fear she might have had. Her prince was right there, and now that she was more collected she could tell that he had broken rules just to be with her. Despite his coldness, Luna could tell that what he felt was genuine.

This convinced her to whisper into his ear softly in an attempt to stir him.

“Loki?”

“Hmmm?” he mumbled, not really awake but roused by her whisper.

Her next words did the trick.

“Marry me.”

Loki shot up and looked around himself briefly as his eyes fluttered, adjusting to the darkness of the room that had fallen upon it since he had went to sleep. It was the dead of night and everyone was asleep, except them now. They were alone, giving Luna the opportunity to raise this private matter.

“Okay, now you have my attention. What was that? I am afraid I have misheard you.”

Luna pulled herself up, feeling some aches but not anywhere near as many as before she slept. Now at about eye level, she spoke in a voice just above a whisper, “Ask me to marry you, my dear prince.”

Loki had not expected to wake to such a question, finding himself flatfooted and reeling while searching for a response, “I do not suppose I can talk you out of this course of action.”

Her narrowed eyes told him all he needed to. Loki sighed as the realization dawned that no, there would be no getting out of this, “Fine. Will you marry me?”

Luna groaned and rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, I know you can do better than that.”

Half-asleep still, Loki tried to pull together as much of his exhausted mind as he could to make his proposal sound at least half decent. He took her closest hand with his own two, lifting it up to his mouth to kiss it gently, “Will you, Princess Luna of Equestria and the Night, marry me, Prince of Asgard and God of Mischief?”

Luna brought her other hand over to place it on top of the other three, her heart fluttering at what she just managed to get him to do, “I would be honored to, my love.”

After the moment they fell quiet, neither moving to do anything or actually wanting to. They both were just considering what they just agreed to, with varying levels of excitement and fear.

When an unknown amount of time passed Loki spoke up again, an important question wracking his mind, “So, this leaves the question, your kingdom or my own?”

It took Luna a moment to consider their political situations, and just what she would like to do with them. After remembering that she had a plan, Luna found she was able to respond rightly, “If you succeed your father and become the King of Asgard, I will join you in your court. However, if you do not become king, you will join me in Equestria. Is that fair?”

Loki sighed at her bargain, seeing it as a losing bet but still fine with it, “In some ways. There is no way I will succeed my father after all that has happened, so it is not even a true wager.”

“I would not be so sure. Many things can happen, after all,” Luna suggested vaguely, not revealing her hand of cards which she knew to be a set of Kings and Queens.

Unconvinced, Loki still relented because he knew he couldn’t deny Luna when under his own power, “Very well then. Can I ask where this is all coming from?”

That took Luna from being tactical to being emotional, her eyes tearing as she remembered just how scared she was earlier, “I nearly died. Somepony I care about nearly died. The feeling that I would live without them…”

Loki pulled her into a hug before she could go on. He could not imagine living without his mother, so he could see how possibly losing Trixie could hurt Luna very emotionally.

Determined to turn the mood around, Luna snorted while changing the subject, “Also, my sister is now pregnant out of wedlock with Discord. I just desire to not be put in that same place.”

Loki could feel his own telltale smirk returning at the thought of how he might rib Celestia about this with Luna, “I understand.”

“Speaking of which, should we discuss the topic of children?” Luna added nonchalantly, trying to play it off cooly.

Too tired to care about avoiding the topic, Loki leaned back in his chair and sighed while considering it, “I only want one. I do not remember if I’ve said so before, but any more raises…complications.”

Having had the same thought, Luna nodded, “Celestia and I, you and Thor…”

“Precisely.”

“I too only desire one, although with some reservations. My only fear is in losing my bloodline should anything happen to them. There are not many natural Alicorns after all,” Luna noted with a sad laugh. She did not even know if things were always that way, but it would make sense in some ways given how powerful they were. It was not as if she could ask her mother for the answers…

Loki nodded, understanding given his royal upbringing the concept and idea of bloodlines, as well as knowing just how close to extinction the Alicorns were, “I understand. All the more reason to take care of the one we will have.”

“I’m happy you are open to the subject and that we can talk about it like adults, Loki. I was worried you might scamper off at the mention of children,” Luna giggled, causing Loki to blush.

His blush faded as he thought more about the whole parenting thing. Family matters brought up wounds he was not ready to confront just yet, “Part of being royalty is having an heir to pass on your bloodline to. It is expected of you.”

Luna could see the pain growing on his face, “Oh Loki.”

Any objection Loki could have made was stifled when Luna pulled his face into her chest, “Just rest your head. We don’t need to discuss the details right now. We have all the time in the world for that.”

Once again, Loki relented and fell asleep with Luna holding him as lovingly as he had been holding her before.

Author's Note

Yup, that just happened! On both fronts. You may comment now about how surprised you are despite my subtle foreshadowing.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear what you thought in the comments below! Remember, comments are :heart: and help updates be faster!

Some Things Won't Fade

A/N: Special thanks to chaos5367, King Sombrony, Killabyte, Ketvirtas, New Spark, Mutie Genic, Arcane Visions, FleetlordAvatar, PhantomPhoenix, White Dragon, Drgnwolf, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Evowizard25, The Batmane of equestria, gakuseiakira, and KillerCookie123 for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing at such a fast pace! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Stephanie's "Friends"

Who here is ready for something I bet you all have been waiting for quite awhile? I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

“My fur is back?”

When Luna woke in the early afternoon the following day she was met by a curious sight. The damage incurred on her fur coat had disappeared, with no noticeable pieces or tufts of fur missing.

Her question roused Loki, who was drifting the line between sleep and consciousness. He had gotten up before she woke to dismiss the guards who were there to watch him carefully, and after humiliating them he found that he was left without their ever so vigilant gaze.

Loki yawned while gaining his bearings, “A simple trick I have practiced over the years. Lady Sif’s current head of raven hair is my doing after all.”

So now even her cosmetic damage was fixed. Luna brought her comparatively large head over to Loki and rubbed it on his chest, “Thank you.”

Loki grinned as he brought his arms around her black head, bringing one through her ethereal blue hair. He always had been intrigued by the mane with its odd consistency, something she shared seemingly exclusively with her elder sibling.

After stroking her head and hair for some time he paused, remembering why she was actually there at the moment. She had not been in any actual danger when she arrived, but the other one she brought with her was not in quite as good shape, “You should see your student.”

The mention of Trixie roused Luna completely from the fatigue associated with waking up. She had rested enough and needed to see her student, “I shall. Will you be okay wasting away in your room?”

With Loki only being allowed there to see Luna, he knew he would have to depart after she got up. However, he had one last thing to impart with Luna before doing so, “I am better now that I know you are fine.”

Out of his pockets Loki drew a silver necklace of the same style Luna would wear. His taking of her necklace before had proven useful, even if he had misplaced it somewhere and could not find it.

Luna brought her head back to observe what he was trying to show her. Her eyes narrowed as she observed the craftsmanship of it, though they were soon drawn to the blue gem that sat in the center. It was carved into the shape of a snowflake, though the color of it was blue more akin to her student’s blue coat than the common white.

“What is this, Loki?”

Loki had made sure the metal used for the necklace was susceptible to magic, and thus amorphous and prone to be manipulated by its bearer. It was not a chain necklace like those one could find at any regular jewelry store, but rather a solid and thick band that not only took influence from Luna’s regular jewelry, but that of her Nightmare Moon form that she now was trapped in.

Loki placed the necklace over Luna’s head as she continued to observe it, “This is my gift to you. I have one of my own.”

Reaching into his shirt, Loki pulled out a chain that had a similar trinket of his own. Pitch black instead of his usual gold, matching Luna’s regular color choice, with the same blue gem at the front though that was carved into a crescent moon like what one could find on Luna’s body

As realization of the meaning behind the different shapes struck Luna, Loki gave a nervous cough, “A trinket I had retrieved from our vaults and had shaped.”

Luna observed Loki’s before looking down to her own. They were matching gems, likely cut from the same rock, though each held a symbol that held meaning to them both. Loki held Luna’s own mark, though Luna held a snowflake…

Was Loki coming to terms with his true parentage? Luna had little doubt he would have not even dared write that he was a Frost Giant when they first met, no less made an emblem that displayed it completely.

Not about to assume, Luna cleared her throat, “Does it hold a certain meaning?”

Loki dodged her question by answering it in another way, “The color it shows you is the condition of the other wearer. This blue means I am fine and not in any sort of real pain at the moment. It should also give an emotional response from the other bearer, telling you how they are feeling.”

Luna glanced down at her own and then looked at Loki again. She cold feel that he was nervous in a way more than just reading his body expressions. She was feeling his feelings, just as he likely would be feeling hers.

She wanted to cry. This was quite possibly one of the nicest gifts she had ever received.

Loki went on as Luna continued to observe the stones, “Furthermore, so long as nothing interferes with the stones they will allow us to speak telepathically. A useful tool for coordinating visits. You only need channel your magic into the stone.”

“Thank you Loki,” a scary thought crossed her mind about the way these stones supposedly functioned, “What happens if someone else puts it on, other than I? Would you know?”

“You can feel my well being, yes? From what I have learned of these stones, there would be a shift if someone else were to wear it. You would know, as would I.”

Luna leaned in again to bring her lips to his. She would express gratitude to him more later, but this was not the place for that, “Thank you Loki.”

Loki turned his head away from her, but she could actually feel how flustered he was, “Consider it an engagement gift. Now, if I am not wrong, you have someone else to see.”

Luna ruffled his hair playfully while rising from her makeshift bed, “I will see you later, my prince.”

Without any further words the two lovers parted ways. They would have time together later, and talking would seemingly no longer be an issue with the gift Loki had granted her.

Luna was easily able to find Trixie in one of the other medical rooms in the castle subsection. Her apprentice was laying on a table with an aura of sorts surrounding her. Trixie was making no movements and her eyes remained shut, seemingly still caught in her comatose state.

“Trixie…”

Luna sighed as she approached the sleeping student. Seeing her in such a state was tearing at Luna’s heart due to her own guilt in the matter. Luna had no idea what the full context behind Trixie’s mindset was, but whatever had happened to her in the past put her on the brink of breaking down. And Luna pushed her off that edge.

The only doctor in the room, Eir, went on her way at seeing Luna enter. She could tell when two beings needed a moment alone, even if one was not conscious for it.

As Eir left, Luna sat down next to Trixie’s resting place. She had done everything she could to help Trixie, yet despite her control over dreams she could not wake Trixie. To not be able to help her student in her time of need was hurting Luna inside as much as causing her to be in this situation.

Luna brought a hoof up to touch Trixie’s face, but cringed back before actually doing so, “When I took you in I did so with selfish reasons. But you…”

She looked down to her new necklace and stroked it with the hoof she meant to touch Trixie with, “You helped me realize something about myself. I cannot continue to give in to my darker tendencies, no matter the effect my form is having on me. You would not be in this position if I had not pushed you so hard. Had not spurned you in such a petty manner.”

Luna lowered the hoof and instead lowered her head onto the table Trixie rested on. The light aura around it all felt soothing to enter, but Luna ignored it entirely as she brought her face to Trixie’s side. Once touching, she rubbed her head on the soft fur there. It was no longer scraggly and unkempt like it had been when Trixie was first taken in by Luna, and it appeared Loki had done more than fix just Luna’s own coat.

While resting her head there Luna sighed guiltily, “I wanted to have you in reserve should I ever need a replacement in Equestria. I will not have a foal capable of that for many years, so taking a pre-made ambitious soul seemed to be the simple solution. Now though…”

Luna retreated her head and winced at the sight of her student’s nearly motionless body, the only movement at all coming from the small rise and fall of her chest, “Just wake up. I need you just as I need Loki. Just as I need my sister.”

Luna brought her lips down to Trixie’s cheek to give her an affectionate peck, “Please come back to me.”

On her way to visit Loki in a more private manner, Luna decided to first take some time and appreciate the setting she found herself in. The castle was quite beautiful, as were the various courtyards to be found both in and around it. She could appreciate it, unlike her own home, even if she was forced to assume a humanoid form to avoid weird looks.

In her short wander someone sought her out though, and Luna soon found her peaceful walk interrupted by a man with a scowl on his face.

“I have heard word that you and your student have come across a beast that nearly slew you both. Is this true?”

Luna cared not how Thor came across the information. She was only glad that his rage was not directed at her, nor was the dangerous hammer Mjolnir that was held in his hand, “Yes, it is. My student is recovering at the moment, but I have already recovered with my greater constitution.”

Thor was clenching his weapon with protective anger, having grown furious after hearing that such harm had befallen one of his family and one of his friends, “May I inquire as to where this beast is? I care to have words with it.”

Luna rolled her eyes as she paced around the courtyard Thor had found her in. It was the one she had defeated the Warriors Three on their own terms of combat, much similar to how Trixie had slain both Ursas on their own turf, “My student slew both it and the beast’s kin.”

Thor’s anger drained almost completely at Luna’s words. His face was instead flushed with confusion, the warrior bewildered by the statement just made. He had to make sense of it, “How large did you say these bears were?”

Luna glanced around while shrugging, not actually knowing the precise sizes of the Ursas other than knowing they were far larger than even her, “The smaller one was larger than this courtyard I would estimate.”

Thor nodded blankly. Having seen the small size of Luna’s apprentice, the idea that she could be so powerful was not clicking. Furthermore, the fact that this was an apprentice and not the master blew his mind away even more, “And you are more powerful than this apprentice of yours?”

Having seen Trixie’s ineffective blasts of magic, followed up by her own utter annihilation of the Manticore, Luna laughed with some pride, “By multiple magnitudes, yes.”

There was one last piece of this puzzle Thor had to solve. He honestly was becoming more and more impressed with Loki’s significant other, “And Loki is fine with you being this much more powerful than he?”

While physically and magically stronger than her precious Loki, there was some concessions of strength she could make to Loki, “He is more crafty than I, I suppose, so he makes up for it in other ways.”

Thor clenched his fist on the hammer he had once been forced to use against his own brother, “He did outsmart us both.”

Luna did not like the turn in the conversation, so she purposefully turned it back to a more lighthearted route, “That leaves the question, warrior, of who may win if we were to come to blows. I may be a leader, but rumor has it that ruling has not made your father any less of a warrior.”

“It is no rumor,” Thor assured as his grip loosened, “If we are to see who is the strongest between us, I will propose a wager.”

The mention of a bet piqued Luna’s interest. She was not too fond of gambling, rather preferring direct things, but there could be exceptions made especially in cases where she could not lose.

“Wager?”

Thor pointed his hammer at Luna’s humanoid form with a broad grin, “If you defeat me in combat I will permit you to accompany my warriors and I on our expeditions. Loki has recommended your assistance, but I desire to test your abilities first.”

Simple enough, though Luna knew she had already proven herself superior to his warriors so there was no real need to prove herself superior to him, “And if you win?”

“I will permit you to accompany my warriors and I on our expeditions, only I will ride you into battle.”

The serious look on Thor’s face told Luna that he was completely serious, even if he was smirking like an idiot.

Luna was not afraid of losing to him, and so the humiliating prospect of what losing meant did not even factor into her decision, “Loki will kill you. So when do we start?”

“Young woman, I would have a word with you before you engage in this activity.”

Both Luna and Thor turned to the side where Frigga had called to Luna. Frigga did not have a negative expression despite her words, and instead she was smiling. Luna had a feeling Frigga had spoken to Loki, but she would keep that suspicion to herself for the moment.

Luna parted ways with Thor to approach Frigga by the side of the small courtyard, “Yes milady?”

Frigga’s smile waned as she replied, “My sons both have had the idea that you can assist Thor in his travels, though I must say I am hesitant to allow this.”

Luna rolled her eyes. She was an intelligent adult, not some child, “I assume you have spoken with Loki. Are you afraid that I am being as foolish as my sister?”

“Correct on both counts.”

Luna scoffed, keeping her voice down low enough to keep the conversation between them, “I will be fine, trust me. I believe Loki and I will be dialing those activities down with my busier schedule these nights.”

Frigga felt she could trust Luna’s judgment, more than either of her sons at least, so she ceded to her, “Very well then. Do your best to defeat Thor, for his sake. I do not want his drinks to end up poisoned.”

The response she received was near hysterical laughter, “Oh do not worry. I have a feeling he will not even touch me with that hammer of his,” Luna calmed herself to continue on, “Practicing with Loki and my apprentice has granted me insight on how to use my own talents more wisely.”

Frigga could sense the pain associated with the mention of Luna’s student, “Your apprentice is doing fine. Do not worry, she is in the best care she could hope to have.”

Despite the failure of their last operation, Luna pondered the possibility of having Frigga help Trixie with her access to archaic texts and their magic, “I am worried about how she has not awakened yet. Can you do what you can for her with your texts?”

Frigga felt that she should bring up her own feelings of guilt to help alleviate Luna’s feelings of sorrow and self blame, “Of course. I must apologize that your procedure helped lead to this. It is my fault that I could not come up with some better solution”

Luna brought a hand to Frigga’s shoulder and smiled sadly down at the shorter woman, “Do not blame yourself, milady. There were many forces that brought us to this point.”

She received a sad smile in return, Frigga not feeling fully absolved of her own guilt but accepting that she had done what she could, “I will continue looking for a cure to your form. However, I will also see if there is any way I can help your student.”

Luna felt a piece of the weight on her shoulders disappear with Frigga’s words. Her future mother in-law speaking about Trixie brought back memories of when Frigga first saw Trixie, leading Luna to laugh despite her own tension, “You know, when you mistook her for my child, you were wrong. You would be correct now.”

Frigga rose an eyebrow, prodding Luna to go on. With a long breath Luna looked back to Thor, who was standing around patiently for them to finish talking, and took Frigga’s silent inquiry.

“Nearly dying made me realize how much she meant to me. It also gave her the motivation to tell me that…”

This time it was Frigga to bring a hand to Luna’s shoulder, all the while giving her a supportive glance, “Taking one in as your own is not an easy or simple task. It requires you to open your heart more than you may be comfortable with. Do you consider yourself ready for that burden?”

Luna paused momentarily, unsure how to respond. The pendant on her chest was emitting feelings of concern, undoubtedly Loki’s response to whatever vibes of sorrow she was feeling at the moment. Frigga had taken him in and cared for him like her own son despite his belonging to an entire other race, one that was their racial enemy no less. She had loved Loki and gave him the support few others would.

Luna could do that for Trixie, the mare believed, since Trixie so desperately needed it. Furthermore, Luna felt as if Trixie brought out the best in her much like Loki would and how Celestia could on occasion. She could at least repay that.

“I do,” Luna affirmed with a determined countenance. Frigga gently smiling at her softened her resolve though, and Luna let slip an insecurity she held, “In this one particular way, at least.”

Frigga did not press the issue, instead taking a step back, “Well I will keep you no longer. I wish you well, and good luck in your contest with my son.”

Luna gave the queen a bow farewell, “Good day, milady. Though I must say a contest would be a battle between two equals, with a chance of winning on each side.”

The absolute, overwhelming pride Luna was radiating made Frigga both roll her eyes as well as be amused, “I can see how Loki adores you so.”

With that final note she departed, leaving Luna behind with Thor for their playful match. Luna approached Thor with a confident smirk to mask her inner turmoil, something Thor was unable to see through as he returned the smile.

Luna stretched out her arms as she summoned the same protective gear that she wore in her previous battle, “So, will there be any limitations on my magic?”

Thor held his arms out and shook his head, his hammer still in one hand, “None at all. I only ask that you do nothing dangerous, permanent, or fatal.”

“Oh what’s the fun in that?” Luna joked with a small laugh. Thor may be a bit boisterous, but there were worse things in the world. She was not known for being the least audacious pony after all.

“We begin on the count of three,” Thor noted, to which Luna nodded.

“One.”

Luna wondered if she should finish it instantly or let him play around a bit.

“Two.”

His feelings might be hurt if he was defeated too easily…

“Three!”

But, then again, it might send a nice message to show that brute force could not overcome her powerful magic.

As he yelled the last number Thor rose his hammer towards the sky, and soon enough a dark cloud began to form. Loki had spoken of Thor’s elemental affinity with electricity, but she had not had the chance to observe it in action outside the brief glimpse of his usage of it against Stark on Midgard.

Still, summoning dark clouds and the electricity that would follow was something Luna prided herself in. It was something she was good at, as well as something she realized Trixie was capable of doing in retrospect.

“Hey, that is my trick,” she pouted, not moving as Thor continued to channel his attack. She would let him have this even if she didn’t like it, even if only to use it to humiliate him later.

“Forgive me, but it is one of my two,” Thor bellowed over the cackling of the thunder above him. He was honestly surprised Luna was doing nothing to stop him, but that only convinced him that she was up to something nefarious.

Luna took a page out of Loki’s, and now Trixie’s, book and filled the entire courtyard with illusionary clones of herself, “Well, if we are trading tricks, I welcome you to one of your brother’s.”

Finished gathering energy in the sky, Thor called the electricity down to his hammer as a conductor. He would send out a shockwave that would hit all the illusions at once and dispel them, revealing the real Luna, “Too bad for you I have long since learned how to handle this one.”

Or rather, he would have done that if Luna had not tugged his arm and thus hammer out of the way with her telekinesis, much as Trixie would have suggested. His metal armor became the new conductor and Thor shook violently as the power he was about to use surged through him.

“Sorry, what was that?” Luna scoffed as he fell to his knees and hands.

“Tricky. Loki would be proud,” Thor coughed out as he tried to gather himself. His very own technique had been turned on him with the slightest amount of effort, and now he looked quite the fool on his knees.

Despite the pain of the strike, Thor found his way onto his feet. He was strong enough to fell opponents in a single blow, and tough enough to take quite a few of those same hits. His own power would not be the end of him.

Now standing in a sea of Lunas, Thor boldly boasted, “This is but the beginning.”

“Sadly it is also the end,” Luna’s voice called out in a chorus.

Before Thor could react in any way he found his feet slipping from underneath him. The patch of grass he had been standing on had changed to ice, a technique Luna had picked up from Loki without having quite the same affinity. The ice was only the beginning as Luna called forth yet another element, summoning a torrent of rain from the cloud Thor had created.

The water drenched Thor before Luna used her magic to create a multitude of clouds, all of which had one purpose—striking the wet metal that Thor was wearing with as great power as they had been granted.

Luna knew that Thor could survive the strike so she let him sizzle for a moment before calling off the attack and letting him drop to the ground like a complete fool. She was not just going to let somepony one up her on her own domain of magic after all, so lesson learned.

Thor was not even unconscious from the brutal strike, but he had difficulty rising from it nonetheless, “I believe this battle goes to you, milady. I know when I am outmatched.”

Luna offered him a hand to assist him up, which the silver clad man took, “Perhaps you would fare better against my normal powers. However, I still won, so let me know when you require the extra hoof in your battles. I daresay I can contribute.”

“We could leave as soon as this night. I just need to…consult the healers. Nothing more,” Thor lied, his face twitching as another shock rippled through him.

Luna rolled her eyes at his attempt at bravado, knowing he would likely need to sleep this off that night, “Thank you for the offer, but I have a kingdom of my own to return to. My sister is expecting a child now, and so I have more duties to take care of than previously.”

Thor pretended to be disappointed, knowing full well that he was probably burnt underneath the majority of his armor, “Very well then.”

“I am going to say my goodbyes to your family. Then I will depart, though do reach out to me the moment there is any update on my protégé’s health.”

Thor shrugged off another current of electricity before holding a hand out for Luna to shake, hoping to possibly pass it off to her, “Of course. Farewell, milady. It has been quite the pleasure to see just how you keep my brother in line.”

Luna only nodded to him before leaving, not taking his obvious bait, “That is not my only method of persuasion, but it helps.”

In an attempt to surprise him, Luna teleported directly into Loki’s room and onto his bed. She had anticipated him being in his chair by his desk or at the reading table, but instead found herself teleporting directly on top of him.

Sitting on his chest and looking towards his feet, Luna giggled, “Loki.”

“Dear,” he whispered through his crushed lungs. He had not expected her sudden appearance, nor the way she would just arrive on top of him.

Luna turned herself around and moved herself from his chest to his lap, “We should speak more concerning last night’s subject.”

Loki grunted as she made him even more uncomfortable, “Is this anything to do with the stray you have taken under your wing?”

Luna gave him a small smile while using her magic to make sure the door was closed, “Trixie needs me. I have begun to prime her to take my place in Equestria should I take court here. That was the purpose of taking her in, at least at first.”

As Luna removed her armor with the same magic Loki felt his discomfort shift, “Now you care for her. The pony who you desired to manipulate as your tool.”

Luna leaned down to peck him on the lips before craning back up, “Yes. I could not leave Equestria in Celestia’s hooves, especially with the two inexperienced princesses she has instated in my thousand year absence. Though, now I suppose I want what is best for Trixie, and I can think of no greater success than going from destitution to royalty.”

Loki closed his eyes and moved his hands to wrap around Luna’s back as best as he could, “You and my father have something in common.”

“As a stray yourself, do you have any hypocritical objections?” Luna half-joked and half-threatened as she placed her own palms on his green clothed chest.

There were a million things that could go wrong with Luna bringing a pony this close to them, but Loki knew it was not a fight he would win and not one he should even fight given his own upbringing, “Luna, try as you might, she is no foal. You may shape her, but be careful. There may always be a demon laying within the past that could derail your intentions, as good as they may be now.”

Luna shifted herself back and then a little forward while a contemplative look crept upon her face, “Do you think me vile for manipulating her, despite only wishing the best for her?”

“Perhaps before, not that I am one to judge, but most certainly not now. I cannot tell if you are taking after me, or if your transformation is what has made you so controlling,” Loki admitted with a strained voice.

Luna ran a hand down her body slowly to toy with him, “You think ill of this form?”

Loki closed his eyes to spare himself of the torment, “I am fine with the physical form itself. Your mental state is what I am worried for. Do remember that you were the kinder, gentler one not too long ago.”

“I remember,” Luna whispered through clenched teeth, “Please believe me when I say I am trying to cure this sickness. My last attempt nearly ended with me dying while only curing a fraction of it.”

There was no simple response Loki could think of to that, so he left Luna to continue doing her thing.

Luna laughed weakly as she did just that, “Weirdly enough, even with my powers having returned, I feel the loss I have suffered. That minimal part missing from me is aching, and I have this urge to fill it now that I can notice it.”

Loki was the second that day to raise a brow at her, “Addicted to your power, are you?”

“That could be it…I do not know. I have no true experience with the addiction outside of these dark powers, which I craved for a great while when they were removed. Even then though it felt…different.”

Loki moved a hand to touch her gently, “Addictions have ruined the strongest of individuals. I will speak with mother about tending to your own should it persist throughout your treatment.”

“You are really sweet when you care to be Loki,” Luna purred playfully.

“I feel that we have been sidetracked.”

Luna snickered as she shifted again on top of him, “Accept your praise when I give it, my prince.”

He stared blankly at her in anticipation of the previous topic. Seeing that she could not get a verbal rise out of him, Luna gave in, “So, if I officially take Trixie in, will you join me in supporting her?”

Loki closed his eyes again to try and think despite Luna’s teasing. He was still unsure about this whole matter, but he knew where Luna stood on it and he intended to support her despite whatever reservations he might hold. Nothing he said or did would change her mind after all, not without making her hate him at least.

“I cannot promise that she will be a daughter to me. I know her only from our brief experience together,” he breathed before conceding more, “If my mother could, though, I suppose I could try my own hand at letting a stranger into my world.”

Having gotten the answer she sought, Luna was ready to move on.

“Thank you Loki.”

Author's Note

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear what you thought in the comments below! Remember, comments are :heart: and help updates be faster!

A Sorrowful Scream

A/N: Special thanks to Ally of the daleks, ketvirtas, Killabyte, New Spark, ArcaneVisions, gakuseiakira, KillerCookie123, Drgnwolf, The Batmane of equestria, PhantomPhoenix, MoonSparkle The Vampony and type13 for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing despite! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Flow's "World

Who here is ready for something I bet you all have been waiting for quite awhile? I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

In the weeks following the departure of Equestria's princess from Asgard, minus the minor visit to see her student, things had been keeping steady. It was time for two members of the Asgardian royalty to speak again, of this Frigga was certain. And although she was not one of those in need of conversing, she was the one who would have to instigate it given the stubbornness that ran in them all.

“Odin,” she called with a warning look. Her husband was a good man, of that she was sure, but his time as Asgard's ruler weighed heavily on him. So used to putting his realm before himself, as befitting of a king, he had forgotten that he too should be hurt by what happened with their son.

And Loki was their son. Frigga cared not about his actual blood, but how they and Thor had spent their entire lives up until recently as a loving family who would do anything for one another. Frigga had always treated her sons equally, even though Thor was both her first and Loki was born to another Æsir. In fact, Loki had even proved himself the better son over the years by being more thoughtful and by how he involved himself with her even after childhood, whereas Thor went off to become the man he was for so many centuries: a brute and warrior who strove to fight and little else.

Across their room at his desk was Odin, who was busy pouring over documents that concerned their alliance to the realms they were reuniting. While Thor was off on a conquest to bring them all together, Odin was the one left to handle the more diplomatic side of things. Frigga could feel a pang at the sight of Odin leaning over his texts the same way Loki would, his son having no doubt picked up the specific posture from seeing his father at work.

“What is it?” Odin huffed, not particularly fond of being distracted. Lives were at stake with his work after all, what with how raiders had taken to the world Asgard once protected before the Bifrost was destroyed. Something else that was Loki's fault.

Frigga made sure to stand at her full height as she continued, “I believe it is about time we spoke about Loki again.”

“He should be imprisoned for years for what he has done,” he retorted curtly, not wishing to discuss this particular topic.

A strong personality was required to be Asgard's queen, and Frigga was not about to submit and accept her husband's dismissal, “He is your son. Making him resent you will only bring us more harm than good.”

Odin continued to look at his papers, not daring to meet her eyes while she had that tone, “And not punishing him for his actions can have its own consequences.”

Frigga would not give ground, but she would allow for her goal to be a small step in the right direction, “I only ask that you rekindle your bond with him. He loved you more than anything else once.”

“He does not care to have a bond. What purpose would I have of trying to make one appear as if from nowhere? I am not an enchantress witch like Lorelai, I cannot make a man do as I please, not even my own son.”

“You would have disowned him completely if not for the revelation that his mind was not his own. He has reason to distrust you.”

Odin snorted, “And I can trust him?”

“Odin, this is not a request. Do it.”

There would be Hel to pay if he continued to defy Frigga on this, of that Odin knew. As such the elderly man conceded, willing to at least put forth the minimum effort to appease her. After all, Loki would not even likely answer him at the door.

“I will see what I can do.”

"—then I'll—"

Loki's eyes snapped open and towards his door, where a very muscular man stood smiling. He had quite possibly broken the door, it having been locked before Thor opened it with a strong shove. Or rather, a normal shove for the strong man.

Through the mental link he had established with Luna, Loki cut her off as he lay in his bed underneath green sheets. He did not particularly care for his brother's company at the moment, but Loki knew that he would have to tend to Thor personally if he was to shoo him away.

"Luna, I have company now. My oaf of a brother to be precise."

Her voice whined inside his head, though it slowly transformed into a tone of full snark, "What, do you not want to be thinking of my coming visit when Thor is visiting? As if he could catch on—"

While finishing his current conversation Loki just let Thor stand there with his smug face, "Enough, Luna. There is always time for this conversation later."

"Fine. Enjoy your other company. I am sure Thor will suit you well enough. You're not even blood related, so—"

Loki ignored Luna completely, despite her voice being in the very center of his mind, as he addressed Thor finally, “I hear you enjoyed a taste of your own medicine the other day. How does lightning taste and feel as it runs straight through you?”

Having been fully noticed and addressed now, Thor closed the damaged door behind him and made his way over to Loki's reading chair, “Very funny Loki. I believe you know precisely just what it tastes like. Though, I will admit, you have found us a powerful ally.”

Thor dragged the chair over, as he was becoming accustomed to doing, and sat down in it heavily. He had just come from another adventure and had decided to pay his dear brother a visit. While normally Thor would not pick up on finer details, being worn by his travel left him in a state of mind just suited for honing in on specific things.

In this case, the moon crescent that hung around his brother's neck. After all, it was the only piece of clothing that was visible on his brother's upper body, so it had a way of drawing the eye.

“What is this?” Thor groggily questioned while reaching forward to grab it. Loki used his magic to repel Thor's hand just before he could actually manhandle the valuable jewelry.

“A trinket. Try to touch it again and lose the hand,” Loki threatened with a deep scowl. Thor had just broken a door without caring or noticing, and Loki would not have him do the same with a much more important object.

Thor could tell when his brother was not simply joking and so he quickly backed off, raising his hands in the air in fake surrender while sitting back in the comfy chair. He wiggled his fingers while laughing at Loki's defensiveness, “Could you not just pretend to cut the hand off with your illusions?"

With Thor having receded his hand, Loki loosened up and shifted his scowl into a sneer, "That would be nowhere near as satisfying. What kind of warrior would you be then without a hand? I daresay I am tempted to find out."

Thor sighed and took to standing, realizing too late that he had not having the willpower to deal with his brother, "I could be drinking and feasting with cheerful friends. I think I may go do that."

"Enjoy. Bring back some fine wine. Something to soothe the boredom and misery."

"Would it hurt you to show a little positive emotion now and again?" Thor spoke through a yawn on his way out.

"Yes."

Thor gripped the doorway while opening the limp door, a thought having struck the exhausted warrior, "Brother, I intend to bring my own lover to Asgard when things have calmed down in the Nine Realms, and I expect you to show her the same courtesy I have shown your own."

This again. Thor's human lover who would live at best another eighty years. Loki could not understand how Thor could fall for someone who would only bring him pain later on in the most simple and foreseeable fashion. What made Luna a perfect companion to Loki was what made Thor's own lover a terrible one: shared interests, views, and longevity.

"Luna will live past the century. Why do you intend to have your heart broken, brother?"

Thor could not muster the strength to keep his head up as Loki's words pierced him. Even Thor knew the truth that lay in them, though it did not change how he felt at all. It only served as a reminder for a nagging pain that he had long suppressed.

"Even so, Jane is still the woman I love," Thor looked back to Loki with a sad grin, "I will be back later, brother, when I have some ale in me and your coldness is less irritating."

With that Thor closed the door and left, leaving Loki alone in his room.

“Laufeyson.”

Or rather, what should have been alone.

In Equestria Luna was making her way through the night to go visit someone who she really ought to speak with. Someone who, due to her absences in recent months and work in stopping the tide of monster attacks in Equestria, she had not seen at length for quite some time.

With Loki preoccupied and her side of things handled, Luna needed something to occupy her time briefly. Loki would not be saddled with Thor indefinitely after all, and she did not want to divert his attention and blood during what was sure to be a riveting discussion.

She wasn't bitter that she had been left hanging. Was it karma for having humiliated Thor? She did not know, but she was absolutely not angry that Thor had interrupted her own time with Loki.

"Discord."

The god of chaos itself was currently visiting the cottage belonging to former element bearer Fluttershy, who had befriended the chimera being. When he was not busy fooling around with Celestia it was the best place to find him, and Luna was unsurprised to find him toying with a small white rabbit on the outside of it.

Discord turned his attention from the rabbit to Luna, though he used his own magic to levitate the rabbit in the air and in random circles to further the torment, "Oh, if it is not my third...no, is it fourth? Know what, it doesn't really matter. What has brought you here to Ponyville, Lulu? I am so loving the black by the way."

Luna was not there for fun and games, though from what she had heard of this 'Angel Bunny' it was at least partially deserving of its torment. Still, she had to play the part of not being at all amused and so she looked on with indifference, "Luna. And I am here to discuss an important matter with you."

Discord snickered before tossing the rabbit through the air and into a chicken coop, "What, are you with foal and need guidance about names?" Luna's eyes lit up at the mention of pregnancy, given her sister's own, and Discord's snicker evolved into full blown laughter, "You see, I've been toying with some on my own. Has Celestia told you the news?"

Luna was relieved that Discord already seemed to know about Celestia being with foal. It made her conversation easier, and it meant she was not spoiling it, "Good, she has spoken with you then."

Discord shrugged before crossing his arms and yawning, "Oh, no, she has not actually, she's just crankier than she usually is and I do know how these things work. One moment a welcoming matron, and the next an irritated mess."

To demonstrate his point, Discord transformed his own face to have long eyelashes like Celestia. He teleported beside Luna and brought her into a tight squeeze of a hug, then instantly let go and teleported away to give her the cold shoulder. Luna during this only rolled her eyes, disliking the level of theatrics he would go through. She may summon lightning for her entrance to a festival in her honor, but it was not her go-to action every time she conversed.

What Discord was saying contrasted with what Luna had seen in her own sister though and her recent warm behavior, and so the princess brought this contradiction up, "She has actually seemed more relaxed to me now that she is reducing her work load."

Discord snapped back to Luna's side so he could lean on her with one arm while leaning his face on it thoughtfully, "Then what could be driving her so up the wall whenever I speak with her?"

Not to submit to his childishness, Luna teleported to his other side and let him fumble through the air, "Maybe it is the fact that the father of her foal is little more mature than it?"

"You wound me," Discord whined while swooning and rolling over in the air he was floating in.

Luna cleared her throat so she could get on to why she was really there. Having had some time since she spoke with Celestia about the news, Luna had come up with her own thoughts and feelings on the matter and would have them voiced.

"Listen Discord, I am not about to tell you to shape up and be a great father. I'm not going to tell you that you should marry Celestia and help her. In fact, I am going to do the opposite of dictating your actions."

Discord snapped back up and rubbed his furry chin with his bear paw, "I am liking where this is going, Woona."

"Luna," she corrected with the slightest tinge of irritation, her inner being wanting to put him in his place more painfully, "If you want to continue being a free spirit who goes around and does as he pleases without causing too much destruction, then I support that decision. I only ask that if you do, you stay that way. Absent. Gone. Celestia deserves that much."

"All or nothing?" Discord questioned with a scowl. That was too definite and not variable for the chaotic being's liking.

Luna rolled her eyes, not having finished her whole thought, "You can work out a more specific schedule that befits you and Celestia both, if you so please, but I only ask that you do not hurt her. She is my only sister after all."

"That is very fair of you to ask," Discord's expression changed to a genuine smile, though it had traces of humor in it, "And do not worry. What would I be if I angered my dearest Celestia, who is by far the most entertaining pony I know who I can toy with?"

"A statue of stone," Luna responded flatly. That's how they had left him for over a thousand years after all.

"Precisely!" Discord shapeshifter into a stone version of himself before returning to his regular odd being, "Well, without the Elements of Harmony that would be difficult, but I suppose the idea still carries its own merit."

Luna thought it time to steer the topic back on course, "You mentioned names. Need I be worried?"

Discord clapped happily at the thought of a partner in chaos, "How does Tzeentch sound? I don't know where I honestly got it, but I like it! It breaks the trend you ponies all have here."

A voice in the back of Luna's head tempted her to voice her own idea in return. Surprising even herself, Luna gave into it by returning the question back to Discord, "I don't know, how does Sleep Near sound?"

Discord stroked his chin again while twirling around in the air, "Sleipnir? That sounds like something your boyfriend would like. I tried visiting his world only to be sent away by some spoilsport known as Heimdall. Sleipnir sounds like something they'd come up with."

Luna shook her head at his pronunciation. It was based on her own penchant for sleepwalking, not some made up nonsense, "No, Sleep Near."

Discord could care less about such a small difference, "Close enough. So, what do you think about Ataxia?"

A surge of emotion rushed into Luna from seemingly nowhere. It caught her off guard and shifted her thoughts as she tried to focus on the topic at had. The one at the top of the emotion list was fear, though it was not alone...

"Was it not Tzeentch a moment ago?" Luna questioned while trying to reign in the torrent of emotions.

Was the fear her own, or was it Loki's? Nothing was scaring her, so something had to be disturbing Loki...but what? Feelings of anxiety, anger and...

"I don't have my mind set on one. I'm just trying to come up with as many as I can before I ask Celestia's opinion on the matter. She likely will veto ninety nine point nine percent or more of all my suggestions, so I need enough to counter that."

...was it regret?

Luna shook her head as she tried to acclimate back to the conversation she was having. She could contact Loki in a moment to console him. He didn't have anything better to do after all.

The princess bit her lip and tried to shrug off the bad feeling, "I will consult a thesaurus or dictionary. I am not entirely sure which is which yet. While I am acclimating to our current language, some new things and words escape me."

A mischievous thought came to Discord's mind that made him almost squeal in delight, "Ooh, think we should ask Celestia about it together? Catch her off guard one day, since she has no idea I know."

Luna gave him a forced laugh, "I think I would enjoy this very much. Please, do go on."

Discord opened his mouth to continue to think the plan aloud, but a glow on Luna's chest caught his attention.

"Before we do, why is that little necklace of yours changing color?"

It had taken time and alcohol for Odin to steel his resolve to go meet with his wayward, prodigal son. He had no idea what would happen when they would speak, and just about anything could happen.

Even with some alcohol in him Odin could see that Loki's door was partially busted when he brought his hand to knock on it. Thor had visited it seemed.

"Loki."

There was no response to the call, and Odin frowned. The room was soundproofed one way by Loki's magic, so Loki could hear things outside but prevent sound from escaping from inside. Apparently he had added that feature at some point for the sake of privacy, though Odin had no idea when. He had not visited his son once in all this time since his return other than their brief meeting at the infirmary.

Still, Loki had to be able to hear him, and Odin did not enjoy being ignored. Especially not after a few pints of strong ale.

"Loki," he said with more force. With no response still, Odin knocked further on the door and raised his voice, "Loki, I would speak with you."

A sound similar to a crash barely escaped the room through the broken door. Odin narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he tried to consider what Loki just smashed and why.

"Loki?"

The Allfather slowly opened the broken door, his suspicions raised. He did not know what he was expecting to see, nor did he have a limit on what he believed he might.

Despite this broadness of expectations, opening the room to a purple skinned and dark armored giant grabbing an unconscious Loki by the hair was outside of even Odin's expectations.

The giant gave a deep laugh as he turned around to face Odin, "Hello Odin. I am afraid we have not met. I am Thanos. Are the stories of your strength true?"

Odin reached for his powerful weapon, Gungnir, only to find that he had not brought it. He had not expected an intruder in the castle.

The giant dropped the limp Loki to the floor while smiling darkly at Odin.

Author's Note

Ahhhh....been waiting for that for awhile. Boy did I underestimate how much I'd work on Trixie. You see, I somehow had it in my mind Trixie would only take 5 chapters to handle roughly. Boy was I wrong, not that I mind.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments below, as they are seriously what helps me write so much! Liking and favoriting the story help too, as does following me. Morale support of the highest fashion! Comments, likes and follows are :heart: after all, so please let me know what you think!

I Can Feel You Judging Me

A/N: Special thanks to King Sombrony, LordSiravant, gakuseiakira, Fear the Dark, Mutie Genic, MoonSparkle The Vampony, ArcaneVisions, ZeroInfinity, Ketvirtas, Killabyte, type13, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing despite! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Super special thanks to Ketvirtas, who drew fan art for the last chapter where Loki is picking up Trixie seen here and for their artwork of when Trixie fell asleep in Loki's bed seen here! I am so very thankful, and appreciate all fan art immensely! All of my :heart: for you, Ketvirtas.

Chapter title now brought to you by Disturbed's "My Child"

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

At the sound of another voice Loki jerked around to see what new threat had revealed itself. Only, when he turned to look there was no source to the voice. Nothing that could be seen through the thick fog at least.

“Another phantom…”

Feeling his nerves relax, Loki returned to the random direction he had intended to set out towards. He could not recall in his hazy mind where Thanos had left to, especially after being left to handle his seemingly alive father. The encounter had left him wounded, though Loki noticed with slight interest that his wound was not pouring with blood after the initial trickle.

What was this place that a normally noteworthy wound was reduced to barely making him bleed? That his deceased birth father had been able to inflict it?

He was not left to think long about the subject, for a quick flash of gold and green before him send him stumbling back. He nearly dropped Luna’s apprentice onto the ground in surprise, and it was only with a grunt of exertion that he managed to resume his hold on her.

Loki looked forward in disbelief as a golden armored version of himself stood with a playful, yet smug, face at the pathetic sight that was Loki.

“Leaving so soon? Is that any way to treat yourself?” the newcomer questioned with a small laugh before pointing the very scepter Loki once wielded at the prince.

Not believing in such obvious trickery, Loki snarled at the being who stood before him. He regained his own composure now that he was certain that it was not a completely malevolent force, but his suspicions were raised nonetheless. Having just fought his father, Loki was in no position to doubt that this being really was a physical manifestation of himself. This did not soothe his nerves, however, as it only made him question his location even further.

“What sort of illusion is this?”

This elicited another laugh from the fake Loki, who rose his staff to point at the original one’s face. After pointing to the top of his face, the new Loki lowered the staff slowly down the entirety of the first one’s body until he reached the toes.

“Oh, no illusion. In this world I am very real just as you are. Thankfully I am more than half dressed. Thanos catch you at an inconvenient time?”

Loki ignored his other’s mocking tone and question, making sure to keep his eye on the threatening staff.

The shirtless and confused Loki furrowed his brow while preparing to avoid any attack his armored self might send at him, “What are you then?”

After a disrespectful bow the new Loki pointed the staff between the two of them, “I am you. I am the Loki who would have laid ruin to Midgard despite the efforts of a certain large equine. I am the you who gave into his anger and took revenge on his family. A reflection brought to life at the behest of your jailer.”

Still trying to learn more about the realm he found himself in, the original Loki questioned this mention of a jailer. Could it be the same person who Thanos desired him to meet?

“Jailer?”

“The mistress of this realm. Not the most talkative woman, I must admit, and she does seem to detest me despite bringing me into being,” the fake Loki cackled briefly before pointing the scepter down at the original’s stomach wound, “The same goes for you I see. She left you quite the gift when you arrived here. That was most amusing to watch, even if I did not care to intervene.”

The mention of the encounter made Loki snarl. What reason would Laufey have in attacking him over this other Loki? Were they in on this together? Could Laufey have been sent there by the unnamed woman? What purpose would she have in just having him die like that over having Thanos finish things?

The original made his scorn known through his expression, “If only he took to attacking you, rather than I. I very nearly died. What would this mistress do then?”

The second Loki tilted his head in some confusion, “What makes you think you can die so easily? Death is at her beck and call after all.”

Before the original could question this, the fake beckoned him to come closer, even using some magic to drag him a foot in his own direction, “I believe I have said enough on the matter. Come, we have much to discuss.”

Despite the forceful tug, the original Loki made no further movement forward. He had already decided he did not trust this being, for not only was it seemingly a reflection of himself, but it was an alternate self who was even more far gone.

“And if I do not care for what you have to show me?” Loki scoffed at his darker half.

Rather than be angry at this refusal, the second Loki only sighed in annoyance. He brought his scepter up into the air and leveled it at the horse strewn across his better half’s shoulders, “Then I will cut the heart out of that equine you have slung over your back.”

Wordlessly the original Loki lowered Trixie down to the ground and stood back up straight. He was not about to do whatever this other being wanted him to, for he trusted him less than he could trust his own self.

Not only was he different from this other self, but he was actually finding himself detesting the other being. Was this truly another possible fate he could have followed?

Seeing the defiance of the original Loki, the second decided he would have to teach him a lesson before they could commence with what he had planned. Before the original could react the blade of the golden scepter impaled him through the wound he had been given before, forming an x in his gut.

Bent over after being run through with the blade and still weak from his recent battle, Loki did not avoid the follow up knee to the face or slash from the same weapon that tore across his chest.

Not satisfied with this, the second Loki tripped him by teleporting behind him and sweeping his legs out from underneath him. Once the original had fallen to the ground the fake second strolled over to the comatose Trixie and kicked her strongly in the gut, a wicked smile growing on his face as she rolled over limply.

Loki crawled up onto his knees in defiance, but the pain surging through him kept him from rising as his dark half brought the back end of its staff down on Trixie’s ribs.

The second Loki cast a mad smirk back at the original before turning back to the helpless horse he was beating continuously, “You are left weak from your recent scuffle. I am not hindered by the weight of attachments like you are. We may be the same, but we are very much dissimilar. I had hoped to change that, but it seems as if you will have to learn how ”

The fake avoided a sudden teleportation and strike by the original, who fought through exhaustion and pain both to do the assault. It was met with painful failure however, as the second Loki swung his scepter back to crash lengthwise into the original’s gut.

As the first Loki gagged in pain the second scoffed at the attempt to resist, “You forget, we share one mind. Only you have let yours grow weak with love for such worthless beings. You’ve already lost, so you will do as I say unless you want to bury this worthless being.”

The second went back to slamming his staff down on the horse, hoping that the abuse would make his other self more subservient by using whatever emotional connection he held against him.

Instead of trying to physically confront himself again, Loki stretched his arms out and called forth what little magical energy he had at the moment. His paltry amount of power did not perturb his sadistic self at all, who continued to just beat on the helpless Trixie a few feet away.

The original snarled as the beating continued, “If I have learned anything, it is that one cannot assume victory until it has been fully achieved.”

He received the result he wanted, as the second Loki turned to face him with the idea of putting him through the beating instead. In true Loki fashion, the fake double cast a spell to form a dozen clones in the nearby area. All laughed at the original in a chorus of mockery while they moved to strike him.

“Spare me the lecture. We have shared our lives after all. And to think I came to lend my wisdom ”

Loki, having been convinced that they truly were quite similar in some regards, had expected his foe to create illusionary copies of himself. And true to form, he had learned from past battles with Thor that the most effective method of countering this was to let out an attack in every direction.

Courtesy of his months of isolation and training with Luna, Loki shot out all of his remaining magic in the form of lightning at the various Loki clones. Many passed straight through the fakes, but one managed to find a way to ground itself by passing through his alternate self.

The second Loki cried in pain as the damp area did him no favors, as the damp ground and air favored the electricity. Once he found the true enemy, the original focused all of the beams on the single target and compounded the electrocution.

The attack did not last long due to Loki’s lack of power, but it had the intended effect. Not having learned this particular magic under Luna’s tutelage, his other self had not seen it coming and was just as caught off guard by it as they both had been when Thor did a similar trick in their fight over the Bifrost so long ago.

The armor of the second Loki had further helped sizzle the fake, who was now gasping on his hands and knees in pain. It not for the various environmental factors and the armor being worn, the fake Loki would not have been so wounded, but the original would take whatever he could get.

The real Loki limped over to the fake and kicked his scepter from his hands before grabbing him by his horned helmet and dragging his face up, “What purpose could she have had in conjuring such a sad soul? One that reflects myself, but has no essence beyond being my opposite?”

Having spent enough time with Luna to learn how to use levitation in his own alternate history, the fake Loki called forth the scepter to his hand while screaming at the original, “You will have to ask her when I leave your still body wishing she would release you from this place!”

The first Loki twisted the helmet of his other self to shift his body and make the scepter slam into him rather than being caught in his hand, “Where you see weakness, I see strength.”

Letting go of the fake Loki, the original stood up and stomped down on the faker’s arm. His foot firmly placed on the elbow of him, he took him by the horns again and pulled him up as hard as he could manage to. A sickening snap greeted his ears, and Loki quickly smacked his slightly charred opponent across his armored face.

“If not for Luna and this younger equine, I would not have been able to overcome you,” Loki boasted to the dazed fake, who he quickly brought his knee into the face of in revenge for the similar treatment earlier. The tables had turned, and he was the one in control of the situation now.

Loki cast a hand at the limp Trixie, “I may barely know her, but I value the bond she holds with my significant other. The same one you say you betrayed willingly.”

Through a bloodied face the fake coughed out weakly with indignation, “A single decision sets us apart. You think yourself better than your own self?”

With his grip on the helmet Loki twisted the wicked being’s head to the point where its neck began to creak, “You and I are not the same. I would choose the pain of attachment over the power of solitude where you would only serve your own wicked self.”

Before finishing the job and ending his opponent’s life, a sinister idea crossed Loki’s mind. One that made him smirk with the same evil glee the alternate self had earlier. With a cackle he tossed the wounded fake onto the ground and brought a hand down onto his neck.

“I have not had much practice morphing living beings, for even I find it abhorrent, but I will make an exception now.”

The thrill of fighting had helped bring back some of his energy, and Loki had long before learned a spell he deemed worthy of this pathetic shadow of himself. Frigga had tried to make him swear to only use illusory transformations, but his growing wealth of knowledge on the subject brought a most satisfying idea to his mind.

“What are you doing? Unhand me—”

The fake’s voice was cut off as his body glowed a pitch black. Loki could feel magic flowing through him, as if tempting him to finish this in this brutal manner, and he could not care less wherever it was flowing from. All that mattered was ending this terrible reflection of himself who dared remind him of the path he had almost walked down.

Soon after, where a golden armored body once lay only a black bird lay. Loki still did not care how he managed to successfully do the full spell, for he found himself smiling wickedly down at the former fake.

“You will be known as Ikol, my opposite and a reminder of my own darkness. You will serve me just as you are bound to my will. If you cross me I will make you suffer for time eternal. Understood, bird?”

Loki lifted his arm up for the magpie to fly to, and it did so wordlessly. Loki had mixed in the taming spell used by some stable masters to tame animals to instead force this dreadful being into service, and he did so without the smallest piece of regret.

“Come now.”

The bird followed its master’s bidding, fighting through a partially broken wing to lift itself into the air and do as it was told.

Casting a glare over to the forgotten scepter, Loki decided to leave it where it lay. He cared not for how the original had twisted his mind, and he would not give in to the power it offered again.

Instead he walked past the artifact and over to the still Trixie, whose chest continued to rise and fall faintly despite the egregious damage she had suffered.

He thoughtlessly took her over his shoulders again, and the bird on his arm adjusted itself so that it was now standing on top of the horse. Loki sighed as he once again prepared to journey into the surrounding mist.

He may not have gained any answers yet, but he wouldn’t let the less than perfect ending to this encounter be the end of his search. He had barely left where he woke up after all, and there was an entire realm for him to discover and survive through.

“Stay alive, magician. I will not have Luna be mourning you if I can help it.”

The journey was not of the kind Loki was used to. Normally when he had others with him on grand adventures he would be accompanied by some banter. Some fun, intermixed with fights with giant monsters.

There was none of that. There were voices, as well as sounds to accompany them, but Loki soon realized they were coming from what appeared to be ghastly phantoms.

“I’m sorry…” one woman’s voice whispered as if to a child through the fog. Loki wandered towards the voice only to be met with a crying woman who appeared to be years beyond her young age crying to herself.

“My utopia…” another voice behind him whispered to themself. Loki turned to see a being fade from existence, their grey visage seeming to have never been there at all.

A cold waft of air crossed past Loki that made him feel as if Laufey had only this was followed by a fatalistic monotone voice, “Believe me, you’re the only one who cares…”

“We can’t go back…” came a sobbing, hushed voice.

Another voice overlapped with it as it emotionlessly stated, “—vengeance is all I have left.”

“Please, don’t…” a pathetic voice begged as the screech of metal dragged closer to it.

The hushed voice returned, “Goodbye?”

Loki looked about him as more and more lost souls appeared and disappeared as if from thin air. The fog concealed them mostly, and made their entrances and exits all the more chilling. Some were wandering lethargically, whereas others were crouching down and choking on their own tears. Others lay as if they were dying, words repeating as if forced to relive that very moment again and again.

Loki felt himself grow sick to his stomach at the display of such beings. Was he to become one of these mad, lost beings? Was that what this place was for? He steeled himself as he continued to stumble past them in the swamp that was forever shrouded in fog that together gave the impression of going on forever.

A dying gasp to the side caught Loki’s attention as a broken man reached out as if to touch someone who was not there, “I wish I could have gone where you have gone…”

A burly man growled across from the dying one, growling to an unseen threat through the fog, “No, you won’t get me!”

Further on the path came the creaking of metal followed a snort, “Easy prey…”

“Brother—”

An audible blast of gunfire was quickly followed by a betrayed, seething voice.

“Traitor.”

Differing from the others came a smug, almost playful voice, “Seriously? After that humiliation he just put me through you think I’d leave before I’ve gotten some payback?”

A stuttering, distorted, and fluctuating feminine voice joined the chorus with a shift in timbre as it went on, “Are you afraid? What is it you fear?”

“—for I now find I have no choice at all,” a raspy voice growled to itself.

Another woman’s voice entered the fray, scoffing haughtily, “What are you going to do—”

“How would things have been if I had listened?” one of the previous lost souls continued, wistfully speaking as if no others were around.

A distraught man faded away as he spoke softly to himself, “I’ll bring you their corpses...”

Throughout the mist and swamp, Loki found his stomach churning more and more as the voices seemed to grow in quantity and number beyond the point he could hear them all or notice all of their sources before they vanished entirely.

After enough stumbling through the dark, Loki found his first moment of relief since arriving when he came across a plain where no beings seemed to reside and the fog appeared to be lighter.

Drifting into the clearer space, Loki whispered to himself much like the mad beings he was passing, “These cries of anguish,” he turned to see another soul from the path vanish, “A world of eternal suffering...what sick mind would bring together such beings? Are they reliving their final moments, or facing new torment?”

The air around him gave no response, nor did Trixie or Ikol. Loki knew he could try and force something out of Ikol, but his body was aching too much to continue going any further. He lowered himself and Trixie to the ground, letting her gently onto the grassy plain and then dropping himself onto the ground.

His wounds had not been bleeding, and while he knew this should worry him, Loki had since stopped searching for these more trivial answers in favor of larger ones. What was this place for? What was he doing here? Was he intended to just forever suffer like the others, or did he have a special purpose to serve there?

With a lazy glance Loki looked over to Trixie, who was making him half regret his emotional side with how much more difficult she was going to make this for him, “If you care to wake up, feel free to do so anytime.”

As expected she did not rise, though Ikol squawked at the prince. Loki shooed the bird from off of Trixie, and the former fake Loki took its place on the original’s shoulder. Loki smirked at the bird, glad that he had been able to reverse the tables so suddenly. He still had no answer to where the surge of power had come from to enable his attempt, but that was just another question he would have to have answered by the end of this.

“Power...need…”

On the same issue of energy, Loki turned to see another shirtless being stumbling out of the mist and into the grassy plain. Their skin was far paler than even Loki’s, and their long ears and long eyebrows reminded Loki of the storybook tales of elves Frigga would read to him years ago.

The pitiful soul staggered forth as if in complete agony, its weathered red and tattered cape dragging behind it as the lower half of its torn robes covered its legs from view. The being was as skinny as it was pale, appearing to be deathly ill as it wandered towards Loki.

Still, Loki was in no mood to deal with an insane being, “Begone, wretch.”

It continued to slowly exit the mists and drag itself one foot at a time towards Loki and Trixie. Loki prepared to get up and fight whatever this being was, but paused when he noticed something. The eyes of the being were hazy, but glowing with magic much like Luna’s would when she unleashed her full power. Furthermore, the being appeared to be on death’s doorstep with how a large, dull green stone pierced its chest. There was no way this being could be a threat, and so Loki sat back down.

“I...need…more...ma…m…”

The being collapsed onto the ground, writhing weakly in pain before ceasing all movement. Loki frowned at it, sad to have witnessed the suffering but also surmising that this was only one such being. There could be others out there that were true threats, unlike this pathetic wretch.

“Whatever mistress lords over this realm must be some sadist.”

While the air had by no means been warm previously, all sense of warmth was drained out of it as if by a void in the area. Loki twisted around and began looking for a source of the drain, only to come face to face with a hooded being as he stood.

The hood hung over half of its face, and darkness covered the rest in an unnatural manner. Loki took a step back away from the being the moment he realized that in one hand it held a scythe, sensing imminent danger from this surprise being.

Despite him moving, the being across from him made no such movement. Loki paused to observe it further as it stood silently before him, the darkness inside its hood looking towards him as if to reflect his own observation.

The hood continued into a full cloak all the way down to the being’s feet, a pointed green mantle resting upon the shoulders of it. Underneath the hood came similar jagged points, though the darkness that masked the face similarly obscured any view of what was causing the points.

After a moment of silence, Loki narrowed his eyes at the mysterious newcomer, “Who would you happen to be?”

The being continued to make no movement, though Loki noticed then that the hand it had resting upon its weapon was even paler than the dying elf behind him. The skin was snow white, similar to what one might find on Jotunheim, and contrasted completely with the black cloak it emerged from.

Loki frowned as it continued to be still and make no noise. The fact that it could so suddenly creep up on him without a single noise or trace worried him further. What were its intentions?

“Not the most verbose, are you?”

The being twisted its visible hand and in a black flash the scythe disappeared. In its place an orb of black and white shifting color appeared, sending Loki into a panic. Was it about to attack?

The being did no such thing, instead releasing the orb into the air. It disappeared, but whatever it did resulted in the grassy plains they were standing on to wither away and disappear, along with the dark air of the swamp setting and the surrounding mist as well. Everything was replaced first by a black void, with even Trixie fading away, and then everything changed to pure white like the being’s skin tone.

Loki looked around worriedly as the world began to reform around him, colors and shapes entering into the white void at a rate impossible to keep up with. He had no comprehension as to what was happening, though the ease at which this being was shifting the world around them made Loki gain a suspicion as to who it was.

“More illusions? Has this all been your doing?” he questioned the being, only for it to remain mute and grant no response.

The setting’s shifting slammed to a halt, and in place of the void was a setting Loki knew very well: the edge of Asgard where their endless river ran to the edge of their floating continent. The place he knew best for being where funerals were held, with the deceased being put into boats that would be set aflame and left to drift off the edge of the waterfall as a final farewell as the deceased hopefully traveled to the fabled Valhalla, a place where the good and righteous went after death.

Loki focused on the setting more now that he had something other than the being to look at. He could make out some familiar forms around his own body, which appeared to be as ghastly now as the others he witnessed earlier. He felt no pain, and thus no fear that he had died, but Loki could tell that whatever he was seeing now was not something he was actually a part of. Not a place he was actually at physically.

As Loki continued to observe the setting, he found himself aghast at what he could now observe, “That-”

A funeral boat was being released, and on it was a familiar golden helmet. The very same one he had worn for years. No body was to be found on the boat however, only the lone helmet that stood as a marker for him.

Loki frowned at the sight, but what shook him more was the crowd gathered at the shore. There were not crowds of people lined up to mourn him, a not very shocking fact, but only eight had come. Thor stood with his human lover, two children in their arms that Loki could not bear to focus on. Thor was looking sadly at the boat as it began to drift away, while his lover instead was focusing on cheering up the two very young children.

By Thor were Fandral and Volstagg, who both seemed to be in a state of neutral emotion at the drifting vessel. Still, the friends had a hand each on their leader Thor who was close to tears despite his tough nature.

Next to them was Heimdall, who stood not with two eyes but rather only one with a large scar covering his face and where the missing one had once been. He made no movement at all at the funeral, obviously being there to show respects to his prince even if he had no personal affection for the man.

Lastly, near the water was a crouching Luna. She had closed eyes as she just stayed there, kneeling on her hands and knees. She was not weeping, though she was not doing much of anything.

Loki felt a pang at the sight of Luna’s obvious sorrow, “She cares too much.”

The hooded being who brought this vision to him, seemingly one of the future, continued its silence. This left Loki to further wonder about the scene playing before him, “Is this what is to come?”

A slight nod came from the being, surprising Loki given that it was the first response it had granted. No noise came however, nor did any explanation. Loki turned back to the sight of his own funeral and began to observe it further.

Frigga was not present. Nor was Odin, though the latter was not much of a surprise to Loki. After all, his father could care less for him. But his own mother missing his funeral?

“Where is mother? Would she not attend?”

The setting once again swirled and shifted, this time more quickly and ending in a familiar room of Asgard’s castle. One where Loki and his mother would sometimes practice magic safe away from prying eyes in the castle when he was younger.

In it a giant rocklike being with a wicked, tusked face stood behind Queen Frigga as a dagger emerged straight through her body. The scene instantly shifted back to the river, where this time a whole sea of boats floated by on the water.

Loki gasped at the apparent future vision of his own mother being murdered.

“No. This is wrong. What could have done this?”

The unknown being causing the vision lifted its hand up, offering no verbal response as a skinny and pale finger pointed straight to his chest.

Loki scoffed as he looked around him at the funeral, “You are telling me that my decisions make this…these damnable events happen?”

The figure again gave a small, affirmative nod through its hood. This did little to soothe Loki, who was driven to anger over this revelation.

“I have had enough of this! I refuse to take the blame for-”

Loki felt his throat choke up as if a invisible hand was suddenly crushing it, and the half dressed prince fell to his knees at the river shore. The being before him had not even moved, but they had made their point clear: they would not tolerate his ranting.

Once the choking ended a moment later Loki gasped through his new attempts to breathe, “Go to Hel and leave me be.”

At those words, the silent being who cared to show him these fates recreated its scythe, now threateningly pointing it at Loki’s neck. In frustration and panic Loki cried out, “What do you want from me?! It’s not as if I can do anything about this! I will die here in this accursed swamp realm long before I can change anything!”

The cloaked being once again vanished its scythe away and resumed its still, observing vigil.

Feeling less threatened, Loki softened his tone while continuing to ponder his precarious fate out loud, “If it can even be changed…”

His eyes snapped wide open as he realized that whoever this was, they were apparently trying to warn him about a possible future. With the hope that he could somehow prevent his own demise Loki scrambled to his feet and approached the figure, “What do I need do to prevent this fate? Can it be?”

They made no move as he drew closer, even until he stood face to face with them. Even with his proximity Loki was unable to gaze into the hood, for only darkness met him there. After a moment of held silence, Loki found himself sick of this being’s unwillingness to just tell him anything.

“Tell me!”

And, with that, the vision of Asgard shattered. The world around Loki swirled and changed until he once again was left with the grassy plains where Trixie lay. On top of his shoulder again was Ikol, who had too disappeared during the vision Loki noticed.

What’s more, the figure was now no longer before him. They had disappeared as suddenly as they had come, and he was still none the wiser as to who they were or what their intention was. Just how in the dark he was was driving Loki mad, and he found himself seething as he yelled out to the nothingness around him.

“How may I hope to save them if I have not the knowledge how? Where did you go?!”

As to be expected, no voice answered him. Loki fell to his knees and slammed his fist into the ground furiously, outraged that he was now only left with more questions.

“I was not finished with you! Come back, you mute spectre!”

This time a voice did reach out to him, and Loki found himself twisting around to look at who dared address him.

“Calm yourself. I am pleased to see another. Have you enjoyed your visit?”

Loki narrowed his eyes at the very large being who was slowly approaching the clearing through the thick mists. They had horns raising off their head in a manner similar to Loki’s helmet, and their two legs looked more like an equine’s than a regular humanoid’s. The mist shrouded most of their features, leaving Loki in the dark as to what or who this was, though he could tell it was not the hooded figure from before.

“Who are you? Are you the puppeteer of this madness?”

Through the mist the being laughs with its deep voice, all the while shaking its head, “Not I, but I would consider yourself lucky. Not all that Lady Death visits do so with their souls intact.”

Exiting the mist, the being casts a glance down at the fallen elf. Its eyes linger a moment with sadness before looking at Trixie with interest as well before finally lifting its glowing gaze to look at Loki.

“We can speak more where it is safer. There are others who lurk in this land who would not be so welcoming.”

Author's Note

A/N: If anyone hasn't picked up on just who the mistress of death is yet, I'd take a look at the name of the song I listened to while writing this. Just a hint.

Also, for the chapter as a whole, whoever catches every single reference wins a prize. Given the vagueness and how not all are direct quotes however, I doubt anybody will. Still, I will be beyond impressed if someone manages to! Here’s a place to start: nearly all the voices heard belong in the categories anti-villain to anti-hero. Took them at random, which is why a few flat out villains made their way in.

Now If I Am To Survive

A/N: Special thanks to Arad, LordSiravant, gakuseiakira, XaldinLance, ArcaneVisions, New Spark, Fear the Dark, Drgnwolf, Ally of the Daleks, JBGrim, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Ketvirtas and White Dragon

for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing despite! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Disturbed's "The Infection"

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

Too furious to maintain her Asgardian form, Luna had done quite the number on a nearby wall with her hooves. Chunks of stone had been cracked and sent flying, in the end doing no more than appeasing her temper ever so slightly.

For every chunk Luna destroyed, Discord wordlessly snapped it back into place and condition. The sight of various broken bodies and near death beings had actually snapped him out of his playful demeanor. While a fan of chaos, he was no fan of meaningless death and conflict. After all, few things killed the mood more than everyone else dying.

As this scene played out before Frigga, the queen kept her calm and continued to tend to the various wounded soldiers nearby. She had just finished explaining the situation to Luna, and knew that she could not stop the mare from breaking down the entire castle if she so chose to. Given the lack of permanency to Luna’s actions given her companion, Frigga thought it best to let her blow off the mound of steam that she quite obviously had gained.

After entire minutes of beating the wall, Luna slowed down with a heavy breath. Her one sided fight had drained her, though the anger she felt had allowed her to continue striking it beyond the point of physical pain.

Finished, for the time being that was, Luna took in a deep breath and turned to Lady Frigga. There was one detail Frigga had left out: the identity of the perpetrator.

“Who did this and who do I have to kill to find them?”

Frigga brought an arm out to touch Luna’s shoulder in an attempt to soothe the mare who was teeming with anger.

“Dear, this is not the time to go on a rampage. We must first tend to things here and gather what resources we have to try and find my son and your apprentice.”

Luna ignored the gesture, instead craning her long neck up to appear even taller and more threatening, “I despise repeating myself unnecessarily. Who. Did. This?”

Realizing that this was the same being who threatened the king of Asgard when Loki was in danger, Frigga took a step back. While they may have a positive relationship compared to Luna’s former disdain of Odin, Frigga had no doubt that standing in her way would not be conducive to everyone’s health.

Frigga sighed and looked to the floor as she thought best about how to word things. Preferably in a way that would steer Luna from destroying the nine realms in a love induced rampage, “The man who sought to lay waste to Midgard. He is known as Thanos. A being so powerful that he defeated not only Loki, but my husband and our entire defense force single handedly. That much power ought not to be in one being, yet now he has obtained powerful artifacts from our very vaults to make him an even greater threat.”

Luna snorted, both from anger and in order to cool down, “I will kill him, but first I must find what he has done with Loki and Trixie. If he has brought them to any harm…”

Frigga continued her efforts to steer Luna away from getting herself killed, now moving forward to bring both arms around the equine’s neck, “Calm yourself. I would not go seeing you bring yourself to any harm, and Heimdall has already reported that he lost track of where Thanos has gone. They could be anywhere, and we do not have a single clue as to what he wants to do with them.”

The physical touch brought Luna pause, her temper waning as the loss she suffered began to creep up on her, “I…”

The queen brought a hand down Luna’s lower neck and back, those being the only places she could stroke and console her would-be daughter in-law, “We will be okay. You know just as I do that either of us would do anything for our loved ones, but recklessly running off will do them no good. Once we have tended to the wounded and gathered our best minds, we can see about devising a strategy to retrieve them.”

Luna’s shoulders sank and her neck slumped so that it was now leaning on and over Frigga’s shoulder.

Loki was gone. Trixie was gone. And she hadn’t been there for them.

In his his personal hell, Loki took a step back as the newcomer emerged from the mists before him. The Asgardian prince could feel unease creep up his spine as he observed the chimera who stood before him.

Their overall shape was no different from an Asgardian’s, with a head, body, two arms and two legs gracing their form. The giant wings that sprouted from their back was the largest divergence from Asgardian structure. The long, thick, and curled horns sprouting from their head was another, seeming as if they belonged atop a goat’s head or Loki’s very own helmet. Behind the horns were two long ears that made the newcomer appear as if he was an elf like the one who keeled over minutes ago, though his purple skin visible on their bare upper body made him quite different from the sickly pale elf.

“Do not be afraid. I am no enemy,” the odd being claimed as it continued to approach Loki. He stopped by the time it passed the still elf, pausing himself before looking back at the insane being wistfully.

Even though the newcomer’s eyes were covered by a cloth, the green glow where the eyes belonged gave the prince the feeling that there was some familiarity between them.

“A friend of yours?” Loki hesitantly questioned, not trusting this elf-being’s words. The closer they drew, the more Loki could see just how tall they were. The chimera had the back legs of a horse rather than any two regular ones, though they had the general size and shape of what one might otherwise expect to carry the whole body.

With a sigh, the chimera continued forward until it reached Loki and Trixie, “Once. It feels like a lifetime ago. But now is not the time to reminisce,” with a glance down, the being noticed the blue horse by his feet, “There are some beings more acclimated to this kind of place, hunters and trackers you may say, and they will be here soon.”

Noticing that this satyr of sorts had noticed the still comatose Trixie, Loki rushed over to put himself in the way. He had no reason to trust them, and so far he had met no-one he would consider trustworthy in his stay.

With a light brush of the hand, the satyr pushed Loki aside and knelt down to the ground, “I will not harm your horse.”

Loki stumbled and took a moment to regain his footing, surprised at the massive strength of this being. He could only watch as they carefully brought Trixie up and onto one of their shoulders, the small horse completely dwarfed by their massive size.

The seemingly blindfolded man stood back up with a smirk, his raspy voice coming out as a half-amused and half-distraught manner, “It is interesting that you came with a companion. I suppose I have some of my own roaming here, minds long since withered away as they are forced to relive their entire lives’ torments.”

Not wasting any more time, the newcomer started walking back towards where he came. He beckoned Loki with a hand as he carelessly passed by the other supposed elf, “Come. We are not safe here.”

With Trixie taken by this unknown man, and there being no outstanding reason to stay where he was, Loki quietly took to following after him. The bird atop his shoulder squawked, and Loki snarled at it. Ikol could speak if he so wished, even if he was forced into a body with access to almost none of his usual magic, so the mute bird act was grating on Loki in light of the similarly mute being he just met. He would discipline Ikol later when the opportunity arose, but Loki first had to see what this new being had in store for them all.

While trekking back through the mist and endless, cold, and damp swamps, Loki took note of the various voices lingering around. The mists continued to shroud their precise origins, but hearing the disembodied voices of these beings did naught to endear the location to Loki.

“Victory is mine—” one yells triumphantly before being cut off in a yell of pain, no doubt the moment their life ended.

A similar, but more regretful voice takes its place from elsewhere, “—forgot to fight.”

“You’re...a terrible liar—” a dying voice chokes out.

As Loki and his newest companion continued through the fog, Loki fighting to keep up with the giant’s steps, the more voices join as the others fade, “—they’re just people doing what they think is right, that’s all. I know it’s hard—”

“At last I enter a fight for which I don't know the outcome—”

On the way to their unspoken destination, the sight of three giant titans like the weaponized armor known as the Destroyer in Asgard crosses their path, with one tackling one and catching the blade of another.

The sight bemuses the satyr, “Such senseless displays of heroism. Never knowing whether they succeeded or failed, only leaving one world to endlessly suffer in this next.”

“—I know you meant it when you said that we’re not expendable. I know that—”

A quiet, resigned voice adds in an ironically fitting piece from their own end, “—it’s sad, isn’t it?”

Countless whispers, shouts, and cries pass by the two as the move along. Loki next was stirred at the sight of a man just in sight perpetually falling as he chokes weakly, “Are you people satisfied with the way—”

A sudden bang and explosion draws Loki’s attention away from the man, this time being the dying whispers of a woman, “—change the world, okay?”

Like this, the other inhabitants submitted to their various personal torments. Whatever they had done in life had earned them their place here, whether it be good or bad.

After what felt like hours of walking to the increasingly tired Loki, found himself bumping into the back of the giant satyr who had led him across the land without further incident. The demonic elf turned back to Loki with a smirk before reaching a hand out to the place before him. There lay a small, hollow hill that had within it a campfire that burned with a green flame.

Loki entered the cavern graciously, the seemingly benign being who found him following in behind him. The small cave had enough room to fit the satyr at almost full height, but depthwise it was just enough to house four or five people.

Trixie was placed down on top of what appeared to be a torn blanket, likely the closest thing to luxury in these lands Loki surmised, and the satyr took his place by the green fire. Loki too sat down by it, unsure of what to say or do. The fact that this powerful being was seemingly familiar with the land, intimately so, made Loki’s own delusions of escaping wane. After all, if escape were something attainable they surely would have by now, right?

Still unsure, Loki decided to end the silence with a question, “If I may ask, what is your story? What has brought you to this place? Where do you fit in amongst these lost souls?”

That brought a smile to the blindfolded man’s face, who seemingly was able to see with his glowing eyes despite the cloth over them, “If one desires information from a stranger, it is usually courteous to offer some of their own first.”

Loki put his back to the cave, leaning his bare body against the cold and damp rock, “Fine.”

It took less than ten minutes for Loki to tell the tale of his family, that he was a foreign prince who fell from grace and who had in the end been locked away for crimes he himself had been coerced into as well as those he did for his very nation. He dropped many of the details, deftly leaving out those that painted him in a poor light as well as those pertaining to Luna’s kind so as to keep them safe should this all blow up in his face.

Loki told his tale casually, nonchalantly even because he wanted to get whatever information he could from this satyr.

“Satisfied?”

“Perhaps for the time being,” the satyr smirked again at Loki, apparently amused by his tales concerning his woes, “Now, I believe you asked why I was brought me to this place? What is my story?”

The satyr brought a hand forward with its palm facing down over the fire. With a lift of the hand the fire grew in height, and similarly with a clenched fist the fire snuffed out, leaving the save in darkness. Then, with a snap of the fingers, the fire reappeared and green flame spurted where none had been.

His trivial magic trick over, the satyr spoke up, “Like some others here, I contain a dark power in me,” his previously amused and smug voice lowered to sadness, “My land was threatened by an army of demons who sought to lay waste to our world. To combat them I tapped upon their own power, but out of fear my people then imprisoned me. Under my brother’s own orders, nonetheless, and yet I am the one now known as ‘the Betrayer’.”

Loki suddenly felt a great deal of appreciation for Thor where he previously had none. Even after Loki’s crimes Thor had been nothing but supportive. Perhaps, Loki wondered to himself, some repayment was due to Thor for all of his genuine support.

With no interruption stopping him, ‘the Betrayer’ continued his own tale that Loki hoped would tie into why he was in this dreadful place, “Ten thousand years I was imprisoned in the dark, until they had need of me once more. The threat had returned, and they needed me in order to once again face it.”

Ten thousand years? Loki had nearly gone mad from boredom with less than a single year of imprisonment, and that was with visits from Luna, his mother, and Thor.

The satyr looked down to his hand, which he softly curled into a fist as he continued to speak, “To stop the destruction of our home, I once again drew upon the power of demons so I may slay those who threatened us. I succeeded, but at the cost of my form. My demonic visage had me be banished blindly by my own brother.”

Loki’s appreciation of Thor was greatly rising with what he was hearing. This own being had done no worse than him, supposedly, and was punished even more severely than he had been.

With a deep breath, the satyr leaned back and tilted his head against the wall opposite of Loki, “That is but the beginning of my tale. The road since has only continued the cycle my life has been placed under. Somewhere down the road I lost what good I had initially set out with,” he ran a purple hand over his own bare chest, “Somewhere, I died, both figuratively and physically.”

The mention of death, yet being alive, brought Loki back to his fight with Laufey. What was this place that such things could happen?

“You were slain? Then how is it that you draw breathe?”

That earned a laugh from the otherwise somber satyr, “This is the playground of Lady Death. She has a fascination with those like us, although that interest does not always tend to be positive. I would be careful.”

Loki rubbed his head as he tried to think back and remember what was said to him upon arriving, “Then what purpose would Thanos have in bringing me here? I cannot recall what he said as he was leaving...”

“From my own observations in my long time here, he has a vested interest in those that Death favors, and strives to work with those she is interested in rather than outright slay them in his infinite bloodlust,” Loki’s host resumed the smirk he had on earlier, “That does not mean he is above leaving them with her to wither and die under her care.”
 
Loki nodded to him, “You appear…knowledgeable of Thanos. Tell me, what do you know of him?”

The topic of Thanos caused the Betrayer to snarl, both of his fists curling up in anger, “After I arrived here, he sought to use my power and knowledge to conquer my world. I told him about the many who had tried in its history to do just that, as well as their failures, but he would have none of it. I would not submit to him, nor would I accept his false promises of power and glory. He seeks Death and nothing else, and I will not be a part of that.”

Calming down partially, Loki’s host looked down at the crackling fire before them, “Whatever power Thanos does have, I have seen worse. They tried to torture me, bend me to their will, but what can he and his agents do to possibly threaten me? Physical pain is temporary. Mental trauma can be fought against.”

His defiance perturbed Loki, who had similarly wanted no part in Thanos’s plans. At first.

“They can threaten those you love,” Loki commented, not going any farther lest he bring back the memories and images of his torture.

A regretful frown grew on the Betrayer’s face, “I sense that was the case with you. Who did they hold against you?”

Loki lowered his head to his hands, his mind contemplating whether or not he should divulge such information. He had been given no reason to distrust this being, but he still felt uneasy revealing something so close to the heart.

Taking the middle ground, Loki revealed nothing too personal, “My mother. My lover.”

Loki’s tone resonated with the other trapped soul, who himself had loved ones, “They believe that my strained relationship with my entire race has cut me off from my feelings for them. It has not. There is a woman back home I would do anything in my power for if she only asked, and I am grateful they appear ignorant of my lingering weakness.”

With a hand touched to his necklace, Loki sighed. He had not tried to use it yet, but he had a feeling that the reason he was not hearing Luna yelling in his mind was the same reason it would work, “Does she know you live?”

“No, she does not. Nor would she likely be glad to hear it, for you see she is my brother’s lover rather than my own.”

That snapped Loki up. The idea of a brother taking the woman one loves...

“You have a strength of will I do not. If my own brother were to even touch Luna inappropriately, he would not draw breath,” Loki only half joked.

The satyr shook his head softly, “As mad as I can be over her choosing him, in the end I want her to be happy. That’s all I have ever wanted for her, even now,” a sad smile grew upon his face, “My home celebrates in my death, and here I am brought to live in servitude to a master I have no care for. I await death, as I have once before.”

The mention of death brought Loki’s mind back to the much spoken of woman who was connected to both this realm and Thanos, “This Lady Death. What do you know of her?”

“Little besides what I have mentioned, although I see that you are curious,” came the bored response. Loki narrowing his eyes, quite unamused by the flippant response, brought the satyr to speak more, “This whole domain is a realm of her creation. A shadowy, horrific place crafted from the mind of the gatekeeper to the afterlife.”

Loki nodded, remembering tales told to him and Thor by their mother of what awaited people in the afterlife. There was the place where heroes would go, Valhalla, and the place others would be left…

“My people have spoken much of a place known as Hel. Given the tales I have heard, I care not to pay it a visit, if I am not already doing so. It is reportedly related to Niflheim, a place of constant fog and where the souls of the sickly gather.”

The Betrayer nodded to Loki while waving a hand, “There are many names for the underworld and many tales of what will be found there. Hell. The Underverse. Vellweb. The list goes on,” he snorted in amusement, “Those of demonic taint from my world spend the time after their death suffering eternally, or so it is said. As terrible as this place may be, I will take my time in leaving it.”

“This constant fog…” Loki snorted as well as he peeked outside the cave at the heavy fog that drifted outside, wondering how it was not traveling into their little shared cave, “It really does remind me of Niflheim. My brave brother only ever dared travel there once before taking our little quests to less dangerous places.”

The seeming knowledge of Loki perked the Betrayer up a bit, “Is there a possibility this is the world you speak of?”

It was Loki’s turn for acting nonchalant, “I know not. There must be thousands of mist filled worlds. I know only that it has a familiar feel to it,” he shrugged as he thought over the matter more, “Besides, I encountered no Lady Death on Niflheim in my previous short stay.”

“She cannot pay a visit to every soul who comes across her realm, although I would reckon she is timeless and omnipresent enough to be multiple places at once. And if she can pay a visit to everyone, she is simply too lazy.”

That rose Loki’s eyebrow, “Timeless you say?”

The Betrayer nodded with a sigh, “Death has always existed and always will. Or so I have hypothesized. She sometimes appears as if she is a child, sometimes at about your height. No continuity to them, the only common thing being that she always stops by.”

“If she is so interested in us, why not stay and watch us like little pets?”  Loki snarled.

“You ask many questions we cannot know the answer to. For now I would suggest you rest and recover from your wounds while I take watch of the night.”

Loki took the advice of the satyr and joked unwittingly while laying down on the soft ground, “That’s my lover’s duty back home. Princess of the Night, and moon.”

The Betrayer gained an interested expression on his purple face, “We too have a moon goddess, although I would think many races on many worlds do. It is interesting to hear of a physical one though.”

Loki pulled an arm over his eyes, his exhaustion creeping up on him, “How can I trust you to not slay me in my sleep?”

“You can choose not to trust me, but if I was hostile I could have killed you before at any point. Unlike you I do not fear Thanos, for he and I are only on the opposite sides of the same tier of power.”

“If you do kill me, please do make it quick,” Loki quipped before taking a peek at the slowly breathing Trixie. Seeing her alive and okay made him calmer, though something on his mind told him he should probably explain that she was sentient.

The Betrayer cast his own gaze on the mist outside the cavern, “Lady Death is watching over you for reasons I know not. Not only would slaying you be a pointless venture, but it would likely be a most fatal one.”

“Is that so…”

Loki was asleep before he even knew it.

Author's Note

Again, whoever catches all the references gets a prize, though that's not all I care to hear about!

But Should I Write It All Off?

A/N: Special thanks to ZeroInfinity, gakuseiakira, Killabyte, Arcane Visions, Drgnwolf, JBGrim, GlassFloors, New Spark, Ketvirtas, Lord Siravant, and KillerCookie123 for your comments last chapter! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Super special thanks to Ketvirtas, who drew fan art yet again that can be found here: Fan Art. I am so very thankful, and appreciate all fan art immensely! All of my :heart: for you, Ketvirtas.

Chapter title now brought to you by A Day To Remember's "You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance". Now, tell me (in addition to whatever you think about the chapter), do you actually even check the links I post? Just curious.

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

Luna had not returned to Equestria yet. Her seething rage was keeping her in Asgard, which coupled with her worry was enough reason for Frigga to let the princess take up residence in Loki’s vacant bedchambers.

Still, Luna was not about to mope around. She had waited by the Bifrost patiently, and soon enough her suspicions were proven correct. Thor strolled up to it in a more controlled anger, and behind him stood his warrior companions Sif, Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg. None of them seemed very pleased to have missed out on the action either, having returned the night before as Luna cried herself to sleep in Loki’s bed.

The crew seemed surprised to see Luna however, though for varying reasons. Sif and Hogun were surprised that she was there at all, while Fandral and Volstagg were more surprised that she had not run off to kill the culprit on her own, and Thor was surprised simply that she was not already wearing armor and preparing to do just that.

“A search party?” Luna questioned them, with Thor nodding in the affirmative.

“Of sorts. Heimdall has not been able to locate the missing, nor Thanos. We going to sweep over the entirety of the Nine Realms to see if there are any places hidden from his sight that Loki is hidden.”

Knowing that there are many more than nine worlds in space, Luna frowned at him, “And if he is not in the Nine Realms?”

Fandral replied with a smalls shrug, “Then we will expand our search, but we must begin somewhere.”

“I am coming,” Luna stated as a fact rather than a question.

Loki’s brother held a greeting hand out to Luna, “Be my guest.”

Thor would not deny her the opportunity to help find Loki and her apprentice, even if there was a chance she could go ballistic during the hunt. Thor would do whatever he could in his own power to find Loki, and he could only imagine what it was like to also lost a student at the same time.

Both Volstagg and Fandral were pleased to see Luna walk up to their group, a set of armor flashing into place over her ivory body. Lady Sif and Hogun were less pleased to see their new companion, though neither said a word as she joined them.

After all, they were loyal to the royalty, and both had enough brains to understand that perhaps the shapeshifter who could best Thor in combat would not be an enemy worth making no matter who her bedfellow was.

To Loki’s surprise, he awoke from a deep slumber with all body parts intact and without hanging over some roasting fire. Not from fear of his new companion, the ominously named Betrayer, but of fear of what else lurked out there. Loki had a feeling he had only scraped the surface of this world, and a large part of him did not care to wander through more of it.

Sitting like a stone statue at the cave’s mouth was the Betrayer himself. His back was turned to Loki and the other two new inhabitants, and he made no movement to acknowledge Loki’s awakening. However, the moment Loki sat up even half way the satyr’s voice rumbled.

“Mind explaining the two animals you brought with you?”

Despite the tinge of permanent bitterness Loki was beginning to read in the Betrayer’s voice, Asgard’s younger prince was not getting the feeling that this was an interrogation. Rather, it was a conversation of curiosity.

While trying to rise further Loki felt a jolt of immobilizing pain through his body as his mind was reminded that he had been brutalized by Thanos while not wearing armor as well as wounded by Laufey, a wound that was not bleeding for some reason he was quite unsure of but not about to take for granted.

After shrugging the pain off Loki nodded over to Trixie and then began to look for the Magpie he had created, soon finding it standing atop Trixie’s back rigidly, “I think you should know they are both sentient.”

That claim caused the Betrayer to turn his head, “Sentient? As in thinking as you and I do?”

Loki nodded while massaging his now aching head, his mind blurry and not remembering how much he told the horse-goat-elf-winged being before, “The horse is the apprentice of someone I know. She is quite skilled at magic, though I know little else about her. She has been comatose since before arriving here, after being mauled by two monsters.”

The Betrayer turned his purple head and glowing green eyes back to the exit of their small cave, “I will leave taking care of her to you then. I have little remaining knowledge of equine species and would do more harm than good.”

Loki beckoned Ikol to his arm and the feathered being was forced to obey with a flap of the wings, “This bird is a more interesting being. It seems Lady Death conjured up an alternate version of my own self, one with less scruples,” Loki smirked as the bird took its place, only for Loki to frown as he thought back to his obtaining of the bird, “He wanted to tell me something, but I did not care for his attitude.”

The Betrayer gave an amused snort but did not turn around in his post, “I could assume as much.”

While willing Ikol to stand on his shoulder Loki continued on about the bird, “He could likely speak if he so desired even after I forced him to transform. This quiet game is irritating, and when I feel it is the time I will punish his impudence and demand answers.”

The Betrayer let out a less than understanding noise this time around, “What are you keeping him for? Do you not worry he will return to his normal self?”

“As a magpie, he is unable to reach his full magical potential. Every species has differing potentials,” Loki smirked down at the helpless bird who could hear every word he was saying, then gazing over to Trixie, “That is why the horse is adept at using magic. Their species possesses far greater magic than practically any I have come across. But as a magpie, it would be all he could do to just speak.”

The satyr had no instant response. After a moment of silence he spoke with a neutral, careful voice.

“I see. So you turned him into something that he could not turn back from. Clever. But that does not explain his purpose.”

Loki looked back to Ikol with a less amused face, “That I have yet to decide. I want him to suffer, and that begins with being trapped like this. Furthermore, I bound him to my will, so he cannot disobey or leave me without me allowing him to,” he gives a pause before continuing, as Ikol shifting on his shoulder, “He knows things though...what I am not sure, but I could do worse than to listen to what he says.”

“Could he not lead you astray?” the Betrayer noted, though Loki could not tell if the man could see the irony in that statement.

Loki allowed the irony to go unstated, not sure how well the Betrayer would take to being called his earned name, “He could, but he may only do as I allow him, and I command him to only state the truth. I am known as the god of mischief, and he is my darker half. He would have me killed for humiliating him like this if I did not bind him like an animal.”

“You possess powerful magic. Remind me to stay on your better side.”

That caused Loki to shake his head for a moment. The ideas for the spells would not normally come across his mind, nor the energy to execute them...the whole experience made him feel off, and he had no explanation for it.

“I possess knowledge, a wealth of it, but even under normal circumstances using even one of those spells would have drained my power...certainly not something I could cast in quick succession...” Loki looked down to his hand before bringing it up to touch Ikol’s beak, “But when I used them, there was no end to my power...I know not where it came from.”

Loki’s words caused the satyr to purse his lips and grunt, “If I have learned anything over the years, it is that one should be careful what one taps into.”

The elf-being’s ears twitched and his mouth pursed. The sound of him rising caught Loki’s attention and the prince rose a brow at how the chimera was now walking off into the mist without announcing the reason.

“Going somewhere?” Loki called to him, a bit annoyed that he was not in the loop.

Almost completely shrouded by the mist, the satyr spoke in a low voice, “Stay here, human.”

Being called a human made Loki want to wretch, but he knew that he had not explained just what an Asgardian was compared to a human yet. That there was a difference. His companion in this hell likely thought Asgardian to be a type of human rather than another race entirely.

Even though he felt wrecked physically and all the pain of his wounds were fighting him, Loki stood up in opposition to this. He gave a look over to Trixie and nodded to the comatose equine.

“Stay here, horse,” he mockingly mimicked the satyr.

As Loki turned to leave the cave, the bird atop his shoulder spoke for the first time since its transformation, “You should leave with what he has left behind.”

Of all the times to talk, it was quite the opportune time to do so. When there were no others around to contradict it, no-one but Loki’s own conscious to turn away from it’s ideas.

Despite his own selfish nature, Loki felt gratitude towards the large elf. He had offered sanctuary in an unknown world. A dangerous, threatening world. What the cost of the sanctuary would be, Loki did not know, but he would not take the selfish way out and steal whatever little supplies the elf had.

Still, Loki was prideful and would not admit to his alternate self that graciousness, “I have yet to test his physical and mental capabilities, but for him to have survived this realm this long shows that he is no common being.”

Now ignoring Ikol, Loki started out in the same direction the Betrayer had left. While gratious, Loki was not about to sit around as something happened. After all, the elf had obviously heard something and was going to check on it. For it to cause him to get up and leave meant that it was probably something, and that drew Loki’s attention and interest as well.

It did not take long to catch up to the Betrayer, for he had not traveled too far from the cave. Upon seeing the purple, slightly tattered wings of his new companion Loki paused. The satyr had stopped walking, and was quite rigid. It was if he was staring at something that Loki could not see through the further mist.

After a moment of uneasy tension the Betrayer growled.

“What are you doing here, giant?”

Loki was taken aback. Was the Betrayer speaking to him? The satyr had just called him a human after all...Loki blinked as he thought about just how much he may have revealed about his history. Had he brought up being a Frost giant...or a half frost giant, as he learned recently? He had trouble remembering...

Before Loki could inquire, a familiar voice growled from just beyond the Betrayer.

“You have something of mine.”

Loki did his best to not take a step back, as he was quite sure he had passed a puddle on the way. He did not want to draw attention to himself, as he just heard the voice of Laufey.

His father had come and the satyr was standing in his way.

The ‘Betrayer’ played dumb in an almost mocking way, “Is that so? What do I have that could possibly be yours?”

Loki was taken aback as the invisible Laufey continued to growl, “My son. The genocidal beast you have taken. I would see him face justice for his crimes.”

“Then you must be Laufey. Now, I am not one for family squabbles, but your disowned son is recovering under my care right now,” it was then that Loki deemed the Betrayer’s name unfitting, “Should you lay a hand on him you will see why the lost do not inhabit this particular place.”

Laufey let out a small grunt, and given by how his voice’s level changed as he spoke he must have turned and started leaving, “So be it.”

The Betrayer likewise turned to leave, though when he did so he did not even give Loki a second glance. He just began walking towards him without a word, and Loki tried to find something to say until the satyr whipped around at an almost impossible speed to catch a hurtling ice dagger.

Not only the ice dagger was caught, but also three similar blades that had been aimed at his back. His speed had allowed him to catch them all, though it required the use of both hands. The Betrayer growled as he snapped the ice blades within his large palms, now speaking to the likely surprised Laufey.

“I may be blind, but that does not mean your trickery was unforeseeable. You think I would trust a man so callous that he would leave his son to die?”

Laufey made no verbal retort, instead charging through the mists to try and trying to assault the Betrayer head on. His first stabbing thrust was met with failure as the satyr caught the blue arm of Laufey with one giant hand still icy from the daggers that it had caught.

“This is your last warning,” the Betrayer growled to Laufey, who was struggling to free himself.

After his struggle did nothing to free him from the titan grip of his opponent, Laufey gave a snarling, “So be it.”

With that, he stopped trying to free himself. The Betrayer took this well, smiling down to the blue skinned giant before hurtling a fist into Laufey’s face. Laufey soon crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, though by his slight twitching Loki could see that he was alive.

Now free of the threat of Laufey, the Betrayer turned around to face Loki with a scowl as the elf’s ears continued to twitch.

“If you wish to survive, I would place more value in listening to your elders.”

Loki tried to play it off as nothing, though a cold chill went down his spine, “What? I was curious. Imagine my surprise to have a member of the family drop by.”

The Betrayer did not seem to receive the small attempt at humor well, as he firmly placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder before nodding to the place right behind Loki, “We have another visitor.”

With a burst of fear, Loki twisted around to find himself facing the cloaked Lady Death.

Cold. Very damn cold.

That was what came to mind to Luna on the world known as Jotunheim, where Loki hailed from. Cold in its temperature and cold in its people. The party Thor had assembled had passed by many citizens in the frozen tundra, yet none had tried to make any sort of contact. They only had leered with their red eyes and snarled with extreme passive anger at the visitors from another land.

Thor had claimed that there was a place where they could possibly find information, as suggested by Lady Frigga. Apparently the little known throughout all of Asgard about Thanos was that he had once been allied with the Frost Giants, though the extent and purpose of this relationship was not known.

That made it a good place to begin looking however, and Luna was determined to make sure they spilled every last word they knew about the purple giant who had broken into Asgard.

Heimdall had dropped them off a good few miles from their destination, as the place their desired to go was not accessible by the Bifrost given that it was underneath sheets of ice. Previously above ground, the kingdom of Jotunheim’s main castle had sunk when the Bifrost had swept across and damaged a good portion of the world.

Luna found herself somewhat entranced by the icey structure when first seeing it. The icy walls were similar to glaciers, and the ice of the castle was artfully carved. The varying shades of blue reminded Luna about her own various transformations and bodies, and the black abyss that surrounding it reminded Luna of her night sky.

The cold was not so bad after spending so long on the frigid moon, and Luna had learned to deal with icy beings in her time in Canterlot. She supposed she would have to learn more about the Jotuns before lumping them in the same category as the lowly Canterlot Elite.

The guards at the front gates made no move to prevent Thor’s company from entering, though they cast a gaze on them as icy as their world and blood. They had made combat with Thor, Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three before and been utterly decimated in singular combat. While the Asgardians were not welcome, the guards knew they were in no position to stop them.

Thor led the others straight up to the very throne of the castle, Luna taking note of the architecture on her way through. She was smiling to herself upon walking up to the throne, whereupon Thor introduced himself to the Jotun sitting upon the throne.

It kind of reminded Luna of her last time visiting a king on their throne. Hopefully this would a more peaceful encounter than she had with Odin.

Thor politely kneeled to the Jotun king before him as his party followed suit behind him, “Sor, we come to your land in peace. There is a menace to the Nine Realms that we seek to stop, and we have reason to believe that your late king, Laufey, had dealings with them. He is a man known as Thanos, and he comes from a world we have no information of. Any knowledge of the man you could lend us would be most appreciated.”

The king atop the throne closed his blue eyelids and shook his head. He seemed disgusted by the gall of these foreigners who just strolled into his kind’s very throne room, “We owe your kind nothing, Asgardian.”

Despite their previous failure to repel the Asgardians, the guards in the room surrounded the party and leveled their various weapons at them. Rather than starting a fight, the group kept calm and let Thor resume his failing attempt at diplomacy.

“My party and I do not come to re-engage in combat. We have no desire to make battle—”

As Thor spoke the king rose from his seat and approached the prince. To cut Thor off, the giant placed a foot tauntingly on his shoulder and leaned down to whisper to him.

“Your kind is not welcome here, Asgardian.”

Whereas Thor once would have murdered someone for touching him without permission, the prince had since learned to temper himself. He kept calm while smiling up at the king. He dropped his hammer Mjolnir onto the ground and slowly rose up to face the king who stepped down from Thor’s shoulder as he rose.

Thor grinned to the man in the most sickeningly sweet way he could, “There was a time when I would have broken your jaw for that. But I am in no mood for unnecessary fighting. Tell me what your kind know of Thanos.”

The king scoffed down at the relatively short Thor, who the giant obviously towered over, “Why do you not ask the traitor prince himself?”

That was Luna’s cue to rise up, as the mention of a traitorous prince made her significantly more invested in the conversation.

Luna copied Thor’s sickening smile as she stood, “Forgive me, who are you?”

The King seemed amused by the woman who dare stand up before him, though he also grew a curious expression as he took a step back from Thor to look at the woman who stood even taller than Thor.

The king sneered down at her as well, “Fárbauti, ruler of Jotunheim after the death of my noble brother Laufey. I do not believe I know you, wench.”

Luna gave a mocking bow to him, “Luna, princess of Equestria,” while rising again she gave him a cheeky smirk, “Laufey. You know, my fiance has had little to say about his nobility. Something about being left to die by Laufey as an infant never sat right with him.”

The king seemed quite disgusted by Luna’s proclamation, “The traitor prince’s lover?”

Her ego stroked, Luna looked down to her hand and rubbed her fingers together before smirking up at him again, “Why yes, you could consider me something along those lines. But would that not also make me the princess of your kind? That you are not the rightful heir as told decided by the rules of inheritance?”

Fárbauti took a threatening step torward her, an ice dagger forming in his palm, “That disgrace will rule over my dead body.”

Luna’s sudden laughter caught Thor and the others off guard. Before any of them could move, she was lifting Fárbauti off his feet and into the cold air. The guards tried to react, but a strong gust of wind knocked them all away.

Luna calmed her mad laughter as she tightened her grip on the man in her grasp, “Oh, no, forgive me for stating the obvious, but that was a given the moment you decided to withhold information from us.”

Despite his precarious position, Fárbauti found it within himself to threaten her, “You, a lady, dare threaten me?”

The very next second he was blasted back with magic into his throne, crashing into the icy structure in a most painful way. Satisfied by his pain, Luna slowly approached him, “That’s one thing I think I’ll work on. Not a fan of the common sexism found in kingdoms to be honest.”

Slumped over the throne, Fárbauti spat out some blood before snarling at Luna and creating a shard of ice in his palm, “Work on?”

His quick strike faded through a black haze, Luna having used her Nightmare Moon powers to meld into the shadows. Completely surprised by this, Fárbauti was unable to avoid the strike of lightning that came from seemingly every direction. The electricity coursed through his body and he violently shook before the throne, only to have a firm foot slam into his spine and knock him on his knees.

Having reappeared, Luna bent down to grasp Fárbauti by his short hair and whisper in his ear much like he had to Thor, “After I dethrone you and become the true heir’s queen, of course.”

Recovered from the powerful shockwave of magic Luna knocked them over with, the guards in the room cautiously rose with their weapons in hand as Luna held their leader in her grasp. Thor’s company all relaxed as they stood in front of the defeated king, who was making no struggle to release himself.

Fárbauti raspily growled at Luna as she continued to tug on his hair, now having placed one armored boot on his back again, “You must be out of your mind.”

“Need a hand?” Fandral inquired, though by the looks of it he was quite unconvinced that she needed any assistance at all.

Luna snorted and waved the others away quite dismissively, not needing them at all for what she was about to do.

“I can handle this crowd. Please, go inquire about Thanos elsewhere. I will meet up with you later after I have extracted every last piece of information I can from this man’s head. The clock is ticking.”

Thor could tell that he would have to explain this all later to his father, but he felt some solace in the fact that the Jotuns had no capability for warfare and could not retaliate to this mess. Besides, no Asgardian had shed Jotun blood, and so on a very technical level they were free from the responsibility.

Still, he would let Luna use her magics on this man, and so Thor turned to leave the throne room with his warriors following suit. There were many others who they could question after all.

After the others had left, Luna looked around at the guardsmen who dared surround her. She did not want to kill them, as they were only doing their duty, but she could care less for the usurper in her grasp.

“I have heard in my time amongst Asgardians that those of Jotunheim respect strength and cunning. Now, tell me,” Luna yanked on Fárbauti’s hair again, “Does this pathetic excuse for a king display either in comparison to me? I wish you all no harm, but I will not hesitate to kill you in self defense should you try and interrupt me.”

Having seen her capabilities firsthand, the guards lowered their weapons and took a step back. They had a quarrel with her lover, not her, and there was no use losing their lives in an impossible to win battle. The Jotuns had waited hundreds of years to strike Asgard before, and they could wait again.

Seeing their silent surrender, Luna looked back down to Fárbauti.

“If you continue to resist me I will make you wish you had died this day.”

“Rot in Hel, witch,” his defiant pride standing in the way of self-preservation.

His response disappointed Luna, not that it would have saved him any of the pain she would inflict upon him. It just would waste more of her time.

“So be it. I hope you had sweet dreams last night Fárbauti. They would have been your last.”

Seeing Lady Death up close and personal again scared Loki less this time. He knew she had some sort of plan for him, as convoluted and odd as it may be. All he had to do was go through her motions.

“Hello again,” Loki casually greeted her, trying to hide the still gripping level of fear that accompanied meeting such a powerful being. Upon further review, should she grow bored of him she could just erase him, right? He was not so sure that he wanted to go through all of her little games now...

To his surprise, Lady Death turned around and began to walk towards where the cave was shrouded by the mist. Loki rose an eyebrow before following after her, confused as to why she would not stay with him if she was there to further torment him. Did she even want him to follow?

“Not going to say much, are you?” Loki taunted half-jokingly as he followed her.

The Betrayer followed behind Loki in very much the same way, his head shaking as he grimly noted, “She has not come for you.”

Now at the cave, Loki could see just what the satyr was speaking of. Lady Death was staring in at the immobile Trixie. Or rather, Loki could only assume that was what she was staring at given how her hood made her face impossible to see or read.

So, if Lady Death was there for Trixie and not him, Loki was left with other questions. What were her intentions with the horse? What was she even doing there alongside Loki?

“Why was she brought with me to this place?” Loki questioned slowly, his eyes drawn to the slowly lifting arm of death incarnate.

His question did not receive a proper answer, though the flash of black and green in her palm that followed gave him an idea. As her scythe reappeared in her open marble palm Loki used his teleportation to jump so that he stood in between the two.

His movement did not stop the shadowy figure from advancing further, but Loki creating a weapon of ice and pointing it at her did.

“Not another step,” Loki warned, though he wasn’t quite sure he could do anything about her killing Trixie even if he tried his hardest.

Her pause gave him some confidence though, and so Loki lowered the weapon in the hope of appealing to whatever humanity she held, “I know my crimes. What penance does this equine have to possibly pay to you?”

The complete silence of the lady gave Loki another chill. Luna would have made note of anything terrible Trixie had done in the past, yet all she had done was sing praise of her dedicated student. So what issue could this sadistic being have with Trixie then?

Loki himself took a step back as Lady Death moved forward as something dawned on him.

She was not the same exact size as she was the last time he met her. The same robe, rigid shapes poking into the hood’s sides, and same scythe...but she looked as if she was a teenager in frame this time. The robe did its part to conceal her body, but Loki could tell from observing her that it was not the same exact being as what he had met before.

As Death continued past and around Loki as neither he or the Betrayer made any further move to stop her. Instead Loki lowered his weapon and dropped his head as he realized just why this seemingly changing being would take issue with Trixie.

“The Betrayer says you are timeless. If this is true, what will she have to pay penance for?”

That stopped Lady Death from continuing her advance on Trixie, who then was only a step away. She turned back towards Loki, her face as shrouded by darkness as the land was by mist, and Loki felt anger bubble up inside of him.

This being could see the future if she was truly above time itself. Could she tell what others would do, what their future mistakes would end up being? If she could tell what everyone would do, then there was no free will for one to enact. Every time one took a life she allowed it. Every time someone died to the tragedy of another she allowed it.

Every preventable tragedy could be solved by one such as her. So why did she not go and fix everything? Why did she allow others to suffer so terribly with her great power?

“I can see why Thanos seems to like you so much. You are as cruel as he is.”

For the first time, Loki felt like he had the upper hand for Lady Death’s body had a tremor. He could not tell why or what she was feeling, but he had gotten a rise from her. He had not been able to use his manipulative tongue in some time and it was nice to see it working.

Seeing another shake through her body and robe, Loki continued his verbal assault, “That begs the question though, why have none of my family accompanied me here? If Thanos had slain any of my kind, surely I would have come across them. Been left here with them like the helpless being you seem to have some issue with.”

The emotion he had been cultivating in the enigmatic lady revealed itself as she whipped around fully and took a swipe at Loki with her scythe. The speed was far greater than Loki could react to, and he soon found himself stumbling back.

He brought a hand down to where she had struck him...only to find that she had struck him with the blunt part of the weapon. She could have struck him down, but she choose not to. Furthermore, the strike only knocked the wind out of him. His ribs were already sore, and the attack did not honestly add too much to his already apparent pain.

To Loki’s complete surprise, she was as weak if not more so than that superhuman in tights who fought him on Midgard.

Despite himself and the situation he found himself in, Loki could not help but laugh and mock this, “For all of what others have said of you, I must admit you are not as physically strong as I may have imagined.”

Her second blurring swipe was not as kind as Lady Death shook beneath her robes. The blade grazed across Loki’s bare chest and left a horizontal slit where it had struck. Blood did not flow from it, though Loki could feel the intense pain of having his skin slit.

The pain did not deter Loki’s taunting laughter, causing the Betrayer behind him to grip him by the shoulder and yank him away from the follow up strike, “Do you have some death wish? Quit taunting the omnipresent controller of death!”

Knowing that he could not shake the larger man off physically, Loki teleported back between Lady Death and Trixie with the space she had given up in her assault. Now in the way again, Loki coughed as Lady Death turned around to face him and Trixie again, “No. Not until I learn what her quarrel with me is.”

Seeing the near suicidal plan of his new companion, the Betrayer made a snap decision. One of his hands became engulfed in flames and lunged out with his long reach to strike the back of Lady Death’s head.

“Begone foul being!”

She disappeared in a black and green flash much like the one that had summoned her weapon, though quickly reappeared to the side so his strike went right through the air. With his arm outstretched and still burning, she gripped it with her free hand.

The Betrayer howled in pain as his arm’s flames quickly were replaced by frost. His arm frozen in an instant block of ice, he tried pulling away from her just in time for electricity to spark from her hand and course down through his body until it ran into the ground beneath him.

Loki seized the chance to strike as well, seeing no true way out of this with all of their lives intact. His ice blade sailed straight at where her neck should be, but with her demonstrated unnatural speed she sidestepped the strike.

Her hood was thrown back by her movement, but Loki received no look of what lay beneath as her fist crashed into his chin and knocked him off his feet. His own movement had allowed her strike to carry extra weight, and it was enough to stun him the single moment she needed to swipe at his legs to take them out from underneath him with her scythe.

On the ground Loki coughed in pain, a feeling that he should have just spit out blood rushing through his mind. He began to rise only for the butt of the scythe to slam down into his chest. Despite the new pain this wrought in his body, Loki decided to continue his plan.

“You’re the one Thanos wants to please. That mass murderer…” her body continued to shake, now to the point where anyone could notice it even without close observation, so Loki could tell his plan was working one way or the other.

This did not stop her from rushing to the ground and reaching for his throat to strangle him and stop his words, though Loki struggled and fought her grip as he continued to speak, “But he didn’t wipe out all of Asgard when he came for me, did he? Those visions you showed me…”

Loki teleported himself into an upright position a few feet away to free himself of her, though he had to avoid her insanely quick swipe with her scythe that followed. As she spun around in a complete circle from the momentum of the strike, Loki continued to speak his growing realization about her.

“You had him spare them. Spare me. I was promised something worse than pain should I fail him, yet here I stand.”

Her hand touching his back did not startle Loki, but it reaching through his skin like a ghost did. The next thing he felt made Loki gasp, as his entire being erupted with searing pain before being replaced by intense cold.

Loki watched as she walked past and through him with a ghastly image beside her that resembled himself. As his own ghastly image finished being ripped from his body, Loki found himself looking not from his own eyes but from the opposite perspective. He looked on at his flesh body as it sank to its knees and collapsed with blank eyes.

Loki looked down at his see through hands before gazing over at the woman beside him, “How—”

“The life she grants us may also be taken.”

Loki’s lingering spirit turned to face the newly arrived Laufey, who stood with a cold expression in the cave’s mouth. He walked past the Betrayer to stare at the woman who literally held Loki’s spirit in her hand.

Laufey pointed a finger at the collapsed Loki as well as his spirit, “You brought me to life so I could have my revenge. Thanos promised to help me wipe out all of Asgard, only to abandon my kind. You and your purple consort owe me—”

With the same demonstrated speed she had used to fell both Loki and his ally, Lady Death tossed Loki’s soul back at his body and rushing forward to assault Laufey instead. Loki felt the reverse process of when he had been removed from his body, and by the time he managed to regain control of his body and get up Loki was completely perplexed.

Not by the process of having his soul ripped from him, but the fact that the relatively weak woman before him was beating Laufey into the dirt and mud. She was going at the man with even more fervor than she had Loki, and any restraint and coldness she had when they first met was thrown to the wind as her black hair whipped around behind her as she continued to smash fist after fist into Laufey’s face.

Loki stumbled to his feet before collapsing pathetically. He felt completely out of it now that he was in his own body again, and he was feeling as weak as when he first woke up in this world if not weaker. Still, Loki crawled forward with all of his strength until he managed to pull himself to his knees.

By this time her assault on Laufey had ended and Lady Death was standing up and seemingly breathing heavily, though no noise escaped her as she finished. Loki took note of this, as not only had she not spoken before but she also had not even let out one grunt or growl in her furious attack. That was simply not normal, and it actually worried him.

With heavy shoulders and a gasp of pain Loki pulled himself to his feet finally and stumbled towards the woman who had made his life a literal hell, “This world may be yours to control, but think of those you have brought here,” Loki weakly lifted a finger towards Laufey, “Do they truly deserve this madness? Even monsters such as him...”

Loki could not believe it, but he could not bring himself to think that Laufey deserved to suffer under this woman either. If the other souls were any indication, it was not a place he would wish for almost any…

On the ground the weak voice of Laufey complained up to Lady Death, “Fitting that you would betray me. Just like Thanos. Just like y—”

She called her previously discarded scythe to her side to smack it across his face and knock him unconscious. Laufey collapsed completely as Lady Death stood above him her body still shaking as she once again dropped her scythe onto the floor.

Loki found himself observing her as she stood wheezing over the still Jotun. With her hood down the alabaster skin of her head and neck was on full display, or rather it was where her long raven hair and green, pointed face mask did not cover. No noise escaped her lips as she continued the motion of breathing heavily, though given how no noise came from it Loki could presume that she was not actually breathing but rather just going through the motions.

Her body was still quaking. Her head tilted back and her mouth opened into what would be a seemingly maniacal laugh as she continued to shake. No noise came out as she continued the motion over and over, her mad laughter silent as she seemed to lose track of what was going on around her.

Loki held a hand out towards her as he slowly approached, realizing that she truly was mute, “It is not that you choose to be silent. You genuinely cannot speak.”

Her mad laughter stopped as she turned to him in anger, a snarl appearing on her face as her mouth opened to say something only for nothing to come out. Her arm batter his outstretched hand away, though that did not stop Loki from continuing forward.

With as calm a voice as he could manage, Loki slowly spoke and approached, “I will not harm you.”

Her mask hid whatever emotion was held in her eyes, but her body’s quivering stopped. Something had caused her to go into a mad fit earlier and Loki had no idea just what it was. Was it his words? Something Laufey did? Things seemed to get worse after Thanos was brought up…

Loki’s intuition gave him an idea, and with that idea in mind he brought his arms around the shivering girl. What was visible of her face seemed no older than a teenager, as her size suggested, and her breakdown hinted that something was very off with her.

Still, when he brought his arms around her she did not fight him. She stopped moving entirely at first, seemingly made frigid by his touch. Loki was left to wonder if this would have the effect he was hoping for, as she was not reacting whatsoever as the seconds dragged on.

Across the cave the Betrayer narrowed his eyes at the two others as he began to recover from the most powerful magic he had been struck with in his long life wore off, his body no longer convulsing from the magic lightning that had coursed through him and the ice on his frozen arm dissipating. He could not understand what the ‘human’ was doing, though he was shocked to see the face of the lady for once.

The fact that it was a mere child made him stay his hand, having been ready previously to attack her for the sake of his new companions despite the futility of it all.

After moments of no movement and noise, Lady Death gradually lifted her arms to bring them around Loki in return. Her head lowered onto his shoulders and her body trembled in the way someone who was crying would, but no tears fell down her face.

Loki continued to comfort the mere child until her ‘crying’ stopped and she faded from sight and touch. Her body and any trace of her being there vanished without a trace, and Loki was left with his arms wrapped around thin air.

He looked down to Laufey and Trixie, then over to the Betrayer. Something had occurred to him that was making him understand the inner workings of the currently young woman.

“She has power over death itself. She exists all throughout time in a scattered continuity…” Loki sighed as he continued to think aloud, “If I were her I would have gone insane from this all long ago, especially if I had this kind of power and duty as a child.”

The Betrayer rose to his feet, ignoring his own suffering as he was quite used to doing. He nodded affirmatively as he thought about what Loki was saying, though his face grew grim as his eyes fell upon the defeated Laufey.

“What should we do with him?”

Loki too looked down at Laufey. His father had been a brutal man who left him to die. But he had also been the man who was able to lead and restore the Frost Giants in their time of defeat from Asgard.

Killing him now would be a possibly temporary solution. After all, Lady Death had brought him back to life once despite her seeming hatred of him. There was no telling if she would do so again, or if the world itself would not bring him back. Loki did not understand just how things worked yet, and he was not about to give Laufey more reason to wish him dead.

Instead, he could be the bigger man and possibly earn himself a partial pardon.

“Leave him.”

Author's Note

I'd Refuse To Let Things Go

A/N: Special thanks to ZeroInfinity, King Sombrony, Ketvirtas, Sir Derps A Lot, ArcaneVisions, Fear the Dark, KillerCookie123, New Spark, airkiller100, Killabyte, Evilhumour, Drgnwolf, and The Batmane of Equestria for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing despite! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Hammerfall's "Last Man Standing"

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

Upon meeting with various Jotunheim officials and discovering no new information Thor and his warriors joined back up with Luna, whose downtrodden and irritated appearance clued them in on her success.

“Learn anything?” Thor questioned more out of formality than out of actual curiosity. She would not be standing before him with sunken shoulders if she had actually found something she could use, she would be rushing to whomever else she needed to ‘persuade’ to speak.

Luna cast her gaze aside and snarled at no-one in particular, “Nothing other than Laufey was indeed conspiring with Thanos at some point. I am sorry, but that fool truly knew nothing.”

Still, Thor placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “It is okay. We have more to search. Let us do so with speed.”

Luna could only nod as her anger began to segue into despair.

After the incident with Lady Death things had settled down. Loki could not tell the passing of time, but it seemed to drag as he resided within the cave. The world itself seemed to hold no value for the idea given the appearance of the young Lady Death versus her elder self who appeared before.

Laufey had slipped away into the shadows upon awakening, not a single word given to Loki as the father departed. Soon after the Betrayer had decided it best to go out and hunt them a dinner, and though Loki had no feeling of hunger he did not stop his seeming ally.

Loki was pleased to find that the Betrayer’s title was not befitting of the man himself, for he could have simply stood aside and allowed for Laufey to have his way with Loki. Laufey was in better condition at the time and likely would have been grateful for being given the chance to slay Loki...but the supposed ‘Betrayer’ had instead acted as a protector.

Not that it helped at all by the time Lady Death showed up. Her powers combined had overwhelmed both Loki and the Betrayer, and that was when she was restraining herself and as a mere teenager...Loki found himself dreading encountering the other forms she may possess, particularly her hypothetical adult self.

If they were to survive the land and survive her deranged sense of punishment they would need to stay strong and stay on their toes. One single encounter with her that they could not escape from could mean death, and that was not something Loki desired. Not anymore at least.

Though, Lady Death had come for Trixie and not Loki the last time...Why was unknown, but Loki could only hypothesize that some future sleight caused the reaper’s visit. Seeing the unconscious blue mare made Loki grunt though, as the fact that she was dead weight was becoming more and more apparent. Dead weight that also was bait for a dangerous catch.

From his position beside Trixie Loki prodded her limp head with a finger, “Whatever did she see in you anyways.”

She did not stir from her seemingly endless sleep and Loki was left to his own thoughts as she made no reaction to his annoyed gesture.

He retreated his hand and leaned back against the cavern wall, “You were destitute. Weak.”

His one sided conversation was in no interrupted by the mare who continued to lay there with closed eyes and a closed mouth. Looking down at her made Loki snort as another adjective pushed againt his lips.

“Disgraced.”

His gaze shifted down to his own hand. Loki could not feel contempt for her place in Luna’s life if he did not first accept that he had come from a very similar place. In fact, that connection itself made him smirk and smirk down at her.

“You know, maybe I see the connection now.”

It was just Ikol, Trixie, and Loki in the cave...that semi-isolation was enough for Loki to make a decision he otherwise would not have. In company he would not go about venting his thoughts out loud, but there was no-one who could use that information against him so he indulged himself slightly.

He partially directed his voice at Trixie even if she could not hear him, “Luna used to be the more mature, moral one between the two of us. Now she is rash...emotional. Her transformation has not done her any favors mentally,” Loki brought a hand down to the back of Trixie’s blue head, “If you are any indication though, she is not too far gone.”

He brought his hand down her mane and neck slowly to pet her gently, “Wake up, horse. It might just help Luna for you to come back alive. I will not be the one bringing her the news of your death.”

While bringing his hand through her coat Loki could feel the dampness of this swamp on her, as well as some dried remnants of it that had bonded with the fur there. Nothing too major, and she was by no means soaked in dirt and grime, but Loki had never reveled in that side of adventuring and found himself disgusted nonetheless.

HIs own body was easier to care for, as some simple and weak magic could clean him. He was unwilling to do the same to Trixie, lest the magic have some detrimental reaction to her recovery for whatever reason. Magic was fickle that way.

“You could use a good washing. Your coat is as dirty as Thor after a battle.”

Loki removed his hand and brought it before himself to inspect. A strand of Trixie’s very light blue mane had stuck to his hand in his brief stroking of it and his eyes focused on it as he continued to muse out loud.

Loki grew a sad smile as he thought back to one of his last conversations with Luna before he was abducted, “Luna is thinking of having you as a daughter. We have already agreed to having one child, though I do not believe you are occupying that position as you are not an heir to me.”

A horse...a reckless, pride shattered equine who had potential but might not reach it given her ardent attempt at proving herself...not exactly Loki’s first choice for an heir of sorts, but he supposed she could work to prove him wrong once she awoke. He would not stop her from doing so, as Luna had obviously sensed some potential within her to harness.

However...

“Still, that defeats the purpose of our agreement. From my rivalry with my brother to Luna’s ancient quarrel with her sister, we did not think having multiple children would be a good idea. Too many issues could arise from that, especially since both Luna and I are the jealous type and it might well be genetic.”

Trixie offered no consolation, leaving Loki to groan as he thought about how ridiculous he had been reduced to being after meeting Luna. It was obviously all her doing. Obviously.

He sighed and took a breath before adding, “So there is you. If Luna and I have a singular child now, they still will have a rival to find in you. Though…”

As much as Loki desired to, he knew he could not lord every every world he and Luna held some claim to. He was unsure he could lord over a realm as foreign as Equestria, as he was far less suited for it than Luna was for Asgard. He similarly was unsure he had the ability to easily lay his claim to the throne of Jotunheim, should he even choose to do so. He still resented his heritage, but the lure of supreme power was quite the seductive one.

That meant three thrones, and he and Luna could only cover two with some extended effort. That meant they needed another in the meantime, a regent of sorts, and the mare before him seemed perfect for the job.

“If you took over Luna’s duties in Equestria, whatever offspring Luna and I have could rule Asgard after Luna and I,” Loki snorted as he mulled over the details, “I would very much like that, seeing as how I still do not trust Thor with leading our land.”

While observing Trixie Loki became aware of her lack of wings that symbolize being a princess. That would be a place to start, he theorized, would it not?

“I suppose Luna would have to make you an Alicorn as well, but how difficult could that be? It is not as if there is an application process and much bureaucracy behind it all. She can likely just do it if she finds the slightest provocation and you will be made to be her equal, so to speak.”

Would Luna leaving Equestria and coming to Asgard negatively impact the land at all? Loki was willing to say no, as it had functioned decently without her for a millenium. Trixie, with the authority and power of an Alicorn, could likely fill in that gap well enough to not cause any true strife or issues while also affording the land a ruler that was less reviled.

That meant that Trixie would be saddled with greater responsibilities though, “You will need that power if you are to move the moon in Luna’s place.”

A brief look over Trixie’s body made the prince laugh. By her hips were the image of a moon and wand both, forming the mark that every pony in Equestria had some version of on their own hindquarters.

“Oh look, how fitting. Your mark even has a moon on it. Now is that a form of irony or fate?”

Trixie’s response, that of silence, was absolutely riveting and Loki paused as if she would actually give it. After affording her the time to speak Loki brought a hand to his chin and resumed his scheming thoughts, “Now, if we could only arrange a marriage for you that would let our little family gain more power.”

Trixie did not sound very much in favor of the idea as she said nothing, thus making Loki explain himself,

“Yes, it may be greedy, but is that so wrong? We all must do our part, and what better way to protect your realm than seeing to it that you hold control over as many others as you can?”

“Still, I do not know of many who would marry a horse. We will need to work on your transformation abilities if we are to make anything of you,” “Not all share my liberated perspective.”

Loki brought his hand down to tussle her hair with a smug smirk growing on his face, “If you play your part, I think I can see myself liking you. You were quite the quick learner, even if you did steal a third of my resting place for a night.”

The other inhabitant of the cave, Ikol, thought it best to offer the honest advice he was bound by magic to give at that moment as his own irritation grew at the sight.

“This prattle serves no purpose. She cannot hear you. She cannot assist you. You should leave this deadweight before long if you desire to survive. You cannot carry her around and risk yourself forever.”

Loki cast the bird a disgruntled look from across the cavern, not liking the interruption and preferring Trixie’s silence in some ways to the bird’s reminder of the futility of it all, “Very true, but I will take that burden as long as I can.”

“Talking to yourself?”

The voice of the now returned Betrayer caused Loki to turn to the cave’s mouth with a small smirk. He had been caught doing just that and was amused by how it actually was true in a way, even though he was talking to another entity.

“In a way,” Loki’s smirk faded as he observed what was in the arms of the Betrayer, “What is that?”

The Betrayer tossed the dead reptiles he had brought, ones that appeared to be dragonlike beings, on the ground before making his way over to the flickering fire, “Beings of all kinds and races congregate here. Some are more edible than others, and it seems some are native to this realm.”

The Betrayer cast his fire magic on the fire to set the dying flame ablaze, a small inferno erupting until it shaped itself into being a fire perfect for the size of the cave. Seeing this made Loki realize that the magic used was quite unwieldy and just by sensing it he was given a feeling that it was wholly different from his own. Was it possible that different places had different kinds of magic entirely?

The large reptiles brought in soon were brought to sizzle in the fire, being cooked in a most unprofessional fashion by the seemingly blind but still able to see somehow satyr with the glowing eyes.

Given that the place they were in was haunted with lost souls, Loki felt a bit reluctant to devour another being lest its screaming soul become a part of him. He lifted a hand to indicate he did not desire to partake in the feast, and he felt lucky to not be starving, “I am fine. I am not hungry,” Loki smiled over to his pet Ikol though, “The bird can eat if he so chooses though.”

Ikol’s look could only be said to be a glare at Loki’s words, though he made no comment. The Betrayer however gave a bellowing laugh.

“What, afraid that the deceased being’s soul will haunt you?” the satyr continued to laugh as he pondered how best to explain this to Loki, “They are not like us. They originate here, as if this is their natural habitat and we are only invasive species.”

So they were just mere animals...not some otherworldly beings. That was partially soothing to Loki, who otherwise had been worried that they were just some trapped being like those suffering souls he had passed, “Well then.”

Out of a pouch the Betrayer pulled a pile of green grassy like substances that he took no time tossing over towards Trixie, “I gathered some green moss like things for her. I would force feed if I were you, so she does not starve.”

Loki nodded as he caught some of the substance in his hand, “Thank you. I was just looking after her.”

It wasn’t too much of a lie. He would find a way to clean and feed her in time. From what Luna said Trixie was used to going without any form of sustenance, so that might come in handy...maybe not in her recovery, but surely she would not suffer as much as some glutton trapped in this place.

Loki shifted Trixie on the ground so that her head and neck were upright. He would not have her choke to death under his watch. After doing this, he shredded the flora into miniscule pieces and slowly went about placing it down her throat and guiding it to her stomach with some slight magic use. If she died of starvation there was no point to saving her body after all.

While guiding Trixie’s slow ingestion Loki spoke to his companion, Loki’s eyes still focused on his effort to save Trixie, “I still owe you for your assistance with Laufey and Lady Death.”

“I am sure you can pay me in time. For now, I only ask that you do not abuse my hospitality,” the Betrayer noted with a smile in his voice while he continued to prepare his own meal.

Loki returned the same tone of voice as he finished feeding Trixie the gathered flora, “You must teach me the ways of this land when you have the chance.”

The Betrayer stretched his gigantic limbs out while hiding a yawn, “I will make an effort of doing so tomorrow, but all of this fighting is wearing on me. Then again, there is not much to learn except the specifics on what is edible, what is really just a roaming soul that will fight you to the death, and what is best left alone.”

His words only received a nod from Loki, who was finding his way towards the exit as an idea struck him.

“Going somewhere?” the Betrayer questioned, but made no effort to stop Loki. If Loki wanted to wander he was not about to stop him, as Loki had already learned the danger of straying into the mists.

Loki turned to explain himself, “Laufey was here and severely wounded. We let him escape, but upon further inspection his words have interested me. I would speak to him.”

The Betrayer smirked at the mention of Loki’s goal. While normally Laufey could beat Loki if things went his way in a fight, the damage he had sustained recently made him no true foe. The Betrayer had faith that even the recovering Loki could handle the elder Frost Giant.

“Do not wander too far. Even my eyes cannot see too far into the mists, and you getting lost would be quite irritating. I will be preparing my meal in the meantime. If you find Laufey, see if he cares for any,” the satyr said only half-jokingly.

Loki concurred as he took to leaving the cave, “Of course. It would impolite to not offer a guest some.”

Loki had made sure to drag his feet while walking, which had the effect of leaving impressions in the ground as to where he had been before. Furthermore, the prince had been freezing that same ground over with an ice bluer than any other to be found in the area. He did not want to give eye catching directions to where he was going for any to follow and hunt him, only things that he knew to look for in the thick fogs.

He was tracking foot prints in the swamp that were large enough to be Laufey’s, and the accompanying blood seemed to prove that it was indeed Laufey’s as the trail began at the very edge of the cave and came all of these hundreds of steps later.

Loki found himself trying to tune out the various screams surrounding the air around him, though they did help in sending a chill down his spine.

“Father, I don’t know anymore…” a young woman’s voice sobbed to one side. Loki snarled as he pushed it from his mind.

“It’s time to end this!” a man yelled out with confidence and anger both. Loki growled in anger at the fact that these dead souls were having to play out these memories in spite of their passing. Would they be left to the torment for all time, or would Lady Death lose interest in them in time?

They were not alone, however, and the further Loki traveled the more he came across until his search came to a halt at a flowing river where the tracks ended. Once he stopped the voices and their torment continued.

“—even so!”

“Come on in kids, the water's fine...nice and hot, just like the flames in hell!"

“Human with the Betrayer’s scent!”

“Even if only one man gets through…”

Loki managed to sidestep the downward smash of a blurred glaive just in time to save his body from a brutal strike. How an opponent had appeared right next to him without a trace Loki had no idea, but he quickly teleported himself a good few feet to the side to avoid the follow up swing of the weapon.

The only heads up he had been given was the word Betrayer, which after a moment his brain reprocessed the sentence to hear the vengeful scream levied at him.

The being who assaulted him prepared for another attack, though they made no movement as Loki brought himself into a combat ready stance. He had no idea who this person was, but the name they called him amused him greatly.

Loki smirked at his assailant as he began to observe them further, “I must admit I have not taken to being mistaken for such a lesser race. Where are you? Who do I speak to?”

The would be assassin was wearing a tattered green cloak over silver armor, a helmet covering their face and hiding their expression, while in their hands rested a an ornate, ring shaped glaive weapon. Out of the top of their helmet spilled a white ponytail, and the eyes on the helmet glowed a bright green in a manner similar to the glowing of the Betrayer’s eyes without being the same.

This unknown acquaintance of the Betrayer leveled their weapon at Loki while speaking in a seething feminine voice, “I care not what you are, only who you follow.”

And with that, they disappeared completely. Loki twirled around to look to where they may have gone off to, but no opponent was visible anywhere amongst his limited sight range. He continued to look around until a blade suddenly cut across his upper back and rended the flesh there.

Still, Loki was not about to let the wound go unrepaid. He twisted around and swiped at the foe with a hastily formed dagger. The strike passed through thin air before Loki received a strong smash to the jaw from his opponent’s armored arm. In the time it took him to strike they had twisted around him entirely and attacked again, giving Loki a feeling that this was no foe to be trifled with.

Without wasting any further time Loki again put space in between them with use of his teleportation. He needed to gauge their abilities and powers if he was going to find a way to react.

They did not teleport to where he did, instead turning and running straight towards him. Loki was afraid of teleporting out of sight of the enemy since he needed to keep his eyes on them, lest they swoop in for a killing blow he had no way of reacting to. The fact they did not teleport to catch up with him, nor vanish as they had before, intrigued Loki as he finally responded to their statement.

“I am no mere follower, and the one time I so happened to be was not by choice—”

They wasted no time in rushing at him and assaulting him still, not caring for his explanation, “For conspiring and associating with the traitor Stormrage you are hereby sentenced to death!”

Loki narrowly avoided the strike, noting with fear that this woman possessed the same speed as the satyr had though they lacked the size that made him a large and inviting target. They still stood at a few inches taller than Loki, possessing a lithe body, and their armor and cloak shifted at close range to reveal that indeed it was a woman within it all.

This information did not help Loki as he continued to jump, bob and weave in and out of her strikes as they grew closer to hitting each time. Her seeming rage was impacting her accuracy to Loki’s favor, though her sheer speed negated it by making her actually accurate strikes impossible for Loki to avoid.

Loki scoffed at her as he did his best to parry attack after attack, only for each to leave a small gash here or there on him as he continued his avoidance tactics, “Death? In this place? You must be joking—”

Her next strike instead took place from behind him and was a sweep against his legs with her blade as a roar escaped her. Loki, having had his legs taken out from under him recently, reacted reflexively and teleported away as the blade finished tearing through his flesh.

He tumbled onto the ground nearby and had to hold in a growl of pain as the wound on his legs sent his brain the full message of its agony. He still forced himself to his knees as he tried to find where the woman had suddenly disappeared to.

“Mind your manners. I do not believe we have been introduced,” Loki tried to keep the pain from his voice as he rose up further, and in an attempt to intimidate he decided to inflate his exact title, “I am Loki, prince of Asgard, Jotunheim and Equestria. You are?”

This time the blade tore across his chest as it suddenly reappeared and Loki gasped in pain. The blurred followup strike was a punch straight to the gut with the weapon hand, after which she growled.

“Your judge,” she brought a knee up into his chest before swinging both arms down into his exposed head to send him slamming into the ground, “Jury,” she raised her weapon up and quickly swung it down at Loki’s now vulnerable neck, “And executioner, fiend!”

Using his more reliable teleportation, Loki narrowly avoided the execution strike by moving so he was just out of her assumed sight range. He began to crawl to his feet as he heard her weapon come into contact with the swamp, and by the time Loki got up he decided to use his silver tongue to try and defuse the situation.

“How original,” he muttered first under his breath at her attempt at being dramatic, “Now, fair lady, may you please explain this aggressiveness as I do not understand why there need be a fight at all.”

She gave no verbal response, but now that he was focusing he could hear her footsteps in the swamp as each let out a wet noise in the mud. Having little faith that he could reliably defeat her, even with his untapped magics, Loki decided to continue his attempt at diplomacy.

“You see, I have no idea who this Stormrage you speak of is,” suddenly the noise stopped and Loki’s stomach dropped in anticipation of another attempt, “Unless of course you are referring to a tall, purple elf demon satyr who holds the title of Betrayer. You said that name as well. Are they the same?”

“He must pay for what he has done. To our people. To my sisters,” Her voice told him that she was straight ahead of him, but for all he knew she could teleport suddenly and strike from any angle.

Loki prepared another dagger in his palm and also channeled his magic to let out a shockwave to stun her if she drew close enough…

“His minions must suffer for their support! Justice be done!”

The sudden emergence of around two dozen knives from the mist straight at Loki caught the prince off guard, and he quickly tried to rechannel his magic in time to stop them.

Right behind the volley of knives came the rushing green blur of the vengeful woman, her voice howling as she lunged to strike.

“Princess?”

Inside her mind Trixie felt trapped. Everything was dark and quiet. She was dreaming, at least she thought she was, though she was not finding herself able at the moment to control the dream at all like she could when Luna brought her attention to the dream.

So if she was conscious in the dream, why would it not change from the black void it had been in since Luna left? How long had that been? Trixie had no answers, and she could not ask.

“Princess Luna?”

Still, she called out in hope. She did not want to live the rest of her life in this eternal darkness. It was driving her crazy being unable to do anything, unable to even talk to somepony...unable to see her princess who had made her a promise.

“You said you would visit…”

Trixie was crying in a curled up ball amongst the utter darkness of her mindscape. She wanted this to end, no matter how, but there was not a thing she could do about it.

“I can’t tell how long it’s been…” her sniffling cut her off before she managed to regain enough of a voice to go on, “Has she left me for a day because of important business? A week because of a trip?”

No response came for her, and Trixie cried silently into her own imaginary fur for what felt like an hour. After pitying herself more, Trixie allowed herself to feel some indignation at the situation, though she was hurt more than anything.

“Has she left me…was I not good enough?” she sucked in the tears streaming down her face, “Please...I can’t stand being alone anymore…”

Even though none of it was real, Trixie felt the sudden shift in her environment. The area around her went from being a temperature impossible to feel to being frigidly cold. The darkness remained, and Trixie shivered as she tried to rise to her mental projection’s hooves.

“Hello?”

Turning around, Trixie was greeted with the reason of the change.

“W-who are you?”

Author's Note

If anyone not familiar with Warcraft wants a little taste of our newest person trying to kill Loki, you might want to go to this link: Quite a few stories on that site that might help ya'll, but they aren't necessary. Just gifts I found to assist you!

For Now I'm Still Breathing

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, Ketvirtas, Mutie Genic, gakuseiakira, Killabyte, KillerCookie123, New Spark, Drgnwolf, and Wintermoon for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing! Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Living Illusion's "Papertrails"

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

Loki’s assailant felt her blade pass through the space where her opponent should be.

Should be.

Her ring shaped blade sailed through the foggy air and made no contact with any flesh. The blades she had unleashed on her target had disappeared along with the man himself, so the assault had not been in complete vain.

The fogs concealed where Loki had teleported off to, though the fact that he now had blades penetrating his body brought comfort to the assassin. She was quite sure that he would not be fighting for long with wounds as grievous as those, and so she relaxed for a second’s rest.

That same moment was met with excruciating pain as the woman suddenly became a conduit for a burst of electrical magic. She tore her body away from the stream of magic and pivoted on her foot to send more blades in the direction the attack had come from. They flew through the fog and disappeared from sight, though no noise of them striking anything came.

The scorned woman snarled as she realized that her fight might not be as over as she believed. The fact that he had attacked her with such strength surprised her, not that she was unfamiliar to humans using magic. After all, she had stepped in during a fight between them (among other races) and the Betrayer to finally defeat the person she despised the most in the world.

From a point to the side of the woman Loki’s voice called out to her. It was not panicked or worried which caused her blood to boil. He sounded as if he was in control, not her, and that was simply unacceptable.

“I will admit you almost had me there, but I am not going to test Lady Death’s hospitality. Would she let me die? I know not,” his voice shifter positions just as the woman began to rush at him, his body obviously teleporting from place to place as he spoke in a most casual tone, “I have a feeling not, but this is not a matter than should be tested through trial and error.”

Due to her own teleportation technique being exhausting, the assassin smirked to herself underneath her helmet. The fool was pointlessly wasting precious energy to monologue.

Still, that did not mean he was not damn annoying.

“You are only digging yourself a deeper grave, human.”

Loki scoffs at her as he teleports once more, this time avoiding a volley of magical blades sent his way, “I think I should clue you in on the fact that I am no mere human. A bullet cannot pierce my skin, a hundred years is a fragment of my lifespan, and I possess magic they never could.”

With his voice to pinpoint his location, the woman teleported in the relative direction and took a strong swipe with her ring blade at her foe, “Whatever you are, it matters not! You will be slain all the same!”

The blade made contact and slashed straight through Loki’s body...though it did so far more quickly than it should have. The Loki standing there smiled at her before taking a hand down to the place where no wound appeared, its body not separating in two as it would have if it had truly been him.

“I am not so sure,” Loki’s voice taunted from it as well as a few other places in the nearby area. The would-be assassin growled out as she realized that this was just some of his trickery. She had sensed little magic coming from him when she moved to attack. Where was this energy coming from?

Loki continued to taunt her in a most jovial fashion, his illusion before her giving a cheeky smile before dusting the place she would have hit him, “You see, not once but twice now I have felt a surge of magic in these lands when I need it most. You are in no winning position.”

To punctuate his point, another bolt of electricity shot out towards her. The assassin narrowly avoided the attack only to find herself dodging into the outstretched blade of yet another Loki. Not knowing if it was false or not, she twisted her body around it in a small arc.

This ended with her catching a sharpened blade of ice to a soft part of her front armor. Her own momentum caused it to do more damage than it otherwise might have, and Loki used the second on her being stunned to channel electricity through his blade and into her open wound.

To her credit she did not howl in pain, instead using the moment to instead try and strike Loki again even as her body convulsed in pain. Her attack was for nothing however, as his body disappeared as the knife remained in her gut. Despite her own pain she pulled the blade out of her wound, only to then have another blade burrow itself in the back of her left leg.

Her leg buckled under her as the flesh there tore, though she still attempted to swing her blade around to hit her infuriating opponent. The attack did not make contact, though Loki’s did. He had teleported to her other side and had reached forth to grab the back of her helmet, being careful to avoid the sharp and curved structures coming off of each of her shoulders.

With his grip on her helmet Loki forced her face and body into the ground for a quick slam. Her face struck a rock strewn about in all of the mud, and Loki instantly yanked the helmet back to stress her neck painfully before slamming her back down into the rock.

With her on the ground, Loki stomped a foot down on her weapon holding hand. Her gauntlet clinged onto the weapon despite his pressure, as he had no boots to assist the stomp. Instead his flesh kept its weight on her wrist joint to keep her from attacking again.

Having disabled her for the moment, Loki continued his dialogue with the unknown lady, “I have some who would rather I come home in one piece, so I will acquiesce to their desires. Do you not have family of your own to return to?”

At his mention of family the woman snarled and teleported out of his grip, though she only managed to appear a few feet forward and still was on her knees. The moment she reappeared she twisted around to strike Loki with her weapon only for it to once again pass straight through an illusion Loki had replaced himself with.

Before she could look around for the real Loki, another blade buried itself in her punctured armor and yet another slit another part of her leg. She tumbled forward onto her stomach before crashing in all of her armor into the mud.

This time Loki was even less gentle, gripping her arm and twisting it behind her back while gripping her helmet again and slamming it right into the ground. With her face on the ground Loki sent a wave of freezing magic through it. The metal dropped dramatically in temperature while it froze to the ground beneath it. This done, Loki froze the struggling woman’s arm to the armor on her back.

Her fierce nature was quite irritating to him, as Loki was quite sure that he would have lost if he had not been fortunate enough to be granted an unknown energy boost from seemingly nowhere. While his overall energy level had not returned to its normal levels, Loki had twice now felt a surge in it at a time he needed it. He would not take it for granted though, and he still needed to end this fight before whatever power he was given disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

“Would explaining that I am no minion of the Betrayer keep your weapon from taking my head?”

Despite her wounds, being pinned, and being frozen to the ground she continued to struggle hard enough for Loki to have to add to the coats of frost so she could not break free of them, “You reek of his stench. I am quite familiar with Illidan’s scent.”

Illidan...that must be the name of the Betrayer, who had seemed well enough just being known by his designation. Illidan Stormrage would be the full name then…

Around the fire Loki and the Betrayer had exchanged some more slight stories. Loki had spoken of his journeys with Thor, though nothing too major, just a mention of the witch Lorelai and her sister the Enchantress. His new companion however, this ‘Illidan’, had spoken of years locked away in a prison. The constant ridicule given to him by his ever present warden, who had stayed with him those ten thousand years to ensure that he would not escape. The jailer who had been as much a prisoner as the man behind the bars...

The passion and anger shown by that warden interested Loki though. Could this be them? If so, had they chased Illidan to the afterlife to carry out whatever mad revenge they desired?

Loki leaned down to look at her more closely as he smugly pieced together who this was, “Were you by chance his jailer during those ten thousand years he spoke so fondly of?”

Her one good leg attempted to kick at Loki, though the prince ended her struggle with another blade in the chinks of her armor. She only gave an animalistic growl to respond to the pain before her fighting calmed down.

Now laying still, she spat blood onto the ground her helmet was secured to, “I was his warden, and I still am. He will suffer a thousand deaths here before I bring him to justice. Slaying him was not enough to sate my desire for vengeance. Here, I have been promised my desire to see him endure the pains I have.”

Her wording intrigued Loki. Laufey had spoken of how he had been given the chance at getting his revenge by a certain Lady Death...

“Promised? Has Lady Death spoke to you? If so, how?”

Now it was her turn to sound smug despite her position, as she had information Loki did not, “A lot can be said without words if one wishes. She brought me here to continue my retribution, and I could not be happier!”

“My father was brought to this land with a similar desire…” Loki moved his frigid hand to her neck and after pushing her hair out of the way he found a place where her armor was softer. Where he could almost touch the skin. This accomplished, Loki began to freeze her skin the way he had chilled her armor.

To accompany this new discomfort Loki questioned her, “Tell me, what did this man do to you to cause such ire that it transcends death itself? It took the murder of my own father and his people to inspire him, so I am quite curious what could drive you so.”

Her voice raised even as she growled through clenched teeth, “I need not explain myself to an outsider!”

Loki twisted one of the knives penetrating her flesh, a sickening squish following the action as flesh and bones were shifted, “I implore you to reconsider.”

“Damn you,” she coughed out while gripping intensely a patch of grass with her free hand. Loki had a feeling that she was the type more used to causing pain than receiving it.

Loki did not let his hand go from the blade, and after a moment, the woman let out another cough before speaking up, “Because of him my fellow sisters have died. Because of him our people have fought crisis after crisis!” she slammed her one free arm down and Loki could almost hear tears in her voice, ones he doubted would fall from her eyes, “His crimes must be punished, and this time he will have no-one to save him from his fate!”

This woman was a severe threat Loki surmised. She would have defeated him if things had gone differently, and she claimed to have been the one to kill Illidan before. She might not be at full strength, just like Loki, which made him shudder to think about what a healthy warden would be like...

Given their positions though, he could easily fix that issue. Easily, but not assuredly...

“I could kill you right now. Chances are Lady Death would just bring you back to kill us, as she seems quite the sadistic witch. She wants your revenge fantasy to play out just as she wants to see this ‘Illidan’ suffer. Her tastes are quite the anomaly, but she seems to take an interest in tortured souls and other such broken things like yourself.”

In a fit of rage the former warden burst from the ice and twisted over, throwing Loki off of herself as she lunged for his throat, “You filthy human, don’t you dare speak down to me!”

Loki rolled off of her and managed to teleport just out of the way again, utilizing the very underhanded nature of his abilities to avoid the attack and then assault her once more. One hand gripped her cloak while a foot was planted in the back of her armor, the result being that her upper body was tugged upright while her lower back was subjected to intense pain.

As Loki prepared to speak again he kicked her back down and went about freezing her entirely to the ground. Her anger was preventing her from overcoming his teleportation and illusions, so the more he could rile her up the more of a chance he had at defeating her.

“Life has been difficult for you. You spend ten thousand years as the jailer of someone, only for them to be released to join your people in saving the world. When he was then cast out and banished, you sought to return him to his place behind bars even after his crimes were forgiven in lieu of his service.”

“Be silent!” her wounds did not stop her from raising her voice and screaming as Loki froze her to the ground entirely.

Loki could see that he was succeeding, so he continued on, “You must have chased him to the end of the world, always seeking to make him pay for whatever perceived slights he has done against you personally. I must question though, who would be so willing to devote their life to such rancor?”

Any resistance she gave faded at that. Had she fallen unconscious? Loki could not tell with her helmet obscuring her face, but he decided to continue just in case.

“When you thought you did justice by killing him, where did that leave you? What more purpose could you have sought after spending your whole life devoted to this one man? You must have been empty. You must have felt like nothing.”

Her quivering body seemed to either show that she was seething in anger or reacting to the frigid cold. Either way, Loki was having fun taunting someone just like he used to in his old journeys with Thor.

“You gave in to your hatred. While I have no knowledge of its original source, you let your emotions dictate your life to the point you had nothing left but your seething hatred, hatred that has brought you to this realm of the dead and delinquent.”

Loki was quickly surprised to find that she had stopped moving to focus her energy on teleportation, electing to leave her prison rather than break free of it. Her metal boot collided with Loki’s jaw and knocked him over before Loki could do anything, and his reeling mind was unable to gather itself to teleport as she stumbled forward to kick him in the exposed stomach.

“That is enough! I will not be humiliated by some filthy ape!” she cried out indignantly with a hint of extreme pain, her blood streaming down her armor including from the helmet her glowing eyes shone through.

Loki curled up to protect his head as the warden dropped to her knees and began to slug at him with her gauntlets. He needed to protect his head if he was to focus enough to get out of this.

“You know nothing about what I have lost! I gave everything and have nothing! Who are you to judge me?!” Each word was followed by a strong strike, her arms slugging him time after time as she choked out in obvious pain.

That was enough time for Loki to regain his bearings and escape her grip, once again appearing from behind her and grappling her to the ground. He could not believe how tough this woman must be to endure her damage, at least by his standards. What were these foreign beings made out of?

Loki had to gasp for breath before he could continue his infuriating speech to her and retort her point. His head was still ringing from her attack and he was not exactly used to head trauma, having always done his best to keep his face pretty.

After fighting through his own pain, Loki retorted, “I have hit a point of sorrow, of despair, of anger so strangling I thought I would never return. I had cast aside my loved ones, tried killing my own brother, conspired with our enemies to bring about their own downfall.”

He slammed her head into the ground again, hoping that all of the repeated trauma might knock her out, “I learned I was an adopted son, born of a monster. I nearly committed genocide on their people. I was so far gone that when the chance gave itself I let myself fall to my death.”

Her body became limp and Loki released it before rising to his feet. The power he had felt surge through him was fading and he could not keep up his tricks for much longer. After taking a step away from her body, Loki continued to speak as she slowly rolled onto her back and failed to rise up.

“As fate would have it, I ended up surviving my fall. I was broken. I had nothing. And yet someone took the effort to come and pick up my pieces. Place them back where they should be,” Loki huffed as he took a hand to his chest, where his crescent pendant rested on the bare skin, “While I was furious at the world around me, I overcame my despair. I passed through it to reach the point where I am at now.”

The warden tried to rise to her feet again, but she only managed to get an inch up before her body crashed back into the ground weakly. She was down for the count, though her helmet concealed whatever state of consciousness she was now in.

Her eyes, however, still glowed through the helmet. Loki took this to mean she was awake as well as listening, so Loki continued to chastise her, “My bonds have broken, but I intend to one day reforge them when I have brought myself to fully forgive those who brought about my ruin. My father. My brother…” his hand fell from the penchant and his expression darkened, “My own self.”

Pissing her off was also serving to soothe Loki’s own inner thoughts not confronted previously. Loki had not the willpower to confront his inner conflicts when left to his own thoughts, but having someone to chastise by using them made it all the better for him.

The warden lifted an arm to point at Loki, though she did not manage to lift it far from the ground before collapsing again. The green glow from her eyes disappeared briefly before returning, and her breathing grew more heavy.

Even now, she wanted to wring his neck. Loki could see it in her eyes as she looked up at him. To be this far gone, this driven by anger...Loki found himself pitying the woman despite her attempt on his life. She seemed to have nothing but this all, and he could see why she had joined the many others in this land of the tormented.

“I will ask you this: over ten thousand years ago, would you even recognize what you’ve become now? Is this what you wanted for yourself?” Loki paused before repeating a previous question with a new twist, “Do you not have family who would want you back how you once were?”

Her eyes dimmed and the helmet grew dark again, with no verbal response coming from her. Loki sighed as he realized she may have finally fallen unconscious, not that it stopped him from thinking aloud, “I am not above killing, though I would prefer not to if I can help it. I have blood on my hands I care to wash off first before I add any.”

The air around Loki chilled, and upon turning to his side he found a not too unfamiliar presence there. Lady Death had appeared right beside him as he spoke to the disgraced warden. The sudden temperature drop was becoming a norm in his life and Loki was not made all too uncomfortable by it. Similar to the freezing caused by a Frost Giant, she seemed to just suck the heat from around her.

Loki smirked at the girl beside him who appeared to be a young adult in size, though her concealing cloak prevented him from actually seeing just like the warden’s helmet hid her own features, “It figures you would show up. You have no souls to take here, reaper. Your presence is most unnecessary.”

The eyes of the warden lit up again and she groaned in pain, “You…”

She coughed onto the ground beside her before she managed to continue, ”Go ahead. End my existence. I have nothing left as it is. You have taken everything I have cared about anyways.”

Lady Death took a step toward the warden, but Loki held an arm out to block her movement. This surprised Lady Death, who actually paused at Loki’s action. Loki knew she could just do as she pleased, but he was not about to let this omnipotent being have her way while he was around. The screams of others could still be heard in the area around them, reminding him just how disturbed this being was.

He spoke with as much authority as he could muster, “I will be taking things from here.”

The being turned towards him, her hood once again shrouding whatever expression was on her face. She stared at him for a moment before turning around and walking into the mists, leaving as quickly as she had appeared.

Her disappearance relieved Loki, who took the moment to regain his breath. After relaxing he cast his gaze over at the unresponsive warden.

Perhaps he could use her assault to his advantage after all...

The one known as Illidan was surprised when Loki returned to the cave and tossed a still body at his feet. Illidan first looked over the all too familiar warden before observing Loki, who now sported a half dozen knife wounds to his chest that were not there before. None of them bled, not like the wounded woman before Illidan, which was another peculiar piece of information to store away for the giant satyr being.

“One of yours I believe,” Loki noted before stumbling over to his own side of the cave, dropping down onto the ground by Trixie as his sore limbs gave way.

Illidan snorted as he rose up to his full height and stretched out his limbs, “Maiev. How the mighty have fallen. I take it she sought to harm you for your association with me?”

Loki nodded as he brought his own head onto Trixie’s side, where her slightly dirty fur met his head and gave him the impression of silk after what he previously had slept on, “Precisely. Chances are you likely could have taken care of her yourself, but consider this my repayment for you fighting Laufey on my behalf.”

That caused the Betrayer to snort, “Payment accepted. This woman spent ten millennia tormenting me before taking my life in one day. Because of her interference my attempt to save the world was stopped, and I had dire consequences to pay in kind.”

Illidan held his hand out and a flash of magic came from it. Loki hazily looked to see metal restraints rise from the ground and fasten around the defeated woman’s limbs and neck, her lack of response showing that she had truly fallen unconscious if not entirely dead.

Loki was about to raise his voice about her teleportation abilities before Illidan cut him off, “I am above the petty hatred she has been reduced to. Still, we will see how she enjoys being on the opposite side of the equation.”

The Betrayer knelt down beside her and pulled her helmet from her face. Her skin was a lighter shade of the purple that Illidan’s own skin was, and her eyes were shut as she slowly breathed in her unconscious state. With her face revealed, Illidan brought a hand down to it and gripped it with his massive hand.

“Once while visiting my cell I managed to pull her in-between the bars with my force. She was quite shocked I may say. I would have killed her back then out of my misery if not for her teleportation abilities. The only way to make sure she stays put is to seal her magic.”

Another flash, this one a deep black, came from the hand and the Betrayer smirked to himself while moving back to his previous position. Loki looked at him in surprise, as magic sealing was quite a difficult spell and required great power, only for the Betrayer Illidan Stormrage to turn that smirk towards him, “You have your tricks, I have my own. You learn many things in isolation amongst demonic forces.”

Loki shrugged as he made himself more comfortable beside the warm fur he was resting on, Ikol perching beside them both and curling up similarly, “I only care if there are any others who will come and kill me on your behalf.”

That made the Betrayer laugh heartily, “I have not come across too many from my world, but of the limitless souls here there has to be some. You saw an old friend of mine when we first met, the collapsed Elf known as Kael’Thas.”

Loki drearily spoke as he staved off a yawn, “I sense that he has his own story.”

“Yes, indeed, but that is for another time. I have enough to think about with the appearance of my dear old warden.”

“Take your time. It is not as if we have anything else to do.”

With that, Loki passed out and fell into a deep slumber. He had no idea how long he would be there, but so far he had survived Lady Death’s challenges.

Loki was sure he could survive the rest if he kept his wits working.

Author's Note

If anyone not familiar with Warcraft wants a little taste of our dear Warden outside of this story, you might want to go to this link: Quite a few stories on that site that might help ya'll, but they aren't necessary for this at all. Just gifts I found for you all!

Now It's Time To Leave

A/N: While I do wish there were more, special thanks to Evilhumour, King Sombrony, ZeroInfinity, New Spark, hs0003, Fear the Dark, Killabyte, ArcaneVisions, and Ketvirtas for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing! Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Van Canto's cover of Blind Guardian's "The Bard's Song"

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

After waking up, Loki decided to stretch his legs a little and get up. Standing at the mouth of the cave, he joined Illidan there as the latter continued his vigilance.

Ikol flew across the cave to join Loki on his shoulder, yet none of them opened their mouths to speak. Loki could see that Illidan was in some kind of meditation, and so he decided not to disturb him.

Instead, he just listened as voices outside of the cave continued their endless screams. Loki could not even begin to imagine what it must be like to be these souls, screaming madly because of their endless torment. And those who aren’t screaming are solemnly going about some dark moment of their life. A living Hel.

“I thought it was cultists!”

“I’m sorry it has to be this way,” a quiet, sorrowful voice joins the others.

“I’m trying to save this country!” A disgruntled, annoyed voice pipes up through the mists.

“Obviously fucking not!” screams a chorus of voices.

“We had some good days together,” one of regret. A partnership ending, Loki mused. A betrayal.

Loki kept his voice to a whisper as he spoke to the bird on his shoulder, Loki’s natural curiosity coming out.

“Tell me, how are these lost souls any different than us?”

The bird spoke in its telepathic fashion, speaking in a voice similar to Loki’s own except without his normal refined manner, “The time they have been here, and the degree to which they have given into their madness. From what I have observed, being slain does not particularly erase one from existence. It brings undeniable agony, but one’s soul would pull itself back together with the shepherding of Lady Death.”

Pleased that he was receiving some answers from Ikol, Loki pressed him further, “Are there any drawbacks to being slain?”

The bird is silent briefly before a forceful response emitted from the creature, “Lady Death could always choose to not let you return. Or a piece of your soul may not find its way home. I wish I could give you a system for the whole matter, but the one dictating it is a madwoman as you have observed. The tortured souls whose voices you hear linger are at the end of their own sanity.”

That does not exactly sound great. Loki would prefer not to subject himself to such a miserable existence, and yet he had no knowledge of how to prevent just that from happening.

“I care not to fall to that fate, and standing around here will not help me escape this land,” Loki noted with some venom, displeased by just how helpless he was left in this mysterious land.

The bird squawked, “Correct you are, but what is there you can do? The mists shroud everything here. There is no leaving this planet.”

Loki waved a hand at the ever present mists outside of the cave, his hand passing through some and coming away a little wet, “There must be a place that escapes the mists of this land. They must be powerful enough to stop Heimdall from seeing through them, much like those on Niflheim.”

Given that until a certain point they shared a history, Ikol could relate to the Niflheim journey being spoken of, “That was an...interesting experience for us, was it not?”

The young age of Loki when he first and last came to Niflheim had quite possibly assisted his fears, but arriving on the world only to come across a horse of creatures thought only to exist in books sent both the brave Thor and the young Loki running back to Frigga to go promise they would never, ever go someplace without her permission again.

Loki snorted at his own memory, “A most frightening one. We did not stay long enough to become acquainted with the realm. It could be this very one, but who knows how many worlds there are with such masking mists?”

Beside them both, Illidan slowly rose to his full giant height. His purple limbs stretched out and his wings flapped once as he came back to a full level of consciousness. Loki had to step aside to avoid being brushed by one of the giant wings that appeared to be nonfunctional, what with their relative size compared to his body and the holes to be found in them at various places.

As if he had been listening in the entire time, Illidan looked down to Loki and spoke as if he was already a part of the conversation.

“I am content with living my life here in solitude, at least for now. You have others you would return to, and one you would see leave this place with you. Let us find a way out of this place for you.”

So they were going to be proactive now? That idea pleased Loki, even if the thought of crossing the unknown, dangerous realm did not.

Illidan turned enough to point an arm at the nigh motionless Trixie, “You will carry your companion though. I will not be encumbered should a threat arise, and between us I daresay I am more powerful.”

Loki would have hated passing off his own burden anyways, so the arrangement did little to perturb him outside of his royal upbringing that made him despise doing his own physical labor, “Fair enough.”

The prince of Asgard turned and approached Trixie as the latter remained still, her only sign of life being her chest rising and falling. With some slight struggle he managed to raise her over a shoulder again, with her limp body hanging on one side as Ikol continued to perch on the other.

Loki was finding himself grateful once again for how light Trixie was, who was slimmer than ponies normally were even before she was left to die on this forsaken world. A history of starvation would do that after all.

On his way back to the mouth of the cave Loki passes the much heavier body of the warden. Her helmet was removed and her face seemed to either be asleep or dead, for it did not stir as Loki passed her.

Still, she was bound to the ground and the Betrayer was showing no signs of releasing her before they left on their possibly long, deadly quest...

As he joined Illidan at the edge of the cave, the latter now fully stretched out, Loki could not help but question what they were going to do with their hostage, “What about her?”

The Betrayer gave an annoyed grunt, as if he did not really care, “Maiev knows how to fast, and as nasty as those wounds you gave her are I have seen her survive far worse. Besides, she will not perish until the Lady Death has deemed it time for her to.”

Loki was not going to contradict the large demon, and if he wanted to leave the possible threat behind then he would not take issue with the matter. Just as he expected jurisdiction over Trixie, he would afford that same privilege to the satyr with his obsessive warden.

The only one who seemed to actually care was in fact the one being left behind, as a weak groan came from behind the two men.

“Illidan…”

The Betrayer turned around to face her with a smug face, “You stay right here Maiev. I will not be gone too long,” after turning back to the foggy terrain, he began to walk off while finishing his mocking tone, “You once took a few months off from keeping me company. I could surely do without yours for some.”

Loki could swear that he heard a small sob just as Illidan beckoned the prince to his side.

“Come. Let us find a way for you to return home.”

With that, the two men set off into the mists of the land, neither knowing where they were headed but both determined to find their vague destination.

When Luna finally left the Nine Realms to return to her own, it was not with good cheer and refreshment like her other visits. She was not returning with either of the loved ones she had so desperately wished to one day come back with, and instead she just had grief as her company.

While touching down in the open courtyard Trixie once practiced her magic in, Luna found herself tired from her recent adventure. It was not too often that she expended the entirety of her magical potential to make a point...this was not helped by the period of time she went entirely without the magic, which made her usage of great quantities of it feel physically exerting.

She just wanted to lay down on the grass and sleep off her misery, but of course somepony had to notice her landing and disallow her any peace.

“Luna!”

Luna did not raise her black hooves from the grass as the day’s light began to dim above her. The voice of Twilight was not grounds to get up and stop thinking about how miserably she had failed at finding information pertaining to Loki and Trixie.

“Princess Celestia, come, quick!”

Luna had no idea how long it took for her sister and her sister’s student to arrive at her side, but when she hazily opened her eyes both were there. She honestly did not want to talk about what happened, and hoped they would just leave her be if she closed her eyes.

“Luna…” Celestia spoke softly, her voice dripping with sorrow. To that Luna looked up again with half lidded eyes, the princess of the night sensing that her sister knew something was wrong.

With Luna’s silence, Celestia lowered herself down gently to the ground before brushing her face against her sister’s. Her tone was solemn as she did so, “Discord filled me in.”

Twilight could tell that something was severely wrong, though the young Alicorn had no idea as to what it possibly could be. She had learned about what happened to Trixie recently with the Ursas, but Luna had seemed at least okay after that since Trixie had survived such a terrible event…

The fact that Luna was acting so solemn in addition to Trixie’s critical condition made Twilight gasp, “Did something happen? Is Trixie okay?”

“A monster took my lover,” Luna turned her head away from both Celestia as well as Twilight, “and Trixie from me.”

That earned another gasp from the former Unicorn, “They took Trixie? Why would they do such a thing? Don’t they know what condition she’s in?”

Her response resulted in Luna burying her face in the grass while droning on in a monotone voice, “I don’t know. No-one knows. We have no idea where they have gone, and there is no trace to follow. I…”

As she trailed off Celestia turned to her student, whispering softly to her, “Twilight, can we have a moment please?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

After the student had departed, with some hesitation caused by her worry for her fellow student, Celestia turned back to her hurting sister who upon further inspection had tears rushing down her face over already wet fur. The pain Luna must be feeling made Celestia’s own heart ache for her sister. If something were to happen to Luna, Twilight, or even in her own unborn foal, Celestia was unsure what she would feel or do. For Luna to have lost two of those closest to her...

“I wish there was something I could do or something I could say to help your pain, but…” Celestia brought her long legs to wrap around her younger sister, her white fur meshing with Luna’s black fur, “I’m sorry. This is far outside of my power to do anything.”

Luna moved her head to now bury in Celestia’s chest, “If I was there, I could have helped them. I couldn’t be there for them again, and now I don’t even know if they are dead or alive.”

Celestia brought her lips to Luna’s forehead, being careful to avoid her long horn, “You must keep hope. They both would not want to see you give up.”

Luna shifted herself to look at Celestia, the younger sibling’s tears welling up but not falling as she spoke with sorrow, “I’m not just grief torn. What would you do if Discord and Twilight were taken from you, possibly forever, by an impossibly strong being?”

That earned a frown from Celestia, who had already been thinking along those lines. She had no answer as to what she would do, not having suffered a loss in close to a thousand years.

“I see your point. Do try to reign in your emotions however. I know you are hurting, but I do not want to see you fall into that same darkness you’ve only just emerged from these past years.”

Luna gave no verbal response, instead just breathing in and out as she tried to gather herself. Her eyes dripped some more tears before she shook them away and rose to her hooves.

After getting up Luna announced her attention, “I...I am going to go rest.”

Before Celestia could even open her mouth, Luna disappeared in a flash of black. The elder sister sighed, not bothering to rise from the ground as she instead turned her attention to the other one there.

“You think she is going to be okay?” Discord asked with a small degree of concern. Celestia was not going to ask him when he arrived, for his intrusion of privacy was well known. She would know, as it was one such incident that led to the surplus weight in her lower body.

Celestia sighed as Discord floated over to her, “No, I don’t. Not until this matter is resolved, and possibly even after.”

Discord tried to lighten the mood with a small piece of humor, “With her being all mopey she won’t be any fun.”

“You’ll help her,” it was not a question, but rather a command from Celestia. Discord scowled in return before landing and placing his hands on his hips.

“No need to tell me to. I may be a fan of chaos and doing what one pleases, but what’s the fun in her being all whiney.”

Celestia had a headache ever since Discord returned, but she was not sure if it was a result of the news or her recent chemical imbalances. That was one thing she was glad for Luna about, for Celestia could not begin to ponder what it would be like to face these issues while pregnant.

As if Discord could read her thoughts, he gave a knowing smile to the mare with foal, “So, do you have something you want to say to me?”

From her position on the ground Celestia both rolled her eyes and her body, going over to her side to show off her ever so slightly distended stomach. Too exasperated from all of these events happening and tired from working all day, Celestia could not manage much more than a monotone for her lover, “Congratulations. You’ve brought a chimera into the world. I take it you already knew.”

Her current lack of enthusiasm irked Discord, who looked down at her stomach with a risen eyebrow, “Oh come on, I know you can do better than that.”

Celestia brought a hoof down to the developing foal-chimera being inside of her, her eyes turning to her own stomach rather than Discord, “We should discuss the details of your involvement in its life. I know you like your freedom, but as a parent you now have responsibilities.”

He was quiet a moment before sighing.

“If you say so.”

“Discord—” As Celestia began to speak again he snapped his fingers and vanished.

Left alone now, Celestia closed her eyes as she slowly rubbed her ever growing stomach, “That could have gone better.”

She had not intended to get pregnant, but it required two to vertical tango and Celestia knew she could not have picked a more dubious other half. Would he stick around? Grow bored of her? What would Discord do? That was not something Celestia could predict, and it made her fear for her child’s future. If he decided to go back to his old ways in the future, how much would that hurt their poor child’s emotional state?

Celestia found that she was the one crying now. She knew she had nowhere as close to a right as her sister had, but was she disallowed to find sadness in her own life and that of her unborn child?

“I know he’s no Sombra, but is it wrong to have expectations of him?” Celestia snorted as she thought about Discord actually being a father, “Your father’s a child. You’ll probably be more mature by the time you are five.”

There was no response to her, not even a kick given the very early stage of the pregnancy. Still musing to herself, Celestia thought back to her poor sister who might have just lost everything.

“Why must so many things that go wrong happen to our family?”

She curled up in as close to a ball as her large body would allow, a part of her greatly anticipating the moment she could curl up with her foal. A day she could spend in loving peace, without the melodrama that she had grown so accustomed to in her long life.

“I promise I won’t let you go through anything like what my sister and I have gone through.”

Her poor foal would never have to suffer like they had. That Celestia vowed.

Author's Note

I have a new story titled "Winging It" out now, and so if you could go support it I would be forever grateful! It's a comedy SoarinDash story, so anyone whose up for something like that should go to: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/196639/winging-it

And The World Around Will Never Hear Your Cries

A/N: While I do wish there were more, special thanks to Evilhumour, King Sombrony, Killabyte, Ketvirtas, New Spark, hs0003, gakuseiakira, drgnwolf, and The Grim Reaper. for your comments last chapter! Still kind of wish there would be more though... :twilightsheepish: It is great comments like those that keep me writing! Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Disturbed's "The Animal"

Sorry for the wait and brevity. Blog has details.

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

The wandering of Loki, Stormrage, and their less talkative animal companions went on with as little speech as to be expected. Loki kept silent while keeping his ears tuned to the wailing of the screams around them. Illidan kept to himself as well, only speaking to guide Loki around threats seen in the ever present mists.

Loki would stop on occasion to tend to Trixie, whose body seemed to be falling to mortal concerns unlike Loki’s own. Her fur was growing unruly and thick with dirt, while her body slowly lost weight. Loki would feed her when possible, neglecting his own health all the while taking care of her.

He did not feel hungry. His wounds did not disappear. His pool of magical energy remained at a constant low. Loki could easily ignore these things completely by finding some false reason, but deep down the notion of what they could mean was terrifying him into pushing these thoughts away the moment he would delve into them.

There appeared to be no exact designation of day and night, and it did not take Loki long during his stay to lose track of his original internal chronometer. Had he stumbled for weeks or days with only the screams of his fellow prisoners to greet him? Loki knew not.

“Stop.”

He was so detached that even when he was roused from his monotony that he took a moment to respond to it. Loki walked straight into Illidan’s outstretched arm, his eyes flickering before he noticed why his ally had done this.

Before them both was the soft waves of a body of water. The mists around them prevented Loki from seeing much beyond the immediate edge of the water, but the Asgardian doubted that would prohibit his ally with his unique eyes.

“What is it?” Loki questioned, prompting Illidan to scan the surroundings with his magical eyes.

Illidan’s cheeks and eyebrows shifted, the cloth covering his blind eyes doing little to hide how he narrowed his eyes in an instinctual response to whatever was flowing through his mind, “These waters...they do not end within any swimming distance I would imagine. Just a look down reveals an abyss not common to a lake. I do not know how deep it delves, but I would not test it. We do not know who or what awaits us beneath the waters.”

Loki had no response for him to give as the Asgardian shifted Trixie on his shoulders as the mare began to slip. He had not thought of a more efficient way to carry her with his diminished magic, and his mind had been caught up with other things of varying importance.

Illidan groaned as he continued to use his special power to see their immediate surroundings, “This area though...there is an energy signature linked to the water and area—”

“Hiya!”

The voice was young and chipper, a big contrast to the tortured screams and wails elsewhere. Loki twisted around and nearly stumbled into the water, only not doing so because of Illidan’s still outstretched arm.

After turning to face the sudden voice, Loki found himself furrowing his brow. The being in front of him appeared to be dressed in some kind of golden, armored lingerie with a torn bow on the back of it. Her face held soft red eyes that were fearlessly staring into his own, while her face beamed a bright smile.

To Loki’s utter confusion, this odd girl was quite young. Her petite height made her appear as if she was just a child, and her young face did little to change that. He estimated her to be of early teenage years, and the radiating energy from her seemed to confirm his suspicion.

With their utterly ridiculous metal dancing girl outfit and goofy grin, Loki disregarded the girl as a threat despite her sudden appearance. After Loki let his tension go he gave a small sigh of relief towards her.

“Did your mother not teach you that sneaking up on others is dangerous, child?”

The silver haired girl brings one index finger to her chin and her face goes from quizzical to both distraught and confused. As Loki fears that he may have said something damaging, she pouts to him, “I don’t know. Should she have?”

Illidan cleared his throat and drew the attention of Loki once again. The satyr being shook his head from side to side slowly before giving a small nod to the water behind them.

He then looks scornfully at the girl, “Who are you who is bound to this place?”

Loki, piecing together that this girl is somehow related to the area, quiets himself to observe the girl.

Whatever she was, she was linked to the immediate area and water. How, Loki had no idea, but he was not about to let his guard down a moment longer.

Any signs of childish innocence vanished from her face at the question. Her eyes lost their previous glimmer, and her face fell into a blank expression.

“Who are we?”

Loki drew concern from the mention of “we”, though there was a possibility it was just a speaking quirk...a possibility Loki shoved aside with the dangerous possibilities that arose from her literally meaning “we”.

The girl laughs hollowly and disappears at a speed faster than any of the other beings Loki had encountered in the land, only to reappear a dozen feet away. The mist around them shifted to allow them to be seen, and Loki took note of the change in the surroundings. After all, a being who could manipulate the mists could be useful.

Illidan took to a fighting stance the moment he could react to her movement, though she made no violent assault or attack in return. She just stood there in silence before a sigh of her own left her lips.

“Yes, that is a good question…”

Loki, with Trixie on his back and Ikol on his shoulder, could not react the same way as Illidan. Instead he just waited to see what would happen, as he felt a sudden surge of power come from her that did not only seem to be centered where she stood but also all around them in the very air.

A straight up fight would not likely be to their advantage, or at least to Loki’s. And Loki was concerned about his own well being after all, even after everything.

The girl’s skin begins to turn a light blue and she tilts her head back as her body forms into something else. With the exception of half her face still belonging to the original girl, the being’s new form was entirely different.

Instead of marble skin with silver hair, they were a sky blue shade of skin tone with a darker but still light blue for their hair. The revealing outfit was too replaced, now with an aquamarine cloth garb that went from neck to ankle. Around that neck rested a necklace, and atop the changed half of the head rested half of an intricate crown. While not old, this newer body appears more womanly than the teenager looking one previously displayed.

The two sides of the face smile happily through a quick twitch, though the sight disturbs the two travelers more than it does comfort them, “You can call us the pieces left over.”

This woman creature could see the curiosity in both the eyes of Loki and Illidan. She continued to smile to them both while bringing her legs up into the air and crossing them beneath her, her body simply floating as if it were sitting on the ground.

Now seemingly comfortable, the flight capable woman let out a morose sigh, “Every soul here loses a part of it while it lingers…” her right palm runs over her unchanged half of her face while her left falls to her clothed stomach, “Sometimes pieces that drift off can congregate and join with other things that are similar enough to them.”

Similar souls drawn together?

Both Illidan and Loki turned to one another. Similar souls certainly described the two of them, though neither knew exactly if her words were as literal as her own body or if it was more metaphorical.

After exchanging glances with Illidan long enough for the silence to grow pregnant, Loki cleared his throat and turned back to the being across them.

“I feel that we should introduce ourselves. I am Loki, prince of Asgard,” Loki brings a hand to his chest while gripping Trixie with one arm before using his now free arm to point at Illidan, “and this is my companion Illidan Stormrage. We are searching for a method of leaving this realm, and any assistance you lend would be most appreciated.”

Their introduction was promptly ignored as the woman floated up to Loki, ignoring Illidan as her eyes hovered by Loki’s chest. Loki looked down with confusion as she hovered so close and by him. Her closeness made him feel a strong gust of wind push against him, and suddenly her floating became less mystical to him.

“That is an interesting necklace you have…” she breathes in an interested tone. Loki’s head tilts down to observe his own necklace that he had had made for him with Luna’s symbol on it. The normally colored stone rested as a grey, seemingly unable to contact with its other half as Loki would have wished it to.

The woman smiles up at him, her half silver and half blue hair swaying softly behind her head from the wind her body was sending off, “A gift?”

Uncomfortable by her closeness, Loki readjusted his grip on Trixie while trying to edge slightly away from the odd being, “Yes. From someone back home.”

Not as uncomfortable but a whole lot more hostile was Illidan, who had been observing the woman more closely after she floated over to them. His eyes were blind in the common sense, but they could see the dark energy radiating off this chimera-esque abomination.

“Tell me, Loki, do you see a rotund demon before you?” Illidan grunted with obvious displeasure, still prepared to attack if that was to be needed. He had no trust for this being of darkness, even if they did appear carefree. Sometimes the most deadly traps came from the most cheerful of faces after all.

Loki dared not react with a jump backwards, as the water was supposedly both deep and connected to this being. Her aqua themed coloration helped sell the idea that she was somehow in control of the water, and Loki was not about to put himself in this witch’s element.

Defying their expectations though, the woman only stood up straight to let out a hearty laugh that sounded like it came from a noblewoman. After laughing briefly to the confusion of both males, she took in enough breath to speak again.

“My my, you can see through this body’s disguise. Not many can do that. Let me try another.”

The body once again shifted in a rapid display, now revealing a blue armored warrior with the same colored hair. Her appearance was much similar to the first being’s, though blue scales on the face prevented them from being anything more than a slight familial relation if anything at all. Wings were sprouted from her back, though they appeared more of a part of the armor itself than her own body.

This time no visible traces remained of the last form, though Loki assumed that the armor was encasing something left over given the way she put a hand to her covered stomach the last time when speaking about changes.

With the transformation complete, the woman spoke in a voice quite similar to the original’s in that it was both perky and had the sound of a young adult rather than a grown woman, “Is this form preferable to you?”

Neither Loki nor Illidan had a response, each racing through their internal thoughts to try and make sense of this being. What did it want and what were its capabilities? Why did it come up to them out of all of the souls in the disturbed world?

Not seeming to care about their reservations about her presence, the girl continued to observe Loki’s necklace with fervor while flapping her giant wings to stay in the air.

“Tell me more of this person back home.”

Loki remained careful to not mention that they were truly a pony, as it might complicate matters, but then again he supposed that Luna was spending about an equal time as an Asgardian and as a pony these days.

“I will tell you whatever you like, so long as you reciprocate and lend us the information we are seeking.”

Even submitting to the powerful witch, Loki would be persistent in his goal.

Once again, the transforming being ignored what she seemingly had no interest in, “A friend?” she paused dramatically before asking in a more playful voice, “Family?”

Why did this being desire to know this? Why was this possession of his and the bond it symbolized so captivating to the woman-child-thing? Just as Loki opened his mouth to actually respond to her, she continued on in a more soft and secretive tone.

“A lover?”

Loki nodded, though thinking about Luna made him realize that she would throttle this woman for being this close to him if she were present, “Yes, and one who might come to this place just to end your existance should you draw any closer. Please do not.”

“What? Would they feel threatened by a woman drawing closer to you?” her face becomes devilish as she slowly brings her hand towards his bare chest, “Jealous?”

Unable to take a step back, Loki forced himself to endure her touch as the armored hand ran over his pectorals and the necklace. Seeing his obvious discontentment only amused the woman, who scoffed in the most playful of ways, “Envious?”

Being the largest there and quite powerful afforded Illidan the opportunity to reach out and try to push her back, “He said that is close enough, woman.”

Without her even moving, the wind around both Loki and Illidan riled up and lashed out. Both were knocked away from one another, their bodies being tossed laterally with the body of water...

Author's Note

A/N: I have a new story titled "Winging It" out now, and so if you could go support it I would be forever grateful! It's a comedy SoarinDash story, so anyone whose up for something like that should go to: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/196639/winging-it

The Animal Soul Is Mine

A/N: Special thanks to King Sombrony, Evilhumour, KillerCookie123, The Grim Reaper, New Spark, ZeroInfinity, Drgnwolf, Killabyte, JBGrim, Ketvirtas, ArcaneVisions, Mutie Genic, MoonSparkle The Vampony, and gakuseiakira for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing! Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Disturbed's "The Animal"

Sorry for the wait. Blogs have details.

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

After another completely unsuccessful search for either Thanos or Loki, Thor and his regular company returned to Asgard with shoulders slumped and heads hanging. So accustomed to solving every opponent and issue with force were Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three that they had little idea about how to possibly track their elusive foe and the two he took with him.

Heimdall could only give them an understanding nod as they wordlessly stalked by him to leave the Bifrost and head to the main castle. Upon entering the golden fortress that stood as the pinnacle of the realm Thor did not slow his own pace, forcing his more weary companions to fight to keep up with the brooding man.

It only took a few turns down some hallways for the others to realize where they were headed, and that realization put a spring in their steps.

A spring in front of Thor to halt his progress, that is.

Thor attempted to push past the others, but Volstagg, Hogun and Sif stood firm. Fandral came up behind Thor to put a consoling hand on his prince’s shoulder while the others continued to act as a wall.

Not amused by the resistance, Thor snorted as he once again took a step forward to press past them, “I will have words with them.”

The area they were approaching previously was none other than main prison of Asgard, where its most notorious criminals and foes were kept as they either awaited judgment or were confined for the rest of their lives.

Fandral attempted to speak consolingly to his leader, “Hey, come on, we all know you are furious that someone dared come here and take your brother—”

Thor’s step forward cut him off as the man attempted to force by once again, this time pushing Volstagg back a step.

“—but killing Asgard’s prisoners will not help us!” Volstagg complained as he grunted and pushed back against Thor.

Their efforts only earned a snarl from him, “I have no intentions of killing. Possibly maiming and mauling, but no killing.”

Sif was the next to try and appeal to his better judgment, “Thor, you need your father’s permission—”

Thor stared at her with a small frown, his face growing distraught. His expression prefaced what he was about to say to her, as it was not often that Thor would show a face of such sorrow.

“I will be speaking with Lorelai, among others.”

Those words were all it took for Sif to step aside and give Thor the room he needed to pass by them. Hogun shook his head sorrowfully while the other three moved to turn and watch as Thor continued to continue on his path to the prison.

“Now that’s just cheating,” Volstagg complained, but made no further movement to stop Thor. Nothing would change their friend’s mind once he had set in on something, after all.

Thor would be okay...the jail cells would make sure of that. He would be safe from her...

Without her even moving, the wind around both Loki and Illidan riled up and lashed out. Both were knocked away from one another, their bodies being tossed laterally with the body of water.

Loki crashed back onto Trixie, who acted as a cushion of sorts for his fall. Ikol took off, not wanting to be involved with the brewing conflict, leaving the other two to get up on their own. Of course, Loki had no trouble trying to rise, but Trixie remained unresponsive to everything in her comatose state.

When Loki went to rise and whip out a blade of ice from the readily available water in the area, he was once again surprised by the woman as she was suddenly by his side helping him up.

Loki narrowed his eyes at her as she helped him to his feet. The wind subsided and her voice came out sounding genuinely sorry, “Oh, I’m so sorry, my apologies.”

Once he managed to drag himself upright, Loki found himself to be entirely confused. Here was this woman whose mental state seemed iffier than the warden Shadowsong’s, and despite blasting him a few feet to the side with her wind she had instantly moved to help the same man she just blasted away.

The people of the land truly were mentally insane.

Loki waved her away with some annoyance, still flustered from his fall. He needed a moment to both regather his thoughts and to thank random chance that he had not fallen into the deep waters nearby.

Sensing his irritation, the water sprite being left Loki’s side with a sad nod only to see how Illidan was faring. Illidan had calmed down his fighting stance when he had risen to see her helping Loki. He too did not know what to make of the situation, though his eyesight allowed him to see her energy control the wind and thus lash out with it.

It had appeared to be a reflex, not a conscious action.

Her pale face smiles right at the Betrayer’s own, her eyes brightening as she looks into his own clothed eyes.

Her voice is as cheerful as her face as her wind powers help sweep Illidan up onto his feet just as he had been standing before, “So, my large friend, you can see my life energy. Those are very good eyes you must have. You must be so popular amongst your people...famous, even. They appear most...unnatural.”

Pleased at the assistance but still guarded because of the whiplash of actions, Illidan moved a step back all the while giving a fake smile, “I would not say famous.”

His movement did nothing to deter her off-kilter smiling, “Infamous, maybe?”

Loki could see the purple demon elf’s brow furrow. Illidan may have come to terms with his lot in life, but hearing a stranger almost mock it made a small piece of him grow ready to put her in the ground.

The expression on her face remained flatly positive, not seeming to care at all for his discomfort and her tone instead seemed to show a hint of pleasure rather than empathy.

“Oh I have hit a nerve. What did you lose when you became an outcast?”

Loki had no illusion that Illidan might strike her in anger, but he was too cautious to allow her to give him more reason to cast aside his regular zen.

Given her more favorable reaction to him, Loki tried to approach her much like Illidan had, “That is enough—”

A gust of wind whipped out at him and knocked the breath out of Loki, the air cutting into him at such a high speed that Loki felt the front of his skin rip. His chest erupted as blood was torn from his ribcage and bones were brought into view.

Loki gasped as he felt his body thrown back at a rapid speed that sent him tumbling over before taking a sudden shift in direction and being tossed directly towards the water body. There was almost no curve to the change and instead Loki had the momentum change come out in his back, which he could feel snap as he instantly lost and regained speed.

As Loki hit the water, the woman twitched in place as her whole body tremored violently, “Do not…” her hands clenched as her shoulders lifted and lowered both with no pattern, “Touch me.”

Wasting no time, Illidan summoned forth a blast of fire to strike her. The green flames of the fire tossed about in the air and twisted around their intended target as her magical shield of air stopped the incoming assault.

She did not appear to actually notice the attack from Illidan as her breathing and body began to calm, her movements being less frantic and exaggerated than before. With a final shake of the head, she seemed to notice the splash in the nearby water that was Loki.

Illidan too looked over to the water, reminded of his companion’s plight. When Loki’s arms did not instantly flail and no further splashing was made, Illidan leapt forward into the dark water to retrieve the sinking man.

While possessing no normal sight, Illidan could see the energy signature of Loki. He would be able to see his heat signature as well, but Loki was difficult to sense in that manner. Illidan passed it off as a side-effect of Loki’s frosty origins, but no real answer was needed for the mutated elf.

A faint trace of green energy was visible amongst the light blue energy emanating from the waters themselves, a magical quality belonging to them that seemed connected to the similarly light blue energy of the woman.

As Illidan brought his arms forward to swim and catch up to Loki, whose slight energy was flickering out like a dying candle, both Illidan and Loki found themselves being blasted out of the water and into the air as the water around them erupted upwards.

Once they were in the air and above the regular water levels, the eruption of water beneath them disappeared and instead a strong yet gentle gust of wind pulled the drenched men onto the shore.

“I’m sorry! Please, forgive me!” Her pouting was almost lost on the half dead man and his blind ally. With Loki’s wounds in mind, the woman rushed to his side once again.

Once she reached him her body radiated a rainbow colored mist that quickly enwrapped Loki and dampened his skin and damaged clothes. Her previous traces of being smug were lost as tears fell down their pale skin, “Don’t go, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Previously too wounded to speak what with his nearly exposed lungs, Loki found the pain receding as his wounds grew warm. With a hard struggle, he managed to tilt his head up an inch or so to observe as his skin regrew.

Furthermore, his bones reconnected where they had been forced into organs, and the traces of blood that had been ripped from him and splattered across his chest were gone either because of the waters or the sparkling mist in front of him. His pain was leaving him, and in a single moment that felt like it lasted an eternity he felt half healthier than he had since his arrival.

The effort seemed to exhaust the shapeshifting woman slightly, as she soon let out a heavy breathe, “There, are you feeling better?”

Having not encountered it since Luna, Loki found himself presently surprised as he observed the regrowth of his own flesh. He was worried about saying or doing anything at this point given her volatile emotional state and ability to kill him just reflexively.

In fact, he was surprised he had not lost consciousness or died from her attack that almost gutted him...

“Healing magic…” Loki mumbled as he slowly brought his hand over his chest, which no longer was threatening to let his heart fall out.

Despite having issues with others getting close to her, she had initiated this contact, which left Loki with an idea...

He looked over to Illidan, who had similarly had pieces of his flesh skinned from her winds at some point but who appeared to not be minding the damage at all. There was another who might benefit a little from some healing though...

Loki rolled his head over to one side to see where Trixie lay, only to have to look the other way and find her still form right by the edge of the water. She was on her back, and a new wound across her gut seemed to indicate that she too had been tossed aside as the wind had rushed to Loki.

“My other companion is in need of assistance. If you desire to make amends, cure her affliction.”

Much like how an animal might snap at a hand forced towards it while the same animal might willingly move towards that very hand should it remain still, Loki had prodded this seemingly good natured but violent woman to approach at her own leisure.

Proving Loki’s spur of the moment hypothesis correct, she nodded and floated over to the side of the severely damaged Trixie. After a moment of observation, she summoned forth her magic again and sighed, “I can assure that any structural damage she has incurred is removed. The rest...”

The rainbow washed over Trixie. Not only did it instantly remove her wound, but some color returned to her ever dirtying coat of blue fur. Fur regrew where it had been stripped, and while still unconscious she appeared to be more comfortable and less troubled now that she did not have lingering body damage along with her recent gash.

Feeling more powerful than he had in ages, Loki crawled to his feet. Whatever the woman had done, it had restored his powers to some degree, though he would have to test just how much was brought back to him.

Hearing him rise brought out a sad whimper from the deranged chimera of souls, “Please don’t go.”

Loki most certainly wanted to do just that though. Staying around volatile women, or men for that matter, was not exactly a great idea for surviving in a hostile environment.

However, not staying would mean disobeying the deranged woman now...and even doing what she didn’t want you to before she informed you as such could end with one’s death.

Illidan rose to his own feet and lumbered over to Loki, who he gave a frown. He had no idea what to expect at this point, but he was sensing power far greater than he was accustomed to from this being. It would fluctuate from moment to moment however as he observed it more, likely switching between the different energies of the beings whose souls had congregated together.

Loki frowned back, similarly worried about their predicament albeit more worried about her mental state than her powers. Power could be overcome, but an unpredictable mind could make doing so difficult.

While the two intruders on her domain glanced at one another, the woman took another step towards them though her body glowed as her voice spoke and shifted to sound more mature though also with an accent that reminded Loki of that orange farmer who associated with Twilight, “So, you were talkin’ about yer lover.”

This time, she became a little shorter than her previous petite size, though her face seemed more mature and serious. Her skin became a very light aqua shade, while her eyes became red. Her clothes seemed to resemble a Midgardian one piece swimming suit to Loki, though a random trace of the armor from before remained to cover her feet.

Not exactly fond of the idea of giving information on Luna to someone proven to not be all there mentally, Loki hid his frown as he turned towards her with a raised eyebrow, “I am curious as to why you would be so intrigued.”

“No reason…” her obviously lying voice trailed off as she grew a smile and turned to Illidan, “He has not been here long, has he?”

That brought a small amused snort to the tall being, “No. Nor does he have the tolerance for isolation that I have accrued in my own life.”

Loki groaned at the amusement being made at his expense, though said nothing. He still desired to test the waters.

Seeing his hesitation made the woman sigh, and she brought a hand to touch her own face, “We...ahh...don’t have anyone ‘ere,” she gave a small sad laugh as she lowered to the ground and brought her knees up to her chest, “At least...that’s...our memories were among the first things to leave us. If we saw someone from any of our lives we would not even know it…”

“I am sorry.”

Loki had said it before he had even realized. Normally he would have said something like that as a calculated plan, not as an actual empathetic gesture to be said to cheer someone up. The world of the colorful, happy horses had left its mark on him after all...

In this particular instance, however, it was exactly the wrong thing to say. The teal face of the blue clad being turned to anger at a record pace, and her voice went from soft spoken to suddenly shouting as she jumped to her feet and sent her fist right at Loki’s head.

“You damn human, don’t look down on me!”

His attempt to dodge her strike was initially successful, as Loki sidestepped the sudden attack, but her limb stretched out in an even darker green and warped so that it still struck him in the cheek. With him caught off guard by the shift, the elongated limb easily slipped around his throat and head only to lift him into the air and start choking him out.

“Illidan!” Loki gasped with the last of his breathe, his concentration shot from the immensely powerful tentacle of sorts that was now trying to crush his upper body.

The Betrayer moved at an even greater speed than the woman had to try and assault her with a fist burning green with demonic energy.

When the strike collided with her, no wind repelling him this time to his surprise, she barely budged at all. It was almost as if she was extremely dense in the physics way, for Illidan felt his fist actually ignite with pain upon colliding with her.

Only seemingly annoyed by him, she scoffed, “Sugah, nobody invited you.”

She turned her attention to the new enemy, and with a raise of the hand a large torrent of the nearby water exploded outward and hurtled directly at the purple elf. The sheer quantity of it was too much for him to avoid, and Illidan was forced backwards with the overpowering force of a bursting dam. He tried to keep his footing, but even his two large hooves could not keep him steady.

The attention paid to Illidan proved to be enough to have her lighten her grip on Loki, who with the small reprieve used his restored energy to teleport away from the crushing grip.

On the ground choking, Loki was too busy hacking and wheezing for breath to observe whatever else was going on. Illidan was still fighting her from the sound of things, but Loki had kept trying to breathe in to make sure he would not die…

Only, breathing in was not making him feel better. In fact, the constriction on his throat was all that had been bothering him come to think of it. When he had been tossed in the water before he had been in too much pain to realize if he had been suffocating then either...

After many moments where his only focus was in drawing breath, Loki found himself fine enough to stand up and face the battle ongoing. Illidan had been holding his own for the moment, if not dying could be considered doing just that. His fiery powers were completely negated by the water she would drench him in, the magical fires he was raising being put out by her equally magical water drawn from her seemingly infinite source right nearby.

Her power was massive, though Loki was getting the feeling that it varied back and forth due to the ever changing intensity of her winds and that she was seemingly changing forms automatically. Illidan might be able to handle this monster at its weakest, but right now it stood at a level far greater than Loki as well as the being who captured him, Thanos.

She was having a mental breakdown though, one caused by her seeming issues related to her own self image and also a result of her inability to let others get close to her.

“Your words…” Loki coughed as he felt his previously crushed throat start to throb in pain.

Loki could use that, much like he had with Maiev before. Whereas Maiev’s anger made her make fatal mistakes, this lost soul’s rage would help the breakdown spiral into a complete shutdown.

Illidan had been forced into the waters, unable to block entire torrents of water that would sweep around him and cycle back towards their source. With the one opponent handled temporarily, the aqua skinned woman could now face Loki and it took him no time to realize that she was furious and mentally mad to the point of breaking.

Isolation could do many things to one mind...but to multiple souls bound together with no memory between them? Loki figured that must make matters far worse for them, and coupled with the seeming sensitivity and interest shown about relationships Loki pretty much had the woman pegged.

“Lady Death has this insane fascination with broken things. Tell me, what is it that you desire?”

She swung a green and arcing arm at Loki while screaming, “Don’t act like you know me!”

This time she made no contact despite the almost impossible to dodge attack she had thrown at him. Loki had only needed to teleport once again to avoid it completely, giving him time to lodge a dagger in the upper part of her back spine. The blade barely sunk in, but it made its mark and Loki teleported again before she could retaliate.

To keep up her anger, Loki taunted her purposefully, “This land is not much for company I would assume. The others are just as lost and insane as you, and losing your memory must be frightening.”

Her body glowed once again, albeit with a different sheen as she visibly shifted in form before Loki’s eyes. Her body shifted before his eyes, the form growing taller and even growing a giant mass underneath it.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Her skin became a pale shade of blue, akin to Trixie’s own and even a little lighter, and out of the amorphous black blob beneath her came forth two giant tentacles that appeared to be like a large kraken’s. Her face was no longer anything one might call cute, now appearing vicious and completely deranged.

Illidan had recovered from his brief swim, he came over to the shore where he could only groan in disbelief at his partner’s tactics.

“Need I tell you that you that angering the monster is not going to help us?”

Loki tumbled out of the way of a sweeping tentacle, calling out to Illidan as he did his best to not be crushed by the giant squid woman.

“It worked with your Warden, who was much more skilled than I. Let us see its effect here before discounting it entirely.”

Infuriated further by her own failures, the water sprite cast both her regular arms forward towards the sea. Her voice growled in her now sinister voice, “Regole!”

Illidan jumped ashore just in time to avoid the sudden bite of an undersea beast whose teeth left a large gash in the mud and rocks that bordered the steep incline that marked the end of land and the beginning of the waters.

Having only avoided the new beast’s bite by a second and by a few feet, Illidan growled out to Loki, “Easy for you to say!”

After observing the sprite again as she lunged forth once again with her elongated tentacles fit on a piece of calamari, Loki found the dagger he had embedded in her back. When her body lurched forward, Loki utilized the very efficient tactic of teleportation to land on her exposed back. Her size was so great now that she would have an issue reaching back for him, not that it mattered much.

Loki grabbed the backs of each of her regular arms, finding that they were not particularly impressive in terms of physical power. He pulled back on them while she let out a snarl of pain, his boot already having planted itself on the knife. It pushed further into her body, leaving Loki a sense of satisfaction as he realized that he was quickly running out of power.

Her body thrashed from side to side, but Loki managed to keep a hold on her by just gripping her normal arms. Her body’s power seemed concentrated in the lower half where her tentacles emerged, leaving this part more vulnerable and almost appearing to be an afterthought or mistake.

“Tell me,” Loki kicked the dagger as she swung him around more, her efforts growing more and more frantic as she felt the weapon dig into her, “You seemed interested in the people I know. You envy me for having those bonds, do you not?”

“That’s it!”

With another toss from side to side she managed to dislodge her assailant, who crashed into the ground nearby and felt some of his bones crack by her sudden power increase.

More silent than his ally, Illidan was waging his own war. The being he was confronted was a giant shark with draconic features, a sea dragon that seemed very willing and able to spill his blood. It would not venture above the water for more than a moment to strike, but each one left a piece of the landscape destroyed and submerged whether Illidan had been on it or not.

Illidan was fighting to keep one step ahead of it so that he could counter it when it did bring itself into a vulnerable position, but he was more focused on running that striking due to his suspicion that should he land in the water again he would not rise from it.

That was until he noticed the violent and chaotic movements of the monster’s master, who was swinging tentacle after tentacle at her elusive foe. With the last swing of her tentacle before Loki mounted her giantesque back, Illidan lured the monster into her striking path.

Even though the beast was fifty times Illidan’s size, that meant nothing when the entire power of a being whose powers rivaled some gods struck it. The beast screeched as part of its face caved in from the strike, a moment Illidan capitalized on by lunging and striking the very same point. The beast, despite its size and strength, had its head split on the side and it once again screeched.

As it dragged itself back to the water, Illidan could tell that it was going to leave just as soon as it had come. An animal had fight or flight instincts after all, and if the being who summoned it into existence would negligently strike it to the point of near death the beast had no reason to stay.

With his own threat dispatched, Illidan turned to see Loki’s crash into the ground and could see that he was needed to assist. As the beastly woman went for the kill, the Betrayer jumped forward to intercept. His foot collided with her skull, sending the oddly proportioned being reeling before she tumbled over onto her awkward side given the blob that formed her base.

Loki once again dragged himself to his feet once he saw her knocked over.

“That is it,” while she had meant something else when she said it, Loki was using her own phrase to further mock and demean her.

He felt a pang in his leg, but ignored it to limp over to her side. As he drew closer he could see that once again she was changing form, this time ending up in the form he first found her as. She was on her belly and her face was no longer vicious, now appearing distraught as her eyes welled up with tears.

When Loki reached her side he kneeled down to push her shoulder into the ground gently, pinning her without causing her further discomfort, “You are scared. Your mind is drifting away and you have been reduced down to some base sentient being. You don’t have anything and you want what I have.”

She twisted her head away from him to keep Loki from seeing her crying face, though her sobs made it apparent anyways.

Hearing that crying was all the proof Loki needed that his plan worked, “You must have been envious while you were alive for this trait to have persisted beyond your memory. Something that important...” his voice softened, “Can you recall that much?”

...

“We…I...”

Her crying continued, though it did not worsen any. She quickly buried her head in the soft ground beneath her as she tried to speak through her own sobbing.

“We...cannot…”

Loki gave her the time she needed, his own arrogance allowing him to revel in the broken enemy beneath him. It honestly was a thrill for him to overcome a foe using his cunning rather than the brute strength he had come to rely on in recent times.

With Loki not interrupting her, and Illidan just watching with curiosity, the water being managed to pull herself together long enough to speak “No, that is a lie…not in any of our lives have we...belonged. Never a true friend or person to trust…maybe...I don’t know anymore...We were different. Be it the fins, the mystical items, the wings, our own false existence...pain...always pain...”

That was all Loki needed to hear.

“I will release you from this. May your soul rest and find a peace not granted here.”

The final twist and shove of the knife that had remained in her back made the pearly skinned woman cough up blood, though she made no struggle as the dagger pierced where Loki presumed her heart to be as well as her spine.

Now unable to move the majority of her body, the mysterious woman began to glow once again, though this time there was no outline or hint as to what she was to become as her body slowly became covered by the light..

“Damnit…are we...dying? I...I don’t want to go…I don’t know what will happen, we don’t want to leave...”

When the light reached its peak, her body disappeared, leaving no trace behind but the bloody ice dagger that then fell to the ground. It touched the pool of blood that had appeared, but was instantly forgotten by Loki as he heard Illidan’s voice.

“Tell me, what was the purpose of this sick being you created? A mad experiment of yours?”

Loki turned to see who his ally was speaking to, but he was not surprised by the newcomer. The cloaked Lady Death, ever the silent enigma, was standing across from them in a silent vigil. How long had she been there, neither could say, but the fact was that she was indeed there.

Loki had just put down a being, or rather an assortment of beings, like a mad animal because of the suffering they had endured. They had been stripped of their identities by their endless existance that was filled with nothing but pain.

This was enough to perturb even the normally cold hearted Loki, who had noticed that the two pearly skinned bodies had looked to be no more than teenagers. For them to be subjected to this world sickened him, and the cause of it all stood before him.

“I know what it is like to feel envy of others. All do, whether they will admit it or not. Is that a crime you now punish with everlasting torment here, or am I mistaken? What makes that right in your eyes?”

Lady Death, as to be expected, said nothing. Instead she rose a hand gingerly to point towards the body of water.

The water had disappeared, leaving a canyon in its wake.

“Witch!”

The entire prison could hear the bellow of Thor, and it was enough for many to quiver in their containment cells.

For one, however, it did nothing of the sort. The seductress witch known as Lorelai was no fool, and part of knowing that was that Thor was one. Rumor had it that he was improving, but bringing up a mindless buffoon to a common level of ignorance and stupidity was no impressive or noteworthy feat in her mind.

With the power to control men with her alluring voice and the magic it held, there were truly few men who the witch feared. Thor could defeat almost any foe in combat, but Lorelai was not one of them since he would never be able to swing his hammer once.

When Thor lumbered over to where Lorelai was residing for the rest of her existance, the woman smiled out of her glass wall at him.

“Oh, hello Thor...so nice of you to visit. Why I—”

Thor angrily swung his trusty hammer Mjolnir at the stone structure beside the glass, careful not to actually hit it while still punctuating his speech with the threatening impact, “No games, criminal. Where is your sister, the Enchantress?”

So, that was what he was after. With a smug face and shrug, Lorelai scoffed at the blonde haired hero.

“If I have not told you before, why would I tell you now? It’s not as if you have your brother to trick me into revealing any information, and you cannot enter this cage without succombing to my powers.”

Thor leveled his hammer at the glass and gave her a face that fully showed he was not playing around, “You forget, witch. I need not enter to coerce you.”

Thor’s lightning burst forth from his weapon, striking the cage holding her in and suppressing her powers. The entire cell became an electrified deathtrap, with nothing stopping the energy from coming in and coursing through the woman whose hobbies include mind control, blackmail, murder, starting wars, and rape in no particular order.

The energy quickly cut off as Thor stopped his attack. Even in a most foul mood, he would not torture this repulsive creature more than he had to.

To his irritation she came out of the shock laughing, “My my, the old Thor would never have had the wits to consider such a method of interrogation…”

Thor growled at her, irked that she seemed to be no more willing to impart information than before, “Tell me what I want, witch, and the pain will end. Lie to me, and I will make sure your stay here is less comfortable and less lengthy. Sif would speak with you about what you have done to her previously.”

“Is that so? I’ll be sure to pay her a visit when I am free, if only to rip off that self righteous face of hers...did I ever tell you about the time I took her lover or whatever he was—”

Thor slammed his free hand on the glass as he let out another bellow, “Do not try my patience, I am losing stock in it, especially for ones such as you!”

“Whatever could have the ever calm and thoughtful Thor so aggravated?” another barbed sentence to try and provoke him…

And suddenly Thor instinctively slammed his hammer forward again, only this time he was in front of the glass. Even his might and weapon was only enough to put the smallest of cracks in the specially crafted cell…

But a hole, no matter how small, was enough for a voice to escape through.

“You should really have reigned your temper in…”

Author's Note

I Will Escape You

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, JBGrim, LordSiravant, Killabyte, ZeroInfinity, DestructivePwny, Ketvirtas, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter! Seems that recently the length of a chapter is inversely related to the amount of comments...Anyways, thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Trust Company's "Stronger"

Sorry for the wait. Blogs have details.

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

“You know, this could go on forever.”

“You know, you could stop bringing that up.”

“I’m just saying, maybe taking a break would not be the worst of our options.”

“Carrying a horse and a raven too tiring for you, Asgardian?”

Ikol squawked at the demon who dare insult it. He had been standing on Loki’s otherwise vacant shoulder for long enough to be bored out of his mind, and his attention was not something to be toyed with by insults. After all, he was Loki the Asgardian as well, and by no means would carrying a bird tire such a magnificent specimen as himself.

Trixie was doing the opposite as she lay across the other shoulder peacefully, each of her legs dangling and bumping into Loki as he continued to march with Illidan. They had been forced to utilize one of Illidan’s more difficult spells to get down the cliff face, one that required the user to leap down and use magic to prevent them from dying.

Only issue, it needed to make contact with someone or something else. So Loki’s back was hurting from having a giant being hurtle down and crush him into the ground. Illidan had told him to stop whining because of how he had used his wings to slow down the technique...though Loki was not quite so content.

“I would need eight or more legs for it not to be. If I haven’t already told you, I am not exactly recovering my energy, but maybe stopping momentarily will help me stop losing it.”

The bottom of the area once covered in water had proven thus far to be a dry desert of what appeared to have once been swampland. Now it appeared as if every drop of moisture had disappeared from it, leaving behind the desolate area that the two were trekking through.

“We will stop when we have a reason to. It is time for you to tough it out.”

Since descending the long ways to the bottom, neither had seen a single other soul wandering around. Not even a fragment. This did not unnerve the larger and stronger Illidan, but Loki was becoming wary of how quiet and inactive the place was.

In a very fortunate manner, this changed when a nearly faded soul rushed past the two. It did not even seem to register their existence as it sped off in a seemingly random direction.

“Catch the Life Spark!” it screeched in a vaguely female voice.

This piqued the curiosity of both outcasts for different reasons. To Loki the words said were the interest, while to Illidan the interest lay in the existence of at least one soul in the barren area and the possibility that there could be others.

No words could pass between them before yet another being whizzed by them, though neither caught sight of its appearance due to the speed it was going at. It’s screams, however, were picked up by the duo.

“Catch Lifespark!”

Loki smirked at his partner, “Okay, after we find out whatever they are on about we are stopping.”

Illidan grunted indifferently, “As you wish.”

Following the fast beings would have proved difficult if not for Illidan’s ability to sense energy. The dark, but barren landscape allowed him to track their energy down like a hound dog. While able to follow, both Illidan and Loki were unable to catch the phantoms in terms of sheer speed. Nonetheless, they followed their trace.

While unable to keep up with the fast spirits, the two were able to catch sight of some more who lumbered behind in the same direction. One was a foul ghoul who appeared anorexic, while the other was a faded outline of a much larger being, one far larger than even Illidan and with wings more angular.

“My precious! My spark…”

“Come back, Coward!”

With the unwitting company of two more, Loki decided it best to discuss the matter at hand a little more.

“What is it that they are seeking after?”

Illidan shook his head, “I do not know, but whatever it is it seems to have enthralled them.”

An hour went by before more souls congregated with the others who were fanatically following this so called “Life Spark”. The new members were a group of small creatures Loki was unfamiliar with, and as such their rat like appearances put him on edge.

“Mine!” one would yell again and again, as if it was their only purpose.

Tapping himself on the head was another who screeched in an insane voice over and over, “No touch candle!”

A light ball the size of Loki’s torso whizzed by his face and made him abruptly stop in his tracks. The ball continued to fly by, and the mob of beings looking for this “Life Spark” turned to give chase. Seeing this, Loki surmised that this was the greatly anticipated object or being, and so he teleported right beside it to grab it.

The teleport was difficult since he had to bring Ikol and Trixie, but he grabbed forward with one hand to wrangle the “Life Spark”.

Only, his hand caught nothing as a purple light appeared and the light blue ball disappeared completely.

“What the—” Loki growled as he realized what just happened, “It can teleport?”

Far from furious was Illidan, who stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched his partner fail, “That must be the reason for its popularity…”

Loki trekked back to Illidan, watching as the crowd began to run off in every different direction, “Think we could use it to escape this world?”

Illidan yawned as he stretched his limbs out and began to walk in a single direction, his eyes seemingly revealing to him what he desired unlike the insane beings who also sought out this being, “We will find out.”

This next hike began to really wear on Loki, who was still feeling terrible from earlier. Dragging Trixie along was a lot harder than he would have liked it to be, and he cursed himself for not possessing the strength that Thor was so famous for.

At the end of this particular fight to keep standing in the desert was the illusive Life Spark, only this time it was not running. It was floating just above the ground and doing absolutely nothing else.

“And here we go—”

True to form, Loki could not have nice things without some more blood, sweat, and more blood. A black and green portal opened up beside him, out of which launched a furious Frost Giant whom he was very familiar with.

He managed to sidestep his opponent’s wild lunge, though he was forced to drop Trixie onto the ground to keep his balance. As with other instances, Ikol made himself scarce as the actual fight was instigated.

“Laufey.”

The black and green portal remained open behind Laufey, who smiled menacingly to Loki as he approached him slowly, “You are alone. No guardian to save you now, runt.”

Loki would have corrected him, if not for how Illidan was suddenly missing. He tried to save face by acting with some gusto, “I am not sure I will need him if I am to fight you,” his gusto faltered some as Laufey created his signature ice dagger in his palm, “Still, could we not do this another time? Make peace?”

The peace offer was met with a blurring thrust of an ice dagger through Loki’s chest cavity. Loki stumbled back as the blade was twisted inside of him, and with luck he managed to wrest it from Laufey’s hand.

The pain was unimaginable. Loki was quite sure he would rather be dead that feel the pain of having his heart impaled, only for that to not actually kill him. Not about to remove the blade and possibly take his heart with it, Loki left it where it was pushed in while Laufey looked on in confusion.

Laufey growled as Loki continued to stand, “You should be dead.”

A possible and likely explanation crossed Loki’s mind, and the Frost Giant runt laughed as his fear left him, “Possibly. I am grateful for the place we are currently though.”

The pain had not disappeared, but Loki was comfortable enough to remove the blade at a slow pace. Blood was smeared over it, and Loki found himself enjoying himself as he observed it in the palm of his hand. This mockery of the would-be fatal attack spurred Laufey to attack once again.

“I wonder what will happen when I do slit that vocal throat of yours!”

Loki blocked his father’s attack with the bloodied blade he removed, and he felt a surge go through his body just like his previous life or death encounters on the world. Not only did he parry the attack, but he disarmed Laufey and managed to bash him in the chin. Laufey twirled back as he sought to regain himself, but Loki did not press the attack.

He had a plan...

However, that plan could wait if it meant ribbing his father a little, “Whatever Lady Death chooses of me, I suppose, though I have to say that my chances of suffering a bit longer are good. That is, unless I leave entirely with the aid of that teleporting spirit.”

Laufey gave a small laugh as he prepared another blade to use, “I cannot have that, can I?”

Loki cut out his teasing to get to his point, “Laufey, we need not fight.”

Laufey growled as he charged forward again, “You murdered me. Murdered our people. Prepare to die!”

Having the energy to do so, Loki simply used his tried and true technique of avoiding an attack with the aid of illusions and teleportation. Laufey’s bloodlust caused him to tackle through the fake Loki while the real one batted the new blade away and held the bloodied one to the blue man’s throat.

As Laufey paused to prevent himself from having his own jugular vein slit, it was time for Loki to announce his plan that might just solve this whole matter.

“What if I offered you the tools to rebuild your people,” Loki paused before adding with a tinge of pain, “Our people.”

“You have no right to say that.”

Loki could not agree more, but that did not mean that he could not attempt to appeal to the cold, logical side of Laufey that Loki had partially inherited, “I bring you back. I bring you to Jotunheim, where word is that your brother has usurped the throne in your absence. I give you the aid of two worlds in bringing Jotunheim back to its former glory, and do everything in my power to broker a lasting peace.”

Laufey’s whole body relaxed as Loki’s words washed over him. While furious at his offspring, the offer of his kingdom back and its restoration outweighed his wrath.

Seeing that his plan was working thus far, Loki smiled and lowered his blade slightly, “There is the Laufey I knew.”

A snarl and grimace were Laufey’s ways of explaining just what he thought of his son, “I have no way of believing your word.”

“No, you do not. But what happens if I betray you? You wind up back here?” Loki gave his father a beleaguered look, “I am a known liar, but know that I am walking on a thin line when it comes to those of Asgard. They would toss me out or jail me if I caused another incident, so I have a very good reason to not double cross you this time around.”

Laufey turned fully to his side to glare at Loki intensely, though he made no actually threatening movement, “I will drive a blade through your heart and make sure you do not come back if you do betray me.”

His plan a success and another ally recruited to his side, Loki found himself feeling proud, “Good. Now we can move on and help one another out of this mess—”

“Oh, how good it feels to be awake once more!”

That voice caught Loki’s attention, and a quick look revealed that his gaunt equine companion was stretching out nearby. Trixie was no longer comatose, and the carefree expression on her face made Loki’s stomach drop. Did she have any idea about what kind of situation they were in?

Not about to admit that he was glad, Loki snorted at her, “You awaken, deadweight.”

Laufey rose an eyebrow at the whole display while Trixie trotted over to Loki with a smug smirk on her face. She had something up her sleeve, and it was making Loki uneasy.

“Oh don’t say that. I have been filled in on certain things. You have been keeping me alive in my mental absence.”

That caught Loki even more off guard, “Filled in?”

Trixie turned around towards where the floating Life Spark had been, only for it to be missing now that the commotion had died down. This did not cause her to falter any, and she spoke with a level of confidence Loki had not heard from her before.

“I can always tell you another time. For now, I want to catch that teleporting spirit known as ‘Warp’! I have been out of things way too long, need a good shower, and do not wish to stay in this damp place a second longer.”

Once comatose, and now verbose. Loki was not sure which he preferred.

“You seem to be energetic…”

Now, if only he could convince Laufey to not kill her for talking too much.

Author's Note

You Are Here, No Escape

A/N: Special thanks to JBGrim, amethyst blade, Ketvirtas, ZeroInfinity, Fear the Dark, The Batmane of equestria, Killabyte, gakuseiakira, DestructivePwny, Mutie Genic, Evilhumour, Drgnwolf, New Spark, and Scarheart76 for your comments last chapter! Seems that recently the length of a chapter is inversely related to the amount of comments...Anyways, thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by .Hack's "Aura (Evil Version)"

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

Loki and Laufey found themselves following behind Trixie for countless hours with nary a word passed between the three of them except to take note of a new direction the group needed to go. Trixie was using her magic to track the spark, which mixed with her teleportation allowed her to keep right on its tail while Loki and Laufey lumbered behind.

All throughout this though Loki could not help but notice the determined, yet smug, expression on the equine’s face. She certainly seemed much more confident than the nervous wreck he had first encountered while he was locked away in his room.

After seeing her like this long enough, Loki cut the chain of silence and interrupted Trixie’s tireless search.

“You are not acting like yourself.”

Trixie kept searching across the wasteland ahead of him as she returned flippantly.

“You try being trapped in your own mind for who knows, weeks? Months? It is quite irritating! Almost as much as this grim wasteland you have had me stuck in all this time.”

The mare stopped momentarily to poke at the ground absentmindedly, her voice dropping down enough to almost not be heard by Loki.

“I’m just happy to be awake.”

That made sense to Loki...he would be just as energetic if he was given the chance to live again after being comatose for so long. He knew too little about his lover’s protege to really know what was and was not characteristic of her, but he had to admit that he could understand where she was coming from.

Similarly, he had his father pegged. Laufey would do whatever was coldly pragmatic in a situation, though his pride could blind him in some ways...like being double crossed by someone known for double crossing.

With his father in mind, Loki turned back to Laufey with curiosity. He had so much he wanted to ask him, having let go of his hatred of all Frost Giants to some degree. Enough to actually care to ask Laufey about his mother—

Looking back to Laufey revealed to the prince that his father was not even facing the same direction. He was turned around and not moving like all of the others.

Laufey was as itching as Loki to leave this place, so the fact that he was not just marching along stood out to his son, “What has your attention headed the wrong way?”

Laufey snorted before turning back the right way.

“There are two beings following us.”

Loki frowned as he thought about what that could possibly mean. Illidan had disappeared entirely without a trace much like Laufey had appeared, and not even Trixie had picked up a trace of the giant elf’s energy.

Whatever happened to him, he was either far away or out of commission. With no reliable way of tracking him, Loki had begrudgingly went along with the other two. Ikol was squawking on his shoulder about how he did the right thing, but Loki had just been ignoring him. It felt like a betrayal of the Betrayer...

Even if Illidan was one of the ones following them, that still left one other. Was it another of the crazed lost souls searching for the spark? Was it someone hunting them? Loki had no particular inclination to find out by meeting it, so he instead inquired more, “And you know this how?”

“I can hear them. They are coming from the same direction, but one is closer. Neither is particularly large, with each being about your size, Runt.”

That confirmed Loki’s apprehension considering them, “Well then, let us finish this quest before they catch up on the chance they are hostile.”

Laufey smiled for what felt like the first time to himself, “Scared?”

Loki would not let him have the last word before things trailed off into silence once again, “Just smart enough to not fight extraneous battles.”

Laufey left it at that. He could see the small shiver down Loki’s spine.

The mists grew less and less thick during the travel, and with the glow from Trixie’s horn there was truly no issue amongst the three tracking down the sparkling creature. Ahead of the other two, Trixie caught sight of it flittering into the only structure for what had to be kilometers.

Given the seemingly closed nature of the abandoned building, “There it is! It’s trapped itself!”

“Yes, we can tell,” Laufey grunted, nowhere as close to happy as Trixie was. A quick look between Loki and their other companion made Trixie realize something she had not during their lengthy trip.

Still in a more chipper mood, Trixie snickered as the three all rushed towards the building, “Oh, this must be your father, father.”

Loki snorted as he did his best to keep up with her four legged charge, “You are Luna’s, not my own.”

“Close enough.”

That brought another smile to Laufey’s lips, the Frost Giant looking over to his half breed son as they finally reached the open doored building. The structure seemed like an industrial building that one might find on Midgard or in certain areas of Equestria. No windows were noticeable, and from their head on perspective the trio could not notice any other exits.

Laufey briefly stopped to use his magic to form a thick coating of ice over the exit, sealing any from leaving and arriving both. As he did this he could not help but voice the reason for his amusement, “Laying with equines, are we?”

He despised his son, and to hear him stooping to such levels validated that hatred.

Loki regretted being unable to overpower Laufey in this constant flux of power and weakness he was stuck in, and was forced to suffer the indignity while weakly defending himself verbally, “A sentient, intelligent, shapeshifting horse. A very long story I must say, probably enough to fill a series tomes of about ten chapters each.”

Trixie was not about to listen about her princess’s private activities, so she quickly tuned them out, “La la la, I cannot hear you.”

Her words quickly removed Laufey’s smug expression, “I need his aid to leave this place. I do not particularly seek yours, horse, so keep your chatter to a minimum lest I decide that you are better off as sustenance.”

Now inside, the group was met with a series of hallways and corridors. No lights or windows made for a very dark environment, but Laufey and Loki each had experience with traveling in the dark. Trixie’s glowing horn helped alleviate the issue anyways, and Loki always could help contribute if he felt he had the power needed to do so.

Trixie turned around to face Laufey, her face neutral as she lowered her front half to bow. Her voice, however, was anything but neutral as she sarcastically quipped, “Why I would never want to irritate a king such as yourself, though I beg your ear for a moment longer, as I am quite curious as to what Jotunheim is like. I have heard so much about it these past few days, but the word of its king trumps all.”

Laufey could hear her sarcasm, but he replied as if she was actually sincere, “It is colder than a being like you could survive. You need not know anything else.”

Trixie pretended to be taken aback at this, “Is that so? I’m not quite so sure. After all, the Great and Powerful Trixie survived far worse than the cold. Have you ever vanquished an Ursa Major and Minor simultaneously?”

Her statement only annoyed Laufey, who did not take it at its face value, “One cannot destroy a constellation. Not without the Infinity Gauntlet, that is.”

Trixie could see where the disconnect was and quickly went about correcting his lapse in knowledge, “Not the constellation, the animal! Don’t tell me you have never heard of an Ursa Major?”

Laufey found himself taking the bait to show off her ego, genuinely curious about whether or not she was telling the truth at this point, “How large is the creature?”

Her ego now going full force, Trixie sat up and took as much of a refined position as she could. Her horn flickered as she cast a spell to conjure a flat structure a few feet long and wide while also being very thin. This done, images of the Ursa Minor and Major found their way onto it, making the summoned structure act like a television.

“Take any common bear, multiply its size by a hundred, and you have an Ursa Minor. Triple that and you have an Ursa Major!”

Trixie began to play the scene of her killing the beasts, which both helped confirm her story while also making Laufey a bit wary about her.

“And you, a small horse, defeated both of these creatures by yourself?” he questioned. Perhaps he could conquer and use more of these beings if they were so powerful.

Trixie huffed, “Size isn’t everything,” she quickly took an even more indignant pose as she continued on, “And I’m above average height for a pony, thank you very much!”

Looking over the footage being played before him, Laufey found himself slightly impressed. He had no way of knowing if these were fabricated or not, but the way Loki was not contradicting her made him feel as if it had some level of truth.

Laufey turned to Loki as they all resumed searching throughout the darkened corridors, “Runt, it seems your illegitimate child is a more capable combatant than you,” he snorted amusedly as he had another thought, “And is not a runt of her species, like yourself.”

Loki was quick to correct him, “We share no blood, and—”

Trixie cut him off while jabbing a hoof towards a side corridor that had a quick flash go down it, “Quiet, Warp ahead! More important matter to handle!”

While running off towards the brief sighting of light, Trixie had the unfortunate luck of being first. Her charge forward brought her directly into contact with a cobweb, and a shrill yell emitted from her lips as she shivered at stopped her dash.

Laufey shook his head disappointedly, “So easily frightened. And to think you boast of your talents. I doubt you are a tenth of the threat you sell yourself as, even if you do have some arcane talent.”

Feeling a bit humiliated, Trixie gritted her teeth and charged up power in her horn as she turned towards Laufey, “Well, if you need a demonstration…”

Loki could see her new charge directly at Laufey as if it was in slow motion. He wanted to stop it, but was unable to step in the way in time to prevent his allies from tearing one another apart.

Seeing the full frontal attack made Laufey scoff, for he had already prepared a hidden ice blade should he need to fight. He took a swing forward at her just as she entered his reach, “Pathetic—”

The swing of his blade struck through nothing but an illusion, seven more of which split out of it of the same size that quickly surrounded the Frost Giant.

Laufey was unable to tell which one was the real Trixie, and each lunged forward. He felt his legs be taken out from underneath him, while each of the illusions rushed forth with their horn honed in on his abdomen. Just as he managed to comment on the sudden change of events, one horn pierced his abdomen, “What the—”

From behind him the real Trixie growled at Laufey as she dug her horn further into his back, magic glowing off it immensely.

Trixie growled softly as she began to threaten the much larger being. She was not in the mood to deal with threatening monsters again, having had her fair share of those for a lifetime, “I am no murderer, but I have heard you are. One thought and I could kill you, giant. I still have all my powers after all, unlike your son with his floundering abilities.”

On his knees and defeated by a being less than half his size, Laufey growled before spitting out a furious, “Very well.”

Trixie removed her horn before teleporting to be beside Loki, who she quickly leaned on as if she was seeking comfort. Loki granted it to her by not pushing her away and even bringing a hand down to her mane.

Luna had chosen her apprentice well. Basic trickery could go a long way in a fight, so long as talents were used to their fullest capacity.

The blood that was profusely spilling down Laufey’s body did not seem to bother him, and instead he seemed amused by it all. He turned to Loki with this amusement evident on his otherwise cold face, “To think that I would respect a horse more than my own son.”

Loki was quite sure he did not regret slaying Laufey.

With Trixie getting back to being focused on the hunt and Laufey not being the most verbose person, Loki found himself in an uneasy quiet once more. He would normally want to form a plan rather than just keep running on into the unknown, but he had no knowledge of this building and he could not trust Laufey to do anything like split up. He would just take the way out for himself.

Fortunately for Loki, they found themselves into a room where the wisp darted into. The room was not particularly large, but Loki was pleased to see that it had no way out. So long as this being did not activate its teleportation powers, they had it contained.

Laufey froze the room’s one exit shut, and each of the three prepared to approach the floating spark that remained still across from them.

Trixie turned to face Loki with a smile, Luna’s tales of Loki’s talking finesse coming to mind, “You’re up, silver tongue.”

Loki pushed Trixie forward, “You know more about it. I do not wish to misstep and cause it to flee.”

Not happy about being shoved, Trixie rolled her eyes and moved to approach their prize, “Fine, I’ll handle it. I just hope that nickname for you the Princess mentioned once came from your speaking abilities…”

She cleared her throat and spoke to it in as much of a diplomatic voice as she could muster, “Spark known as Warp, heed our request. We—”

A disembodied voice rang through the room, though it was easy to assume that its origin was the floating orb, “Not Sky…who you?”

The broken response made Trixie uneasy, as she was beginning to realize that the creature might not be in the most fit of minds, “Uhhhh…”

Laufey groaned as he watched the equine already bungle things, “Why are you calling it that odd name?”

Trixie did not appreciate the commentary and quickly grew exasperated, “That’s what Hela told me it was! The cold witch could not stop going on and on about it, and to be honest it became irritating that she was explaining to me a way out of this mess while I was unable to do anything about it.”

What she said caught Loki’s attention more than their current situation, “Who is this ‘Hela’?”

Trixie turned away from the floating spark and to Loki with a frown, “Tall, ivory skin like yours, black mane, likes black cloaks, sadistic, shapeshifts to different ages…” she paused before shrugging, “She says you have met and are quite familiar.”

Hela...things began to click in Loki’s mind. He wasn’t sure he wanted them to do so, but they were.

Loki tried to repress the thoughts so that he could focus on the important matter at hand, “We have, only I have known her by the name Lady Death. Go on.”

“Go bots…” the disembodied voice piped up again, its voice weakly trailing off.

“He said go on,” Trixie smugly corrected, “Anyways, she said that this being can teleport and has cross dimensional capabilities now thanks to some meddling a god of chaos like Discord did. He can transport between worlds, like Discord, and is our ticket home.”

Laufey nodded to that, but he wanted more, “And how do we make him take us back to our worlds?”

Trixie shrugged as she tried to remember what she could from her dreams, “He apparently hates bugs with a fiery passion. Tell him that the bugs are at a certain place, and that’s where he’ll go even if he can’t logically do anything!”

This information allowed Loki to take the initiative now, no longer willing to let Trixie fail at speaking to their ticket out of this world, “Wandering spirit not known as Sky, there is an infestation of insects on my realm. I require your aid to seek out and eliminate them, as do my companions.”

The response was less than coherent, “Bug—shell—BOMB—shot—kick...”

Trixie frowned, “Is that a yes?”

Neither Loki or Laufey could give their opinions on the matter in time before the floating electrical ball began to glow a light purple. The purple quickly expanded to the area around the ball as well, and soon it created an aura throughout about half the room in a radius around the odd creature.

Trixie’s eyes lit up at the sight of this happening, which in turn made the others feel more confident about the otherwise alarming event, “There it is! In just a few minutes we’ll be free of this forsaken world!”

As the light slowly grew brighter and brighter Loki felt the air in the room chill immensely. He did not need to turn to know that there was now another being in the room, one whom was not invited but who would do as she pleased anyways.

“You again.”

Loki’s voice was nearly a growl as much as he tried to tone it down. He had just pieced together something that made him feel as if bile was coming up his throat.

No-one seemed to want to speak given the tense look on Loki, but Lady Death approached him from behind with her hood masking her face once again. She stopped just outside the aura, which itself ended right after Loki and Laufey. Laufey gave the two some space, more intent on seeing how this would play out than actually participating.

Loki continued to speak as his thoughts from before began to flood to his mouth, “You travel through time. Bridge worlds together. Have a vendetta against me, as well as the deadweight.”

She nodded to him, though the mute woman made no noise. This only fed Loki’s anger more, and he continued on with his growing description of the woman.

“You can speak in dreams. You can enter dreams, something almost wholly unique to a certain being I know.”

With that, Lady Death reached back and pulled her hood down. Her pearly white skin glowed in the light of the room, though the purple lights from both Trixie and the spark made her appear a light purple herself. This was except for the dark green half mask that covered her face still, its pointed edges giving it a fearsome appearance to match her twisted appearance.

Loki narrowed his eyes to observe her further, finding himself surprised that he did not notice certain things earlier as he looked over her face and neck, “Your magic is dark in color, much like Luna’s in her Nightmare form. It also has a flair of green, much like my own aura.”

“Here you bring together lost souls with questionable moralities and ideals. A world of greyness that is both figurative and literal,” Loki paused again to clear his throat, “I do not know why you do not talk, but I think I know who and what you are now.”

As if to humor him further, Lady Death took a hand to her mask to remove the mask that concealed her important features. She took her time removing it, but when she did it took another moment for both Loki and Trixie to respond at all.

For Trixie it was simply a gasp of shock at seeing a face identical to the one Luna wore in her humanoid form, for Loki it was the shock of having his suspicions confirmed.

“I do not know if you are from my reality originally, but given that you seem to enjoy my torment more than Ikol’s, I can assume as much,” Loki paused again before saying an important name for the first time, “Hela.”

Laufey’s throat rumbled as he shot a death glare at Loki, “Your posturing is quite irritating. The both of you.”

“She despises you as much as me. Why do you think she has been stringing you along all this time?” Loki looked between Hela and Laufey, “Say hello to your possible granddaughter. She is not the kind of person you should be rude to.”

That shut Laufey up quickly.

Loki used the silence to continue his own rant, “Thanos is obsessed with death, and you embody it. The reason he brought me here was that you asked him to using the same method you spoke to Trixie, her dreams. You can talk through them to whomever you please, you just enjoy messing with others more.”

His fists clenched, “It begs the question as to why you did not just kill me yourself, since I assume you can leave this realm on a whim,” Loki brought one hand up to his neck, unfurling it so that he could run it over his neck, “Or why you did not just have him snap my neck instead of dragging me here.”

Trixie cleared her throat to draw attention to herself, “I wasn’t going to mention it, but unlike me…” she averted her eyes as Loki looked to her, “Well, you kinda already are dead.”

Loki’s heart sank figuratively upon hearing that, but he decided to speak aloud his thoughts on it anyways, “That would explain the lack of need for food, and why my wounds are not healing…” he turned back to Hela, whose Luna-esque face remained expressionless and ever impassive, “But I am alive enough to do some things. Undead, maybe. I should research the topic more upon returning to Asgard.”

“But, then again, while I assume you could alter my state, I do believe you want me this way. What possible purpose could this alteration have? Keep me from regaining my magic abilities through rest?”

The woman in black lifted a finger to point at Loki. Out of it shot forth a faded green beam that brought warmth and a feeling of strength to where it touched Loki, revealing another piece of his puzzle.

Loki frowned at her with pursed lips, “You were the one powering me. My my, you are quite the fickle woman. Playing both sides of all my conflicts and letting everyone else involved suffer,” Loki laughed a little as he thought more about the situation he found himself in, “This world makes little logical sense because you are the one in complete control of it, and you are a disturbed being whose sadomasochism is astounding.”

“What was that about not being rude?” Laufey called back.

Before Loki could tell his father to be quiet, Trixie interjected, “Sorry to interrupt you, but I think we’re about to go!”

Indeed, the purple glow around them was almost blinding as it continued to build. Loki brought a hand up to his shoulder where he made sure Ikol still stood, and was pleased to find that his alternate self was as interested in leaving as he was.

Loki could feel his body begin to shift, a feeling that usually was instant when he teleported rather than dragged out. He had no idea if this would kill him, but he had a feeling that it would not matter much given who his future daughter apparently was.

Beside him Trixie was just ecstatic about being able to leave, “Once we get back nothing’s going to stop me from proving myself to be the most powerful Unicorn once I return! Nopony is going to stop me—”

The wall beside them erupted as a powerful burst of magic burst through it. While Loki, Trixie, and Laufey all were surprised and turned to face whatever just busted down the entire wall, Hela only smiled at them before disappearing in a black and green mist.

Loki recognized the body that quickly dashed through the opening, what with its sickly skin and long elf ears. The giant crystal lodged through their chest remained from when Loki first saw the dying, starved elf.

“That being—”

It passed straight through the spark and grabbed Trixie by the face, its palm clenching on her muzzle as the half naked elf screamed madly, “Magic! Power!”

“Damnit, no!”

Loki moved to react to the sudden assault, but a surge of magic knocked him across the room and into the ice Laufey had set up before. As his back slammed against the frozen water, Loki managed to catch sight of Trixie’s own energy surging from her body and into the gripping palm of the assailant.

“Power...overwhelming!” the crazed, pale elf cackled. Loki wished that Illidan was there to prevent this, as he would have seen this coming with his special sight. Loki cursed the taller elf for not being there, but in the split moment it took him to do so the purple in the room faded and everything faded into darkness.

The others were gone, and Loki found himself alone once again.

Author's Note

So Proud Of You

A/N: Special thanks to JBGrim, Scarheart, gakuseiakira, GlassFloors, ZeroInfinity, DestructivePwny, Ketvirtas, Evilhumour, Drgnwolf, Killabyte, New Spark, and The Batmane of equestria for your comments last chapter...kinda...since I had to ask most of you to do it after nobody did it for a couple days... :twilightsheepish: Anyways, thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Celestia's Ballad from MLP.

Also, if you could stop by my recent blog post and leave your ideas/thoughts that would help me a lot with all of my writing!

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

After Trixie recovered her strength enough to get up, things moved from the medical wing to the only other area held by Frigga’s resistance forces. With its easily defended entrance and location by the outside of the castle, the stalls where they kept their mounts were the only place Frigga could wrest control of other than the medical center, which supported itself through healing the troops stationed there.

While Luna went off to speak with the remaining troops and devise a plan of attack, Frigga approached Trixie who was standing away from the couple dozen others located there. The stalls only had people, no animals, but that was not the reason Trixie was feeling somewhat out of it.

“How are you feeling, dear?” Frigga questioned her, noticing that Trixie was staring off into space as all the others spoke to one another with purpose and interest.

Upon being spoken to Trixie shook her head and smiled up at Frigga, who Trixie came in at about the waist of, “Much better…different, but better.”

When she said the word ‘better’, Trixie lit her horn up. Instead of her usual purple tinge, the magic was a violet with hints of aqua green. Trixie frowned temporarily before shaking that off and powering down her magic, “My magic feels and looks different, but so long as I have it I don’t really care.”

Frigga could see that Trixie was just acting tough, but she did not want to press the issue and get off to the wrong foot with this technical grandchild of hers, “I am glad to hear you are doing well. If there is anything I can do for you, do not hesitate to ask.”

Trixie appreciated the effort and nodded to Frigga politely, “Thank you,” no longer dazed and the tingling sensation throughout her body having died down, Trixie observed for the first time their current location, “Now, what is this place? Your ‘stalls’ did you say? For cows or some other animal?”

“Horses, actually,” Frigga grimaced. She would have appreciated the irony if not for their foe’s sick sense of humor, “At least until Lorelei had them butchered in the chaos of everything to act as an insult to your mother before she even arrived.”

Trixie paused to blink. A moment later her jaw dropped, followed a second later by a growl.

“She…” Trixie closed her mouth to speak through gritted teeth, “She just killed them?”

Frigga nodded solemnly to the young mare, “They were not sentient like yourself, but yes, she had them killed. We wrested control of this place from her, but it was already too late,” the normally reserved and kind Queen balled her fists in anger as she thought back to the atrocities committed these past days, “Lorelei is a monster who would go so far as to lay with my husband and son to mock me as I am helpless to stop her. In a fight I could defeat her, but I am not young enough to get past her guards.”

Trixie looked around the stalls for inspiration. It was time to perform, only this time lives were on the line, “Well then we need a way to get around all of that…”

Trixie’s attention was caught by a large mounted piece of leather that had a familiar shape, but Trixie had no idea as to what it actually was, “What’s this?”

“That is a large saddle my son Thor once used to tame some wild beasts. It was made to tame any animal it is placed upon. It has been too long for me to remember why or how he used it, but I think two giant rams were involved.”

That made Trixie pause. It could control an animal…did that mean any animal?

“So if I put it on someone they will be controlled?” Trixie asked Frigga with a hint of the idea brewing in her blue furred head.

Frigga shook her head and smiled to Trixie, thinking the mare to have misheard her, “It is for animals, my dear. Not people.”

Trixie shook her head back and pointed a hoof to Frigga and then herself, “But I’m an animal. You’re an animal. That Elf that drained my power is an animal. Just different kinds, if the bits of biology I’ve learned over the years are true.”

Frigga blinked as she realized that Trixie had just come up with something ingenius that no Asgardian had even thought of despite owning the artifact.

“You know, I have not thought of it through that way,” Frigga nodded as she began to see where Trixie’s mind was going with this, “What are you suggesting though? That we use it on Lorelei? It seems an inch or two too big for her.”

“Maybe so, but that’s not what I was thinking,” Trixie turned towards the exit and smiled, “How about we test it with what we have available to us?”

After Trixie had laid out her plan and successfully used the harness on its intended target, Luna allowed herself to become a part of said plan. It was a sound idea and Luna trusted Trixie to follow through with her own side of it.

Luna’s part was to do exactly as she was intending to anyways: teleport directly into the throne room as her Asgardian form and draw attention to herself before causing Hel to break loose.

The normally pristine room was covered in armor, bodies, and blood. Not only this, it was covered with the guards who Luna once humiliated, now in various states of undress, along with their king Odin, who sat beside Lorelei like a dog might its master. Luna felt anger swell within her at the indignity of it all.

Across the throne room was an auburn haired woman with skin almost as pale as Luna’s own. She was clad in a black dress, or rather she would have been if she was not currently being undressed by Thor.

After a small moan the woman atop the throne seemed to notice Luna, at which point she shooed Thor away and tried to pull her lower garments back up, “Welcome to my throne room—”

Luna blanched as she looked at the woman who was enslaving and raping the brother of Luna’s own lover, “You are disgusting.”

The half dressed Thor moved to get in-between Lorelei and Luna while Lorelei herself only laughed at Luna’s comment, “I am sorry, have we met before? Have I by chance taken a lover of yours at some point?”

Luna smirked as she thought about having Loki to herself now, “No. Loki rests well out of your clutches.”

The witch atop the throne beckoned Odin to stand up and join his son, the king doing so without a word. The guards around the room joined him slowly, all of them missing various pieces of their regal armor or even all of it.

“Ahh, yes, you must be that foreign princess of the horses I heard about. What an odd title. I hope you found the stalls to your liking. I think I might have you stay there and have you become acquainted with some stall keepers very closely when I am finished with you. You are the princess of horses I do hear.”

Luna resisted the urge to not just kill her. It was quite tempting, especially as Lorelei dug herself deeper and deeper every word she spoke.

Lorelei brought a hand to her chest, where her black dress was partially ripped and her breast revealed its upper half, “Now, how about I introduce myself? I am Lorelei, queen of Asgard and ruler of all men.”

Her words brought Luna’s eyes to become slits, “You mean enslaver and rapist, you poor excuse for an Asgardian.”

Before Lorelei could speak back, Luna brought a hand to her own chest and increased her volume as per the Royal Canterlot Voice, “Let me introduce myself. I am Princess Luna, ruler of Equestria, actual heir to Asgard, heir to Jotunheim, and mistress of the night, moon, and sleep itself. Known to some as a Nightmare, which I will soon demonstrate to you.”

Lorelei snorted at Luna while calling a guard to her side, who she ordered to continue where Thor left off, “Bravo. I can see why Loki can find some enjoyment in you. You’re quite the arrogant, meloooo-dramatic woman.”

“I am arrogant?” Luna snarked, not believing her eyes that this disgusting creature was sleeping with one of her brainwashed men as Luna was speaking to her.

“Yoooou boast of your laundry list of titles and being supppposedly scary, but I don’t see any proof of that power,” Lorelei snapped her fingers as she let out another moan, “You will see firsthand my own. Boys, beat her half to death and tie her up. Looks like you’ll have some new meat.”

As the guards, Thor, and Odin surrounded Luna the princess addressed Lorelei a final time, “When I finish handling these poor souls, I will make you regret how you have humiliated this family and their people.”

Lorelei let out an insane cackle alongside another moan, this one deeper, “And whennnuh—I—uh—have him dismember your body I will!—See what fun I can have with your fiancé,” Lorelei patted a hand on the arm of the throne, “You will be here to witness it, until I have him kill you as slowly, as intimately as I can have him.”

Completely disgusted, Luna turns to face her actual foes. This was another reason she went along with Trixie’s plan: a chance to kick Odin in the face and be justified, even if there were simpler plans that could be done, was worth whatever extra effort was required. Odin mistreated Loki far too much for Luna to forgive him, at least yet, and so this was to be quite therapeutic for the princess.

Still, fighting the famed powerhouse of Asgard Odin was not likely to be easy. She would need to cast aside her false form and return to her more powerful pony body if she desired to defeat Odin, Thor, and their guards. Luckily they were all under the same handicap that Heimdall and the others were afflicted with, as normally this would be impossible odds.

Lorelei cried out and began to laugh as she gazed upon Luna’s transformation, “An actual horse? Or should I say whorse? Loki has some interesting kinks I’ll be sure to keep in mind.”

As she finished her flash transformation, Luna looked straight at Odin and stared the King straight in his distant eyes.

“I do not know if you can truly hear me, but know that I am both sorry and unapologetic for this. Sorry I will bring harm to you, but unapologetic otherwise because it must be done if I am to free you.”

Sure she was half lying, but this covered her for later in case she needed to explain having beaten him into the floor so hard that he would break it.

Finding a way to stall for time and do that simultaneously was going to be the difficult part.

As Luna confronted the guards, Lorelei found her newest lust filled session interrupted by yet another flash and appearance of a newcomer. This one appeared right before the throne, well behind the chaos that erupted in the center of the room as Luna drew the attention of all the others present.

“And what is this?”

Trixie finished her teleportation with a shot from her horn which knocked the guard attending to Lorelei off the throne and down its steps after he stumbled first. She followed this up with a bow, and she had to fight a smug smile from appearing on her face.

“I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. Student and adopted daughter of Princess Luna.”

Lorelei once again made a small attempt to make herself modest, though in the end her black dress was too damaged from what appeared to be tears to actually do its job in covering her. After trying this she stood up to stare Trixie down, displeased to have been interrupted once again, “Another horse. Does Frigga have no better warriors to put against me and my minions?”

“I would not act so haughty. That is reserved for those who deserve it, you disgusting,” Trixie paused for a moment as she shuddered, “—lustful, psychopath.”

Lorelei rolled her eyes at the blue horse, “And you have no blood on your hands?”

“Hooves, and no, I do not,” Trixie corrected with a hint of pride, “I have not taken any lives that were not in defense of my fellow pony. You, however, force men to commit sick acts of violence and perversion. Hardly on the same level as a hero such as myself.”

Lorelei shook her head in exasperation, “And what are you here to do, great and powerful hero? Talk me to death? I seem to be in no peril since you have arrived.”

Trixie meets her foe’s exasperation with a big grin, “That is quite correct, but that is only because I have not been trying to kill you. I am only here to keep you occupied you while my teacher defeats your guard.”

“As if that will ever—”

“She will defeat them. The question is whether you will be awake to see it or not,” Trixie’s voice became both threatening and smug as she turned to the side of the throne, where she felt comfortable letting go of her illusion magic.

At once Trixie’s horn began to glow and a figure appeared beside Lorelei. Trixie had placed an illusion over herself to mask her magic usage, and had also been spending the whole conversation working on the very hard task of teleporting her experiment in and masking their presence as well.

Lorelei’s eyes bulged as she noticed all of a sudden the appearance of a deathly pale, blonde elf whose lower body was covered in some kind of robe while his upper body was wrapped tightly in some leather that seems to have been shaped to him. A glowing crystal poked out of his chest cavity in a disturbing fashion, and his glowing green eyes caused the witch to feel fear for the first time in ages.

As Lorelei tried to launch herself away from the Elf as he slowly approached, Trixie spoke to her servant, “Alive, Elf. Drain her of her tainted magic and leave her with none at all.”

“As you command,” his crazed voice responded, his body still lumbering as the near-zombie homed in on the witch.

Despite losing face, Lorelei still attempted to put an air of confidence on, “You think this Elf can disobey me? Fool!” she stopped retreating away and instead smiled to the foreign being while bringing a hand to his sickly face, “Elf, my dear, would you dismember this petite horse for me?”

He made no reaction to her touch, though he did respond to her verbally, “I will obey my master.”

That made Lorelei regain her actual confidence, and the witch turned to face Trixie, “Very good. Now—”

“Mana!” the Elf screeched as he grabbed the witch by the throat and in the same movement slammed her into the ground. An aura began to form around him as different lights were pulled off of Lorelei as she choked on the ground.

“Mmmpf!” she tried to cry out, only for him to place his other hand on her mouth as she attempted so.

Trixie just sat where she was in glee as her plan worked out as expected, “See this odd leather vest he is wearing? It is a special harness that binds him to my will and my will alone. He will obey me and no other, not even his own desires. You control men through their desires, and so I trump your trickery with an even higher level of magic.”

Seeing power surge from Lorelei to the Elf made Trixie quite amused with herself, having come up with the idea of removing Lorelei’s powers without killing her which would allow them to question her, “I could get used to this. Too bad I am not fond of enslaving other, lesser, races,” she turned to look at her current servant, “Lucky you, Elf.”

Magic stopped leaving Lorelei’s body and a new, almost transparent energy began to replace it. Trixie assumed that this was her life energy now being drained, so she waited a few moments before reminding the Elf not to slay their captive.

All sounds of combat faded elsewhere in the room, the source of the whole mess having been defeated. The soldiers, Thor, and Odin all collapsed, no longer being willed to fight beyond their limits.

Free to see how her apprentice was doing, Luna turned to see Trixie picking Lorelei up into the air with magic and into the arms of the Elf who seemed to be sparking with magical energies.

The victory had been flawless and had resulted in zero casualties, and now the witch would no longer have access to her sick powers. Luna could not think of a more fitting ending to the crisis.

“I am proud of you, Trixie.”

Trixie turned back to face her teacher with starry eyes. Hearing the praise meant everything to her, and to have the chance to prove herself and earn her praise made Trixie more happy than she would ever admit to anyone.

Luna continued to speak while nodding her head to the door, “Now, let us take her and put her back in a cell where she will await her punishment. You and I have work ahead of us back in Equestria.”

Trixie bowed, “As you wish, princess.”

Receiving such formality from Trixie made Luna’s heart fall a little after everything they have been through, “I have the paperwork in order to make it so you no longer have to call me that. I just needed you and your consent.”

What Luna was saying made Trixie clam up instantly. The idea that she could call her something less formal…that would mean that she would be of a rank and nobility to do just that, “Princess…”

Trixie gulped and averted her eyes from Luna, who had been approaching her until they were only a foot apart, “I…I’m sorry if I put you in a weird spot after I fought the Ursas. That was wrong of me. I just…”

Luna brought a hoof up to Trixie’s face to both comfort her and to wipe away the tear that had dripped down it. In Trixie’s time gone Luna had beat herself up over her moment of neglect that drove her to such a drastic action as confronting an Ursa in its own cave.

The harsh reaction to being neglected had its roots in Trixie’s life before she became the stage magician that would become famous, and the details still made Luna furious and wince at the very thought of them.

“I have taken a look at your history,” Trixie gasped as Luna paused, though the princess picked up again quickly in reaction to the noise Trixie made, “You need not be upset. I understand that you have not truly had a mother figure, and if you need me to be that for you that is what I will do.”

Luna brought Trixie into an embrace and nuzzled her face into the top of Trixie’s own face, which became burrowed in Luna’s black fur.

“I will expect no less of you. In fact, I may expect even more,” Luna joked with a serious tone.

“Have the Equestria Games happened yet?” Trixie mumbled into Luna.

Those had fallen off Luna’s mind the moment she arrived at Asgard, but she now had a reason to focus on them once again, “No, and our first business when we return is to prepare you for them. I have lost track of time and for all I know it could be tomorrow.”

“I will do my best, Princess Luna.”

Luna’s smile became a tinge more sinister as she thought ahead to what she had planned oh so long ago, “With your talent you will win. And when you do, I have something special in mind. The show of a lifetime.”

Author's Note

Also, if you could stop by my recent blog post ( http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/366602/please-read-your-thoughts-please ) and leave your ideas/thoughts that would help me a lot with all of my writing!

I'm Not Going Down

A/N: Special thanks to The Batmane of equestria, Lars, The Grim Reaper, Scarheart, Kamunari, Evilhumour, DestructivePwny, digital_light, New Spark, GlassFloors, and Ketvirtas for your comments last chapter. Weird that I can't thank Drgnwolf and Killabyte for the first time in perhaps ever...Anyways, thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by "Im Not Going Down" from Beyblade.

Also, if you could stop by my recent blog post and leave your ideas/thoughts that would help me a lot with all of my writing!

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

Luna decided to leave Thor and Odin where they lay in the throne room, only taking Trixie and Lorelei with her when she left the place she one day hoped to rule from. It took her until the moment just before teleporting to also bring the Elf.

She found Lady Frigga in the medical wing, where the Queen had likely thought that she would have to tend to someone’s wounds. Luckily for all involved there was no real bloodshed or otherwise Luna would have brought the wounded with her as well.

As Frigga rushed to their side upon their entrance, Luna tossed the unconscious Lorelei off her back and onto the hard floor, “Here is your prisoner.”

“You did it,” Frigga knew not whether to be surprised or not with this outcome, though her mind quickly moved to a more important topic as she looked down at the defeated witch, “Are Thor and Odin okay?”

“Of course. All I did was force them back with just enough magic to keep them from touching me. The equivalent of holding your hoof out to a child’s forehead to keep them from getting to you. Her control of them seemed to dim the men in general.”

“Very well. Now that this is over, will you stay?”

Luna turned to face Trixie, who was in turn looking up to her as her new ‘pet’ Elf sat beside her. There was a long standing plan concerning Trixie that Luna needed to put back on track, so sadly she knew she had to depart Asgard as soon as possible.

Luna shook her head no to the Queen, “We have something to accomplish back in Equestria. However, if Loki does wake up, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

Frigga smiled to the foreign princess, “Of course.”

“Do not hesitate to also reach out if something else arises,” Luna smiled, “Or to reach out to Thor’s allies on Midgard, whom I assume can help you in this time of need.”

Frigga snorted, “My husband would balk at the idea of receiving outside aid, but our forces are in ruins and he is in no position to deny it.”

Luna could understand why one might take that viewpoint, but she was not above utilizing every tool in her arsenal, “Look for a man known as Tony Stark. He is rich and a genius, supposedly, as well as one of the more trustworthy humans I came across.”

“I will take that advice. Be well in your time away. I am sure Loki will look forward to seeing you soon.”

It took much convincing for Trixie to leave her Elf behind. She said she wanted to find a way to make him give her the magic he stole back, but Luna talked her down with the knowledge that he lost whatever he had taken. Burned it off as if it was a single calorie. They instead left him with the Asgardians, who had dealt with Elves before and who might be able to assist his ailments.

Their first stop upon returning to Equestria with the aid of the freed, and apologetic, Heimdall was to stop by the throne room, where Celestia sat atop the giant throne as she looked through mounds and mounds of paperwork.

“Celestia, when are the Equestria Games again?” Luna nonchalantly asked, as if she had not been missing for a few hours.

Celestia peeked over her paper, “Oh, Luna, you’re back. Just in time! I was just about to leave for them now after this last bit of work.”

Luna tried to hide whatever shock she felt from her face. She had spent so much time planning for the event that she had completely forgotten that it was already about to begin!

Not as embarrassed as her teacher, Trixie bowed down as she stood beside Luna, “Princess.”

From her seat Celestia looked down at the young blue mare with some surprise, “It is good to see you again, Trixie. Did you just return?”

Trixie gave a polite nod, completely averting her eyes to the ground instead of making eye contact with her superior, “Yes, princess.”

“It is good to have you back,” Celestia smiled at them both while putting down her papers, “Today is just an opening ceremony, so no need to rush, but I would still get there as soon as possible. It is already afternoon after all.”

Luna gave Trixie a nervous look, but Trixie just smiled back at her. She felt great even though she had been out of commission for months. Better than she did when she was first hurt, in fact.

Trixie’s confidence made Luna calmer. Maybe the original plan she had would not possible to accomplish, but getting out there and at least showing the pony world just how talented Trixie was would be enough.

It was only a brief travel to the Crystal Empire with Luna’s flying drawn carriage, it being pulled right alongside Celestia’s own. Inside Trixie felt her nerves crop up momentarily, only to be steeled by the performer’s experienced side. She could handle this. She just needed to not make a fool of herself.

Luna had her attention focused on a box she had brought with her in the carriage. She had wanted this to be planned out and to work exactly as she designed it, but now her aspirations about having Trixie snatch the crowd’s attention as the winner of the games, and also redeem herself to them in the process, were shattered.

The introduction ceremony was boring to the two of them with everything each had on their minds, even though they were watching from the prestigious booth reserved for Princesses and their guests. Also present was Celestia, Twilight, Twilight’s parents, and Princess Cadance with her husband Shining Armor.

After the ceremony’s proceedings both Luna and Trixie agreed to rest for the night. They had quite the busy day, and they needed it.

Before seeing Trixie off at her guest room at the Crystal palace of the kingdom, Luna brought the box she had in the carriage to Trixie’s attention.

“Trixie, I had something made for you in case…” she almost choked up as she thought about everything that happened to Trixie, “In case you returned.”

Trixie took with her magic the completely black box with its indigo ribbons tying it together. The box was quite large, though it did not feel as heavy as it would appear to. As if it was mostly hollow.

With an approving nod from Luna, Trixie went about unwrapping the box and removing the contents. Her purple eyes lit up and her jaw dropped at the sight of the contents, Trixie even taking a step back as she tried to form words and regain her composure.

“I—I don’t know what to say,” Trixie stammered as she looked at the objects before her. The first was a hat identical to her original purple one, though it was now black with yellow emblems on it of the stars and moon.

To match was a cape quite similar to her original, albeit made from a nicer and softer material and was similarly made black with yellow emblems. The broach that clamped the two sides together was made of solid gold, and Trixie could not help but be amazed by its beauty.

In addition to the replacements to her torn and destroyed old performing clothes was an entirely new wardrobe. A black version of the same chest guard that Luna wore in her Nightmare Moon form with Trixie’s cutie mark as the symbol front and center. Also included were the metal greaves that Luna also wore, though similarly they were black.

In total this outfit made Trixie the exact reflection of her teacher and maternal figure, who stood tall in her black fur and blue clothing.

Trixie felt her eyes watering as she finished going over the details of the gift granted to her, “Thank you Princess.”

Trixie went straight for wrapping her new cape around herself, all the while neatly placing everything sans her hat back in the box. Her hat floated over until she was sure her cape was secure, at which point she placed her new black cap on her head.

Luna gave an amused sigh as she looked down at Trixie and noticed something about her hat, “It seems you have grown just a little, but we can have that tailored later.”

Trixie had not noticed that she had grown any. Had she? “Of course,” Trixie sighed as well as she felt the nice fabrics against her and remembered this feeling, “It is good to have my wardrobe once again.”

“You look sharp. Hopefully your skills still are, despite the time lapse.”

That made the apprentice shrug, since she really was feeling fine, “I feel a bit funny, but I was one of the best before and I’m not going to let you down now.”

Luna knelt down to nuzzle heads with Trixie, “Just do your best. I know how much you have been through, so know that you do not need to prove anything to me. You have already shown me enough.”

Trixie returned the affectionate gesture, though she giggled in addition to it, “If I do win though, can I still issue the challenge?”

It took Luna a moment to respond, but after some thought she nodded yes, “Of course. Just handle things like we spoke about before.”

“I will. Third time’s the charm.”

“This is your fifth if my counting is correct.”

“Oh, yeah. Whoops.”

Before standing back up Luna gave her student a kiss on the cheek, “Let us give the ponies of Equestria the best show they have had in years. Have a good rest, and remember to just do your best tomorrow. That’s all anypony could expect of you.”

As Luna turned to leave her, Trixie tried to respond but her word choice choked her up as she attempted to do so, “Goodnight, Prin…Mo…”

She’d prove to everyone tomorrow that she deserved to say that last word fully. All she had to do was prove that she was the best there was, bar Celestia, Luna, and Cadance.

Trixie fell asleep confident and secure for the first time in what felt like years.

Luna met with the other VIP guests in their special section to oversee events the next day. She honestly could care less about how the proceedings went at first, but after some watching she found herself being drawn into them and even cheering before realizing what she was doing and stopping herself.

She was here for Trixie and only for Trixie. Getting distracted might make her miss something.

As the field in the sport stadium was set to hold the magical events Celestia cleared her throat to draw Luna’s attention.

“I am so glad that your student is able to participate, Luna. It is quite the honor for her.”

Luna kept watching but nodded all the same to her sister, “So am I. Having her back is my largest concern though. Her and Loki returning has lifted so much grief off my chest.”

The mention that Loki had returned in addition to Trixie made Celestia breath a sigh of relief on Luna’s behalf, “I’m so happy for you.”

Luna was surprised to see how quickly a stage and the objects could be placed by the Unicorns, though she was sure she could do it even faster by herself.

She felt herself grow giddy at the thought of what she was about to watch. All she wanted to see was Trixie do her best, “Thank you, Tia, but shhhh, the show is beginning.”

Celestia listened to her as the contestants walked out and made themselves noticed. A representative from every major town in Equestria stood before them except for some rural areas that had no true Unicorn presence.

The crowd took quick notice of Trixie in her black cape and hat standing with the other four Canterlot contestants.

“Is that Trixie?”

“Woah, I think it is!”

“Where did she go all these months?”

“I heard she fought and beat a pack of Ursas!”

“I heard that she went to the hospital and was comatose instead!”

“I totally forgot she was on the team. Is she even any good?”

“She has to be if she’s defeated Ursas and lived to tell the tale! They’re displaying the paw of one of them in a museum in Canterlot now!”

Celestia spoke up again with a gentle tone, “Ponies seem to have warmed up to her.”

Luna smiled at her sister’s words, happy to see this side of Celestia and happy to see that what she was seeing was true. Trixie did not seem to be reviled as she once was.

Still, Luna could not say the same about herself, and so engaged in some brief self pity, “I wish the same could be said for me.”

Celestia brought a hoof around her sister’s shoulder briefly to rub it just enough to comfort her, “That time will come, Luna.”

The voice of the announcer cut any further conversation between the two off, as Luna became solely focused on the competition and what was happening in it.

“Let the competition begin! First, we will begin with a display of the best each magician has to offer!”

Luna found herself balking at the displays of most ponies, especially since she had seen Trixie do a spectacular one of these back at the tryouts. Similarly, when Trixie’s turn came up to perform again, she did not disappoint. Her fireworks, teleportation magic, and massed illusions captured the awe of all the stadium and Luna could smile smugly at the sight of Twilight’s jaw dropping.

“Woah, look at those fireworks!” a foal in the crowd yelled.

“And there are so many of her doing them! Are those illusions?”

Celestia smiled to Luna again, “I think she has this one.”

“This is not the one I am worried about,” Luna shook her head as she remembered their last time going through these events, “Nor is the next.”

The third part was the part that ruined things for Trixie. That made her lose and be driven to confront Ursas on her own.

After all the ponies finished their performances in the first round and received their scores Luna was pleased to note that Trixie was the only one to have received a perfect score that round.

Next was the second round: shooting spread out, stationary targets within a very short time limit. Trixie had proven skilled at this before, so Luna had no worries.

When Trixie’s turn came up the apprentice quickly went about teleporting between them all and firing at them, and for every one she shot at she hit them directly through their bullseye. However, while firing at her second last target Trixie realized her last one was suspended partially in the air, and thus not somewhere she could teleport for an accurate strike.

Instead of chance missing her one allowed shot at it in midair, Trixie instead used her power to shoot straight through her current target. This surprised the crowd who had been slowly warming to her throughout her time out in the field, though her next action surprised them even more.

Trixie’s purple magic stopped streaming forward and instead cut at a ninety degree angle up into the air until it reached the height of the target. Once doing so it bent again, letting out a spark of black and green as it sailed straight into the bullseye of the target.

All of the ponies in the VIP box were stunned at the complete control of the magic displayed.

Cadance was the first to speak, not knowing Trixie well enough to know if she could or could not do such a feat easily, “Oh my, that was impressive. Did you teach her that Luna?”

Luna looked back to her with a slightly shocked face, “I can contort magic like that, but rarely have to,” she shook her head before looking back to Trixie, “No, I didn’t teach her that.”

The judges observed her marks on the targets, and after brief deliberation her new score was placed on the board.

Luna felt her mouth continue to drop as she witnessed it, her mouth speaking what her mind was having trouble believing, “Still a perfect score.”

Despite all she had suffered, Trixie had come back strong, and the crowd was loving it. Far from being the rich snobs of Canterlot, many did not care to demean Trixie anyways, and seeing her perform so spectacularly was exciting to them all. Cheers of her name began to ring out amongst the crowds, to which Luna found herself almost crying.

Still, she had not won yet. One final hurdle remained in her path…and it happened to be the one that stumbled her previously.

“It may not save her in this final competition if the others do anywhere near decently…”

It was a competition of strength, something Luna knew Trixie not to have in abundance. She had to knock a target as far back as she could in a single strike.

Luna closed her eyes as all the ponies lined up and prepared to fire at their targets. She did not want to watch Trixie humiliate herself, and she even flipped her ears back as far as they could go to try and hide them from the inevitable laughter.

After a moment she was surprised to hear the chanting of Trixie’s name still continuing. Luna opened her eyes to see that Trixie had shot her target across the entire field and through a wall on the other side, more than triple the distance of the next farthest shot target.

“And you were worried,” Celestia joked to Luna, who found herself continually amazed with Trixie. Was this the result of Luna lending her some of her own power? She had only replaced what Trixie had originally, so she shouldn’t be any more powerful than she was previously…

Luna’s eyes narrowed as she looked down at Trixie. She was standing at just under the height of many of the stallions around her, much taller than her previously above average height for a mare. Trixie was so much smaller than Luna that Luna had not really noticed the growth.

Frigga had said there might be some changes…were these results of those changes, now that Trixie had Luna’s life energy flowing through her as well?

Luna smiled to Celestia, “I am honestly surprised. Pleasantly so.”

Trixie had just perfectly won the Equestria Games, and the next closest contestants were ones she had previously shown herself superior to at the Canterlot tryouts.

“Trixie Lulamoon, student to Princess Luna and representative of Canterlot has come in first place! In second place is…”

This was it. Trixie’s moment to shine. The crowd roared in support and cheers as Trixie stood before them all and received a golden medal for her efforts. She bowed to them all as she and the other winners were granted their prizes and commemorated.

After the announcer was finished with his speeches, Trixie cleared her throat down on the field and spoke to him, “I would like to speak to the audience, if I may.”

The audience responded for him with a large cheer, and so Trixie took that as her permission. He granted her his microphone and Trixie hovered it over to her face. Instead of speaking instantly Trixie cleared her throat, gathered herself, and turned to face the VIP box.

“This is a great honor, and I would like to thank my mentor Princess Luna for everything she has taught me,” Trixie smiled at the box, though it quickly became smug, “However, I am always up for another challenge. As such, Princess Twilight Sparkle, I challenge thee to a magic duel!”

The crowd gasped and murmured as all attention was cast on Equestria’s newest princess. Twilight felt all the eyes become glued to her and she felt like running out the back door to escape them with how demanding they seemed.

“Um, I, uh…” was all Twilight could mumble out before her mentor stood up.

Celestia’s face had grown stern the moment Trixie addressed Twilight, and her voice reflected this in addition to some motherly warning, “Miss Trixie, our magic related events are over. You have already proven to be the most capable Unicorn in all of Equestria.”

Trixie smiled brightly to hide her own egotistical reasons for this, “I only think that it is unfair that Princess Twilight was unable to perform because of her recent transformation. I just wish to grant her an opportunity to show her own prowess as well, as the element of magic itself.”

Luna stood up as well and gave Celestia a gently nudge, “Oh come now Celestia, are you afraid that your student cannot best my own? I say let them demonstrate just who is the best magic user of this generation, even if yours has an advantage.”

Celestia turned to her sister with a frown, then to her student. If Twilight consented, Celestia saw no reason to stop this from happening. There were no further events that day, and this would surely be quite popular, “Twilight?”

The purple bookworm princess tried to think about the situation at hand but her nerves were still wracking her body, “Well…” a supportive look from her parents, brother, and sister-in-law gave her some confidence, and with that she leapt out of her box with her wings and projected her voice so all could hear, “Okay. I accept your challenge, Trixie!”

As Twilight left them Celestia sat down, a tired look dawning on her face, “I only hope you know what you are doing, Luna.”

Not about to let her machinations be known, Luna gave her sister an innocent look, “Whatever do you mean?”

Celestia was not falling for it, though she had no idea how much of this was planned out by her sister, “Trixie comes back after being captured and comatose, and now she is confident and powerful enough to face Twilight in a duel? Do you want Trixie to be humiliated again?”

Luna shook her head. Of course she did not want to see Trixie humiliated, “If Trixie can conquer two Ursas, I see no reason in restraining her from seeking out larger challenges, provided they are in a safe environment such as this.”

Once Twilight was down with Trixie, the field was set and clear, and pamphlets were passed out to the crowd to explain the basics of the match, the announcer returned. He was about to speak when Luna cut him off with her Royal Canterlot Voice.

“Like your previous duel in Canterlot, you will be using standard combat dueling rules. Either pony who is knocked out of the ring or is down for ten seconds will lose. No fatal blows are allowed, and contestants are not allowed to use physically altering spells on their opponents such as age spells. To prove true dominance, there will be five rounds.”

Trixie smirked at Twilight from across the circle they were to do battle in, “Good luck, Twilight. May the best mare actually win this time.”

“Didn’t you say that last time?” Twilight nervously asked, still not feeling too confident about doing this. Performing in front of a crowd this large was one thing, but looking like a showoff by defeating a weaker pony would just seem mean for a princess to do.

Trixie teleported so that she was right in front of Twilight, only an inch in front of her face to freak her out a little more, “It still applies, so it bears repeating.”

Trixie held out a hoof, to which Twilight took it and shook it. This done, Trixie slowly retreated back to her original place.
“Ready?” the announcer questioned from the sidelines with his loud microphone blaring.

Both Twilight and Trixie nodded their heads yes, and so he continued as the crowd’s cheering swelled up.

“First round, begin!”

Twilight went for a quick shot against Trixie, though it passed through a mere illusion as she expected. Not knowing where Trixie had gone, Twilight quickly leapt forward. This allowed her to avoid a shot aimed at her from the side, though a quick follow up shot hit her on her Cutie Mark.

Twilight felt the slight sting of the blast, though she was amazed it did not hurt more. Another feature she could like about being an Alicorn now, she supposed.

The princess spun around to fire at where Trixie was, the shot catching Trixie just as she prepared to fire again.

Twilight’s blast carried Trixie backwards with how Trixie’s own spell blew up in her face, and Trixie was instantly pushed out of the ring by her momentum. She was back on her hooves quickly though, but the round was already over.

“Round one, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight looked over to her rival with a sheepish smile, not sure what to say as the crowd let out a collective ‘oooooh’, “Sorry Trixie, did that hurt?”

“It tingled a little,” Trixie smirked. Her face fur was slightly singed, but her hat displayed no noticeable damage.

“Are both contestants ready?” a pause let the announcer know exactly that, Round two, begin!”

This time Trixie let loose with a beam of magic straight at Twilight. Trixie’s purple magic clashed with Twilight’s as the latter responded with a steady stream of her own. A struggle of pushing back and forth ensued, but as soon as Twilight managed to get firm footing it shot entirely back in Trixie’s direction.

Only, by the time it hit Trixie it passed through another illusion. Knowing that she had little time to react, Twilight countered Trixie’s next attack by sending out a powerful shockwave in every direction for the entirety of the circle and more.

This blast caught the teleported Trixie and knocked her back like it had previously in their first combat duel. Trixie was forcibly ejected from the ring, though besides some singed fur she did not seem any worse off.

“Round two, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

From the VIP section everypony was watching intently. Shining Armor and the others were cheering heavily for Twilight even as the crowd alternated between cheering for the two mares.

Luna, on the other hand, was just silently watching. Observing and smiling as she witnessed her student perform.

“Maybe you should call this off so your apprentice does not get harmed.”

Luna turned to her sister with a raised brow, surprised that Celestia would say such a thing.

“Whatever do you mean? You think she will lose?”

Celestia gave Luna a disbelieving look as well, “Twilight has bested her two times already out of their two rounds thus far.”

“And she must do so three times to make it count,” Luna explained with a smile in her voice.

“Oh come now Luna, surely you do not believe she can turn this around.”

Luna rolled her eyes. She was not about to call this off, “Let us just let it play out. It would be humiliating if she just surrenders after challenging Twilight.”

“Very well…”

Back on the field, Twilight approached Trixie since the latter had not moved since her ring out.

“Trixie, are you okay? That must have hurt—”

The Trixie she was speaking to disappeared, only to be replaced by another right behind Twilight. The princess spun around to face a completely fine Trixie with no visible signs of being wounded, singed, or otherwise ruffled by their battle thus far.

“You wish,” Trixie smirked.

Twilight was baffled by this. Where had Trixie’s wounds gone? “What?”

Trixie scoffed at Twilight for her ridiculous use of the same anti-Trixie technique as their last battle, “You really think I would be defeated by that trick twice now?”

“I—” Twilight growled as she pointed a hoof at Trixie’s unsizzled fur, “You don’t even look hurt. I saw you get hit though!”

Trixie rubbed one of her own hooves over her perfectly fine fur to rub in the fact that it was perfectly fine, “Believe what you will. Now, I believe I have a challenge to win. Prepare yourself Twilight, as the gloves are coming off this time around!”

Just as the next round for their duel began, Twilight realized something that made her jaw drop just a bit.

Trixie had not actually lost those past two rounds. She only pretended to using illusions, meaning she had such great control over her illusionary power that she could fake injuries and appear to be defeated for two entire rounds without ever actually being touched.

If Trixie could pull out tricks like that, what else could she do?

Author's Note

Perseverance is The Key To Everything You Achieve

A/N: This is it. Our 50th chapter. 10,000+ views, close to 3,000 comments, and many good memories all mark how far this fic has come in the past year. I am grateful to all of those who have supported it over this time, and I am grateful to all of those who will still read this after the fact. Everyone's support has allowed this to flourish as it has, and I can only hope for more good times in the future.

Special thanks to Kamunari, Mutie Genic, Scarheart, Evilhumour, Ketvirtas, Drgnwolf, Nightdancer Moonblossom, digital_light, Cadmium, The Batmane of equestria, and Killabyte for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Rise Above the Storm" from Beyblade.

Please, I mean this wholly and truly, your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below. This is one of our more epic chapters, so I know there is a bunch of stuff to talk about, so please leave me your thoughts in the comment section so I can know what it is you liked and what it is I can focus on in future chapters that you want!

Thank you for your time and support, and without further adieu, our 50th chapter!

“Round three, begin!”

The crowd gathered in the Crystal Empire stadium was roaring with spirit as those words were announced. Having come to see the best of the best compete, seeing the most skilled Unicorn confront the newest princess in a duel was exhilarating for the ponies there to witness it.

The most vocal were the ones from Canterlot and Ponyville who were calling for Twilight to finish things and crush Trixie. Despite this fervent cheering on the part of those two towns a sizable amount of the stadium was instead cheering for the one who had just impressed them all with her magical prowess.

Hearing the crowd cheering her name too as their underdog granted Trixie the focus she needed to get into her groove. As Twilight moved to instantly demolish where Trixie stood with a powerful laser, Trixie took the easy way out and teleported next to Twilight.

From beside the purple mare Trixie smiled down a little at her just as Twilight managed to notice Trixie’s new position, “I have some ground to regain.”

Knowing that Twilight’s next move would either be to teleport away and grant her space to fire at Trixie again, or to emit a shockwave in every direction, Trixie cast her own magic just as a purple beam shot out in every direction from Twilight.

Twilight’s shockwave would have hit Trixie if a pillar of ice had not been conjured to raise Trixie a few feet off the ground so that she stood above Twilight completely.

Twilight noticed Trixie’s new perch and shot up at it, but Trixie had already leapt off of it.

“I will win this, Twilight. A final match to even the scales between us forever!”

While the top of the pillar was destroyed fully by Twilight’s attack, Trixie’s jump carried her past Twilight and onto the grass behind her.

“I never did anything to you! We’ve talked about this—”

Twilight’s attempt to turn and face Trixie was cut short by how her hooves slipped out from underneath her, the surface having been changed as she spoke.

“Wahhhh!” Twilight screamed as she finished turning, only to fall and hit the hard ice. The impact hurt Twilight, who had been unable to brace herself in time for the fall. She could have flapped her wings, but the unfair advantage their granted her made her hesitate to use them. After all, it was considered unfair and cheating during their last duel and Twilight did not want to embarrass herself.

In fact, she had just wanted to have some fun when Trixie offered this opportunity. While somewhat skeptical, she had seen no harm in having a nice play fight with her fellow student and rival of sorts. Now that Trixie was not holding back though, or rather the fact that she had been only playing around before, made the young princess worried about what the true implications of this match were.

Trixie was pacing around Twilight as the latter attempted to rise, though the more Twilight tried to get up the more she realized that the ground was frozen.

“Need a hand, Twilight?”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she noticed that Trixie was walking around on the ice as if it was not there at all.

“How are you not slipping?” Twilight scoffed as she came up with a solution to her own problem. Instead of stay down and lose by being counted out, Twilight opted to shoot the ground with a heat beam to melt it so she could stand up on the now wet ground.

Trixie snorted as she frosted over the ground again, freezing Twilight’s hooves to the wet ground they stood on, “I am creating the ice. I can dispel it where I choose just as easily.”

With a large leap Trixie placed herself in front of Twilight, her hooves not slipping at all as she landed about ten feet in front of her rival. Stuck to the ground, Twilight could not believe the mobility Trixie was displaying. It was if she was just skating despite having nothing at all on her hooves.

“What? How!?”

Trixie just snorted at her, “I can also just adhere my feet to it, as I have yours. I’ve had a lot of time to do nothing but learn, you know.”

Their viewers were oohing and ahhhing as they watched Trixie move around gracefully before Twilight while the latter continued to have ice creep up her legs and slowly ensnare her. Twilight could free her front hooves by melting the ice there, but she still would be immobile as the thick ice still had her back half encapsulated. Teleportation caught her interest, but she would slip and be frozen at any other place inside the arena. A more permanent solution was needed.

Twilight was already conceding this round in her mind, but she was determined to find a solution before the next round. The time in-between would give her a chance to think about the matter without dealing with the stress of actually being captured and under assault.

Speaking of which, why was Trixie not just shooting her while she was stuck? Wouldn’t that afford her an easy win? Twilight was not about to point this out, but it still was bugging her as she stood there in ice.

Twilight’s worries were addressed as Trixie gave a bow to Twilight, “To be fair I’ll give you one shot before I finish this round.”

Trixie backtracked to the edge of the arena, the ice forming a perfect circle for telling the arena’s dimensions. Her back hooves were daringly close to the very edge, which made Twilight tempted to just shoot straight at her. An inch backwards and she would still win, just because Trixie was overconfident…

“Go on Twilight, give me your best shot. I won’t move,” Trixie’s voice increased volume as she began to laugh, “Hit me with all you've got! If you get me, you win, so come on!”

Twilight, not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, charged up all of her power and let it loose in a beam straight at Trixie. The magenta magic shot forth at a hurtling speed right to where Trixie stood, and true to her word Trixie did not move an inch.

Not to the side, forwards, nor backwards. The shot never hit its target, so Trixie had no reason to be pushed backward even as she did no movement to avoid it. Her own horn finished glowing a purple as her spell ended the match.

In a split second Trixie had raised a wall of ice shaped like a rectangle, and with its clear blue coloration one would not be wrong to call it a mirror. Twilight’s beam struck the ice just as Twilight could notice the ice wall, and it deflected back into her face the moment afterwards.

The powerful blast knocked Twilight back with such force that it shattered the ice growing up her body and carried her body straight out of the ring. The crowd went silent as she tumbled back, though when she made a small movement they all went wild. This was exactly the kind of thing that could rile them up, what with the amazing magic on display from both participants and the light show that was following.

“Round three, Trixie!”

As the crowd began to shift and cheer Trixie’s name more than Twilight’s, the former approached the downed Alicorn and offered a hoof to help stand up.

“Are you okay? That must have hurt,” Trixie smiled at her rival as she helped her stand. A personal vendetta was no reason to not display some level of sportsmanship.

As Twilight took Trixie’s help and got up, she gave a nervous smile, ““Thanks. I’ll admit, that was impressive. Where’d you learn that?”

Trixie turned away so that she could avoid Twilight’s gaze, “My father.”

Twilight had not heard anything about Trixie’s family before, and so she had no idea that Trixie was in fact referencing Loki, “Is he some kind of ice specialist? That was some pretty intense ice magic after all.”

Having let Twilight fall into her in-joke, Trixie continued it, “He has a Giant amount of knowledge on the subject, yes,” with a sigh she added another piece of information, “Another family member gave me the time to learn these past months, for which I am grateful.”

As Trixie continued to approach the arena and where she would stand at the beginning of the match she snorted back at Twilight, “It’ll let me finally balance the scales and upstage you, Twilight. This makes two points for you and one for me. Good luck trying to earn that last point, Twilight.”

Twilight had just entered the Arena herself, and seeing that she was doing fine outside of the blackened fur on her face the announcer spoke up to interrupt the mare’s talk.

“Round Four, begin!”

His words were followed by an instant eruption of magic from Twilight, who summoned forth a large barrier in the area around her of complete magic. The energy from the barrier was infused with some heat and so it tore away the ice still left, reducing it to very wet grass instead of a skating rink.

Despite the momentary interruption Twilight tried to continue their talk, sensing that Trixie truly did wish to exact some toll out on her for their past, “Trixie, can you forgive me for whatever I have done? Talking out problems is how we—”

Twilight had her words cut short as Trixie teleported past her barrier and into close range, lunging her horn forward to lock it with Twilight’s longer one. With her growth Trixie stood at a height slightly taller than Twilight’s own, and this in turn made her able to press back and down against her foe.

“Oh don’t act so high and mighty, Princess of Friendship and Magic or whatever,” Trixie brought some magic to her own horn to combat the magic pouring from Twilight’s in order to create the barrier, “Need I remind you that when you cannot find a friendship problem, you’ll make a friendship problem?”

With their horns locked, Twilight did her best to fight back by pressing back against Trixie as their faces hung close to one another, “How do you know about that?”

Trixie leapt back momentarily to take a quick shot straight at Twilight’s chest, the blast knocking her rival back but not disrupting the barrier that was preventing Trixie from controlling the ground, “I have been granted access to all the files I could possibly need in Canterlot Castle. I may have poked around through a file case on you.”

Twilight needed to catch her breath after the hit she took, granting Trixie the opportunity she needed to leap back in and clash horns with Twilight again. Their horns touching made Trixie feel some pain because of how Twilight’s power was greater than her own, but Trixie was not aiming to overpower the horn.

Trixie activated her own horn’s energy again as she continued to mince words at Twilight’s expense, “I’ve also heard from some of your town that ever since you got your wings you have been preachy, often saying an opinion to your friends and not accepting any alternate viewpoint that contrasts your own.”

Having had the time she needed to breath, Twilight lashed back with some anger, “You don’t know that. You weren’t there!” she grunted as she managed to focus enough power in her horn to knock Trixie away, “And you’re one to talk. I’ve never forced Ponyville to bow down to me!”

Despite being rebuffed Trixie did not lose her composure. She could see the effects of her plan working, and she wasn’t about to give up because Twilight was fighting back verbally in addition to magically.

“Ponies aren’t perfect Twilight, and so be it if my flaws lay in my pride and my need to pay back those who have wronged me!” Trixie howled as she leapt back into the fray, “Let me end that now!”

Twilight teleported to the side to avoid Trixie, who landed in a thick puddle on the ground as Twilight disappeared, “Even so, we all should work to improve ourselves!”

Trixie cast her illusionary spell to create a half dozen extra copies of herself in the arena, her voice increasing in anger as she had each of the illusions and her real self charge at the princess, “I am improving myself! Every day I grow stronger, smarter, and more capable to do the tasks assigned to me!”

Twilight shot three of the illusions out of existence before teleporting away to behind the ice pillar still standing, intent on not allowing Trixie to continue whatever she was doing when they locked horns. This attempt to avoid Trixie was shattered when the true Trixie, who had anticipated where Twilight would teleport, tackled Twilight with a shoulder to give them distance and cast forth a beam of magic that hit the same part of the Alicorn.

Twilight slammed into the ice pillar, granting Trixie a moment to breath from her extreme magical exertion that day. She huffed and did not save any breath as Twilight slowly returned to her hooves, “So what if I am not socializing and running a library in that time? Does that make me inferior because you know how to handle a bunch of friends who were drawn to you because of a magical artifact? Forgive me for thinking that such qualifications do not make one princess-worthy!”

Trixie’s next shot was knocked straight up into the air as Twilight teleported right beneath her head and smashed the magician’s chin with her own scalp, “Don’t talk about them like that! They’re not only my friends because of the Elements of Harmony!”

Trixie had to ignore the iron taste in her mouth that came from biting her tongue as she teleported away, “Oh, how do you know that?” once she found a new place she summoned another pillar in the arena to raise her above Twilight, “Do you know that you would have met them if Celestia had not assigned you to stopping Nightmare Moon?”

Twilight was not about to let Trixie pull anything else, so with a surge of magic she blasted off the top half of the even taller tower, “We would have met still! We would have found a way!” Trixie leapt off of where the explosion nearly hit her hooves, the ice that broke off falling to lay beside the now broken pillar. Twilight tried to hit Trixie midair, but she teleported mid-shot, “Even our Cutie Marks were linked together, as we got them all at the same time!”

“And now you believe in destiny! So, Twilight, care to indulge me about whether those wings on your back are another part of your destiny?” Trixie scolded as she regained her footing on the flooded grounds. Despite Twilight resisting her previous trick, Trixie had lost no composure. Her anger was completely fueled by her indignant view of the pony known as Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Trixie’s words brought Twilight some pause as she turned around to try and find where Trixie had gone to next, “I…I had to earn the right to have them, just like Cadance earned her horn.”

Having found a place to twist the proverbial knife, Trixie shot a beam straight out at Twilight as she turned around, “Oh, is that so? What an amazing feat it is to make a spell! Very well done, I can see why that means you should become a princess.”

Her attack nicked Twilight in the side, the half foot of water on the ground slowing down Twilight as she attempted to turn towards Trixie. The hit was much similar to Trixie’s old magic, and it carried little weight despite its accuracy and speed. This, to Twilight, lessened the feat of Trixie demolishing that target, as if you transfer enough momentum into something it will be a forced to be reckoned with no matter how weak it was originally.

As Twilight took her own potshot at Trixie and only managed to sizzle a puddle that stood where Trixie once was, she tried to combat what Trixie was saying about her, “That’s not what I meant! Everything I’ve learned—”

Trixie could only laugh as Twilight’s own insecurities came out, making her easier prey, “Nothing you have learned has made you any better than anypony else, or any better at leading,” she teleported straight next to Twilight, who was now stumbling a bit from the sustained damage, “You are just a privileged Unicorn who had everything given to her from the start who managed to not screw up enough down the road to ruin it all!”

Twilight avoided Trixie’s lunge, though just barely, and used it to try and blow her away with magic at point blank range.

“That’s something coming from you, Trixie. You’re the student of a princess too, which is pretty lucky I’d say! How hard have you really even had it?”

Twilight’s strike did not touch Trixie in the slightest, instead passing through an illusion and once again making Twilight paranoid about where Trixie actually had ended up.

“You know nothing,” came Trixie’s growling voice, though Twilight could not discern a location from it. The venom held in her words though worried Twilight, who began to twist around in the water to find her.

“Trixie?”

Just as Twilight said her name the mare made herself known, leaping as if straight out of the water and at Twilight. Her horn locked with Twilight’s again, though this time it also caught itself underneath the golden structure atop Twilight’s head stating her rank.

“Since you’re so unworthy of your crown, I think I’ll just take it for myself!”

Twilight jumped backwards to escape Trixie, but Trixie had already flipped her horn up. The crown was tossed up and into the air, though a stream of purple magic pulled it in to where Trixie stood smugly.

Twilight had stopped doing anything when she realized, in fear of whatever Trixie was about to do, she had lost track of her own footing and step out of bounds.

“Round four, Trixie!” came the voice of the announcer, whose loud voice was amplified by his speakerphone. Whatever banter was being exchanged down on the field was lost to the crowd watching, all of whom were too enthused to really care one way or the other as the two mares duked it out.

A few heads were more calm during this time, though the entirely belonged to those in the VIP section. The Royal Guard captain was one of two happy about the event, seeming to be into the fighting display which made sense given his line of work, even if it meant his little sister was getting beat up by a weaker mare.

Less amused was Celestia, who watched the duel’s two most recent rounds with a pure sense of disdain. She did not like how this was going.

“Twilight was hustled.”

Besides Shining Armor, Luna was the only other one enjoying herself. Seeing the sparks fly between the two young mares made her remember when she was young enough to playfully fight with her sister, who now was the one sounding disapproving of this practice, “Whatever do you mean, Tia?”

Celestia shot Luna a look to tell her to stop playing around, but Luna kept an innocent façade on her face, “Twilight won their last encounter in Canterlot Castle, but it was close and she had to unknowingly cheat to come out ahead,” Celestia let out a disgruntled breath, “This time she started off strong, making her confident, but ever since Trixie lost the second round she seems to have jumped in ability to the point Twilight can barely keep up with her.”

“Perhaps Trixie only needed a moment to breathe after coming out ahead at the magic competition,” Luna posited before growing a smile on her face directed at Celestia, “That reminds me, Twilight hasn’t done anything strenuous at all today, has she?”

“Your student has not won yet, Luna. Do not be so smug.”

“Who’s smug? I’m not smug. Just making an observation.”

Luna knew she was being smug, but that was the plan after all. Months of hard work and planning, all to see Celestia’s face after it all…

“Round five, begin!”

Twilight’s first strike missed completely, striking a puddle and throwing up water into the air.

“Too slow,” Trixie taunted as she appeared somewhere else completely.

Her words fueled some vigor in Twilight, who shot another beam straight through her heat field. This was the final round, she would not let Trixie best her, especially not through using her effective ice. Twilight shot another shot at Trixie, who avoided it again with an easy teleport to another part of the arena.

“Over here.”

Twilight growled at the taunts being thrown at her, the constant insults distracting her in addition to everything else Trixie had brought up that had Twilight doubting herself. Her next blast of energy instead hit the side of one of the fallen ice pillars, which gave Twilight the idea of putting her back to one of them.

“Missed,” Trixie boredly stated while Twilight dashed over to the fallen pillars which formed a V in their shape. Trixie could only fire at her from on top or in front of her, reducing her chances of dodging one of Twilight’s own attacks.

“I get it already!” Twilight yelled while her hooves stamped in the flooded grass, her horn lighting up as she shot a wide beam across the V formed by the ice blocks.

This attack hit Trixie square in the chest, the magician having just teleported again to attack Twilight head on. The spread out nature of Twilight’s hit made it not knock Trixie back, but it did actually make her taste a little blood in her mouth, “A minor setback.”

The shot Twilight fired off to hit the vulnerable Trixie just ended up reflected by another ice mirror, though Twilight managed to catch this one with a different part of her body than her face. Twilight’s shoulder ached enough to cause her to lower her stance and put her weight on her opposite side.

From behind her mirror Trixie twirled the stolen crown around in the air, amusedly looking over her spoils of war, “Listen Twilight, while you’ve been doing your friendship lessons and been hanging out in that boring town, I’ve been growing stronger and more skilled.”

Twilight’s only response was a grunt of pain, which Trixie ignored from her safe spot behind the mirror. As she monologue Trixie summoned another ice pillar at one of the ends of the V formed by the other two, though she did nothing with it.

“I’ve been helping Princess Luna manage her duties now that she has more obligations, and I have gone so far as to defeat an Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.”

Seeing the pillar appear made Twilight curious, though she was not about to let Trixie pull something. Too hurt to focus and teleport, Twilight instead tried to dash towards Trixie and interrupt her spellcasting while the latter continued to speak, “I’ll admit I’m not as strong as you, or maybe even as smart, but that has little to do with using one’s potential to its fullest.”

Twilight’s dash came short as the newly rose pillar snapped of its own volition and tumbled down, nearly crushing her and instead cutting off her only escape path. The former V was now a full triangle, and Twilight realized with some horror that she had no way to escape it with how wounded she was feeling. Teleportation was difficult enough to do when one was not completely drenched, wounded in multiple places, and overall drained of energy.

As her trap she had set up across multiple matches closed, Trixie smiled out of view of Twilight. This was the difference between a student and a master of misdirection.

“You’re the better Unicorn, Twilight, but I’m the better magician.”

Trixie teleported to stand atop her fallen ice, looking down with a smug face as Twilight tried desperately to climb to no avail. The inside space was enough so that Twilight could move around easily, but the pillars were so tall and thick that she had no way of going over them now that they all made contact.

“Because of you and your friends I was ruined. I lost everything I had worked so hard to get through my life. I won’t return the favor, but I will use you to boost my own image.”

Trixie summoned an illusion to stand on every single part of the ice triangle, each of them reflecting her utter joy at having pulled this all off, “Think of this humiliation as karma. I can see the headlines now! Regular Unicorn defeats Alicorn Princess in fair magic battle!”

Not allowed to use her wings, and completely trapped, all Twilight could do as Trixie prepared to strike was whisper, “Princess…”

From the VIP booth Celestia was scowling down at the events unfolding before them. She could not believe that her prized student, an Alicorn, was being utterly destroyed in combat and overall capability by her sister’s Unicorn student. The idea in and of itself seemed wrong.

What made it worse for her though was that it not only undermined Twilight’s low self esteem, but it seemed planned. This was not something Celestia believed to be a spur of the moment event thought of by Trixie to entertain the crowds, as much as that likely would be her story concerning the matter.

“This is just humiliating,” Celestia commented aloud, though to nopony in particular.

Luna deemed it time to put into play her own part, and so she turned to face the other princess present with a large smile, “Cadance, would you please take the others down to go see Twilight? This match will not last much longer and she likely will want to see you all.”

Cadance accepted Luna’s words at face value and took all of the others in the booth with her out of its back door. Only Celestia stayed with Luna, as Luna expected and planned.

Once they were free to drop any pretenses, Luna dropped her innocent façade and brought a large frown to her Nightmare Moon face, “Tell me, how much does Twilight actually know about how to lead? Capture attention?” Celestia narrowed her eyes at Luna as the darker colored mare scoffed, “She is a shy bookworm who has, yes, come out of her shell, but in no way does that make her suited for leadership on the scale you have given her.”

Hearing Luna’s words brought a fury and a sharpness to Celestia’s own, “This is about me having her ascend. That was so long ago. Luna, I thought you were done holding on to grudges—”

“And I thought we were equal,” Luna cut her off with fury of her own. Celestia took a moment to close her own mouth, at which point Luna continued on with a poison to her voice, “Before you reveled in the adoration of our subjects, and now you go about bringing an unworthy pony up to our level without my consent.”

Still seething, Luna threw a hoof towards where Cadance had sat previously, “You did it while I was gone with Cadance, but now you do it again while I am here and able to lead? Twilight has done a great service to Equestria, that I will give her, but saving a nation and ruling it are not equal. They are not the same, nor do they share a skill set.”

Celestia just kept looking on at Luna with a disappointed glare as her younger sister chewed her out, “And now you are to have a foal with an arrogant anarchist, who himself could turn on us at any moment. That makes five Alicorns, Celestia, three of whom you have brought into being without once thinking of the consequences. There is no kingdom for Twilight to rule, there is no place for your foal until you grow old and need it to take over!”

“Luna…” Celestia warned, though she had no actual comeback to make.

That made Luna lash out again, her voice not growing in volume but in severity, “What? Tell me I am wrong! I would love to rule alongside you, sister, but you cannot claim the moral high ground when you are acting like the sole pony in power. Mother told us to share our responsibilities and handle them together, but instead you subvert me and undermine what little authority I even have now that I have returned.”

Luna finished her lecture by turning back to the match, where things were finally wrapping up, “I may not be perfect, but you have not fully learned your own weaknesses. Let this public display showcase that.”

The VIP box was no longer full of nervous ponies worried about if their family member might be harmed. It was instead filled with a thick tension between two sisters who had let something come between them once again.

The crowd had gone ballistic when Trixie trapped Twilight, having led her into a trap like a mouse is drawn to its doom by cheese. She still had one last thing up her sleeve thanks to her observation of Luna’s techniques, but she was going to save that until after she was done humiliating Twilight.

Two wrongs did not make a right, but this was a matter of egos. This made them even.

“If this goes on too long their attention and interest will sag, so I am ending this now,” Trixie continued to talk down to Twilight as the princess tried to find a way out or way to get rid of the ice. Her attempt to shoot it had only ended up hurting herself due to the proximity of the blast, and the ice damaged was easily replaced by Trixie.

A last ditch effort came to Twilight’s mind and the mare yelled to the sky as she unleashed all her remaining energy in a wave of every direction. While it simply passed over the blocks of ice, it did connect with Trixie and hit hard enough to almost knock her back.

If Trixie had not frozen her hooves to the ice she would have been swept away, possibly out of the arena entirely, and so she took a moment to breathe as she recovered from the powerful surge.

After finding the energy to summon her illusions again, the group having been dispelled when Trixie was hit, the former stage magician addressed her now exhausted foe, “That’s the other thing I have developed. Endurance. A little grit. I always had a grand supply of it given how long my performances are, but now it is leagues beyond the average pony’s.”

Trixie fired a round from her horn down at Twilight, who out of exhaustion almost did not remember to not fly. Her wings almost flapped, but they instead just hung as Twilight leapt into the air with her own legs.

As Twilight did all of this Trixie just shook her head while twirling the stolen crown around, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. That was close. You almost cheated there Twilight.”

Trixie smirked as Twilight landed in the foot deep puddle that had formed inside of the ice triangle, “Don’t worry though,” Twilight screaming in pain marked the end of the match, “You still lose.”

The entire time Trixie had been using Twilight’s magic to melt and flood the grounds, kept in by the thick ice Trixie had originally summoned and increased whenever Twilight did something to destroyed one of Trixie’s conjured objects.

The last shot Trixie had let off was an electrical bolt, slightly stronger than her original cloud based one and taken from observing Luna herself. The shot had missed, but the electricity was coursing through the water on the ground.

Not about to hurt Twilight beyond the point of winning, Trixie used her magic to push all the water to one side and freeze it while removing Twilight from the shocking experience she had begun to have.

This done, she turned to the announcer, “You can begin your count now.”

Trixie dispelled the ice blocks and let them disappear while the stallion began to count down to the point when the match would end, “Ten!”

Trixie approached Twilight, who was coughing on the ground and breathing heavily. Trixie just stood beside her with a smile as the count continued.

“—Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five—”

Twilight began to stir, but Trixie just planted a hoof on her chest to keep her pinned down.

“—Four! Three! Two—”

Twilight tried to rise up, her eyes closed as she clenched her teeth and her body screamed at her to stop.

Her body was not the only one asking her to stop, as Trixie sighed and shook her head at Twilight as her rival fought to open an eye.

“Don’t. For your own sake.”

Twilight gave Trixie a nod before stopping her struggle and letting her head fall back into the now dispersed water and the faint traces of a puddle it left. Trixie placed Twilight’s crown back on her head before rising to her full height and facing the announcer.

“One!” the announcer paused for a moment before shouting, “The winner is Trixie Lulamoon!”

The crowd could not be more ecstatic at the news, and the news that the underdog of the competition had triumphed completely and fully was all it took for ponies to start cheering in absolute glee.

Trixie took a moment to bow and lower her hat to the crowd, soaking in their adoring screams of delight as she relished in her own victory. She had done it. The moment promised to her by Princess Luna so many months ago had come to fruition, and with it came unimaginable glory. Twilight had been defeated, redeeming Trixie to her own self, and a crowd had been won over in doing so.

Still, there was one final piece to this display that needed to be done, and Trixie would not go without doing it. She had beat Twilight fair and square, and so she would show her the courtesy afforded of one’s worthy rival.

With the aid of magic and her own two hooves Trixie helped Twilight get up from her defeat, the princess appearing a bit out of it but conscious nonetheless.

Once Twilight was standing under her own power Trixie brought a hoof out for Twilight to shake, “Well done Twilight. For somepony not well versed in combat you are definitely powerful.”

Twilight’s attempt to shake it instead turned into a feeble bump, though the princess was none the wiser, “Thanks…” Twilight smiled weakly at Trixie, “Though, if I had to bet, you were messing with me the whole time.”

Trixie rolled her eyes jokingly, “Why I would never do such a thing. I wanted to win, remember?”

Not so prideful as to pass up an opportunity, Twilight smiled at Trixie, “Mind teaching me a thing or two?”

With their animosity finally settled once and for all, Trixie saw no reason in hording her knowledge, especially as she expected to do nothing but continue rising up far and beyond the point even Twilight could catch up with her, “I might be able to set aside some of my time to give you the scraps of my knowledge.

Seeing the two standing with one another and on good terms made the crowd roar again in zeal, which in turn made Trixie remember just why it was that she used to do what she did.

She loved being loved.

As Trixie and Twilight finished their little display Celestia cast a foul glance over to her younger sister. Twilight would likely need to be treated for her wounds instead of celebrating the night like Celestia and Twilight’s family had intended.

“Now what?”

Luna was still just smiling down at Trixie, her face full of pride and even almost crying from the sheer incredible nature of the feat Trixie had accomplished, “I am going to continue training her to become a suitable candidate for being a Princess to act in my stead for when I am away on other business.”

Celestia’s voice crept into complete condescension, “You’ll just ascend her like I did with Twilight. Subvert me in the same way you consider my own methods to be a grievance.”

Celestia’s lack of understanding made Luna laugh. She had be waiting to say and do this for quite some time, “No, not at all. That is why I am teaching her my duties. I am making her actual Princess material step by step so that when I bring it up to a vote with the other princesses they will have no choice but to say yes.”

“Teaching her combat skills won’t make her a good leader.”

That just made Luna snort. Celestia’s pathetic demonstration the last time she fought and the time before that against the same foe made Luna skeptical of her elder sister’s ability to harness what great power she did hold, “It is better to have them than not, if the Canterlot Wedding is any indication, and they are only the beginning of her education.”

Luna flashed Celestia a smug smile, letting her own condescension creep into her voice, “And besides, she has a natural charisma and knowledge to her that allows her to capture the attention of entire crowds. With the right guidance she could very well lead, provided ponies forget about how your student ruined her life once upon a time.”

“So this has been all one long, elaborate scheme,” Celestia noted as she thought over the situation. This all was a plot from the moment Luna took Trixie in and taught her, “Let me ask you something.”

Thinking her point proven, Luna had turned back to look down at Trixie as her student basked in the glory of the crowd, “Go ahead. The crowd is still cheering her name, so I have some time before I sell this image and swoop down to stand beside her in her moment of triumph.”

Angered almost beyond reason and seriously doubting if Luna’s mental state did not reflect her body’s form, Celestia snarled at her, “Do you actually even care about Trixie, or is she just some tool to use and discard against Twilight and I?”

Luna did not look at Celestia, her face remaining on Trixie. Her large smile disappeared as her face became dark, her eyes only darting to look at Celestia for a second before returning to their place on Trixie.

Her voice, however, carried a tone to it that Celestia had not heard since Luna’s time as a villain, and the mere sound of it sent chills down her spine, “If you were not my sister and not with foal I would have just killed you for even saying such a vile thing.”

The threat brought Celestia’s anger down as she realized just how out of line she had been to say what she did, but the fact that Luna did not appear to be joking made her put herself in line even faster, “Luna, I—”

Luna cut her off with a snapping voice, “I sacrificed some of my life just to keep her alive. I literally tapped into my very essence and granted her the energy she needed to survive yesterday. I nearly died saving her from the Ursa encounter when I had no power of my own!”

Celestia’s anger continued to simmer as she realized that Luna was crying, whether the younger sister realized it or not. She was crying as she continued to look forward at her student and spill her heart out through her words.

“I may have partially brought her in to counter Twilight’s ascension, but actually having somepony who idolizes and looks up to you for once…somepony who doesn’t judge you, unlike your own sister…”

Luna finally looked at Celestia through tear filled eyes, her voice stammering momentarily before she could gather it, “I’ve already drawn up the papers to adopt her. I may not be the best mother material there is, but that is what she looks to me for and so that is what I will give her. Every relationship has its give and take.”

Before Celestia could say something of her own and apologize further, Luna spread her wings and prepared to leave through the front of the open box, “Now, if you will excuse me, Celestia, I have a daughter to go congratulate.”

When Luna left her, Celestia could not help but feel as if nothing had changed over the course of a thousand years. She still could not help but push Luna away, and Luna was still too emotional to let things go.

Looking down at the smiling faces of Twilight and Trixie made Celestia hope that maybe, just maybe, this would not pass down and continue as a vicious cycle.

As Luna touched down on the ground next to Trixie the apprentice could not help but rush up to Luna and bury her face in Luna’s chest.

“I did it, Princess…”

Trixie couldn’t see that Luna was crying herself, so the apprentice felt a little guilty about being so emotional as she cried onto her.

Luna lowered herself down to be more on Trixie’s level, using her own face to nestle in next to Trixie’s, “I know you did, Trixie. I couldn’t be prouder.”

After a moment Trixie gave a nervous chuckle as something caught her attention about her hat. The previously new hat was now frayed on the front where Twilight had damaged it, “Sorry I roughed up my outfit a little. I can fix it when we get back to the castle.”

Luna found herself able to stop crying and instead laugh at how commoner that was for Trixie to say, “No need to busy yourself. We have tailors for that,” with a kiss to Trixie’s cheek, Luna stood back up to her full height, “What do you want to do to celebrate?”

Trixie blushed as she straightened herself out a bit, “I am a bit hungry. I don’t think I’ve had a good meal in months. I did not have much of an appetite last night.”

Luna smiled down at Trixie, who she would encourage to eat more than a modest amount of bread at the meal, “Of course. Whatever you want.”

“May we join you?”

Both Trixie and Luna looked over to see Celestia standing next to the barely conscious Twilight, who was smiling out of her bruised face.

Luna looked down to Trixie, who gave a nod, then they both turned back to the two.

“Of course, but only after you have Twilight take some pain relievers, sister.”

The royal sisters may not have been on good terms, but that did not mean that they could not be civil and talk things out. That was how they would be able to overcome their issue, even if it didn’t happen over a single meal.

Frigga had made sure to stay by Loki’s side as everyone else scurried about and tried to get things back in order at the castle. With only about twenty percent of their normal guards available and many of their staff slain in Lorelei’s brief reign, things were difficult, but Frigga knew that this was where she was most needed.

When the time came that Loki did awake in the healing chambers, Frigga flashed him a smile. He returned it, though he had little clue that hers was fake.

“Loki, you’re awake,” Frigga’s smile began to crease, “I have some questions for you.”

“Whatever you wish, mother,” he almost sang.

Checking first to see if anyone else was looking, Frigga drew and brought a dagger to Loki’s throat while making a motion to be quiet.

Her voice was hushed as she spoke to him in a threatening tone, “Where is my Loki and what did you do with him?”

The man on the table had his eyes go wide as Frigga threatened to kill him, “What? What do you mean?”

“My son was taken half naked, and he had on him a unique pendant,” Frigga tapped one end of the knife on where the pendant should be, “You are not him, as the son that was taken from me would not have let that pendant go.”

“I—I must have lost it,” he tried to lie, though Frigga was not buying it for a moment.

“Of course,” Frigga faked removing the knife, only to then place it even closer to his throat than it had been before, now digging into some of his skin, “And I suppose you managed to gain clothes in your time away. I wonder if your size has changed at all or if I will have to have a new fitting made for your wedding clothes.”

“Wedding?” he asked, sealing his fate.

Frigga took no time in punching the fake out, even at her elder age. Once she was sure he was unconscious with a couple follow up hits, she called for the men at the exit, “Guards, take this imposter to the dungeon. I have someone I need to speak with now.”

The men wordlessly took the imposter from the healing chamber, leaving Frigga behind to wonder about this new development.

“How will I break the news…”

Author's Note

So, 50th chapter. Big moment!

Can't wait to hear from you all, so please leave your thoughts in the comments below, as they are seriously what helps me write so much! Liking and favoriting the story help too, as does following me. Morale support of the highest fashion! Comments, likes and follows are :heart: after all, so please let me know what you think!

Letting Go Somehow

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, ledezma25, JaceArveduin, ABitterPill, Killabyte, hs0003, Scarheart, Silver Page, Drgnwolf, Cadmium, Kamunari, The Batmane of equestria, digital_light, Ketvirtas, GlassFloors, MoonSparkle The Vampony, Corrupt Gnashty, and LordSiravant for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Fading" from Decyfer Down.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

“You are one cold woman.”

Loki glanced over to the cloaked woman beside him, her obsession with covering herself still astounding him after all these months, “At least you have granted me an alternate route to leave this place. It only took another year or so. Does this make up for whatever time I neglected you as a child?”

As to be expected, Lady Death gave no verbal response, leaving Loki to do as he pleased.

A look down to the weapons in his hands made the Asgardian Prince sigh. They, along with his necklace and pants, were all he had, and he would hold on to them with all of his might.

“If only we all made it,” he sighed as memories rushed back to him of the discoveries and battles he had made across his journey.

The past did not matter however. It was time to go home.

After the Equestria Games affair concluded with Trixie crowned champion of all affairs magical, the four who had stood on the field at the end of it all sought out a fitting dining venue to rest at. It had been a long, stressful event and the three princesses and champion needed a break to cool down.

They settled on a high class restaurant that Cadance suggested to them, unable to attend with her husband because of their duties in overseeing the clean up of the Equestria Games.

After they had been granted their table Celestia left them to find a restroom, citing stomach issues due to her condition. Twilight rose her brow in confusion while Luna and Trixie each nodded, though this did not influence the timing of their food as the oldest pony in Equestria returned before the waiter even arrived.

No sooner had the (noticeably nervous) waiter placed down water and a basket of bread did Trixie levitate a piece from it and onto her plate. Her stomach had been rumbling furiously on the way to finding a place to eat, and now she had what she might consider a delicacy.

While Trixie moved to slice it up and butter it with obvious interest, Luna rolled her eyes at just how easy her student was to please when it came to food, “Bread? Really?”

Twilight found herself close to giggling at the sight of Trixie wolfing the bread down, and Celestia found herself smiling too. Trixie just gave a confused glance at Luna, her voice muffled but sounding as if she was explaining the obvious.

“Itsh really goowd.”

That muffled voice made Luna audibly groan. She would be adopting an adult, not a child, so she expected a little more from her, “Do not speak with your mouth full, Trixie. It is not proper.”

Trixie quickly swallowed the second small piece of bread she had brought to her mouth before giving a nervous chuckle, “Sorry.”

Luna felt a little dizzy only to remember she had not been drinking much that day. An obvious sign of dehydration, so she drank the water afforded to her by the waiter earlier in a most noble manner. Beside her, Trixie tried copying Luna’s mannerism with her own water.

Luna noticed her copycat, but she did nothing to stop Trixie. Trixie would have to learn certain etiquette related matters given her humble upbringing in comparison to how Luna, Celestia, Cadance and Twilight all had experience with more noble and refined characters during their own lives.

Seeing Twilight eat a piece of bread on her own made Luna realize that maybe the newest princess had lost some of her own manners when she took to life in Ponyville, since no Canterlot trained individual would eat in such a plain manner.

Seeing the others eat the bread granted to them made Luna think to her own stomach, which in turn made her realize that something had crept up on her. Not hunger, but nausea. Perhaps she had caught something from the masses who attended the event.

Luna stood up to go correct this while patting her mouth with a napkin, Trixie also patting her own mouth gently in mimicry, “My stomach is feeling upset. I will go tend to this matter before we eat.”

Trixie smiled to the princess as the latter stood, “I’ll be sure to get you another drink, mother.”

Luna smiled to her, proud to at least see that Trixie was not miles away from knowing proper etiquette. In fact, just looking at Trixie made her proud. Luna had taken a street rat and turned her into a successful being who rivaled her sister’s student of years, and now that she had finally triumphed over her rival she could move past her own emotional baggage.

“Thank you, dear.”

There was no longer any foe to defeat, to get even with. She could just be herself, no longer embittered by a past conflict.

Once Luna left the other three to peruse their menus, Twilight leaned in towards Celestia to ask her a question in a hushed voice.

“Why is she calling Luna her mom?”

Celestia smiled as she responded from behind a menu so that Trixie could not see her mouth moving, “Luna took her in some months ago you may remember, and she will be adopting Trixie soon.”

Despite their attempts at engaging in subtle chatter, Trixie spoke to the two of them with a confident smile, “Yes, it is true.”

Having been caught, Twilight blushed as she looked to Trixie. Something came to Twilight’s attention given their previous talk during the duel, and her curiosity was honestly piqued at the implications of what Celestia said, “So are you going to be a Princess too?”

Trixie shrugged nonchalantly, as if they were speaking about the weather or their everyday lives, “That is up to the reigning princesses to decide,” she became less nonchalant about it all as she smirked at Twilight, “You, included.”

A vote of sorts? That sounded fair to Twilight. It made more sense than a spontaneous transformation late at night with no sort of real process or organization, “Oh, I see.”

Celestia, unlike Twilight, was not as okay about this topic. Her sister’s strong words had left a mark that would not fade without further discussion.

Still, she would not be the one to sour the mood especially as Luna was not even there, so Celestia instead took to praising the new champion of magic, “I must admit that Luna has done well teaching you,” Celestia glanced over Trixie fully, taking in how she sat at the same level as Twilight did even across the table. Celestia remembered something from her mother about height being tied to power, though she had never really looked much into the matter until this remarkable growth spurt she could see through Trixie, “You have been growing quite immensely under her tutelage.”

Trixie did not notice that Celestia was partially referring to her height, so she brought it up herself, “And ever since I came back from that shadowy dimension, I’ve grown physically as well. I must say I enjoy this new height, just as you must Twilight.”

Twilight too was beginning to notice that Trixie was not shorter than her, unlike most mares, and this fact confused Twilight to a large degree, “Yeah, you’re as big as me,” after their encounter in the duel Twilight had to also agree with Celestia’s assessment about Trixie’s growth, “And maybe not as strong, but certainly skilled.”

“I was trapped in a place where I could do nothing but think about and contemplate spells for quite some time. I only just was granted the chance to practice them, however.”

It had felt like years, though Trixie knew she had not been asleep that long. It had given her plenty of time to think though. To learn. To practice in the ethereal realm planted in her mind by the mistress of Hel, that mysterious daughter of Loki who had granted Trixie a path out of Hel after first giving her the tools needed to improve her control over magic without ever doing so physically. Trixie’s true trick now was that she knew everything in and out about controlling her magic, though she would have to do some more physical practice to get the real feel for it.

Twilight knew little about the details of Trixie’s disappearance and coma, though Celestia knew enough to know that whatever Trixie had been put through was not something she would wish on any pony.

Celestia frowned as she looked over the positively ecstatic blue mare who sat across the table. Looking at her gleeful face would not reveal just how much she had had to suffer to get to this point.

“You must have been through a lot these past months.”

Trixie’s mood faltered momentarily, “More than I would have cared for, Princess,” her smile came back in time for her to joke, “I have a pet Elf now though, so that helps balance things out. I think I will name him Absy.”

Her eyes went over to her former rival, “How were things for you, Twilight?”

Twilight felt kind of guilty that there was little she could report about what she had been doing. Nothing really stuck out to her in particular, for she had just been doing everyday things. Just like she had been before she became a Princess.

“I can’t say too much has happened. There has been a lot of preparation for the Equestria Games, but now that that is over everything will be returning to normal it seems.”

It was then that Luna returned from her time at the bathroom, resuming her place across the table from Celestia and next to Trixie, “Sorry for my absence.”

The waiter was right behind her, arriving just in time to include Luna, “Are you ready for me to take your order?”

Celestia smiled at him while nodding politely, “I believe, thank you. I will have—”

Luna cut her off while rolling her eyes, “You would order first.”

Celestia darted her gaze over to Luna, keeping her voice pleasant while responding in a cutting manner, “Yes, I would, because I don’t hide what I desire from those who ask.”

Both Trixie and Twilight shot eachother worried glances, though neither moved to stop the inevitable train wreck they were now a part of.

Luna’s tone crept up as she scoffed at her sister, “It’s not hiding if the ponies involved are just too ignorant to notice.”

“I am sorry that I cannot be aware of everything when I am busy actually running Equestria and not just playing around at night,” Celestia rebutted, her tone remaining pleasant in a more mocking way now.

“Oh, and you’ve been doing such a great job at it, haven’t you?” Luna sarcastically quipped from across the table, “Monster attacks every day, constant threats to our nation that could have easily been prevented if you had the intelligence to plan ahead—”

Now on the defensive, Celestia’s voice became much more aggressive, “How could I possibly know that Discord and Sombra would return?”

Luna smirked, glad to have the momentary advantage, “I don’t know, how about by not leaving Discord in the garden? Oh, wait, I know, you probably left him there so you could admire him these many lonely years.”

Having had the subject of lovers brought up, Celestia returned fire, “At least my lover did not stab me in the back after he joined me—”

“Everypony be quiet!”

Everyone at the table as well as the nearby area turned to face the pony who had yelled so loudly. Her face was scrunched up in a hurt fashion, but her eyes remained strong and were fighting away tears.

Trixie had grown to love her mentor for everything she had given her. She would not see her and her only living family member fight over nothing.

Luna was shocked that Trixie was willing to challenge her while Celestia was more shocked about being called out on her behavior at all, not having had anyone do so other than Luna for what felt like millennia.

Having gotten the sisters’ attention, Trixie took a deep breath in before calmly giving a rhetorical question, “We all make mistakes, right?”

“Some more than others,” Luna snipped under her breath, though this earned her a glare from Celestia.

Trixie was not about to let Celestia fire back, so she spoke up again, “Still, we all do,” she paused to look around the table with a strong scowl, “So, if we all make mistakes, what matters is how we try and fix them. You are both acting like school fillies.”

Though not used to questioning her teacher, Twilight had to admit that she was in full agreement with Trixie, “She’s right, you know.”

Celestia was actually even more surprised to have her own student call her out, “Twilight?”

Trixie sighed as she gave Celestia and Luna each a sad look, “I understand your hormones might not be helping matters, but you two really need to just get over yourselves.”

Luna winced at how Trixie called her out on her pettiness. On one level Luna was registering that Trixie was being mature and that she should be proud of this fact, but on another she was being called out by a pony whom she cared about dearly. This mixture of feelings choked Luna up and allowed Trixie to address her directly.

“Mother, you can be sweet and kind when you wish to. Just accept that your sister is absentminded and oblivious at times and that you need to be assertive enough with her to make sure she does not go around acting as if she is the sole authority in Equestria.”

Luna’s shoulders sunk at the lecture, knowing what was said to be true. Where had she lost herself to her jealousy again? Looking back, perhaps fusing with the Nightmare being around the same time as Twilight’s coronation was not a great idea…

Celestia was not above Trixie’s criticism however, and the blue mare turned to face the older sister with just as much seriousness, “Princess Celestia, please, do your best to understand that your sister has been embittered by the years of neglect she has had to endure,” a look at the disheartened Luna made Trixie pause though it empowered her to finish, “Neglect not lifted or helped now that she has returned, since you haven’t done much if anything to reinstate her into our society.”

Not used to being the one on the receiving end of a lecture, Celestia was finding herself in unfamiliar territory. She could not brush off what was said because there was a truth to it all, and the more Trixie spoke the more Celestia felt terrible about herself.

Trixie sighed before adding one last part, “She is a Princess just like you. She deserves the respect of one, and you should support an effort to dispel the myths and wrongful hatred she receives.”

Celestia looked first to Luna and then down at the table, ashamed about how she had been acting these past months and hours, “She is right. We are acting like foals.”

Luna closed her own eyes as she thought back to just how petty she had let herself become, “I agree.”

After a moment of silence Celestia looked over to Trixie and showed her a sad smile, “Thank you Trixie. I think we both needed that.”

Trixie felt a wave of nervousness creep up her spine as the princess addressed her, “Sorry for speaking out, but it was getting obnoxious.”

Instead of scolding Trixie for speaking the truth, Luna found herself agreeing with Celestia and in turn being proud of what her student just stuck her neck out for, “Please, always speak your mind when I am out of line.”

Twilight smiled at how well everything went, the situation apparently defused, “Sometimes family just needs to talk.”

The waiter had left while everypony else was distracted to allow them some space, but he returned with some urgency once things settled down.

“Ms. Lulamoon, th—”

Trixie waved a hoof at him as if to shoo him away, not bothering to even look in the stallion’s direction, “Sorry, could you come get an autograph in a minute? Kind of busy.”

He cleared his throat and tried again, “Ms. Lulamoon, I am here to say—”

Celestia turned to face the stallion with an intimidating glance, “Sir, is this important?”

He nodded quickly before addressing the intended party, “Yes, I am here to say that there is a Ms. Lulamoon for you here, Ms. Lulamoon.”

His statement confused Twilight and Celestia, worried Luna, and amused Trixie, “Haha, very funny. How can I visit myself? I am using no illusions.”

The waiter bowed his head as he continued to address the champion, “She claims to be your mother. Shall I send her away?”

Trixie froze up at the word, her eyes widening and her mouth stuck open.

Beside her, Luna sighed as she looked past the waiter, “Too late now.”

“Trixie,” a voice very similar to the stated pony’s stated.

Despite all her feats of accomplishment, recovered reputation, and overall increased life, Trixie had not expected for any of that to drag up pieces of her past she rather leave untouched.

Her biological mother had come to visit.

Author's Note

A/N: Those who have read my side story "Nothing Lasts Forever" should know about how well this is going to go! Others may infer that Trixie looking to Luna as a mother figure instead of her actual mother is a good sign that the latter is a poor parent. In either case, I'd refresh/read "Nothing Lasts Forever" if I were you before next chapter!

Also, for those wondering, time in Hela's world is distorted. Despite days passing Loki has had to survive much more than that.

So Hard To Talk To You

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, New Spark, ABitterPill, Scarheart, Cadmium, Drgnwolf, Amethyst blade, GlassFloors, Ketvirtas, XaldinLance, digital_light, Kamunari, IkioStar, Killabyte, DEI Caboose, and The Grim Reaper for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Perfect" from Simple Plan.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

Things had been running more and more smoothly as the damage from Lorelei’s rampage was undone piece by piece. The many men who lost their lives to her wicked game would not return, but those who lived were on their way to recovery and to rebuilding the castle they once guarded.

Merchants and members from the town helped support the effort however they could, having been sealed off from the castle and kept from assisting prior. Their support allowed for much relief on the now strained forces of Asgard, though there certainly was an uneasy feeling amongst the entire nation of how vulnerable they were now that they had been forced to fight one another.

The relief allowed Lady Frigga, however, to tend to a personal project she had created for herself. Since they had less wounded to handle, she spared a medical room to examine the Elf left in her care. He had proven useful in subduing the foe who had disgraced her family, and if she could manage to get around his insanity she might be able to find them a strong ally in these trying times.

After some time of studying him her assistants came to join her, some of them being free due to the lowering amounts of severely wounded soldiers and how not all of them were required for what little work was to be done.

With them now joining her in observing him on the medical table that gave those around a view of the inner workings of who lay on it, Frigga began to explain her findings.

“His entire body is running off of this crystal,” she pointed to the jagged structure lodged in his chest cavity. Under normal circumstances, this would appear to be a fatal happenstance, but in this instance it appeared to be all that was keeping him alive, “He also burns through energy at a sickening pace as a result of his dark magic affliction. It has made his body reliant on it, similar to Loki’s lover.”

“If we remove the taint from him, he may become less of a magic sponge,” Frigga continued as she heard footsteps of a very familiar person approaching, “And he may be a good subject to try my book on mental magic on. He is insane, so any damage done will be redundant, but any successes can gain us a powerful ally.”

Frigga glanced over her shoulder to find that Thor was rapidly approaching her, so she decided to wrap up this information session.

“Tend to him only after you have finished healing our men, but I would not be against having a foreign ally who could either become a diplomat or a tool, depending on whether he forces us to use that harness again.”

By this time her son had reached her and the Queen of Asgard turned to face him fully, instantly noticing that he appeared distressed, “Thor, whatever is the matter?”

“Mother, Heimdall reports that there is are disturbances on Midgard and that Jane is missing,” he took a moment to breathe, letting out a sigh right after as he took a moment to think about their situation, “I know I am needed here to help rebuild, but I must see that she is safe.”

Given how Thor had been so despicably abused by Lorelei recently and likely was harboring grief over causing her escape, Frigga saw no reason to disallow him from seeking out his human lover. Keeping him here, even though they needed every hand they had, could not be healthy for him mentally and so she decided to send him off.

“Very well. Retrieve her and bring her back with you. I would enjoy meeting her,” Frigga smiled at him as Thor’s face warmed up. Despite this, she added in a warning tone, “Do not take too long though. We are not in a position to have our forces split with what few we have.”

Thor nodded, a promise escaping his lips, “I will return with haste.”

“M—mother?”

Trixie was beyond confused by the sight of her biological mother standing before her. The mare was quite similar to Trixie in many regards, having a similar coat of fur, mane, and even the same lanky body type. In fact, she appeared nearly as tall as Trixie was after the latter’s growth spurt.

While better than her stunned daughter, Ms. Lulamoon did not appear to be fully comfortable herself. She kept her focus on Trixie though, ignoring the glare being shot at her by Luna and the looks of confusion from all others, “How are you doing, dear?”

Trixie looked back to Luna momentarily while biting her own upper lip, her thought process shattered as old emotions began to flare up, “Wha—what are you doing here?”

Trixie had a good reason to not assume she would ever see her mother again. She had a great reason, actually, and that started with how her mother said she never wanted Trixie to come back.

Despite this, Ms. Lulamoon did not appear to be holding the hatred and vitriol a parent who abandoned their child who they once abused might hold. She was even almost giving a smile to Trixie, “I have not seen you in quite some time. I wanted to stop by and congratulate you. You’ve been quite busy these past months it appears.”

“I—”

Trixie’s response was cut short by a booming interjection from Luna, who could not take this anymore.

“What are you doing here?”

Trixie’s mother rose an eyebrow at Luna’s words, almost appearing surprised by how accusing her voice was, “What is so wrong with visiting my dear daughter?”

Luna snarled and narrowed her eyes at the mare, her voice creeping upward in volume with each word, “You know damn well—”

To return the favor, Trixie cut Luna off, though it was with a raised hoof that was meant to silence her. As Luna abruptly cut herself off, Trixie cast her gaze to the floor to think.

After a moment, she looked up to Luna with near-wincing eyes.

“Princess, I…” she paused to let out an exasperated breath, “Can I talk to her alone?”

As much as Luna wanted to kill this intruder outright for trying to interject in a family situation she no longer had a place in and for all of her previous crimes, Luna sighed as she realized that this was Trixie’s battle. If Luna interfered it could have innumerable effects on Trixie and cause regrets to stir in her, whereas Trixie confronting the issue herself would either break Trixie’s will outright or instill some kind of resolve in her.

Luna could help pick up pieces of a broken Trixie. She had done it before. She could not, however, counter whatever doubts may arise and grow in Trixie to cause a catastrophic event like the Ursa incident.

Fully hating herself while saying it, Luna cast her gaze to the side while relenting, “Go ahead,” she shot her glance over to the still standing waiter, “These two will require a table.”

The waiter brought Trixie and her mother to another place to sit in the restaurant, making sure to keep them far away from the nearly seething Princess. Once this was done, he returned to take the orders he meant to very long ago.

“Do you wish to order now, Princesses?”

Luna shook her head slowly, her eyes tracking the two blue ponies who left them a moment ago, “I apologize, but I believe I have lost my appetite. You order, sister.”

Celestia and Twilight were still in the dark as to just what was going on, so the elder sister decided to address what just happened, “Luna, what is the matter? Is that truly her mother?”

Luna lowered her head and let it almost droop as she thought about what she had been able to piece together about her student’s past, “I have done my homework on Trixie,” her head lifted gently as she shot a venomous glance over to the table that Trixie and her mother now sat at, “That mare who just arrived? She abandoned her. Abused her. She does not deserve the title bestowed upon her.”

That title, Luna regretted, she could not fully claim for herself. Not so long as there was Trixie’s true, living, and breathing mother. As terrible as Ms. Lulamoon had been and as great as Luna had tried to be to Trixie, the sheer fact that one was her biological parent and the other someone she looked up to as a parent made things complicated and difficult.

Twilight was the next to speak, also concerned about the whole issue but knowing even less than her mentor, “Then why didn’t you just throw her out? Nopony like that should be allowed near their kid.”

Luna’s reasoning brought a sad frown to her own face, “I am not sure Trixie would have forgiven me for fighting this battle for her,” she pounded a hoof down on her seat with enough force that it almost broke beneath her, “Every ounce of my being wants to forcibly remove that terrible being from her life forever.”

Celestia, sensing the immense anger that Luna was holding back, decided to make one thing clear about the issue, “Luna, I will not condone killing her, no matter her crimes.”

That didn’t seem to perturb Luna too much, though that likely was a result of how she likely had assumed that was the case to begin with, “I would be lying if it had not crossed my mind.”

Not happy about the death talk, Twilight spoke up again with a sheepish smile in an attempt to put a positive spin on things, “How terrible of a pony could she be?”

After being seated down, both Trixie and her mother were left in an awkward silence. Neither knew exactly what to say to the other, though Trixie found herself marveled at just how identical her mother appeared to herself. One might even be challenged to tell which of them was older, or if they were mother and daughter or just two similar looking sisters.

The first to speak was her mother, who glanced over to the table Trixie had been sitting at with slight annoyance, “Will your teacher be fine?”

A glance revealed to Trixie that her teacher and surrogate mother, Luna, was in fact not doing well at all. She appeared quite irritated actually, making Trixie even more nervous in the process, “Likely not.”

Another awkward pause resulted when the two met eyes again. Over a decade of no communication had brought them to this point of not knowing what to say. Where could they even start? Bringing up the past? Talking about the present?

The elder Lulamoon gave her daughter a small smile that revealed some pride as she tried to broach the latter of the two possible subjects, “So, you have been crowned the Equestria Games champion for the magic competition. A gold medal recipient. You have come a long way.”

Trixie just lowered her gaze to the table, not able to look her in the eye any longer, “Yes, I have.”

“I must say that humiliating that royal brat in front of such a crowd was quite the treat for you after what her friends did.”

Trixie’s eyes lit up when she realized that her mother knew about what happened. Which means she was keeping track of Trixie to some degree…but what could that mean?

Still, Trixie did not really want to talk about her recent victory in the light her mother was putting it under. While it was immensely satisfying to have defeated Twilight in a fair duel, and she could completely agree with what was said, Trixie didn’t feel much like gloating, “Twilight indirectly ruined my life, so I directly humiliated her. Our score is settled.”

“And what of ours?” came the response, completely catching Trixie off-guard. Now the first possible topic was being brought up, and it was by none other than Trixie’s failure of a caretaker.

Trixie stumbled over her words as she tried to take in all of the memories that flooded her with that one sentence, “I—I—” she shook her head and her voice shifted into anger as she looked at how passive her mother appeared, “How can you just act like nothing has happened? After everything you’ve done to me? After throwing me out, starving me, abusing me—”

Ms. Lulamoon seemed to have expected this response, as she just shook her head in a slow manner as she spoke in a tired voice, “I came to congratulate you, not for a lecture,” she narrowed her eyes at Trixie and her tone grew a tinge of anger as well, though this was anger born of indignance, “And you left of your own free will. You ran away.”

Trixie’s voice almost cracked as she fought tears from flowing down her face, “I came back! You wouldn’t let me in!”

Her mother kept a more calm voice as she continued to look at Trixie, her eyes focused but not displaying any emotion, “If I just let you back in the first time you knocked I would be reinforcing your rebellious behavior, letting you think you could just keep acting out to get your way.”

With her mouth hanging and brain confused, Trixie found it difficult to respond. This gave her mother the opportunity to continue on without interruption.

“I would have let you in after the first time, but you did not come back after the first. In fact, when I reported you as missing there was no trace of you,” she sighed sadly, “I take it you learned how to hide well on the street.”

Having been forced to steal food to sustain herself, Trixie had done little but hide and she especially did her best to avoid the police. They likely had stopped looking for her long after she would have stopped hiding in alleys, though that was only if they ever were looking for her to begin with…

Trixie’s head hung down as she felt tears stream down her face, “How could I possibly believe you?”

Her mother sighed softly and shook her head, a small cough escaping her lips, “I have copies of the reports I filed back home. There should be official records of them as well. Would you care to see them?”

“No…” Trixie had spent years in suffering because of this mare. A simple act of trying to find her would not absolve her of her other actions, “Why didn’t you help me when I came back the other year? I was broke, humiliated…”

For the first time in the conversation Trixie’s mother snapped, her voice full of anger, “And what would I have done? Let you sleep in your old bed that you no longer can fit in?”

Trixie found herself surprised that her mother would yell at her like this, as she never used to in public and she expected her to perhaps play nice now that she came back. Perhaps try and act like a sycophant and mooch off Trixie’s success. What could she want if she wasn’t about to act like that?

Ms. Lulamoon sighed, though it came out partly as a wheeze, “I don’t know if you know this, but when you ruined yourself my own reputation suffered as well. I could not have afforded to keep you around, especially since you could be out working to help yourself recover from your loss, which is what you ended up doing like you should have.”

Trixie weakly looked up at her mother, tears still falling down her face, “It’s been so long, I have so much to ask you,” she sighed as the obvious questions rattled through her mind, “Why did you come back? Why are you here? To catch the gravy train and mooch from me now that I am successful, even though you couldn’t be bothered to help me in the past?”

“Not quite,” her mother gave Trixie a sad smile, a tear almost falling from her own eye, “I just wanted to come and apologize. I was a foolish teenager, and my actions were and are inexcusable.”

One word in that last sentence shattered Trixie’s thought process just like her mother’s arrival had.

“Te-teenager?” she stammered. Trixie was a filly, maybe six, when she ran away…and her mother was still a teenager then?

With another hard look at her, Trixie could see that her mother was just beginning to hit what most would call middle age. Given Trixie’s own youth, her mind shut down as she tried to find an explanation. She didn’t want one or to even think about it.

Her mother gave an even sadder smile, “I don’t look that old, do I?”

Trixie had to admit that, no, she did not appear old. One would be forgiven for assuming her to in fact be an older sister. But what that meant, Trixie seriously did not want to know.

Seeing Trixie’s face made her mother sigh, another cough escaping her lips. She moved to get up from her seat at the table while stating, “I will not bother you any longer if you do not want me to. I should probably go…”

Trixie shook her head, tears flying from her face. All she had now were more questions, and she would hate herself for not figuring them out down the road even if they brought more pain in the end, “No, I want to know. Why now?”

Her mother stopped leaving, though she gave no instantaneous response. She even averted her eyes completely, looked down to the floor, then back up to Trixie before even giving a sigh and speaking.

“I…I was in town, and this would be my last chance since I should be dead in the next month or so,” she could see fear light up in Trixie’s eyes, so she gave a small laugh, “Do not worry. You do not have a genetic predisposition to what I have, unless of course you are prone to making bad decisions too.”

This said, she turned to leave, but Trixie quickly called after her.

“Please don’t go. We…we can bring you back to Canterlot with us.”

Her mother did not seem to believe Trixie, her voice sounding concerned as she turned to face her, “Even after everything I have done?”

Trixie glanced over to the other table and at Twilight before looking at her mother again with a sad smirk, “I’m in a forgiving mood today. And if I don’t, I’ll always question that decision.”

Before her mother could say anything else, Trixie jabbed a hoof in her direction and put on a tough face, “Don’t think you’re getting away with everything. I still hate you. But I’m a better pony than you, and I won’t just let you wither and die when I still need to talk to you.”

Trixie got up while gesturing for her mother to stay put.

“I will go inform my…” her voice trailed off as she forced herself to not say a certain word, “teacher. It may be best if you stay here.”

Loki let out an exhausted breath as he finished his long climb up an impossibly high cliff. He expected to see some portal or way of leaving when he hit the top, but the exhausted Asgardian instead was met with the sight of a temple-like building and little else.

“Almost there, she implies. Top of the cliff, she implies, because she doesn’t talk even though she can dreamwalk and do so there,” Loki mumbled as a green and black portal appeared beside him. He had stopped caring about the sudden appearances and disappearances of Lady Death, who happened to be his very own daughter.

Seeing Luna’s face on her still unnerved Loki, who was not so keen on meeting a child he did not yet raise, but that did not stop him from complaining to her, “Tell me, do you just take amusement out of my misery or is there some greater purpose to this all you are not telling me? This could all be so much easier if you just let it be.”

She gave a small shrug as she exited the portal, though this time she had company as she did so. It was a man taller than Loki and who had the purple skin he now associated with Illidan more than he did Thanos. Thanos had graciously decided to not ruin Loki’s stay in Hel it seemed, but Loki was not about to thank him for his absence yet. Loki still had not escaped after all, unlike Trixie and that damned bird.

Loki snorted as he looked over the newcomer, whose eyes shone brightly in complete contrast to the being of darkness he stood next to, “So you’ve brought a friend?”

She was not wearing her usual hood, and Loki could actually see a smile on her face. Unlike her usual crazed look, she almost appeared calm. Was this a later or earlier form of the same being who paid him a visit oh so often? The answer to that could either be a blessing or a sad look into the future ahead.

Loki observed the man more and found himself intrigued. Whereas Illidan had a bulky frame and was much larger, this one appeared quite slim despite his height. His face was even similar, though the exact color his eyes glowed reminded Loki of another…

“You remind me of Illidan,” Loki decided to try and make conversation with him. After all, if he was accompanying Lady Death than he might be able to interpret her, “Slimmer. Less monstrous.”

The man looked him over but gave no response. Having had no companion to have a good talk with in quite some time, Loki was profoundly pissed at this. What he would give to have some good banter.

With a sneer Loki looked at his deranged child, “No wonder you find him agreeable. Another mute.”

The man’s voice actually caught Loki off guard when it came out, “I can speak. I only choose not to.”

Loki stood up straight and brushed himself off as he continued to complain jokingly, “Now what is the fun in that?”

No response, though his daughter appeared amused at the interaction for whatever reason.

Loki would keep going though, for he wanted a response. It was about time he could talk to someone who wasn’t trying to kill him, “Tell me, Elf, do you know of what happened to that blind father of yours?”

That made the stoic man react, his mouth opening to respond before shutting closed. Lady Death snorted, or at least did the action of snorting since no sound came out, and looked up at her tall companion who still had not introduced himself.

“Didn’t think I could tell, did you? After all, you Elves must all look alike to outsiders such as myself,” Loki reveled in being able to be smug towards someone. The feeling was nice, and he could remember why he would often do it before, “But that Warden was awfully obsessed with trying to kill him, her hate being on a level I have only observed in spurned lovers and myself on occasion.”

There was once again no response, and Loki found himself growing increasingly irritated. No wonder his daughter could find this good company, given her own lack of verbosity. She must appreciate silence in her own deranged way.

Still, she was bringing around another being with her unlike usual…Loki did not like the sound of that. He may not have had the opportunity to be a father to her in any way, but the fact still stood that this unknown man was standing side by side with his own flesh and blood. Some boundaries would need to be made.

Loki leveled the two blades he had used to scale the cliff at the Elf, “Fine, be silent. I don’t know what she keeps you around for, but I would have to cut you down after all your father did for me. Know your place,” Loki lowered the weapons slightly before giving a small shrug, “Your mother was less kind, though I’ll forgive her actions given why she did them in the first place.”

As if to mock his attempt at being a tough dad, Lady Death took the hand of her companion in her own and tilted her head back in laughter. Loki had to wonder if this was just one more way she was trying to mess with him, though he was giving up on trying to interact with them. He might have the opportunity to leave soon, and that meant not having to deal with every form of torment the mistress of Hel could think of any more.

“And this is why I always wanted a son. No need to be the overprotective father…”

The companion spoke up as Loki began to leave towards the temple, “Then you should—”

Lady Death quickly shoved a hand over his mouth, with the interruption causing Loki to turn around and raise his brow at them. What was the Elf about to say that Lady Death did not wish to let him give away?

A rising fear in the back of Loki’s mind brought a scowl to his face.

“Don’t tell me that Luna and I changed our minds and had more than just you?”

The complete lack of response from either gave Loki all he needed to know. Chances were, Lady Death was only one of a set.

Loki was beginning to regret certain nights he could have spent reading.

Author's Note

A/N: I still suggest you read "Nothing Lasts Forever" if you haven't already, but it's not required if you don't want to! It helps explain a lot about our Trixie here though, and her mother, so it's just a suggestion.

Nothing's Gonna Make This Right Again

A/N: Special thanks to Iraq Lobster, Scarheart, Drgnwolf, DEI Caboose, Cadmium, hs0003, New Spark, Ketvirtas, Evilhumour, Kamunari, Killabyte, Ikiostar, and XaldinLance for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Perfect" from Simple Plan.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

Trixie took her time walking over to Luna to request that both Lulamoons be brought back to Canterlot. Trixie did not know if she should bring up her mother’s illness or if she should request without requiring it. After all, she would not want to present her mother as a beggar. She did not even seem too willing to accept any kind of help, so making it seem as if this was a favor she wanted might not be right.

Right…Trixie was still having an issue with the fact that her mother was back.

What was worrying her more? Talking to her mother-figure about her actual mother. Given Luna’s tendency towards anger, this could result in the destruction of the entire nearby area if Trixie did not play this right.

After her nerve was gathered and her quivering hooves carried her to the table she had previously sat at with the three princesses, Trixie nervously murmured, “M-mother.”

Luna had calmed down when she saw Trixie approaching. The mere fact that Trixie was not breaking down and crying was enough for Luna to try and think good thoughts about what was being said. If Trixie could perhaps settle some old wounds, she may even come out of this stronger and be able to get past some of her crippling need for others’ recognition.

“How is it going?” Luna asked with a smile. She definitely wanted to come off as the good parent in this, so she wasn’t going to reveal her hatred of the newcomer in the first sentence.

Still nervous, Trixie tried to get through her thoughts but instead fumbled completely, “I…she…”

With a reassuring look from Luna, Trixie swallowed her fear and tried again, “I want to bring her with us back to Canterlot,” her own face faltered and grew sad as she continued, Luna’s mouth moving from a smile to a crease, “I have not quite forgiven her, but she needs help.”

Luna blinked, her voice caught between disbelief and curious, “Help? Her of all ponies?” a small nod from Trixie made Luna’s voice divert from curiosity increasingly into one of anger, “Trixie, this is your abusive mother. She just drops by after what, sixteen, seventeen, years—”

Not about to let Luna snap at her student, Celestia spoke up as Twilight cringed in her own seat, “Luna, please—”

Not all that sure about her own age after living out on the street for so many of her younger years, Trixie bit her lip as she tried to correct Luna with some uncertainty in her own voice, “I think it was fifteen.”

Luna responded without a single moment to rest, her voice now completely furious, though it was not directed at Trixie herself, “Oh pardon me, she comes by after fifteen years, and acts like nothing has happened! Come on, Trixie, this is the same mare who didn’t care enough about you to open the damn door!”

“She made a mistake. Many, yes, but so does everypony else,” Trixie cringed similarly to Twilight, though she had no seat to find comfort in and instead took a half step back. Despite her physical action revealing her mental fear of Luna’s reaction, Trixie’s voice became more resolute and sarcastic, “I’m sorry that not everypony can be as perfect as you, Princess Luna.”

Seeing Trixie retreat made Luna dial back her volume instantly. She did not want to be the one to now instill fear in Trixie, and realized her error with extreme regret. What had she become these past months? With her transformation drawing out her darker emotions, the loss of Loki (and previously Trixie too), in addition to her life’s stresses had caused Luna to become something she did not even recognize.

Luna sighed as she spoke with this lower voice, “Trixie, I understand that you want to be better than her, take her in when she would not do the same to you, but you’re not going to change her, she’s not coming back for your sake, she’s here to appease her own regrets.”

Trixie lowered her head to stare at the floor while Celestia spoke up again, not about to be interrupted again, “Everypony calm down. We can talk about the specifics later, but for now I think it would be good courtesy to allow Ms. Lulamoon to return with us,” she turned to face Luna with a serious expression, “Right, Luna?”

Luna joined Trixie in staring at the floor, though she spared a glance across the room towards the subject of this conversation. In a perfect world she wanted to kill Trixie’s mother and take that position for herself. Having her in their castle would make growing her own bond with Trixie more difficult since the natural mother would be in direct competition for affection despite her previous gross failures.

“Fine. She can come with us, but I will have a word with her when we return. Alone. Rules will be established.”

Trixie’s eyes lit up at Luna’s words, her face turning into a smile.

Maybe this all could turn out well. Her mother seemed to be open to rekindling their bond on some level, and her adoptive mother was willing to let things be.

She would be willing to forget if it meant everyone could be happy.

The ride back required Luna to be on mental autopilot. Anything else would have had her throw the elder Lulamoon from the carriage in pure anger.

Trixie sat awkwardly between them, trying to keep a smile on her face even as the ride home remained completely silent. Luna was unwilling to break her concentration while Trixie’s mother kept her own mouth shut to not aggravate the giant Alicorn riding in the same carriage. Twilight and Celestia had gone in their own separate one back to Canterlot, leaving just the three who had issues to settle between themselves.

After both carriages arrived back at Canterlot Luna was the one to break their silence. They were let out at the balcony that led to Luna’s room, all five ponies disembarking and waiting there for the others to get off.

This being done, the ponies entered Luna’s room where she spoke, “Now, it has been a long day for everyone. It is time to sleep.”

It was the early hours of night, Luna having had to move the moon during the ride, and it had been quite the day for them all, especially Twilight and Trixie. They each felt aches in their bodies where they magic had collided and done damage, though Trixie wore her bruises with some level of pride.

Celestia and Twilight gave their farewells to the others and wished them a goodnight while Trixie offered to show her mother a place to sleep. As both Lulamoons turned to leave Luna to her own room, Luna spoke up again.

“You stay.”

Her voice was directed at the elder Lulamoon, leaving Trixie to bite her own lip nervously while heading to the door. Luna took little note of Trixie’s exit while she focused her eyes on the only other remaining pony, who had stayed without protest. She had expected this conversation and was not afraid of being confronted alone.

“Take a seat,” she stated rather than offered. She wanted to speak down to the mare, and she would appear more intimidating if she was being looked up at rather than towards.

Trixie’s mother did not move, seemingly unfazed by the order. Her unflinching gaze irritated Luna, who made sure her door was closed with her magic as she stated through grit teeth, “Sit. Down.”

Out of a lack of caring, not fear, Ms. Lulamoon sat down and looked up at Luna as the princess approached her and only stopped a few feet in front of the blue pony.

Luna narrowed her eyes as she began to speak the words she planned on the carriage ride between fleeting mental images of eviscerating this mare, “I won’t pretend I am a moral pillar to be praised in matters regarding family, but some things I do know. I’ve learned because I’ve decided to have a family of my own, one that has not had you in the picture until recently.”

This did not seem to bring any doubt to the stone cold face of Trixie’s mother, whose only facial animation appeared when she was speaking to Trixie.

With nothing said back, Luna was left to continue her tirade, “You take care of your family, not neglect them, and love them for who they are. You love them despite their faults because that is what a mother and a sister does. These past months I have done everything I can for her, and I am not going to let you ruin Trixie’s emotional state after she has come so far.”

Again, there was no objection, though Luna was hoping for something. Anything. Talking without her talking back made it feel almost as if her words were being accepted, not recoiled against.

Still, Luna moved to the next part of her planned speech. She had little else to do but keep moving forward, and she wanted to let her thoughts be known, “Trixie is the most dedicated, loving and fantastic daughter that somepony could ever hope for. I intend to remove custody from you and grant it to myself, and any attempt you make at stopping this process will be denied and stricken from the record.”

Luna leaned down to bring their eyes as close as they could be, snarling at the stoic mare sitting before her, “She is my daughter now, as I appreciate her for who she is. I do not abuse her for what she is not, unlike your marred record,” she paused before continuing with obvious disgust and a very sinister tone, “If you do anything that can or does hurt Trixie, I swear they will never find your body. You will disappear and no-one will care. I can end your life or make it miserable as I please.”

Rising to her full height, Luna stared down at her rival of sorts with a more smug face, “Or did you forget that I can do that?”

“Not forget. Simply don’t care. I will die soon enough as it is,” the flippant Lulamoon stated, her voice followed by a cough. Her dismissal of Luna’s threat would have deflated the Alicorn’s ego if not for how it was stated that she was dying. That rose Luna’s interest greatly.

Luna rose an eyebrow, keeping her face and voice neutral, “How much longer do you have?”

“A few weeks. A month if I am so unlucky.”

That revelation gave Luna some pause. So this was the help that Trixie spoke of…it seemed that, at least to Luna, the mother had accepted her fate while Trixie wanted to try and interfere with it. It would be quite sweet if the recipient of the charity actually deserved it on any level.

“I can see why she wanted to bring you with us,” Luna narrowed her eyes again as she thought about the situation more. This fact being revealed meant that it could serve as something else that hurts Trixie. If her biological mother died after reconciling with her then it would weigh heavily on her mind and possibly drive her back into depression.

“Is this some attempt to reconcile before you die then? You do realize you will likely hurt her more by being here than by never having come back. Trixie would have been better without you being in the picture.”

As if she was bored, Trixie’s mother asked Luna a cutting question, “Are you done?”

Luna hid her annoyance at this while responding, “Yes, but you will answer this to me. Why?” Luna had to restrain herself as she brought up a question which she expected to have a poor answer to, “Was she not good enough? Or is it something more personal to you? There is no father listed on her birth certificate, and you were only at the end of middle school. Did you resent having her?”

It took a moment, but the stone-faced façade cracked. Trixie’s mother lowered her gaze ever so briefly before looking straight back up to Luna with a focused gaze.

“Truth be told, I never wanted that girl,” she stated, her voice containing a sigh within it before pausing completely, “If I had the chance to go back and change things I never would have had her. At least not then. Not at that age.”

Luna tried to think back to the record she had read of Trixie’s mother. She had glossed over the less relevant details, and so she was having a hard time remembering just how old this mare was. She really did look as if she was a marginally older Trixie, and their features were stunningly similar outside of Trixie’s most recent growth spurt.

This time spent retrieving information mentally gave Trixie’s mother time to continue, “By the time I scared Trixie away I was still younger than she is now. I was young and stupid. My parents evicted me, so they were no help when she was first born. By the time I knew enough about an orphanage to leave her at one, she was old enough to talk and do magic. Older fillies aren’t adopted as often…”

Luna’s building rage and anger began to stagnate. If what this mare was saying was true…

No. There was another piece of this equation that Luna needed to know.

“Where is her father? I assume you know who they are.”

The other mare gave a small grunt, “You’ll have to ask that bastard who married into Prince Blueblood’s family,” as Luna’s jaw dropped at that very statement, Trixie’s mother added with some disgust, “Trixie and that Prince Blueblood you so despise are half siblings.”

Blueblood’s father…he had passed away before Luna had returned, though she had never heard a bad word about him. Granted the age of Trixie’s mother, that would mean he took advantage of a child.

Luna felt her heart sink. She actually felt some sympathy for the mare who, until now, she had every reason to hate and despise to irrational levels. She did not know how she felt about that, but something else still mattered.

“Does she know? Does she know any of this?” Luna asked, though she honestly doubted Trixie did. If she did, she would have brought it up at some point.

Ms. Lulamoon shook her head no, her voice being a cross between a monotone and regret, “No, but you do the math. The downsides of looking older than your age, especially when you look like an adult and are too young to know what is happening,” her voice shifted as a small smile graced her lips, “You could confirm it with him, except I killed the stallion years ago. Left his legitimate child the same way as my own, and repaid him in kind for everything he had done.”

Despite the admission of a crime, Luna found herself fully in support. She would have done the same thing after all, though she was genuinely curious why this seemingly intelligent and collected mare did not just turn him in to the police, “Why did you not report him? Tell someone?”

“You were not back yet from your lunar excursion, but he was quite the influential figure in his time. It allowed him to get to where he ended up, and it is quite difficult to accuse royalty of something so…” she paused before her façade broke again for a moment, her eyes wincing as she coughed, “Even my parents did not believe me.”

Parts of Luna wretched at her own emotions as she realized that her sympathy was now eclipsing her hate for this other horse. While the actions of this mare were inexcusable towards Trixie, Luna could find herself understanding how and why she had treated Trixie terribly. This did not erase or excuse her crimes, rather it put them into a context that made Luna absolutely sick to her stomach.

“I hated Trixie. She always looked like a happy version of what I was like back when I was her age. Back when I didn’t have my life ruined,” Trixie’s mother gave a small snort, “I might have actually given her up if she didn’t though. If she looked like him.”

With a breath, she began to admit to her own issues, “I hit her. I starved her. Forced her to work until she was in tears. I wanted her to hate me like I hated her, and she just couldn’t. She can feel indignant, but she isn’t capable of one tenth of the malice I am.”

To that Luna could agree. Trixie did not have it in her to be a true villain, much unlike herself. Even when Trixie was corrupted by the Alicorn Amulet she had gone no farther than taking a town over and banishing her object of scorn, when she easily could have inflicted real damage and harm.

Still speaking, Trixie’s mother sighed again before wheezing momentarily, “You don’t know what you have until you have lost it. I have no idea of how to be a parent. I made Trixie the way she is, for better or for worse, because I couldn’t be there for her like I should have.”

Surprising Luna, Ms. Lulamoon stood up and turned towards the door.

“You’ve taken her in like your own. In these past few months you’ve done more for her than I ever have,” Luna could swear she could hear the faintest trace of her fighting back tears, “Take care of her. You are right about how I do not belong here. I will not bother you two any more.”

Despite her inner rage, Luna could not help but also feel the same compassion that drew her closer to Trixie. As such she did not try and stop her so she could yell more, instead asking about what she would have to say and explain to Trixie, “What should I tell her?”

“You don’t need to tell me anything!”

Both Luna and Ms. Lulamoon whipped their heads around to face the area beside the door, where Trixie emerged from an invisibility illusion. Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were puffy as she removed her magical veil, and neither mare could believe that she had been there the entire time without their knowledge.

“Trixie?” Luna gasped as she realized just how badly this was going to turn out. Trixie had screamed, meaning that she had not taken all of this news lightly, nor had her sympathy built up like Luna’s had.

Her mother attempted to approach her with a soothing voice, “Listen, Trixie, honey—”

Trixie’s horn began to glow its new black, purple, and green and she leveled it towards her mother, “Don’t you dare call me that!”

While Luna’s threats earlier may not have fazed the elder Lulamoon in the slightest, the extremely volatile Trixie was bringing fear to her eyes. She took a step back as Trixie continued to sob and point her horn at her.

“You hated me because of something that wasn’t even my fault!?” Trixie was nearly choking on her tears as her voice continued to elevate, “No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, you still couldn’t stand me because you didn’t want to have me in the first place!? I’ve lived my entire life thinking I wasn’t good enough just because you slept with a disgusting piece of trash twice your age!?”

Luna was unsure how to intervene. Surely Trixie wouldn’t attack another pony…would she? If she ever broke her general sweetness then this would be the pony to push her to that point. Still, Luna doubted Trixie could go so far…

But having heard it all…maybe she could. Trixie was so emotional that she did not seem to have realized that her mother had not willingly been with Blueblood’s father, nor did she appear to care. She was simply furious that her entire life’s pain stemmed from something she had no choice over and that her mother tormented her for.

“Trixie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to know that—”

Her genuine apology was cut off with a burst of magic that blasted the floor right in front of her hooves, surprising both the mother and Luna. As her mother retreated another step Trixie’s voice lowered and her face turned fierce, “What was it you said fifteen years ago? Walk out that door and you better not come back. And you can forget any future you will have.”

Trixie fired another blast, though this time it was aimed directly at her mother. It was not fast enough to hit her, as the elder mare moved out of the way and the blast slammed into the wall. This done, Trixie’s mother rushed towards the door as Trixie shouted after her.

“Go on, get out! You better not come back you dying witch!”

After her mother escaped though the door a moment of silence passed in the room. In this time Trixie resumed her tears, her horn’s magic disappearing and her body shaking in distress as she felt her emotions other than anger return to her.

“Trixie…” Luna stated sadly as she looked across the room. As much as the mother deserved some kind of revenge from Trixie, listening in on the conversation had turned the hopeful and happy Trixie into a mess. This was exactly how Luna had hoped things would not go, all because Trixie could not likely trust Luna alone with her own mother.

Luna’s own scary demeanor had, in effect, caused this since Trixie likely feared Luna would have killed the mare.

The shaking, the tears, her continuing sobs…Luna felt her heart wrench at the sight of her adoptive daughter. She approached her and brought a large black wing around her, wrapping her up protectively.

“Trixie, it’s going to be alright. I’m here for you,” Luna cooed, “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Trixie sniffled while wiping tears off one side of her face, her voice trying to sound tough even as it wavered, “I’m already alright. Why shouldn’t I be? I kicked her out this time, not the other way around…”

Trixie breaking down into more tears made Luna bring a hoof to her face and stroke it softly, “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m here for you, you know that right? I always will be. I…”

Trixie looked up to Luna and tried to look tough, but her quivering lower lip kept it from working, “I know, but I’m fine. I don’t need her, just like I’ve never needed her,” her voice was confident even if her face wasn’t, “I didn’t need her when I learned how to levitate apples off of carts to eat. I didn’t need her when I found out how to do show magic to get my cutie mark, and I did fine without her making a life for myself before Twilight’s friends humiliated me, didn’t I?”

Not sure how to respond, Luna just nodded while bringing her hoof up and down Trixie’s side in a comforting manner, “Yes, you did.”

“Without her I became the apprentice of a princess. Without that recalcitrant bitch I made my life better, defeated two Ursas, and proved I’m the best Unicorn in all of Equestria!” Trixie choked out, her words harsh but also revealing how hurt she felt, “I’ve lived my whole life without her helping me, from the day I crawled out of my crib to feed myself since she couldn’t be bothered!”

A pause, and then…

“Why doesn’t anypony love me?” Trixie asked in a whisper, her voice fading along with her anger.

Luna lowered her lips to the top of Trixie’s head, “Trixie?”

“Yes m—mother?”

Luna rubbed her face against Trixie’s, feeling a tear fall down her own cheek, “I love you. I always will.”

With that, Luna lead her student and daughter over to her bed. She was not going to let Trixie sleep alone that night and stir in her thoughts. She needed comfort, and that was what she was going to get.

Tucking Trixie in under the blue and green sheets of the bed, Luna bent her face down to kiss her student on the cheek. Trixie gave no resistance to all of this, and when Luna laid down beside her and brought her hooves around her she turned to return to gesture.

“I love you…” Trixie whispered.

Exhausted from the day and the previous few minutes, Trixie nodded off almost instantly. Luna kept herself awake long enough to be sure that Trixie was sleeping well, at which point she entered her dreams and guided them throughout the night.

Trixie would have suffered from nightmares, but she did not lose an ounce of rest to them because of the mare who took her in and who she now called mother.

Author's Note

Our Promise From That Day

A/N: Special thanks to XaldinLance, IkioStar, ABitterPill, Ketvirtas, Amethyst blade, hs0003, Mutie Genic, Kamunari, DEI Caboose, Magestikus, Scarheart, Evilhumour, helljack666, Killabyte, Oubliette, Drgnwolf, and Cadmium for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Friends" from Gundam 00.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

“Look at my legacy, Algrim. I barely remember the time before light.”

“Our survival will be your legacy.”

“The Asgardians will suffer as we have suffered. I will reclaim the Aether. I will restore our world and I’ll put an end to this poisonous world.”

Granted the exhausting day and night she had gone through, Trixie slept until half the next day was over. Luna let her sleep while guiding her dreams to be as peaceful and far from her own dark past as they could. Instead, Luna played memories concerning the warmer moments shared between them.

This constant comfort of her sleeping daughter was interrupted with a quick series of knocks on the door. Trixie instantly stirred from her sleep, her ears perking up softly at the noise while Luna exited the dreamscape with a snarl on her face.

Luna did not particularly care for being interrupted, nor did she want to be taken from Trixie’s side.

“Oh what is it now?” she muttered under her breath, drawing out a small chuckle from the good spirited Trixie who still had yet to open her eyes and move from beneath Luna’s sheets.

Luna gently rose so as to not disturb the awake yet still resting Trixie. Stretching her long limbs out and flapping her wings once, Nightmare Moon went over to greet whatever unfortunate soul had knocked.

Luna opened the door and looked down with scrutiny only to find the Asgardian duo of Volstagg and Fandral standing before her, the former kneeling down at the sight of her and the other bowing and speaking, “Sorry for disturbing you my lady, but Lady Frigga is requesting your presence at Asgard.”

Luna’s ears perked up greatly at that, and she grew very excited at the prospect of Frigga needing her for something. Very excited, in fact, as that could only mean one thing to Luna.

“Has Loki awoken?”

The two warriors exchanged a nervous glance before Volstagg gave a hesitant nod, “Yes, though Lady Frigga does not seem to think it’s the right one,” Luna’s instant look of confusion and deflation spurred him to continue, “We can explain more, but Lady Frigga asked you come post haste.”

Luna was not quite sure she even should go if it did not have to do with Loki. Trixie would not likely be fine on her own, and leaving her would be quite like abandoning her…it would not help matters at all.

Still, Luna trusted Lady Frigga to only call for her when absolutely needed. That meant that it might be best for Trixie to instead come with her instead of stay behind.

Luna turned her head back toward the bed, “Trixie, are you okay with coming to Asgard again?”

Trixie lazily rolled out of the bed, dragging a blanket down with her. After a moment of stillness she gave a yawning, “Sure,” and proceeded to get up. She summoned her hat and cape to her side, Luna having removed them during the night and also having had them repaired by a tailor.

As Trixie placed the items on, Luna turned back to the men in the doorway, “Come, let us go.”

Trixie was less groggy from the Equestria Games and her experience with her birth mother by the time they reached Asgard, even managing to cower in fear at the sight of Asgard’s guardian Heimdall. He only nodded as the four returned to Asgard, allowing them to pass him and enter.

Once Luna and the others reached the castle they approached the throne room to find Frigga, only to find instead Odin leaving it and no Frigga in sight. With this being the case, Luna decided to confront the Allfather alone and question him concerning the matter.

With a nod of the head she dismissed Volstagg and Fandral, “Take her to Loki’s chamber and set her up there.”

Fandral bowed as he took his exit, “As you wish,” as he turned he waved a hand for Trixie to follow him and his ostentatious goatee, “Come now, Trixie! I’ll show you all of the greatest sights of the castle on the way.”

“The ones that haven’t been destroyed, you mean,” Volstagg joked, “At least the main hall remains intact. We couldn’t be without some good meat, now could we?”

“I’m a vegetarian...” Trixie commented as she too left Luna, accepting that she was going to be in the company of these merry buffoons for the time being.

Luna had to run for a moment in her Asgardian form to catch up to Odin, who was walking furiously away from the throne room, “Allfather, where is Lady Frigga?”

He did not break step or slow down as she approached him, his guards giving her a begrudging look as she did so, “She is busy handling the imposter returned to us in Loki’s stead,” he only took a second to look back at her before turning back forward with his one eye, “You may meet with her when she is finished. For now, you are free to accompany me as I accost my derelict son.”

Seeing as Luna had little else to do and would love to hear Odin show a harsher side to Thor (given the elder son’s favored status), Luna nodded once and fell into pace alongside the golden armored Allfather with her own indigo armor shimmering beside his.

“I think I just may.”

When they arrived at their destination, the healing chambers of all places, Luna let Odin stalk forward with anger towards Thor. She decided to hang back and lean against one wall as she watched, not wanting to interrupt the tirade that was about to happen just yet.

“My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?” Odin complained as he looked at Thor, who was standing by a medical observation table where a seemingly normal Midgardian was being inspected.

Thor turned to his father with a grim expression, “She’s ill, and mother allowed it—”

Frigga’s permission did not halt Odin’s fury, and the Allfather did not seem to particularly approve of Thor’s lover, “Yet this woman is mortal. Illness is their defining trait. Have you forgotten that in your time among them?”

This made Luna snort and speak up, wholly amused at the scene, “I am in agreement. I do not remember the last time I fell ill like mortals tend to do every other week.”

Thor sent a look to Luna before ignoring her in favor of responding to Odin, “I brought her here so we can help her. What is so wrong with that?”

His response does little to humor Odin, who scoffs at the idea, “She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table.”

The woman on the medical table sits up with a very indignant face, “Did he just—” she turned to face Odin with a shocked expression, “Who do you think you are?”

Unlike Thor’s responses, this does seem to lighten Odin’s mood slightly, if only because he is mocking as he says, “I am Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms.”

Luna has to stop herself from breaking down in laughter at the utter shock and humiliation reflected now in the woman’s face, as her rhetorical question was met and trumped by reality.

She tries to save some grace, but does not get far, “Oh. Well I’m—”

Odin cuts her off, his voice confident as he states, “I know very well who you are. Jane Foster.”

This draws Luna’s attention, as until now she has only heard of this so called ‘Jane’. Looking at her did little to impress the princess though, as a skinny and short woman with no real power was of no interest to Luna, “So you are Thor’s Midgardian lover. You are far punier than I expected. I’m sure he likes you for your personality.”

Just like with Odin, Jane took offense at being mocked by someone she did not even know, “And just who are you? I get him insulting me, but I don’t even know you.”

Luna gave a mocking curtsy, snickering the entire time, “I am Luna. Princess of Equestria, Jotunheim, and Asgard. I am Loki’s lover.”

“Enough, this is not some verbal contest,” Odin interrupted once more before resuming his questioning, “What is she doing here despite my orders to the contrary? We spoke of this many times these past months.”

“Something’s within her father. Something I have not seen before.”

“An unborn child?” Luna snarked, tilting her head back to laugh at her own joke while the others in the room only glared at her.

“Leave his accosting to me, outsider,” Odin warned before turning back to face his son, “Her world has its healers, they’re called doctors, let them deal with it,” he paused to beckon the guards that had followed them, “Guards! Take her back to Midgard!

The guards approach Jane, but Thor steps forward to try and stop them.

“No I wouldn’t—”

A burst of dark magic rips emits from Jane’s body and knocks the men back, completely flooring them and surprising everyone else still standing whose name was not Thor.

Luna gasped as she noticed magic not wholly unlike her own. Instead of a dark color mixed with green though, this was dark mixed with red. The feeling it gave off felt quite familiar to Luna, and suddenly the unknown thing Thor mentioned before became wholly more interesting to Luna than the woman it was possessing.

“—touch her,” Thor finished a moment too late. Despite the dazed nature of the guards, Thor instead took interest in the condition of his lover, “Jane, are you alright?”

Odin steps forward and runs his hand over Jane's arm. As he does so, her skin glows red.

“It’s impossible,” Odin mutters to himself.

Luna narrowed her eyes as she observed Jane, hoping to see if any traces of the magic lingered but finding none, “Just what was that? Is what has infected her defending her?”

“No. It’s defending itself,” Thor stated grimly, his face revealing his worry about Jane.

Odin turned to leave, expecting the others to follow behind him, “Come with me.”

Luna did not budge, instead pointing a thumb in a different direction, “I would much rather meet with Lady Frigga. You can have fun with whatever dangerous disease that is. My stomach was upset already yesterday, so that is about as close to sick as I want to get.”

Odin stopped and turned back, “You need to hear this as well. We will need your magical knowledge in this matter.”

Luna opened her mouth to complain, but the sight of a familiar Asgardian healer caught her eye and so she stopped the complaint hanging in her throat.

“Fine, but where will you be? I have something to inquire about first.”

“The library. I trust you have visited it?”

Luna shrugged. She spent most of her time in Asgard with Loki in his room, so she was not exactly an expert of each and every room, but she surely had been in it and could teleport there, “Briefly, though I may spend some time there in the future. Now, I will join you shortly, so go have fun walking.”

With this, Odin departed with his son and Jane, while Luna stayed back to talk with the person she noticed in the room.

The person in question was Eir, the Asgardian who helped Luna alongside Frigga when they were observing her instead of Jane, and also the person Luna entrusted a certain foreigner with, “Eir, what is the condition of that Elf that I left in your care?”

Eir smiled to Luna as the princess took note of her, the medical expert approaching her as she responded warmly, “He is awake, though after a brief bout of insane rambling of what appears to be past memories, he has settled down into a sane state of amnesia.”

Luna was surprised to hear that things had gone so well in terms of restoring him to normal, since that’s what it was sounding like they did, “What did you do to him?”

“We did the same process we did to you to remove that dark energy, though we have refined it more. The energy drain he was suffering from stemmed from tainted magic that made his body burn through all of the rest he possessed, so by removing the tainted magic we have returned him to a normal level of being.”

Luna nodded as she mulled over the information. Because he no longer appeared insane, and thus dangerous, perhaps they could use him as more than a rabid attack dog, “And what of his magical prowess now?”

Eir shook her head sorrowfully, “He likely is no better than a child at magic now. An aftereffect of his condition, though we cannot know for certain if he can or can not regain his previous potential. The only traces of magic left in him are not even natural to him, but rather are belonging to your student and that witch he drained.”

Just because they could use him for more did not mean that Luna did not still appreciate his ability to drain a witch’s magic if need be, “Can he still drain magic at least?”

“No, that seemingly was lost when we did the treatment. It likely was a side effect of his body’s constant burning off of magic.”

“Well, at least he is no longer dangerous to us,” Luna brought a hand to her chin as she finished considering his usefulness, “But he also is no longer useful, at least in how he’s been used thus far.”

Eir only nodded, leaving Luna to think another moment. The silence in the room gave time for Luna to remember something important, at which point she spoke up again.

“The Elf is awake, correct?” Luna smiled to Eir as she hatched a brilliant plan, “Send him to Loki’s chambers, where my student is staying. She could perhaps learn something from him given the differences in their magic.”

Eir bowed her head before turning to go do as she was told, “Of course, your highness.”

Trixie, Luna reckoned, could use the company. She had no real friends currently, so maybe this could turn out for the best. She would undoubtedly need more than one emotional support to get over the reveal of her own past.

Luna managed to get to the library before Odin and the others because of the utilization of her teleportation. She greeted them with a nod when they arrived, but she did not join them or draw too close. She was there to listen, and did not care to really talk with the mortal or either of the men, even if she did have a respect of sorts for Thor outside of the family dynamics.

Odin begins to narrate to both Thor and Jane, while meanwhile Luna closes her eyes to focus on listening, “There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them. The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn, as they will have a dusk. But before that dawn the dark forces, the Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged.”

Thor is the next to speak up, his voice slow as if he was quoting someone, “‘Before the eternal night, the Dark Elves come to steal away your light.’ These were the stories mother told to us as children.”

Us. That made Luna cringe slightly as she realized that meant him and Loki. How things must have been different those many years ago.

Odin resumes his narration, “Their leader, Malekith, made a weapon out of that darkness, it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appear as stones, the Aether is fluid, and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter, and seeks out host bodies, drawing strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether’s power to return the universe to one of darkness. But, after eternities of bloodshed, my father Bor finally triumphed; ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years.”

“What happened?” Jane asks innocently. Luna snorts, already knowing the answer out of her experience in the political world.

“He killed them all,” Odin responded simply.

Luna was not exactly about to let Jane’s naiveté get off the hook, so she spoke up, “Exactly as he should have. To sacrifice one race for the existence of every other is just simple math.”

The more idealistic but less experienced Thor spoke up next, “They are always alternatives, but are you certain, Father? The Aether was said to have been destroyed with them, and yet here it is.”

“The Dark Elves are dead,” Odin affirms strongly, though the mention of the species brings to mind the Elf that was to be in Loki’s room with Trixie. Luna doubted they had any relation beyond the name of their races, but that might not stop him from being questioned concerning the matter.

“Does your book happen to mention how to get it out of me?” Jane asks Odin in an almost pleading voice. Luna could tell that Jane most certainly did not want a dark, dangerous, and powerful force inside of her, something she and Luna had in common.

“No. It does not,” Odin replies cryptically.

Luna opens her eyes and approaches the group so that she can actually engage them instead of give snarky commentary, “Ominous, but I have a very quick solution for you. You’ll be on your way back to Midgard before the day is out.”

Odin turns to her with actual interest, his face surprised that this foreigner may know something, “Speak what you know, outsider.”

His interest brought a smile to Luna’s face, as this was something she actually had a good idea for. Dark magic was dark magic after all, even if one shined red and one shined green, “Your wife tried taking the dark energy in my body out through an arcane method she studied. I hear that a more extreme version has been used on an Elf I left here in your captivity to remove damaging energy from him. Apply the same process to this Midgardian here and remove the Aether from her system.”

This news brings looks of both surprise and joy to Jane and Thor, while bringing a smug smile to Odin’s own face. This was great news to him as it not only proved that this foreign princess was worthy of his smart son, but also a way of him removing the less desirable woman from Asgard by curing her and then sending her on her way, “I will have Frigga contemplate the matter, but you may just have the right idea about how to solve this issue the Midgardian faces.”

“Don’t you just love how they talk like I’m not here?” Jane whispers to Thor, only to still be heard by the advanced beings she was speaking about entirely.

Luna beats Odin to responding with a smug grin, “I do, and will continue to do so until you have proven yourself to be more than a low class wench trying to poach herself a prince.”

Luna’s tendency to speak her mind and see things in a based manner did not sit well with the offended party, as well as her lover who instantly moved forward to confront her, “Lady Luna, you will not—”

Odin’s snort of laughter halts Thor in his tracks, “I had not thought of things that way before, but this is a matter to discuss after we have handled the Aether. Go your separate ways for now as we await Frigga’s return.”

Thor takes Jane by the hand roughly to bring her out of the library, leaving Luna with Odin. Luna nods to him before teleporting away, not having any particular reason to stay with him when she could be tending to the emotionally unstable Trixie.

Upon teleporting into Loki’s room Luna was surprised to find herself ducking as Trixie leapt over her. The Unicorn kept going after jumping over Luna, running across the large bedroom away from what Luna realized was the Elf she ordered to be sent to this room.

“Trixie, what is going on here?” Luna questioned as she watched her apprentice continue her gallop away from the pursuing Elf, who did not appear malicious in his chase but rather amused as he ran after her.

Trixie seemed to realize Luna was there just as Luna spoke, her mind previously having been solely focused on escaping the Elf running after her. Her voice was panicked and high pitched as she continued to run away, “Ahhh, Princess Luna! Princess Luna! This Elf just came, and get it away from me! Send it to the moon!”

Luna could not believe this.

“Trixie.”

Trixie knocked Loki’s reading table over, the structure and its books joining many other pieces of furniture on the ground. Luna let out an exasperated sigh as the Elf tripped over them, only to then keep chasing.

“Bloody Elf, go away!” Trixie yelled as she kept running.

Luna could tell that Trixie had spent no time understanding or inquiring about this Elf was no longer a possible threat. She was running away and screaming for her life for no reason, though Luna could at least tell that it was semi-playful on Trixie’s part. Trixie wasn’t teleporting after all, so something else must have happened when Luna was not there to prevent this from being a full on real panic.

“Trixie.”

This time Trixie knocked over a chair, which in turn hit Luna’s leg. That was about the time when Luna decided to end this farce of a chase.

“Trixie!”

Trixie came crashing to a halt, stopping almost on a dime right before hitting the wall. This did not stop the Elf from not getting the memo in time and then tripping over Trixie to find himself with his face planted against the wall.

Trixie jumped away from him but otherwise remained still as he worked on gathering himself. Luna seized this moment to speak up in both amusement and annoyance.

“He can’t steal your magic.”

Trixie titled her head in confusion, “Wait, he can’t?” Trixie abruptly turned towards the Elf and jabbed a hoof in his direction while yelling, “Then why have you been chasing me, Absy?!”

Now less dazed from his collision, the Elf bowed halfway over to Trixie, “I live to serve, Mistress Trixie. I am Prince Kael’Thas of the High Elves…and that is about all I know.”

Trixie grumbled about him having his own name for a moment before grumbling more intelligibly, “You could have just said that to begin with!” Trixie waved her hoof around to point at the very disheveled room, “Now just look at what you made the Great and Powerful Trixie do.”

“My apologies, Mistress. I only wished to touch your magnificent coat in its infinite sheen, though I will refrain from doing so from now on, Mistress.”

Trixie and Luna both rose an eyebrow at that, though Luna let her student and daughter speak up about the matter, “Why are you calling me that? You’re not wearing the mind control saddle vest I made for you.”

Kael’Thas frowned as he tried to think, his glowing eyes making it semi-difficult for Trixie to read his emotions, “You feel…” he struggled to find a word before he just gave up and shrugged, “Well, familiar. And when one cannot remember, they cling to what feels right.”

Luna decided to interject, as a theory crossed her mind about the Elf considering Trixie to be familiar, “Trixie, if I may,” she turned to the Elf and snapped her fingers, “Elf, summon forth your magic but do not do anything with it.”

Kael turned to Trixie to confirm if he should or should not do this, but Trixie nodded wordlessly for him to do so. She was interested to see what Princess Luna was thinking about the Elf.

In a flash, Kael’Thas summoned forth an aura of magic around his hand. The fact he could summon this very small amount of magic did not interest Luna, but rather the color of it did very much. She had no idea what color it had been originally, but she had a feeling that if anything it wasn’t this particular shade of purple too much before.

Trixie recognized the color as well and her jaw dropped, “Wait, that’s the color my magic was!” she leapt forward and started pawing up at his hand with her front hooves, “You still have it, give it back!”

Luna called out to her student to stop her from her silly attempt to take her power back, “Hold on Trixie. I think with all of the chaos and energies that have influenced him recently, some wires may have been crossed,” Luna coughed nervously as she remembered a certain detail, “Eir said that your magic and Lorelei’s are all that remain in him…”

Trixie’s face froze as she thought about what her teacher just said. If what Luna was saying was true, then…

“Wait, so the gross pervert, whose magic has to do with manipulating men through their affection, and I are both influencing him?” Luna nodded to Trixie’s question, causing her student to yell, “Ewwww! Elf, stop calling me mistress and trying to serve me at once!”

Kael’Thas kneeled down and shook his head no sorrowfully, “I am afraid I cannot, mistress.”

Trixie frowned at him while tapping his forehead with a hoof, “Because your head is screwed up?”

His sorrowful appearance turned instead into a playful smile, “No, out of choice.”

Trixie turned to Luna with another frown, “You sure he’s okay in the head now? The doctor who dropped him off said so before leaving me with him, but I’m not so sure.”

Luna sighed, not having expected this particular complication, “Trixie, try not to make too much of it. You have a devoted follower it seems. Try not to take it for granted,” she grew her own frown as another fact about the semi-crazy Elf came to mind, “Too bad he is as good at magic now as a filly.”

Luna’s words actually brought out a very curious side of Trixie, and her student moved her hoof from Kael’s forehead to her own chin, “Hmmm…”

After a moment of mental deliberation, Trixie announced in a loud voice, “From here on out, Kael’Thas of the High Elves, you shall be my apprentice in all things magic! Your duties shall be listening to your teacher, feeding her, and grooming her fantastic hair. This list may also be altered whenever I please. However, I will do my best to support you and help you, and I promise to help you accomplish whatever goals you set forth.”

He continued his kneeling bow to her, not seeming at all opposed to this arrangement, “Of course, mistress. I will do my best, and it is my desire to see that you accomplish what you wishes as well.”

Luna found herself amused by how the affection magic mixed with Trixie’s own life force and magic caused an infatuation of the Elf with Trixie herself. She could not complain about the results though, since this now meant that they had another tool in their arsenal, and this one had the title of Prince attached to it.

Trixie continued her decree with the same gusto, “In return, I will learn whatever magic I can from you, so you shall be my teacher in a way too. We will be equal partners who help and support eachother in magic so as to promote a fair learning environment.”

It was quite difficult for Luna to stop herself form commenting on how this was not how one generally goes about making friends, but she managed to for Trixie's sake. She could definitely use a friend, even if she would treat them like a servant, student, and teacher as well. Trixie couldn't just have anything be too simple except for her diet.

Little did Trixie know that was the specific reason Luna had the Elf brought there to begin with, “I was just going to suggest that,” Luna cleared her throat as she realized she was still standing amidst a very messy room, “Now, Loki will not be happy if this room is a mess when he returns, so I would restore it to its previous state when you two are done ‘learning’.”

That brought a nervous chuckle out of Trixie, “Of course,” seeking to find a way to not have to clean the room right away, Trixie tried to make herself sound useful, “Is there anything you need me to take care of in the meantime? What do they require us here for anyways?”

“I have not spoken with Lady Frigga yet, so I am not quite sure, but soon enough we will know. I think it has something to do with a magical source of energy known as the Aether, but we will have to wait and see,” Luna prepared herself to teleport, but made one last note before doing so, “Now, I am going to go see if Frigga is ready to talk. You make sure this room is clean by the time I get back, okay?”

“Of course!” Trixie chirped, and so Luna took that as a promise.

As Luna teleported away to find Frigga, she could swear she heard:

“I think she meant you clean, Mistress, not me.”

“Of all the ways to end a journey…”

A portal between Asgard and Lady Death’s Hel stood before Loki. This was it. He could be home in a moment.

Too bad a tall, broad, mean, purple giant stood in-between him and it.

“I haven’t seen you in awhile, Thanos. How are you doing? Have the Infinity Gems been treating you nicely?”

Thanos snorted at Loki as the Asgardian slowly walked towards him, “Yes, including the one you failed to retrieve for me.”

That brought back memories. Old memories for Loki, who had much distance from the incident Thanos referred to, “Ahhh, still sour about that.”

Thanos did not seem to be as willing to joke around as Loki, keeping a grim façade as Loki approached him at a snail’s pace, “I do not know why Lady Death has called for me to be here, but if you think you can just leave through this portal you are mistaken.”

“Seeing as how she grants me my magic, I cannot just teleport past you. It seems she wants to see us fight,” Loki revealed. It was an annoying fact, but a fact nonetheless. He had no more magic, but his daughter could supply him with an endless supply when she deemed him worthy of it.

He had to rely on other skills to get this far in this Hel though, and it was with those skills that he was ready to do battle even if he knew the outcome already, “So, let’s give her a good show, shall we?”

Author's Note

A/N: Suggested watching: Thor The Dark World, because it is that time, people! Can't wait to continue this, and hope you all give Luna some leeway concerning her treatment of Jane since she has no reason (besides Thor's opinion, which is not worth much given his lack of intelligence) to trust Jane yet or see her as anything but a random mortal who is leeching off Thor.

I Won't Give Everything Away

A/N: Special thanks to Oubliette, Evilhumour, hs0003, Pacman_The_Peach, Kamunari, Killabyte, Cadmium, Dracofalcon, Ketvirtas, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Headstrong" from Trapt.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

It had taken some effort, but Luna tracked down Lady Frigga as soon as the queen was done meeting with Odin to discuss the Aether. Luna was pleased to be able to speak with Frigga once again, always happy to talk to the warm and welcoming woman whom had raised Loki as her own.

“Lady Frigga,” Luna gave a small bow of acknowledgment to her superior in this realm.

Frigga smiled at Luna at the exit of the throne room she had met with Odin in, “It is good to see you. You received my summons I assume?”

“Of course. Is there something you need assistance with?”

Frigga nodded solemnly, her lips going from a frown to a sad smile as she spoke, “With the aid of Heimdall I foresaw this current situation with the Aether. It holds, historically, similar qualities to your own ailment and so I thought that it would be good to have you with us as we handle this perilous matter.”

Luna nodded, able to understand the queen’s reasoning, “Of course,” her own face faltered as the news from Volstagg and Fandral came back to mind, “I understand that the Loki we got back is a fake…”

A warm smile and a touch to Luna’s shoulder by the queen helped alleviate some of her pain, though it was her words that truly made Luna feel better, “Don’t worry. We will have my son back soon enough. Once this series of chaos ends we will resume our efforts in finding him.”

Still, Luna gritted her teeth as she thought about what she would like to do with the pseudo-Loki who dared fool her by his mere appearance. She shuddered to think what she may have done or fallen for if his true nature had not been discovered, “I would like to see this fake Loki.”

“I have interrogated him and received much knowledge, including Loki’s supposed location,” Frigga smiled, knowing that this knowledge might stop Luna from murdering the captive and also alleviate some more of her stress.

“You know of Loki’s location?” Luna’s eyes grew large at the possibility, but it was the newly arrived Thor from the throne room who spoke, “We must go at once!”

Luna agreed hastily as Jane joined beside Thor, “We must—”

Frigga’s touch to Luna’s shoulder warped into a tight, warning grip, “It is the twisted world of Niflheim, and he is a captive of the personification of Death itself,” she shot a motherly look at Thor, “Your last visit there almost ended in the loss of both you and Loki.”

Thor lifted his hammer Mjolnir up and pointed it away as he spoke, “I care not the risk. If we know his location I will locate him swiftly and return him to us. I do not care who stands in my way!”

Frigga hung her head as she began to see that there was little she could now say to stop Thor, “Your father will not allow you to leave.”

“Then I will disobey my father to save my brother,” Thor stated as a matter of fact.

Luna stepped beside Thor and out of Frigga’s grasp, “I shall accompany him.”

Frigga shook her head no, first glancing down before up into Luna’s eyes, “You will stay. I need you here for the removal of the Aether.”

As much as Luna wanted to disobey Frigga’s order as well, she knew that Thor was an accomplished warrior. Thor had been going on journeys for hundreds of years before they met, and she could entrust this to him. She needed to learn to let others handle matters for once, even if this was one of great personal importance.

Luna turned to Thor and gave him a strong look, “Thor, you bring him back.”

Thor knelt down before Luna, “I promise on my life that I will.”

“And we shall help!”

Thor rose and Luna turned to face four more additions to their party, these being Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Fandral and Volstagg stood at the front while Sif and Hogun stood back, allowing their two more upbeat allies to take center stage.

“What kind of friends would we be if we just let them go off on fun adventures alone?” Volstagg laughed heartily before bowing and kissing Luna’s hand, Fandral then shoving him out of the way to do so himself.

Sif spoke next, her eyes narrowed on Luna before looking to Thor and his mother, “Loki has fallen, but he is our prince. I will help our realm and save the traitor prince.”

Thor shook his head no, but a large smile found its way onto his gentle face, “You three need not come with me. Father may—”

Fandral cut him off with an arm slung around his good friend, “Thor, since when did we actually listen to authority? Our little escapade to Jotunheim without his permission is what set this all off, if we think back far enough.”

That brought a collective laugh out of the entire crowd, “Very well. You may come, but don’t slow me down! We will free my brother and return in time to help deal with this Aether matter.”

Thor turned to face his lover, his face growing concerned as he gazed at her worried face, “Jane, you will safe here. My mother will make sure the Aether is removed and you are returned to normal.”

“Be safe,” Frigga warned as the warriors all began to set off to go to the Bifrost. As they left, Luna could not help but add in a bit of raunchy humor.

“And make sure to bring back the right Loki, Thor! I would prefer to have the correct one with me tonight.”

That brought about another collective laugh from the group, as well as an amused sigh from Frigga and a blush from Jane. Once the others were all departed, Luna spoke up again.

With a look to Frigga, Luna began to channel her magic, “If I am to assist in any magical capacity, I should be in my stronger, natural form.”

Frigga gave her an approving nod, “Go ahead.”

Jane felt her mouth drop as Luna instantly changed into a large black horse with a blue ethereal mane before her. Frigga was quite amused by how Jane jumped back in surprise, having expected a reaction of this kind from the moment Jane and Luna meeting was inevitable.

Jane’s jaw continued to stay down, her face wracked with intense shock from the transformation, “You’re a horse?” she turned to Frigga, still dumbfounded, “Did you know she was a horse?”

Frigga nodded, only for Jane to continue on without giving the others time to speak.

“Does Loki?”

Luna snorted while Frigga sighed and stated in a slightly amused tone, “Of course, but that is another story entirely.”

“Probably take a couple books to tell,” Luna joked before nodding in the direction of the medical chambers, “Now, should we begin? We should get all the texts we need—”

The noise of clashing metal far down the hallway caught Luna’s attetion. A group of guards were rushing towards where the noise was coming, and she could not help but feel a little worried. The odd event made her pause before questioning it.

“Now what is that?”

Frigga glanced to observe it too before looking back to Luna with a frown, “There are some prisoners that were recently brought in from the Nine Realms in our attempts to cleanse it. It sounds as if one escaped from our damaged cells and is causing havoc.”

Yelling down the hallway made the three women all grimace. With a sigh, Frigga continued speaking, “We have just enough forces to handle a prison riot. If you would not mind putting it down quickly, I can begin things with the Aether.”

Luna nodded, quite ready to relieve some stress by bashing heads, “Of course.”

Heimdall had placed Thor and his allies in the only place on Niflheim not covered in intense fog. Normally there was no such place, but Thor and company were able to be granted passage because of this abnormality that only happened on the rarest of occurrences.

The area they were put down was a flat plateau with a building over on the side with a large portal sitting atop it. As the group all began to observe their surroundings, Fandral was the first to speak up, “So, where do we start?”

He was not expecting the instant response of Thor yelling, “Loki!”

Thor began to run off towards the dark building before using Mjolnir to lift off to take off and reach the top of the building where the familiar figure of Loki was in combat against a tall purple giant.

“There seems like a good idea,” Volstagg responded as well before running off after Thor, the others following right in behind him.

Thor yelled out to Asgard’s guardian, who should still be able to hear him given the lifting fog, “Heimdall, are you listening? We have found Loki—”

Thor was cut off when Loki was tossed into him, knocking Thor off his feet and almost off the edge of the building he landed on.

Sprawled over his brother, Loki coughed as he grew a small frown, “Thor…” he sighed as he began to get up, “You came.”

Thor rose up too as Sif and the Warriors Three all climbed their way up to join them, “Of course I have, brother.”

Loki leveled one of the warglaives in his hands at Thanos, who stood contently by the portal in waiting for Loki, “This is the foe who crushed Asgard, brought me here, and who ordered the invasion of your favored planet.”

Thor growled, but Loki moved the warglaive back to block him from moving forward. This was not the time.

With five new arrivals beside him, their entrance by Bifrost that Loki had seen out of the corner of his eye, and a whole lot of built up anger against Thanos, Loki let out a mocking cackle.

“Sorry Thanos, but I will be going now. It’s not you, it’s me,” he paused to further insult his foe, “Oh, and the fact that I can not stand you. That is a surprisingly large part of it to be honest.”

Thanos was not one to allow others to insult his name, at least not in his presence, but he was not about to allow himself to be riled up by the master manipulator known as Loki who twisted and minced words to make others do as he pleased.

“Heimdall, now would be a good time to let us depart!” Thor bellowed, wanting to make sure they left with Loki without also falling victim to the monster who so casually wrecked Asgard.

No rainbow light appeared, however, causing the group to falter. What was wrong with Heimdall? The fog was still lifted in the area, so things ought not be too difficult for Heimdall to locate them even if the magic on the world did mess with his vision greatly.

Across from them Thanos just smiled, knowing far more than they could hope to. This worried Loki, who began to try and think as to why Heimdall would not just bring them right back while he likely still had his attention on them.

“Heimdall, what is the hold up? Can’t get the old sword up?” Fandral joked nervously as he prepared his sword for a fight. If Heimdall did not bring them back soon they would have quite the fight on their hands.

“Heimdall?” Loki called out, hoping that the guardian would heed his call. Sadly, no response came. No Bifrost bridge opened, and that left the six in Niflheim with Thanos.

Still trying to figure out the mystery, Loki turned to Thor with a question, “Is something happening in Asgard?”

Thor frowned as he thought over what recent events might account for Heimdall’s absence, “We found the Aether, but everything was fine when we left…”

Loki had his own theories about why possibly Heimdall might be busy, but he was not going to worry Thor just yet. For now he needed to figure out a way to get them all out of there, “That portal there is another way to Asgard. To get to it though means getting past him.”

“Teleport us then, brother. That is in your power, correct?” Thor questioned, not understanding why Loki had not just left via this method yet.

That brought a frown to Loki’s face, as he detested things reminding him of his handicap, “My magic is currently in a rough patch, and I don’t have time to explain it to you now.”

They were in trouble. Asgard’s finest were nothing against the might of Thanos, and he was standing directly in the way of them and their freedom.

Loki was going to have a long talk with a young Hela about manipulating men to do as she pleased, including using them to trap your father and keep him from the freedom just within his grasp.

And, for that matter, trapping your father in a hellish existence to begin with.

Back in Asgard Luna was not having a great time herself, though it was a considerably better position than Loki’s.

“Go back to your cells or I will not hesitate in ending your lives!”

She had followed the guards in her Asgardian form to go to the jail and threaten some ungrateful whelps who believed themselves good enough to break free and escape prison. One larger one, a very tall and broad figure with dark armor and a menacing mask that appeared to be grafted on his face, had already escaped and left behind a few boiling guards in his wake.

Given that Luna arrived at the scene where the current riot was taking place, she just reasoned with herself that he would be caught by someone else while she handled the other dozens of prisoners trying to escape and be free.

Luna was standing at the front of the guards fighting back the tide of prisoners, and when one of the escapees decided to strike her in the face the princess decided to do a repeat of the Manticore incident.

The woman’s ashes were a good enough message to the prisoners, who all began to flee from Luna.

“Anyone else?” Luna boasted as they all continued to flee, all scared of the instant laser that had destroyed the woman so quickly, “You handle the rest—”

Luna stumbled to one side and bumped into a guard beside her, in the end using him to remain upright as she felt a wave of dizziness as the castle shook around them.

“Milady!” the guard yelled, helping her back to her full height. Luna felt the brief dizziness pass as the castle continued to shake and the sounds and cries of fighting broke out elsewhere.

“I am fine…” Luna murmured, “But what was that?”

When Luna teleported to the throne room to question the disturbance, she did not expect to find him in combat against an elf with a creepy mask. His honor guard were also all engaging these odd beings, and Luna found herself stunned to once again find this place in conflict.

Luna blasted away the opponent Odin was fighting easily before helping the others locked in combat, though she watched with awe as a bomb from one of the warriors assaulting Asgard created what appeared to be a black hole and dragged one of the guardsmen into the abyss it created.

Luna made an effort to force the offending elf through as well, and was glad when she managed to get half of him through before it closed.

With the room’s immediate enemies dealt with, Luna turned to Odin with a worried expression.

“Odin, what is happening?”

“The Dark Elves have returned,” the king of Asgard said heavily, his breath labored from the combat he had just been engaged in. While the other soldiers seemed to have taken out a few elves each given the bodies at their feet, Odin had a good dozen by his own.

First Discord, then Sombra, now these Dark Elves and their eternal night that was not too unfamiliar a concept to Luna. Luna was beginning to be fed up with these new arrivals that no-one thought to mention until it was about time for them to show up and fight.

“Any other enemies or races you conveniently believe dead that may come back to haunt us? Just a thought. You and my sister seem to be quite inept in this area.”

Odin growled at Luna as he pointed to the open doors, where another group of Night Elves approached, “Enough talk, horse! They outnumber us and our lives are in imminent danger! They have assaulted the entire castle and disabled our defenses, so if we do not stop them we will lose Asgard!”

Luna turned to face the newcomers with a sheepish grin, “Right, priorities,” as she powered up her magic once more she added, “Expect snark later.”

Her magic blew the elves away before they could even get into combat with Odin and his men, which gave the Allfather time to speak to some of his still standing soldiers.

“Send a squadron to the weapons vault, defend it at all costs. Seal the dungeon.”

Luna smiled as she noticed Frigga slip by a guard and into the room, more guards trailing behind the queen to come and join those Odin had in the throne room.

“Odin.”

Odin turned from his men to warmly greet his wife, “Frigga.”

Luna noticed that the men he gave orders to remained where they stood, not having been dismissed. As Odin was busy with Frigga, Luna yelled at them in his stead, “Go already! Time wasted here is time you could be saving your comrades!”

Odin nods to Luna in approval of her chastising them, and the men Odin spoke with depart as ordered. Focusing again on Frigga, Odin tried to give her a reassuring smile, “It’s a skirmish. Nothing to fear.”

Sadly for him, Frigga knew better, “You’ve never been a very good liar.”

“Keep an eye on the Midgardian. They have yet to reach the medical wing. I’ll come for you when it’s safe.”

Frigga nodded, accepting that she was to be kept away from all of this during the battle’s proceedings, “Take care.”

Odin smiles as he reaches out to Frigga affectionately, “Despite all I have survived, my Queen still worries for me.”

Luna felt her heart melt a little at the display. Even if he was flawed, she could see that Odin had a heart in him. Even if his wrath and pride could overshadow it, it was there in the end. She only hoped that she could share such a longstanding bond with her own loved one.

“It’s only because I worry over you that you have survived,” Frigga warmly quips.

Frigga teleports away to meet with Jane, intending to take care of her in her own way that would help deter the Dark Elves should they find her. This left Luna with Odin, who turned to the horse princess with a still warm smile.

“They have attacked the residential section. You may wish to check up on your student and your guest. We can manage things here, though I would ask that you help fight when you have managed things there, or assist Frigga at the very least.”

Luna nodded to him and gave him a smile back, “Of course. I will do my best to keep her safe. You have my word.”

Odin nodded just as more elves broke into the room to attack him and his men, “Loki has chosen well. Now, go. I will handle things here.”

Luna took no time to teleport away, a large part of her now worried about what might have happened to Trixie in all of this.

When Luna arrived in Loki’s room, she did not expect to find Trixie blasting back an intruding Dark Elf so hard that its creepy doll-like mask shattered. Kael’Thas was busy trying to close the door, but more elves were fighting their way through to try and get to the inside. Luna quickly dispatched them with her powerful magic, allowing the elf to finally slam the door shut and leave them in relative safety for the moment.

Trixie took note of Luna as her mentor took care of the other elves, sighing in relief as she was now saved though still confused about this whole mess, “Mother, what is going on?”

Based on what she had learned recently, Luna tried to give a quick summary to her student, “An insane race is invading in an attempt to get an artifact that could end the universe or something along those lines,” she left out the part about eternal night so that her student/daughter wouldn’t draw a comparison between these vile beings and Nightmare Moon, “We don’t have enough soldiers to fight them off right now, but we could use some help. Go to Heimdall, return to Equestria, and bring back whomever you can as soon as possible.”

Trixie scoffed at the idea, not wanting to leave Luna alone against an invading army, “And leave you to fight them by yourself? You really shouldn’t—”

Luna grit her teeth as the door slammed open and knocked Kael’Thas down, “Trixie, now. That’s an order!”

“But, I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be—” Trixie tried to explain her reasoning only to be cut off by the loud noise of Luna blasting Dark Elves back and into oblivion.

Before Trixie could resume after the blasting subsided Luna continued with a smug voice, “I can handle myself. These fools won’t even lay a finger on me, I promise. Now go,” Luna cast a look down to the recovering Kael’Thas, “Elf, stay out of the way. With your level of magic you are useless and a liability.”

His head hung in resignation, “I am afraid I must agree,” he then lifted a hand to his ear and sighed, “Besides, some might confuse me for the enemy.”

With this Trixie left with severe reservations about this all, while Luna herself prepared to see where else she could help out.

There was war to be fought.

Odin having left the room briefly to combat a large force of elves in the hallway, the Einherjar guards still posted in the room to protect it were not ready to have a ship crash into it and for Dark Elves to pour forth from it. Their weapons were higher tech than those more ancient ones used by Asgard, and as such their laser beams and black hole grenades wipe out the guards in a rapid assault.

Behind these attacking elves came another figure, this one dressed in more regal armor than his brethren. Like the others he had black and white adorning his armor, but his was more well crafted and befitting of a king. Unlike the others he also did not wear a mask on his face, though he did have a helmet that covered the sides and back of his head.

This figure walks past the throne of Odin and tosses one of the grenades the others had been using at it, the resulting explosion and hole utterly wiping out the throne and some of its nearby steps. A symbol that Asgard had fallen and that their reign in the universe was drawing to a close.

The elves had departed before Odin returned, who had spent some time observing the charred bodies of some of his men in the hallways. They had died by seemingly been boiled alive and he had no explanation for this phenomena, though he was worried that there was one in the enemy ranks able to do such a terrible thing.

Once he returned to his throne room, Odin and his men surveyed the carnage wrought about it. The grenades had taken their toll on the room, and Odin cringed to think what it must feel to be subjected to one of those horrible devices.

Seeing the ship and the missing throne, Odin realizes that the enemy’s leader may have arrived which meant that…

The color in Odin's face drained at his realization, “Frigga.”

All six of the Asgardians had chosen to rush the portal and see if they could make it through, knowing themselves to be outmatched given what Thanos did to Asgard even without the power of the Infinity Gauntlet he stole. This plan, however did not work well as he simply batted them all back with a blurring speed. Only Loki was able to avoid him, having barely sidestepped the giant’s attack.

Thanos’s follow up strike sent Loki sprawling though, at which point Volstagg rose up and tried to draw attention away from his prince by striking at Thanos with an axe. The strike hit Thanos and instead of drawing blood the weapon broke, stunning Volstagg as he looked down at his favorite blade.

“What kind of monster are you?” the large warrior whispered as he observed just how outmatched they all were.

Thanos smirked down at him but gave no response before swinging a leg around to catch the bulky member of the Warriors Three in the side, the impact of which sent Volstagg flying back in the air. His momentum carried him over the edge of the building, and his comrades yelled as they saw what happened.

“Volstagg!” they all yelled with intense worry, and even Loki found himself reaching out towards the way he went. There was little chance the warrior had survived the strike, and even if he did he would not be in any condition to move or continue fighting. He was as good as dead, as Thanos would not likely let them retrieve him.

Amused by their reactions, Thanos decided to make this a game of sorts, “I think I will now continue with you, my failed Lieutenant. It is not as if your friends can even do anything to me, and I doubt your oaf of a brother would leave without you.”

Thanos lunged forward to attack Loki, but instead of striking the fallen prince he found himself being held in place by another large figure.

“I do not think so.”

Loki found himself surprised to see the figure of Illidan standing before him, taking the charge for him and holding Thanos back in place.

“You died…” Loki gasped in disbelief, knowing what he saw elsewhere in the realm. A dried, magic drained, dead husk does not a savior make.

“And it seems I will do so again. This is a world of eternal torment after all,” Illidan stated while growling in pain, his entire body straining to keep Thanos in place as they struggled for power, “Now go!”

Loki turned to grab Thor so they could make a dash for the exit, only for Thor to try and turn the other way. Loki growled at the resistance, knowing that they likely only had seconds before Thanos overpowered Illidan and made this sacrifice in vain, “Thor, if we don’t leave now we may never do so!”

“I…I can’t—” Thor stammered as he held a hand out towards where Volstagg had disappeared to. He couldn’t just leave a friend here, not when this was supposed to be about saving a loved one.

“You foolish demonic elf, I will make you suffer for this transgression!” Thanos growled as Illidan began to lose ground.

Loki continued to try and drag Thor with him, “You can honor him by leaving this world alive. Now come on!”

It took the teary-eyed Sif nodding to Thor to get the man to follow the others out of the world and through the portal leading to Asgard, though it was not done without tears.

Loki was saved, but a friend had been lost to each of them.

Frigga was not surprised when one of the invading army came to the medical chamber. A tall, lithe Dark Elf strode into the entrance to the room with piercing eyes falling upon the Queen of Asgard. The figure of Jane stood behind the Queen with fearful eyes, not knowing what was about to happen but anxious about the possibilities.

The queen motioned for Jane to step back as she herself moves forward to address the newcomer.

“Stand down, creature, and you may still survive this.”

The Elf does not seem outwardly intimidated by her ultimatum as he continues to approach, though he does give Frigga a wide berth as he walks in, “I have survived worse, woman.”

While not too familiar with the Dark Elves granted their long disappearance, Frigga could not help but realize the more intricate armor and costume to this elf that implied a greater rank than the doll masked elves fighting elsewhere.

“Who are you?

His voice was rough as he finished approaching, the elf drawing his weapon to do combat, “I am Malekith, and I would have what is mine.”

To Frigga, that could only mean that he wanted the Aether, which also meant that he could sense it and locate its presence. He would know that it was in this room, and could likely tell Jane had it. Frigga did not spare a look at her so as to not draw any unnecessary attention to her, though Jane did move further back to put even more distance between herself and Malekith.

As Malekith drew just within reach Frigga whipped her own sword. Her strike caught the Dark Elf in the face and also caught him completely by surprise, sending him reeling to one side as the sudden impact deterred his threatening approach.

With Malekith off guard from the upward swipe, Frigga continued her assault by reversing the movement and bringing it down towards his neck. Malekith sidestepped this and retreated back as Frigga’s sword stops in the air where it should have slain him.

Having put space between them, the Elf snorted at Frigga while blood dripped down his cut face. He drew his own sword once again and brought it up to fight.

Frigga smiled smugly at the elf, revealing the same grin that her younger son might give an opponent, “My sons, the warrior princes of this realm, did not inherit everything they have from their father. I will let you call off your forces and leave, Malekith of the Dark Elves. You appear to be their leader, if your dress and manners speak as boldly as your words.”

His retort to this was a vicious snarl as he lunged forth to kill the insufferable woman who stood in his way. Frigga quickly parried with her one-handed sword, blocking his larger two-handed blade with finesse one might not expect at her age.

Malekith had been underestimating her skill because of her regal appearance and gender, but her display thus far had him realizing he needed to actually consider this a true battle just as if he was fighting the realm’s protector. He had lost everything once and would not lose it all again because of some housewife.

The Lord of the Dark Elves tried forcing Frigga’s blade down with his superior strength, locking the blades together and drawing himself closer to her. Her reaction was not to resist the surge downward, but rather to allow him to focus his body forward as she withdrew her own blade and spun around him.
Malekith’s blade clashed against the floor just as Frigga’s hilt slammed him in the spine and knocked him reeling. The Dark Elf recovered quickly from this disgrace by hurtling his body one hundred and eighty degrees and using his full force to strike the unguarded image of Frigga there.

The blade cut through her like butter, but then again it did so because that Frigga was only an illusion left there momentarily for the real one to move aside and slit her blade across a less armored part of his side armor. Malekith howled as the elder woman drew more blood from him, though he found himself even more outmatched as a hard elbow caught him across the chin and sent him sprawling.

Frigga quickly drew her sword up into the air and batted Malekith’s blade from his loose hand. Now without a weapon, Malekith quickly found her blade burrowing into the same wound she gave him before and in fact going deeper. His wound was given relief and fresh air as Frigga withdrew it to instead slap it into his chestplate and knock him off his feet.

The queen lowered the blade to Malekith’s throat as he tried to rise, his back to the medical table and blood now spilling onto the floor. Before she could threaten him one last time to have his forces stand down, a large black hand from behind grabs her and lifts her into the air.

A giant being of twisted black armor and a demonic appearance pulled her off Malekith, and without any trouble it tugged her blade from her hands and held it up to threaten her instead.

Malekith is grinning as he rises, one of his hands lowered to his bleeding side as he sneers at the captive Frigga.

“And I did not gain everything I have by myself. Well done Algrim,” the lord mimics Frigga’s speech about her sons in a fully mocking manner.

With Frigga disabled, Malekith had free reign to seek what he came for. He leaves his trustworthy lieutenant with the queen as he approaches Jane, who has become a quivering mess ever since Frigga was caught off guard. She could have easily mentioned the approaching giant, but that fact slips from the wounded elf’s mind.

He holds a hand out to Jane while still gripping his side with the newly bloodstained other. The man continues his firm and stiff mannerism as he speaks, “You have something, child. Give it back.”

He reaches out to Jane, but as he grabs at her she disappears in the same manner that Frigga had just recently. Realizing instantaneously that Jane is a projection, Malekith turns to Frigga with a newfound fury.

“Witch! Where is the Aether!?”

Too constricted by the giant’s powerful grip to escape with magic to escape, Frigga keeps her face cool as she realizes that this will kill her. It would be better she die than this monster get what he desired and wipe out her kingdom.
“I’ll never tell.

Malekith grows a small smile as he realizes that he can just search for it on his own with how beaten Asgard’s forces were. The Aether could not be too far, as he could still feel it. He did not need this witch of a queen any longer.

“I believe you.”

The giant moves to slit Frigga’s throat with her own blade, but he is stopped by a growling voice behind him drawing his attention.

“Touch her and I will end your lives as brutally and slowly as possible.”

Malekith and Algrim both turn to face the newly arrived Luna, who stands in the same entrance that they came through moments before. Her eyes are narrowed and her face is turned in a snarl as she looks over them with complete loathing.

They had Frigga hostage. Luna may like the Queen of Asgard quite fondly, but it was Loki who would be completely broken if anything were to happen to Frigga. She would not let them bring harm to the Queen, though the Princess of Equestria had a feeling this would be easy given how one of them was bleeding and the other seemed to be a brutish fellow.

Malekith waves a hand at Luna, more concerned about the Aether than this new woman trying to stand in his way, “Algrim, deal with the newcomer.”

The dark figure known as Algrim tosses Frigga aside so hard that the queen slams against the wall and crumples down to the floor. Given how little effort he put into the throw, Luna could tell that he possessed a great deal of raw strength, but that was not something she could not handle.

Algrim tossed the sword aside as well and began to walk towards Luna, who just scoffed at the giant creature as she summoned forth her magic power to blast him back, “Funny, you think big and tough will beat me. Thor cannot even touch me, what makes you think this hulking behemoth will have a chance?”

Luna, to prove her point, unleashed her magic forward to hit the slowly accelerating behemoth running at her. Electricity surged forward and slammed into the giant being, bringing a smile to Luna’s face as she saw her attack connect.

That smile evaporated as she realized that it did not stop his stride at all, and before Luna could react further she had a giant black fist uppercutting into her gut. She gasped as she felt the strongest hit of her entire life impact her stomach, not only causing her discomfort on one side but also throwing out her back and causing her spine extreme pain as well.

“What the—” was all Luna could choke out before another fist slammed into her cheek, nearly dislocating her jaw in a single hit. Just as Frigga sent Malekith spinning to one side Algrim had done the same to Luna, with the Princess of the Night completely winded and disorientated in this small exchange.

Luna attempted to teleport, but her mind was too clouded for her to manage any kind of magic before Algrim grabbed her by the neck and began to spin. Luna felt like she was going to throw up blood right before being spun around and tossed at a brutal pace into a wall. Her back slammed into it and Luna instantly found herself growing numb.

This Algrim was stronger than anything she had fought in combat before, at least in terms of sheer physicality. His giant, black armored arms contained more might in them than even an Ursa Major and Luna was paying the price for underestimating his durability and power.

As Luna slumped against the wall, Algrim did not let up his attack. He charged forth and with a brutal stomp he came down on one of her legs. In a sickening snack Luna felt the limb break in more than one place as his large black foot came down. She howled in pain just long enough for him to punch her just below the throat to shut her up.

Luna felt her voice die as the giant Dark Elf being began to unleash a flurry of punches on her torso and throat. She could not get up because of her broken leg, and any strength and energy she had were taken right out of her by the sheer intensity of the beating she was receiving.

Algrim continued this brutality for a half minute before lifting Luna up by the throat and gripping it tightly. The princess hung weakly in his hand as the loyal servant of Malekith turned to his master for further orders.

Malekith smugly looked at the handiwork of his soldier as he approached the slowly recovering Frigga, who was beginning to rise to her feet once again.

“One last chance, Witch. Give me the Aether and I will not prolong the pain of either you or your family, as well as this wretch who so foolishly thought she could oppose us,” he grabbed his discarded sword from before and levied it at her back, stopping Frigga as she remained on her hands and knees, “Like you.”

Luna fell harshly onto the ground as Algrim abruptly dropped her to go along with Malekith’s statement. She instantly went about healing her leg with her magic, though she had trouble doing much more than a minor mend given how out of it she was feeling. Blood was dripping down her leg and onto her hand from another wound, but Luna could only focus on the biggest thing keeping her from fighting back.

Seeing the condition Luna was in pulled at Frigga’s heartstrings. She regretted that the foreign princess was being dragged into this tragedy, but that would not stop the queen from protecting her people.

“You are a fool if you think you can bring pain to my family,” Frigga defiantly declared. She would remain strong until the end, as a true queen of Asgard should.

Malekith had given her enough chances, and so it was without pause that he plunged his sword through her unguarded back. It exited out of her gut, and after he removed it the queen dropped to the floor.

The sight brought an energy familiar to Luna in spades, and the weakened princess forced herself up quickly with this newfound pool of energy.

“You bastard!”

Algrim was not able to knock her back down in time to stop Luna from unleashing her torrent of electricity at Malekith, who turned to face her just in time to catch it with his face. He stumbled back as the energy ravaged and scarred his milky white face, the lord of the Dark Elves surprised by the sudden assault.

The attack would not continue, however, as Luna herself took a blow to the head and was knocked off her feet by the still strong Algrim. Luna’s power drained as quickly as it rose with her anger, the princess barely retaining consciousness as she fought to just keep her eyes open.

Algrim rushed over to his master who was clutching his face in complete agony. By the time the giant had reached his side though, Malekith had removed his hands from his face and shook off the remaining jolts of electricity from her assault. He would not let this stop him when he was so close to the Aether, even if he was in excruciating pain.

“Come, Algrim. The Aether is just in the other room,” Malekith hissed as he forced himself to fight through the pain wracking his body and head towards the exit where he could continue tracking down Jane and the Aether.

Algrim left Luna defeated on her back to follow Malekith. She had proven no threat after all, and he ought to stay by his wounded commander.

With the two gone in search of Jane, who Frigga had carefully hidden beforehand, Luna was left with the impaled queen alone in the room.

“Frigga…” Luna coughed, blood spurting from her lips as she tried to rise to her feet once more. It felt like so long ago, but she had been left like this once before. Defeated and unable to help someone she considered a friend.

This time, however, it was not Loki murdering Phil Coulson, it was a foreign and ancient foe slaying said prince’s mother.

Luna felt as if her entire body was broken. The hits she took each felt like they were breaking something, and each was going to leave her as black and blue as her Nightmare form. She hated herself for not confronting them in her true form with its more powerful magic potential. Instead she now lay slumped on the ground as a broken mess of flesh, blood and bones.

Even beaten to near death, Luna felt her energy returning as she thought about just how much she wanted to put those two men in the ground. Make them pay for harming and possibly killing Frigga.

That energy allowed Luna to teleport across the room and crumple down beside the similarly defeated Frigga, whose eyes were closed in such a way that Luna feared she was too late.

Luna shrieked in pain as she rolled over onto her side and forced her near broken arm to grab the sword impaling Frigga. With a growl Luna managed to tug the blade from her flesh, but Frigga still did not stir.

“Not again…I’m not letting someone die again when I can save them…” Luna murmured to herself, her anger rising as she coughed out more and more blood. She couldn’t feel the majority of her body at this point, but she was not going to tell Loki that she watched his mother die.

It was another great effort to then channel her healing magic into Frigga’s wound, but a soothing coldness in the room made it easier for Luna as she continued. Luna poured everything she could into this, and when the wound sealed she felt wracked with anxiety. Had she just healed a corpse?

Luckily for her, Frigga’s mouth turned into a smile and her eyes flickered briefly. The queen reached out to Luna’s face, Frigga touching Luna’s bloodied cheek just before the queen lost consciousness once again.

Luna felt her heart soar as she realized that she just saved Frigga’s life. Content, Luna felt her body beginning to shut down. She had no more energy to spare herself, at least not yet, so she had best conserve what she could…

Her eyes almost closed when the cold room grew much more so. It was uncomfortably cold. Cold as Jotunheim when she visited it, and that was no warm summer.

Luna rolled her head over towards where it was coldest. Where the cold seemed to be coming from was a dark clothed figure with a ghastly appearance and a scythe in hand. Luna’s eyes widened as her mind reeled at the possibility of who this was.

Was it a member of the Dark Elves? No, they had no reason to send someone in when they had the chance to clean up moments before…

Luna’s eyes continued to stay wide as her mind came to another possibility. Something Frigga had mentioned earlier that day was gnawing at her mind.

“You…” Luna’s voice quivered as she spoke to the new figure, who remained still where they appeared. Their figure appeared to be that of a woman’s, but Luna had a hard time confirming anything given how covered they were, “Who are you?”

This could be the being of Death itself that Frigga had mentioned. The same one who had Loki and Trixie these past days, and who retained Luna’s lover even now as one of her prisoners.

The figure took a few steps towards Luna before stopping. It looked down at her, its head tilting in seeming thought before it continued walking on by. Luna craned her neck around again to see where it stopped, only to find herself frightened when it stopped beside Frigga.

“Stay away from her!” Luna yelled, energy jumping back into her veins and allowing her to half rise up in protest, “I’m not letting you take her you heartless bitch! You took Loki already, I’m not letting you take his mother too!”

Luna prepared to unleash a blast of magic, not accepting that this being of Death had come to take her would-be mother-in-law. Her attack was cut off as the being disappeared completely and Luna felt a quick jab of an object to her upper back that slammed her down into the ground.

Now facing the ground again, Luna twisted her head up to see that she was underneath the scythe of the mysterious woman who had appeared and not said a word. Luckily for her it was the not bladed end, so Luna took no more damage, not that she was sure she could feel much more pain anyways.

Luna could swear she heard the beginning of an angry noise before it cut off completely in a garbled way, as if something was inhibiting it. A cold hand touched her back, and before Luna could do anything more it was all gone. Warmth flooded back into the room, the scythe pinning her disappeared, and Luna was left wondering if it ever happened to begin with.

Rolling back over, Luna felt an extremely queasy and sickened in the pit of her stomach. She passed it off as the blood dripping down her legs and forming a small pool beneath her legs, but Luna just tried healing herself down there to see if it would calm the trickle of blood.

It did, but Luna was left broken beside Frigga as she finally began to lose consciousness.

“Loki…”

Lady Death had been the only one to leave the world of the living in that room.

Author's Note

A/N: So, really long chapter with some major events. Really hope to hear from you all about what you think! We're in full Thor The Dark World now, but things are going down differently already...let's see how this goes! Please leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading! :heart:

Dead Promises

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, Scarheart, Killabyte, Pacman_The_Peach, Cadmium, FleetlordAvatar, Ketvirtas, IkioStar, Killabyte, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Dead Promises" from The Rasmus.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

When Luna awoke she was hit with a flurry of sensations. Her mouth and neck were busy fighting back a strong wave of nausea unlike any Luna had felt before. She had not even eaten yet that day, so she was quite confused about the source though her mind was also preoccupied with processing the various other places of ache in her body.

Her legs were feeling as if they had been shattered, so much so that Luna would have preferred waking up without feeling them at all. Her arms felt little better, though she could at least budge them the slightest bit if she tried.

Luna was flat on her back and even moving her head hurt. Her blurry vision began to focus as she began to gather herself more. What previously had been a brown blur to her focused into the tannish setting that Luna knew to be the insides of the castle. Adding to her perception, the smell of blood running across the floor and the presence of both Asgardian bodies and Elvish bodies piled up on either side of the room reminded her of what this most definitely was.

Luna had to fight to lift her chin up and tilt her head. Her neck felt as if it was snapping at every moment, but she continued to keep it up just to confirm her suspicions. A destroyed throne identified the surroundings as the throne room, and Luna could tell that she had been brought there by a malevolent force. If someone moved her in an attempt to help her they would have just lifted her on to one of the medical machines.

The presence of Jane being forcibly held by Dark Elves in front of the destroyed throne helped dispel any doubt. Behind them stood Malekith and his guard, Algrim, while dozens of guards stood in-between those holding Jane and where Luna lay.

Luna dropped her head down to the ground, not caring when the back of her skull slammed into the ground and her head rolled to the side. She could not muster her strength to cast magic in such a condition. A single punch from Algrim had shattered her concentration. His barrage of them had shattered her ability to as well as her body.

A lazy look beside herself gave Luna a look at the similarly defeated Frigga, who lay still with piercing eyes staring at the ceiling in a manner that told Luna that her mother-in-law was planning something, though given that she was taken down by Algrim just as easily and felled with a single blow Luna had her doubts. Lady Frigga could combat a single foe with grace, yes, but this invasion was out of their league.

An elf between Frigga and Luna looked down to observe Luna’s movements. He knelt down beside her, though Luna could not observe his face to see his intentions because of the creepy doll mask he was wearing like the others. She could watch as his head turned to look down at her lower body, at which point she thought she could hear a sorrowful sigh, before the elf rose up and called to Malekith to come over.

Luna could swear she recognized the voice from somewhere, but she was too out of it to actually process why or how. All she could notice was that out of the corner of her eye Malekith was now approaching her.

The elf beside Luna steps out of the way to join the others guarding the area while Malekith instead takes his place. His face had been marred terrible by scars, Luna finding a small smug grin growing on her at the view. Those would not be going away anytime soon, and one half of his face looked as if it had been turned to scales given how damaged it was.

Malekith did not follow the lead of his subordinate, instead choosing to kick Luna in the side of her face right as he arrived at her side, “You have awoken like the others. Good, now we can begin.”

The Dark Elf leader knelt down after his kick so that he could grab his broken foe by the face, gripping her cheeks tightly and forcing her to look him in the eyes, “You will watch my ascension firsthand. Then you will feel my power as I end your lives and bring night to this realm once more!”

Little more than a ragdoll at this point, Luna just felt herself laughing weakly while coughing out blood on her foe, “Dark magic…everlasting night…been there, done that. Stop boasting and get on with it, lest I recover enough,” a violent cough caused Luna to begin choking before she ended her threat with a smirk, “to rip out your trachea and beat your talkative mouth to death with it.”

Done having her blood being spilled on him, Malekith dropped Luna’s head onto the hard ground so he could rise and sneer down at her, “That is laughable coming from the weak woman who dared challenge my lieutenant. Tell me, how are your wounds healing from your brush with death?”

“Go ahead and mock me now…I made my mistake,” Luna slowly curled her closer fist into a ball to clench, “I won’t make it again.”

Not seemingly fazed by Luna’s empty threats, Malekith waved his hand towards the still focusing Frigga, “This elderly woman was more of a threat than you.”

“I don’t know, tell me, how are your wounds healing from your brush with me?” Luna spat back with absolute glee. She had no doubts now that this was the place she was to die, and she would die defiantly just as she lived.

For his part, Malekith did not appear to comprehend her acceptance of her coming death, “I do not understand. I am allowing you to live for the time being. Do you really desire death that greatly that you would aggravate me?”

“My lover is gone…my kingdom fears me…my lover’s kingdom is in ruins,” Luna hacked up more blood as she continued trying to speak, having to pause multiple seconds before she could muster the effort, “I have not the energy to resist you, and you are about to grow even more powerful I presume. I’m done here. I have nothing left.”

Luna expected that to be it. She honestly would not mind just being put out of her misery at this point…Trixie was at Equestria by now and would be safe there, hopefully. She could scarcely remember the feeling that she had felt months ago when she forced Loki to propose to her, only to leave her directly thereafter.

There would be no Sleep Near...or whatever his Asgardian name would be. Sleipnir maybe? No, that opportunity ended the moment these Dark Elves came to take back the Aether and do their generic doomsday scheme. They were simply too much.

Malekith was not done with Luna however. He turned his back on her as he spat down at her with contempt.

“Then I will make sure you are last to feel my wrath. I will pay these scars running down my face back to you, witch.”

When Malekith finished turning he found himself facing the prone Frigga, a smirk forming on the wicked man’s face.

“What an unruly queen. You are not the pretty face many would assume you were.”

For once since Luna’s awakening Frigga actually moved, though it was just a glance of her eyes to look disapprovingly at the Dark Elf, “At least I can pretend to simply be one, Scarred King.”

“To think I thought you dead. At least now you can pay for your impudence. May you enjoy the show that will be me ripping the Aether from that woman’s body, she who you tried to hide from me,” with this, Malektih had rose a gauntlet covered hand to point at Jane.

Feeling finished with being physically close to the Asgardians, Malekith began to walk back to where he had been standing near Jane. The woman from Earth was unconscious, seemingly having been made that way by a strong hit to her face if the bruise on one cheek was any indication.

“And you can do so alongside your husband, whose face I will keep as a trophy long after I have killed you all. It looks so much like his forefather’s…”

Malekith’s voice trailed off as he had another thought. He turned back to face the other captive in the room, who while beyond Frigga Luna could still see was there. Odin was prone on the ground as well, his golden armor shattered in the front from what little Luna could see past and over Frigga.

“Did they ever tell you, Allfather? Tell you of the slaughter they waged against my people? Of how they murdered my family, my children?” Malekith growled, now completely beside Jane and ready to begin whatever ritual he would have to do to gain his powers, “Of course not. You always are the righteous victors, as it is who wins who writes the history.”

“Yet history is recorded by many, and the many have spoken of your horrible misdeeds Dark Elf!”

Luna watched with some confusion as one of the Dark Elves in line with the others turned and fired one of their weapons at the four standing beside him, killing them outright. This distraction proved enough for a blur of a man to surge through the room and cut down three more.

A glance at the new figure now fighting the elves in melee revealed to Luna that it was Heimdall, Asgard’s guardian and protector. He may have arrived late to the castle fight, but she could not say he was an unwelcome sight. She recognized the voice that had called Malekith out as his, though she next tried focusing on the traitor elf.

A look at his hair revealed it to be more blonde than white, a stark contrast to the others around him. The blonde hair and longer ears he sported told Luna that this must be Trixie’s newfound ally, the foreign prince with the blank slate of a memory. It appeared that he took some initiative to help out while Trixie was gone, and he had successfully infiltrated the enemy forces.

Sadly, Kael’Thas was quickly intercepted by Algrim, who with a single punch sent the High Elf spiraling backwards and into one of the columns that supported the room. Had he hit harder the High Elf likely would have been sent straight through the pillar, though it appeared as if no effort had been placed into the strike. Still, Kael’Thas crumpled down just as Heimdall leapt past all of the remaining guards to confront Malekith.

Malekith smiled at Heimdall as he avoided the warrior’s powerful strike, “You are the man who defeated one of my ships with a pair of daggers.”

Algrim closed the distance to Heimdall and gripped his shoulder from behind, though Heimdall was not about to be caught off guard. He had spun just as Algrim did this and swung his mighty blade right into the monstrous creature’s gut.

The blade let out a clang as it made contact but did not manage to cut into the powerful being’s thick hide. Heimdall attempted to follow up on his strike, but before he could Algrim was already grabbing a better hold of him and turning around to send them both into a spin that Heimdall was unable to stop even with his great strength.

After a full rotation Algrim tossed Heimdall into the air in the direction of Luna and the others. He landed before them hard, though he was quick to recover. However, a well placed shot from a Night Elf knocked him down and off his feet, his armor having taken the brunt of the damage. This in turn allowed Algrim to rush across the room and grab two smaller blades from the many scattered across the ground.

Malekith smirked even wider as he noticed what his lieutenant was doing, “Here, let us return the favor.”

Algrim swung both blades down to impale Heimdall in the shoulder blades and pin him to the ground, but to his surprise Algrim found his blades finding flesh prematurely.

“I may not particularly adore Heimdall and his all-seeing eyes, but I do not care for you mistreating my subjects.”

Having teleported in the way was Loki, who stood before Algrim with a cocky grin even as two blades pierced his bare upper body.

“Loki!” Luna called out, realizing that this must be her own. The fake one would not have done this. Her voice came out in a shriek given the sight of her lover appearing one second only to be impaled within the same second.

As if his impalement did nothing, Loki continued to speak as Algrim just looked down at the skewered Asgardian with confusion, “I have sent one of Thor’s allies to round up other companions to assist us. They should not be too long, but stay still. I will handle this, and Thor and the others should be here as soon as they finish the guards halting their progress.”

Algrim took a step back and let go of the blades impaling Loki. This did not bother Loki, who turned to face Luna directly before looking back to Algrim and observing the giant’s hands, “Given her wounds, I am going to assume you are the ruffian who dared lay a hand on my queen.”

Loki jumped forward to land a blow against Algrim’s face, though the attack was caught easily by the large being who just gave a snort.

“Puny god.”

Loki froze in place as his fist stopped in front of Algrim, though his voice soon appeared from behind Algrim even as the mutated Dark Elf gripped his hand.

“Foolish malformed Elf, did your mother not teach you a better way of breaking the ice?”

Algrim’s clenching of Loki’s fist ending in him breaking it into pieces, ice falling to the ground and the illusion of Loki placed over an ice sculpture of himself fading to just leave the shaped ice. Algrim spun around in massive confusion much too late to save himself from Loki’s first attack, which found its mark on Algrim’s shoulder to arm connection.

Luna gasped, with some pain, as she realized that Loki had seemingly pulled two large glaives out of seemingly nowhere. Had he been hiding them before with his illusions? One of the blades was quickly brought down on Algrim and with a green glow it separated Algrim’s arm from his body, cutting through the being’s hide as if it was smoother than warm butter.

Algrim roared in pain as his arm fell to the ground, but even now turned to face Loki he was unable to stop the next strike which removed his hand from his remaining arm. The hand fell to the ground as all others present watched in awe of Loki, who was conquering the previously unbeatable foe as if he was nothing.

Algrim kneeled down and howled as he brought his arm into his chest, a sickening green glow coming off where he had been struck. The tough being seemed to be in such pain that he had nothing he could do but revel in his own agony, giving Loki time to pause his attack and snort at his foe, “Oh, did you think this was to be a fight?”

The black giant leapt towards Loki, intent on hitting him with his body if he did not have hands to do so with. Loki spun around him with grace before bringing his blade down on Algrim’s remaining arm socket and severing the entire limb as well, followed by Algrim tumbling and crashing into the floor.

“Another example of your foolish mindset. This is an execution.”

With his foe on the ground Loki was free to stroll over to Algrim and impale both glaives into the warrior’s shoulders, pinning him to the floor.

“I have read about your kind before. You are Dark Elves who sacrifice yourselves to become a terrible monster, a monster capable of destroying your enemies at the inevitable cost of your own life at some point.”

Loki took a glance over across the room only to notice that Malekith had begun removing the Aether from Jane, the red and black energy of the power source now flickering across the room and emanating from her body. The reason the other elves had not been firing at him was that they were all focused on their leader and bowing to him, their apparent consensus being that Algrim could handle the newcomer.

They were quite wrong with that bet, so Loki patted Algrim on the shoulder before walking towards the others.

“Suffer a little longer. I have more important matters to tend to.”

The transfer process was not something Loki understood nor did he want to interrupt. Even if Malekith did receive the power, interrupting it could kill everyone as well. While it may save the rest of the galaxy, Loki would rather fight for his life against a powered up Malekith than be instantly killed by the explosion of a power source even Thanos had interest in.

Jane crumpled to the floor as Malekith finished his absorption of the Aether, black and red energy now flickering about the Dark Elf who seemed in awe at the feeling he felt at that moment. He stood there taking it all in with evil glee before he turned slightly to see the defeated Algrim.

The sight actually angered the King of the Dark Elves, who snarled as Loki slowly approached him, “You will pay for what you have done to my friend.”

Malekith began to form a ball of energy in his hands, Loki sensing extreme dark energy emanating from it and actually feeling a bit of worry in the pit of his stomach. This could actually do damage, though Loki did not let this appear on his face.

“Literally nothing you do to me could be worse than what I just went through, nor can it kill me,” Loki boasted as he gestured to the blades still impaling him.

Malekith smiled wickedly as he shifted the aim of his attack from Loki to Luna, “I beg to differ.”

His strike sailed through the air and Luna winced as she felt it close in. Despite thinking that once again she was dead, an old familiar voice made her shoot her eyes open as the sound of the blast deflecting met her ears.

“Not on my watch!”

Kneeling before Luna with a smoking shield before him was the familiar form of Captain America, someone Luna had not seen since Loki’s trip to Earth. She would react to it, but her chest was on fire and she felt as if she was about to have another coughing fit.

The captain rose to his feet while staring right at Malekith and leveling a pointer finger at him, “Aiming at those who can’t fight and pregnant women is not very befitting of a king. You don’t deserve your position, and we’re here to take you down.”

Malekith waved for his forces to hold their fire while he looked at the Captain with an amused expression, “Who is this we you are speaking of? You would need an army to hope to face me, Midgardian.”

A blast collided straight into Malekith’s body and, though it did no actual damage to the Dark Elf who now sported a surging black and red aura, announced the entrance of one Tony Stark, who flew up into the air of the area through the doors he had fired from. He continued to fire down at Malekith as Captain America yelled.

“Avengers, assemble!”

Thor came rushing into the room along with Fandral, Hogun, and Sif, each of whom wore a grim face that told that the normally jovial group was not in the mood to play around. Behind them came a seemingly normal man from Midgard, though his appearance was quite familiar to Loki.

Loki laughed at the sight of the new arrivals, not having moved to intercept the attack given how strong he knew Captain America’s shield to be, “I told you I brought help.”

Not hurt but certainly annoyed by the arrival of new enemies, Malekith growled to his men, “Kill them all!”

Malekith jumped forward not to assault them, but rather to land beside Algrim. Malekith blasted Algrim’s shoulders with the dark energy of the Aether and, with its immense power, regrew the arms of the defeated lieutenant. This done, Malekith ripped the glaives out of his ally and tossed them aside, though they disappeared in mid-air.

Moving at the same speed he used to catch the glaives, Loki dashed over at a blurring pace to stand beside the Captain who saved Luna, “Captain America, it is good of you to arrive.”

From the area above them the annoyed voice of Tony Stark called down to them from his red power suit, “Save the chit chat for later, emo prince. Now’s not the time!”

Loki nodded before turning back towards Malekith, his voice becoming quite commanding as he spoke, “I daresay I agree. Captain, you protect my family,” Luna tried to cough out a reply, but instead passed out momentarily, “Stark, you continue to distract Malekith,” Loki turned to see his brother fighting Malekith’s men with a berserker’s fury along with his forces, and then turned again to see that their was the last of the people who came to their aid, “Brother, you can mop up their warriors I presume. That leaves you, Dr. Banner, to handle their newly revived warrior. Are you ready?”

The seemingly normal man, Dr. Banner, smiled to Loki as he began to pace towards the Dark Elves who were thrown into confusion with all of their new foes.

“I was ready the moment I walked in here.”

In a flash, Doctor Banner’s secret was revealed. His body grew at a rapid pace as it grew more and more green, resulting in what many on Earth would know as “The Hulk”. Now standing taller and broader than any other in the room, multiple times so in each case, the heavily muscular Doctor Banner roared as he rushed to attack the now standing Algrim.

Loki intended to next confront Malekith once again, but this plan was halted by the instant arrival of a certain cloaked daughter of his before him.

A grimace found its way onto his face as Loki began to stare down the fully robed and concealed figure who now levied a scythe at him. Captain America moved to react to her, but Loki stopped him with an arm. If Hela had decided on a whim to end this here and now, then there was nothing any of them likely could do.

Her scythe did not collide with Loki’s neck though like it appeared it would, instead sweeping around over her head and causing a sickly glow to appear in the corners of the room. Loki watched in disgust as what appeared to be souls left the bodies that lay discarded on the sidelines, only to then find their way into her scythe’s blade. Was this how she did her work, he wondered? It would require a great level of omnipotence to be enough places at once to do this after all.

Her trick did not finish however, as Loki jumped out of the way of a hurtling new arrival who seemed to be leaping at her as if he had been galloping. This seemed odd to Loki given that the person tackling her onto the ground was seemingly an Asgardian, albeit one with six arms. The sight unnerved Loki, though he was not about to let this chance go unheeded and he prepared to go around the two and head straight for Malekith, whom Stark was keeping busy with a constant barrage of blasts.

“Hela! That’s enough!” the six armed unknown man yelled as he pinned her to the ground. To Loki’s surprise, the being managed to catch her off guard and hit her, something he had not seen in his entire time in Hela’s domain.

The six armed man was swiftly kicked off of Hela, whose body language displayed that she was quite irritated. She jumped to her feet to attack he who attacked her, but he caught the blade between his many hands just as he recovered and yelled, “They are not supposed to die this day! Do not needlessly take their lives because you are feeling petty!”

Loki decided to ignore whatever was going on with them and instead focus on the one in the room who wanted to destroy Asgard and everyone in it. Seeing Malekith’s face in rage brought a certain glee to Loki, who was quite happy to be back and able to experience the land of the living once more.

“I am going to enjoy this much more than I should.”

Author's Note

Literally no points for guessing who the heck the six armed being is :rainbowlaugh:

Anyways, your thoughts and comments are appreciated and are helpful to me, so please leave your comments below! They really keep me motivated, and without your guys support this all wouldn't be possible! Remember, comments are :heart:

You'll Be The Death of Me

A/N: Special thanks to IkioStar, Evilhumour, Amethyst blade, Scarheart, FleetlordAvatar, Killabyte, Cadmium, Ketvirtas, and SilentMech for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "Broken Inside" from Broken Iris.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

With Thor wiping out the soldiers on the ground, Hulk trading blows with Algrim, Captain America preventing stragglers from attacking any of the unconscious, Heimdall preventing others from entering the room, and Stark assaulting Malekith with the high powered suit he so loved, Loki felt pretty reassured that things were to go their way now that they had arrived.

He had learned just how valuable a little patience could be though, so while he was on his way to fight Malekith he decided it best to allow Stark to test Malekith’s power first. Some Dark Elves in the room attempted to assault Loki as he watched the battle, but they dropped dead without Loki even sparing them a glance as his glaives cut through their armor and flesh.

Stark, or ‘Iron Man’ as the Midgardians called him, decided to step up his game. A plate on his armor’s wrist popped up to reveal an array of missiles as he flew past Malekith, who was failing to hit him with his dark magic, “Hey Scarface, catch!”

The missiles flew forth from Stark’s suit and homed right in on Malekith, who did not move to even address their approach. The black and red aura flying around him did everything instead.

Stark swore under his breath as the high speed missiles stopped in mid air a half dozen feet away from Malekith. He continued to fly as Malekith grew a smirk on his pale, scarred face.

“Okay, you caught it. Did not see that coming,” Tony swore under his breath as he watched the missiles turn around to face him instead, “Maybe we could talk this over like—”

Moving at a speed far greater than what they were at when fired previously, the missiles rushed through the air to catch up with Stark. While this would only cause minor damage to the armor normally, the dark power of the Aether that sent them back to their original sender allowed them to hit Stark with even greater strength.

What would have been explosions instead became explosions of powerful dark magic, and Stark tumbled out of the sky with speed appropriate for such a takedown.

As Stark hit the ground hard he was given no time to rest. Malekith sent forth a surge of magic to hit the downed genius. Stark groaned in agony as the blast sent him crashing across the room, even crashing into a few Dark Elf soldiers on the way before finally landing next to Bruce Banner’s transformed body.

Iron Man coughed inside his suit momentarily before choking out, “Hulk, tag in!”

Banner, the Hulk, turned to face Malekith with a growing snarl. He quickly let go of Algrim, ending their grapple, so that he could rush at Malekith with a violent fervor.

The giant green rage monster made it less than twenty feet across the throne room before an explosion of red and black energy sent the green being flying backwards at an even faster pace. Heimdall was forced to dodge Hulk as Banner’s body was tossed out of the room and through the wall across from the throne room.

No longer having a giant green rage monster taking up his fight for him, Stark called on his next ally of choice.

“Loki, tag in!”

Still only watching, Loki found himself shaken from his reverie at the mention of his name. He was only a few feet away from the wrecked Stark, though he made no motion to assist the Midgardian up to his feet.

“Tag in?” Loki asked, not sure what the expression in question meant.

Stark rolled over on his stomach, revealing that his back’s armor had been horribly charred. The mechanical genius coughed as he tried to get up, only for his suit to begin shutting down as the damage incurred revealed itself to him as a complete system shutdown, “Your turn to get your ass handed to you, oh great god of being an asshole.”

Despite being occupied with his own fight, Thor called over to the two to add his own two cents, “He is not far off you know, god of Mischief.”

Loki shot his brother a smug glance, not that Thor could see it, “Oh I know,” he turned to give the same glance to Malekith, “And soon he shall too. I am really quite looking forward to this.”

Loki approached Stark and patted the red armored man on his mechanical shoulder, “Thanks for testing the Elf out for me. Consider this my…tag in.”

The prince ignored the muffled swearing coming from Stark as he finally took center stage again, ready now to fight Malekith with the knowledge that his foe was far greater a threat than had been so long ago.

As Loki approached Malekith, the prince began to speak to his chosen foe, “You with the hideous scars.”

Malekith had been preparing to attack the downed Stark with a large orb of energy he had been fostering, but Loki’s insult caught his intention instead. Malekith lobbed the energy in Loki’s direction instead, only for a barrier of ice to appear between them and deflect the trajectory of the shot into the ceiling.

With his foe’s attention gained, Loki continued to smile at his now dumbfounded opponent, “Yes, you. I am afraid we have not been properly introduced. I am Prince Loki, heir to Asgard and lover of the woman over there who your men have brutalized. You have killed my people and caused far more damage than you could ever imagine to me on a personal level. Prepare to die.”

While surprised that his foe’s magic was able to withstand the power of the Aether, Malekith was comfortable in the fact that he was only just beginning to tap into the Aether’s potential. He returned Loki’s smug grin with one of his own, though it proved far uglier given his disturbed face.

“And I am Malekith, lord of the Dark Elves, and I will remove each and every last piece of Asgardian filth from existence. Prepare to die alongside them!”

“Is that so?” Loki tilted his head before preparing his blades for an attack, “That will be difficult without arms. I find you Dark Elves more amenable without them.”

Malekith could not move fast enough to even attempt to avoid Loki’s strike, though it proved unnecessary as Loki’s blade stopped a foot away from Malekith’s body. The dark energy swirling around the King in a vortex was what kept Loki from finishing the strike, his glaive deflected to the side and away from the Aether’s carrier.

It appeared to Loki that the power source was protecting its wielder, causing a small smirk to form on his face again despite his attack’s failure. He could outspeed this being, for the power Malekith gained gave him that: power. He was no faster it appeared, and so he would prove no true threat so long as Loki avoided his attacks.

“The Aether’s energy protects you better than your monster’s hide does for him. Interesting.”

A wave of energy blasted Loki back towards the crowd, the Aether lashing out on its own again. He snickered at the thought that his foe was truly the power source itself, not Malekith, who was merely a conduit for its power. It would take a true master of magic to wield such a force, and Malekith appeared to be a bit rusty from his thousands of years not spent menacing the galaxy.

Out of the corner of his eye Loki noticed Odin approaching them with a limp, his powerful spear in hand. That spear was the most powerful one known to Loki in all existence, meaning that it could be used in addition to Illidan’s glaives to possibly open up the Aether’s barrier.

With this in mind, Loki made sure to keep his footing as the Aether blasted him back. His arms took the brunt of the damage not blocked by his glaives, his first motion having been to block himself. The pale flesh of his skin showed no permanent damage, neither did Loki appear in any particular pain from the attack.

After the counterattack subsided, Loki raised his voice so that Odin could hear him, “Father, Gungnir should be able to at least challenge him in terms of power—”

“Loki, it’s a trap!”

Loki spun around towards the sound of his father’s voice, but instead of it being a few feet away it was coming from across the room. This motion caused the spear shoved into him to impale him from the front, Gungnir’s golden tip burying into Loki’s chest and emerging from the back.

Thor, then handing the unconscious Jane over to Captain America after having wiped out the remaining Dark Elf foot soldiers, let out a cry of anguish as Loki sustained what appeared to be a fatal strike. Not as worried was Loki, who shook his head as he dropped his glaives down to the floor so as to free his hands.

“It seems that the prisoners have escaped,” Loki stated through a gasp as the ‘Odin’ next to him revealed itself to be none other than Ikol, who was wearing the same grin Loki had moments ago.

Ikol twisted the blade that should rightfully be going through Loki’s heart and killing him outright“It wasn’t easy, I’ll admit that, but I managed to convince a fool to let me go. It is amazing what illusions can accomplish!” Ikol moved to remove the spear from Loki’s chest, but the true Loki had already gripped the handle with his own hands to prevent this action, “If I kill you, I not only can take your place—”

Loki was next caught off guard by Algrim rushing him and tackling him to the ground. The spear pinned Loki to the floor as Algrim’s giant body pressed down on him, at which point Ikol laughed in sadistic glee.

“But, the lord of the Dark Elves willing, join him in the destruction of those I despise so greatly.”

Malekith witnessed all of this with mild amusement, not understanding who this newcomer was but completely appreciating that the tables had been turned on this similarly looking upstart, “You Asgardians may all look alike, but if you manage to fell this foe for me I will have a place for you at my side when I destroy this realm.”

Ikol bowed to Malekith before approaching Loki and Algrim, the latter of whom was pounding Loki into the ground with powerful punch after punch, “It shall be done.”

Algrim hoisted Loki into the air to begin continuing his attack, at which point Ikol joined in by ripping Gungnir from Loki’s chest and using it to slash his fellow Loki, “You do not bleed. I take it that you are in a state between life and death granted where you must have been spending all this time since I left.”

“This hardly seems fair…” was all Loki could choke out before Algrim’s massive might landed against his face, the giant black armored monster striking with such force that the prince’s head was removed from its body. It flew across the room before stopping next to a fallen Dark Elf.

It was then that Thor roared and assaulted Algrim with a rage outdoing even that of Banner, his hammer slamming down against Algrim’s body and managing to make the dark warrior stumble. His fury gave him a few moments of supremacy against the monster, but Algrim’s invulnerability allowed him to quickly turn the tables and begin thrashing Thor as well.

All of this gave time for Loki’s disembodied head to note, “Now that hurt.”

The previously dropped body of Loki rose to its feet to the abject horror of Ikol, who watched with fear as it began to walk towards its head.

“W-what are you?” Ikol stuttered as Loki picked his own head up and moved to place it upon his own shoulders.

Loki twisted his now connected head around to face Ikol with a plain expression, “The father of death incarnate. If that does not scare you, then imagine what fate will befall you after this.”

Loki could not terrorize his darker self any more before a rectangle shaped portal tore open at the entrance of the room. This forced Heimdall to jump out of the way as all attention turned to the being emerging from the large portal, who happened to completely dwarf all others in the room.

“Am I late to the party? Because it seems I missed a delightful amount of chaos.”

Discord stepped out of the portal and began to observe what was happening, a curious look growing on his face as all of the dead and torn bodies across the floor met his eyes.

Malekith snarled over to Loki, who was just watching with glee as he ran a hand over his maimed chest, “And just how many allies have you brought?”

Loki shrugged, “This one is not from me, actually, though you are one to talk with all of your own reinforcements. Is fighting alone too difficult a concept for you to grasp?”

“Is it just me or is everyone having a bad time here? Luna in particular…” Discord shook his head in disapproval before turning his head back to the gate, “Well, let’s change that. Coast is clear, my princesses!”

From behind Discord two more beings leapt out of the portal, these two doing so at full charging speed, the quadrupeds running in a DNA spiraling fashion as the crossed the large throne room. The stockier of the two began to charge up her magic while the lankier growled first before following suit, Trixie’s voice calling out as they passed by the passed out Luna.

“Princess Luna!”

Loki jabbed a finger at Algrim’s direction, the monster being too occupied with beating Thor to death on the ground to notice the new arrivals, “She will be fine, you two, handle that beast!”

Trixie and Twilight continued their charge, though now unleashing a torrent of magic at Algrim in addition to their movement. The beast shrugged off the attacks just like he did Luna’s previously, though the fact that they were attacking him did draw his attention and cause him to growl at the duo threateningly while dropping the unconscious Thor to the ground.

With Thor saved, Loki next turned his attention to the strongest natural magic user in the room, “Discord, I require your assistance with the greater foe. The one with the dark swirling magic.”

Discord floated up into the air, shrugging briefly before cracking his knuckles and approaching Malekith, “Oh alright, I haven’t had a real challenge in awhile anyway.”

While Loki and Discord began to confront Malekith once again, Trixie and Twilight began to run circles around the slow and cumbersome Algrim. Their attacks were doing no real damage to him, but they were distracting him from killing the others.

Despite knowing that she was not powerful enough to hurt him, Trixie yelled at Algrim with fury, “You’re all going to pay for hurting her!”

She had no idea that Algrim had been the one to nearly slay Luna, but Trixie did not care. This foe would be the one who she leveled her fury at. Knowing what she did from her conversation with Hela in the Lady of Death’s own world, Trixie knew that Luna being beaten so terribly was absolutely terrible even beyond how horrible it would be on any regular day.

In a spark, Trixie’s magic changed to be the black and green that Twilight knew to be associated with Nightmare Moon, and Trixie’s next strike collided with Algrim with enough power to make him step back a foot.

Noticing this occurrence, Twilight stopped to turn to her ally with concern.

“Trixie?”

Trixie noticed something right behind Twilight just in time to teleport, moving to knock Twilight to the side while yelling, “Get out of the way!”

Ikol had decided that if he could not fight Loki on equal footing, he could kill his weaker allies. Gungnir cut down Trixie’s side and barely missed really cutting into her, though the spear’s magic and strength caused Trixie enough pain to wince for a moment. This moment gave Algrim the time to reach her and punch her with all of his might straight into her back, slamming her into the ground brutally and even breaking some of the floor beneath her.

“Trixie!” Twilight yelled in horror before trying to use her telekinesis to slow down both Ikol and Algrim. It stopped Ikol for a second, though it only managed to slow Algrim as the latter kicked Trixie in the side and sent Luna’s apprentice tumbling across the room. Twilight shuddered to think what would have happened if she had not slowed the strike, though she was worried enough as it was given the hit Trixie already took.

Trixie slammed into a soft surface and crumpled onto the floor, her body aching all over from the strike she took from Algrim. The equine groaned long in pain as her body went from mild numbness to complete agony.

“Okay, not going to lie, that really hurt. Like, my back feels broken,” she paused to rub her still movable her against the soft thing she had hit, “This pillow was nice and squishy though.”

Looking up, Trixie found herself dumbfounded by the fact that she had hit her new student/servant/partner, Kael. The Elf had only recently awoken when Trixie had slammed into him and knocked him off his feet again, hitting him once again into the pillar he had already been slammed into.

Trixie, instead of noting the fact that her hitting into him probably saved her life, gave him a scowl as she lay limply on top of his prone body, “Student, what are you doing here? I told you to stay safe.”

“You did…” he coughed, not making any further comment as her weight was crushing his broken ribs. Trixie noticed this and weakly rolled off of his chest, still facing him with a disapproving but worried face.

“What are you not doing by being here?” Trixie asked rhetorically.

With a weak smile Kael answered, “Staying safe?”

“Staying safe,” Trixie repeated, her face deadpan as she looked at him. How could she teach him anything if he went and got himself killed.

Sensing that she was angry out of worry, the elf tried explaining himself despite how much his chest hurt, “I wanted to help save the princess you claim to be your mother…”

Trixie coughed up some blood before weakly rising to her hooves. She was beginning to feel a second wind after the first was violently punched and kicked out of her.

“And you are too kind for doing so,” she coughed up more blood before continuing with a smile, “She is my mother, and that shirtless man over there may one day be considered my father. I am not going to lose them as well as my personal student and servant all at once.”

Trixie patted the Elf on his bare forehead with a smirk, “Now go get some rest,” after taking a sniff of the air, Trixie gagged, “And take off what remains of that dreadful armor when you can. It smells bad and is quite irritating on the eyes.”

Kael weakly agreed before passing out entirely, his body crumpling in his shattered Night Elf armor. Trixie began to limp away from him only to notice that Twilight just had shot Ikol in the gut with enough magic to knock him off his feet.

Algrim was similarly disposed, though that was more a result of Discord having opened up a portal of a much small size. The result was a powerful and focused beam from Princess Celestia, who had been charging up her power for this one action ever since she realized she needed to send Discord in her stead. She could not afford to be hit, nor to truly exert herself, but she could afford lending a powerful blast to disable a foe. Cadance had luckily been present too and, using an ancient Alicorn technique, lent her own power to Celestia to make the blast truly formidable.

Given that Algrim was seemingly unconscious and stuck in a wall, Twilight smirked over at Trixie as the blue mare left her Elf behind.

“I have no idea who that is, but you are so going to marry him.”

Trixie visibly blanched, her whole face seeming to jump in revolt at the very thought. This done, she bopped Twilight lightly on the forehead and shook her own head, “Eww. No. Bad Twilight. Bad.”

“Oh come on, your teacher likes an alien too—”

Said alien yelled across the room to both Twilight and Trixie, “Save the arguing for later! We’re not done yet.”

Loki and Discord had been attempting to attack Malekith with their combined magics, but even the god of chaos was not able to penetrate Malekith’s shield. Even attempting to change or alter Malekith in any way was met with failure for Discord, for the power source that could end the universe if harnessed correctly was not something Discord could prove to be stronger than. Every passing moment seemed to make Malekith more powerful as he became more and more able to access the Aether’s power.

Trixie and Twilight nodded, but before they could get more than a step another fight interrupted them. The six armed man and Hela had been fighting on the sidelines, away from the main action, during this whole time and thus had not attracted the attention of the others in combat. The almost impossible to follow fight between the fast Hela and her equally agile foe had since spilled out into the main arena of the brawl, though it appeared to any who watched that each was holding back some of their power.

“Sister, we have the power to end this conflict! There need not be any more tragedy!” the six armed Asgardian man cried out to Hela, who continued to swipe at him violently with her scythe without aiming for anything too vital, “Why must they suffer as you have? What purpose does that hold?”

She gave no response, though her unmasked face revealed a growing expression of pain and anger as she continued to listen to him while he parried her attacks, “You know our bargain! You may not touch these souls. Return what you have stolen this day and I will return to them their lives.”

When she did not listen to his words, her brother grabbed her scythe with two hands, her arms with another two, and her shoulders with his last two. Caught off guard by him stepping things up a notch, Hela found herself winded as one of his knees buried itself in her stomach.

Having caught her off guard now completely, her opponent wrested her scythe from her hands and tossed it aside. This done, he pulled her into a tight hug, one of his hands raising up to the back of her head and stroking her hair gently.

“Return to your world, sister. I will be along shortly.”

Her eyes began to tear as the tall woman began to sob silently into the even taller man’s chest. Any frustration in his face disappeared as he lifted her chin up with another hand.

“Hela, do not worry. I am not upset with you. We can still make this right.”

Distraught but understanding, Hela nodded solemnly. In a puff of black smoke and magic she disappeared from his arms. She reappeared next to her scythe before disappearing again and reappearing hunched over next to Luna.

The princess had since woken up again, barely conscious and about to segue back into being passed out, though the chilling aura of Hela kept her awake enough to attempt to threaten the mistress of death, “Get…away…from…”

Hela’s brother cleared his throat as he approached them both, “Hela, that includes your own soul. It is time to break this cycle in at least one world. Give it back in penance for the lives you have wrongfully taken this day. Then, after you have returned the others, we will be even.”

Hela grew a disgruntled look, though she remained mute. A glowing blue orb appeared in the palm of her hand, which she lowered down to Luna’s stomach and it disappeared into where Luna’s womb lay. This done, Hela summoned forth dozens of other orbs which scattered across the room to find their homes of the souls she was not supposed to reap that day.

Everyone is supposed to have a place and time, and this was not when they were supposed to go. She was among those who was supposed to be slain, killed before being born, but her brother’s duty to preserving life made her begrudgingly agree to even bring back that one in particular.

This time when Hela disappeared she did not reappear. After she left her brother knelt down to Luna’s side as blue magic glowed from his pale hands, “I apologize on her behalf.”

Luna looked up at the newcomer with confusion. He looked like Loki, but wasn’t Loki. He also had very dark blue hair that had a certain familiar ethereal quality to it. Given what just happened, Luna was confused but not stupid.

“Who are you?” she questioned before coughing. Blood did not escape her lips this time, but the sight of her coughing worried the man. His magic in his hands grew as he spoke.

“Refrain from talking and exerting yourself until I have finished healing you.”

Luna could feel the familiar feeling of her own magic on her skin. This Loki-esque man was using her magic, after fighting a woman who looked like Luna herself, and he had told the Luna lookalike to return her own soul to Luna.

Every piece of the puzzle made it more and more obvious who this was, but Luna wanted him to confirm it.

The man, who Luna was almost absolutely sure had the name Sleep Near, scowled as he continued to observe Luna’s damage, “This damage is severe…” he sighed as he realized that this was the reason for his own condition, “Giving life is harder than taking it, and healing magic can have its own adverse side effects. This will take a minute.”

Luna smiled as she looked up at the future. Was this why she had been bleeding earlier down her legs? She could not help but admire how handsome her future son was, as he had inherited all of Loki’s Asgardian qualities. His arms concerned her, but the fact that he was alive was testament to the fact that everything would be fine.

The princess tried bringing a hand up to touch his cheek, “You…”

He caught her hand gently and lowered it to her abdomen, his voice soft, “Rest.”

Sleep Near turned his attention across the room to Malekith, who was simultaneously fighting off Loki, Trixie, Twilight, and Discord while all of the others confronted the Night Elves who had come to reinforce those in the throne room. The giant Asgardian-Frost Giant being gave an icy look to Malekith as the madman blasted all of his foes back with the powers of the Aether.

The tall man shapeshifted into an equally large horse, one larger than either Celestia or Nightmare Moon, and began a charge straight at Malekith.

The king of the Dark Elves was so busy fighting off Discord’s powerful magic that he did not notice the giant horse with eight legs and a black coat charging in his direction. By the time he did notice, Malekith found Sleep Near bursting through his magic and shapeshifting once again.

With powerful telekinesis, Sleep Near ripping one of Illidan’s glaives from Loki’s hands and gripped it mid transformation. Malekith rose his hands up to blast his newest foe back, but he failed to do so as the glaive burst through his barrier and impaled his chest.

“The Aether will leave your body if you prove to no longer be a viable host,” Loki and Luna’s son claimed before tearing it from Malekith’s abdomen and twisting it around to sever both of his foe’s arms. Malekith howled in pain before a punch to the jaw sent him reeling, the attack having more power from its velocity than its actual strength.

Malekith quivered and stumbled back from the Asgardian whose face was a million forms of ‘not amused’, “You…cannot…stop…”

Sleep Near took a step forward to approach his foe to finish the job, but a powerful black, green, and blue blast flew under his arm to crash into Malekith’s torn chest.

Loki was watching all of this with various levels of confusion. He only still had suspicions about this man’s identity, but the fact that he was able to overcome Malekith so easily was what was shocking. What added to the surprise was the familiar looking blast that caused Loki to look back at its source, “What?”

Now standing right behind Loki, Luna appeared to be gathering her breath. She was healthy now but exhausted, her equine horn glowing from where she just shot Malekith, “Get…” she fired another shot into the Dark Elf’s ripped open chest cavity, “Away…” with a final blast she knocked Malekith off his feet and onto the broken throne he had destroyed earlier, “From my family!”

At this point the black and red energy that had been surrounding Malekith began to instead leave him, even as it began to slowly reform his missing limbs and pieces of his body. Malekith groaned on the ground as the power of the Aether began to flow from him and into the air, the process slow and agonizing.

“It’s leaving him just as planned—” Discord commented, only to be cut off by Loki.

“—and now it needs a new host. Why can’t this just be easy?” Loki complained.

Amused by her lover’s annoyed state, Luna transformed again and stepped beyond all of the others and towards the growing mass of energy in the air, “Dark magic is dark magic. We can decide how to get rid of it another time, but I’ve wielded such magic within me before unlike you all.”

Loki gripped her shoulder and tried to pull her back, “No, not you. You cannot in—”

Luna shoved him back, and to Loki’s surprise Sleep Near moved to stop him with a nod. Loki became resigned even as Luna began to retort, realizing that Sleep Near must know something that he did not.

Luna waved a hand down at the recovering Malekith, who then was almost done recovering his limbs and damage, “He’s healing, now is not the time to argue! I’m not going to risk that this bastard goes free!”

The magic of the Aether began to snake around Luna and enter her body, surrounding her in an aura much like it had Malekith. Just as the last energy left him and joined her, the King of the Dark Elves recovered the last of his damage but remained on the ground defeated. He was still weak from the damage he had sustained, the magic of the glaive having cut through all of his magical defenses and dealing unrestrained damage to his body.

As Luna finished integrating the last of the energy into her own body, she felt it leaving her. As if someone was literally sucking it out of her body and draining it. She turned around in confusion, worried that something bad was about to happen, “Wait, who is—”

While Luna was used to accepting a giant power source into her own being, her apprentice was not. Trixie tackled Luna out of the way completely and began to accept the Aether into her own body. This process was excruciating for the mare as she had never done something of this kind before, and the massive surge of energy was causing sparks to fly from her body as it tried to process to unrefined power.

“Trixie!” Luna yelled as she turned to face her student, not regaining her footing quickly due to her exhausted state and general sluggishness.

Loki made no move to stop Trixie, but he grew a concerned face of his own as he watched he begin absorbing the Aether’s power, “The fool, it could kill her with how unstable that energy is right now.”

“I…couldn’t let…you—” Trixie choked out as he body shook and violently jerked as the Aether entered her, “N-Not in…your…condition.”

Luna did not know if Sleep Near wanted to announce his origins, but she was not about to let the fact that he resembled Loki so greatly go unmentioned, “Man who resembles Loki, help her at once! My daughter requires your assistance just as I did.”

Sleep Near snorted as he made note of a technicality, “I already helped your daughter,” he approached Trixie and leveled a hand at her as the Aether finished entering her, Trixie’s body still shivering in pain from the event, “I suppose I could assist this one as well.”

Luna crossed her arms and frowned at her son’s bad joke, “You had better, young man.”

After a moment of healing, Trixie was left still on the ground and no longer shaking even as sparks continued to leave it. Sleep Near turned to the others who were watching the healing with varying levels of concern, “She is in no danger of dying now. You best find a way to remove it from her soon.”

“You…stupid…mewling…quim!”

The group’s attention left Trixie and refocused on Malekith, who had slowly risen to his feet. His face’s rage was only restrained by the pain he was in, his upper body hanging over weakly and blood dripping from various points on his body. His eyes were focused on Luna, who had been the last to strike him. He had noticed her transform, and he did not care if she was a horse or not, she had nearly slain him.

Luna, mad about this whole day’s events and not having been able to really let go of that stress, rolled up the sleeves of her dress, “I have no idea what those words mean, but I am going to assume they are offensive in whatever language you are speaking and will proceed to beat you to death over them and for what you have done to my family.”

Malekith’s anger quickly transformed into fear as Luna approached him with glee mixed with rage. Her fists began to rain down on him and beat him down into the ground violently as she let a fit of laughter escape her lips.

Twilight moved to confront Luna, but Loki blocked her path.

The younger prince of Asgard felt a small snort leave him as he spoke, “Let her have this. If she does not let off this steam now she will find some other way to, and I rather leave him to deal with this raw emotion than anyone else.”

Everyone watched in a mixture of horror and wonder as Luna continued hitting Malekith over and over. Blood and pieces of the Dark Elf King began to fly as Luna’s great strength tore into him punch after punch. This time there was no Aether to keep him alive and regenerate, and it was safe to assume that the mess of organs and broken bones left after a short while of this was no longer alive.

At this point Loki tapped Luna on the shoulder, considering the battle to have ended given the lack of fighting now going on, “Luna, it is done. It is time to calm down. We are done here.”

Of course as soon as he made this claim, the roar of Algrim bellowed through the room. He made a rush at Luna and the remains of Malekith, intent on murdering the woman who slew his master.

“Beast, do you not know when to quit?” Loki quipped quickly as he moved to get in the way of Algrim. To his surprise, this defensive maneuver was never needed. A giant beam of black and red energy far larger than any other displayed thus far in the battle enveloped Algrim completely, the stone looking monster quickly being overwhelmed and blasted into the wall again.

“What the hell was that?” Loki questioned before turning to see the answer.

Algrim weakly howled as he tried to dislodge himself from the now wrecked wall, though before he could manage this another’s voice howled even louder.

“I WILL KILL YOU!” the now standing and enraged Trixie screamed, her eyes glowing white with the power she absorbed. She horn was completely invisible underneath the large orb of power she had formed atop it, and the very next moment it shot out and repeated what it had done before to Algrim.

This time, however, it did so with even more power. The mostly invulnerable being had no time to react by the time his body completely disappeared in the attack’s glow. When it faded moments later there was nothing left, leaving all in awe at the power of the Aether being channeled through Trixie.

Luna gasped as she saw Trixie’s eyes stop glowing, revealing that they were unfocused as if she had lost her mind. To further worry Luna, Trixie began to let out a laugh that slowly built up, “Haha. Hahahaha. Hahahahahaha…”

Killing was not something Luna thought Trixie capable of for the most part. Sure, she slew the Ursas who threatened them, but she had no choice at the time. She had come to defeat them, of course, but that could be done without killing. This time she completely slew her foe who did not need to technically be killed, which is what worried Luna. They had already defeated him and there was no way he could pose a threat, so murdering him like that was sickening even to Luna as she noticed Trixie’s crazed expression.

“This power is overwhelming…” Trixie noted to herself, though none of those gathered directly by her had a chance to respond before a snarky voice interrupted them.

“Did a small horse just wreck the guy that could kick our asses?”

Loki turned to face Stark, who had finally managed to crawl out of his broken armor and get up, “Do you want the answer to that question, billionaire philanthropist playboy?”

“No, I don’t,” Stark responded before bringing a hand up to his beard, “We have an alien and a giant green monster on our team. Is there any rules against equines? I can’t remember.”

“You already had one,” Luna noted before kneeling down beside Trixie and bringing her into an embrace.

“And two is better than one,” Stark laughed before looking around at the various Avengers in the room, “Anyways, you owe me for this, princey. Do you know how hard it was to get all these guys instantaneously?”

Twilight nodded to that sentiment, having had to do something similar, “I had to make Celestia order Discord to come. That’s why it took us so long.”

“See you in Hel…”

The voice so much like Loki’s made the prince twirl around to see that its source, Ikol, was still alive. Despite this, Ikol was still on the ground by where he had been felled by Twilight.

He had fallen next to a Night Elf though, who happened to have on their belt previously one of those black hole grenades the Elves had used to invade so effectively.

That grenade’s current location was in-between Loki and Luna, the latter of which did not even notice it and the former who noticed it too late to do anything about it.

Someone who had noticed it just a second in time was Odin, who had approached them all in his battered state when they were focusing on Algrim. He had not known what to say what with Loki, his estranged son, being back and as such had not said anything to them yet.

Actions always spoke louder than words anyways though, and when Odin tossed Luna out of the way and pushed Loki back from the grenade the latter yelled in confused worry.

“Father!”

The momentary black hole tore the area open, Luna being forced to drag Trixie away from it as she herself stumbled back from Odin’s toss. The others all managed to escape in time, though at the center of it all Odin was not able to. In a flash it was over, and with it the King of Asgard.

Shocked by this, Loki twirled around to try and think of something. He had not known of these devices when he arrived, and he had not planned for such a possibility. His eyes darted around until they landed on Sleep Near, who Loki gripped by the chest.

“Time traveler, you can restore life, right? Bring him back now!”

Sleep Near averted his gaze, being silent for a moment before stating, “I restore life to bodies. My sister manipulates souls. Together we can do such a feat, though…” he cleared his throat as a tear fell down his face, “I am afraid restoring something from nothing is not something in my capabilities, vast as they may be.”

When Luna hit the ground after she was pushed over, she felt her exhaustion return. She had not seen just what happened, but she could hear Loki’s choked up emotions and wanted to have them addressed, “Loki? What happened? What was that?”

Seeing Luna on the ground, Loki shook his head while forcing his voice to remain neutral despite the tears running down his face, “Nothing. Just…rest.”

“You’re lying…” Luna noted as she looked at his back, Trixie having left her arms to go laugh over in the corner of the room, “I don’t like it when you lie…”

“I will tell you when you finish resting. Even healed, you need to rest,” Loki snapped, his emotions coming out from behind his façade.

Luna closed her eyes, accepting this bargain since she was too tired to continue arguing, “When I wake up, you’re making good on your promise. Both this and the one from before you left me.”

“Of course.”

“Don’t leave me again…” her voice trailed off as she fell into unconsciousness.

Everyone else turned to look at Loki and see if he was okay, though Loki himself turned to Sleep Near with a similar worry.

“Will she at least be okay?”

Given his appearance and actions, Loki had a good clue that this was his son from the future. Sleep Near nodded to his father sorrowfully, not wanting to have witnessed what just happened, “I came back to ensure that. Our timeline would have it that today went as it otherwise would have. The Dark Elves would have caused Hela’s death, I would be malformed, and our father would be lost.”

“This time Hela came to torture you all, unlike our own time, so I came too,” Sleep Near continued with exasperation, “Hopefully this affects your own timeline in a positive fashion.”

“So you come from a different reality?” Loki questioned.

“Yes, though it is similar enough that Hela seems to have mistaken this one for our own in her fury,” Sleep Near snarled, regretting just how insane his sibling was.

This made Loki snort out of pure indignity, “Out of infinite possible realities, she chose this one to torment in particular? Am I so lucky?”

Sleep Near moved to leave the others, “I should go and tend to her. She likely is going to have a breakdown after today’s events, and the task falls to me to keep her in line,” he paused before saying two last things before disappearing into thin air, “I will be seeing you soon, one way or another. Make sure Luna is prepared to have twins, one in equine form with extra appendages and the other an Asgardian with issues regarding speech.”

The next time Luna awoke, it was in Loki’s bed with the covers over her. She felt as if her power was considerably lower, as if something had been taken from her, but the Asgardian body beside her calmed her. Everything was going to be okay now.

What woke her up though was Trixie, who no longer seemed to be having a mad fit and now was nervously asking permission with her face to get up on the bed.

“Trixie?”

Her apprentice looked down at the ground sorrowfully, “I’m sorry…” Trixie sniffed as she thought about what happened to Luna, and how she had not forewarned Luna about her pregnancy despite knowing, “I didn’t think…I didn’t know that you would—I knew that you were…”

She paused as she tried to explain why she didn’t say it before, “I just wanted to be your...”

Luna nodded for Trixie to come up and make herself comfortable, “Come here.”

As Trixie got up on the bed nervously, Luna brought her arms around her dear apprentice to calm her. She stroked Trixie’s side gently as the apprentice joined her underneath Loki’s soft covers, “I know why you must be nervous. I don’t blame you for not telling me. You always will be my daughter, even if I have one of my own womb.”

“You know?” Trixie blurted out softly, trying to keep her voice down so as to not wake Loki in the middle of the night.

Luna nodded softly as she embraced Trixie, “That future boy…the one with extra arms. He was my son, wasn’t he?”

“I believe so.”

“That makes Lady Death my daughter…” Luna kissed Trixie on top of her head, “Listen Trixie, I would have done the same thing in your position. If I was focused on my coming family, I would have less time to focus on you. You would feel replaced.”

After pausing a moment to let Trixie return the embrace, Luna nuzzled her head with Trixie’s, “I promise that won’t happen. You are as much a daughter to me as anything I could have brought into this world.”

“I’m sorry…” Trixie apologized.

Even in the dark, Luna could see that her lover was across the room sitting on a half broken chair and staring into a shattered mirror. Seeing his isolation gave Luna a pang in her heart, and so she called out to him, “Loki? Please join us. Something is eating you, but I just want to rest with my family.”

She paused before adding, “All five of us.”

With this Loki made his way over to the bed, wrapping his arms around Luna and taking a moment to pat Trixie on the head before the prince drifted off to sleep.

The battle was finally done. They were all back together.

Author's Note

Whew, that was an intense chapter. Been waiting a long time to write it too! Had it planned since I finished the Avengers arc.

You Gave Me The Reason Why

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, Archivist Nightwatch, SilentMech, Amethyst blade, Drgnwolf, Scarheart, Ketvirtas, The Grim Reaper, Shroedingers_Katze, DemonOJM, and Killabyte for your comments last chapter. Thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Title is from the song "War" from Poets of the Fall.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

Loki did not desire to wake up. His dreams had been better than they had been in years, guided by the woman sleeping beside him, and even then they were plagued and disturbed by nightmares.

Still, the knocking on his partially repaired but mostly broken door was not welcome. Loki knew them as belonging to Thor given the intensity and speed of each knock.

“Brother, I know you must need your rest, but there are matters of great importance we must speak about.”

Loki was not stirred alone. Beside him Luna began to rise and fumble about as she came to consciousness. Loki found himself eyeing her stomach covered by her tattered blue dress. She was not showing, but he doubted that would last much longer.

Luna’s apprentice had slipped out of the room at some indeterminate point, leaving just them and allowing them some privacy. This meant that when Luna fumbled to feel for Trixie she did not touch anything, instead rolling over to give Loki an embrace.

Thor’s repeated knocking made the drowsy couple roll their eyes in annoyance, Luna finally taking it upon herself to give Loki a kiss on the cheek and nod for Loki to get up, “I will be here. Go see him.”

Her lover let out a snort, rolled on top of her and pinned the surprised Luna against the soft bed. He gave her a kiss on the lips before rolling off her other side and the bed as well, landing on his feet and letting out a sigh as Thor continued to knock urgently.

Upon opening it, Loki was taken aback by the completely distraught face of his brother. Tears were flowing down his face and his eyes were puffy from his grief.

Loki cast his gaze back towards Luna before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him. Thor reacted by reaching to embrace Loki, who was handling their grief in one of the only two ways he knew how: becoming cold and shutting down the feeling entirely. Rage would not be useful in dealing with the larger emotions, nor would it help Thor.

To Thor’s surprise, Loki returned the firm hug and actually let out a depressed breath. Loki was not breaking down outside, but the small quiver in his voice gave everything away, “Crying will not turn back time, Thor.”

“You grieve as I do. Do not pretend otherwise.”

Loki let go so as to move more away from the door, not wanting Luna to be privy to this conversation, “My time away gave me the foolish notion that perhaps, when I returned, I could make things right with you all,” Loki’s fist curled up before falling limp at his side. He had given up rage long ago. He would not fall into that downward spiral once again, “Now it appears I will not be able to set everything right.”

Thor approached him while sighing, regretful that Loki would never be able to make true amends with their father, “Loki, you need only do me one favor to earn my trust again.”

The younger brother gave the elder a confused look, but Thor continued so as to clarify, “I am no great leader, nor am I the strongest of Asgard anymore. My only experience leading is of a small team of warriors, and that does not transfer onto a national scale.”

Old wounds reopened as Loki thought about what their father’s death meant in regards to Thor, “You will be getting a lot more now that you are to be king. What, do you wish for me to be your advisor?”

The idea of playing second fiddle to anyone had always irritated Loki, who had an obsession with control. Even as finished with pettiness as he was, Loki could not imagine himself finding life fulfilling underneath his brother’s rule.

This made Thor’s next statement all the more jarring to Loki.

“I am forsaking my birthright. You shall be king.”

“W-what?” Loki sputtered, turning to face Thor fully with shock in his eyes, “Why? After all these years, after always wanting to—”

Thor averted his eyes briefly before returning them to Loki, “My place is on Earth, protecting their kind. They need a guardian of my caliber much more than Asgard does these days.”

Now Loki found himself not wanting this, as much as it once would have rung golden to his ears. Losing Thor to Earth would be a serious blow to the destroyed Asgard, “Asgard faces its own issues, what with our utter lack of security now that our forces have been completely wiped out—”

Thor smiled for the first time in the conversation and for the first time in what felt like forever since the Dark Elves came to exact ancient vengeance, “Our guard has been restored. Whatever that six armed man did, they are among the living again. Some require medical aid, but every last one of the men whose bodies are accounted for have been revived.”

With this in mind, Loki was left to muse on the idea that he was now going to be king without Thor in the way and without his disapproving father in the picture. While losing Odin hurt, Loki being able to finally live out his dreams made the impact lesser. Ruling in a manner that would make Odin proud would be the best tribute he could grant his deceased father.

“That partially solves that problem,” Loki’s face softened continually as he thought about Thor’s reasoning and possible motivations. There could really only be one true cause for him to leave Asgard, one that Loki could both sympathize with and feel irritation about, “You wish to be with your human lover.”

Thor was not going to let Loki go uncontested on that point, “Just how if I rose to the throne you would go be with your equine lover.”

While Loki could argue that Thor was foolish investing so much feeling in a mere mortal who would be gone in less than a century, he would not demean his brother for this. If Loki had learned anything in his years of suffering, it was humility and grace. The torment could have driven him to hatred, but he had strove to not give Hela the satisfaction of letting her torture get to him.

If that was her goal, to craft a humbler father, then she had succeeded. If not, Loki would be what she would not punish: a good person.

“Fine. Go. I will take custody of Asgard, but I will do so with the agreement that you are not to claim your birthright at any further point.”

Thor pulled Loki back into a hug, a big smile on the warrior’s face as tears continued to fall down his face. He was happy that Loki, in his own way, was allowing him to go despite his princely obligation to Asgard. “If I wish to reclaim the throne, it will be because you have turned evil once again and are harming our people. In that instance I would forcefully take it back as it were, so you need not worry.”

Loki found himself laughing, knowing that the threat was both true and hollow. Thor was no match a Hel trained Loki, but he would in fact fight to save Asgard should Loki prove to be a tyrant. Luckily they both knew that such a thing would not happen. Even in his period of insanity following the revelation of his origins, Loki had led Asgard (however briefly) just fine and he was not been reviled until after his disgrace.

Still, Loki had always wished to earn his place as Asgard’s King, not just receive it by default, lending a hollow feeling to this news. Despite this, Loki would do his duty as was expected of him. Asgard needed a strong and effective leader to lead it from the ruin it was afflicted with after a civil war and an invasion.

Thor gave Loki a warning look as the former continued to speak, “Serve them well, protect them, and do not dare harm them. If you follow those tenants I will grant you what you have desired for years.”

“Very well,” Loki agreed, looking at his brother with a genuine smile not shared since before Thor’s near-coronation so long ago, “I expect you to visit, despite your preoccupation with the world you seem to cherish so greatly.”

“I will,” Loki promised. He had no intentions of treading his former dark path once again. Not only would Luna kill him more likely than not, he would have to deal with their future daughter and her insanity once again.

The two separated and a silence fell between them. Loki knew he would need to speak to their mother about this, but she would not bind Thor and keep him from being with Jane if that was what made Thor happy.

Before the two could silently go their own ways Loki called out to his brother just as Thor turned to leave.

“Thor.”

The sadness in Thor’s voice brought concern instantly to his mind, so he turned back to face Loki with that concern.

With his brother’s attention, Loki closed his eyes and looked down to the floor, “You do know that you will outlive her by entire millennia? Right?”

Thor could see that Loki was worried for him and his feelings, but he decided to laugh it off. They had enough to be grim about without factoring in the sadness related to time.

“Perhaps we should look into a remedy for age. Mother is growing quite adept at finding cures to all sorts of things these days.”

With that the brothers departed, Loki returning to his room in silence and Thor leaving to go see how the recovering Jane was. She had nearly died from having the Aether inside her, and even a day later she was still recovering from it in the infirmary.

When Trixie slipped away earlier she had traveled to the medical ward. She had gone expecting to find her companion/student/friend thing there, and Trixie had hoped to talk with him more to discover just what it was like to have normal relationships with others.

Of course, as if she had known there was to be something concerning friendship, Twilight had arrived early and was already sitting beside the table Kael’Thas was resting on. The foreign prince of High Elves appeared quite exasperated until his eyes caught sight of Trixie entering the room, at which point he became more focused while still maintaining conversation with Twilight.

“So, you’re an Elf too?” Twilight asked him, referencing the fact that she had just been fighting against Elves yet this one was said to be an ally.

The medical staff had been giving minimal treatment to Kael given that each and every one of them had been murdered the day before by the Dark Elves, only to be revived by some unknown force later on. They held a grudge as much as they did not want to, even with the knowledge that he was not one of the invading forces.

“Not one of the ones who assaulted this place, but I am an Elf. Some might call us Eldar, but my people are called the High Elves,” Kael grumbled, far less jovial than he would be under other circumstances. His ribs were shattered and he had been in agony all night, only now receiving aid at all.

Twilight loved learning, and so talking to this exotic being was making her ears perk up, “Are there other Elves where you are from?”

Kael was surprised that Twilight had not even noticed Trixie’s arrival, his eyes tracked on Trixie as he lay lazily with one hand propping his head up. His glowing green eyes warmly met Trixie’s purple ones, “Yes, in fact—”

Trixie cleared her throat from behind Twilight, the princess turning to see Trixie looking anything but amused. Trixie had a thick purple dress fashioned in her usual purple that covered her entire body below the neck and except for her limbs and tail. This difference in appearance caught Twilight’s interest instantly.

After gaining Twilight’s attention, Trixie spoke to Kael specifically, “Kael, could you do me a favor and bring me books on magical integration and separation? The libraries here are not suited for one of my being.”

He moved to get up but faced difficulty when his damaged chest pained him. Trixie noticed this and used a beam of energy to heal his afflicted area, doing in seconds what would have taken the medical staff hours to accomplish.

Now able to rise, Kael stood up and bowed to Trixie, “Of course, milady.”

He walked past the two mares and out the door with a bit more speed than one might expect. Trixie watched as he left with a smile, glad to have helped him and also happy about saving him from Twilight.

Her fellow student’s smile caused Twilight to grow a coy smile of her own, “Jealous he’s talking to other mares?”

Trixie’s face flushed red as she thought of Twilight’s claim the day prior that she was to marry Kael. The idea caused some revulsion in Trixie as her mind tried picturing how that might even work before branching out to considering how Luna and Loki made it work.

Trixie tried not to blanch at the thought, instead putting on as composed a face as she could manage with her eyes closed, “Of course not. You read too many romance novels, Twilight. He is my companion now and nothing more.”

“Fine, fine,” Twilight grumbled, “That ruins that shipfic…”

“What was that?”

Twilight realized her error in saying that aloud, “Nothing!” Trixie glared at her carefully as Twilight thought of a way to deflect the subject and her folly, “Hehe, so, let’s talk about those books. Magical integration and separation sound interesting!”

When Loki returned to his room he had chosen to just lay back down, Luna pulling him into an embrace that lasted for hours. She had not heard everything from outside, but she had heard enough to have a general idea about what the situation was.

Odin was dead, but she wanted to hear Loki say it. He hadn’t told her last night despite how important this was, but she was not going to force him. She may have pressed him despite how uncomfortable he would be a little time ago, but she was feeling much more cheerful now that he was back.

On the other hand, she felt weaker than she had previously, though she passed this off as a side effect of her pregnancy. The pregnancy that helped snatch her thoughts away from the dark subject waited for the two of them like a proverbial elephant in the room.

After his complete silence and lack of any form of interaction for what must have been a quarter of the day, Luna felt her patience beginning to wane. Even still, she tread the topic lightly, “Loki, you cannot be quiet forever.”

Loki let his face fall to the side instead of continuing its stare upwards. Luna’s face was soft with the empathy she was displaying towards him, her heart hurting because of how she was worried for him.

Loki brought a hand to Luna’s cheek so he could stroke it and show that he was grateful, “Forgive me. I am used to the company of a mute and no other currently. Normal interaction will take a few days for me to acclimate to…”

His voice trailed off as tears streaked down his face, his eyes having been holding back water for hours. Despite his lack of admission to Odin’s death, Luna knew that she needed to say something.

“Oh Loki…” she pulled him closer to kiss his face, “Your father has passed…Loki, you should have told me.”

Loki’s grief came out fully as he let himself fall victim to his own repressed emotions, “He died saving us. He died because I was too arrogant and considered the pseudo Loki finished. I underestimated their weapons—”

Luna forced him to stop his self-degradation by pulling him into a kiss, which Loki hungrily returned because of his of time away. When they finally pulled apart to breath Luna was the one to speak first, her voice worried and concerned.

“Listen Loki, this isn’t your fault. It’s the fault of that homicidal bastard who invaded this place. You deserve none of the blame for this.”

“I—” he once again was cut off by Luna, though this time it was by her speaking over him.

“Loki, you are a prince, but not even you can hold the entirety of this world and every other on your shoulders. Believe me, if this was your fault I would let you know. You didn’t kill your father, but you need to do something for your kingdom now that he is gone.”

Loki closed his eyes and leaned forward to touch foreheads with her, “Thor does not want the crown.”

That instantly helped change Luna’s mood. So Loki was to be king in Thor’s place? That would make her queen of Asgard…Luna only wished it did not take the brutal death of her father-in-law to get here. Still, she would not let this good news of sorts go to waste. She could grieve on Loki’s behalf later, “So it appears I will be moving here after all.”

“I…” Loki’s words failed him as he tried to think about his own life, what he had done these recent years, and what that meant concerning his new title of King, “I do not know if I am fit to rule Asgard.”

“Love, you are a genius manipulator with just enough morals to do the right thing and the right lack of them to do what is needed. I think you’ll be just fine,” Luna noted with a small laugh, her body curling into Loki’s so that her stomach was up against his side. Having what she assumed to be twins might not be ideal given sibling rivalry, but that whole matter was screwed the moment Trixie came into the equation. Seeing Sleep Near’s interaction with his sister actually made Luna a little happy, since despite her obvious issues she listened to him.

He was so tall too…Luna felt proud that her children would be fine, or at least as fine as they could be, given that she took quite the beating from Algrim. She was happy that their intervention in the end saved their own lives in some ways.

While on the subject of height, Luna noticed something. She was coming up to Loki’s eyebrow instead of him being slightly shorter than her. She stretched her body out to see if there was any change. Their feet were at about the same point, but she remained shorter than him.

Luna put on a pouting face as she realized this fact, “Why are you taller than me now? I liked being the taller one.”

Loki looked down at her and noticed the same thing. Upon observing her some more, an idea crossed his mind about what may have caused this.

“Transform.”

Luna bit her lip, “Should I, given my…condition?”

Loki shrugged, not sure but also not too worried, “I have a feeling your body has a way of compensating, given that you are still gravid despite how many times you must have transformed in recent months.”

“Point taken…” Luna sighed and closed her eyes as she channeled her magic, “Still, I think I should choose one to prevent complications later.”

“Of course. Now go on. I need to see if my theory is correct.”

In a flash, Luna became her Alicorn form once again. However, this time it was a form that Loki had not seen for quite some time. He smiled as he observed the fur that now brushed against him.

“Blue. It has been some time since I last saw that fur color on you.”

Luna blinked blankly in confusion, “Wait…” looking down to observe herself, Luna realized that she was no longer Nightmare Moon, “So the reason I feel weak is not because I am with foal, but because I actually lost my Nightmare energies?”

Loki nodded, “It seems the Aether took them with it when it left after its brief stay in your system.”

Luna transformed back in a puff of blue smoke before pumping both hands into the air and smiling more than she had in months, “Haha, I’m not going to be a cold and ruthless bitch anymore!”

Loki snickered before Luna realized what she just said and turned to him with a warning glare, “Do not dare say anything on that subject. I have hormones to put you through the wall.”

“But not the speed,” Loki joked while using said newfound super speed to make Luna blush.

“I also miss being the stronger one of us. Care to swap?” Luna pouted again, not liking that while she was now weaker and left with a feeling of craving for her lost power, Loki was instead at the top of his game.

Loki brought his hand down her stomach before, “Fortunately you will not need your powers for some time, so this decrease will prove no issue.”

“It’s the principle of being weaker though…”

He raised his hand to her forearm, clenching it softly to make a show out of her muscle there, “You likely still are more physically powerful than me.”

As Loki’s hand left her stomach a growl escaped it. Luna had not eaten in awhile, and given that she was eating for three she undoubtedly was going to have to eat something.

To pay him back for his lighthearted ribbing of her, Luna poked him in the chest and grumbled, “Shut up and bring me food.”

“You are not quite at that point where you cannot get up easily, love—”

Luna stuck her tongue out like a child before leaning her head down on his chest, “Less complaining, more raiding thy dining hall. I am not to use my powers, remember? And who knows what effects teleportation has on—”

Loki threw his hands up in defeat. If it would get her to stop whining, he would do it, “Fine, fine.”

As Loki began to rise, Luna grabbed his wrist. He turned back with a curious look as Luna called for him to stop.

“Loki?”

He paused, letting her speak her mind.

She blushed as she smiled up at him, “I love you.”

That again rose his curiosity, “Why?”

Loki learned at that moment that pregnant female hormones were not something to mess with, for she gave him a look of fury, “Because I damn well feel like it. Be happy that you captivated me to the appropriate level before you went evil again, or else you would be in the ground and a forgotten memory.”

Loki just nodded, not saying anything as he thought about her words.

“And you?” she prodded.

He was unsure as to what she meant so he inquired, “What?”

Her pouting face returned as she loosened her grip on him, “You do love me, right?”

“Of course,” Loki bent down to kiss her before rising back up, “You kept me from falling deeper into the despair that had overtaken me when I arrived on your world. You are an intelligent, powerful woman who is willing to put up with the various wrongdoings I am prone to commit. I would not just lay with any equine, I would have you know.”

Luna felt her heart flutter at his words more than the kiss, though something remained on her mind, “None of that evil nonsense anymore though, remember. I propose a reciprocal vow of purity.”

His lip curled up in amusement, “Complete purity?”

Luna scrunched her blue eyebrow in confusion, “I do not understand.”

Loki brought a hand to her inner thigh, telling Luna exactly what he meant while also making her realize just how much she had been missing him.

“Oh,” Luna blushed fiercely, “No, just purity of the morality kind. This is fine, however.”

“I thought you wanted food,” Loki joked.

“Can I have both?” Luna asked in a more serious manner.

Her question made Loki falter momentarily, his expression changing to one of complete confusion, “At the same time?”

Luna licked her lips at the idea before bringing a hand down to her clothed chest and running a hand down it, “You can partake in doing so as well. I have heard many a disturbing tale of a pink pony who has a fridge full of whipped cream for this kind of occasion. It does not seem unheard of amongst mortals.”

Loki snickered and shook his head as he began to get up again, “The things I do for love…”

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it.”

As Loki began to cross the room and head to the exit, Luna used her magic to try and fix the door a little. Using her magic made her think back to her recent usage of it to transform, as well as the worry about her son and daughter…which brought another idea to her mind, granted she had no idea what form they would be born into.

“Wait Loki, I have one last idea.”

Loki wished she would make up her mind, but he turned back to see what she was doing. By the time he turned around he was met with the sight of an Asgardian woman with light blue fur over her body. Her hair was completely ethereal like her Alicorn form, and she had many features that could be considered entirely Asgardian.

Luna smirked as Loki observed her new form, “A blend of my two bodies. Embracing some of the…qualities that will prove beneficial from my normal body, and retaining the very useful fingers you Asgardians possess.”

“I believe there is a Midgardian word for this…anthropomorphism I think?”

“Less archaic words, more whipped cream.”

Some time later, Trixie found herself at a dead end in one text she was learning from and decided to seek out Luna’s counsel. She came back to Loki’s room through teleportation, her face looking down at her book as she entered.

“Mother, I have some questions concerning some texts I—”

As she had spoken, Trixie had gradually looked up to the bed in the room. The sight waiting for her there caused Trixie to fall over and pass out instantly.

Seeing the equine collapse on the ground in her little purple outfit made Loki groan, “I think you killed her.”

Luna looked around the man on top of her to see the passed out Trixie before shrugging, “She’s been through worse.”

It was at that point that Luna realized that Trixie had not teleported alone, and that a certain Elf was trying to cover his eyes as he searched the ground for Trixie, “Kael, would you be kind enough to bring her to a guest room and not just fumble around there like a fool?”

The Elven prince nodded but said nothing before grabbing Trixie and teleporting out of the room, leaving Loki and Luna in privacy once more.

This done, Luna looked down at her own blue body and the various pieces of food she had on it.

“Where did we leave off? Fourth course?”

Author's Note

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated and are helpful to me, so please leave your comments below! They really keep me motivated, and without your guys support this all wouldn't be possible! Remember, comments are :heart:

You Know You've Got Everybody Fooled

A/N: Special thanks to DestinyQuill, Amethyst blade, Evilhumour, Drgnwolf, Cadmium, Pacman_The_Peach, Killabyte, Signia, Magestikus, David Goliath, The Grim Reaper, Ketvirtas, hs0003, searinox123, Scarheart, and Schroedingers_Katze for your comments last chapter. Wish I could see so many people every time!

Title is from the song "Everybody's Fool" from Evanescence.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

“Why do you transform?”

Trixie had managed to pull Luna outside of Loki’s bedroom, figuratively of course, and into a courtyard usually used for training. Asgard’s sun was shining brightly and the grass that sat beneath each of the two as they set up their working materials was lending a warm, comforting feel to all those who lay under its reach.

What Trixie desired was to put some of her recently learned knowledge to the test. She had studied much in the past day of resting, focusing her efforts on reading and testing her abilities while her mentor spent it enjoying the company of her Asgardian lover.

This, Luna thought, was what Trixie was referring to by her inquisition about transformation. Trixie had caught Luna and Loki in quite the situation the day before, and Luna was not quite sure her apprentice had recovered yet.

“Trixie, if this is about last night, we need to have an adult conversation about what Loki and I do basically every moment you can’t see us in public.”

Thinking about some other matters entirely and not even remembering just then her experience the day before, Trixie shook her head to her teacher, “I didn’t mean that,” the student quickly blanched as she realized what Luna just had said and all of its implications made their way into the poor pony’s mind, “And also ughhhhhh…”

Luna rolled her eyes as Trixie proceeded to cringe, “Very well then. I transform for utility’s sake. I feel most comfortable in my Alicorn form, and my magical abilities certainly appear stronger when I am in it. I take the form of an Asgardian to be more dexterous and charismatic and relatable to their kind, which is important because I am to be their queen.”

This explanation did not, however, explain Luna’s current body. Trixie rose a brow and decided to press this matter, quite curious about what explanation could be had for it.

“Okay, and this furred Asgardian?”

“A mixture of the two. I am foreign, yet familiar in many ways. I considered having an extended face, but decided that I am beginning to like this more flat one in some ways. Besides, it may be the tipping point of being uncanny.”

Trixie swallowed her breath before asking what her real question for this learning session would be, “Can you teach me to transform well like you and Loki?”

Luna tried to think back and remember. Had she taught Trixie on the matter yet? It sounded familiar, but perhaps she had only taught her student illusions like Loki, “You can transform to some level now, correct? It has been some time since our lessons…”

Trixie nodded as she levitated a book over in front of Luna’s face. Luna squinted to observe the archaic text, noting that it appeared to be something about species, “Yes, I can, but I want to study the change of magic across species. Right now I can’t even maintain a form for a minute, and even then my range of choice is limited.”

Luna took the book into her own levitation powers and opened it up, observing with amusement about how much work Trixie must have put into this in order to study such a difficult text. However, Luna could also tell that Trixie was likely trying to do everything she could not to think about the reality that existed back home in Equestria: where her biological mother was dying and also hurtfully driven away.

Because of this context, Luna decided to be more playful than usual that day. Being grim and serious could only lead to thoughts of what depressing things lay at home.

“Of course I will help you. I will be using Loki to demonstrate, but I will assist you however you need me to,” Luna replied with a smile, a small part of her mind worried about transforming any more during her pregnancy. Now that she knew she was going to have a foal, she was going to try and dial back on everything that may negatively impact that, “What is your goal? That is important to know if we are to start our efforts.”

“I want to be able to transform into a High Elf,” Trixie replied unabashedly.

Luna, whose first thought was of a certain piece of hastily wrote literature placed under Loki’s door that morning, snickered as she tried to keep a straight face in front of Trixie.

“So Twilight’s musings she sent to me were correct!”

Trixie went from completely poised to extreme embarrassment and rage faster than Luna could think to recant her statement, “No, Twilight is a haywired introvert who probably thinks the deepest level of love comes from seeing a guy once and then bam, soulmates!”

Luna approached Trixie and placed a furry hand down on her apprentice’s shoulder gently, hoping to calm Trixie down, “I did not mean to offend,” Luna could not help but still giving her apprentice a joking look, fully amused by how this odd little relationship was going between her student/daughter and the foreign prince, “But if not for enticement reasons, what for?”

Trixie cast her gaze down to the ground, as she had so developed a habit of doing when feeling emotionally torn or embarrassed in some regard.

“When he drained my magic I got to feel his…” Luna giggling made Trixie stop and blush, her mouth failing her greatly as she tried to find words to say that were not suggestive, “T-the -mm-magic I felt from him, or rather the empty pool he had at the time, was far greater than even your own, Mother. Even when you had the Nightmare powers. I…” Trixie paused again before sighing and finishing, “I want that.”

That brought some concern to Luna, who just then remembered that Trixie had taken the power of the Aether into her own being. Was this a natural extension of Trixie’s own interest in learning or was it a result of the dark magic now contained in her student’s body?

Reportedly, the Aether was to be extracted from Trixie in the nearby future, but for the time being Trixie was going to have to handle it. It was not seemingly acting up after everything, and not even a tinge of its power seemed to creep from Trixie.

Luna was no expert on the Aether, but she knew dark magic: it could corrupt a being in body, mind, and soul.

With all of these factors swirling in Luna’s mind, she gave her student a comforting smile, “You want to tap into his race’s power? Trixie, whatever for?”

Trixie shrugged, her eyes still glued to the ground, “It could be useful if we need it, right?”

Luna could not deny that adding another tool to their collective arsenal would be welcome, especially after how dangerously close the recent situation had been and the ever looming threat of that dastardly Thanos.

“I see your point. I’ll retrieve Loki.”

Loki had ventured outside of the bedroom too, though it was not for his studies.

“Mother.”

Lady Frigga had become nearly catatonic after the battle with the Dark Elves. She was barely responsive, and even eating was beyond her. Everyone expected her to harbor some grief from Odin’s death, so her disappearance directly afterwards was not seen as abnormal.

When she was still missing a full day later, Loki set out to confront her. She needed to grieve, but she could not be rendered inept by this forever. Frigga was the Queen and would be still until he was crowned King and Luna the new Queen.

She needed to help reconstruct everything and transition it into Loki’s reign, something he could do but would be met with criticism over. He was not some beloved being who was arising to a position all wanted him to reach, nor did he have a significant other who would earn him the love of his people simply by marrying. So as much as he wanted to grieve alongside his mother, there was too much to do before they could both sit down and mend their own hearts. This time, Asgard came first.

Frigga slowly responded to Loki as he continued to increase his tone in saying her name bit by bit, her voice distant as she lay her head on the shoulder of her son, a weak smile on her face as it tried to hold back tears.

“I was worried you would be dead from exhaustion. You and your future Queen were in that bedroom for quite some time…”

Loki could admonish her for bringing up such a lewd topic, but right now all he cared about was snapping her out of this funk, “Mother.”

“You would think that you two would slow down since she is already—”

“Mother!” Loki cut her off more forcefully, not wanting Frigga to sidetrack them into a pointless conversation.

Frigga snapped right back however, “What, Loki?” Loki paused as Frigga began to let loose the tears that had been fighting to stay in her eyes, “What do you want from me?”

Loki cast her glance aside before looking back up to Frigga and bringing her into a soft embrace. “I came to see how you’re doing. Bottling your grief will not help anyone, so please do not put yourself through that. It is okay to be weak, just this once. Just do not let it consume you.”

She did not cease her crying though she did return his embrace more tightly, “I should have been able to save him. If I was not so fragile at this old age I could have joined you all. I could have stopped that…that…”

Frigga’s verbal stumbling made Loki grimace. That alternate version of himself who was now being held in the dungeon awaiting further judgment. He had been seen by many, and suspicions may arise should many learn of how two Lokis were in Asgard should one of them be executed. Ikol would be held in the dungeon until Loki could devise a punishment that would both prove himself to Asgard while also rightfully confronting the matter without just making the man disappear, especially after he had taken the life of the king.

This did not solve the grief of Frigga though, who had bore witness to a maddened version of her son kill Odin in cold blood. With no greater way of remedying this, Loki pulled his mother into his chest and tightened his own hug.

“That man is not me, mother.”

Weakly, the Queen of Asgard whispered to her son and cried into his shoulder, “I know, Loki…”

Silence hung in the room for a minute before either moved or spoke, each just reveling in the presence of the other. It was Frigga who finally broke this pause with a sigh, her eyes beginning to stop their flow of tears as she forced herself to smile.

“Your father would be proud of you. You are the hero of the people right now. You and your companions saved Asgard this time,” she looked up into Loki’s eyes with sorrow stemming from old memories returned, “Their ill will seems to have lessened during your absence.”

Loki expressed regret over those same memories as he looked into his mother’s sad eyes, though his voice remained firm despite his personal feelings, “I promise you that I will do my best for Asgard.”

Having tended to his mother’s emotions, Loki stood up and let out a sigh. He had yet to sort out his own feelings on the matter of his father’s death, and while he did not want to hold his own emotions back he was not sure just yet what he felt. Given the complexity of his relationship with his father, Loki was quite sure he did not know what even to feel. Anger? Sorrow? Hatred?

Whatever he would feel, Loki would have to handle that as it came to him. He rose to his feet and looked down at Frigga with a sad frown, “I will make arrangements for the ceremony. It should be quiet if we do not want to rouse any misplaced anger or stir up controversy.”

He did not wait for a response given Frigga’s listless state, though the moment after he departed her room and closed the door Frigga smiled to herself.

“Ever the schemer,” she shook her head with both happiness and sorrow in her heart, “You will be a great king, Loki.”

When Luna said she would fetch Loki, what she had actually meant was that she would force a guard to go search for the prince and also bring back some food in either order, so when Loki found himself approaching the training ground used by Luna and Trixie he could see that Luna was busy chomping on grapes while Trixie was flipping through texts located on the grass.

“I understand that you needed me?” Loki spoke up, feeling that perhaps this was a well deserved rest from everything he had been through while also regretting the actual work he was shirking in favor of this.

Luna beckoned Loki closer while finishing her last grape, “Yes, Trixie here is learning more about transforming. Could you lend us your aid?”

As Loki approached, he found his trip shortened by Luna tugging him with telekinesis right into a kiss. He returned it and wrapped a hand around her back, bringing his other to her stomach which he caressed gently.

Loki glanced over to Trixie, who was forcing herself to look at her books instead of the quote on quote gross activities going on nearby her. His eyes rose with interest as he saw that she had a text on the Bifrost, on the extraction and manipulation of magic, healing magics and those that cured diseases, among others all in addition to her books on actual transformation.

She was quite the interested student, Loki had to give her that much. He ought to get Twilight out of the Asgardian library to help Trixie go through some of them, since Loki doubted either one of them could decipher everything on their own or digest the information brought forth.

Studying those texts and using the techniques posed within, ones Loki once upon a time used to aid in his own transformative learning, would be quite difficult for those less versed in Asgardian works. As such, Loki released Luna so he could join Trixie and help foster her talent, “I will need to help you sculpt the specifics, but I think there is quite some potential here.”

Luna gave Trixie a cheeky smile, “The Elf is currently dozing off in the medical ward, so his dreams were easy to infiltrate,” Luna’s hand glowed with magic as she began to project an illusory image in front of them all, “I can project an example of his race’s female component.”

To both Loki’s and Trixie’s surprise, a female High Elf looks quite similar to a male one, though with the same overall shape differences afforded to males and females of other humanoid species. Trixie observed the glowing eyes, pale skin, long ears, and extremely thin frames with interest that Luna and Loki both exchanged a glance over.

With a frame of reference, Loki brought Trixie’s attention to the basics in one tome about how to transform. They had been over the actual transformation before, though Trixie had done quite the poor job in her previous attempt.

“Okay…” Trixie said to herself as magic swirled around her body. Loki guided her briefly before stepping by, finding himself surprised by the speed at which she transformed into this new form for the first time.

In a swirl of dark blue, purple, green, and blue Trixie grew into a form that stood at a little above average height for an Asgardian woman and about the same height of the image being presented. Instead of the blonde hair of the image though, Trixie kept her blue and silver strands. Her eyes shifted between purple and green as she tried to think of which she preferred, finally ending on purple.

Finished transforming flawlessly, Luna and Loki found themselves caught off guard by how Trixie managed this on the first try. The fitting purple dress with golden accents contrasted with the image, which had a red and golden regalia, but it carried a flavor more similar to Trixie’s own usual wardrobe.

“How do I look?”

Loki shrugged, his eyes moving between the transformed Trixie and Luna, “What are we even doing this for?”

Luna found herself observing the frame Trixie made for herself, noting that Trixie had not bothered to change at all beyond the hair. Maybe future transformations could be more creative, but on the whole level of mimicry it was superb.

Mentally shaking herself out of her analytical state, Luna turned to answer Loki’s question, “Trixie says that these Elves possess greater magic potential than other races, and granted that the one we found reportedly took you down without a fight I am willing to believe her hypothesis.”

Trixie began to observe her own body, her hands running over her pale skin and the soft cloth that had been conjured over her body. This moment of exploration came crashing down when Loki spoke up in a deadpan voice.

“So you are feeling uncomfortable with the fact that you have a crush on a foreign being and want to appeal to him.”

Trixie tripped backwards and fell on her rear at the accusation, her face visibly flushing red beneath her glowing eyes on her previously pale cheeks. Luna tried not to laugh at her daughter’s reaction, barely able to contain herself by how Trixie seemingly had no idea how to use two legs that had a different set up than her own limbs. She had not seemingly thought this all the way through, and her embarrassment was the cost.

Loki tried to clarify further, “There is nothing wrong with that, though. Having a crush at your age is hardly a rare or abnormal thing, so—”

“That’s completely preposterous!” Trixie cried out, her cheeks rosy from her complete humiliation brought out by a simple statement.

Luna tried to comfort her student while approaching her and helping Trixie back up to her feet, “Trixie, maybe Kael’Thas taking your power changed some of your personality just as it warped his?” Luna helped her up and looked her down in the eye, “We won’t judge you if you have this little crush and are just trying to look nice.”

This time Trixie’s reaction was less exaggerated, her eyes closing as her head hung down softly, “You both already know I don’t like sex. Why would I try to impress a nobody I don’t even know?”

Luna moved so that she could pull Trixie into a side hug and cradle her head, reassuring her despite how uncomfortable she must have felt, “Sex is not the same thing as love, dear. I was attracted to Loki before I ever learned to admire his body, no matter the form he chose.”

Trixie looked away from Luna, her face still glowing red, “I am just curious with learning magic, but I’ll do it alone if you don’t stop bringing up such nonsense.”

“Fine, fine,” Luna responded softly while stroking Trixie’s hair. Loki just let them do their thing, not feeling comfortable being a part of the two’s bonding just yet in much the same way his own parents must have taken some time to adjust to him.

Luna let Trixie go, her apprentice leaving her side to continue her observation of her Elf body. When Trixie’s hand ran over the rise on her chest Trixie’s brow rose slightly, causing her to look down at the pair of bumps. Trixie looked up at Luna and realized that Luna had them, and then checked again that the Elf woman had one, but Loki did not.

Confused by what these even were, Trixie decided to ask Luna about them, “Now, what is this chest curve for? It feels too soft to be holding organs, and it will get in my way whenever I try to look down,” to demonstrate her point, Trixie looked down only to be blocked by her breasts before looking back up at Luna’s chest, “Yours is even larger.”

Both Luna and Loki were left stunned by the completely awkward question they were just posed. Loki gave a cough to suggest Luna answer, but even then Luna had trouble finding a response to give.

“It is a part of the female form for humanoids? They are shaped like…hourglasses,” Luna responded finally without telling Trixie that the poor girl was asking about something that would likely make her wretch.

Poor Trixie thought for a moment that she had this figured out now that Luna phrased it simply as a body shape matter, “Oh, okay. So the larger the better to emulate an hourglass, correct? These features appear so subtle on this basic body.”

Luna tried and failed to keep herself from snickering while giving the completely joking response of, “Correct. Take my…own for example.”

Loki, now laying back and reading a text in peace, gleefully tuned out of the conversation that he knew was sure to go sour.

Trixie took Luna’s advice and, with a little magic, expanded her chest to mimic Luna’s own in size. This proved to be a poor choice when Trixie’s pencil thin Elf body proved ill-suited for the new weight on its front side and Trixie struggled to keep herself upright while Luna fought to not laugh at how ironic it was.

“This is hurting my back. Is that normal?” Trixie looked over Luna’s body and noticed that her mother’s hips and rear were nothing like the slim Elf’s body, “So to make this an hourglass shape perfect does this mean I have to make my rear a matching size?”

Luna lowered her head into her own palms, Trixie not noticing this due to her own fascination with her new body, “It would be more true to form, yes.”

Trixie once again transplanted Luna’s features onto the much slimmer frame of the Elf body, now appearing like a parody one might draw and causing Luna to finally lose her cool and start laughing ever so slightly through the small space between her fingers.

“How do I look?” Trixie nervously asked, curious if she had succeeded in creating a perfect High Elf that was supposedly ascetically pleasing.

Luna was unable to keep Trixie out of her own joke any longer and waved a hand at Trixie’s distorted body, “Tone down on the breast and rear size, dear. This does not match the overall slim frame that these Elves possess.”

It took a moment for Trixie to process what Luna just said, but when she did her glowing purple eyes became still and her mouth dropped.

“Wait…breast size?” Trixie looked down at herself and then back up at Luna, “You mean these are—”

Loki held up a hand with all of his fingers, counting down with each of them.

5: Trixie’s face paled as she began to grow sick at the thought.

4: Trixie wobbled to one side.

3: Trixie brought her arms around her stomach and prepared to hurl.

2: Trixie’s eyes began to flutter as her balance fell backwards.

1: Trixie fell onto the ground, completely unconscious because of her own revulsion to Luna’s revelation.

Loki smirked as his timing was proven correct, not rushing to help Trixie since he knew she would be fine in a few moments. It reminded him of that time Thor had to dress up as a bride and the reaction his stalwart brother had to that event. Trivial things one could get over with time, but funny in the moment for those around them nonetheless.

“Passed out in a foreign race’s form because of a complete fear and disgust for anything sexual,” Luna sighed as she looked over to her lounging lover, “We have a long way to go if we’re going to teach her everything there is about transformation. Especially the details most transformers don’t want to talk about.”

A loud scream echoed out amongst the castle, one belonging to someone both Loki and Luna recognized by sound now: Loki because their scream had been one of the last things before he was screwed out of an opportunity to leave Hela’s domain, and Luna because of her recent interaction with the being who yelled.

Loki sighed as he formed a bookmark in his hand out of grass and placed it in the tome he was reading through, “Well, while we are on the subject of Elves, I think yours may have broken.”

The screaming continued, which was beginning to worry Luna since the Elf appeared fine the night before. Seeing as how Trixie was the closest one to the Elf in their own unique way, Luna attempted to rouse the unconscious pseudo-Elf, “Trixie, come on now. You ought to go see him.”

Just hearing her own name brought Trixie from her brief state of unconsciousness, though she reverted back to her normal body instantly and became very confused as purple smoke flashed around her.

“See who?” Trixie inquired as she tried to regain her bearings, not even remembering what she had been doing.

“Your crush,” Luna joked playfully, hoping to jog Trixie’s memory a little on the situation.

“Wait you mean—” Trixie caught herself and narrowed her eyes at Luna, “That’s a trap and I’m not falling for it.”

Luna rolled her eyes again at Trixie, “Just go and see if Kael’Thas is fine or not.”

“Okay then…” Trixie got up and started on her way to leave when she suddenly called back, “And he’s not my crush…or boyfriend…or whatever else Twilight told you in that stupid piece of fiction she wrote! I do not have a choke fetish just because I choose to spend time with someone who once touched my throat firmly!”

This completely drew Loki’s attention, his brow raising in wonder as Trixie ran off through the hallways on her four hooves and leaving him with just Luna to provide an explanation.

Luna could see Loki’s newfound interest in this topic and laughed, “Twilight did have quite the extensive piece of literature on the matter. Care to take a look?”

She summoned the text forth and hovered it over to Loki, who took it with some interest. Just what could Twilight have done that embarrassed Trixie so much?

“I may as well see what the delusional Unicorn is up to nowadays,” he turned open the small book and began to read the story within about how once upon a time a pony princess fell in love with an Elf from a faraway world, “How much truth to it do you think there is?”

“Oh, I think it is all just some good fun we are having at her expense. Her blatant denial and frustration is simply fueling the rumor.”

Loki found himself quite confused by how quickly everything turned into something he might find in one of his daily routines with Luna, “Funny how simply being around someone these days is enough to warrant stories and rumors about a love affair between the two parties.”

“Hey, weirder things have happened. Imagine if you had landed on some other world where we would be right now.”

“Of course, of course…” Loki paused as he contemplated the subject of the fiction piece he was reading, “You do know that you just told your apprentice to go tend to a known lunatic, right?”

“He’s seemingly getting better. His crazy is focused now in intense devotion to her.”

“That at least warrants a discussion about the details of their relationship.”

“She could certainly do worse.”

“At least it is not some random guardsman with no personality or charisma behind him. A prince, no matter their sanity level, is certainly more useful and interesting.”

Author's Note

My Head Is Spinning

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, New Spark, Psycho Kid, hs0003, Schroedingers_Katze, SilentMech, Scarheart, Ketvirtas, Killabyte, Drgnwolf, and Magestikus for your comments last chapter. Hearing from you all really means a lot to me and I hope to continue to hear from you all!

Title is from the song "Break" from Three Days Grace.

Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

When Trixie arrived at the medical facility she nearly ran over one of the doctors, having run in at full gallop in her Unicorn form. The screaming from Kael’Thas had stopped on the way, but that worried her even more during her approach.

Her fears were however relieved quickly after apologizing to the poor woman she had almost trampled: he was sleeping soundly, and he appeared perfectly fine. The Elf’s face was almost serene as he appeared to be resting after the operation Trixie could see evidence of in the room.

On a table was a sickly, blood covered crystal the pony could recognize as the one that had been embedded in his abdomen previously. His screams of pain likely had been from its removal, though the healing magic of those present seemed to have undone whatever damage it had been filling in.

Trixie remembered the medical staff of Asgard’s castle saying that it was keeping him alive before, though something must have changed to make them able to remove it. Perhaps, Trixie considered, it was the future son of Luna who was responsible for them being able to remove the disturbed and giant crystal from his chest cavity. Sleep Near had, after all, revived other beings who had been in the same area as Kael’Thas, and the crystal may have prevented a full recovery despite being the Elf’s life support.

Trixie was not going to say she understood the healing capabilities of a time traveling hybrid, but she was happy to see that her Elf was fine for the time being.

The fear was rekindled when, in his sleep, Kael began to scream and yell. Nothing his doctors tried to do seemed to calm him, though it did not take long for him to segue into a state of sobbing and grief.

Watching the transition from intense pain to sadness gave Trixie pause. Was this the way in which her teacher learned to have sympathy for and care for Loki? Trixie sat tall at the side of the table he rested atop, her face wincing with every mumbled sob and teardrop.

When this stopped at the beginning of the evening, Trixie found herself roused from her near-unconsciousness. The lack of noise was what did it, since the painful dreams of the Elf were the ambient noise of the room and the change was off-putting.

Trixie looked across the table she had rested her head on to see that Kael was slowly rising up to a sitting position, his movements weak as he struggled to rise. His bare chest revealed no sign of the giant hole that previously existed in it, but his body showed signs of weakness still.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Trixie noted through a yawn, her mental faculties rebooting and setting themselves straight.

Also seeming to be acclimating to the situation was Kael, whose eyes flickered weakly as he brought a hand to his palpitating chest and feebly used his other hand to prop his body up. A small look to either side made concern rise on his face, the Elf cringing as he gasped, “W-w-where am I?”

His question shocked Trixie, jolting her to being completely aware and awake. He was unsure about his location, which made her fear that whatever the removal of the crystal did may have also effected him in other ways.

“You…you don’t remember?” Trixie probed gently from beside him, not quite sure she wanted an answer.

Her voice caught his attention, and the prince turned to face Trixie with a complete look of bewilderment, “What trickery is this? A talking horse? That is certainly not normal.”

Trixie first deflated at his apparent amnesia and then felt some unfamiliar anger rise up in her, “Hey, watch what you call abnormal. I may be a cut above the rest of my race, but we are all of the same cloth.”

“I…” the Elven prince began, only for his glowing green eyes to widen and lose their constant state of wincing. This caused Trixie some concern, thinking him about to suffer from a heart attack or some other ailment with how his face changed so suddenly and his breath stopped.

Kael’Thas went from not moving at all to trying to get up further, his face displaying complete and utter fear as something in his mind clicked. Knowing him to still be recovering, Trixie forced him down with her magic. He continued to struggle and fight despite his weakness, but the young equine’s magic was too much for him to get past.

The weak prince began to grow irritated as he was forced to remain in his sitting position, “Lord Garithos is going to execute my people! I must return to them at once! Let me go!”

Was that what he was crying about in his sleep? Trixie was uncertain, but she could do basic math. He was in Hela’s domain before she was and likely had been for much longer. Even if the time in there was variable, it was likely that whatever random event he was now remembering was long since past.

Which, to Trixie’s discomfort, meant that either they had been executed already or more hopefully had been freed somehow. Trixie hoped it was the latter, but had no way of confirming it in either case. She could only try and comfort him for the time being, but that started with making sure he didn’t hurt himself in his weakened state.

“Sorry, you are not going anywhere, mister. You need to recover.”

Trixie could swear she could notice tears forming in front of his glowing eyes as Kael continued to protest, “But my people are in imminent danger, they—”

He could get no further before Trixie cut him off in a saddened voice of her own, the princess of sorts sad that she had possibly lost her friend to his own memory combined with the sight of him reliving painful memories, “Kael, you have been…” she struggled to find the words to discuss his ailment before settling on the most direct path, “Out of it for awhile. I…I am sure your people are fine.”

Trixie’s words did not carry much confidence, but it was enough to bring him to a pause. While seemingly amnesiac, Kael was no less intelligent than he had been back before his madness. He could piece some things together by her words and the way she spoke, “You know me…”

She nodded wistfully, trying not to look him in the eyes. She worried now that she had given him false hope. Had something happened to his kind that drove him to be in the same place that other tortured souls went? Trixie now worried that he may be the last relic of an extinct race.

Kael gave her a pained, small bow from the top of the table, his face losing some of its worry. He had concluded that he must be in some unknown place, but if the beings here knew who he was he ought to be fine. Her words seemed to imply that they were not connected with his kind, but that they were likely just fine without him. This in turn meant that he could recover from whatever it was that was afflicting him, for his entire body was ravaged by pain, though the most was centered in his chest.

“I apologize if I have lapsed into some kind of amnesia. My mind is…fuzzy,” he smiled at the last word, though Trixie did not catch its meaning.

Trixie continued to avert her gaze from him while sitting beside and above the table, “It is okay, I suppose. Your mind has been quite addled—” she cut herself off when the touch of soft skin ran over her right ear. Trixie felt a tingling feeling throughout her body before Kael’s other hand moved to scratch her other ear, “W-what do you think you are doing?”

The mare felt her willpower begin to sap as her head sank down to rest on the table, her face melting under the nice feeling of someone stroking her sensitive ears. The tingling sensation made her uncomfortable, however, as she had never had someone touch her like that before. It felt both ticklish and sensual, and as much as Trixie wanted to fight it she could only manage to do so verbally.

“S-s-stop it…please…”

Kael laughed as Trixie, despite her protest, continued to lean her head in towards him. She was definitely enjoying the petting she was receiving, and he had no idea how else to show his gratitude to a sentient being from a race he only considered to be animals until now, “I am only trying to repay the kindness you must have been paying me that I cannot remember. I never have met a horse that talks before, at least in my current state of mind,” he looked over the blue colored mare with her silvery mane and purple dress and found himself amused, “Especially not a horse of such an interesting color, size, or dress.”

“No moooooooore!” Trixie yelped as Kael moved a hand down to pet her forehead and run across her hair, though she again did little to protest. It felt too nice to shy away from, even if it was making her embarrassed.

A throat clearing at the edge of the otherwise empty room caught both the inhabitants off guard, with Trixie sheepishly leaping away from Kael’s hand and the Elf prince to look up with an expression that someone caught in the act of something embarrassing would.

The new entrant, Princess Luna, chuckled as she thought about what she had just been watching briefly, “Am I interrupting?”

Trixie refrained from responding, but Kael did in his own way: with a confused look and tilted head.

“Do many of the inhabitants here have fur, because I am beginning to feel like an outsider?”

He had not known whether to expect all of the beings here to be talking horses or not, having considered the thought that this one was an anomaly.

Luna smiled at his joking question, but instead responded to what else she expected was on his mind given that he appeared to be suffering from amnesia if that question was any indication, “You are not in your own realm, but you are in safe hands,” Luna looked down to her still sheepish student and daughter before looking up to the prince, “Or hooves, as the case may be. I am Luna, Queen of Asgard and Princess of Equestria and Jotunheim. This is my daughter, Trixie. You two were briefly acquainted before you suffered what I assume is this second bout of amnesia.”

Kael looked in-between Trixie and Luna before coming to the conclusion that the humanoid with blue hair covering her body and the equine had very little in common, “I don’t see the resemblance outside of the fur,” the other part of her statement caught his attention next, “And second?”

Luna nodded to him while bringing a finger to tap her head, “Yes, second. I can see about finding a way of restoring your memories if you so please.”

That offer instantly earned the gratitude of the prince, who gave as close to a bow as he could manage while sitting up, “That would be most welcome, your highness.”

Trixie wandered back towards where Kael sat, only to find herself being picked up and her front half being lifted in the air by the prince. This left her standing on her back legs with her front two bent over his arms.

“So, because this is your daughter, I suppose I am not allowed to keep it?” Kael joked to Luna while laughing, Trixie being too surprised to voice a complaint just yet.

When Luna began to laugh too, Trixie found her voice and whined, “What do you mean keep me? You’re mine, if anything. You pledged your loyalty to me just the other day.”

Kael did not release her, the act of holding her seeming not to be all that exerting despite Trixie’s size, and rose a blonde eyebrow, “I did?” he shrugged, not seeming to care about the specifics of his life right now since so many things were confusing to him, “I must have been quite out of it, but I am a man of my word. What will you have me call you, mistress?”

Luna snorted as Trixie remained in his arms, not fighting his hold even if it was only a joke. The only thing the apprentice did in protest was cross her front hooves, and even then it did little to save her dignity, “My preferred title is The Great and Powerful Trixie, but you may call me mistress for short.”

“As you wish, mistress,” Kael said in a mixture of amusement and facetiousness.

As much as she tried, Luna could not help but be amused and happy at how the two were interacting. Even amnesiac, Kael was still acting the part of friend that Trixie so needed. As such, Luna considered herself an unnecessary third wheel. She had only come to check on her apprentice, who had not returned to their training, “You two seem to be doing fine. I will leave you be.”

As she turned to leave, Luna found herself surprised to hear Trixie call after her, given the younger mare’s position.

“Mother, when is the wedding?”

Luna, fighting back the desire to ask the question right back at her daughter, glanced back to Trixie with a smile, “It will be a quiet, private affair in a few days. Do not worry though, you may attend of course.”

“Are you to be wed?” Kael’Thas questioned the furred Asgardian, curiosity arising in the Elf who was quite curious as to what was going on around him.

Luna felt some abject pleasure simply at the fact that she could claim what she was about to, “My king and I have assumed our duties only but recently, and this ceremony is to just make our bond completely official. Extenuating circumstances have long prolonged this.”

“Well, I congratulate you, your highness, as well as thank you all for taking care of me in my seemingly ill state.”

His politeness brought a smile to Luna’s face, the Queen and princess both pleased that someone appreciated them for something for once, in contrast to say the inhabitants of Canterlot, “You are welcome to join us at the ceremony. I have a feeling you may not be able to return to your world in the near future, so it may do some good to introduce you to others here.”

“You again have my thanks,” Kael said through another half-bow, though he took some time to rise back up. His face fell into a solemn state, only regaining some of its composure when a furry hoof rubbed against his hand, “I do desire to see my people again, but it does not sound as if that will be possible or at least easy.”

Luna returned the half-bow, part of her wishing that the prince of her own nation could be so courteous, “You are welcome. Rest well, for I think my apprentice intends to learn from you, given your foreign magic. She is quite interested with it, it seems.”

With that, Asgard’s queen in everything but name left. A moment of silence hung in the air during which Trixie twisted her body around so the front half was sitting on the top of the table and was next to him.

The prince had been quite accustomed to magic in his former life. In fact, his people all thrived on it, and he had been wondering what felt so off about his body since he awoke. The answer lay before him now with the mention of that one word: he could not feel even a fraction of the power he felt he should have.

“Magic…” Kael let go of Trixie to look over his hands, “I feel weak. Extremely so. Where has my magic power gone?”

Trixie didn’t want to tell him that the dark magic he had been possessed by had ravaged his being to the point where little of his original magic remained. That was kind of a mood killer, so she decided to be vague about it while not exactly lying, “You lost it after we found you.”

“How did you find me?” Kael asked as Trixie presented the top of her head to him to be pet. The feeling may be completely alien, but she desired to experience it again.

“I rather not talk about it. You were pretty…” Trixie’s voice trailed off as she tried to think of the right word. Her pause brought a smirk to the Elf’s lips though, since it sounded like she was complimenting him. This in turn exasperated her, and Trixie quickly attempted to amend her statement, “Out of it! Pretty out of it!”

“Oh. I see. And here I thought I was being complimented,” Kael laughed as Trixie flushed red. After he calmed down for a moment he moved to pet her again, the Elf enjoying the silky hair that rested atop her head, “I do not think I ever expected to pledge loyalty to something I should be letting my daughter ride. What is next for me? A hideous demon to balance things out?”

“You have a d-daughter?” Trixie stammered nervously. Whatever was making her nervous was unknown to Kael’Thas, who tried to explain the matter.

“No, no, I meant it hypothetically,” a brief pause was followed by him contemplating that he couldn’t actually be sure given his mental state, “Actually, I don’t know. I don’t remember having a daughter, but I do not remember much if I am to be perfectly honest.”

“Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure,” Kael gave a wicked smile before bringing a hand underneath Trixie’s muzzle to pet her there too, “How about this: Why are you so fuzzy, my friend?”

“Kaaaaaeel!”

Elsewhere in Asgard’s castle, a feast of sorts was being held to celebrate the final defeat of the Dark Elves. Loki had thrown it together in an attempt to raise public opinion of himself after it appeared that he was no longer required to help train Trixie. Just about all of Asgard was invited, and it was overtaking the majority of the castle at this point. The feasting hall was where the celebration was mainly taking place, but the impromptu event spilled further out to include the hallways, courtyards, and other places that made up the castle.

In attendance of course were the heroes who helped save the day, minus Luna, Trixie, Kael, and Discord, the last of whom had been called back to Celestia’s side earlier. The so called Avengers were all there after having spent some brief time back on Earth, none of those who had come resisting the call back. Luna was resting and resisting the allure of alcohol given her pregnancy, while Trixie and Kael were the only two still residing in the medical ward.

Of those who returned, Stark appeared to be having the best time as he bounced about in the room in a state of intense intoxication. Loki watched with some amusement and some exasperation as Stark managed to stumble about and hit on every woman and chair in the room, though whether it was physically bumping into them or sloppily complimenting them depended on the moment.

“How much has he had?” Loki asked the man standing beside him at the corner of the room. While partying was something Stark was accustomed to, for some being the center of attention and making a fool of themself was not second nature.

Steve Rogers, Captain America as the Midgardians would call him, snorted as he too watched his friend and ally make an ass of himself, “Two mugs, I think. It appears that the ale here is too much for his foreign stomach, and that’s taking into account that he is an alcoholic.”

Loki sighed as he watched Stark have an enthralling conversation with an empty barstool where a man had recently fallen off and passed out after consuming too much alcohol himself, “If you would not mind me asking, please keep him from ingesting too much more. I would hate to have him continue to be loose while his thoughts are even less gathered.”

Rogers nodded while letting out a small laugh, his face letting up from its normal stoic appearance. After a moment of seeing his friend make a fool of himself, he turned back to face Loki with a less amused look, “So, I understand you are to become king now.”

“That would be the case. Do you have an objection?” Loki asked with a polite, but implying, voice.

The super powered human took a moment to think before shaking his head, “If you were as controlled as the others have been saying you were during your time on Earth, no. I cannot fault others for what they have been forced to do.”

Having the approval of the Midgardians meant little to Loki, but he did feel more comfortable if they were not going to be suspicious of him. It would help to not be the first suspect of anything bad happening from here on out.

Rogers continued with a smile, “Your brother may protect Earth now, but we’ll be here to protect Asgard just as readily should it face any further threats,” the smile thinned, “Internal or otherwise.”

Loki rolled his eyes, seeing that perhaps he was not as off the hook for past misdeeds as he would have hoped to be, “You have little to fear from me. I have had a great deal of time to reflect on matters and no longer thirst for revenge. I will do my duty here and protect Asgard in my father’s name.”

“I am glad to hear that,” Rogers patted Loki on the shoulder while preparing to go steer Stark away from the wall he was now conversing with, “Now, if you excuse me, I think I am going to enjoy the feast you have so graciously granted us.”

Now left alone, Loki scanned the room to find out if there was anyone else he could actually talk to without A) making an ass of himself and lowering his now important public image or B) not want to kill himself over talking to.

Loki found his ticket when a lonely looking Fandral waved away the company of some female “friends” of his, the kind he would normally spend much of an evening charming and drinking with. Fandral was instead wasting away by himself, not even drinking as he sat in the least crowded part of the room with his eyes focused on the drink he had yet to touch.

Knowing precisely the reason for the warrior’s depressed state, Loki approached him and took a seat beside the gloomy man.

“Fandral.”

The warrior only grunted in response, his normal charming personality completely absent, as was his usual drinking partner and companion Volstagg.

Despite Fandral’s seeming shutdown of emotions, Loki still felt that he was obligated to apologize to the man. After all, Volstagg had been left behind while on a mission to save him.

“I know you and I were never the best of friends, but I would like to extend my apologies for what happened with Thanos.”

That caused Fandral to close his eyes in pain and finally take a drink, the sober man not having alcohol in his system to fight off the pain just yet.

Seeing that he was not going to get far with this, at least not yet, Loki still decided to display his empathy for the hurting man. He knew what it was like to lose someone at the moment, “He may yet live on in that realm, as dangerous as it is. Do not give up hope.”

With that Loki stood and began to turn towards the rest of the party, though he did not get far before he found himself face to face with a very drunk Stark and three unknown women trailing behind him. Each of them appeared humanoid, but their skin tones were odd colors with one being a light orange-ish color, one being lilac purple, and the last being a light aqua. Their hair colors were simply darker shades of their skin color, and this gave Loki the suspicion that they may have something to do with his wife’s realm.

Stark gestured to the women behind him clumsily before using the orange and lilac ones to keep himself propped up, “Low-key, let me intrudush you to my giid frensh—”

Loki could swear he had learned at some point that Stark had begun to go steady with a woman on Earth. Was he so drunk he could forget that? Wasn’t Rogers supposed to be making sure Stark wasn’t making a fool of himself?

A glance around the room revealed that Rogers had been either roped into an arm wrestling competition with Hogun, or had been the one to instigate it. Loki rolled his eyes, glad that the human was enjoying himself but also annoyed he now had to handle this.

“Do you not have your own lover back on Midgard?”

Stark shrugged before nearly falling over forward, “Pepper dedn’t want ta come, and theshe girlsa said they were from Equinas.”

“Equestria,” the orange one politely corrected, a smile then growing on her face as she looked at Loki. Something about it put Loki off, but he could not tell if it was something about her or if it was just his own surprise at someone knowing of his wife’s realm and reportedly being from it.

Stark turned to her and snapped his fingers, “Yeah, that. Horsie place.”

Stepping out of Stark’s drunken embrace, the orange one stepped towards Loki and extended a hand to shake, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Loki. We have heard so much about you.”

Loki nodded slowly, still unsure about how to react to this odd crew. He extended his hand just in time for the blue one to move forward as well and crowd his personal space.

“Yeah! We totally would have lost hope of getting back home if you didn’t make a scene!”

Her voice reminded Loki much of the annoying Pinkie Pie, though he regretted he could not cause this one physical pain to offset her grating voice unlike Pinkie. One of the only things he did not regret doing while under Thanos’s thrall.

The orange one cleared her throat and pushed the blue one back, “Please excuse my companion,” she reached her hand out while using the other to point to the blue one and then the purple one, “My name is Adagio. My companions, Sonata and Aria, and I are wayward souls from Equestria who have been trapped on Earth for quite some time. When we heard whispers about magic on Earth, we followed it to here.”

She tried to next gesture towards Stark, only to realize that Aria had stopped holding up his weight after Adagio let go, and the man had since collapsed on the ground.

Noticing the drunken man’s position, Adagio nervously laughed, “Tony here was nice enough to grant us passage. I hope you do not mind.”

Loki nodded while looking down disapprovingly at the drunkard at his feet, “If you intend to return to Equestria, I welcome you back as I am sure Princess Luna will.”

“Wow, it’s been ages since we saw her!” Sonata, the bubbly blue one, piped up. Aria slammed a hand against her forehead while Adagio rolled her eyes at her companion.

“Heard about her, you mean, idiot,” Aria corrected Sonata. Loki was getting the feeling that these two had a hatred of all things stupid and excessively happy just as he did, making him instantly sympathize with and like them.

Sonata slapped her own forehead and laughed, “Whoopsie! Oh yeah, that.”

Her beaming positivity gave Loki an idea. He glanced back over his shoulder before focusing on her with a smile, “You remind me of a pony who I was not quite fond of, but who was well renowned for cheering others up.”

“Thanks?” she responded, not quite sure how to take that backhanded compliment.

Loki looked back to the depressed Fandral, moving a hand to gesture towards the depressed warrior, “I would be grateful if you could go raise his spirits. His best friend has recently disappeared, possibly forever. As a former wandering soul, I think you can sympathize with him.”

“Okey dokey, Loki!” Sonata giggled before leaving the other two and approaching Fandral. With this, Loki smiled to himself about his masterful manipulation: now he did not have to deal with this airhead for quite possibly the entire night, nor did her poor friends who seemed exasperated just by being around her.

Still, Loki, despite being reformed, had to resist attacking Sonata for that phrase. His appreciation of his own talent helped him resist the urge.

After she departed, Loki realized that he should probably handle the now unconscious Stark, “As for you two, I hope you continue to enjoy the feast. Now, if you would excuse me, I am going to assist your patron.”

The women both smiled to him and bid him farewell as he picked Stark up and made his way towards the medical ward.

Elsewhere, in Loki’s own room, Luna was relaxing on her bed and awaiting the moment a tired Loki and slightly intoxicated Loki would stumble in. When instead a knock on the door that sounded most definitely like a hoof met her ears, Luna groaned. It was not that she did not want to deal with Trixie, it was that she needed to change and get up.

“Princess?” Trixie called out nervously, not knowing what the response would be. She had made sure not to teleport straight into the room this time, what with what she went through the last time she did this.

After putting on clothes and getting up, Luna used her telekinesis to open the door and let Trixie in. Trixie hesitated and peeked inside carefully before actually entering. With no whipped cream in sight, she felt comfortable that nothing carnal was going on.

Luna sighed, though it was more of an amused one than usual, “Trixie, there is no need to be so formal.”

“It just feels…” Trixie stopped in her tracks, looked back to the door, and closed it. This done, she looked back to Luna, “I have to discuss something with you.”

The fact that Trixie was being so nervous made Luna actually concerned, and the hybrid woman sat up on her bed fully to show that she was taking this seriously, “What is it, Trixie?”

Trixie approached Luna though she stopped a few feet from her, seeming too nervous to be right next to her for some reason. Luna frowned as she observed how off Trixie was acting. What could be wrong?

After a moment of silence, Trixie choked out, “A…a big part of why I wanted to transform earlier was because I wanted to hide my…actual form.”

“Actual form?” Luna questioned. Had something happened to Trixie that she did not know about? She had not picked up on anything different from her apprentice and adopted daughter.

Trixie brought a hoof to rub the back of her head, “When I woke the morning after the Dark Elf invasion, before you and Loki, I was…” she looked down at her own body before finishing, “Different.”

Using her magic, Trixie removed her concealing purple dress and stretched out. As if she had been under an illusion, suddenly Trixie’s height grew and her figure became far more lanky. Luna gaped as she noticed that instead of just legs being stretched, a blue pair of wings were too. Trixie had become the indigo shade of blue that Luna was normally, and looked like a perfect cross between Luna and Celestia at the moment, with her height being somewhere in-between the two.

Luna still gaping, Trixie averted her gaze while continuing, “I had woke the morning of the invasion with wings, so I wore the dress to hide them since I knew keeping an illusion on at all times would be difficult. I needed to learn transformation so I could do more than just keep hiding my rapid growth with illusions,” she paused to swallow her breath, “I—I think I have been slowly turning into an Alicorn since you gave me your life force.”

Luna stood up to approach the now giant Trixie, Luna’s mouth hanging open in awe, “Oh Trixie…”

Trixie tried smiling down at Luna as the latter began to run a hand over Trixie’s now extremely long neck, “So, do the wings come with the title or does the title come with the wings?”

“I didn’t even increase your power though, just restored your life energies…” Luna explained. After a moment she craned her head up to look at Trixie with a warm smile, “Trixie, do you know what this means?”

“That I am a freak?” Trixie nervously quipped in self-deprecation

“No, not at all!” Luna wrapped her arms around Trixie and embraced her tightly, “Oh Trixie, you ascended on your own! My giving you my life energy must have given you the capability to transcend your Unicorn form, since you then had Alicorn life energy in you, and something in you brought that potential full circle.”

Trixie appeared less enthusiastic than Luna, “I’m worried though. The Aether is gone, mother.”

That brought some concern to Luna, “What do you mean, gone? Was it removed from you?”

Trixie shook her head no, biting her lip as she did so, “No, it’s just…gone. When I woke up I could no longer feel it in me.”

“That is somewhat comforting, as confusing as it is,” Luna noted as she tried thinking of a solution. After a moment a possibility came to mind, her hand running over Trixie’s slightly darker than normal fur, “I think it likely was spent as a catalyst for this greater transformation.”

To this, Trixie gave no response. She remained silent for some time before clearing her throat and raising her eyes to meet Luna’s own, “So…I have a request.”

“Request?” Luna asked. What could Trixie possibly need or want when she should be celebrating this magnificent occasion?

“I desire to learn how to dreamwalk,” came the completely deadpan response.

Seeing as how it seemed to be something Luna could do only because of her natural talents, Luna was obviously confused about Trixie’s request, “Learn how?”

“There has to be a reason why certain individuals can do it. Whatever trait you and your future…daughter possess allows you both to. I have some of your energy in me now, so I think that perhaps with my newfound power I can learn such a useful talent.”

The proposition of Trixie being able to dreamwalk intrigued Luna, so she began to think out loud to explain her thought process, “If you learn it, then I could spend the entirety of my time in Asgard and relinquish my role and duties to you in Equestria,” she looked Trixie in the eye again, “Would you be fine with that?”

“Of course,” Trixie smiled, though Luna could sense that such a thing was not the only reason behind her request.

Luna smiled knowingly at her daughter, “I sense there is another reason.”

Trixie once again cast her gaze aside, “I stayed in the medical center all of today after I left you and Loki. Kael was screaming and crying the entire time, and it was not from physical pain. Something is haunting him, even if he cannot remember it when he is awake.”

Luna opened her mouth to joke about Trixie’s obvious interest in the Elf, but Trixie cut her off before she could utter a word, “Before you say anything, I am concerned. He was extremely powerful in Hela’s world, and I do not want to see him become a crazed zombie once again.”

That made Luna shrug and point to herself, knowing that her following statement could help confirm her student’s true feelings, “I could look into the matter if you desire.”

Trixie gave no response, making it seem to Luna like this was not what the young Alicorn had in mind. As such, Luna spoke again, “But if it means that much to you, I can teach you what I can. Perhaps, if this begins to work, I can grant you sight into his dreams while you are still learning.”

“Thank you,” Trixie said while bringing a hoof around Luna’s back to embrace her.

“So, do you have a crush on him?” Luna said while returning the hug along with a cheeky smile.

“What do you think?”

“That adding Elves to our growing roster of species in this family would be welcome. He seems nice, now that his insanity is gone.”

“Hmmph.”

“That’s not a no.”

“It’s not a yes either.”

“Come on, give me this.”

Trixie threw in the towel finally, rolling her own eyes as she spoke bluntly, “Fine, I’m interested in him since he’s one of the only people who has been nice to me. I don’t need to act around him, and he appreciates me for simply existing. I don’t need to pretend to be the Great and Powerful Trixie except for my own ego, just like when I am around you and your family.”

This said, Trixie turned her head away and gave a small pout, “I really don’t like him that way you think I do. I just don’t know how to be around friends, since I do not really have any nor have I.”

Luna stroked Trixie’s side and smiled up at her, wanting her to not feel uncomfortable, “It’s okay Trixie. I won’t joke about it anymore. It’s just nice seeing you happy around others for once.”

“He did choke me and nearly kill me, you know.”

That only brought about a small shrug from Luna, “And Loki tried taking over Equestria and two other planets, killing a friend of mine on the way. I think I may have passed some of my low standards onto you.”

“Three?”

“Yeah, three. Unless your prince can top that, he’s good enough in my books.”

“Can we go back to studying magic?”

“So you can forcefully invade the dreams of others? Of course. What kind of pony do you take me for?”

Author's Note

Numb The Pain

A/N: Special thanks to Evilhumour, God of Physics, Pacman_The_Peach, Maultrace, Drgnwolf, Amethyst Blade, hs0003, Ketvirtas, Schroedingers_Katze, SilentMech, ABitterPill, and Killabyte for your comments last chapter. Hearing from you all really means a lot to me and I hope to continue to hear from you all!

Title is from the song "Remember Everything" from Five Finger Death Punch.

Last time someone asked about how Luna and Trixie look after all of their transformations, so here's a couple images I found for you all to get an idea!

Anthro Luna
Alicorn Trixie
Elf Trixie

Anyways, without further adieu, the chapter! Your thoughts mean everything to me and I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Comments are :heart: after all, and I could not get by without them from you all!

“King Loki.”

It was the gathering before Loki and Luna’s secret wedding and everything was going as expected. Only a certain crowd were allowed to attend, those being Frigga, Trixie, Thor, Jane, Stark, Rogers, Banner, Heimdall, Fandral, some assorted friends and associates, and of course Trixie’s guest. Luna did not want anyone who may be opposed to the wedding in attendance, so the neutral Hogun and the previously opposed Sif each were not allowed to take part. Twilight had since returned to Equestria to help out Celestia with the royal workload, as well as to inform her of Luna’s coming nuptials. Sadly, due to illness, Celestia refrained from joining them for the proceedings, though promised to make it up to them afterwards and during by taking care of any duties she could.

The wedding was just a quiet ceremony to get the whole matter of them being married over with, not some place where something grand may happen or where a spectacle was invited to occur. Loki knew better to tempt fate by now. The throne room was still ruined, so instead a hidden alcove was to be used instead.

No guards were even posted, due to the crowd inside entirely being more competent than any guards who may join them, which in turn allowed someone such as Trixie to approach Loki without being stopped just as all of the others were beginning to arrive.

Loki smirked at the mention of his new title from someone who, in all technicality, was his daughter, “You need not treat me as some stranger.”

Trixie was wearing her purple dress again, freshly cleaned by the servants of the castle, and found herself poking at its collar as she began to forget what she wanted to talk to Loki about, “I just…”

Trixie was in her original form, a tall and lithe Unicorn rather than Alicorn, and as such Loki was able to look down at her and smile rather than look up.

“I suppose I am more comfortable with you than you would are with me. Our time in Hel was quite one-sided.”

That brought up old wounds with Trixie, who remembered with some irritation how long she had been rendered comatose. This irritation did not carry over to her voice though, as it was not focused at Loki but rather his future daughter and the Ursas, “Sorry I could not help you more…”

“You were deadweight for a good part of it,” Loki joked, though the instant deflation of her face made him realize that perhaps her ego had still not recovered from all of this. It had instead been shattered from the onset and crushed more and more every day since their paths had intertwined despite everything Trixie had going for her since, personal issues still dragged her down the entire way.

Trixie sighed as she thought about the little time they did interact there, and also what happened directly afterwards, “And I apologize that Kael’s interference prevented you from leaving.”

“I got over that years ago, or what feels like years ago. Time is distorted in that realm, you see.”

“Oh…”

Loki, in his full Asgardian royal garb, kneeled down and brought a hand to Trixie’s head, “Listen, just because Luna took you under her wing does not mean I do not have my own obligations towards you. Consider me your father or not, that is your decision, but so long as you are Luna’s daughter I will protect and help you however I can.”

Trixie felt her heart grow lighter at his words and touch, appreciating the gesture, “Thank you…and thank you for taking care of me before.”

Having cheered her up somewhat, Loki stood up and continued to smile down at her, “As I said, I will do whatever I can to help you. If you ever need me, or need to speak with me, do not worry. Remember, you will find that your mother and I are quite similar, as that is what drew us together.”

“You’ve already given me more than my real dad ever has,” Trixie grumbled as she averted her gaze to the side.

Her words gave Loki some pause, though he decided that he had time to perhaps address this issue before the events proceedings came about, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Trixie’s tone quickly changed to hold a great deal of venom, though pain was also making its way out through her voice, “My father is a rapist and my mother was a child he preyed upon. That ruined her life, and she took it out on me. She threw me out on the streets when I was a foal, and she not only went on to kill him but also to contract some disease that will kill her in the immediate future.”

Drawing upon his own connection to Luna, Loki extended the thread of family hatred to Trixie, “My father tried killing me by leaving me behind as an infant,” that caused Trixie to look up in surprise, at which point Loki shrugged and continued, “I killed him in the end, after I was adopted by my true father, Odin.”

It was common knowledge throughout the castle that Loki’s father, Odin, was dead and gone. One of the few permanent casualties from that day, and so Trixie felt obligated to say, “I am sorry for your loss.”

Loki could hear the entrance of many of the other guests and decided that perhaps he should prepare for the wedding, and as such he was forced to end the conversation.

“I thank you for your compassion but I must go now, though I do ask that you remember my invitation. I welcome your presence at any point, except perhaps in the situations when you should knock before entering.”

“Don’t remind me,” Trixie blanched as Loki turned around to leave, only to find himself nearly bumping into one of the guests. It was Kael’Thas, who had in his hands a bouquet of flowers he most likely acquired in one of the gardens, and who was dressed in clothes…similar to Loki’s own. Kael’s old clothes had been in tatters and had been deemed unworthy of the event, so Luna had provided him with some of Loki’s own. Loki rolled his eyes at the sight of this, for he had not been informed, though he did not really care.

Kael bowed and knelt down to Loki, his golden hair falling down over his shoulders, “I have been told you are the King of this place. I came to give you my condolences about your late father, as well as my congratulations on your wedding,” he stood up and presented Loki the flowers, Kael seemingly not sure what the customs of this culture were, “I too know what it is like to lose a father when under siege by a terrible foe, but a leader must stay strong even in times of such strife.”

Loki looked over the flowers with some confusion, though he accepted them graciously as he did not want to be a rude host, “Thank you,” a part of Loki wished to pay this Elf back for ruining his first chance at freedom, but the side of him that won kept his tongue silent on the matter. Instead a flash of light behind him drew his attention, and Loki turned to it with a smile.

Now standing right behind Loki was Trixie in her alternate, Elven form. She took some time to arrange her loose, silver hair before stepping beside Loki and smiling at him and then to Kael’Thas. Kael found himself perplexed as Loki gestured to Trixie, “I take it that this is your companion for the evening?”

“Companion? Another of my kind?” Kael questioned, still uncertain about just what was happening and now even more confused than when he arrived.

Trixie made sure that her purple dress had fully transformed along with her in the right ways before smiling at Kael again, the former Unicorn laughing a little at his perplexed face, “I thought that perhaps being the only four legged animal at this event would be a little awkward,” she brought a hand back to move a strand of hair behind her ear, “And besides, your race has a natural beauty to them. I take that being among your own kind will make you more comfortable in some ways?”

Kael took a moment until he realized that the voice coming from this Elf was the safe as the Unicorn he had recently spent the day petting. No stranger to transformation, he still found himself gawking at the transition from fuzzy creature to stunning example of his own race.

“Oh my, the Unicorn can shapeshift?” he stated the obvious, still surprised as he looked her over. Since her last transformation Trixie had increased the height of her Elven form by a few inches so as to match her current true form, and so she stood at a height equal to the Elven prince, “Are you normally a Unicorn, milady, or is that just another form you can take?”

Trixie blushed as she noticed the Elf admiring her chosen body, “My usual form, as it is. I hope you do not mind.”

“It is a little offputting, I must say, but I am not one to judge based on appearances but on actions,” Kael responded truthfully, at which point Trixie reached forward to take his hand.

Seeing that the two of them would be fine, Loki continued to leave the spot to head where he was needed, “If you two will excuse me.”

He was barely heard as Trixie led Kael over to where they should be standing. Loki shook his head while mumbling something about having a second wedding right after the first, only stopping his grumbling when coming to view the sight of Luna in her wedding dress.

Luna had not gone with the white dresses most would opt for, instead choosing a navy blue that contrasted the softer blue of her fur. Neither was it overly large or extravagant, being much more similar to a normal dress than a normal wedding dress. In fact, one would not likely consider it a wedding dress at all at first glance without the proper context, but it was perfect for the only marginally feminine Luna.

Finally, after so long, Loki was to marry the woman who he shared so much with.

The wedding went without a single problem, and at the after party Loki and Luna found themselves enjoying each other’s presence. They first danced alongside many of the other guests in a slow song sung by the three guests of Stark, during which one of them was whisked away by a certain womanizer originating from Asgard while the other two went on to sing uninterrupted.

Luna forced Trixie to stop being a wallflower at the event and had her apprentice do a magic show of sorts for the crowd, it being Luna’s hope that perhaps by showing off her talents she could win herself a certain husband. Minutes into being a wife, she already wanted to have grandchildren. And whatever foreign kingdom that came attached to their visiting prince.

After the dancing died down and was replaced with a crowd around The Great and Powerful Princess known as Trixie, Luna and Loki found themselves sitting at the back of the crowd.

Not likely to be overheard with all of the noise originating from the event, Luna began to talk to her husband cheerfully, “Loki, you know, you and I are going to be in this together for a long time. Think you can handle a few thousand years?”

Loki gave her a smile that slowly melted into a frown instead, “Perhaps, unless Thanos comes by again, as I expect he shall.”

Luna rolled her eyes, not wanting pessimism to be present on what was shaping to be one of the favorite days of her life, “We’ve defeated everything in our path thus far. I think we will be just fine.”

Loki glanced over to Kael’Thas, who was seemingly entranced by the woman who was entertaining the small crowd. It made sense that she was appealing to him, simply being a taller version of what his mind believed to be the quintessential High Elf. His words remained about Thanos, but he held a double meaning with them, “I think it fair warning to explain that he is in love with our daughter.”

Luna did not see what he was looking at right away, “I would greatly enjoy removing him from her life,” after a moment she saw where Loki’s gaze had traveled, and a smug smirk grew on her as she thought about the trick Loki just played with his words, “And as for this daughter, I say we continue to play matchmaker. I could stomach being a grandmother at this age if it meant finally giving Trixie a family of her own that would keep her from thinking about her own depressing family situation. The one that includes a terminally ill mare I am not sure whether or not I should euthanize.”

“And I thought you were going to be this nice bundle of fluff once the Nightmare influence was gone,” Loki jokingly admonished.

“I will not let a monster like that near my child,” Luna chillingly noted before softening up at the sight of Kael’Thas clapping at the end of one of Trixie’s tricks, “Polite Elves with power are fine, though.”

Loki nodded in agreement, “Being pure always is as bad as being evil. One cannot solve all problems with smiles and rays of sunshine.”

His words brought a cheshire cat style grin to Luna’s face, who leaned over to kiss her dashing husband on the cheek, “And that, my dear king, is why you and I have an edge.”

Loki turned to face her directly, brushing his face momentarily against her fur, “However, love, we must also strive to keep ourselves above petty matters and feelings if we are to accomplish that. No more squabbles with Thor and your sister over things that do not truly matter.”

“You sure have grown up in your time away.”

“I had a lot of time to think,” he paused as he thought back to the friend and guide he lost along the way, “And to learn from the suffering of others.”

Before Luna could question him about the matter, Loki stood and prepared to part ways with his new bride temporarily, “Anyways, this is about to end, and after I need to speak with my mother and check on how she is doing. Can I trust that you will be fine in the meantime?”

A bit peeved that Loki brushed the topic away, Luna nonetheless smiled to him and decided to let it go, “Of course. Trixie wanted to learn how to dreamwalk, and since you and I will be busy the next few days I suppose I should get that out of the way now.”

“Just take it easy,” Loki warned, not wanting Luna to exert too much magical energy while pregnant.

“I will,” Luna promised before smiling broadly, “And Loki?”

Luna looked over to Trixie, who was now bowing to her crowd as her performance finished.

“Thank you for looking after her.”

Little to either Trixie or Loki’s knowledge, Luna had been able to listen in on their conversation. This now revealed to Loki, he sighed at how his little moment of compassion was revealed to his wife.

Loki shook his head all the while smiling, “Go. And make sure she does not disturb us later tonight.”

That wrought a fit of laughter out from Luna, “We won’t be dreaming, so I don’t think she will be able to.”

With the crowd cleared and only the two of them left behind in silence, Loki sat down beside his wistful mother. She was looking out from a balcony that had been a part of the ceremony, and her face held unresolved pain in it undoubtedly caused by her deceased husband’s absence at such a meaningful event.

To try and comfort her once again, Loki stood beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her in closer to him gently. She let him, only to sigh once their bodies brushed up against one another.

“Loki…”

He looked down at her, curious if she would go on. Frigga did not right away, first taking the time to look over the balcony and towards the beautiful landscape of Asgard, and then looking up at him with a soft smile.

“Your father would be so proud.”

Loki nodded, though he was not quite concerned about what a deceased man thought as how this still breathing woman was psychologically, “Will you be okay?”

Frigga appeared listless, not seeming too emotional one way or the other as she replied, “I am recovering. I think that the time I now have to myself will help somewhat.”

With a gentle kiss to the forehead Loki let her know he loved her, even after everything that had torn their family apart, “If you ever need anything from me mother, please let me know.”

Frigga rose her hand to stroke her son’s cheek, “Of course. I am so proud to have such a wonderful son.”

“And I am grateful to have such a great mother.”

A more powerful smile found its way to Frigga’s lips, the former Queen chuckling lightly at a piece of information she had come across earlier, “I hear that I am to be a grandmother as well. Your wife will be quite the queen, and your children will be unlike any before in Asgard.”

“You mean Frost Giant-Asgardian-Alicorns? We have not had those before?” Loki questioned in jest, causing his mother to laugh for what must have been the first time since Odin’s death.

“You know what I mean,” Frigga’s tone became more warning as the subject moved back to Luna, “Now make sure she takes care of herself. I have provided her with a suit of armor meant to protect her that will morph with her body. Make sure she wears it.”

“I will, mother.”

They were not the boisterous half of the family, and so they dipped into a silence that remained between them for what felt like an eternity. They did not need to say anything to each other, only appreciate the very presence of the other.

In the guest chambers that Trixie had been granted both Trixie and Luna were gathered, the latter having changed into her more regular dress for the occasion. The night was just beginning, and Luna had made sure to slip some sleep causing herbs into the drinks that their Elven guest was drinking. Not only should they help him have a deeper sleep, which he needed after his nightmare fueled dreams, but also it would allow the Alicorn duo to enter his sleep earlier.

“Okay Trixie, have you read the notes I gave you?”

“Of course,” Trixie nodded as she looked down at Luna, having transformed into her Alicorn form just to stretch out. After a moment she transformed back into her Elf body, only to forget to resize her dress and have it fall off entirely.

“I did not realize that was the kind of dream you were hoping to get across,” Luna joked as Trixie flailed around and tried to pull her purple dress back up as her magic worked to transform it to a fitting size for an Elf.

Trixie refused to acknowledge Luna’s joke, though she blushed heavily to show that it did get to her. After Trixie managed to fix her wardrobe malfunction Luna decided to continue, not wanting to waste any time that she could be spending later that night in her own bedroom.

“Now, this first time I am going to let you feel how it goes. I will take you along with me into his dreams, but I will sit back and let you do your thing. I will only step in if things are shaping up to be a nightmare you cannot handle.”

“Thank you,” Trixie politely responded as she sat down on her bed, Luna soon taking the place beside her. Standing and dreamwalking could have bad side-effects from Luna’s experience, and she had made sure to point out that fact in her notes to Trixie about how it all worked.

After some silence fell between them, Luna decided to play the part of parent and encourage Trixie.

“You know, you did well today.”

Trixie leaned her head on Luna’s shoulder, having to slant her body slightly due to her taller height to make the interaction work, “You were the main attraction. I was just there as a guest.”

“I think I prefer this humbler Trixie to the one who would boast a year ago,” Luna cooed, smiling as she and Trixie began to lay back and prepare for the process of sleepwalking.

“A lot has changed…” Trixie curled into Luna’s dress and fur, “I don’t need to act all great anymore when I know I am.”

“I just want to be worthy of being your daughter.”

That made Luna swell with pride, and she turned in towards Trixie to hug her gently, “You are in more ways than I could ever hope,” along with a quick kiss to the Elf’s forehead Luna asked, “Now, are you ready?”

Trixie nodded, and so Luna began the process.

“Okay, just rest your eyes. This may feel disorientating the first time.”

The dream that was entered was quite dreary and gloom in comparison to what Luna was expecting. Unlike Loki, who was repressing and also reliving his life when Luna found him, Kael seemed trapped in an exact memory. Luna and Trixie entered to find that he was sitting inside a damp cell with metal bars, his face a mixture between determined and forlorn. As if he knew something was going to happen, yet would not give in to it.

He did not notice them enter his dream, though Luna quickly took a step back to further observe the prison while Trixie attempted to soothe him. This was the younger Alicorn’s turn to set things right, like Luna had with Loki.

Trixie approached the cell, surprised to find that she was able to bend the bars and enter it with a wave of a hand. She had entered the dream world in her true, Alicorn body but was quick to morph into her other body. Luna was surprised that Trixie was so quick to learn, but she chalked it up to the instructions she left.

“Kael?” Trixie asked worriedly as she entered his cage. He appeared to be ripped from his thoughts as he turned to face her, surprise washing over his face.

“J-Jaina? What are you doing here?” the Elven prince stuttered, shock on his face. Trixie realized that perhaps, in this dreamlike state, he was not recognizing her.

“Who’s Jaina? Don’t you recognize me? I know I look a little different, but you saw me like this earlier…” her voice trailed off as some hurt wormed its way into her words. Being called by some other woman’s name irritated her in a way she was unfamiliar to.

Kael, slowly recognizing Trixie, nodded to her while lowering his head in shame, “I apologize…I do not know what came over me.”

Trixie had the feeling that he did not exactly understand that he was in a dream, chalking it up to how he likely was preoccupied with whatever memory this was. Still, she wanted to inquire about what he said before.

Trixie swallowed her pride and sat down on the imagined damp spot next to Kael’Thas in his cell, her voice inquisitive but not forceful, So, who is this Jaina? You seemed worried to see her. Does she look like me?”

“Jaina was…” Kael’s face sunk as memories washed over him, the man even cringing before he could manage to continue, “She was an old friend of mine. You look a lot like her in this body, though she was a human and not an Elf.”

Sensing some affection in his voice, as well as dejection, Trixie struggled to follow in her mother’s footsteps and continue her consoling of a wayward prince. Just what was he going to say if she pressed further? That she was some past lover or woman he loved?

Thinking about those possibilities, Trixie steeled herself and pressed forward. So what if there was this past woman? She, Princess Trixie Lulamoon, existed in the present and was here by his side to help him while this other woman was not.

“Saying her name hurts you. Do you wish to talk about it, or do you not wish to bring up past memories?”

Trixie ultimately left him the option to delve into it further, not wanting to make him uncomfortable if she did not have to.

A sad smile appeared on Kael, his head still hanging as he continued to slump against one side of his cell, “I remember little, but it is hard to forget your first love.”

Trixie fought the urge to cringe a little herself, instead focusing on using her long Elven ears to listen as Kael began to ramble about his past with some fondness. This was to help him through his sleep. That was all.

“She was a talented mage…Her skill was unparalleled among her kind, though it was nothing spectacular amongst my race. I saw potential in her though,” he smiled completely genuinely with happiness radiating from his words, “We became fast friends, and I became smitten by her talent and wit.”

On the sidelines, Luna had found that there were countless other cells like this one. The prisoners all shared the common traits of being Elves, and the dream even included ghastly forms of what must have been guards in real life. The guards, all seemingly human, joked about executing the Elves at the crack of dawn.

Luna felt repulsed at their wicked racism, for the longer she listened to them the more she could see that there was no crime. These humans were going to kill their Elven allies in cold blood just for being Elves, having used as justification of this murder the excuse of consorting with another race in an attempt to survive. What a crime when pushed to the brink of extinction.

After surveying this initial bit of information about the dream, she returned to hear Kael mentioning his first love. Luna wondered if she should end this now or let it continue, given her daughter’s obvious affection for the prince. She decided not to when she could see that Trixie was handling it like an adult, simply listening to him and accepting what he was saying without letting her own emotions get to her.

Kael’s hands and teeth both clenched tightly as tears rushed to his eyes, his handsome features suddenly marred by his own grief stricken anger, “She rejected me…” he quickly shook off the anger and returned to his depressed state, though now he looked over at Trixie with his sadness, “You see…my race ages slower than her own by a large margin. While we were roughly the same in actual development, I was older than she in actual days.”

Trixie took the opportunity to move closer and place a hand on his shoulder consolingly, which caused his tight body to loosen a little. They had only just begun to scratch at whatever was troubling him, but Trixie was feeling confident that talking all of this out could help him in the end.

Kael almost laughed in self-deprecation, holding himself back from finishing it because of a sense of pride, “At least, that is what I always told myself was the reason she decided to instead seek the companionship of an arrogant prince whose foolish actions would later ruin our world.”

Seeing his face’s sad state of acceptance made Trixie do something a little more rash. She brought her own hand over his, intertwining the fingers of their dream bodies before clasping his hand tightly.

“Nopony is going to hurt you here or now. I promise. You have people who do care about you now,” Trixie claimed, a warm smile on her face to match her statement.

As if he had not heard someone be so kind and supportive of him in years, Kael stuttered for a moment before finishing with, “Thank you…even in such trying times, it is good to have someone who I can rely on. Even if we only have until morning.”

Trixie smiled, even as she realized that he thought that they were truly in whatever memory this was. He was not likely accustomed to living through his dreams.

After a moment, Kael lifted his hand from Trixie’s to massage his head, his hand running over his bushy, blonde brow as he spoke in fake joy, “I am glad she and I never grew closer though. It would make the fact that she has become bigoted against my kind harder to take.”

While Trixie did not notice it, Luna rose an eyebrow at that last statement from him. It sounded as if it was future knowledge, compared to the current state of mind he was in.

To try and get his mind off the depressing tale of his romantic downfall, Trixie tried bringing up something she found attractive about him, “Well, I think your race is beautiful. You all have such nice ears.”

“Our race, you mean,” Kael attempted to correct, not remembering in his sleepy reverie that she was actually an equine. He lowered his hand to hers and gave her a small smile to show his appreciation, “And thank you. It is nice to have a friend in one’s final hours.”

Trixie clenched his hand with her own and looked at him with some of her own sadness in her eyes, “You’re not going to die, okay? I’ll make sure of it, so don’t leave me. I don’t want anyone to leave me ever again.”

“Have you lost someone in your life?” Kael murmured softly, not even having considered that the woman beside him may have lost something just like he had.

The pressure now on her to talk, Trixie found herself nervous by the fact that she had not exactly talked about this with anyone yet, “I am going to lose my mother soon…and as good as I am with magic, nothing I have found can help her with her ailment. I have only found ways to cure ailments of magical diseases, not regular ones. How sad is that?”

Outside the cell, Luna felt herself sink a little. So that was why Trixie was reading all of those other books. She wanted to find a way of saving her terminally ill mother.

Kael was the one to become physical this time, reaching one of his long arms around her far shoulder to bring her into a hug, “I am sorry for your loss,” he did not seem to notice as Trixie snaked her arms around him as well, her face blushing profusely as he began to think back to his own life, “My parents passed just recently. Our city was lost when invaded by cadavers brought to life by a force known as the Scourge. I and my fellow prisoners here are all that are left of our kind to my knowledge. We have nothing left now. Our source of power and magic? Gone, leaving us with an unending thirst for magic that is going so far as to kill us. Our land? Taken by humans and the Scourge alike. In such a short time I have lost everything after once standing atop the world.”

Losing everything was something Trixie could relate to quite well, “I used to be a famous magician until I was humiliated and became a laughingstock, soon unable to work and make a living. I was destitute for so long that I know what it is like to be displaced from what one could consider ‘home’.”

Kael found himself surprised by Trixie standing up suddenly and assuming a fierce expression while jabbing an index finger at him.

“You’re the first person I could ever consider a friend. So, I’m not going to leave you like everything else. And I’m not going to leave you for some arrogant prince!” having let this out, Trixie softened into a smile, her voice becoming shyly calm, “I mean, after all, the only ones I know are my stepfather, my brother, and you…”

Her energy woke the lethargic Kael up a bit, making him start to observe the area with some actual attention. He soon stood up and smiled back at her, “I will hold you to that promise, milady.”

It was then that he fully picked up on the fact that his state of mind was not accurately matching what was around him, “Now, what is this place? This does not feel…real.”

“We are in your dreams…” when his eyebrow lifted in confusion, Trixie hastily tried to explain, “You have been suffering nightmares, and I thought maybe I could help you through them.”

“I see. That would explain why I feel so out of it,” he looked to his right to find that there were bars caging him in, “And the fact that these bars are the same as those that once entrapped me and my kin.”

Trixie nodded, glad he was beginning to comprehend, “This is a memory, so why were you in jail?”

The previously calm Kael snarled as he found himself perfectly able to recall why he was in this place, “For the crime of being an Elf. My kind always had a rough relationship with our human allies, but we were always allies. Then a brutal savage of a man named Garithos rose to power amongst their kind when my own was at its lowest lows. They abused their power and intended to execute us all on imagined crimes to justify their racism.”

Trixie found herself instantly fearful. Someone could be so cruel as to execute an entire race, an allied race, because of simple prejudice? She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about the cruelty that this poor man next to her must have been through, and found herself understanding why perhaps he wound up in Hel.

Kael began to calm down as he realized something about his memory, “However, this is where my memory ends…and given that I am alive, I must have escaped somehow, and I most certainly would not have left without my people. How that gets me to here I do not know.”

Trixie smiled as she realized what she could next do to help him, “Part of dreamwalking is the ability to bring up old memories. Perhaps we can rekindle some of your own should we explore your mind?”

Kael half-bowed to her, “I would be most grateful, but I must ask, why are you doing this for me? What do you have to gain?”

Trixie sighed as she felt herself rubbing her shoulder, trading her usual poking at the ground for this other nervous expression, “I feel sorry for you. Like I said, I lost everything I had before. Twice, actually. I hate seeing others in pain, and I would much rather have everyone never have to experience that sadness.”

That was enough to convince the Elf, who brought up a hand to shake with Trixie, “Then I shall cherish your hospitality and friendship.”

Trixie, not understanding what a handshake was, mimicked his motion and held her own hand out opposite his. He looked down at her hand as if this was a joke, which gave Trixie the cue that she was doing this wrong. She quickly pieced together that this must be the humanoid version of a hoofshake, so she took his hand quickly to mask her mistake.

On the sidelines Luna smiled brightly. A second generation of mending a broken heart through simple kindness.

Hopefully, Luna thought to herself, they could avoid having the man go evil again after succeeding at first. That would be a good improvement to make the second time around.

Author's Note

Instrumental

A/N: Special thanks to SilentMech, XaldinLance, hs0003, FleetlordAvatar, Evilhumour, ChaoticLightning, Ketvirtas, Magestikus, bonamb, Killabyte, Drgnwolf, kotor511, doctor_n, and mr.zel for your comments last chapter. Hearing from you all really means a lot to me and I hope to continue to hear from you all!

Title is a reference to how there are "Instrumental" parts to songs :rainbowlaugh:

“Luna, it is so good to see you. I trust you are doing well, despite everything?”

It was not often recently for Luna to come to Celestia with a smile that was anything less than smug or condescending, but this time when she entered her sister’s chambers she found herself full of nothing but glee. Not only was she no longer under the influence of the corrupting Nightmare, but she had so much that she was thankful for that it was not of any issue to her. She was alive, the foals she was pregnant with were alive as well, she was finally married to her lover, her lover was no longer trapped away in a torturous realm, Trixie was back and no longer in a coma, Trixie had ascended to become an Alicorn without Luna directly contributing power to her…
Luna found herself a little sheepish when she remembered she would have to keep that last thing from her dear sister. After all, Celestia would not likely buy that Trixie could manage such a thing on her own.

“It is good to see you too, Celestia,” Luna warmly greeted while entering Celestia’s room. It was early morning when Luna returned to Equestria, and Celestia had taken to working out of her room during the early hours of the morning the account for the extra rest she was getting and also how miserable she was feeling some mornings.

As Luna approached Celestia on her bed, the elder sister observed Luna’s new body with some interest, “You are back to your normal color, if not form…” Luna continued to smile sheepishly as Celestia grew a smile of her own, “Without the Nightmare force, I take it that this means you will be more gentle than before?”

Luna rolled her eyes as she carelessly climbed onto Celestia’s bed and moved herself next to her giant, white furred sister who more and more resembled their mother every day, “More so, yes. Completely, no.”

Celestia craned her head down to nuzzle with Luna’s face, “As it should be,” after the two touched heads, Celestia pulled back to show Luna a bright smile, “Congratulations on your wedding. I am so sorry I was unable to attend. We must have some kind of event or reception here to commemorate the occasion.”

The mention of the wedding made Luna remember that her sister sadly had not been able to partake, causing the younger princess to rub her neck nervously, “It was kind of short notice. My apologies. I was not about to let something stall it again.”

“Of course, I understand. Now, you have big news to tell me I presume,” Celestia noted while nodding to her sister’s stomach. Unlike Celestia’s more prominent bulge, Luna only had the slightest of curves to it, so much so that it was unnoticeable to all but the most familiar to what Luna was like. Celestia could see that Luna had chosen a new form, but she also had seen enough of Luna in her humanoid body to know what things were like underneath the fur, and having fur did not constitute a curved stomach.

And Twilight told her with glee. That helped look for it too.

Luna stammered before she could manage to contain her surprise, only being able to reign it in as a result of her logical reasoning pointing to Twilight squealing on the matter since she came back first. Luna’s hand rose to her own stomach as she made herself comfortable leaning against her sister, “I—I do. As you seem to already know, I am going to be having foals. Twins I believe.”

“Now we both have foals from wedlock,” Celestia joked as she brought a hoof to touch Luna’s hand and stomach. There were five people in the room, the majority of whom had yet to be born.

Luna rolled her eyes again, not that proud of herself that she had given into her more carnal side before any vows were made, “You need not remind me, but at least I did something about my own marriage situation.”

Her sister returned the rolling of the eyes before ignoring Luna’s statement about the Discord situation, “I am sure that our mother would be so proud of us. Both pregnant before marrying, both in love with beings who were major threats to our nation, both so wise as to forget the second thing so as to cause the first just because we both seem to have a fetish for those who cause chaos.”

“I forget. Did she or did she not warn us about quote on quote bad boys?”

Celestia sighed as the leader of Equestria part of her mind surfaced, “I do not think she did, though we must discuss the matter of your husband again.”

Luna felt the tone shift and quickly buried herself in her sister’s fur, not caring for where this conversation was going to go, “Celestia, I came to be pampered not lectured.”

“I just think that perhaps we should think about how we should present this matter to our populace. They know him as yet another failed conqueror of our nation when I know the matter is not that simple,” Celestia reasoned, not wanting to burst her sister’s bubble but also unwilling to let Luna go and let herself down in the end.

“Well, he was coerced with threats against his family at first…” Luna tried to rationalize, partially to save her own ego and feelings, “And then he was forcibly corrupted by a magic artifact…and he was already having issues with his personal life, but perhaps we should leave that last reason out.”

“Are you sure he had no personal agency in the matter?” Celestia asked with sorrow. She was not exactly happy with how things happened with Loki, but she did not have any real hatred towards him. She had grown to accept and forgive many things over the years, and she could perhaps spare her sister’s husband some of the hatred she would otherwise feel given his situation.

Not completely off the hook, but no great love or hatred for him. No trust for certain.

Luna continued to plead Loki’s case into Celestia’s chest, “Are we to blame him for what he was put through by his master?”

“And just where is this master?” Celestia asked coolly, not exactly pleased that Luna’s husband brought more than just a kingdom to the table. The enemies of a foreign state were most unwelcome.

“Elsewhere in the stars. Far away. Likely taking his time before he comes back and tries to kill us,” Luna only half-joked, for there was truth in her words.

“At least you have granted me forewarning that there is a powerful figure out there who would have me and our people dead,” Celestia sighed as she brought her hooves around Luna to embrace her. Luna always had to make things more complicated. She always had and always would, and Celestia just had to accept that fact.

“Can we speak of something else? I have had enough of negative emotions and thoughts for now. For a lifetime,” Luna complained.

Celestia nuzzled against her sister’s face again, “Fine, Luna, for you I will drop the issue. I am just glad to have you back. Be happy again,” she paused to give Luna another smile, “I’ll see to the matter of redeeming your husband’s name, along with your own.”

“I love you Tia.”

“I love you too, Lulu.”

“I don’t get that. Lulu. I mean, it’s as long as my real name,” Luna pouted childishly. She always hated it when Celestia called her that when she was a foal.

“Quiet, Lulu,” Celestia shut her down with a small murmur of a laugh.

Desiring to get off the subject of that particular name, Luna abruptly brought up the bump she was brushing against, “When are you due?”

Celestia brought a hoof back to touch her own stomach, then back to Luna, “It will still be quite some time. For now though I am to be taking it easy, so let us not quibble over nothing. I am tired and would care to rest beside my similarly gravid sister.”

Celestia touching her made Luna think of something kind of funny. Something that she learned about a certain purple student of Celestia’s the other day, “Twilight would get a kick out of this. Us together. Alone.”

“Oh you have no idea what it was like having her here all those years. I suggest not reading the books in her old room. Many are self-authored.”

“Perhaps you should have let her out more?”

“Do not blame her depravity on me. I was abstinate then,” Celestia laughed as she thought about her student’s hidden hobby. Celestia had once made the mistake of thinking she was reading Twilight’s journal in secret, only to find an interesting story about…

She stopped herself there. It was best to not think about it.

On the other hand, Luna was laughing at how different their students were, “Mine is the opposite. Poor Trixie would pass out at the sight of such a tome…”

Both Trixie and Kael’Thas sneezed at the same time in Canterlot City. The former was silently following the latter, who had left the confines of the castle and was on a mission to find bread. Trixie felt nervous about being out in public after everything, for even if she was adored at a stadium like the one in the Crystal Empire it did not mean the general public liked her again. Thus the stalking rather than actual following of Kael’Thas, who was likely confused as to how Trixie managed to eat every piece of plain bread in all of Canterlot Castle. Trixie was only happy that she could make herself invisible while following him.

There seemed to be a lack of understanding how the crowds would react to an Elf. Kael was not reacting to the quiet and murmuring ponies around him, the Elf seeming to have only one goal: finding a place he could obtain more bread. He had already stopped by one bread shop and bought all the rolls they had, and he was on his way to a new shop when he sneezed. Whereas Trixie only confused a couple who were passing by her invisible self, Kael’s sneeze gave him pause long enough to look around and notice that a small crowd of foals had begun to follow him in wonder.

The foals, all of the about half dozen of them being Unicorns, jumped back startled as he looked at them with confusion. One bushy eyebrow lifted as he paused for whatever reason before smiling and adjusting the bag in his arms to be out of his way.

“W-who are you, mister?” one foal asked as Kael prepared to do the same to them. Having been asked first, Kael used a bit of magic to place the food into a pocket dimension to be retrieved later when he reunited with the pony tailing him who was not a child.

The food gone, Kael gave a bow to the small crowd, once again displaying a polite air, “I am Prince Kael’Thas of the Blood Elves, a lost but visiting noble from a faraway land. I am a guest of your nobility.”

“So what are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be at the castle?” another foal questioned, not seeming to understand what was going on.

Kael glanced over to where Trixie was standing silently before looking back at the group of foals, “I decided to play the part of a good guest and I ventured to find treats to present to the princess who is sponsoring my stay here. I understand she is quite the fan of bread, and so I was searching for a bakery. I can conjure bread at will, but she complains it is tasteless while I think it is just ridiculous how she can consume that much so—”

One foal yawning gave Kael the impression that he was boring them with his extraneous information, so he decided to go down a different path of conversing with them.

Able to conjure more than just bread, Kael began to channel the magic he had on loan from Trixie with some of the talents he had pried from his memory.

“Here, let me show you something that I am sure you all will love,” magic glowed around his hands as some objects the size of a foal’s head began to appear floating around him, “A puppet show of a sort.”

The foals all lost whatever confusion might have come to their mind concerning just what a Blood Elf was, and instead they found themselves entranced with the powerful magic being displayed before them. Dismissing food from existence? Summoning objects from nothing? That was unlike anything their parents could do, despite being elite Unicorns and everything!

The first of the objects to appear was a miniature version of Princess Luna, albeit in her pony form rather than her Asgardian-Equestrian form. The foals all were busy saying things like “wow” and “amazing”, so Kael cleared his throat to get the show going.

“So, who can tell me who this puppet represents?”

The foals piped up quickly and without the fear their parents might have when saying the answer, “That’s princess Luna!”

Kael nodded yes while bringing forth the second puppet he made, this one in the likeness of Loki, “And this?”

“Isn’t that the guy who tried taking over Canterlot?” one of the foals asked in confusion. They had seen Loki during his little rampage some time ago, and such a memory was quite the memorable one at such an impressionable young age.

“My—” Kael paused to clear his throat, shifting his tone to be one of sorrow and tragedy, “I mean, you are correct, but most tragically it is said that the poor prince Loki was being forced to.”

Kael brought forth the next puppet, this one a miniature Thanos that held strings from its palms that dangled down and connected to Loki’s puppet. In effect, Kael was puppeteering the puppet of the man who puppeteered Loki’s stint of madness in Equestria.

Kael had Loki’s puppet interact with Luna’s while Thanos loomed over them both, “An evil man named Thanos from a faraway world wanted him to, and used magic to corrupt the poor prince who was only here enjoying the company of the ponies,” Kael paused his narration to move the puppets so that Loki’s and Luna’s miniature selves were now across from one another, at which point he had them smash heads together to symbolize battle, all the while using small fireworks around them and miniature explosions to spice things up in a variety of colors, “Thanos knew the prince was powerful enough to accomplish the job, but through a struggle of wills the foreign prince managed to sabotage the plan so that Princess Luna here could succeed.”

The small figures stopped fighting, and they instead moved to be next to one another while Thanos was moved back behind Kael.

“So he’s not a bad guy?” the closest foal to Kael asked, a young filly who looked barely old enough to be out and about on her own.

Kael shook his head sorrowfully, “Not any more than you or I. Simply a poor soul forced to do which he abhorred.”

“Aren’t he and Princess Luna dating?” one foal piped up, having heard rumors given the nature of Canterlot.

“Yeah, I hear they’re really lovey dovey!” another added with a snicker.

Kael nodded his face with an amused grin, the figures moving to have it so their lips touched, “That is correct. In fact, they have recently been married, and princess Luna is now a queen of a whole new land in addition to being a princess of this one.”

“Oh wow! She’s like a double princess!”

Kael did not bring up the fact that technically she was a double Queen AND a double princess, being Queen of Asgard and a princess in Equestria and Jotunheim. He had access to all of Trixie’s knowledge, after all.

With his magic, Kael brought forth his next puppet, one of Trixie in her regular Unicorn form because Trixie would not be happy having her ascension revealed just yet. With this figure, he placed it next to Luna’s in the air and had them brush together momentarily, “Of course, this means she has twice the responsibility, so her student and daughter Trixie Lulamoon will be assisting her in her duties here.”

This mention of Trixie got the foals to start speaking to one another with glee, their faces lighting up at the mention of her and also lightening the mood of the still silent and hidden Trixie.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie won the Equestria Games! I hear they’re naming a stadium after her since she was so awesome!”

“I want to be as strong as princess Trixie when I grow up!”

“She’s not a princess, dummy! Princesses have wings!”

“But isn’t she related to Princess Luna? Wouldn’t that make her a princess too?”

“Wait, she’s Princess Luna’s daughter? How? Luna hasn’t been back that long!”

Kael coughed to draw attention back to himself and his little show, “I admit the circumstances are quite the interesting tale. You see, not but a year ago Trixie was a common pony like any of you. She was struggling in her career, and crowds enjoyed heckling her when she did her job. Princess Luna, one day witnessing this, took Trixie under her wing.”

“So she adopted her?”

That brought a smile to Kael’s face, the Elf pleased that these foals were so smart, “Exactly. Trixie is related to Luna through no blood, but their bond is no different than one of a mother and her daughter.”

“How do you know Princess Trixie?” the first foal to speak asked, being ever the inquisitive one.

Kael brought forth a figure representing himself, though before their eyes he transformed it from looking like the wretch he had been into the handsome body he now had, Trixie moving from being beside Luna to rubbing right against him, “She saved me from a world of darkness and despair that I was trapped in. I have little recollection of the events, but I am indebted to her and we have become fast friends since the occasion.”

“Are you going to get married too?” a very enthusiastic foal piped up from the back. Across the street Trixie blanched, and Kael froze for a moment before recovering and shaking his head no.

“We have known eachother but a short period of time. Haha, you foals are quite the romantics. I will assure you that there is nothing more between us than friendship.”

Not seeming to care what his opinion or the facts were, the filly who spoke before piped up with a question of her own, “Would your foals have long ears?”

Trixie was not going to let this continue on any further, and so she undid her invisibility magic and teleported to be right beside Kael. She coughed to announce her presence as everyone turned to face her with confusion. Kael even dropped his three spare puppets that he still had behind his back, their multicolored bodies and pseudo-hair all falling on top one another and being mixed together in a most humorous fashion.

“Ahem. Kael, may I have a word with you?”

Kael looked to Trixie with a broad smile while also using his borrowed magic to pick up his puppets and straighten them all out.

“Woah, it’s princess Trixie!” the crowd all announced in their own various foal-ish manners

The Elf did his best to intercept the children before they could rush Trixie, using his body to halt them as well as the puppets, “Now now children, I need to speak with my friend in private. I trust that these can amuse you for the time being?”

He floated one doll over to each foal, using the gifts to mesmerize them in the brief moment it took him and Trixie to teleport away from them all. When they reappeared together at the far end of the road, Kael called down to the foals to say goodbye.

“Farewell everyone. I will be sure to visit here again sometime, and perhaps then I can continue all of the stories that I have for you! I didn’t even get into the good stuff yet!”

This done, Kael turned back to Trixie with the same broad smile as before. Her face was much less amused and animated. She wasn’t mad or anything, but she was embarrassed.

“Were you enjoying yourself?”

“Of course. It was quite refreshing to have a light hearted conversation with children instead of dwelling on depressing things,” as they turned to leave Kael threw a thumb over his shoulder while simultaneously summoning back the bag of bread he got earlier, “And besides, using the puppets was fun in and of itself. I must say half of magic is what you do, but the more important half is how you do it.”

His words and the bread now being offered to her made Trixie lose control of her brain for a moment.

“Marry me.”

“What was that?” Kael asked through a yawn, the magic usage having worn down his body since he was so untrained currently. Even the strongest of athletes had to start from scratch at times.

“Nothing!” Trixie blurted as her brain began to function again, “I, uh, I just was thanking you for the bread.”

To sell the lie, Trixie took a piece from the bag and began to wolf it down while Kael nodded, “Oh, of course.”

Trixie was the one trying to flash a smile now, “I admit my appetite has increased these past days. Tremendously so.”

“You are growing after all. Your body is just getting all the resources it needs to get tal—”

Quiet Kael!

Kael paused instantly and fell to complete silence while Trixie took a breath in. Before he continued or did anything else, Trixie cast her gaze down the next street and found herself seeing a familiar stage. The stage where she had been heckled and assaulted before Luna stepped in so many months ago. Trixie felt a sad smile come to her face as she thought about everything that had happened since in a mere moment, just before realizing that there were three figures up on top of the stage.

Trixie narrowed her eyes as she recognized the three as the singers who Stark had brought to the wedding, and they seemed to have moved on from Asgard as well and returned to Equestria sans Stark. That was their place of origin after all, even if they were in a humanoid form. Like and unlike Luna they were humans with the coloration of a pony, but whereas Luna has a thin layer of fur over her skin Trixie had seen no such thing on the three when she observed them at the wedding. They just had funny skin colors unlike the paleness that Loki and Kael wore.

The singers appeared to be singing to a small crowd, and Trixie smiled at the sight. Things were going well. The three were at least not being attacked by rocks and the like, and they seemed to be earning a little change as they did so.

“Those three…” Trixie murmured to only herself.

Despite this, Kael spoke up as he too looked at the performers, who were then just finishing their performance and preparing to leave the stage, “They were at the wedding. I believe the title for their group was named the Dazzlings. Quite the flashy name, though nothing like a title such as Great and Powerful.”

Trixie snorted at her old moniker used when she was not the most powerful pony alive. She did not need a title to appear great now.

“They seem popular for the new girls on the block. I wonder why?” Trixie responded with quite the large smile of her own now, noticing that the three were heading towards them.

Kael fell quiet and did not answer as the three girls continued to walk their way, their voices going back and forth in what they likely did not consider earshot, but the large eared Elf did.

“That was barely worth the effort, Adagio. I’m tired of fast food. I need a meal. It’s been too long,” the purple one named Aria groaned towards the one at the head of the pack, the orange one, while the blue one kept pace more with Aria.

The leader, Adagio, shot a glance back to her fellow singer, “We will be dining soon enough, Aria. Now, smile and wave for Equestria’s newest princess.”

Adagio lifted her hand to wave all the while smiling towards Trixie, who began to return the wave before the blue singer began to wave exaggeratedly and smile more than everyone involved put together.

Sonata, the blue and senseless one, whispered through her teeth to Adagio, “You mean like this?”

Aria groaned and hung her head, muttering escaping her lips that Kael could only raise his eyebrows at as his sensitive ears picked it up. After a moment the group reached Trixie and Kael, the lead singer being the first to speak.

Adagio gave a polite bow to the duo, “It is good to see you again, Princess. I must thank your family for providing us this opportunity to return home after so long.”

“No need to be so formal. I am a princess in name only after all,” Trixie greeted with a nervous smile. She did not want to come off as some snob, but rather as someone friendly.

Kael took this time to speak up and offer his bag towards the singers, “You know, if food is worrisome for you three, my friend and I have more than enough.”

The three singers gave eachother a look of confusion before Aria took a bread roll out and looked it over for a moment. After coming to the conclusion that there was nothing special about it, she dryly commented, “Thanks.”

“If bread is not to your liking, I am sure that the pantry of the castle will have more palatable meals should you wish to join us.”

Adagio smiled to the Elf eagerly, seeming to enjoy the prospect of going to the castle, “That is most gracious of you.”

“Do they have tacos there?” Sonata excitedly asked, her voice really hyper as she grabbed one of Adagio’s arms tightly from pure excitement.

“Tacos?” Trixie questioned at the same exact time as Kael, neither of them knowing what one of those was.

Aria growled before grumbling to Sonata, “Seriously? We’re going to be inside the royal castle and you want to eat that garbage?”

“Well, I think you’re garbage!” Sonata pouted childishly, Trixie and Kael both coming to the conclusion that this was not exactly the smartest member of these so called “Dazzlings”.

Adagio sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose, the lead quite displeased with how impolite her subordinates were. After a moment of this she flashed Trixie an apologetic smile while raising her hands to cover the still arguing mouths of Aria and Sonata, “Please excuse my associates. They’re idiots.”

Trixie laughed as she saw the annoyed faces on all three of them, her hoof raising to her chest as she spoke warmly, “You know, I once was on these same streets without anything to eat. I can remember just how maddening hunger can make somepony,” she looked between the three and their humanoid forms before correcting herself, “Or somebody, as the case may be.”

The singer girls all looked between themselves and down at their bodies, which varied greatly from the ponies walking around the city except in color. Adagio was the one to speak up, her voice semi-nervous, “Oh, yes. We have just grown so accustomed to these bodies ever since we found ourselves on Earth, or what I believe you call Midgard,” Adagio turned back to the others and tried to get them to not look so annoyed, “And I thank you for your offer. You have all of our thanks.”

To prevent them from having an awkward silence, Kael spoke up as Aria gave a grumbled thanks and Sonata continued to pout, “You are musicians by trade I assume?”

“We have been known to sing from time to time,” Adagio glanced back to Trixie smiling.

Sonata slapped her forehead and chuckled at what her leader said, “Hello? We sing, like, all the time! It's how we get people to do what we want.”

Adagio and Aria both shot Sonata death glares, the two of them also growling in unison as Sonata tried to figure out why they were angry with her, “Wha-What did I say?”

Adagio nudged her partner with some anger escaping her grit teeth, “What you meant to say was that being allowed to join them in Canterlot Castle is most generous and that it would be a great way to possibly meet some ponies with need of our talents.”

Sonata began to laugh nervously as she picked up on the hint, “Ohhhh, yeah. Th-What she said I meant to say. That's what I meant. To say.”

Trixie and Kael looked between themselves, each of them smiling.

This ought to be fun.

After Kael’s offer to let the three starving artists come in and eat, Trixie led the others towards Canterlot Castle’s pantry. She honestly had not eaten there too often, receiving most of her meals from either Luna or servants, but she still did know where it was. The sedentary bookworm Twilight would spend long periods of time in there, so Trixie actually tried to not go there before when they still had a rivalry going on. Now that that was relaxed, she supposed she could visit it more often. She also did not need to work day in and out to grow more powerful, as unknown to many of those around her she possessed greater strength with the Aether than any other being in the world, so she now had time to grab food when she so pleased. And given her increasing size, she needed all she could get.

On the way in Trixie came across both Luna and Loki, the latter of whom appeared to have just arrived himself. He was presenting a single flower to Luna when the party of five came there way, at which point Loki stopped doing anything romantic and cleared his throat.

Trixie addressed them, not fully having received Luna’s attention yet, “Hello, mother, father.”

Luna blinked as she looked over to her surrogate daughter, “Trixie. You have guests I see,” the idea that Trixie might be expanding her roster of friends made Luna feel good, so she smiled to the three women as she began to remember who they were, “Oh, I remember you all, you are the performers from our wedding.”

All three of the Dazzlings kneeled down before Luna, the back two seeming to pick up more on polite customs this time. This being said, Sonata knelt down on both knees while her companions knelt down on one each, but before anyone could notice this flaw Adagio spoke up, “We are indeed. It was an honor to participate in such a noble event.”

Luna nodded, pleased to see some respect for once, “Well, in thanks, should you need anything just let us know. You are now our esteemed guests.”

Adagio stood up and gave a half bow instead, her long and large orange hair threatening to fall forward before she stood up fully again, “We should be just fine, thank you very much. The hospitality already demonstrated by your daughter is generous enough,” looking back to Aria, who had stood up by now, and Sonata, who was still kneeling with her head down, Adagio came up with an idea, “In fact, your highness, would you care for some music to pass the time?”

Luna looked to Loki, who rose his eyebrows to show his level of enthusiasm, before turning back to the others and shaking her head no politely, “I should be fine. I lounge enough as it is. I am going to be going for a walk now.”

“As you wish,” Adagio responded, her face becoming a little less pleased from the rejection.

Loki and Luna turned to leave, the latter whispering to the former, “It is nice to have polite guests who can also entertain.”

“I agree,” Loki responded through yet another whisper, “We should see about tending to that urgent matter your sister’s messenger spoke of earlier.”

“You are right,” Luna muttered before glancing back to the others, “Well, farewell, and enjoy your time back in Equestria!”

With the King and Queen of Asgard having departed for the throne room, Kael clasped his hands together and reasserted their reason for returning to the castle, “So, you three need food, right?”

“You are most kind,” Adagio thanked as she and the other two fell into step behind him and Trixie, Sonata finally realizing it was time to get up.

Sonata pumped her arms up in the air in complete delight, “Woohoo, royal taco time!”

“How haven’t I killed you yet?” Aria grumbled, her eyes shooting daggers into Sonata’s two-toned blue haired, blue skinned head.

“Because you love me?” Sonata giggled, her voice joking to match her amused face.

Aria rolled her eyes and snorted, “Yeah, as if.”

Sonata did not understand what Aria meant and responded confusedly, “Wait, you do? Really? Cuz I thought you hated me!”

At the head of the pack, Trixie looked back to Adagio and stopped to place a hand on her shoulder.

“You know, I think I can understand your pain.”

“Celestia, what is so urgent that I had to interrupt my welcome back to Equestria thing with Loki for? Has another of your ancient threats reawakened and you have just now decided to try and confront the issue?”

Silence hung in the throne room as Celestia struggled to find a response to that, the princess flapping her wings and landing down beside the two.

Now more inside the room, Luna and Loki both looked about it and found that none of the normal guards were present. This was the final nail in the coffin for Luna’s good mood, who then groaned to her sister, “Please do not tell me I was right. I was joking. I did not want to be right this one time.”

“Tirek is no longer bound in his prison, Tartarus,” Celestia mumbled from her throne.

“Tartarus?” Loki questioned, not knowing what that was.

“It is a place he should never have been able to leave,” Luna vaguely explained before growling and massaging her temple, “How have you come across this information?”

Celestia hung her head and sighed, “I had Twilight check on Tartarus as I came to the realization that there are many enemies still unaccounted for or who may return as a threat one day. I believe I got the idea from you.”

Luna was pleased that her previous annoyance with how Celestia constantly let old threats creep up on them had some positive effect, but that still did not find nor stop the escaped Tirek, “The only way to defeat him again would be to hunt him before he can amass as much power as he once had. The more he has, the more he can absorb from others, which means he is most vulnerable at this very moment after starving this past millenium.”

Loki decided to just listen to the two discuss the issue as he had nothing to say, and would likely hear all about it from Luna later. Celestia, on the other hand, continued to chat with Luna, “I have Discord looking for him, but so far his search has been fruitless. It appears Tirek is keeping from using his powers for the time being, leaving no trace as a result.”

Luna began to think out loud about what this so called Tirek may do, “He is not so stupid to challenge us right after gaining his freedom. He will likely prey at ponies at the edge of our land, then move his way inward until he can overwhelm us.”

“I am sure we can find him before that time,” Celestia sighed as she brought a hoof to rub against her stomach, “And I hope he takes his time…you and I are not exactly ready either.”

Luna agreed as Loki wrapped an arm around her, curling it around to touch her taut stomach, “I would not care to fight him once again in our current condition.”

A lightbulb would have appeared above Luna’s head if this was a cartoon, as she suddenly came up with an idea, “Perhaps we should keep my own condition a secret. So long as word does not spread that I am as invalid as you, he may hold back from invading fully. As is, he likely thinks I can crush him with the aid of all of our allies. But if he thinks only Cadance and Twilight stand in his way he will assault us mercilessly. Let us leave him thinking we are a larger threat than we really are.”

Celestia nodded, but that did not solve the immediate problem of if he decided to attack right away, “Perhaps, though we should think about ways to handle him if he does come for either of us before our terms are over.”

Luna paused, trying to think of something that might be able to combat Tirek. The monster was quite adept at absorbing magic, but he could not absorb it in its raw form used to fire in beams. Luna feared using too much of her energy while pregnant, lest it effect her children in some way, but perhaps there was an external power source she could use—

“Of course,” Luna groaned, bringing a hand to her head as she felt a headache come on, “I am an idiot…”

“What is it?” Celestia questioned, unsure as to what Luna was now remembering.

Luna groaned as she summoned the staff she stole from Nick Fury’s agency Shield or whatever on Earth, the same one that Loki used when he was turned against her. She had hidden it away for so long she had forgotten she had it. The last time she used it she had been roughing up some Frost Giants, and she hated herself for not remembering it when she could most certainly have used the extremely powerful weapon.

Loki’s eyes lit up as Luna began to explain the item she held, “The artifact that I mentioned earlier that tainted Loki. I could have used this against the invading Dark Elves. It is corrupting, but some corruption is better than how I nearly died…”

“From what you’ve said about the Elf invasion it sounds like the confrontation was not exactly something that gave you much time to plan. Do not blame yourself,” Celestia cooed supportively to her sister.

“You are correct, but I still feel stupid. I will continue sealing this away until it is of use, since it is quite powerful. Did it not take you out in a single hit?”

Celestia felt them getting on to changing-the-subject territory again, so she did just that, “It is hard to remember. That whole night is a blur. I am just glad it is in our hooves and not those of whomever controlled your husband.”

Loki waved to her, smiling fakely, “I am still here you know.”

The princess of Equestria just nodded back at him, keeping her eyes on Luna, “Yes, you are. Well done noticing that.”

As Loki began to object, Celestia cut him off to continue addressing Luna, “Well, that is all I had to inform you about. Be careful.”

Loki kissed Luna on the forehead before sweeping her around and pushing her towards the door gently. Luna turned her head back to him, but much like Celestia had he spoke up first.

“Luna, go ahead, I will join you shortly.”

Luna nodded, understanding now that Loki wanted to talk to Celestia. That sounded appropriate after everything that happened. Seeing as she now had a level of stress she did not have before, Luna decided her destination based on how she could work that off, “I will be in our room.”

“Our,” Loki corrected while Luna began to leave, his wife laughing heartily at the trueness of that statement. It was their room now, and they would do their favorite shared activities there.

Once Luna was gone, the door closed, and it was just the two of them, Loki turned to face Celestia with another fake smile, “I get the feeling you don’t like me.”

Celestia sighed. Perhaps she was still having issues liking this man who caused so many issues for their family and Luna over the past year.

“Oh no, I just happen to get along grand with those who have proven to be unreliable and a threat to my nation.”

Loki glanced down and began to smile for real, becoming real smug real fast as he turned her words against her, “You see, your voice says sarcasm, but your swelling stomach says there is some truth in your words.”

Realizing that he did have a point, Celestia still decided not to give in to him despite losing wholly on that point, “Do you ever not have a sly remark?”

Loki shrugged as he took a step towards Celestia, “I wouldn’t know. Unlike yourself, I am so used to humor I have a hard time judging whether or not I am using it.”

Now closer to her, Loki looked the tall horse up in the eye and brought a hand to touch her neck gently, Celestia shivering at his touch, “Listen, I am not here to do anything wrong or hurt anyone. I am content to rule my land and make up for all the wrongs I have done. I do not know if Luna has told you this, but I have paid for my crimes. I spent years in a world that is a literal Hel that was full of suffering, despair, and torment. I have seen things worse than you ever will, and I do not want to ever inflict those things on others again. I have realized what I have done, realized that my actions even when I was controlled have hurt people.”

His feelings having been said, Celestia found herself mulling over the details. After about ten seconds of complete silence she spoke up, her eyes narrowed on Loki.

“You hurt Luna, you hurt her foals, and I will do everything in my power to end you.”

That rose a laugh out of Loki, “Well I don’t see how you could manage that since I’m sure a race of warriors could annihilate a race of peace loving equines, but then again you will not need to go after me as I am not going to hurt Luna. I promise you that.”

Celestia’s mood had become too sour to comment back on that, finding herself not trusting and not hating her in-law all at once. This silence gave Loki time to address Celestia’s swollen womb, his hand then removed from her neck so he could take a step to the side to observe her increased size, “Have you thought of a name yet?”

“I am not sure yet, but that is a matter to be discussed between its father and I. Not you,” Celestia snorted, not moving an inch and refusing to do so as long as he did not touch her again. She did not want to give him the idea that she feared him.

Thinking that he had gotten his point across well enough, Loki gave another shrug before turning to leave much like Luna had been forced to, “I will prove whatever opinions you have of me wrong with time, but for now I have a wife to attend to.”

“Attend to?” Celestia questioned instantly, though she grew to regret it just as fast.

Loki grinned wildly on his way out, “Surprisingly becoming pregnant has not slowed her down at all. Now, you should rest well with that big stomach of yours while I go make your dear sister moan my name loud enough to keep you awake.”

Upon closing the door to the slackjawed Celestia, Loki only added, “Sleep well!”

Celestia was beginning to reconsider not hating him. He would definitely have to earn her respect, and making Luna keep everyone awake at night instead of help them sleep was not a good start. Especially since Celestia’s room was within earshot of Luna’s.

Celestia only hoped the soundproofing spell Luna used on her own room was still in effect…

Author's Note

Under Our Spell

A/N: Special thanks to Amethyst Blade, Drgnwolf, SilentMech, Ikiostar, Ketvirtas, hs0003, The Last Cold Fang, ChaoticLightning, Evilhumour, jonnyo98, FleetlordAvatar, Cadmium, Schroedingers_Katze, King of Kings, and Killabyte for your comments last chapter. Hearing from you all really means a lot to me and I hope to continue to hear from you all!

Suggest actually checking this video out first if you haven't seen Rainbow Rocks. :rainbowlaugh: After all, the title is from the Rainbow Rocks song "Under Our Spell" and is by the Dazzlings. Since they are "performing" this chapter, I'd just suggest it to get in the mood.

Some might focus on the soft, soothing voices. Some may be drawn to focus on the lyrics of the song. Others may be interested with the magic that acted as the instruments to the band’s vocal ensemble. The faint green smoke coming off of the stage might also make some bat an eyelash, but none seemed to notice it.

For Trixie, what her eyes were following were the back and forth motion of the singers as they moved on stage. Her stomach was feeling uneasy as her mind computed just what they were doing.

“That makes me uncomfortable.”

Also in the crowd to the daily performance of the Dazzlings was Kael, who sat beside Trixie in a much more enraptured manner. He turned to face Trixie with a small frown after first tearing his eyes away from exactly what was making Trixie feel awkward.

“What makes you uncomfortable?”

Trixie brought a hoof up to point at them, having to point over a few fellow crowd members to do so, “The sway they…” Trixie realized her slip of the tongue and paused before waving her hoof around a little before looking away entirely, “The hips.”

Looking back, Kael could see what Trixie was referring to. With seemingly every word and beat there was a shift of Adagio, Aria, and Sonata’s hips in a semi-seductive manner. This was helped by how their hips were actually quite large for their lithe bodies, making the movement appear all the more exaggerated. The swinging of the hips was only one part of their alluring display, but it was undoubtedly something the trio picked up from their time away from Equestria.

Kael nudged Trixie jokingly, his voice cheerful, “Oh, I see. You don’t find it alluring, you find it repulsing.”

“Precisely. But you do,” Trixie pouted as she continued to avert her eyes from him and the three now popular singers. They seemed to be drawing in a larger and larger crowd each day, and it had been months since they arrived. They had not seemingly spread in popularity to the upper class of Canterlot, with the more street going ponies all having been drawn into the crowds that now formed around the so called “Dazzlings”.

As if he did not understand the reason for her discomfort, Kael brought a hand down to Trixie’s mane and ruffled it a little, “What can I say, I appreciate beauty wherever I find it?”

Trixie formed a snarl and glanced over at her companion, whose reassurance was less than reassuring, “Kael, could you do me one favor?”

“What is it?”

Shut up.

Once the performance finished and the crowds began to mill out from the outdoor stage. Adagio brought a hand to her chest and withdrew from it a necklace from her shirt, a red gem on the jewelry’s golden center. The gem glowed briefly before the woman sighed and placed it back in it’s hidden compartment.

“Pfft, I thought this city had strong magic,” Aria complained from behind Adagio. As she moved to stand next to her leader, Adagio smacked Aria’s hand away before grabbing the hand and pointing it towards the third member of their group, who was spinning in circles behind them and laughing giddily about nothing.

Adagio scanned the now empty crowd for the one pony she had hoped would stay, and she was glad to find them there, “Aria, take care of Sonata. I want to speak with our dear Princess.”

Trixie was still in the crowd, her face scrunched up as she idly sat beside her Elven friend who was sitting still. Neither appeared to be going anywhere or talking, so Adagio saw a perfect opportunity to talk to their admirers.

Aria, true to form, did not appear to be a fan of Adagio’s plan, “Ugh, why do I have to take care of her. Can’t I talk to her and you take Sonata? You two can have fun or whatever without me.”

Adagio grew a wicked grin while observing the still present Trixie, who did not seem to be paying them much mind, “No, no, no. You see, word is that Princess Trixie might be willing to play for our team, but as things are…” she glanced over to Aria before squeezing her fellow singer’s hand, “You are too rough.”

“You certainly don’t care,” Aria snorted with a smirk of her own.

Adagio let go of Aria’s hand, instead using the same hand to touch Aria’s cheek gently, “I don’t, but she might,” in a swift move she smacked her insubordinate across the same cheek and started to move towards the stage’s exit, “so be quiet and do as I say.”

Seemingly just tuning in, Sonata rose her hand as if she was in a class, “Do I get a say in this?”

“No!” both her band mates yelled, Aria doing so with a growl and gritted teeth caused by the sharp pain in her face, while Adagio’s was more of a hiss. Their response deflated Sonata’s mood, and her head and shoulders sunk.

While Adagio left the stage and began to strut towards Trixie, Kael stood up to leave without another word said. This left just the two of them in the crowd’s area, with Aria and Sonata still on stage.

The singer waved over to Trixie, a soft smile on the yellow skinned, orange haired woman, “Hello there. Did you enjoy the show?”

Trixie returned the smile from her seat on the ground, not getting up but still nodding in greeting to the musician, “I must admit you are quite talented. I am most interested in studying your acts more.”

This seemed to please Adagio, who sat down directly beside Trixie and brought an arm around to Trixie’s far shoulder, “I can go over more…intimate details with you if you so please. Would you do that with me?”

That clammed Trixie right up, the princess laughing nervously before teleporting to the edge of the seats, “Maybe another time. I have some other things I have to handle.”

A little disgruntled by the rejection of sorts, Adagio just nodded to Trixie, “Of course. Shall I stop by later to discuss matters?”

“Sure, I just have to go now. Goodbye!” Trixie called back before vanishing in another flash.

Now alone except for her cohorts, Adagio brought a hand up to her chin as she realized something about Trixie, “Hmmm…interesting…”

“Sonata, get the hell back here!”

Adagio stood up and whipped her head from side to side in a quick attempt to find her fellow singers, only to find herself beyond exasperated to find Sonata chasing after some foals in what appeared to be a game of tag, Aria sitting on the edge of the stage with one palm plastered against her forehead.

Not willing to go to the effort to reign Sonata in, Adagio instead stomped over to Aria’s spot. Staring up at Aria from the ground, Adagio made it known with just a look that she was not pleased whatsoever.

Aria lowered her hand from her head and snarled defensively, “What? I thought letting her talk to foals would distract her.”

“You had one job, Aria. Never let her out of your sight!”

Aria rolled her eyes, not really caring about being reprimanded. Instead of caring, she leaned over and down to look Adagio in the eye while bringing up another subject, “Whatever. How’d talking to the princess go? She with us?”

Adagio placed a hand on her hip and looked over to where Trixie had disappeared from, “I don’t know yet. She isn’t playing for our team, at least not yet.”

“Which team we talking about here?”

Adagio reached up and grabbed her partner by the front of the collar, Aria only letting out a breath of surprise before she found herself being yanked by a strong grip straight off the stage. She crashed onto the ground face first while Adagio began to walk away, something new having caught her eye, “Oh shut up and catch Sonata. I’m going to go see about our living situation. I think I have found us a place to live.”

As Adagio began to wander towards a stallion who was passing by, Aria rose to her hands and knees and let out a heavy grunt.

“I fucking hate you.”

Aria cast her gaze over to the still playing Sonata, who had just tagged a foal so hard that they had faceplanted into the ground and were now crying. Sonata stopped to laugh at the foal’s misery, drawing so much glee from the display of weakness and pain that it gave Aria the perfect chance to tackle her off her feet and bring her to the ground, securing her.

Adagio might do as she pleased to her, but Aria was still going to work out her stress somehow.

Luna had left Loki in Equestria with the hope that he might patch up some old wounds there, while she could try and see how Lady Frigga was doing in his stead as well as handle some administrative duties in the meantime. Trixie was tasked with cleaning up some threats Equestria was facing, as well as the hefty task of bringing the Frost Giants in line. Given Trixie’s power though, Luna had no fear about the situation going well.

However, Luna found it odd that in one doorway on her way to the library, where Frigga had been spending these past months when she was not in the gardens, a soldier stood in her way. They did not move, nor did they react to her at all as she approached. To try and signal that she desired them to do so, Luna cleared her throat while bringing a hand to the small curve of her stomach.

When even this caused no movement, Luna began to take this quite personally.

“Stand aside, soldier.”

“No,” came the terse reply.

His voice jogged Luna’s memory of who this was: the guard with the moustache that did not seem to like her very much. At least there were not multiple of him, Luna was thankful for.

Luna shrugged and teleported to the other side of him, annoyed but overall not disgruntled by the fact that this was a guard she already knew hated her. Stress was bad for a woman when she was to have a foal Luna had been told, so she really did not want to get worked up the more she thought about how petty this idiot of a man was, “Or don’t I really don’t care since you being rude doesn’t do me any harm. I would suggest cleaning your act up before my husband returns though. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this yet, but he’s the king now, which means—”

The guard cut her off mid-sentence, his voice growing angry as he turned around to face Luna again, “He is no king of mine,” he jabbed a finger into Luna’s back, “And you no queen.”

“Oooooh. Is that insubordination I hear? I think I hear insubordination,” Luna laughed as she turned to face him, not really caring what this fool had to think about her and Loki.

The sound of multiple other guardsmen stepping into the hallway she found herself in made Luna begin to order that this guard be brought to the brig, at least until she realized that all of them had their weapons drawn already.

Realizing the situation she was now in, Luna tried to think of a way to get across to these men that she could wipe the floor with them even while pregnant without even lifting a finger.

“And it seems you have some supporters. Do not tell me this is some poor attempt at a coup? You do remember that I can use magic more powerful than your entire species is capable of, right?”

There were only five in total, and the fact that she was completely surrounded was countered by her teleportation abilities and other various magic. In fact, Luna had already taken a trick out of Trixie’s book and replaced herself with an illusion while teleporting to a nearby area and making herself invisible also through illusions. Luna had to admit that Trixie was quite the genius at meshing together abilities. Even as powerful as she was, Luna was not about to get herself beaten by overconfidence, especially not while pregnant.

Luna had her fake-self duck underneath a punch from the mustached guard, an attempt on his part to shut her up. Luna continued to throw her voice while mocking this pitiful rebellion.

“Here’s a tip, try poison next time. Given that I am pregnant and consuming more food than normal, it would be much easier than otherwise, and you could even get away with it.”

“We won’t need the tip—” were the last words of the Mustached Man, a trio of blades burrowing completely through his body: two swords and a thick axe. His body was yanked back through the doorway quickly as the Warriors Three rushed forward to put themselves in-between Luna and the other guards.

“Stand back, Milady, and I would suggest teleporting to where you are going for now,” Sif stated gruffly, her eyes narrowed menacingly at the other guards still standing with their weapons drawn.

Luna had her illusion nod before just dispelling that one and doing as told, not needing to see this unnecessary bloodshed. As Luna teleported to the library, the Warriors Three found that these malcontent guards were not backing down.

“You have sworn to serve the royalty of Asgard. What is the cause for this treason?” Sif questioned. While herself no fan of Luna, she was a loyal servant of Asgard. She could place her personal opinions aside if need be, unlike these guards they were now standing off with.

One of the guards snarled, “It is not treason if she is not our leader! Lady Frigga still holds the title of Queen, not this foreign harlot. She married a man who not only betrayed our kingdom, but a man who also shares no blood with the royalty to begin with.”

Sif leveled her blade at the warrior directly across from her, “Thor ceded his birthright to Loki. Loki is our king, and you will stay in line or you will be washed away like a stain.”

The other guards rose their weapons, making their intentions clear.

“So be it,” Hogun the grim ended before his axe found its mark in the neck of one rebel, quickly maneuvering to cut down another as Fandral and Sif began their swordplay with the other two.

Once again, Asgard was forced to spill the blood of its own.

Upon reaching the library, Luna was not surprised to find Frigga lounging lazily within. The former Queen was just looking over a tome that Luna could swear was Equestrian in origin, but that detail took second seat to what just happened.

“So, the guards just tried killing me. It was a little pathetic if I am to be honest. I guess that is why they are guards and not assassins though,” Luna said half jokingly to her mother-in-law, “I could have easily handled them, but Lady Sif and her companions decided to intervene anyways.”

This news brought a frown to the already sulking Frigga, but her voice remained even, “We should try to have one of the Warrior Three guarding you at all times until this patch of unrest passes. With how much strife Asgard has faced it is not easy to tell where one’s loyalties rest.”

Luna took a seat beside Frigga and leaned her upper body on the table, glad to have the chance to rest. While by no means weak, even she was a little tired from standing all day while being pregnant, “I agree.”

Her voice was weighed down by the fact that the nation she had hoped would like her just tried, and failed, at killing her. Not only did they fail to meet her expectations, they also failed to at least be competent about it.

Sensing Luna’s emotions on the matter, Frigga brought an arm around her and began to stroke the fur on Luna’s arm, “Do not be so disheartened because of the actions of a disgraceful few. You are hailed as a hero and savior among our people.”

That perked Luna back up, “I am?”

“Of course you are. Not only did you return and help redeem their prince, you ended the threat of Lorelei and the Dark Elves,” Frigga gave a weak smile as memories of the two of them being defeated by the Dark Elves came to mind, “Or, at least, helped.”

“At least I am not universally hated…” Luna snorted, “Spare some guards, that emotion is harbored then only by my own nation’s ignorant ponies.”

As Luna’s words trailed off, her eyes looked down to the pile of books that Trixie had left there the other day and had insisted be left there as they were. Luna smirked at the sight of her student’s hard work, and Frigga smiled too at that.

“She has been reading quite a lot in her free time it would seem,” Frigga noted, to which Luna nodded happily.

“These books are from my own castle’s library…” she paused at the thought of Trixie is a tiara and princess regalia, “I am proud that she is taking her new duty so seriously.”

Luna looked down at the collection of books, listing a few of their names as she pondered about how dedicated Trixie must be, “Historical Threats of Equestria…Notes on the Bifrost’s recreation…” that made Luna smile, since it meant Trixie was considering Asgard important too, “The Infinity Gems…” whatever those were.

Frigga passed over the book she had in her own hand, one that was actually a notebook of Trixie’s, “I must say, she is quite the intelligent reader it would seem from her notes. As if she has an almost uncanny understanding of these difficult tomes.”

“Oh how I love her. I could not think of a greater daughter.”

As soon as she said it, Luna felt a little guilty, but she felt comfortable in the fact that she would love her unborn daughter just as much.

Frigga chuckled while glancing down at Luna’s stomach, “Sometimes I wish I had one myself,” she paused before winking at Luna, “I suppose Loki was as close to a daughter as I could get.”

“I wish he was here to hear that.”

“I wish not. Even as his mother I do not think he could forgive me for saying such a thing.”

A polite knock on Trixie’s door made Trixie pause from getting ready for bed, a long day being ahead of her with her task of getting the Frost Giants to play nice with everyone despite hating Asgardians and disregarding humans. She cleared her throat before opening the door’s lock with her magic and calling out.

“Come in!”

The door opened to Adagio, who glanced around the room for a moment before entering and closing the door behind her. She smiled at Trixie, who in turn pointed at a chair by the bed for her to sit.

“Thank you for being so welcoming,” Adagio graciously said to her host, who was happy to have a guest. Adagio took the chair politely and sat facing Trixie, who was sitting on the bed’s edge and facing her in turn.

Despite being happy to have Adagio over, Trixie found it odd that her tagalong companions were not there too, “Where are your…” she paused before trying to come up with the right word, “Friends?”

Adagio laughed at the last word, “Oh they’re screwing around in our new apartment I assume.”

“Oh, so you’ve found a place to live?” Trixie questioned as her eyes traveled over to the corner of the room, only to come back to Adagio.

“Why yes, we have. We convinced this arrogant stallion with the most foppish of looks and a stupid bowtie to let us crash at his place,” Adagio snorted, a smile slowly growing on her face.

Trixie fought to keep herself from cringing at the mention of a pony she assumed to be Blueblood, returned from his self-imposed exile, “And where will he be sleeping?”

“The street for all I care,” Adagio got up from the chair and her smile become infinitely more devilish as she closed any and all space in-between her and Trixie, even placing an index finger on Trixie’s chest and making the mare feel very uncomfortable, “Now, enough with the games. My magic may still be recovering, but you were able to resist falling under my spell earlier. The same goes for your little boy-toy of an Elf.”

Trixie let out a nervous laugh, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are these spells made to make your singing sound good, or to get crowds to pay you money? I’m a little confused.”

“Oh come now, you could feel it. As we sang we were entrancing the entire crowd, which you were a part of. So long as someone can hear us they should fall under our spell, they have to do as we say, yet you rejected my suggestion,” Adagio moved back so she could look down at where Trixie ought to have wings, “The only time this was not the case was with an Alicorn. Humans, even humans with special properties, fall easily, same goes for ponies. Those Asgardian friends of yours are much more difficult, but still manageable, but in my experience only beings of the same power level or greater than an Alicorn can resist us.”

Adagio reached into her shirt and retrieved her necklace, showing Trixie the gem, “Even then, resisting is different from successfully holding out. I can feel it. You are not under our control,” Adagio replaced the item back in her chest before bringing a hand to touch Trixie’s face, “So I have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition?” Trixie asked, her voice confused.

Adagio began to run her hand and a single finger over Trixie’s body in a slow motion, “Join us. After all, we could use someone as powerful as you, with your intelligence, your connections…”

“You have some nefarious plot to take over Equestria, don’t you?” Trixie laughed joyfully, her voice actually quite excited despite the circumstances.

“Of course we do,” Adagio laughed while taking in all of Trixie’s Unicorn body with her eyes, “But you still haven’t moved a finger to stop me.”

“I don’t have fingers,” Trixie responded innocently. She could have fingers, the ever useful contraptions, but for now she wanted to mess with Adagio how she could.

“A figure of speech,” Adagio began to feel a splitting headache come on, “Please don’t go all Sonata on me.”

“Fine, fine. How do you know I’ll just play along though?”

Adagio leaned in on Trixie again, “You do want to be stronger, right?” she backed off to pull her necklace out again and swing it about briefly before placing it back, “I am offering you limitless power. The power to do whatever you please, whenever you please, because you will both be able to and no-one will be able to tell you otherwise. And I hear you have experience in this line of work, one way or another.”

“So then, tell me what you’re up to. I mean, I’d hate to join a treasonous plot without having any knowledge about it beforehand,” Trixie responded with a smile, her eyes once again darting to the corner of the room.

“Of course…” Adagio purred, all the while not noticing the invisible Elf standing and listening to every word. Trixie had a few reasons to be amused, but the fact that Kael was there as a witness to the whole thing made her all the more amused.

She knew there was something peculiar about those three after all.

With a little effort, Trixie managed to move up her timetable so that Jotunheim was to fall to her that same night. When she arrived she was positively exhausted, but she still had a job to do.

For sheer audacity’s sake, she had the Bifrost land her right in front of the main stronghold of the Frost Giant’s kingdom. What this meant was that Trixie had no problem walking straight up to the entrance except for how every single guard rushed to surround her. Trixie just teleported past them all with a yawn and into the very front of the castle, where she stopped to talk to one of the guards there.

“Hello. My name is Trixie Lulamoon, heir to Princess Luna, and thus royalty to the lands of Equestria, Asgard,” Trixie looked around smugly before looking back to the guard, “And, if I am not mistaken, this one, so if you would not mind I will meet with my dear grandfather Laufey.”

The guard formed a blade of ice and prepared to strike her with it, only pausing to speak, “You think that you, an adopted equine with no biological claim to her own throne, can ask to meet with our King?”

That actually surprised Trixie, just enough for the guard to bring the blade to rest against her throat threateningly and continue speaking.

“Oh yes, we know who you are. We have agents of our own—”

No longer yawning or seemingly bored with this all, Trixie looked at him with determined eyes to the point that it would be glaring if it held any malice, “That is nice, and I would let you finish, but I honestly do not care. Bring me to meet with Laufey this instant, or else I will dispose of you and ask someone else to.”

“You arrogant—”

The guard was pinned against the wall with sharp, tapered spikes originating from the ground impaling him to it on every limb, each shoulder, and the gut. Only his head was left alone, and that was too busy gasping from pain to do much of anything else.

The other nearby guards just stood as they witnessed Trixie cast magic so fast that they could not even see it. In fact, they backed up as Trixie began to mock the man who had placed a blade to her throat, “Did that hurt? Because that appears as if it hurt.”

This done, Trixie had the ice recede and exit his body, allowing the man to fall to the ground limply. Just as quickly as he had been impaled, his wounds also disappeared and he was left with a perfectly healthy appearance minus his state of unconsciousness.

Her example made, Trixie turned to the others and gave the all a fake smile, “He will live, but I ask that we do not repeat this. My mother wrecked you all when you attempted to engage her in combat. I am more powerful than even she is now. Do not try my patience.”

The others looked between themselves before snarling and turning towards the inner gateway, “This way.”

After a slow, quiet tour complete with many death glares, Trixie found herself standing before Laufey in his throne room. The head of his usurper brother that Luna confronted before was mounted on a pole, and Trixie found herself disgusted by the display. One of the first things she would have to change and tidy up.

Laufey snorted at the sight of Trixie, the whole matter appearing more amusing to him than anything else, “Trixie. It has been some time. To what do I owe the occasion?”

“Laufey,” Trixie bowed politely, “I am here on behalf of my parents, who wish to extend an olive branch and make peace with your kind.”

Laufey stood up from his throne and snarled down at Trixie, who took it all in stride, “After everything, all of the death, the utter humiliation those two have wrought upon everyone of Jotunheim, they dare ask for peace?”

Trixie held a hoof up to signal for him to calm down, “Look, I know what they have done is wrong. I agree with you completely. Loki, in trying to kill you all, and Luna, in not respecting you.”

Trixie paused and took in a deep breath before pointing her hoof at her own chest, her eyes closing as she spoke very slowly.

“But I am not them. I want you and your people to be happy, safe, and secure. I feel it is a duty that comes from the ties I now have to it, in addition to despising the conflict that exists between all of our races.”

Her words made Laufey calm enough to sit down, but he still scoffed at them nonetheless, “Then what do you propose as a solution? My son’s head?”

Trixie gave a nervous laugh to that, not wanting anything like that to be the case, “Preferably something less bloody,” she cleared her throat as she summoned a screen to project images onto. The screen appeared and began to play images from the Equestria Games, at which point she continued, “You see, there are these competitions on my world that act as a place for our people to compete and make peace simultaneously. Where we can send the best of our kind to compete and prove their worth.”

“So you want to expand this event to include my people and those of Asgard?” Laufey said with his intuition, being smart despite what one might think at the word “Giant”.

Trixie smiled, since they were on the same page. Bonding through competition, “Precisely. Now, I will lay you the terms of the competition, allow you to propose ideas and amendments that will allow your kind to compete in some ways and prove their worth, and you will then propose the idea to your people and publically support it.”

The king of Jotunheim remained skeptical, “And why would I do that, if I so happen to be opposed to this notion of making peace and competing in good spirit with those we despise so greatly?”

Trixie’s serious gaze returned, not delving into a death glare but also carrying the point that she was completely serious with what she was saying, “Because I would much rather there be no further conflicts, and I will continue to eliminate the problems in my way until that end is achieved. Currently, you all are a problem, and I do not want you all to be a problem. I want us all to play along nicely.”

The obvious threat in her words gave Laufey pause. Her words were true, but they went against his pride and that of his race. To bow down and listen to a horse’s orders was disgraceful, but Laufey also did not want to see his race wiped out now that their enemy had the capability of doing so in a multitude of ways.

With his silence hanging in the room and none of his guardsmen daring to speak, Trixie took it upon herself to prod him, “Now, Laufey, I know you are intelligent. You have heard by now that I killed a monster who was able to defeat every last warrior in Asgard and even my goddess of a mother. I have in me a power that was said to be able to destroy the nine realms. Do not try me.”

It took another minute of silence, but in the end Laufey waved a hand at her.

“Very well. Speak.”

Pride swelled in Trixie as she felt herself win a war without a single person dying, doing something that her predecessors were unable.

It felt great, as sad as it was that she had to force this peace upon the Frost Giants.

“I apologize for the coercion, but if that is what it takes I will use it. Now, this competition I mentioned…”

Celestia was finishing some paperwork in her room when her door was opened by a guard without any announcement prior, the orange coated guard instead entering first and then proclaiming that:

“Princess Celestia, you have guests.”

Celestia rose up in protest, not having sanctioned this matter at all. Even if it was someone as important as Cadance the proper protocol would be to announce it all and inform her about everything prior, and surely not just barge in.

“Guests? I did not approve of any visitors.”

The sound of singing reached Celestia’s ears just as wisps of green smoke entered the room. Celestia leapt to the back corner of her room to avoid it as the soft voices grew louder. Behind the guard entered three women, each of whom was letting out varying “ah’s” with their voice.

Celestia prepared to use her horn and blast away the intruders, but found that she was feeling more relaxed…like she couldn’t.

The one at the head of the pack, Adagio, laughed as she stopped singing, “Celestia, darling, tell me you did not forget our little promise?”

The other two continued their noise while Celestia snarled at this unknown woman, “Who are you? How did my guards let you in?”

Adagio snapped her fingers before bringing a hand to her hip and another to her chest, her face quite suggestive as she wagged her eyebrows at Celestia, “Oh, you must not recognize us in these bodies. My apology, the whole purpose of using these bodies was to not show our true forms,” she snapped her fingers and the guard started to leave, only for Aria to kick the door shut and force him out quicker, “Not that we have enough power to turn back anyways. Still, we have enough for just you thanks to a friendly donor.”

Celestia realized too late that a threat she thought she left behind a thousand years prior was back, her voice just whispering “Sirens” as she lost all control of her body.

Adagio sauntered up to Celestia and beckoned the princess to crane her head down, to which Celestia obliged mindlessly, “How insightful of you. You see, your dear guards just could not help but do as we say now that we have a small piece of our magic back. The fact that I’m borrowing some premium Alicorn magic as well means you really had no chance this time, not to mention those buffoons you still pay as if they actually guard you.”

Aria and Sonata stopped singing, the former approaching behind Adagio while the latter noticed that the door wasn’t closed fully yet and that a leg was in the way. She quickly remedied this by slamming it on the guard’s leg, breaking it before pushing the entranced guard out of the room completely and shutting the door.

With seemingly no sense of personal space once again, Adagio began to stroke Celestia’s face and run a hand through her flowing mane, “Now, you’re not going to call for help, are you?”

“No…” Celestia responded like a zombie, her eyes hollow and glowing the same green as the necklaces the trio of singers had.

Adagio patted the princess on the forehead before stepping back and smirking to her cohorts, “That’s a good girl. Don’t worry. We’re not here to do things like last time. We are too weak to handle power like yours yet, at least in the long term. We’ve been starved of magic for close to a thousand years now so we’ll need to sap it from you over a longer period of time. Humans have so little of it after all, and we have had nothing else of note to eat for oh so long.”

Aria groaned and jabbed a thumb back at the door, “Enough with the monologuing, Adagio. She’s already under our spell.”

This elicited a groan from Adagio herself, as if she just had her moment ruined, “There goes my fun for the night.”

“Wait, I thought we were still gonna—”

“Shut up Aria,” Adagio looked to Celestia again and spoke in a demeaning manner, “Now, you are going to help us and listen to our every whim. It’ll be harder to get your sister and the others, but we have time and I have waited so long for this. I can wait a little more.”

“That power that mare gave us really came in handy!” Sonata laughed as she spun around with a swirl of purple, black, red, and green magic around her, “Too bad we’re giving it back. Least we have a new bestie though!”

“Yes,” Adagio snorted as she turned around and began to strut towards the door, “Yes it did. Now girls, what would you say about celebrating this first step in our plan?”

Sonata jumped with joy, “I don’t even know what the plan is, but sure! Can we use tacos tonight?”

Aria rolled up her short, ripped sleeve before growling, “Tacos. To celebrate. Are you out of your damn mind?”

Adagio found herself agreeing with Aria for once, though the thought of mixing food and pleasure was resonating a little with her, “Sonata, dear, mention tacos one more time and I will just give your necklace to New Girl.”

“Awww…” Sonata pouted, though she said no more under threat of having her necklace taken from her.

“I am hungry though,” Adagio added, to which Sonata pumped her fists up in the air.

The three opened the door, Sonata and Aria going first while Adagio stayed behind for a moment to blow a kiss goodbye to Celestia, “Be good for us, Tia. Only you and your little books know anything about us, and as soon as we wipe those out this will be our little secret. So no telling, and remember, you will listen to us when we need to call on you.”

“Yes mistress…” came the droning response from Celestia, who would be a complete zombie so long as she was around them.

“That’s a good servant,” just to cover their bases, Adagio added another stipulation to her orders, “Also, act as if we have not met the next time we see eachother, and continue to act blasé about our presence here in Canterlot until it’s time to unveil our plan.”

Aria grabbed the back of Adagio’s pants and tugged her, “Adagio, come on already! Been waiting too long as it is.”

As Sonata made funny faces at the silently crying guard, Adagio growled in frustration on her way out and slammed the door.

“Ugh, fine! Just ruin it for me, joykill.”

No-one knew what happened in the castle that night, nor did anyone seem to think that anything was out of place. Things would carry on without incident, though Celestia would soon publically sponsor the three, though she could not exactly say why.

Author's Note

Like A Bird In The Sky

A/N: Special thanks to Kojivsleo, King of Kings, Evilhumour, Killabyte, ABitterPill, hs0003, The Last Cold Fang, SilentMech, Cadmium, Pacman_The_Peach, ChaoticLightning, Ketvirtas, and Drgnwolf for your comments last chapter. Hearing from you all really means a lot to me and I hope to continue to hear from you all!

Chapter's title comes from Hitomi's "If I Were a Bird"

Weeks passed by quickly as Loki, Luna, and Trixie all buried themselves in various projects. Luna was doing her best to take care of herself due to her gravid state, while Loki spent his days bringing to order a new reign in Asgard. Replacing old advisors, instating new guards who would be loyal, and handling the disputes and minor quibbles that plagued any country. When able however, he returned to Equestria to try and make his presence there not so irregular or wrong, but this did not instantly win over the hearts and minds of the ponies who lived there.

“Take this!”

While walking through the halls and making small chat with Princess Celestia, Loki found himself taking a step to the side to avoid the quick blur of blue that rushed his way. His avoided attacker crashed into the ground where he previously stood only to then tumble forward from their momentum caused from their aerial strike. Celestia gaped while Loki sighed, the latter raising an eyebrow at his would be attacker.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t announce your attacks?”

On the ground rubbing a hurt limb, Rainbow Dash looked back towards the prince with a snarl, “Oh yeah…”

Celestia was not at all pleased to see such barbaric tendencies in her castle, “Miss Dash, what is the meaning of this?”

Rainbow flapped her wings and lifted herself into the air so she could turn and start yelling towards Loki, “This creep attacked Equestria! Am I the only one who remembers that?”

Not fazed by the pony’s yelling, Loki glanced at Celestia with apologetic eyes, “Go on. I will speak things over with her.”

Celestia frowned but gave in to his plan. As she turned to leave in the hallways of Canterlot Castle, Rainbow Dash put some distance between herself and Loki.

“Oh no you don’t, I’m not going to let you mind control me again!”

Loki sighed as he placed a hand on his hip and the other on his head, “No one is mind controlling anyone here. Now calm down. I just want to talk.”

Rainbow snorted angrily, preparing to leap at Loki again, “Yeah, right. You know, I thought you were a pretty cool guy, but of course you had to be evil.”

Loki groaned as he found himself having to explain himself again. He felt he would have to do this quite a few more times before he was forgiven of his crimes, “Not evil. Controlled by a man who is evil and who would kill my family if I disobeyed him. In addition, he was controlling me the same way I turned you against your friends.”

“So…” Rainbow’s face became one of befuddlement, “You’re not evil.”

Loki could see that he was finally getting through to the Pegasus, as anger was fading and turning to the more malleable confusion, “Precisely.”

“That is exactly what someone who is evil would say though!” Rainbow countered, seguing back into anger as she growled at him.

That made Loki decide to play his trump card, “I, along with your friend Twilight, recently just helped save all known worlds from a race of monsters who sought to plunge everything into eternal darkness. Would I do that if I was evil?”

“You would if you were hoping to take over the galaxy yourself!” Rainbow once again countered, her face still showing signs of anger but also showing some more uncertainty.

At this point Loki found himself at a loss for words. Would she just doubt everything he said? He did not blame her, but it made this more difficult certainly, “What do I have to do to convince you that I am no longer a foe to your people? I am married to one of your princesses, we are expecting foals, and—”

He was cut off by Rainbow gasping, “Woah, you and Princess Luna are married?!”

Loki could see that he had his way in finally, “The official announcement has not been made here yet, but yes, we have. I would have thought your friend Twilight would have mentioned it.”

“She said she has a lot of news she wants to tell us, but that she has to wait first…Hmmm…” Rainbow crossed her front hooves before jabbing one in Loki’s direction, “Okay, you got to help me out with two things if you want to make up for all that bad stuff.”

If Loki could convince one more the more argent opponent’s to his return that he was not so bad, he could use her to assist him in convincing others of his sincerity. Whatever terms she had would ultimately be easier than confronting others without her support.

“What are they?”

Rainbow landed down on the ground and approached Loki so that she could jab him with a hoof, “One, you have to apologize to Scootaloo for getting her hurt. Even if it was an accident, you need to say sorry.”

Loki could remember there being some kind of bond between Rainbow and the poor foal who had been harmed during his invasion of Canterlot, and Loki felt sick upon remembering his part in that harm, “Of course. What else?”

“Prove you’re the cool guy I thought you were. I’m going to be pulling a prank on a friend and I may need help from someone who can do magic. Not sure egghead—I mean Twilight—will be in on it.”

That was a more light hearted request, so Loki nodded and smiled, “I think I can assist.”

Rainbow took flight again, “Meet me in Ponyville whenever you’re able. I’ve got obligations and stuff to handle there so I can’t be away from home for long. Need to be ready for the Wonderbolt Reserve training I’m doing soon.”

Loki bowed to her, “I will see you there.”

Down the hallway, another voice could be heard that Loki had grown to both love and fear.

“Oh Loki!”

He flashed a smile to Rainbow Dash before turning towards the voice calling his name.

“My wife is calling. Farewell Miss Dash. I look forward to the coming prank spree.”

“You better not let me down!”

Trixie had stayed in Jotunheim after her meeting with Laufey, sending reports home to soothe Luna’s worries. Something had come to mind that she had wanted to take care of there and so she had stayed to tend to the idea.

Upon finally returning to Equestria, Trixie stopped by the place she had been told the Dazzlings were staying. Or rather, where the Sirens were staying.

Their residence was none other than Blueblood’s house, the owner not anywhere in sight to Trixie’s relief. They had seemingly put the idiot under their spell as well or at least whomever was looking after the house for him. Trixie did not really care so long as she did not come face to face with the insufferable pseudo-prince.

The large suite that the “prince” lived in was largely empty, and surprisingly dimly lit when Trixie visited it that night. She heard the voices of the three inside, so she knew they were home, but she did not take them for the sort to go to bed early.

Taking a look around, Trixie found that one of them was upstairs and leaning against a door. Her ear was pressed against it as if she was listening in on what was going on inside, and after a moment Trixie could tell even in the dark that this one was Sonata given her giggling.

Clearing her throat, Trixie tried lighting up her horn only to remember that she had taken to using her Elf body in Jotunheim after a few days. While the Pony body was warmer, she was better able to work with her magic in the arcane-attuned body of an Elf. Instead she was forced to create light from her hands, lighting up the hallway with its glow.

Having a specific purpose behind the visit, Trixie addressed Sonata directly since the air headed girl had not noticed either the vocal throat clearing or the new light in the hallway.

“Sonata, where is Adagio?”

Sonata turned towards Trixie, her face astonished as she quickly moved to block the door with her body, “Oh, Tricksy! Uhhhh, she’s…kinda busy with Aria in there. You can totally be with me until she’s ready though! Wanna go in my room?”

Trixie tilted her head confusedly, not getting what Sonata meant by ‘be with’ but also not caring, “I do not understand,” Trixie shook her head and approached the door that Sonata was now using her body to protect, “And I must speak with our dear leader. It is important.”

As Trixie moved to grab the door handle, Sonata moved in her way and gave a sheepish smile, “Adagio’s getting…is…whatever, she’s busy with Aria! Come back in like…” her smile became more of an amused one as Sonata giggled, “I dunno, they can go at it for awhile, so…maybe tomorrow morning? You can sleep with me in my room if you want though. It was kind of lonely out here anyways!”

Trixie opened her mouth to say that she was not interested, but the sound of Adagio screaming made her pause.

“Aria!”

Trixie began to see what she thought Sonata was trying to get across: Adagio and Aria must be arguing. What nonsense. Trixie grunted as she pushed Sonata out of the way, “I am not going to wait that long.”

“Fuck! You!” she could hear Aria yelling at Adagio.

Trixie moved a hand to the handle, only to feel that it was locked with a slight touch. Not about to be stopped when her business was so important, Trixie prepared to teleport inside, “Before they yell any more, I will interrupt and hopefully stop this argument.”

Sonata reached a hand towards her worriedly, “I wouldn’t do that—”

The warning was not heeded, and Trixie teleported inside of the room that she quickly learned was a bedroom. The light coming from Trixie lit it all up and allowed Trixie full sight of the intertwined bodies of Adagio and Aria.

Intertwined, naked, hip thrusting bodies.

Trixie felt herself freeze and gape as Adagio, the one on top, paused and turned back to where the light was coming from. Aria, on bottom, growled weakly as she looked across the room at Trixie.

“Ever heard of, uh,” Adagio moving caused her to gasp, “K-knocking?”

Trixie felt herself blushing as she forced her gaze away. She had not intended to interrupt such an…intimate meeting.

“I…oh. Sorry.”

Her activity spoiled, Adagio climbed off of Aria and onto the rest of the bed. She groaned as she brought a hand up to her forehead, at which point Trixie turned out the light.

“Go outside. I’ll be there in a moment,” Adagio sighed, her voice not angry but having signs of being annoyed.

Trixie gave in to Adagio’s command and teleported out of the room, at which point she found that Sonata had since turned on the actual lights. Sonata flashed her a nervous smile to which Trixie just continued blushing, finally understanding the subtext given to her.

After a minute Adagio opened the door, now wearing a skimpy robe that must have been custom made for her in recent weeks. Trixie tried to ignore the nearly bare outfit to instead focus on Adagio’s face, which was glaring at her intensely.

“What the hell is it?”

Trixie laughed nervously, “I just…” still caught off guard, she paused and tried to gather her scattered thoughts to little avail, “Did you succeed? Is Celestia…”

Adagio crossed her arms over her barely covered chest, her face softening somewhat, “Yes, we did, thanks to the power you granted us. Did you come to take it back?”

Trixie shook her head and smiled to the leader of the group, “Oh no, you can hold on to it for now, mistress.”

Hearing Trixie call her that made Adagio’s confidence rise, and she lowered her arms to bring one over to Trixie’s head so she could pet the top of it, “That’s a good pet. Now, if you do not intend to join us, I would ask that you leave. I am sure Aria would prefer you to Sonata, but she will be moodier than usual if she is left alone too long. You learn these things after a millennium of isolation with someone.”

Trixie swallowed her breath while taking a step back and holding her hands up defensively, “Thank you, but I have matters to attend to…”

“Of course. Now goodnight, my pet,” Adagio turned back to the door and shifted her hip seductively, her eye winking as she looked back towards Trixie, “I have unfinished business of my own.”

Adagio closed the door behind her, at which Aria grunted towards her from the edge of the bed. Her bare arms and legs were crossed to Adagio’s displeasure, and the sour look on the purple skinned girl’s face killed the mood even more for Adagio.

“Why do you even trust that new girl?” Aria complained, her face scrunched up.

Sensing her partner’s displeasure, Adagio strutted over towards her in the dark room while speaking her case, “She is an Alicorn, and so our normal powers do not quite work on her, but now that she’s been so stupid as to grant us her own power I can feel my influence working on her,” when she reached Aria, she softly pushed her down onto the bed and climbed onto it to straddle her, Adagio running a hand across Aria’s cheek, “Soon enough she’ll be completely at our beck and call.”

Aria fought a moan to grab the hand that was touching her face, “I still don’t trust her. She’s the daughter of Princess Luna, whose known for being quite the loose cannon. Don’t you listen to the ponies in this town?”

That made Adagio laugh. She had done quite a lot of research on Trixie before confronting her, and that research painted the picture of a troubled, weak willed girl, “Of course I do, and I’m counting on her family’s selfish tendencies. Our dear little Trixie is currently in a place between love and hatred in the ponies here in Equestria after trying to forcibly take over an entire town. She has since tried to redeem herself, but still has the makings of quite the villain.”

She lowered her face to meet her lips with Aria, the other girl not resisting her, and after the kiss Adagio continued with a disturbing smile, “With the right push and influence…”

Adagio pinned Aria down and began to undo her robe.

Aria was less than pleased concerning Trixie, though she had something else to occupy her mind at the moment, “I won’t buy it until she proves it,” she grunted.

“You’re just worried she’ll take your spot as beta, aren’t you?”

“Shut up.”

From behind the door their other team member’s voice rang out, further interrupting them.

“Can I come in?”

Aria growled and used all her strength to yell, “Fuck off, Sonata!”

“Awww…” came the disappointed voice of Sonata, who had still been listening in.

Adagio moved a hand to cover Aria’s mouth, at which point she looked over to the door with her devilish smirk, “Actually, come in. I’m feeling hungry for blue tonight.”

“Yay!”

As Sonata came on in, Aria bit Adagio’s hand to force her to let go, letting her growl, “I said I don’t want her—”

Adagio gripped Aria by the throat as Sonata started to climb on the bed, “I’m in charge. Remember that.”

Aria should have felt fear, but this was their dynamic. She liked having it rough, since struggling against Adagio was the most fun she had managed to have across a thousand years in an unfamiliar place.

“For now,” Aria smirked right back at her, her voice soft because of her lack of air.

Not with Trixie for weeks on end was Kael, who for the first time since his awakening had been left to his own devices with no-one telling him what to do. He spent days in town performing for the foals and telling tales that painted a better picture of the family that had taken him in, others in the kitchens learning how to cook so that he could provide for himself without requiring others to tend to him as well as cook for Trixie upon her return, and he even had a trip to visit Asgard one day to see a memorial Loki was putting together for the lost Illidan.

Upon returning to Equestria Kael decided to wander the castle he was now living in, and found himself enjoying the peaceful walk quite well until he came across a small courtyard where something he could see stopped him in his tracks.

Instead of simply being content, Kael went into complete enthusiasm.

“My my. A Phoenix!”

Perched on a special stand was a red and golden Phoenix that had bright white eyes with no visible pupil, much like Kael’s own. The bird seemed to notice him as well as it turned to face him while the Prince stopped his wandering and instead approached the courtyard.

As if he had done this before, Kael approached the Phoenix with care and offered his arm gently. He whistled and the bird took flight briefly before perching on his outstretched arm, its body facing him as the bird looked at him with interest, “What is your name?”

The bird squawked at him, and Kael could see that the smart animal was amused at his question.

“Yes, I realize how silly a question that is. I thought it only polite to ask though.”

Kael winced momentarily before raising his other hand to stroke the Phoenix’s head gently, “You would have liked Al’ar, though he is a bit larger than you…” Kael paused to sigh as he remembered the Phoenix he once had what felt like a lifetime ago, “The size of this room at maximum size, actually. He was known as the Phoenix God for a reason.”

The bird nestled against Kael’s face as the Elf winced in pain again, this time the pain so great that he was forced to bring a hand to his head. After it passed for a moment he smiled to the animal and began to thank it for it’s comfort before he lost control of his body and fell to his knees from pain.

“Are you okay?”

Not having spent that much time in the castle itself except when sleeping in Trixie’s vacated room, Kael did not recognize the voice that well. He turned around to find himself facing Celestia, who had managed to get right behind him during his fit of pain. How had he not noticed her, he wondered to himself, but he was grateful for the concern shown.

Kael smiled to her as the Phoenix on his arm squawked happily to Celestia, “Yes, I am fine…” Kael rose to his feet and shook off the pain, “Just a temporary migraine. I am sure you are familiar in your current state.”

Only having met the foreign guest briefly when he first came, Celestia found herself having to fight to remember his difficult name, “You are Prince Kael’Thas, correct? Thank you for giving my Philomena company.”

Celestia had to admit that the Phoenix blended in well with Kael’s clothing, as the Elf had seen about having Twilight’s friend Rarity put together a less ruined version of his clothing after first coming to Equestria. Now he had a red and golden robe that covered his body and legs, a large mantle hanging off his robe’s pointed shoulderguards and back, covering about three quarters of his body in its crimson coloration with golden accents. With Philomena on his robe’s arm, her colors blended perfectly in.

The Phoenix, Philomena, leapt off of Kael’s arm and began to fly around him as Kael took a bow to Celestia, “You are correct, my lady. Prince Kael’Thas Sunstrider of the Blood Elves at your service.”

“It is a pleasure. I see that you are familiar with Phoenixes.”

That brought a smile to Kael’s face, memories flooding his mind. After a moment those same memories caused his smile to fade into a crease, his voice losing some of its cheer, “You know, I used to have one of these myself. His name was Al’ar, and it pains me that he was not only slain but also stolen by the same people who sought to murder me so long ago.”

His words gave Celestia pause, the princess worried about his mention of murder but also growing some sympathy for the poor man having his pet stolen from him, “I do not know what I would do if someone stole my dear Philomena. She once was taken from me, but it was by an animal enthusiast trying to tend to Philomena in a state of sickness,” Philomena landed on a hoof Celestia stretched out while speaking, “Philomena here has been my companion for some time now. I wish I had more time to spend with her, though I suppose I will now.”

Kael found himself feeling bittersweet as he looked at the bond between Celestia and her pet, “Such majestic creatures…” he paused as his head continued to throb, only to continue a moment later as if nothing happened, “The most powerful beings I know of. Beings able to transcend death itself and be born anew after life ends. The perfect companions for a race with elongated lifespans.”

More of a listener than a speaker, Celestia let Kael continue as she could see he had more on his mind. Philomena returned to Kael’s arm and began to rub her feathered head against him softly, appearing to like and trust him instinctively.

Kael began to pet her again, amused by her playfulness, “Ironic that I once was associated with these creatures. After all, I have died before only to rise from the ashes. I was slain again, and then brought to life in a realm of infinite torment. It is from there that my association with your family started, as I followed them out of that place when Trixie and Loki escaped it.”

Ever the worry wart, Celestia felt she had to confront the elephant in the room, “Who sought to kill you?”

That vanished any remaining traces of humor on the foreign Prince’s face. He remembered everything now, and that could be its own problem.

The Elf shook his head slowly and ceased his petting, “I am afraid telling you may lower your opinion of me. I have been working out my memories with Trixie, and not all of them are pleasurable. In fact, many are not.”

That would not deter the questioning of Celestia, who had much experience with others who had past misdeeds, “I have grown an acceptance for others who may have once held darkness in their hearts or done bad, so long as they work to redeem themselves.”

Seeing he was not going to get out of this one, Kael’s shoulders sank and his hands moved to his hips while Philomena returned to Celestia, “Well, then I suppose I can tell you. My race, once known as the High Elves, had our homeland destroyed in a war brought by a vicious race known as the Scourge. Undead beings who sought to use our homeland’s power source, known as the Sunwell, to rise one of their own from the dead.”

His tone became hollow, while Celestia became completely quiet, “My people were slaughtered. The survivors scattered. This was when we became known as the Blood Elves. I worked to pick up the pieces, as was my duty as prince, but my people faced a looming threat caused by the destruction of the Sunwell.”

His hand moved up to his chest, where he began to grip at the cloth, “You see, we have thrived so long on arcane energy that flowed through our bodies from the Sunwell that…with it gone we suffered from withdrawal. My people were driven to madness as their starvation of its energies slowly got to them.”

“How did you remedy this addiction? Or…” Celestia trailed off as the possibility of his race being extinct struck her.

“They’re fine…now that I’m out of the picture at least,” Kael said with intentional ambiguity, “I originally had hoped to use the Alliance, a group of the supposedly more refined and noble races, to find a cure to our addiction. However, the Alliance used my people’s weak state to cast us aside, even attempting to finish the job the Scourge began. We escaped those who would betray us in our time of need, and sought refuge with a half-demon known as Illidan who promised us a way of satiating our hunger as well as refuge from those who would persecute us.”

As if he was drained by the discussion of his past, Kael waved a hand and summoned a chair to sit on, “We lived in a land of demons and monsters for some time, yet it somehow was more peaceful than the land we had considered home. We worked to help out our original land when we could, not being heartless beings after all, but we mostly remained in our demonic sanctuary, feeding off the dark energies of the demons around us so that we might survive.”

Demons…dark energy…Celestia could tell where this was going. Feeding off the energy of a dark creature could easily lead to the corruption of the consumer. Dark energy, no matter the source, carried that innate quality. It could take time, it could be instant, it could be maddening, there was no exact science to the corruption that followed it. Both Luna, Loki, and Trixie could attest to their experiences with it. A scepter, the Nightmare, and the Alicorn Amulet Trixie once possessed all stood as examples of what such things could do.

Speaking up again, she became solemn, “The demonic energy corrupted you, I presume.”

Her understanding brought a small curl to Kael’s lip, “It did. Almost overnight I transformed from a well-intentioned leader to a monster who began plotting to destroy everything and everyone, secretly serving a powerful demon lord known as Kil’Jaeden. I worked against Illidan, who had since become a friend, and soon enough began turning against my own kind. Some Blood Elves who had not yet given into the demonic taint managed to confront me.”

He paused as he swallowed nervously, “They slew me, or at least they thought they had…” Kael sighed and shook his head as he looked to the ground, one hand going back up to his chest, “I survived, but required a giant crystal of power embedded in my chest to survive. I continued my plans, and even began using a new Sunwell to summon Kil’Jaeden. I had become little better than those who brought my people to ruin.”

A laugh escaped his lips, “It was then that I was stopped. Weakened by my original setback, I was killed for my evil plans. I do not blame those who came for my head, but I do regret how easily I fell into madness. It was completely out of character for me, as I previously had staved off my addiction quite well.”

“Yet you stand before me now, seemingly sane and in control,” Celestia added, unsure as to how that could be.

That brought a nervous face to Kael, who was worried Celestia might not be all that welcoming if he just flat out said nothing had really changed to his knowledge, “I next awoke in a land that was full of other mad, tortured creatures. Trixie and Loki assisted me in leaving, albeit unwillingly, and I have since sold my allegiance to Trixie who has promised to help me.”

While sympathetic, Celestia did not particularly care for yet another individual who could go off the rails and bring danger to her nation like before with Loki. Still, she decided to say what was on her mind in a roundabout and non-offensive manner, “Do you intend to return to your people? Your own world?”

Kael began to play with his mantle as sadness creeped into his eyes, “I do, yes, but I have a feeling it will not be quite welcome. Once I have regained my strength and found my way, I will return to them and make amends. Some research into the subject shows that perhaps an upgraded Bifrost can bring me home.”

Philomena could understand the sorrow in his voice and face too, so she flitted back to him and landed in his lap. Once there, she rubbed her head and beak against his chest, the sight of which made Celestia sigh sorrowfully. For Philomena to be so enamored with him meant that he was a good person, as Celestia had never known Philomena to misjudge someone’s character, but the fact remained that Luna had now indirectly dragged a second damaged prince into their lives.

“I wonder what it is that draws my sister and her student to such damaged foreign princes,” Celestia pondered out loud.

Not about to let her have the last word, the Blood Elf smirked up at Celestia as he pet Philomena, “Perhaps there is a certain attraction to the downtrodden shared by others who have actually suffered themselves.”

Caught off guard by the boldness displayed by his statement, Celestia was unable to respond by the time Kael whispered to himself, “I wish that perhaps…”

The apprehension in Celestia’s heart faded as she noticed that beneath the green glow of Kael’s eyes there were tears falling. Celestia felt bad for judging him, though her experience blindly trusting Loki put her in a place of uncertainty about it all.

Philomena took flight and began to fly above them both in circles, to which Kael smiled slightly while continuing to cry, “If only I were as free as a wild Phoenix. Sometimes living down here can be too heavy on the heart and the mind,” he paused as his weak voice went on, “I forget sometimes where I end…”

Her pity reaching its high point, Celestia approached the prince and sat down across from him so she could lift a hoof up and place it on his shoulder, “You are not going to go on any villainous campaigns to conquer this land like the last foreign prince to live here did, are you? If not, then I have no issue with you remaining here.”

Kael brought a hand up to touch the hoof, the man appreciating her gesture of goodwill, “Of course not. Everything I do now I do at Mistress Trixie’s pleasure. She only wants the best for your people, so that is what I shall seek too. She already knows all of this…”

His eyes noticed something about Celestia, which made him smile happily, “I see that you are expecting. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. My due date is approaching, and while I have some time before it comes I am not sure how much I am looking forward to that. It is a whole new level of responsibility.”

A flash of purple, black, and red nearby in the courtyard drew the attention of both of them as Trixie made her sudden entrance that star filled night.

With Trixie now there, Kael stood up so that he could greet her but first he decided to say farewell to the others, “I wish you the best, but it appear that I have something to take care of now. Farewell, my lady,” he nodded to Celestia and then turned to Philomena, who had returned to where she had been when he first arrived, “Philomena.”

Trixie ignored Celestia and grabbed Kael with a hand, “Let’s go to our room. I need to work off some stress.”

Just as quickly as she arrived, Trixie departed with Kael in tow. Celestia managed to see that Trixie was blushing red and was completely flustered. What had she just done beforehand that made her so out of it?

Also, more importantly…

“They are sharing a room?”

Philomena squawked in response, to which Celestia sighed. She wished she had an actual companion like Luna and Trixie, as nice as it was to have a pet. Discord was simply not as regular or reliable as their partners as much as Celestia wished he was.

Despite being pregnant, Luna had done her best to continue getting exercise albeit at a reduced rate. So Loki was forced to accompany her as she walked around and hugged him tightly the entire way.

Luna was happy and did not want anything to ruin the feeling of contentment she had.

“Loki,” Luna purred as they made their way through the halls. Loki had been steering them towards the section where their rooms were, since it was getting pretty late to be up and active. Luna needed her rest after all.

“Luna, you are awfully clingy today.”

Luna bumped him with her hip, knowing full well he would and could not retaliate, “Shut up and let me hug you.”

Loki rolled his eyes, “How are you feeling?”

“Like I weigh far more than I should. If I were a horse at least the weight would be equally distributed. Now my back hurts,” Luna pouted. As the months went on the bulge of her stomach had grown at an almost exponential rate. In fact, she was so large that most would assume she was at the end of her term instead of only partway through like she was. Celestia was far farther along and about the same size, though unlike Luna Celestia only had one child.

“Well do not blame me. You are at as much fault as me.”

Luna groaned at the truth in his words, “More, actually, since I instigated the majority of our…exchanges.”

“At least we have the hardest part, that of naming, done.”

“Yeah, hardest for you,” Luna pouted again as she brought a hand to rub against her distended stomach, “Sleep Near and Hela,” Luna paused as she thought about their future daughter, “You…you don’t think our daughter will become that…”

Loki brought her into an embrace quickly but softly, silencing her as he spoke, “We can try our best to keep her from that path, but we will see.”

Luna returned the hug and lowered her face into Loki’s chest, feeling a bit silly with how they were separated by a large stomach and her extended chest, “You know, I look like I should be at full term right now, but I feel like I’m nowhere close.”

“You are carrying twins after all, and you are decently along. In addition, I hypothesize that Sleep Near is going to be born as a foal and Hela an Asgardian.”

The thought of how that would fit made Luna’s face grow pale beneath its blue fur, “What makes you say that?”

“I can sense magic better than I used to after my time in Hela’s world, in addition to a resistance to darker magics,” Loki paused so he could run a hand over the blue dress that covered Luna’s taut stomach, “And the two beings inside of you are giving off different power levels, even though they should be about the same if they are of the same race.”

“Oh great…” Luna grunted as she thought about how to handle this development, “At least my shapeshifting should help with the birth, but I am still not looking forward to the effort.”

“I was not sure whether I should mention it before, but they appeared to be shifting forms inside of you before. Changes in shape and power in instant spikes either way. They have settled down now though the past month or so.”

“I thought it was early for them to be kicking…” In revenge for not saying so sooner, Luna found a perfect punishment for her dear lover, “It is reasonably late, Loki, and I am on leave from my duties so I think we should turn in for the night. Carry me.”

Loki could understand why she was doing this to him in addition to the romantic aspect of it, but he was not actually looking forward to it that much because understanding did not mean it would be easier on his poor arms and his own back, “You weigh a massive amount, Luna.”

Luna brought a hand up to her chest and stuck her tongue out at Loki, “And some of that added weight you have been enjoying previously, since pregnancy apparently comes with natural enhancements in your species, so be quiet and carry me.”

Not being able to argue against that, Loki swept Luna up into his arms despite her shape and weight because of his increased strength from the changes Hela made to him over his time in Hel.

They were close to the rooms already though, and the two were content with silence for the few moments before some muffled voices coming from Trixie’s room interrupted that.

“Wow that sucked…let’s try again.”

Luna looked at Loki with a raised eyebrow. That sounded like Kael, which wasn’t suspicious by itself, but it sounded like he was talking to someone.

As the two reached Trixie’s door and began to pass it, Luna pulled on his shirt, “Wait Loki.”

“I’ll…your…upside down.”

Luna helped herself down from Loki’s arms and began staring at the door.

“Perhaps I underestimated you…”

That was Trixie.

“Do not get too comfortable.”

Kael…

“Obey me…”

“Bow to my…”

At that point Luna spoke up with aggravation, “Okay, this is driving me insane, just what are they doing?”

“Are you sure you want to go in there?”

Loki stepped out of the way as Luna approached the door and opened it. What was inside gave both Luna and Loki pause and confused them both.

“Just what is going on here?” Luna questioned as she looked inside with extreme confusion. The room was scattered, books and other objects were strewn about the room’s floor, other’s hung in the air as if gravity was not working on them, and in the middle of it all was Trixie on top of Kael.

Trixie, who had Kael’s shirt and only his shirt on her pony body, looked up to Luna while biting her lower lip, “Kael and I are…practicing magic…while also reliving some of his memories…” Trixie swallowed heavily before continuing, “Particularly, those when he was at his strongest…”

Luna nodded slowly, “I see.”

Trixie glanced down at the shirtless Kael, who was laying on top of his tattered cloak in what appeared to be fear of Luna. After glancing down at him, Trixie looked back up to Luna with embarrassment and climbed off of the Elf, “It isn’t what it looks like.”

Kael sat up now that he did not have a pony pinning him to the floor, his hands brushing off the dust now on his exquisite mantle, “I must admit however that this does look quite suspect. My only concern is to why your daughter feels entitled to my shirt after defeating me. I was using it.”

Loki excused himself at that, not being able to keep a smirk off his face and barely keeping himself from laughing at the whole display. Luna however just looked in utter confusion at her student who had been so bold to take his shirt off and wear it herself, “It just came off and it felt and smells nice. Is it not customary to loot your defeated foes of their valuables?”

Kael and Trixie began to bicker about the rightness and wrongness of taking someone’s clothing, at which point Luna stepped in and stood between them.

“Okay, I need to have a talk with Trixie. Kael, would you mind leaving us?”

The Elf stood up and pointed at the red cloth now worn by Trixie, “I—”

“Leave the shirt. I’m sure you will get it back later,” Luna grunted, not wanting him there any longer so she could have this important talk.

“But—”

“Now, Kael.”

At that he stepped out and quietly closed the door behind him, understanding that Luna wanted this mother-daughter talk. Once alone, Luna smiled at Trixie.

“His shirt? Really Trixie?”

Trixie turned her head away as she sat down and grew an embarrassed appearance, “I…” she glanced up at Luna, “So? It does feel nice. I think he had it made of silk.”

Luna held her hands up in surrender, “Fine, whatever you say Trixie. So long as you promise me one thing I won’t say another word on the matter.”

“What is it?” Trixie eagerly asked, not wanting to be teased any longer.

Luna stepped to the door, opened it, and once she was halfway out Luna turned around with a cheeky smile, “Go on a date.”

Trixie guffawed, “D-date?” Luna’s smile staying as it was made Trixie realize that Luna was serious, but she did not want her to be, “You must be joking!”

That brought only laughter to Luna, who began to leave, “I expect at least one grandchild. Your work begins now.”

Trixie’s jaw dropped, “Work?” the door shut behind Luna and Trixie called after her, “Mother, I—”

Now alone, Trixie stomped her hoof down, “Hmmph! As if I would subject myself to those hormonal imbalances. I have enough on my plate as it is.”

A polite knock on the door came before Kael opened the door and poked his head in, “So, about my shirt—”

“I’m keeping it until you can beat me and take it back.”

Kael stepped in fully, his hands pulling his large cloak around his bare abdomen to cover what he could with it, “That is unfair. All of my magic comes from you, there’s no way I can win!”

Trixie tilted her head up snootily, “I recommend looking into alternative clothing then. My magic letting you be powerful again and feeding your addiction, my rules.”

Realizing there was little he could do, Kael gave in to her, “At least I still have my cloak…”

That made Trixie laugh, since why would she want to take something so large that she would be tripping in? At least, in this particular body and not her real body or her Elven one, “And you may keep it. That silly thing is too large and would only get in the way.”

Feeling his sense of fashion insulted, Kael turned his head away, “Hmmph. What was your mother talking to you about anyways?”

Trixie decided to not lie but also not get into the actual subject, “Something about children. Probably because she is about to have a pair herself.”

Kael wandered over to Trixie so he could pat her on the head, making her feel embarrassed and exacting some revenge on her, “You will make a most interesting aunt.”

Trixie snorted, “One of those kids is going to grow up and imprison the two of us in Hel. I am not exactly looking forward to seeing the living incarnation of death no matter how young and adorable she may be.”

“Perhaps she can grow up to be better than the one we had the misfortune of meeting?” Kael offered, not particularly fond of the previous one who had him linger on in torment in his most degraded form.

“I hope. I don’t want to go back,” Trixie whispered.

“Of course we don’t,” Kael laughed as he patted Trixie on the back, “Now, I hate to bother you again about the issue, but the cold is quite uncomfortable. My chest is quite chilled right now.”

“Use a blanket if you want to stay warm. But stay on your specified half of the bed. No touching.”

“Would it not just be easier for me to have my own room?”

“Shut up and take the blanket. I got it because it is red, your favorite color.”

“Actually, my favorite colors are blue and purple. Red is the color of my people.”

“Oh…”

“You thinking about her.”

“I think I am going to go and see her soon…”

“Do you want me to come?”

No…I’m fine.

Author's Note

Also, big news in case you guys haven't seen my blog post about the matter! I will be doing a spin off of sorts for this story concerning Trixie and Kael in his own setting, so if you want more details check it out here! Blog post

It All Went By So Fast

A/N: Special thanks to ChaoticLightning, SilentMech, Evilhumour, hs0003, Amethyst Blade, Cadmium, Drgnwolf, Killabyte, Ketvirtas, and Ozymandias42 for your comments last chapter. Hearing from you all really means a lot to me and I hope to continue to hear from you all!

Chapter's title comes from the story's main song, from Five Finger Death Punch, "Remember Everything". I highly recommend listening to it if you have the chance!

For those who didn't see the previous A/N about it, I am going to be doing a Trixie/Kael story that takes place in the World of Warcraft universe that will be a comedy/adventure story, and I'm hoping that perhaps some of you will come read it when I release it in the coming weeks! It'll be related to this story of course, but you'll all see how later on! Just hope you all will join me and support that story like you have this, in case you are interested. It'd mean a lot to me to start out the new year with your support!

With some time spent back in Asgard to attend to business matters, including the execution of the remaining dissidents who sought to harm Luna, Loki came to realize that perhaps he respected his step-daughter more upon Frigga reporting the reading selection to him. A reader and a planner both, it would seem given her efforts to go through such difficult tomes on important subjects.

After perusing the most important document among them, Loki felt he had to confront Trixie about something that might not be on her mind yet. She needed warning before her new power came back to bite her.

“You still have the Aether in you, don’t you?”

On the inner side of the front gates of Canterlot’s castle, Loki found Trixie pacing back and forth as if she was struggling with some idea. Trixie appeared surprised by his arrival, but she hid it quickly to place a smile on her face as she turned to face him.

“I do. It has granted me quite the increase in power,” Trixie boasted while forming a ball of energy in her palm, her form being that of a Blood Elf and not a pony.

Loki returned the smile, genuinely pleased that she was on her game but also worried internally that she might not grasp who that meant she was bound to face.

“I looked into that book you were reading on the Infinity Gems. Seven artifacts that hold unimaginable power…” Loki paused for the dramatic effect, “Power that, when put together, could destroy all the known realms with the unbridled energy.”

Trixie’s smile faded, though she said nothing. She waited for Loki to continue, and given that he had more to say the King continued.

Loki sighed as he brought up the topic he came to discuss, “Thanos seeks these gems. He wanted the Tesseract and he has since obtained it, along with who knows how many other gems and the gauntlet that binds them together.”

Trixie crossed her arms over the red and golden shirt she wore loosely over her chest, “Thanos. The monster who placed us in that…dreadful place.”

It was more dreadful for him, Loki would wager, since Trixie was not subjected to it nearly as long at least consciously, but he bit his tongue and added to her statement, “And who fueled my turn to villainy.”

He would do anything he could to continue placing the blame of his betrayal on the man who forced his hand. Of course Loki knew that it was his own insecurities that lead to it, but that did not prevent him from wanting to put the blame elsewhere. After all, the scepter cannot make someone do something they would not be willing to otherwise.

Trixie moved a hand to gesture towards herself above where her heart should be, “He’ll want the Aether. He’ll come and hunt me, right?”

Loki bowed his head, not pleased that he had to now deal with the purple, phantom menace not only being out to cause him harm but his new daughter as well, “Regrettfully, yes. I do not yet have a way to defeat him, especially with how powerful he has likely grown.”

Loki did not come without any piece of a plan though. While still considering the subject and a complete plan of action, that did not prevent him from coming up with some small piece of a plan.

Using a bit of borrowed magic from Luna, Loki opened up his pocket dimension that he used to store things and reached into it. After a moment of rifling around he retrieved from it an orange fabric.

Loki stretched his hand out to offer the object to Trixie, “Here.”

Trixie took it carefully in one hand and hung it from two fingers as she observed it. It was of a decent size, and it was soft to the touch. As Trixie continued to look at it Loki smiled and gestured to the object, “It is a scarf from a man I encountered in my travels,” Loki closed the pocket and sighed as he thought about all the little knick-knacks he had collected from fallen souls. Silent memorials to their ever lasting suffering, “He is forever tormented by a beast that hunts him. Each of them far more powerful than I, all I could do was watch yet another friend be lost to their own despair.”

Trixie nearly dropped the scarf when she heard of it’s origins, to which Loki laughed, “Don’t worry, I cleaned it. Now, the material is strong enough to survive the most lethal of strikes, though it remains as flexible as normal cloth. Perhaps you can study it and find some way to replicate it. That should provide you with a defensive advantage against Thanos.”

“Wearing clothing of prey to confront my predator,” Trixie smiled as she wrapped the scarf around her neck and fashioned it like a neckerchief one would wear at dinner, “Thank you.”

Loki smiled as he bowed to his newest relative, glad that she appreciated his gift, “You need not mention it.”

Silence hung between them briefly before Loki coughed to bridge into a new subject, one he was thinking Luna would be on board with.

“Now, I am busy with my duties in Asgard most of these days, but when we manage to find the time, would you like to spend the day with me? An opportunity to get to know each other better.”

Trixie smiled to him after letting out a small laugh, “I would not want to make my dear mother jealous.”

Loki gestured to his stomach while laughing back, “She has enough company with her at all times. I think she can spare to have her husband bond with his daughter.”

To that Trixie nodded her head, a content smile still remaining on her, “I look forward to it. Just us then.”

After Loki left Trixie by the gates, he set to go inside the castle absentmindedly. He had forgotten what else he had planned to do, but thought that perhaps walking would let him remember. Going inside the building reminded the King instantly though, as he realized that he was supposed to accompany Rainbow Dash on her pranking spree that day.

Loki turned to leave from a different exit to not seem silly, but on his way he ran into the robed figure of Kael’Thas. Loki was pleased to see a shirt (identical to the one Trixie was wearing outside) on Kael this time, though his pleasure of seeing the man fully dressed was curtailed by their near collision.

Kael took a knee to address Loki while the King waved for the prince to stop the pleasantries. Loki had been doing some thinking these past months, and some of that included the Elf they now had sleeping under their roofs, “I was just about to leave, but I think it is about time we had a talk.”

Kael rose back up and smiled brightly at Loki, the King finding it hard to look Kael in the eye due to his glowing eyes, “I was thinking the same thing, Lord Odinson.”

With no need to mince words, Loki lost any traces of warm emotion as he glared at the red robed man, “Back in the realm we found you, you assaulted me, Trixie, and the others with us. Because of your actions she nearly died and I was condemned to suffer in that world for what would amount to years of time in that distorted realm.”

To his credit, Kael did not appear frightened at all by Loki’s words. He actually kept smiling at the King, his words coming out in a neutral tone despite his face, “I also was the one who slew Illidan while you were separated from him. The reason you could not find him was that I assaulted him and drained his magic,” he slowed down as his words began to drip with regret, “My…old friend tried to calm me, but in my madness I could not stop.”

Loki actually found himself taking a step back in confusion with how Kael was admitting to the murder of their mutual friend, even if it was before Kael had any ability to control himself. The honesty was what bit at Loki, who was so used to lies and half-truths that having someone completely own up to something felt foreign.

While Loki remained stunned, Kael continued, “With that power I attempted to gain the power from the rest of you. You possessed little at the time, as did Maiev and that being I believe is your father, in comparison to Trixie. So I attacked her.”

Not about to let himself be caught any more flat footed, Loki resumed his offensive against the prince he did not have much faith in, “You went insane once because of your addiction to magic. How can I trust that you will not do so again?”

While still smiling and appearing polite, Kael’s tone became equal parts sardonic and playful, “Oh, I don’t know, perhaps in the same way your loved ones can have faith in you despite your own acts of evil and madness?” Loki restrained himself from striking the insolent prince who dare point out the hypocrisy in Loki’s words, “That is, with everything to point to the contrary, one can still place faith in another.”

Loki knew that he himself was not trustworthy, but that did not mean he had to trust everyone else. As a leader, he needed to be wary so as to not bring harm to his people by associating with the wrong people. Still, the honesty cut at him again.

Loki still thinking of a retort, Kael leaned to the side slightly and pointed over one of Loki’s shoulders, “And, by the way, I would hope you’ll help me when Maiev attacks me in a moment due to her building fury at hearing I—”

The words granted Loki just enough time to dodge the flurry of green that appeared from thin air and rushed past him to attack Kael, who kept his smile even as Maiev crashed into him and slammed him into the nearest wall.

“You Wretched Elf!” the warden of Illidan howled as she gripped him by the neck and pressed his face against the wall, her crescent blade aimed at Kael’s chest and heart.

The elf laughed despite his predicament, as if he was not worried at all, “It is good to see you again too, Maiev.”

Not about to step in her way just yet, Loki straightened himself out while sparing a glance at the woman, “Have you been stalking us?”

Maiev’s only response was to slam Kael’s face into the wall and follow this up with dragging her blade across his throat, something Loki instantly realized could kill the Elf outright…

Only, the blade did not even appear to break the skin. Loki narrowed his eyes and found himself amused at how the incredibly sharp blade belonging to Maiev did not leave a single mark on the Elven prince. What was this Elf made out of?

To retain the appearance of control, Loki acted as if he was not fazed by all of what was happening, “I was considering striking him myself in memory of my fallen friend. Take your time.”

Maiev took this time to begin beating Kael mercilessly into the wall, only for the prince to just keep smiling the whole time as if it did not hurt in the slightest. Maiev did not seem to grasp this fact and continued her assault on him as Loki stood by, his only action being to dismiss the guards who came to address the situation.

After thirty seconds of unrelenting assault, Maiev let go and Kael laughed as he wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, the only sign of him taking any damage, “Are you done yet?”

Maiev let out a heavy breath, tired from her assault, but her face remained hidden behind her visor which prevented them from inspecting her expressions any further, “You make a good punching bag,” after only a second of rest Maiev prepared to attack him again, “One I hope to relentlessly destroy for the rest of our prolonged lives.”

Her strike did not hit, however, as her feet began to lift off the ground. Maiev found herself being pushed away while slowly lifting into the air at the same time, all of this seeming to amuse the Blood Elf as he continued to work his magic on her.

“Having trouble staying grounded?” Kael laughed as he dusted himself off, Maiev continuing to drift off, “It may take that long for you to break a bone, but I am afraid I can’t allow that. I have things I would rather do than deal with your depraved obsessions.”

Loki found himself amused by the display, but Maiev appeared less than pleased at having the gravity around her reversed and energy pushing her away.

“You will watch that tongue of yours, Blood Elf!”

Kael adopted a tone of fake-hurt, “For a fellow Elf, you are sounding awfully racist,” he sighed before undoing his power, the warden dropping to the floor painfully, “Now, will you calm down or do I have to demonstrate my power again, Night Elf?”

A growl and an attempt to throw a hidden knife at Kael was met with Kael tossing her across the hallway with his magic, the knife flying back at her and impaling her shoulder before her body began to lift weightlessly into the air again.

“So be it,” Kael said without any amusement, his jovial look leaving with his offer, “Lord Odinson, I believe you should tell our dear lady what has become of Illidan since.”

“You know where he is?” Maiev gasped, having been stalking Loki and the others for the singular purpose of finding a way to see Illidan again. She had yet to finish her revenge, not that she ever felt she could be rid of it. Even after slaying him once she harbored the hatred, so much so that she followed him into death itself to confront him again.

Loki nodded to the mentally ill woman who he had nothing but pity for given how pathetic her life had become, “The last time I saw him he was alive and fighting to buy me time to escape from a menace who has yet to resurface, named Thanos,” Loki paused as he remembered the fate of Volstagg, and then of his newer friend who was no less slain by Thanos or freed of that demented place, “Illidan likely perished. Left to wander that realm of tormented souls once again.”

Upside down and with no ability to defend herself, Maiev hung her head as her helmet slipped from her head and fell to the ground, revealing a light purple skinned woman with glowing eyes similar to Kael’s. Looking into those eyes Loki could see a sadness, a fire that had since died in the ferocious woman.

“Kill me then. Take my life so I can begin my hunt once again,” her eyes closed and Loki could swear he could see tears welling in them as she spoke again, now in a softer voice, “A huntress is nothing without the hunt…”

Loki crossed his arms, not about to pass judgment on her just yet despite his ability to end this threat once and for all. He desired to understand why. Then he could decide what to do with the disturbed woman, “Illidan tried to give you the chance to get over your hatred, and yet you chose the easy road. The road of pain and damnation. What drives you to continually throw yourself down this dreadful way that all of us have tread at some point?”

A sad smirk grew to replace her solemn look as she continued to hang weakly in the air, her long purple hair hanging down as her eyes opened weakly, as if she had finally just given up after her string of defeats, “I spent ten thousand years jailing Illidan. Locked away from the world, forgotten by my kind, my family…” Maiev sighed gently, a calm having come over her that neither Loki nor Kael was familiar with, “I had my fellow wardens, but it was hard to remain whole. Remain sane. Isolation can do that to the mind.”

Loki looked over to Kael, who seemed dismayed to hear Maiev’s words. They knew this much already, but each of them could feel the woman was not done yet.

With neither man speaking up, Maiev continued to speak, though she seemed to be speaking to herself as much as she was speaking to them, “At first I hated him because of how he nearly slew my brother through his reckless actions, for betraying out people…but that was not all…in that time I lost something…no, someone…because of Illidan,” she swallowed her breath as tears fell from her eyes, the warden choking on her next sentence, “I…”

Having held onto this particular piece of information for some time without revealing it to anyone, Loki felt it time to match it up with the person it pertained to.

Loki approached Miaev and gave her a close, genuine look of sorrow right in the eyes, “You lost a son.”

Those four words brought back some of the anger that so consumed Maiev, but it brought just as much grief which caused the woman to continue to choke on her words as she tried to keep herself from gushing tears, “I…I…”

Seeing that Loki appeared serious and that Maiev was visibly distraught, Kael slowly stopped his reverse of gravity on her so that she was no longer hanging upside down and hovering slightly above them. He let her down onto the floor, where the warden lay silently as tears dribbled onto the floor, Kael remarking to himself, “The wardens I met were all female though…”

Maiev laughed at that, tears still rolling from her eyes, “With such extended isolation, one’s convictions can…wander, and Illidan was easy enough to manipulate with how distraught he was while imprisoned,” Maiev rose a hand to her face to wipe the water streaming down it freely, her voice weak, “Illidan’s demon…tainted body caused our son to only…”

She paused as she brought a hand down to her stomach from her face, “To only live weeks within my womb. For…for a short period of time I thought that perhaps we could have our own life together, away from all others…” Maiev rolled her hand and arm out to her side so that it weakly lay on the floor like the rest of her, “I never even named him.”

Some of her strength and venom returned as Maiev tried to roll over and grabbed Loki’s ankle with one hand, the Night Elf growling as she tried to speak with anger only for it to segue into her depression, “How did you figure my closest held secret out?”

Loki looked down at her with pity. The woman had a reason to devote her entire existence to making Illidan pay, as right or wrong as she was. While Loki felt himself sickened that she manipulated the poor man to produce an offspring, she did not deserve the torment that came with a miscarriage caused by tainted magic, “My daughter, Hela, is the one who controls that world we all met, as well as life and death,” Loki sighed as he began to recall how he came across this information, or at least the theory, “One time I was visited by her in the world I was met with her playfully hanging off what appeared to be her personal guard.”

Maiev narrowed her eyes at Loki, not understanding what he was saying just yet, but Kael began to smile as he picked up where this was going.

Loki knelt down to help Maiev up, no longer willing to allow her to look so pathetic on the ground, “Taking into account what Illidan must have looked like before his transformation to a half-demon, her stoic guard looked very much like him even then. Perhaps not as tall or broad, but I recognized him quickly as a possible relative. Observing him more, I found that he reminded me of you.”

Her glowing eyes widened as the warrior woman found her way to her feet, “You are telling me that my son is…he’s…”

Loki held up a hand to silence her, not wanting her to get her hopes up too high, “I do not know this for certain, but perhaps in a world that allows the dead to thrive, my daughter restored him to life and he lives there with her.”

Maiev brushed Loki’s helping hand away from her and turned her back to him, “I wish to see him.”

“I sadly cannot control Hela, and as such cannot grant you an audience on a whim. You see, the Hela who drew us all together seems to be from an alternate reality similar to this one My own actual daughter has yet to be born, while due to time distortion the one we met in Niflheim was of a variable age.”

Maiev snarled as she grabbed her helmet harshly from the ground and placed it back where it belonged, her hair messily spilling down from it this time, “So what you are saying is that I will have to wait to see if this daughter of yours grows up to revive my son. Am I just to trust you?”

Loki shrugged, even if she could not see it, “I have no real reason to lie to you. You can die at any point if you wish to visit that world again, but there is no telling if you will ever cross his path. I can see what I can do about assisting you in finding your son, but first I must trust you.”

“You would help me though? After all I have done?” Maiev scoffed as she turned around to face him again, her eyes glowing behind the concealing helmet.

The King nodded to her, “I would. We all deserve a second chance. But first you must earn that aid.”

Having a new quest and purpose, Maiev quickly fell to one knee and lowered her head to the man who could help her meet her son, “What would you have me do?”

Loki thought for a moment, but with his recent conversation with Trixie still in mind he had little trouble to “There is a man named Thanos I need someone to find information on. He is the one Illidan saved me from and who most likely slew him after I left, and he is a tyrant I would like to eliminate or neutralize before he manages to get around to killing me and my family for failing to serve him.”

The huntress rose to her feet, staring Loki in the face momentarily before nodding slowly, “I can see what I can do about finding out more about this ‘Thanos’ you speak of. I will return with whatever can be gathered on him.”

Loki nodded back and held a hand in the direction of the exit, “Very well. I do not care to see you again until you bring me something useful. Something valuable. Begone.”

His new agent turned her back on him and made to leave with a brisk pace, but she topped when her name was called out by Kael.

“Maiev!” the prince yelled worriedly. She stopped her retreat, but did not turn to face him.

“I…I am sorry about your son.”

Instead of grant him a proper response, Maiev made herself invisible and disappeared completely from their view. Once again left with only one another, Kael turned to face Loki. He took time to sigh before addressing the King, this recent news weighing heavily on his conscience.

“Now, about our business,” Kael frowned as he moved a hand to touch his hip, “I do not wish to be adversarial with you. I have already pledged my loyalty to your daughter. What more do you wish from me?”

Loki smiled to Kael, thinking that perhaps he could use this time to create two agents who would redeem themselves in his eyes, “Consider this a trial period. If you continue to prove yourself trustworthy, I will see what I can do about helping you. For now though I am wary of you.”

Kael seemed amenable to that, even laughing as he continued to admit to his crimes done in insanity, “I too would be wary of anyone who killed my friend, had me stuck in constant torment for years, and even choked my daughter and nearly killed her while doing so.”

The entire hallway dropped in temperature rapidly, to which the Elf complained as he realized his clothes were not meant for dire cold situations, “Did it just get colder?”

As Kael complained about the temperature, Loki looked behind the prince to see that they were no longer alone anymore. Standing tall about ten feet behind Kael’Thas was the Illidan-looking Elf Loki had encountered before, and being carried in his arms was none other than Hela. Loki nodded to them silently as Kael turned to face the newly arrived.

Seeing Hela made Kael bow facetiously, the Elven prince not exactly a fan of the woman who long held him in a state of constant misery and madness that eventually led to him attacking a friend, “The devil herself. Why do you grace us with your presence, milady?”

Illidan’s son retrieved something from a pocket that he handed to Hela. Kael’s eyes widened at the sight of the object that Hela tossed up in the air carelessly before tossing it at a hurtling pace straight for Kael’s face. With his magic he stopped it in midair, the green orb that had previously been set to knock his teeth out instead being easy for him to swipe with his hand.

Despite having seen Illidan’s son and now knowing Loki’s claim to be true, Kael was much more interested in the orb he now held in his hand, “This…” he looked back up to the two visitors and let out an impressed whistle, “This was one of a set, you do know that right? Where are the others?”

Hela shrugged and her companion said nothing more, simply standing beside her and mimicking her shrugging gesture. Loki could not help but be amused by how Hela decided specifically to come and visit with her bodyguard in tow just after Maiev’s visit. Hela most certainly inherited his joking nature, even if hers was infinitely darker.

With their seeming reason for coming by done, Hela waved to Loki before turning to her companion and gesturing for him to pick her up again. He did so and lifted her back up, where Hela looked down to Loki with a devilish smile and then back to her hulking companion. Loki had just enough time to narrow his eyes before he saw his future daughter kiss the stoic Elf on the cheek.

Loki…was begrudgingly fine with this. His hands were clenched, and the fatherly part of him wanted to be furious, but his more rational side knew that anyone who could deal with her was as about as good as he could hope for, and the fact that it was a friend’s son helped lessen the fatherly pain.

Not seeming to have noticed any of this, Kael was still observing his green sphere, looking as if he had just been given the perfect holiday present, “Incredible…”

Not a fan of having unknown artifacts around anymore, Loki decided to address this instantly, “What is that?”

Kael held it out to show Loki with a grin, “A tool known as a Verdant Sphere to be used by a hero when vanquishing evil beings. It absorbs their soul into it, turning their being into energy to empower one’s own spells. I used to have three, but I bet the others have been stolen after my numerous...setbacks.”

Snapping out of his reverie, Kael looked to the Night Elf in the hallway with a smirk, “Tell me, is that really the son of Illidan and Maiev?”

The otherwise silent man appeared shocked that someone knew who he was, “You know of my heritage?”

Kael shook his head no but laughed regardless, “Not really until now, so thank you for confirming it.”

As Kael laughed, Hela brought her head in to nuzzle against her nameless companion’s. Seeing this tugged at Loki’s heart, causing him to avert his eyes while whispering, “Take care of her.”

Having heard Loki with his large ears, Illidan’s son gave a small nod before both he and Hela disappeared just as they came, the temperature of the area rising instantly after their departure.

With the others gone, Kael let out a severe shiver before joking, “Not the most talkative couple, are they?”

Loki smiled to him while snorting, “No. Unlike you, they seem to recognize that words are not always necessary.”

“Am I to be punished over being verbose?”

“Keep using that tongue for words only and I will have no reason to punish you.”

Kael, very similar to how Trixie would not get an innuendo off the bat, nodded slowly, “I…see?”

That was all Loki needed to feel safe that he need not lose both daughters to men in the same day, “Your lack of understanding soothes me. Now, I am leaving, do you care to join me? I am about to go prank some ponies I really ought to be making amends with.”

The offer seemed to be a good chance to get on Loki’s good side, so Kael shrugged his shoulders before relenting, “I have something planned with Trixie later, but I suppose I have some time as she readies herself.”

When Loki came to Ponyville for the first time in what felt like forever he was quickly met by Rainbow Dash, who seemed as if she had been searching for him from a cloud high in the town’s air. Once she approached him though she stopped to observe the pointy eared man with a long blonde mane and similarly long, blonde eyebrows as well as glowing eyes. A little creeped out by the glowing eyes, Rainbow hovered a few feet away from them as she addressed the matter the only way she knew how: bluntly.

“Who the heck is this guy? Is he from your world or something?”

Loki looked at Kael with a dismissive glance, “No, not in the slightest.”

Trying to be polite despite Rainbow Dash’s own lack of ability to be, Kael gave her a half bow, “I am Prince Kael’Thas, and I am here serving mistress Lulamoon currently.”

Not seeming to care if he was working with Trixie or not, Rainbow instead became focused on what Kael was wearing since it was baffling her, “Why are you wearing a dress?”

Kael shook his head, understanding her confusion but also wanting to clarify that he was not a cross-dresser, “It’s a robe, and it is traditional for magic users in my world to wear them.”

“Sure, whatever you say Kale-floss. I’m Rainbow Dash, and I’m here to prank some ponies who have it coming. You in?”

Kael knew not how to respond to that, being left speechless as Loki snickered beside him and actually spoke, “Who is on your hitlist of pranks this time?”

Rainbow laughed at his own directness, appreciating that Loki acting more like what she remembered him as and not the psychopath she fought before, “Well, Applejack has kinda screwed me over with not saving any cider for me this year and also not making that apple pie I was going to give as a gift, so she’s first,” she flapped her wings and began to head to the town’s outskirts, “Come on, she lives on this farm over here!”

The word farm made Kael cringe. Not being afraid to get dirty did not mean one liked to get dirty, and the word farm definitely implied that Kael’s clothes may not remain all that clean. That, and Kael found himself absolutely confused by how badly his name had been butchered and was also still flustered about being told he was wearing a dress.

Loki held his hands up defensively as Kael sighed, the King joking to the younger man, “Don’t give me that look. You agreed to come of your own free will.”

“What is the goal of this prank?”

Both Loki and Rainbow rolled their eyes at Kael’Thas, who appeared to be none the wiser about how these were supposed to work. He was standing directly in front of the window of the house that Rainbow and Loki were kneeling behind, causing Loki to tug him down forcefully to prevent anyone inside from seeing his highly visible red robe.

In a whispered voice, Rainbow spoke to the others while removing something from a bag she brought, “We’re gonna make Applejack’s little sister Apple Bloom think Applejack’s her mom. I got a fake diary to slip in, but I can’t do it alone. I need a distraction.”

Loki nudged Kael, “You use your magic to cause a commotion on the other side of the farm when I say so. In the meantime, I think I can add some additional flavor to this,” Loki took the book from Rainbow and held a hand out to Kael, “Lend me your magic.”

Still not getting all of this, Kael reluctantly began to channel a small amount of energy into Loki, “Fine, but now I’m going to be starving until we get back.”

With the power granted to him, Loki created an image of a baby version of Apple Bloom and a younger Applejack in a hospital room, with Applejack cradling the baby like a mother might their new baby. This done, he placed the image inside the diary and handed it back to Rainbow, who began to giggle in a hushed manner at the sight of it all.

“This is so perfect!”

Loki gestured for Kael to use his magic to cause a distraction, which ended with Kael using his gravity powers to make the farm’s pigs take flight. As they began to float up into the air across the farm, Applejack rushed out of the house to go run after them. This done, Rainbow opened the window and Loki levitated the diary across the room so that it landed in front of the groggy Apple Bloom, who had been sleeping on a couch downstairs when Applejack ran out of the house yelling.

Kael stopped raising the pigs into the air and gently let them down since their little operation was complete, at which point the three just began to listen in. After a moment the young filly yawned and noticed the book before her as Applejack began to return to the house, confused as to what just happened.

“What’s this?”

After a minute passed, the filly’s jaw was dropping, having read the contents of the diary and also having come across the picture. Shocked thoroughly, she called out across the house to her “sister”.

“Hey Appuhljack, why duz yer diary call me yer ‘baby’ and ‘little gurl?’ I mean, isn’t that what moms are suppos’ ta call their foals?” Apple Bloom asked innocently, “And why do ya have this picture of you in da doctor’s office with me as a foal?”

Applejack rushed into the room with a worried face, “Okay, one, how’d you get mah diary? Two—”

The orange farm pony stopped talking to Apple Bloom when she realized that there was a draft, and that the window was open. Outside the window was snickering, as well as the sight of a small tuft of rainbow colored hair.

Realizing what had been done, Applejack grabbed the pseudo-diary and tossed it out the window at her friend, “Rainbow! I’m gonna get you!”

Rainbow took this as her sign to leave, beating her wings and taking flight as Loki and Kael each stood up and prepared to flee.

“Haha, priceless!”

After successfully losing Applejack, who chased them perhaps a bit too far, the group found themselves in the middle of town. Ponies were whispering about the man who tried conquering Canterlot and the woman in a dress beside him, but none of the prankster trio paid them any mind.

“Who is our next target?” Loki questioned Rainbow, since it was a favor he was doing for her.

“Well, Fluttershy is busy today, and Twilight’s in Canterlot, so that leaves Pinkie Pie and Rarity—”

From behind them all, the three’s conversation was interrupted by a voice that just dripped with high society, “Bushy brows, darling!”

They turned to see Rarity smiling at Kael’Thas, who gave a weak smile back and waved to the fashion pony. Rainbow snickered as their decision was made for them, “That settles that,” she nudged Loki, “Come on. I got an idea.”

Left alone to handle the pony, Kael found himself clearing his throat, “It is…good to see you, Miss Rarity. Thank you for all the work you did for me.”

Rarity approached him and began to inspect his clothes with a proud smile, “You seem to be enjoying the dress I made for you. How are the other sets?”

His ego deflated somewhat, Kael smiled weakly at her, “Practically identical, and they are robes. Dresses are entirely different.”

Rarity rolled her eyes at his comment about the dresses, “Pffft, Darling, I make clothes for a living. I think I would know the difference.”

After a moment of further inspection, Rarity frowned as she tapped a hoof against his chest, “This dress is from a different set. I sewed slightly different patterns into each after all. What have you done with the original?”

Kael had not even noticed that there were slight differences in the different sets and instantly felt guilty, since she had spent weeks doing her best to make them to his specifications. For the right price of course, sponsored by the surprisingly lenient on money Luna, “Oh, yes. The normal shirt is currently…”

Rarity glared at him, daring him to make up an excuse.

Realizing he could not just lie straight to her face, Kael chuckled nervously while admitting the embarrassing truth, “Trixie is wearing it.”

That did not please the fashionista any, “That charlatan is wearing the clothing I made for you because…”

Kael shrugged, really hoping to move off the subject, “The details don’t matter. She just is.”

Rarity scoffed at his refusal to tell her, “Of course they matter! Is my favorite bushy browed Elf lending his clothing to our newest princess out of some romantic interest? If so, do tell! I need to prepare the wedding garments, especially if she takes your form, or if you take the form of a pony. And that’s not even getting into maternity clothing—”

To slow her down Kael cut her off and shook his head, “Now now, I assure you that the relationship is completely platonic. No need to get ahead of yourself.”

His words seemed to disappoint the romantic, “Oh well. I was wondering what you would look like with blue-silver hair, or Trixie would be like if she had such large eyebrows…”

As if she only just realized that Rainbow and Loki had left, Rarity began to look around confusedly, “Where did Rainbow and your friend go?”

“Nowhere at all!” Rainbow yelled as she rushed back to join Kael, Loki joining her shortly thereafter with a smirk on his face.

Rarity hugged her blue friend before letting out a sigh of sorrow, “Sorry Rainbow, but I must be off. I have my weekly appointment at the spa to go to. It was very nice seeing you all though,” she released herself from Rainbow and turned to face Kael’Thas, “Come by if you ever need more dresses! You look absolutely marvelous in them!”

While Rarity left them Rainbow fell over and began to laugh furiously as Loki only shook his head in amusement, a large grin on his face. Kael could only sigh as he tried to get the subject off of his clothing and onto their reason for being there.

“What did you even do?”

Rainbow calmed her laughter enough to choke out, “We changed the stuff they are going to be using on her at the spa to have…interesting effects.”

“Interesting?” Kael questioned, curious what he just distracted Rarity for.

Rainbow patted her mane and then put her hooves over her eyes, “The shampoo is now hair dye, and the cucumbers she’s gonna have on her eyes are going to have pepper on them so she starts sneezing.”

Loki chimed in next, “The materials she will use to sneeze into have been made to have a sticky adhesive on them.”

Kael found himself amused by the idea, but still tried to play the part of responsible adult as he looked over Loki and then Rainbow, “I don’t expect any better of you, but is she not your friend?”

Rainbow shrugged from her spot on the ground, “Yeah, she is, but this is to show her that when I say stop talking about making me a wedding dress, she should stop talking about it.”

“You are to be married?” Loki asked, genuinely curious. He had not pegged her down as the type to get settled down, at least not so early in her life.

Rainbow chuckled nervously, “Never said that. She’s been on this crusade to have all of her friends get married recently. Without Twilight around to keep her restrained, we all have had to deal with her.”

Looking up to see that a good deal of time had passed in the day, Kael turned to face the others with a sorrowful look, “I apologize, but I must go now. Perhaps next time I can partake in the actual pranks?”

Rainbow nodded to him, “Sure. You did good as a distraction. Bet you can pull off some real funny stuff if we help you out enough!”

Kael only hoped that next time he would not be as much of a brunt of the joke as their victims.

It was good that Kael got the day’s “fun” out of the way early as he intended, as it was time for a much more serious activity. Trixie was still pacing about the front of the castle trying to psyche herself up for this action she was not even sure she wanted to partake in.

Kael brought a hand to touch her shoulder gently, a soft smile on his face as he looked at her with concern.

“Are you ready for this?”

Trixie nodded to him, her glowing eyes nearly closing as she tried her hardest not to cry, “I…I think I am. I should see her…”

She had chosen her Elven form because she felt more in control with it for this particular event. Not looking like the pony she was about to visit meant something, even if Trixie wasn’t quite sure what it meant exactly.

“Let’s walk. I…” Trixie sighed, “I don’t have it in me to rush there...”

Kael wrapped an arm around her and gave her a momentary hug to again show support, “Of course.”

The two were silent as they left the castle and began to cross town to reach their destination. Their short travel would not go uninterrupted, however, as some yelling and screaming on one street caught both of their attentions. They followed the noise to find a mare yelling at and hitting a stallion, who was backed against a store window as she continued to wail on him with one hoof after another, even hitting him with what appeared to be a rock in one hoof. The crowd around him was laughing at the display, not seeming to care about the abuse.

Trixie looked around to try and see if there were any police officers around to handle the matter. Time was of the essence for her and she could not spare an afternoon settling all of the matters that go into this kind of thing. She was pleased to find a couple of police officers nearby, however, and they were even approaching the scene!

Trixie felt relieved that the matter was to be taken care of, at least until they walked right past the public display and across the street towards where a mare with a bruised eye was yelling back at a stallion across from her. They approached the stallion and began to arrest him, at which point Trixie felt she must step in despite her time crunch.

“What are you doing?” Trixie asked the closer officer of the two who were there.

The officer turned to see the Elven Trixie, but the tabloids had run an article concerning this new form of Trixie’s and her possible…uses of it, so he recognized her despite her shift in form, “Arresting this stallion for assault, Princess Trixie. Is there a problem?”

Trixie pointed a hand over at the other disturbance, “What about that mare over there?”

“I…” the stallion began, only to realize that saying something as stupid as ‘I think he must deserve it’ or anything or the like would sound really bad.

There was little that ceased to irritate the new princess about Canterlot city, even if it was her home. Such disgusting ponies with a similarly disgusting, toxic culture.

Trixie frowned at the lack of response, “She is abusing her poor partner too. You may either arrest both this stallion and her and do your duty, or turn your eye away from both crimes and fail your duty. Your hypocrisy is disgusting,” pausing momentarily, Trixie then asked, “So what will it be?”

The cop waved his partner over to go take care of the other incident, at which point Trixie nodded in approval, “I thought so.”

With quite the good memory and knowledge of most ponies in the town since she was in charge of looking after them nowadays, Trixie decided to create a mental checklist of who to punish in some fashion later on from across the road. She approached the group laughing at the poor stallion and leered at them all too, “You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Consider yourselves uninvited to all coming Galas.”

Silence hung on the street as Trixie and Kael continued on their way. Unlike Trixie, who was now in a sour mood after seeing ponies being hurt for no reason, Kael was actually happy since he decided to look on the bright side of the situation. She resolved a conflict that otherwise would have gone unnoticed, and helped some poor pony in need.

Exactly the kind of person who should be in charge, at least in the prince’s opinion, “I look forward to seeing you in power one day. I don’t think many will dare be so brazenly amoral then.”

“Of course I look forward to then…There are enough disgusting behaviors in this world that we do not need to add double standards to the lot.”

They continued to walk to Trixie’s former home slowly, Trixie’s mood slowly evaporating on the way. She did not want to get there in a foul mood, since the encounter she was about to go through could go in any direction. Trixie did not even really know what she wanted other than to use the Aether to stop her mother’s health problems. The Aether’s power could heal, and Trixie had read up on cure magic, so she hoped there was some way to help her mother. Despite being emotionally torn about her, Trixie did not wish her to suffer.

Once they arrived at the location, Trixie turned to Kael.

Kael, wait here for me.

He stood still, allowing Trixie to approach her old home. There were signs of somepony being home, so Trixie swallowed her pride and hatred to approach the door. After a moment of hesitation, she managed to knock on the door.

“Mother?”

No response came. Just like the last time Trixie had done this. Last time though, Trixie had been forced to come as a result of nearly dying from starvation and being homeless. This time? She was doing it on her own terms.

“Mother, I came to say I am sorry. I shouldn’t have been so callous towards you when you were reaching out to me…what you went through…”

Trixie began to cry as she knocked again, again receiving no response.

Trixie was ready to blast down the door if she needed to, since she knew her mother was declining in health, “You said you only had a month, but I looked at your medical records…” Trixie swallowed as she prepared to knock down the door, “You managed to hold on this long, which the doctors thought was amazing—”

If she was a horse she would have smelled it before with her more acute sense of smell, but as an Elf it has escaped her senses. But after standing there for a minute Trixie could smell something…

“Is that smoke?” she asked herself softly before her eyes lit up, “Oh no…”

With her magic she blasted down the door and rushed inside, Kael teleporting inside as well from worry. Trixie rushed into one room while Kael went into another, Trixie eventually finding the cause of the fire: A single match and a house full of drizzled gasoline. The fire was spreading quickly, but Trixie panicked as she searched for her biological mother.

The last room in the house, her mother’s room, was where they found her. Unmoving, and a bottle of sleeping pills beside her.

Author's Note

Anyways, your support is always appreciated, so please leave your comments below!

Dear Mother

A/N: Hey everyone, later today at about 6PM EST I am releasing a story titled "Equestria Was Only A Setback!" which will serve as a spinoff of this story. It'd mean a lot if you guys could support it with your likes and comments when it is released, and I hope you enjoy it thoroughly! It's another crossover story similar to this one, and will serve as a continuation of the Trixie/Kael plotline albeit in his world instead of hers! Unlike this story it'll be more of a comedy, but if you guys have gotten this far in this story you know I can't go without putting a teency bit of drama in. Anyways, thanks for supporting this story so long, and I hope you enjoy my new story and this new chapter!

“Trixie…”

Luna had come to visit Trixie many times in the past few months. Her adopted daughter had been in a state of extreme depression since her biological mother’s attempted suicide nearly succeeded. The mare who Trixie was the spitting image of, if a decade younger, lay comatose in the hospital bed that had come to be her new home.

Trixie had used the Aether’s healing powers just in time to stop her mother from dying. However, the damage was done, and while Trixie knew enough to heal lightly she could not do any better than barely keep her alive. The Aether was tied directly to Trixie, and extending even some of its properties to another was difficult for her.

Sitting beside the catatonic mare with tears both dry and new on her face, Trixie turned to face Luna with a fake smile, “She’s going to be okay…”

Luna approached Trixie and placed a hand on the Unicorn’s shoulder, her other resting on her own swollen stomach. This was the first time Trixie said anything to her since that day, and now that she was talking Luna was the one who did not know what to say.

Biting her lip and choking on her tears, Trixie forced herself to face away from both of her mothers, “I made her do this. If I wasn’t so mean, so vile…”

Luna brought her hand up to the top of her daughter’s head to brush it gently, her heart breaking at the sight of her daughter so distraught, “Trixie, you were angry, but do not blame yourself for this. You could not have known this would happen.”

“I put off seeing her so long…I wanted to forget all about her…” Trixie sniffled as she began to sob vocally, “If only I was a minute faster...I…those ponies in the town…”

Trixie wanted to blame her short stop on her way to her old home as the reason she was too late to stop the incident, but in reality she knew she had been pushing off the confrontation for months. She had meant to come by before her mothers’ life expectancy was up, but even then she couldn’t manage to. She had to use the supportive Kael to psyche herself up for it, and even then it wasn’t soon enough.

She rubbed her eyes as she tried to stop her tears, but her self-loathing disallowed her from succeeding, “But I wanted some closure, and I tried finding a way to help her. I took too long though…I’m a terrible pony…”

Luna was not going to let someone she cared for hate themselves over something out of their control, so she spoke in a firm yet soft manner only a mother could manage.

“Trixie, look at me.”

It was hesitant and weak, but Trixie managed to lift her head up to face Luna. The thought that she had caused someone to die, someone who was not a literal monster or murderer like the Ursas or Algrim, but someone who held as much pain and sorrow in their life as she did.

Now with Trixie facing her, Luna brought a hand to the wet fur of Trixie’s cheek, “No you are not. You can be selfish, you can be petty, but you have done so much to rise above that. I am proud to call you my daughter, as I know few ponies who have as big a heart as you do. You made a mistake. Everyone does. I know that better than most…”

Removing her hand from the wet fur, Luna gave Trixie a serious look, “What matters now is what you do about it. Will you work and try to make sure there are no others who suffer like her, so that they do not cause their loved ones to suffer, and in turn create a cycle of sadness?”

She paused to bring a hand to her own chest, her own eyes averting this time, “Or will you ignore the problem, give up, and move on like I have…”

Trixie moved a hoof to touch Luna, but before she could do so Luna gave a sigh and continued.

“Trixie, I am the one who should be sorry…as should Celestia. She casts a blind eye to how corrupted our kind has become. Corruption that leads to tragedies such as this. While other races grow bloodthirsty, ours has grown petty and weak in its own way…”

She brought a hand out to touch Trixie again, a small and sad smile replacing her more distraught countenance, “I need someone who has lived in these recent times, who has taken the brunt of the abuse and lived through the sadness to be the one to enact change. Will you help me with this?”

That brought a reciprocal and genuine, if sad, smile to Trixie’s own face. She had gotten over only wanting to please her own ego long ago, and the thought mixed with her empathy brought out some warmness in her, “If it makes the pain go away,” she let out a sniffle before moving over to Luna and burying her head into Luna’s side, “Mother…”

Luna waited, letting Trixie take her time before the young mare continued, “When others say they have two moms, they mean something else. But…” Trixie laughed weakly at her own joke before calming down to whisper, “You have given me so much. I just want to thank you for that.”

Trixie glanced over to the comatose Lulamoon, realizing how it must have been to look on at a family member in such distress, “We’re as flawed as the rest of them…but we see the problem. I’ve been thinking of ways to fix it, even been thinking about just how to implement them, but…”

Trixie’s attempt to bring up business failed as she broke down crying before she could finish. Her mind was being gnawed at by her own thoughts and feelings, and Luna wished she could see into her student’s head more thoroughly. Trixie’s dreams had been blank all this time, as if she was keeping Luna out entirely.

Unable to do anything else, Luna tried to comfort Trixie again, “It’s okay Trixie.”

“I don’t anyone to feel like this…I don’t want to let anyone feel like this…” Trixie sobbed, her whole life’s tragedy flowing through her eyes.

Since Trixie was leaning into Luna’s rotund stomach, the mother-to-be could not help but think of the other two in the room. With a full smile she gently touched her stomach, which she had been protecting fervently since she learned of her condition, “I hope the world your brother and sister grow up in is a better place because of your efforts.”

Trixie could not help but also be a little lightened up by the thought of her coming siblings, the thought of whom made some of the weight on her chest lift, “How long until they come?”

Luna sighed, her mind somewhere between contentment and exasperation at the gestation period. Celestia had just had her own daughter a week prior, a lively baby foal who had many of the features Luna remembered from Celestia’s own childhood such as pink hair if the pictures in the paper were to be believed, “Possibly a year, if Celestia’s foal was any indication. I know it is not the same, but it is all I have for reference.”

The eldest of the soon to be three siblings snorted at the thought of having a brother and sister so much younger than her, though perhaps over time the age difference would not mean so much, “I bet they’ll call me aunt Trixie…that’s what I get for being two decades older than them.”

Age…

Trixie felt some of the burden return to her as she thought about her very finite lifespan, “Will I live as long as you now that I…”

Now that Trixie was an Alicorn as well, even if she was masquerading as a Unicorn for the time being, Luna honestly did not know the answer. If the answer was no, Luna would find a way to change that, since just the thought of outliving someone she loved made her feel sick. That or the pregnancy.

“Twilight is still aging since all she received was a power boost from Celestia to become an Alicorn. It is possible that by ascending on your own you will live just as long as Celestia and I…”

Trixie did not respond to that and the room fell silent between them, at least until Trixie let out a laugh that slowly built up to a cackle.

“You know, I could easily stop ponies from feeling sad…”

That certainty in her voice made Luna curious about her laughing daughter, “You could?”

She received a nod as Trixie continued to laugh with a seeming cheer, “Of course. With the Aether, all I would have to do was let its power out for a moment…and poof. No more ponies. No more sadness.”

Luna gasped at the flippant voice of Trixie, but did not manage to voice her concerns before Trixie continued on, “But that would be wrong. They need to live and be happy if I am to be a successful leader.”

That eased Luna’s worries. Trixie was just going through a bout of sadness brought about by yet another tragedy on a life long slew of them.

She would be fine.

After visiting Trixie, Luna went to see how her sister was doing. Celestia had been through quite the difficult birth because of her abnormal foal, and had been recovering ever since. Luna had not received word of the birth right away, having been in Asgard with Loki, but came as soon as she could manage to. Trixie was in more dire need of support, so her visit came first, but Luna was quite eager to see her baby niece.

When Luna entered Celestia’s room she was pleasantly surprised to see that it had been refurnished to accommodate a newborn foal. Next to the room’s crib stood the drooping Celestia, whose face held bags underneath her eyes, while inside the crib the sounds of a foal moving about could be heard.

Luna smiled to her sister as Celestia drearily turned to face her, the smile upon her face not lessened by her complete exhaustion.

“Luna.”

Luna approached her sister and ran a hand down her white furred back while positioning herself to peak in the crib without hitting it with her own stomach, “How are you feeling?”

“Incredibly wiped out…” Celestia yawned as Luna took a look at the newborn foal. They had the white fur and pink hair the newspapers had been showing, but barely poking out underneath from their blanket was a reptilian, dragonlike leg. Their small wings also were two different colors, one being a sky blue color and the other having a lighter version of navy blue. Luna felt a warm feeling as she looked down at the sleeping child, hoping that it would have good dreams.

Luna lowered her hands down to pick the foal up, but stopped before actually doing so to ask permission, “May I?”

Celestia nodded, bringing a hoof up to touch Luna’s shoulder caringly, “Of course. Her name is Ataxia.”

Luna was careful to be gentle while touching the soft baby. The child was sleeping peacefully even when touched, and Luna felt the warmness grow as she observed the foal as it slept.

“Ataxia…”

It was official. Luna could not help but want her own to be born so should could hug them and lift their little bodies up like this to be cuddled in her arms.

The fact that Discord was not there made her warm feeling turn to one of hot anger. He should be with Celestia right then…but perhaps the idea of commitment was too much for the chimera being. His loss, Luna believed, because he was missing out on the chance to be with a great mare and their beautiful child.

“You have quite the interesting parents, Ataxia. Mommy is a dutiful ruler, and daddy is a childish delinquent. Yes he is,” Luna cooed as she rocked the sleeping baby back and forth.

“Luna…” Celestia chided weakly, not feeling up to actually scolding Luna. Discord had come to visit, but he had not stayed as Celestia had hoped. He could come back, or he could not. Celestia did not really mind either way, as she would raise her daughter as well as she could regardless.

Luna bowed her head slightly, feeling a tinge of remorse about her statement as true as it was, “Sorry. His lack of presence around here is as meaningful as if he did spend time here.”

“He cares, but Discord…” Celestia brushed a hoof across her daughter’s soft face, “He’s not up for this whole family thing it seems. I’m fine with that though. I will do everything I can for Ataxia though. She deserves that.”

At that moment Atraxia woke up and began to make baby noises, which quickly morphed into crying. Luna could not smell anything foul, so she could tell that something else was the cause of the foal’s crying. She handed the foal over to Celestia, who smiled as she brought her foal into her hooves.

“I will leave you two alone. I believe she has much to discuss with your milk providing anatomy.”

Celestia smirked at her sister, “Oh laugh while you can, Luna. You’ll know how it is soon enough.”

“I suppose I will. Until then I have to put up with weighing too much and having back trouble.”

On her way out, Luna noticed stacks upon stacks of books by the side of Celestia’s bed. They were not the kind that seemed to have anything to do with work related issues, but rather appeared to be small books that were made by hoof.

Luna rose an eyebrow at the sight, “Quite a lot of books you have there.”

Celestia laughed, her voice containing a hint of nervousness, “Yes, I have been reading a lot…”

Curious about this interest her sister now had in books, Luna glanced at the first few titles, “Magical love…Meet the Family…Young Love…” Luna blanched at the terrible naming process, “Who comes up with such terrible titles?”

Celestia bit her lip as Atraxia continued to cry, not having been tended to yet.

“…it’s Twilight, isn’t it?”

The lack of response was enough for Luna to groan at her sister’s chosen reading material. Was she really that lonely?

“How are you feeling?”

This time, Luna was on the receiving end. Having been resting on her bed, she found herself pleased to find that Loki had joined her.

“I am doing well…” she slowly rotated so that she was facing him beneath the covers, her extended stomach touching his chiseled one, “My body aches, but I am not sure what will be more of a pain…this or actually having them crawling around and being the kind of nuisance mothers everywhere have to deal with.”

The thought of having his own child, his own flesh and blood, made Loki feel a sense of contentment he never possessed before. He had not particularly desired to settle down like this before, at least not yet, but having a loving wife and a growing family made up for some of the emptiness he felt about his old family. Odin was dead, and Laufey had abandoned him when he was an infant…

He wouldn’t be absent in the lives of his own children, of that Loki was certain, “Fortunately, you will not be alone in raising them.”

Luna brought her arms around Loki and clung on to him needily, “I sure hope not.”

“Sir.”

Both Luna and Loki found themselves feeling confused and angry at the disturbance across the room, that being the green cloaked figure of Maiev who had teleported into their residence without warning.

Luna was worried about the intruder, but took some comfort in how Loki only seemed annoyed and not scared as he sat up and stared down the Night Elf, “Maiev, what could be so urgent that you interrupt my time with my wife?”

The woman across the room kneeled before them and bowed, actively trying to show some respect despite her sudden entrance, “I have found out more about the one known as Thanos. The sooner you act, the safer you all may be.”

Even annoyed, Loki could not pass up the chance of finding a way to deal with Thanos, “Very well.”

“Who is this, Loki?” Luna whispered to her husband. She did not recognize the woman, having only seen her momentarily many months ago when Trixie came back from the land of the dead.

“An agent I sent to spy on Thanos,” Loki turned to face Luna, a frown upon his face, “Also, the mother of my fallen friend Illidan’s child. I am to find a way to reconnect them for her services.”

Maiev nodded to Luna in respect, “Milady.”

Luna put at ease, Loki gestured to their intruder, “Go on then. What have you found?”

“Thanos has a family. On a world he has conquered he has a child with a woman there.”

That…changed things. A family meant that they could possibly use these people as leverage against him. Still, Loki was not quite sure this was a family in the normal sense of the word given how Thanos seemed obsessed with Hela as far as his affections went…

Loki stroked his chin thoughtfully, trying to think about how to use this new information. Kidnapping and using them as hostages was possible, but how they could stop Thanos from just taking them back with force was beyond him at that moment, “So we use them as a bargaining chip against him to keep him from coming after us?”

“Exactly.”

Loki waved a hand at Maiev to dismiss her, “Keep looking into the matter. I do not trust Thanos so much as to think he would be a family man.”

Standing up, the assassin nodded to him before disappearing in a flash, “Of course. Your will will be done.”

Luna found herself caught off guard by the formal and direct woman’s whole demeanor. She seemed to possess a detached, cold aura around her that was nearly as chilling as when Hela visited.

“She is…” Luna paused as she thought about how to describe their visitor, “Intense. Yes, that is the word. But do you think this will protect us?” Luna added, “Protect Trixie?”

Loki did not want to give false hope to Luna, so he did not oversell the information’s value, “It is a step in the right direction, but we are not free of him yet.”

“If he hurts Trixie I am expecting you to kill him.”

“Of course.”

“I am tired. Rest with me.”

“Yes, dear.”

The day after, Loki returned to Asgard to handle business there while Luna temporarily remained in Equestria to give her dear sister company. After sleeping all day though, she found herself face to face with another intruder.

This one was far less menacing, as it was simply Trixie standing by the edge of the bed, hovering multiple scrolls and pieces of paper around her.

“Mother, there is something I want to talk to you about.”

“Good afternoon to you too…” Luna groaned as she rolled over to face Trixie. Luna wanted to get back to her old sleep schedule, or at least as close to it as possible. She was meant to be nocturnal, and all these months of shirking that natural part of her was making her groggy at all points of the day.

Trixie started to talk without acknowledging the greeting, “While negotiating with the Frost Giants, I arranged for an Equestria Games styled event to be held between the three races of our nations.”

Luna yawned as Trixie floated a piece of paper over to her face, Luna not bothering to actually check it as she was too tired for that kind of thing, “It is good to see you taking initiative, but you ought to have asked my permission first for such a large matter.”

Seemingly excited, and likely hiding her sorrow behind a work ethic Luna thought, Trixie went right on as if Luna said nothing again, “I have already drawn up plans for the stadium and drafted a list of rules for the events that will take place. I will need your input on some, but I think that we can filter the aggression of the Asgardians and Jotuns into these competitions—”

Luna raised her voice slightly and brought a hand to her daughter’s chest, “Trixie, slow down.”

The firm voice snapped Trixie out of her rambling, at which point she lowered the papers and laughed nervously, “I’m sorry. I just have thought a lot about this.”

The fact that Trixie really was being proactive and caring about her new duties made Luna swell with pride, as if she was not swelling enough already, “I’m sure you have. I take it you will be the one who leads the event and manages everything?”

Trixie nodded, and that made Luna content. Luna did not think herself capable of being the leader of any such project, what with her condition and all, and perhaps a major project under Trixie’s belt could help other ponies realize her potential.

“It will be your biggest show yet then. I look forward to seeing what you have planned,” Luna smiled as she began to like the idea of this event more and more, “Where will this take place? What details can you give me?”

“It should be here in Equestria, as we are the most tangential of the three species as well as most neutral. If it took place in Asgard the Jotuns would take offense, and in Jotunheim the Asgardians may. Not to mention that the cold conditions of Jotunheim would prohibit what can be done. Their land can be useful in other ways, but not this.”

Luna could agree with Trixie’s assessments, and so she nodded her head as she considered them all more thoroughly, “Go on.”

“I also plan on using the singers from the wedding as a beginning act to the events. Their voices seem to please Asgardians and ponies alike, so it is a safe form of entertainment.”

Celestia had praised the talent of the singing trio, and Luna had caught sight of Trixie and Kael seeing a few of the shows put on in Canterlot. Luna had not actually seen them perform since the wedding, mostly because of her odd hours and time spent in Asgard, but felt like she could trust their skills from what she heard. They were already a growing fad in Equestria, with ponies from all over coming to see the alluring humanoids.

However, the account for three races attending the games, certain things had to be taken into consideration, “How large will the stadium be?”

Trixie smirked at the opportunity to uncurl one scroll, which had on it schematics for contruction of a stadium, “Gigantic. I am hoping to have thousands upon thousands of our three species gather. The entirety of Jotunheim, basically, as well as Asgard, with their small populations, with ponies filling in what is left.”

Having Asgardians and Jotuns in an enclosed space may, at least to Luna, prove unwise, “And what is keeping there from being an all-out brawl?”

Trixie gestured to herself with another smirk, “I will take care of that. The Jotuns know I can wipe out the remainder of their species with the bat of an eye. I made that very clear,” Trixie curled the scroll back up and gave a content sigh, “The more boisterous Asgardians should be kept in line by Loki, and again I will be there to handle any disputes.”

That could show some promise, Luna considered, but by no means should that be all there is between complete anarchy, “We should work on additional failsafes.”

Trixie moved in to hug Luna, reaching up onto the bed, “You need not worry about that. I am going to take care of everything.”

Seeing Trixie so confident made Luna happy, since it meant she was feeling at least somewhat better now that she was burying herself in work to escape her personal tragedy. Trixie had the fortitude and perseverance to make for a great leader Luna reckoned, and had a spirit to her that made her try her hardest to succeed at what she applied herself to, “You are taking quite well to leading. You remind me so much of myself when I was just beginning my rule.”

“Hopefully I won’t try killing someone in an attempt to take over Equestria like you did,” Trixie joked, bringing a smile to Luna’s face. Okay, she had that coming.

“Hopefully. It is not as if I could stop you if you did follow in my path.”

Trixie smiled to her and released Luna from the embrace, “Don’t worry. Things will not go the same way this time around.”

Luna laughed as Trixie lowered herself to the ground, “Besides, you already had your customary tenure as a villain, what with the Alicorn Amulet that allowed you to take over Ponyville so long ago.”

“Oh yes, that…” Trixie closed her eyes and let out a sigh, memories flooding back to her about her past misdeeds, “It is surprising how weak such an object feels now.”

The Aether was truly a great power, and Luna was happy that Trixie seemed fine with holding it since she trusted Trixie not to abuse that power. All the same, the motherly part of Luna made her try and warn Trixie about it nonetheless, “Just be careful with that power. I am happy to see that it is not changing you, but power has its own risks.”

“I know quite well…” Trixie trailed off, not elaborating about what she meant at all.

The vagueness of that statement made Luna raise an eyebrow, “Trixie?”

The rumbling of Trixie’s stomach prevented Luna from following up further, with Trixie adopting a carefree look and turning towards the door, “I am hungry. Let’s go find something for the four of us.”

Having slept most of the day, Luna too was hungry, and so she easily acquiesced to Trixie’s suggestion, “Of course.”

Loki was in a foul mood after handling a land dispute between two of his subjects when he got his next visitor. The land in question was meaningless to the already rich men, and they were just using it as a way of arguing and trying to get the king to side with one over the other. Loki settled the matter by giving the land in question to himself, and intended to use it to form an orphanage for the Asgardians who lost their parents to war. Problem solved.

His next visitor during his ruling hours of the day was Kael’Thas, who bowed down before Loki in the restored throne room. The throne room had seen much conflict in the past year, but Loki was pleased to have had the finest Asgardian architects fix the damage that had been done.

It also meant he did not need to see the spot in the ground where a grenade had exploded and killed his father.

“My King, there is a matter of importance I wish to discuss with you.”

Loki enjoyed having power over another member of royalty, so he casually waved a hand at Kael in a way that said “Speak your mind” without actually saying anything. Loki was still somewhat off put by his last encounter between such petty people.

Kael stood up fully and a bright smile appeared on his face, “I know of a way to create a replica Sunwell, a power source that brought my people prosperity for over nine thousand years. Its power would be unrivaled by almost any other, and in fact would possess power quite similar to the artifact that mistress Trixie holds in her now.”

Kael reached into his robe and retrieved a half empty vial with some strange, colored liquid in it. Loki could not make out much about it from atop his throne, but the look on Kael’s face told him that this was important.

“While speaking with your medical staff recently, they returned to me some of the objects they found on me at the time of their operation. One of the items was a vial of water that holds in it the properties required to create a Sunwell.”

So this simple vial of liquid could lead to a powerful resource for Asgard? Loki was intrigued, but needed to know more before he allowed anything that could possibly be dangerous, “And if we create this…structure, what then?”

Kael returned the vial to where he removed it, a broad smile still on his face as he began to gush about the benefits such a structure could lend Asgard, “Your race’s arcane potential will be increased tenfold. You will have the raw energy to accomplish great tasks, build powerful artifacts, live even longer, and with your new power you can deter any enemies you have from confronting you.”

Still, nothing came without a price. The foreigner had to have some kind of stake in this matter, so Loki decided to confront that particular issue instead of leave hidden agendas be, “What do you gain from this?”

To Loki’s surprise, Kael was willing to reveal his hand without any reservations, “Theoretically, the Sunwell’s power source could grant me the opportunity to return home, when coupled with the Bifrost your people possess. The structure’s current limited range of certain realms would be greatly expanded, and it would just take some effort to then find my world amongst those that it then has access to.”

Loki smirked at the thought of combining the power of the Bifrost and the Sunwell. The Elf certainly knew how to think outside of the box. Too bad it meant he would be leaving them, “So you would be out of my hair for good. Just when you were beginning to settle in.”

Kael bowed once again in respect, making Loki regret all the more that he would be leaving. After all, it meant that he would have one less example of how you should treat royalty around.

“I would not wish to be a burden to you or your people any longer than is necessary.”

Standing beside Loki the entire day was Frigga, who had been there to give aid if necessary. She had remained silent throughout mostly, since Loki had been handling issues well and being in the place of her husband’s death weighed heavily on her. However, Loki turned and sought her counsel about the matter because of her knowledge of the arcane.

“Mother, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

Frigga looked to Loki with a grimace, “I am only worried that our guest does not fully comprehend the workings of the Bifrost. There are many tomes that should be consulted before undergoing such a project, or even before hypothesizing about its potential.”

“I have considered the information within those very tomes you speak of. I only seek to use the knowledge I now have,” Kael responded matter-of-factly, his smile not leaving his face for a moment even with her doubts.

Frigga’s face scrunched up as she thought about what he said, “My granddaughter Trixie read the books if I do recall.”

Kael continued his bow to the two of them, “We share much, milady, and on this matter we both share and agree completely.”

Since Kael seemed to have knowledge of what he was talking about, had the trust of Trixie, and seemed willing to grant them a powerful artifact if it would allow him to return home, Loki saw no reason to not follow through with this plan right away. If things seemed to not be working out he could always pull the plug on the project, but for the time being it had at least piqued his interest and Loki felt as if this could prove a great way to increase his public image should he give his people such a resource.

“Very well. Now that our castle is finally restored, I think we can spare the resources to complete this project. Empowering our people is not something I can speak against, especially with the threats looming on our horizon.”

His words were music to the ears of the Elf, “Thank you for your permission, My king. There is another important matter to consider. Thanos may be powerful, but he does not know of this particular ace up our sleeves. For this reason I suggest you keep the general nature of the project quiet.”

The ability to use such a powerful power source against Thanos perked Loki’s interest up even further. Anything that could possibly defeat their monstrous foe was something Loki wished to be in his possession, “Could we possibly use its powers against him?”

“That would be quite…situational. The power it grants us all will undoubtedly help though, even if the actual energies cannot be channeled directly against him. It all depends on how, what, where, and when.”

“I suppose we will have to see when the time comes then…Thank you for your gift, Prince Sunstrider. It will be fortunate to have you at our side in the coming storm.”

“I serve at your pleasure, my King.”

Author's Note

Just a reminder, later today I am releasing a story titled "Equestria Was Only A Setback!" which will serve as a spinoff of this story. It'd mean a lot if you guys could support it with your likes and comments when it is released, and I hope you enjoy it thoroughly! It's another crossover story similar to this one, and will serve as a continuation of the Trixie/Kael plotline albeit in his world instead of hers! Unlike this story it'll be more of a comedy, but if you guys have gotten this far in this story you know I can't go without putting a teency bit of drama in. Anyways, thanks for supporting this story so long, and I hope you enjoy my new story and this new chapter!

Remember, comments are :heart: !

It's Never Enough

A/N: Special thanks to the few who commented last time around, SilentMech, ChaoticLightning, Ozymandias42, Cadmium, Ketvirtas, Mewaponny, Magestikus, and Evilhumour. It'll be really disappointing if I don't hear from a ton of people this time, since we have a new record for longest chapter in the story, so please comment in the section below! I promise there is plenty to discuss, as this chapter is the beginning of the end.

Chapter title from "Never Enough" by Five Finger Death Punch, same band that does "Remember Everything". I highly recommend looking into the music I've been using for my song titles, especially recent ones. :twilightsmile:

Enjoy, and please let me know what you think at the bottom!

Loki had not managed to find a day yet to spend idly with his stepdaughter throughout the year because of the tireless efforts the two of them went through to support their respective nations. However, in preparation of an inevitable confrontation with Thanos, Loki spent his free time expanding his combat skills through training and through this he found some time to interact with her even if it was in a limited fashion.

This was because Trixie had been training herself as well, and decided it could be wise to join Loki. Loki agreed to spar with her, only to find himself also meeting with her shadow, the Blood Elf. This would have irritated Loki less if he did not feel inadequate due to his limited magical capabilities caused by his undead state that Hela granted him. Having a daughter who was the most powerful member of his nation spar with him was fine, since he could suck up enough pride to handle that. But to also feel immense power from her servant? That made Loki grumble.

At least he could beat them in combat. For now. Their fast learning pace was letting the two mages catch up at a rate no mortal should, and Loki could only take solace from some of the research her had done. If the Aether was one of the Infinity Gems or Stones or whatever their true name was, then Loki believed it to the be the Power Gem, which granted immense physical properties…which could include the ability to learn abnormally fast, as it was a physical endeavor to spar.

At least, that is what he hoped at the time. His pride, although mellowed, would feel less trampled that way.

On one such training day while the family was in Equestria, Trixie and Kael were returning to Canterlot Castle from a day spent in town with the Dazzlings when they found the road right in front of the castle obstructed.

Standing in the way was a crowd of well-dressed ponies who were easily identified as members of the Canterlot Elite. In fact, so many stood before them that Trixie was surprised that almost all of the normally squabbling and bickering ponies who inhabited Canterlot’s upper echelons were here in one place and not fighting.

Trixie could teleport past the large crowd, but she was curious about why this was happening. Perhaps by approaching them and walking through she could find out by listening.

As Trixie approached closer, she smiled at them despite her inner hatred for these petty beings who displayed tendencies that had grown to be inexcusable in her eyes, “Excuse us.”

The crowd’s reaction to her approach was one of silence, their eyes staring at her with disgust and anger each. Trixie hesitated as they looked at her with such fervor. Why were they acting so…passively aggressive?

From the front of the crowd a pony Trixie recognized as a companion of Prince Blueblood stepped forward, a nasty look upon his face as he snorted at Trixie, “Why should we bother? We are fine here, especially since we’ve been waiting to confront a certain someone,” he glanced between the two with continued disgust, “We belong here, unlike some.”

Trixie gasped as she realized that she had been walking back in her Elven form. She had wanted to be settled into it before facing Loki in combat, only to forget how racist and xenophobic ponies could be. Especially the crowd who lived in Canterlot.

While Trixie gasped in surprise, Kael took the moment to step forward and place himself between her and the crowd, “You do realize who you are speaking to?”

The stallion who had spoke up before laughed sardonically while turning back to face his supporters, “The false princess Trixie, who would rather consort with a foreign race in their own form than serve her own people? Isn’t that right, everyone?”

The thought of getting through them by teleportation would have passed through Kael’s mind if not for Trixie’s stunned state. Instead, he rose his hands up peacefully as he attempted to plead with the unreasonable group, “Please, just move. I do not see why there must be conflict where none is needed.”

There was not a positive response to this, and Kael found himself having the stallion push his chest forcefully with a hoof, “You two legged beasts don’t belong here. You should go back to wherever that infernal prince Loki came from and stay away from our land—”

“Speak another vile, racist word and I will have you placed in jail for the rest of your miserable life!”

The stallion froze as Trixie screamed from behind Kael. The prince looked back to see that Trixie’s eyes had grown teary, even if she was not crying yet, and so he turned his back to console her.

During this time the stallion regained his nerve and began to speak again, the crowd behind him ardently supporting his words with their own cries, “Are you going to just lock me up like that? Without a trial? Celestia would never allow such abuse of power!”

Trixie pushed her second aside so she could step forward and leer down at her foe, “Celestia has the heart but not mind required to keep you all in check. I have the power to do as I please though, as your princess and ruler, so you will submit to me and show me the respect I deserve. Do you even know how much I have done for you ungrateful whelps?”

“We have heard of heroic deeds in other lands that no-one but your own corrupt lot can attest to. Why should we believe you, who once attacked a city and forced it to submit to your oppressive ways?”

That made Trixie’s stomach sink. Not only did it bring up the lowest point of her life morally, it also made her realize that this was not just some random rally. This was organized. He was prepared, and since this stallion was not some major player in Canterlot social politics that meant that he had someone behind him who was.

“Who is pulling your strings?” Trixie coolly responded,

A moment of hesitation proved her suspicion correct, though the stallion quickly jumped back into his bravado.

“There are no strings being pulled, but do know that there is a coalition forming against you and your ilk. We will see you driven out so that we can maintain the purity of our race without intermingling with the barbaric species you seem to be so drawn to.”

If Trixie had to take an educated guess, Blueblood was being a nuisance again and was trying to get petty revenge now that he was back. Trixie considered herself fortunate not to have run into him, and would make sure to tell the guards later to not allow him anywhere near her.

Trixie would laugh at the irony of Blueblood defaming her due to her supposed romantic inclinations and future offspring, when in fact she was the bastard child of his own despicable father.

“We will see about that,” Trixie muttered back, hatred coursing through her and clouding her mind now that a certain disgrace had come to mind.

“Oh will we? Will you suppress us and silence our views? Do you not believe in our freedoms?”

Instead of pushing against Kael this time, the stallion demagogue pushed Trixie as he continued to make a nuisance of himself.

In response, Trixie shoved him back and growled, “I will suppress anyone who stands in my way to forming a peaceful, prosperous world, especially if it means confronting ignoble bigots such as yourself.”

“Ignoble?” the stallion scoffed as he gathered himself, having stumbled back as if he had never been struck before, “What’s ignoble is your attitude! Are you suffering from mood swings resulting from carrying that foreigner’s child? You and your sick perversions will lead this country to ruin, and we will not allow for the bloodline of our sacred royalty to be tainted by such filth! Go back to the filthy animals this freak came from!”

Not provoked by the insult, Kael looked to Trixie to let her take the lead. He personally would enjoy destroying the stallion in an intellectual debate on the subject of ruling and on how xenophobia was a flaw not becoming of a civilized people, but the fact was that engaging this firebrand further could lead to a greater conflict than one of petty insults.

Trixie did not look to her partner however, instead focused on reaching forward to grab the stallion by the neck. Her hand clasped around it, Trixie pulled him in as close as she could to snarl at him.

“If and when I do have a child, you cretins will have no say in with whom I have it with, nor what race it hails from.”

She tossed the stallion back as the crowd began to cry out in uproar about abuse of power, ignoring how he started the physical confrontation, and the growing agitation of the crowd made worry begin to grow in the Elf.

“Trixie,” he warned. It was time to go.

I know I should just calm down, but…

Trixie’s words were cut off by a rock crashing into Trixie’s black hat and knocking it off her head. She opened her mouth to voice an objection, but an object propelled by telekinetic magic sailed through the air to strike her across the face.

Not actually hurt but instead stunned, Trixie stumbled back a step, while Kael did the reverse and stepped in front of her again as rocks and other objects continued to fly at them from the crowd.

Kael rose one hand and all of a sudden the magic stopped being cast. Ponies in the gathered crowd shrieked and yelled as they were lifted off their feet and into the air, the gravity around them distorted as the Elven prince gave a look of disappointment to them all.

His voice did not raise as he continued to lift the group into the air until they were at the same level as the second story of the closest building, “I have been persecuted for my race before. Nearly executed for it, even. If you are so xenophobic as to dismiss an ally as an enemy because of their different appearance, then the one who has an issue is not the persecuted but the one who has revealed their disgusting inner self.”

The public nature of this prevented Kael from utilizing his mind control abilities that he had been relearning. Controlling them forcibly and with who knows how many witnesses would only end badly, not that restraining them was much better in terms of public opinion…

Kael glared at the fearful crowd, none of them seeming to have realized that they had picked a fight with someone far above their level, “Now, unlike your Princess, I no qualms with putting you in your place. My people mean everything to me, so to disrespect them as well as my good friend at the same time was unwise of you,” he paused to let their fear sink in before continuing, “However, because I am the better person, I will let you down, and you will go mind your own business elsewhere and not bother us further. Am I understood?”

There was no verbal response, but Kael did not expect one. He instead turned as he let his magic end, not even trying to grant them a slow fall because he had no care if they fell and were hurt. The rock that had hit him in the eye during their short state of rebelliousness was of no consequence, but the intended harm to Trixie made him lack pity for these cretins.

“Come. Let us go.”

Trixie nodded wordlessly to Kael, tears welling in her eyes as he began to teleport the two of them away.

As they started to leave, the demagogue started his ranting again, “You will hear from us again! We will not stop until you are gone, you false princess!”

To Trixie, the fact that despite everything she had done that she was still criticized by these people made her feel too hollow to cry. Even if others were warming up to her, the fact that her good deeds were ignored by those who just sought to be nasty hit harder than any object the ungrateful nobles could throw.

“You have been learning well.”

Trixie had plenty of built up emotion to put into her strikes when she took to swordplay and close quarters combat with Loki in the training yard of Canterlot Castle. Loki was having difficulty keeping up with her because of her supernatural physical qualities resulting from the Aether, and her emotional state made her all the more unpredictable. Not the most comforting person, Loki chose to leave Luna to confront whatever issues Trixie was facing, and instead allow himself to be what she worked the excess out on.

Trixie, for her part, had trouble actually hitting Loki. He was faster than many could keep track of, and even with her gift he was difficult to actually track. As such, each of the two was having a great workout as one was constantly pushed on the defensive while the other could never achieve anything with their offense.

Trixie smiled to Loki as she panted for breath, glad about having a chance to forget the idiots she had run into earlier, “I have an experienced warrior as a teacher.”

Loki pointed one of his glaives over to the currently benched Kael, Trixie admiring the blades as Loki made the gesture, “Send your partner. He is the only one I can consider a true match right now.”

Kael had previous experience with actual martial combat, so while not a veteran of a thousand years of fighting like Loki he was able to at least predict Loki’s movements at a faster pace than Trixie. Loki also preferred fighting Kael over Trixie, for the Elf was not as fast paced and did not always press and try to be on the offense like Trixie. Unlike Loki, who could not tire due to his affliction, and Trixie, who regenerated her energy quickly, Kael seemed to have no such aid which impressed Loki the most with how Kael could continue fighting with them for the entirety of a sparring session if need be.

Kael stepped in to fight Loki next, and without words the two engaged in mock battle for the forty seventh time. Loki had won every encounter, but it had been close and even then he found himself irritate because the Elf was not using his magic, something Loki had limited ability to use himself anymore. If it were to be a real fight Loki would have to have his power for it to be any kind of contest.

For now though, Loki was just pleased that he had defeated each of the other two close to fifty times. He was sure that this next generation of leaders would surpass him by the point they hit one hundred matches, which hurt his pride but also gave him some relief. Having competent agents to do tasks for him never hurt, and he needed to step down from always fighting on the frontline anyways. He did not want his own children to grow up without their father after all.

As the battle progressed, Loki gradually took the time to use his superior swordplay skills to hit Kael bit by bit and inflict small wound upon wound with the glaives. Kael’s custom made dual pronged sword, modeled after one he said he once possessed, could catch one glaive and divert it, but Loki’s speed would allow him to scrape at Kael with the other before Kael could dodge or parry it fully.

It took a couple hours, but the fighting subsided when Kael’s bleeding body finally disallowed him from lifting up his blade from parrying an attack and Loki was left with his glaive pointing at Kael’s neck.

Loki smiled as he lowered his blade, the combat done. If his opponent had more physical strength he may have been able to force some of Loki’s quick strikes back at him, and even the few hits he did manage to retaliate with lacked the impact required to fell Loki, “You lack power, at least in comparison to your other qualities,” Loki paused to eye Kael’s many wounds, which Trixie had already begun to mend with her powers, “For one on your level you are beyond durable and possess an endurance I must envy even if my own body never grows tired anymore. Your magical skill also appears to be formidable, though I have a feeling you have not revealed your full capabilities to me yet.”

“I am not likened to a phoenix because of my limited lifespan. Thank you, however,” Kael bowed, pleased to have the approval of Loki, “Even if my physical strength is not at the same place as my other qualities, it far surpasses that of many other warriors.”

Loki smirked while helping the man to his feet, “I would hate to face you in actual combat.”

“I would not enjoy facing you in real battle either,” Kael laughed back while nodding in thanks to the help up, “It took twenty five warriors to fell me in combat the first time I was defeated. I remember in my madness slaying a green clad human warrior whose spear nearly took my life. It is hard to draw from those memories, but that one stands out.”

“Well, seeing as how green is my preferred color and I am fond of spears, I hope that we do not come to blows so as to not repeat the past,” Loki snorted.

“I would hope so. My favorite color is blue, though there is enough of that around with your daughter and wife.”

Speaking of whom, Loki turned to face the other combatant there, “Your turn again, daughter.”

Trixie smiled to him, pleased to hear what he called her. A semi-cold, arrogant man who deeply loved his family was as close to a perfect father figure as she could imagine, which was a sad testament to her life struggles more than anything else, “Yes, father.”

“You need to be ready for when Thanos rears his head. You are not p—”

Trixie scoffed. Loki had no idea of what was going through her head, or of all her plans and preparations. Only one person truly did, after all.

“I am adequately prepared.”

To not leave his mind to wander about what that meant, Trixie decided she needed to follow up her statement. As she considered a way to not make Loki curious about her confidence, Loki spoke up about his worries.

“The Aether and the staff Luna took from me both are sources of power beyond imagination,” he paused as he felt Trixie’s smile begin to unnerve him, “They are a part of a set though. A set Thanos seeks to complete, and will use against us.”

His words gave Trixie the way to explain her smug confidence, “The Infinity Stones, or Infinity Gems. They are referred to by different names in your books. Also, do not forget that power source sought on Earth during your reign of terror, the Tesseract.”

That accounted for half the set…and Loki was once again impressed. Trixie knew what she was talking about. It seemed all that reading she had been working on was paying off.

Trixie flashed him a nervous grin, “I did my research quite thoroughly. The scepter is known as the Mind Stone, the Tesseract is the Space Stone, and I have not yet learned what the comparative name of the Aether is, but it is among the set. I am thinking it is the Power Gem, which is said to duplicate physical super powers as well as grant all the power that does or ever will exist…”

Loki’s continued amazement at her knowledge made Trixie chuckle a little, embarrassed by the respect displayed with his slack jaw and O of a mouth.

“Since I have that, and we collectively possess the Mind Gem that can reach into all minds in existence should its powers be harnessed fully, I think we are well off.”

Having access to two of the powerful artifacts was quite beneficial, but Thanos had at least one and the gauntlet created to harness their power. A single being could not hold all that power in their own body without severe consequences, thus the gauntlet, which in addition to harnessing their power also increased it.

It was this that Loki was worried about, because he scepter was dangerous to use and that just left them with the Aether as a reliable tool. One gem to Thanos’s one confirmed gem, but his one was going to be empowered and there was little stopping him from searching for and bringing the others as well due to the millions of servants he had to find them.

Loki was just glad that Thanos was arrogant enough to finish the job personally. He could just send his large armies that he once promised to Loki on Loki and all of the races he now had a responsibility for.

“And when Thanos brings all of the others to battle?”

Trixie, not knowing how much Loki knew, started to explain things just in case, “He has the Tesseract and the Infinity Gauntlet, which is a tool that can combine all of them together. His power is almost incomprehensible to a mere mortal with just one, and I assume he has not been idle in his absence so he may have some of the others. We will have to gauge his strength when he appears, and handle things from there.”

Her answer did not really satisfy Loki, but he didn’t really have a way of countering it. There just wasn’t a way to beat Thanos if he had too many gems, at least as far as Loki could see.

Trixie cleared her throat as she continued, “There is still the matter of the Time Gem, which allows one to control time itself. I believe it to be in the possession of Hela because of her abilities, but that could be something natural to her since her body was effected by the Aether while still in the womb. Reality, which is said to keep the others in check, can fulfill the wishes of its master even if it breaks the laws of nature...”

That was certainly appealing.

One last known gem remained, and Trixie found herself grinning more than she had in months at the thought of it, “Finally, the Soul Gem is taken care of. I have confirmed that it is possessed by an entity other than Thanos. It is said to be the most powerful by some researchers, although this is argued. It can allow someone to steal and manipulate souls, as well as steal powers and abilities.”

Her vagueness naturally left Loki curious, “How did you confirm this?”

“I know where it is, and it is safe,” Trixie shook her head as Loki opened his mouth to press further, “It has the most corrupting power of all of the gems, and is said to be sentient. It hungers for souls. May we leave it at that?”

The issue would have been pressed further, and possibly brought to a better resolution for everyone, had a servant of the castle not burst in and announced.

“My lord, Queen Luna has entered labor!”

Loki forced himself to not react in a panic, steeling himself as he turned to face the attendant. Luna had no known due date given the uniqueness of her situation, so it was something he had been expecting for awhile. After all, Luna had grown very large in the time since he returned, and even with two children in tow there was only so much they needed to grow.

Loki shot Trixie a serious look and pointed a finger at her, “I expect a deeper explanation in the near future,” his point made, he turned back to the attendant, “Take us to my queen.”

Luna had chosen to give birth in her room, since she was not bound by the same mortal constraints as other mothers. No hospital was needed because she only was in labor for less than ten minutes, and she needed no attendant because Loki had gotten there quickly to help her. It had become a hobby of his to read up on pregnancy related things when he had moments inbetween making royal decisions.

In fact, he read more than Luna did, as she spent her time playing what she called “video games” on a TV and gaming system Stark had brought by as a gift. He said the children would love it, and even designed controllers for hooves. Loki did not particularly find himself in love with the gift, but Luna’s countless hours playing could be still witnessed by the games and their boxes strewn about the room.

Once it was over, Luna looked over to her husband with a weak smile. She had used her shapeshifting abilities to speed up the process and lessen the amount of time she spent in pain, but the ordeal still left her winded and weakened.

“Loki…”

Busy cradling the two infants in his arms, Loki pried his eyes off them and the blankets he had wrapped them in to look down at their mother.

“You cheated, but our son and daughter are doing just fine,” Loki joked as he inspected the two. Hela, who had been born first, was in an Asgardian form. Her skin was pearly white, but to Loki’s relief he found that she had been born with a pulse. This already made her different from the one he had met, who seemed to have always been dead given what he learned of her, and it gave him hope that in this reality she would not end up that way.

Sleep Near, who Loki had wanted to instead name Sleipnir, was born in an equine body and had a soft grey fur with a black mane that resembled Loki’s hair. Unlike Hela, Sleep Near was making small noises, but was not yet crying. His sister was remaining mute, and barely was moving at all, but Loki had long grown used to the fact that his daughter would be mute.

Oh, and Sleep Near had four extra legs. All of which were pushing around randomly and kicking into Loki’s ribs. How Luna managed to deal with twelve limbs constantly rumbling around inside her, Loki did not want to know.

Luna lifted a hand towards Loki and the two babies, wanting to hold them for the first time, “Why suffer for hours with dilation when I can shapeshift?”

Loki handed Hela down to Luna first, who took the baby into her arms gently and with a large, content smile. Having a child took forever, but the warm feeling in her body made it feel worth it.

This was her family. Loki, Hela, Sleep Near, and Trixie, who was patiently waiting outside. Family was who you chose, after all, and Luna could not feel happier with those she had surrounded herself with, two of which she created even if by accident.

“Still, I feel exhausted…” Luna yawned as she began to slowly rock the silent Hela back and forth. This action was interrupted by Sleep Near crying in Loki’s arms, the baby reaching towards Luna with his multiple limbs. Loki chuckled at the thought that perhaps the extra gestation period had let the children be born with some extra intelligence, and that perhaps they knew that Luna was their mother…which meant food.

Luna smiled at Sleep Near as he was let into her arms as well, Hela resting on her left side and hand and Sleep Near mirroring her. Once touching Luna, Sleep Near began to nestle with her chest and writhe while crying, causing Luna to chuckle, “I guess I cannot rest yet. I need to make use of the swelled chest you humanoids heave around for the sake of our children.”

With a little guidance, Sleep Near began to nurse with Luna. His sister seemed to take his lead and used the spare source of milk to feed herself while Luna contently looked at her children. A feeling of relief was washing over her, and Luna found herself mesmerized about everything she could see with the two.

This, however, included her eyes inspecting Sleep Near’s extra limbs for some time as the two continued to nurse, Luna meanwhile whispering, “Sleep Near…”

Loki sighed. Again, he had expected this, but to see that his son truly would be deformed disheartened him somewhat. Not because he did not think extra limbs could be useful, but because he knew others may judge his son for it, “I have heard of this before. A sad result of a gravid woman’s womb being subjected to healing magic. It results in duplication of limbs in rare instances…”

Luna did not respond to that, for she was upset with herself that her own reckless behavior caused her womb damage that had needed to be healed. If she had not underestimated Algrim, if she had remembered to use the scepter, perhaps her children could be healthier.

The first to finish feeding, Hela just curled up into Luna. She did not do anything though besides breath softly, which made only the slightest of noise compared to the heavier breathing of her brother. Her lack of noise made Luna want to start crying despite how happy she was, because it was another malady caused by her own faults.

“Why isn’t she crying?”

How much would her children pay for her own personal decisions and faults?

Loki took a seat next to Luna on her bed and brought a hand over hers, speaking softly so as to not upset Luna further, “Perhaps the wounds she suffered while in your womb from that giant beast serving Malekith…”

He cut himself off at the sight of tears in Luna’s eyes. This was likely going to forever be a sore topic for her, and so he let it drop.

Loki brought his hand over to run across his infant daughter’s back, “Hela, my first born and my second daughter…” he leaned in to whisper, “Please, cry for your mother.”

Hela remained silent, though she seemed to be finding comfort in clenching Luna’s shirt. Her mother tensed up at the lack of noise, tears now freely running down her face, “Please…” Luna found it sad that she was the one crying and not the newborn, but could not stop herself despite the irony, “I want to hear your voice…”

As Sleep Near continued to nurse and Hela fell asleep next to Luna, their mother continued to cry at her own mistake, “My ignorance did this…” Luna kissed Hela’s head softly before brushing Sleep Near’s hair out of his way, “If only I had realized I was pregnant, I…”

Her words trailed off as Luna began to sob, Loki quickly bringing a hand to touch her face and wipe the tears away, “Luna, please, do not work yourself up. You need to rest.”

“Please forgive me…” Luna continued to sob, feeling wholly responsible for all of the hardships the two would have to go through now because of their physical abnormalities.

Loki, who had arrived just too late to stop the Dark Elf invasion, felt guilty as well, though he knew that it was Hela’s sick irony that he was there too late which caused her to be harmed which seemed to lead to her resentment of him. A stable loop of time and revenge, now broken in this particular world due to slight differences.

Still, Loki did not wish to be absolved of all his blame. If he had been strong enough, none of this would have happened, “Forgive me for not being there for you in your time of need.”

A soft glow in front of them both made them look down at Sleep Near, who now was as pale skinned as his father and rustling around in his now Asgardian body. The natural shapeshifting was not too unexpected, since Luna had long since felt them changing, but actually seeing her child doing something powerful magic users could not made Luna proud.

Luna smiled down at Sleep Near as he now began to nurse again with his different mouth, “No wonder he’ll be so big. Milk helps a body grow. And here I thought the excess size of these would go to waste.”

“It seems my son will not be solely a horse. At least we do not need to remake the throne,” Loki shrugged, not really having been that worried since he had seen that his son could one day transform at will.

“I felt them changing sometimes in my womb…” Luna sighed at the interesting but painful memories, “I could feel Hela mostly as an Asgardian, and Sleep Near mostly as a foal. When they both were foals it was hard to even walk with how bloated I became. If not for my shapeshifting abilities, my womb may have even torn.”

Loki ran a hand over her stomach gently, “To be honest, I have grown used to your more fleshed out self. You have looked that way longer than I have seen you without a round stomach, after all.”

Luna stuck her tongue out at him, “It made going to bed more difficult, but you did not seem to mind all that much with my stomach taking up so much room and getting in your way.”

Noting that Sleep Near had not really stopped since he first latched on, Loki found himself wondering just how large his stomach was, “Does our son also have two stomachs?”

“Perhaps, but maybe transforming makes him dehydrated from the effort?” Luna reasoned before laughing, “Drink, my little prince. I read that breast feeding can make children smarter than those who don’t.”

Loki wanted to grumble that he had been the one who read it and had told it to her, but held his tongue so as to not upset her. With him not speaking and Sleep Near still determined, Luna laughed and gave her husband a happy smile, “Sorry Loki. You have to share certain parts of me with them now.”

Again, Loki shrugged as he thought of a good comeback, “You taste good. How can I fault them?”

Hela woke up with a small flicker of her eyes, at which point she began to struggle slightly. Luna held tightly before guiding her back to her chest, “You look thirsty even if you aren’t vocal about it,” as Hela began to compete with her brother for most entranced with nursing, Luna found herself becoming giddy about this whole motherhood idea again, “Oh, I’ve been wondering for so long what this feeling of motherhood would be like. Not only the past year, but in my time on the moon I had a lot of free time…”

Loki rose an eyebrow both at Luna’s statement and her emotional roller-coaster, but he let her continue as she sheepishly grinned, “In fact, I pretended some days that I was to be a mother. I may have been a little insane at the time if I am to be honest, but imagining the act of being a mother made me feel less lonely. The rocks were useful as stand ins for a family.”

Loki squeezed her hand gently and leaned in over his children to kiss her, “You won’t have to be lonely again. You have a family to be with your forever now.”

“A family…” Luna sighed as she remembered how this twins deal ruined her desire to only have one child.

On the same wavelength, Loki finished, “We need to make sure Sleep Near and Hela always grow up loving one another, and do not feel jealous. They will be the ones who take our place after all, like Trixie has been doing for you recently.”

Luna sighed as she nodded her head, a tired haze growing over her as she thought about the bad blood between siblings previously, “I am okay with that idea. Passing up the mantle to our next generation. I built a nation a thousand years ago. I fought for it, and I have spent a lifetime fighting for it. I do not believe I have much fight left in me these days.”

“Nor should you. You are a ruler now of three nations. It is not your duty to be the one who does the actual fighting.”

“I do not know if it is because of my powers being the only ones that have been able to stop countless threats in Equestria for so long, but I have a hard time letting others do it for me. It feels cowardly,” Luna sighed as Sleep Near and Hela each stopped, at which point she let them curl up into her to sleep, “Or, at least, it did until I found someone to take up their fight for me who I can trust wholly to carry out my more laborious duties with honor and heart.”

“I can understand not wanting to spill blood while remaining safe, but luckily that time has passed us by,” Loki commented, not wanting to bring up Thanos. Or how he had left the unconscious body of Maiev and dead bodies of his family in Asgard’s throne room the day prior. How they got there he did not know, since Maiev was too wounded to even speak and had lapsed into unconsciousness since.

That could wait. Luna didn’t need any stress at the moment, and that was why he had held the information from her. Stress was not good for pregnant women, and even now that the twins were born he did not have the will to speak up. Perhaps if he had brought the topic to the table then a different outcome would have come about, but decisions such as that brought them to the path they would be set on.

“I do not know how much of an adviser I can serve as due to my large focus on more militaristic matters, but I will do what I can to help you rule Asgard as the greatest king it has ever had,” Luna explained before growing a completely serious look on her face, “Do not expect that to mean I will not take umbrage with certain things and issues, as I may be sidelined now but I will step in on any matter political or otherwise that I find to be an issue, even if it may mean opposing you.”

Her words might have disheartened a lesser man, but they instead made Loki smile at her proudly, “And that is all I can ask for. I would rather have a partner whose strong will can and will push me and conflict than some waif who simply acts as a shadow who mimics me.”

Outside of the room Trixie and Kael were waiting patiently to be allowed inside. They did not want to interrupt the four inside, but found themselves surprised to find themselves met by four others. Celestia’s assistants had said she was busy tending to her own daughter and would be by the first chance she got, but Trixie had told them all to keep things quiet. They did not need people swarming around the newborns after all.

How the three Dazzlings and Fandral found out was a mystery to the two previously waiting outside, and the explanation Adagio gave did not make them any less curious.

“We came to pay our respects to the newborn royalty.”

Aria grunted as she glared at Fandral, who had his arm locked with Sonata, “I don’t see why we had to bring him.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. Even now, Aria couldn’t help but be contrarian and moody.

Fandral brought a hand to his chest proudly while giving a smile to the woman on his arm, “I was the one who invited Sonata to come and join me for this momentous occasion. I did not realize it would come with two loud mouthed women as well.”

That explained things for Trixie. The man had come as a personal guard to Luna, and so he had likely been whisked away once the labor commenced. He had then gone to get Sonata, who he had apparently been seeing after they met at the wedding, and that meant the other Dazzlings found a way to feign respect while doing something nefarious.

Trixie was worried they might try something, but for the moment bit her tongue and settled on observing them.

Fandral turned to the door and knocked on it politely while talking to the others in the hallway, “Now, I came to give my respects and pledge my continued fealty to the crown, as well as to their offspring, so if you would excuse us…”

Once Fandral and Sonata were allowed in, Trixie groaned. She could have just asked permission to come in to begin with.

With the other two gone though and no non-conspirators in the hallway, Trixie whispered to the others, “Should you not be doing final preparations right now? We have but weeks until our plan comes together.”

Adagio glanced to the door, an evil smile on her face, “We are preparing.”

For the first time since she met them, Trixie became less than calm and courteous, taking a step towards Adagio and jabbing a skinny Elven finger into Adagio’s collar, “You will not touch those children.”

The act of defiance was not appreciated by Adagio, who already had enough to deal with considering Aria’s usual grumbling, “And who are you to stand in our way?” Adagio turned to Kael and snapped her fingers, which after a split second caused the Elf to stiffen up, “I even have your little friend under my power right now. Do you want to become an unwilling partner to us?”

Trixie ignored this and continued to glare at Adagio. She would not allow anything to be done to the newborns, as they were innocents, “I do not care if you steal the magic of every single pony and being at the stadium, but you may not touch my family. Is that understood?”

Aria rolled her eyes at Trixie’s hypocrisy of actions, “You were the one who helped us with your aunt.”

The fact she had to be a partial hypocrite to enact her plans bit at Trixie, but her heart remained in the right place, “A necessary step in our plan. Her reputation has allowed you to spread your influence, gather crowds, and gain power. But I will not let you touch my brother and sister, especially not in their first minutes of life.”

Seeing how adamant Trixie was about this, Adagio chose to relent. No use ruining everything over two infants, “For all of your help thus far, I will permit this. But you had better listen in the future, child.”

With that, Fandral and Sonata stepped out, the latter squeeing in joy at the sight of the babies and also wondering why one of them had too many arms and legs. Then she lost count and forgot about it entirely, her and Fandral leaving to go on a date while Trixie dragged Kael inside the room and shut it behind them quickly.

There was an instant affection between Trixie and her siblings, at least on the former’s part. The sight of the two little beings made her nearly tear up, the idea of Luna now giving her the full family she never had too much for the young mare-Elf to take.

Once Trixie had approached the bed Luna held up one of the sleeping children to Trixie, who gently received the infant and began to cradle it as Luna watched.

“Trixie, meet your sister Hela,” Luna shifted the infant on top of her to be facing Trixie, “and her younger brother Sleep Near. You three will need to get along when the time comes, okay?”

Trixie smiled down at Hela, “Of course.”

This little child would one day hold the power to control life and death…though this was not the same one who had Thanos trap Trixie in that place of torment, so Trixie was not really feeling a grudge or bitterness. All she could see was an adorable little child who began to cling to her.

Holding Hela like that made Trixie forget all about the pain she felt.

As the next few weeks passed by, Luna grew more and more enervated with having to handle two children who had no synchronization in terms of sleeping and feeding times. Hela had inherited her penchant for being mainly nocturnal while Sleep Near was more of a day-dweller, and so while Luna tried to get back into the whole working-game she was often too tired to do so.

As such, one day Trixie found herself approached by her mother with two children in tow. Trixie knew already what this would be about, but she let Luna explain it for herself.

“Trixie, I am exhausted and I must apologize…I need some time to myself if I am going to get back into my duties. Could you look after Sleep Near and Hela for me?”

If Trixie were still truly petty, she could point out that later that same day was the competition she had been setting up for months, and that she couldn’t be watching after them all day, but she happily obliged anyways. She would just give them back before the event, and make sure they did not come to it. It was no place for children and babies after all.

“Of course. My preparations are all done for the competition, so I could spend time with them until this afternoon when the event takes place.”

Luna sighed in relief. This way she could sleep and then see about getting some work done before slacking off at the competition, “Thank you,” she levitated the two babies over to Trixie, Sleep Near giggling happily at the feeling while Hela continued to be mute, “I’ll be back for them when I can. If you need to go before I am back for them, speak with Celestia or the maids she has to help her with her own daughter.”

Trixie nodded, pleased to undertake this duty since it would let her spend time with them, “Of course.”

Luckily for Trixie, she did not need to clean up after the babies at all, since she realized only after accepting the duty that she would have fainted trying. That moment of realization hit when Luna left diapers for Trixie to use on the foals/babies, but the shapeshifting duo did not bother Trixie with their bathroom needs that day.

Trixie found herself under the same spell of love as Luna when she looked at the two as they quietly slept on top of her bed. They were really well behaved babies, and that made her feelings of affection all the greater.

To ease her own nerves, Trixie let herself lay beside them and enjoy these moments. She had a big day ahead of her, and so this time was precious.

Seeing Sleep Near kick his extra limbs around in his sleep made Trixie sigh. There was no way others would accept his physical being, especially not other ponies, “Other ponies will mock you. Deride you behind your back for your deformity. For how your father is not another pony,” Trixie ran a hand over one of his small legs and sighed at the touch of his fur, “We may not be warlike like Asgardians or the Jotuns, but we have our own flaws, including xenophobia and a judgmental mindset befitting of cretins.”

As Sleep Near changed form in his sleep, Trixie decided to revert to her natural body. Not the fake Unicorn body, but her true Alicorn self that had resulted from the power boost she received when the Aether fused with her. She took up a great deal more space after the change, but was careful not to crush the babies as they rested beside her.

Trixie brought a gaunt wing to cover the two and serve as a blanket, “Our mother will love you though. Unconditionally,” Trixie brought her muzzle down to kiss them each on the head, “If she can bring herself to still love her sister, who not only shunned her but even erased her from history after needlessly banishing her to the moon, she will love you and your four extra limbs too.”

Trixie let her head crash down on the soft bed, her eyes beginning to tear up, “After all, she can love a washed up, has been magician with no talent like myself…”

Without Luna, Trixie’s story would have ended long ago on the streets of Equestria. For all the good and bad that had come since, it all could be linked to the actions and decisions of Luna.

Trixie couldn’t help but continue talking to the babies like they could understand her, though perhaps it was because she was recording them with a magic spell that she felt like it was not a waste of breath. After all, they could listen to it one day in the future.

“You, like Ataxia, have already earned scorn from the close minded inhabitants of this land. So long as they continue to act so pettily, be so evil in their judgment of others, we’ll continue to see the sorrows of old. One only needs look at history to see that the collective shift towards decadent morals and beliefs will lead to more suffering, to the degradation of the whole land.”

“It’ll be your job to make that all better. You’ll be in charge of these lands one day, you know,” Trixie smiled sadly as Hela crawled over to her, having just woken up, “That is, you will have to if I cannot manage to do so in my own efforts. If all goes well you won’t have to worry about anything ever again.”

As Hela began to make herself comfortable against Trixie’s blue fur, the mare found herself laughing, “You know, I want to be jealous of you two and your blood relation to her,” the laughing subsided as Trixie’s emotions rose up again, “I want to actually be her daughter, not that I deserve it. But I can’t be jealous of a baby who has done nothing to deserve my ire.”

“That hatred has to go somewhere though. If not for my sorrowful excuse for a father, perhaps this wouldn’t be the case. Maybe I would have been born to a different mother. To yours, even,” Trixie closed her eyes as she tried her hardest to keep from choking up, “But that is just one example of a what if. What if Celestia had not allowed Canterlot to decay over her reign to this disgusting point? What if this decadence had not lead to the creation of monsters like my father?”

Trixie actually sobbed for a moment before pulling herself together to continue, “If monsters like my father did not exist, would the lives of others be ruined like my actual mother’s was?” more tears fell as Trixie’s self-doubt reached its apex, “Would she have loved me and not abused me had my birth not ruined her life?”

There was obviously no response, so after a minute of just crying Trixie wiped her eyes. She had to pull herself together at some point if she was going to put on the best show of her life and save Equestria. She was glad she had Twilight at the actual location making the necessary on-site preparations, as the purple Alicorn was quite talented at management. She would be a good leader with time, and Trixie was pleased to call her a friend even if Twilight’s main residence in Ponyville and Trixie’s constant change of locations made visits sparse. Still, Trixie would have liked to call Twilight just that. A friend, despite their histories and past rivalry. Twilight was a good pony after all.

Wiping her sentimentality away, Trixie decided to continue her future lecture for the toddlers, “One day you’ll have to ask questions of your own.”

“It is easy to look back at the past and point out the mistakes and alternate paths that could have been taken,” Trixie brought the foals into a hug once Sleep Near woke up and began to crawl around, “The important thing though is to take into account the situation those who were there at the time were in. Their mindsets, their beliefs, their inner struggles…”

Sleep Near buried himself in Trixie’s lower stomach, while Hela cuddled against her chest area, “Understand that, seek to understand history from its very roots and causes, and you will be a wise ruler one day. Wiser than any of the ones who are around today…”

Trixie laughed at the absurdity of this whole situation, “Usually when I talk to myself I have someone else to talk back. The weight of the world must be so great that I have reached the point where I will talk to a toddler…”

She shook her head and turned to face the point she had set up her magic video recorder, “I won’t say these sappy things again, so I have recorded them for when you are old enough to understand. You’ll get it all one day.”

Trixie yelped as a feeling on her lower body made her realize that she perhaps should have protected herself better.

“Sleep Near, I am not your mother, I am your sister! Get off of there!”

With some magic, Trixie separated Sleep Near from her and brought him up to where his sister was. This done, Trixie groaned and shook her head. She would have to edit that part out.

Getting back on track, Trixie continued to shake her head. She knew she could be facing impossible odds that day, even though she had tried to rig the game as much in her favor as she could. If she lost, this was perhaps the last time she would talk to these two. She didn’t want that though. She wanted to come back.

That wasn’t her only fear, but it was the most immediate one.

“I…” Trixie felt herself crying again, but did not try to stop herself this time, “I’m going away for a little while. I don’t know when I’ll be back…” she realized that that might be misleading, even if they couldn’t understand her just yet, “I don’t know if I’ll be back.”

“It would be nice to see you two grow up,” she looked down at Hela with a smirk, “You’re going to be quite the handful when you’re older. I hope you don’t become so…”

No. This Hela was different. She wouldn’t grow up to be that deranged psychopath Trixie encountered before. Trixie would do her best to make sure of it, as she despised that other woman.

“Never mind.”

With that, Trixie got up from the bed. It had been a few hours since Luna dropped them off, and she really needed to go. She would get someone to take care of them in her place, but the idea of parting with them made her stomach drop just as her tears did.

To Hela, Trixie whispered, “Be the good daughter Luna wants, okay? I’ll be back later. I promise I’ll do everything I can, and breaking promises is beneath me.”

Looking over to Sleep Near, she whispered next to him, “And you take care of your sister. I know she’s the older one, but family has to look out for each other, right? That’s why I’m going to do everything I can for them…and for you. I’m going to do what’s right, dear brother.”

Her words were said to comfort herself, though later when the family would look back and think, this was the last day they were all together in some form or another.

The build up of events had finally come to be. Ever since Loki first came to Equestria there had been circumstances beyond his own control, which in turn led to events and further circumstances that compounded on themselves with time.

History would be wrote about the events, one way or another, and it was simply a matter of who would be the one writing and with how many tears spilt on the pages of their work.

Author's Note

Heavily emotional chapter is heavily emotional. Seeing as this story runs on the feels though, this isn't the first or last time :twilightsmile: Ambiguous ending is ambiguous as well. Thoughts? Let me know!

Anyways, please check out my new story here and help support it: Equestria Was Merely a Setback
Remember, comments are :heart: !

Welcome to the Show

A/N: Special thanks to those who commented last time around, Evilhumour, ChaoticLightning, Silentmech, Ketvirtas, hs0003, Amethyst Blade, Magestikus, Ozymandias42, New Spark, The Last Cold Fang, and Drgnwolf. I hope to hear from you all again, especially since we only have 11 more chapters after this one! Sure, we'll have some epilogue ones in addition to that, but it would be great to hear from you all the way to the end!

Chapter title from Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks, and actually features in the chapter itself :rainbowlaugh: "Welcome to the Show" and all.

Hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think in the comments below!

While Luna was pleased to be a mother to her new daughter and son, she had grown increasingly weary over the first few weeks and rapidly paranoid about their future. Would they be ostracized for their mixed race? Would their physical abnormalities cause them to be even more shunned than either Luna or Loki had been in their own lives?

Furthermore, would such discrimination put them down a path to villainy and madness like both Loki and Luna had pursued? The thought of seeing a child become what she had once been made Luna regret not the children, but the world they were to live in with all of its faults and all of the wrongs it could do to them.

With Trixie looking after the twins, Luna had let herself wander the hallways and courtyards of Canterlot. It was nice to be able to walk unencumbered, though Luna was regretting all of the extra weight she had put on. Feeling above her natural size did not at all feel good, though she considered it a small trade off for the joy of having two children who were so cute…even if they had a tendency to keep her up at all hours and would likely one day be a pair of rebellious teenagers.

The sight of orange in the hallway to the nursery Celestia had set up for her own daughter gave Luna some pause, if only because of the vibrant color being a stark contrast to the other colors around the castle.

Luna smiled as she recognized the source of the orange, with the orange coat belonging to a filly she had not seen in quite some time.

“Scootaloo,” Luna greeted as she approached the filly, who had not seemed to hear the Alicorn who was coming her way.

Scootaloo turned around with a big smile plastered on her face, her eyes big and bright at the sight of the elder mare, “Princess Luna!”

Seeing Scootaloo gave Luna an idea. The twins really wouldn’t be able to handle a loud and rowdy crowd just yet, even from a VIP booth. On the other hand she did not just want to leave them behind with the incompetent staff Celestia had hired and refused to fire in the castle.

Luna had originally planned on begrudgingly leaving the Twins with the incompetent morons, checking in on the babies whenever she had a free moment in the games via teleportation, but Scootaloo was trustworthy.

Luna wanted to sigh at the fact that this filly, who was quite the troublemaker she heard, was more trustworthy than the Canterlot staff. It likely had to do with the inbreeding and nepotism displayed by the Canterlot crowd in general that such a thing could be possible.

With a look at the filly, Luna realized that she was much larger than the last time she saw her. In a few years she would be the same size as her mother, Luna reckoned, “You are growing up quickly,” Scootaloo blushed at the compliment of sorts while Luna continued to what was actually on her mind, “Would you mind doing me a large favor?”

“A favor? For a princess?” Scootaloo gawked at the idea of doing something for a princess…only to then remember a moment later that she was there as a favor to the other main princess.

Luna nodded, not realizing that her favor was going to be so easy to ask of the filly, “My son and daughter will be cranky if I bring them to a loud coliseum. I need someone to look after them while I attend the event today, and it would be nice to have someone I know and can trust take care of them.”

“Of course!” Scootaloo laughed nervously as she pointed towards the nursery, “I was already going to be babysitting today, so I can definitely look after them for you.”

That helped explain to Luna why this filly was in their castle, since she would normally have little to no reason for even being in Canterlot at all, not to mention the castle, “Thank you. How are your parents and friends?”

Scootaloo shrugged, seeming to not really feel comfortable with the question, “My parents are busy being all mushy and stuff, so I like getting out of the house. At least I have a sister now, even though I was hoping for a little brother. I’m looking after her today too, so the more the merrier,” her face fell as she thought about what she was originally planning on doing that day, “And my friends were going to go to the competition together, but they got grounded by AJ and Rarity.”

“Whatever for?” Luna questioned, now curious about the matter because of her own status as a mother to two growing children as compared to an adoptive mother to a full grown one.

“I dunno. Apple Bloom yelled at AJ for being bossy, saying she’s not her mom or something like that, and Sweetie Belle is clumsy and breaks everything, so probably something like that.”

Luna giggled a little to herself at the report, finding that the tomboy filly was reminding her a little of herself when she was that age, “Well, I know you are a good filly, so take good care of Hela and Sleep Near, okay?”

“You got it Princess Luna!” Scootaloo saluted the princess, who began to turn and leave during the salute.

“I should get ready to go. If you need anything, just let one of the aids know.”

Elsewhere in Canterlot, a more nefarious conversation was going down. Inside the manor of the wealthy Canterlot noble who had been rallying anti-princess support earlier, the Sirens were waiting and listening as a crowd of disgruntled noblemen and noblewomen argued amongst one another.

Adagio smiled to her cohorts, sans Trixie, as she brought a hand to her necklace. They had been waiting and slowly gaining power over a year for this, and it was finally time.

“This is it, girls. The moment we've been waiting for.”

Sonata laughed as she brought a hand to her stomach, “Lunch?!”

Adagio had never wished to kill their low brained and insane ally as much as she had in that moment.

“The chance to put into motion our plan, you dolt.”

Sonata laughed heartily as she realized her mistake, while Aria growled beside her menacingly.

“Oh. Right. Oopsie!”

Wanting to get her own word in, Aria pushed Sonata back and out of the way before grunting, “So we're just gonna do what we always do? Stir up some trouble and then feed off the negative energy?” she rolled her eyes sarcastically, “Some plan, Adagio. We’ve been doing that for a thousand years.”

The insubordination caused the previously positively anxious Adagio to want to also throttle Aria, “It won't be the same as the times before! We have our powers back, and now we’re about to tip the dominoes that will make us the most powerful beings in all existence. Their negative energy will give way to the events that will grant us the power we need to get this entire world to do our bidding.”

Sonata pushed past Aria to smile brightly at their leader, “But we can get lunch after though, right? It's Taco Tuesday!”

Aria grabbed their blue ditz by the back of the hair and dragged her back while growling, “It’s not Tuesday.”

“Oh, riiiiiiight. It’s boy date day, and tomorrow is Aria day! I can’t wait to let him hear me sing in front of a big crowd!”

While Aria facepalmed, Adagio felt her mind breaking at the stupidity displayed, “Don’t tell me you invited that…man to the games?”

Sonata tilted her head, genuinely confused due to her lack of intelligence, “Why? Should I have not?”

Aria punched a wall and screamed at the idiocy, while Adagio decided to just let it be.

“Your loss. Now, just follow my lead, and remember to save the good stuff for later.”

Aria pointed a thumb at herself while leaning towards Adagio, “Or my lead.”

Adagio shoved Aria into the nearby wall by checking her with her hips, “My lead!”

With Aria put in her place, Adagio confidently stepped forward as she opened the door completely. It was time to do something that worked every time. She did not even have to try anymore, especially with how powerful they had become.

As they all entered Aria and Sonata quit their banter and replaced it with their non lyrical singing. This instantly drew the attention of all present, drawing their gazes and focus to the three women instead of their previous bickering about how to pay back Luna and Trixie for all the “injustices” paid to the nobles “without reason”.

As her partners continued to sing Adagio addressed the many nobles gathered in the largest room of the manor, “Hello my little underlings. I hope you have been doing well.”

The leader of the crowd balked at the question, “How can we be well when the royalty is affording us so little respect?”

Another noble, this one a mare standing across the room from the stallion, took his lead and balked as well, “Not only has Princess Luna been discourteous towards us for the entirety of her resumed reign, but now her student is actively working to take our titles, lands, and positions from us!”

Adagio approached the mare and brought a hand across their face, stroking them once like a pet, “Oh you poor woman,” she then turned to the others while smiling devilishly. She had been gaining the trust and affection of these plebeians for quite some time, “And what has Celestia been doing throughout this? Twilight? Or what even about that other one, Cadance?”

Of course Adagio already knew the answer to this question, but she was leading them on. She found it more enjoyable to get others to do as she pleased without her powers, since that just made it too easy, and with a one thousand year win streak making things too easy made them just boring.

Celestia was under their power, Luna was not but could easily be swayed with a song when the time called for it, Twilight was even easier prey, and Cadance had been acting irregularly, but due to her distant location in the Crystal Empire and the word that she had become pregnant there was little reason to worry about her.

In response to the question another mare piped up, “Celestia has been allowing her sister to just do as she pleases. Why, my nephew was stripped of his position in the royal guard and replaced with some commoner. What right does someone of such low birth have to take his place?”

Adagio, as much as she wanted to, didn’t point out how that nephew most likely got his position due to nepotism. Pointed out the hypocrisy of this crowd would do her little good after all.

Instead, she continued to play with them as her companions lured the crowd in with their voices. They were only using a tinge of their power. A warm up for the real show later.

“Are you just going to let them take your livelihoods from you?” Adagio questioned with some mock indignation.

The crowd yelled out in anger as their negative emotions began to bubble up, having listened to enough of the Sirens’ song to start losing their base emotional control.

Adagio stepped out into the middle of the room and shook her head, her smile growing larger and larger by the moment, “No, that won’t do at all, and we’re here to help…”

With a cough to clear her throat, Adagio began to sing softly to the gathered ponies as they fell under their spell, “We heard you want to get together.”

Adagio began to walk past the others in the room, running her hand across the face of each pony she passed with a sick grin on her face, “We heard you want to defame those fools.”

She paused when she reached one end, only to snap her fingers and have the crowd near her lift her up onto a table, “We thought of something that is better,” once secure atop the table, Adagio began to sing louder to the room, “Something that changes all the rules…”

She lowered herself down to touch the cheek of one noblewoman, giving a friendly but fake look to her as the noble mindlessly let herself become putty in the Siren’s hand, “After all, why pretend we’re all the same, when some of us so obviously shine brighter?”

She stood back up and gestured all around her, while Aria and Sonata joined her up on the table to stand above the others, “You’re all the best, and they should know it.”

Clenching her fist, Adagio pretended to crush something in it, “It doesn’t matter who you hurt,” she quickly checked Sonata off the table, with the blue girl only giggling briefly before continuing to use her voice to slowly enslave the others present, “If you’re just proving you’re the best.”

With that Adagio let their singing pause so that the crowd well up its own anger and distaste. Green smoke had already begun to pour from the hypocrites who populated the room, all of it flowing to the three Sirens while the nobles remained none the wiser to the phenomena.

One noble stomped a hoof as their mindless rage set in, “Of course it doesn’t! We are the nobles of Canterlot! We will take what is rightfully ours!”

“Canterlot’s the best of all Equestria, so by default that makes us the very best in the land! Those other ponies are worthless, and only deserve to be our serfs!” another cried out.

Adagio placed her hands on her hips as she confidently watched the room descend into a series of yelling and ranting. Sonata pulled herself back up and kissed Adagio on the cheek, only for Adagio to push her behind her to get a better view of the growing chaos. Sonata frowned as she felt rejected, realizing for the first time that perhaps Adagio didn’t actually care about her anymore.

“How dare those Princesses act as if this is some tyranny, not the noble oligarchy it has been for generations! They think that having magical power makes them gods, when in fact they are no more than grown children!”

“We should be in charge, not them!”

“Let’s take their kingdom from them while they are away! Let us show them who really knows how to rule!”

Having heard enough to tell that things were going as planned, Adagio spoke up again, “We will keep them occupied at the games…” her evil grin returned as she gestured to the door, “For now though, why don’t you voice your complaints at Canterlot Castle? I will bet that a few of the guards will be sympathetic to your cause.”

It did not take any more of a suggestion for the group to rush outside in a mad frenzy, leaving the three sirens behind to revel in their plan’s first step being complete.

Adagio turned around to face the other two, not caring that Aria had her arms crossed and Sonata diverting her gaze, “Hypocritical, spoiled fools. I only hope that they get killed before we have to do the job ourselves.”

Aria opened her mouth to complain about something, but instead another voice spoke up from across the room.

“You just sicked them on my family!

Adagio turned back to see that Trixie was standing in the room’s center all of a sudden. How long had she been around? Adagio found herself not really caring, since she was twice as powerful as an Alicorn at the moment due to her slow feeding off crowds for a year, while Sonata was about one and a half Alicorns and Aria about one point four in terms of magical strength. If Trixie, a single Alicorn, really had an objection, she did not have a chance against all three of them.

Still, losing an ally could prove costly, so Adagio decided to partially lie about her intentions, “Oh please, do you think I actually expect those fools to accomplish anything?”

Trixie narrowed her eyes, causing Adagio to start explaining more thoroughly what this whole charade was about, “They are simply a diversion and the seeds of out greater goal. Their hatred can feed us initially, as well as provide us with far greater chaos and the emotion that arises from that. Class warfare will quickly spread along with their anger and dissent, with Princess against Noble and Noble against Princess and commoner.”

With a loud moan Adagio pulled the last of the green mists into her own being, the feeling of being empowered always feeling like nothing else she had ever felt, “Soon enough fighting will sweep across Equestria as needlessly angry ponies turn against their own kind, all while we feed off the energy at the stadium. We’ll be quite well fed after today.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes at the three, not trusting them in the slightest even if they were ostensibly allies, “If my family comes to any harm…”

“You do realize that they, like everyone else, will just be our pawns soon enough?”

It was Trixie’s turn to give a half-lie, “I am fine with that. So long as they are alive.”

Trixie was playing everyone like a pawn, and she intended to keep it that way. She just did not want her family being the pawns of anyone else.

The stadium build was a larger replica of the one used in the Crystal Empire for the Equestria Games, though it had modifications made to it to accommodate the larger crowds. With nearly all of Asgard’s small population and a great deal of Jotunheim’s small population in attendance, the stadium was made to accommodate tens of thousands. In the stands were small magical devices of Trixie’s creation to display the events on the field in close up, running off power that came from a device underground Trixie had imparted some of her magic in. In addition, the stadium was split into three main sections to accommodate the different races without forcing them to intermingle. Each also had a built in magical shield that would pop up and lock down the section in the event of an emergency such as a riot, sealing off any possible trouble makers from the other species.

Looking out at the field and the slowly filling stands from the empty VIP section, Trixie found herself content at the sight of it all. It had taken a lot of effort, but she had managed to transport all of the Jotuns and Asgardians to the game without incident, and now it just was a matter of starting the endgame of her plan.

“Are you ready?”

Trixie looked back to Kael, who was dressed in his full robe and who had his sword at his hip, hidden under his overflowing cloak. Above him floated a single green orb, the sight of which made Trixie actually want to thank Hela for once.

As ready as I will be. Did you let the information out?

He will be here shortly.

Excellent. I managed to convince mother to let me use her scepter in case a riot breaks out…

If we survive the first plan, are we going to enact the second?

I…I don’t know…

The thought of that subject made Trixie’s heart fall. Would things have to go there? Did she want them to? She had the ambition, but she did not know if she had the heart.

I mean, it will be easy, and it will be better than…

You do know the risks though.

...I...

Of course I do…now be quiet. I do not need to argue with myself right now of all times, so no doubting!

With that, Trixie waved him away and made Kael take his seat on the far right of the VIP section. She would be sitting to his left, with Luna next to her, Loki to Luna’s left, and the late Thor to his left along with his human companion. There apparently was some crisis or another on Earth that Thor had to avert, but he promised to come by as soon as he could and had promised it was nothing that he could not handle alone…with his human allies, at least.

Despite this, Loki had sent Sif and Hogun to assist their friend, with the order to return to Asgard afterward to act as guards should anything happen during the absence of most of their race.

To sit behind Luna and Trixie was Celestia and Twilight, the latter of which arrived just as Trixie took her own seat. Twilight smiled at her fellow princess, moving to take her own comfortable seat as she let out a sigh of relief. She had been working for days to make sure the logistics of the event all worked out, and she was happy to finally be free of that burden and able to just enjoy the event she helped organize.

Trixie had been growing used to being around the purple mare. Twilight was smart, unlike so many other ponies, and Trixie found herself actually pleased to keep her company over the past year. If Twilight did not normally live in Ponyville Trixie might have even considered hanging out with her enough to call her a friend.

“Twilight, it is good to see you. I assume everything is in order?”

Twilight nodded, a small yawn escaping her lips just then, “Exactly as you planned it. There were a couple of fist fights between the Jotuns and Asgardians, but we managed to calm it down by bringing Loki over to them. Some ponies also tried taunting some Asgardians, but we separated them and ejected those at fault.”

That all sounded about right. While a petty person might criticize Twilight for allowing such things to happen under her watch, Trixie was instead pleased that the unstoppable problems were handled and out of the way just as everything was getting started.

“You are quite the organizer. You’ll be a good leader one day, Twilight.”

The compliment made Twilight realize how much her former rival had changed since they first met. What once was a self-absorbed mare whose only goal was to validate her own ego now was humbled.

“Thank you Trixie. You’re doing well yourself. After all, you put all of this together!”

Trixie glanced over to the silent Kael and then back at Twilight, “I had help. Thank you though. For all you’ve done.”

“You’re welcome. I’m actually looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Promise not to electrocute me this time?”

Trixie laughed at the reference to their last stint at a coliseum, “Of course. Since our rivalry and grudge is over with, I would enjoy being your friend, if you will forgive my past actions.”

“I would enjoy that too. I think us getting along will make Celestia and Luna happy.”

That earned a nod from Trixie, who smiled bitter-sweetly. They were the next generation, and this was the beginning of their rule, of them taking the torch and leading instead of serving.

“It will.”

It was then that the others began to enter the room and take their own seats, signaling to each of the mares that it was time to cut out the chit-chat. Twilight nodded to Trixie, who ought to go out on the field where a stage had been set up for the opening ceremony, “It seems like it is time. You had best get to your place now.”

Trixie smiled to her as she rose, gave quick hellos to the others, and then began to leave with Kael and Loki.

“Good luck, and see you later!” Twilight cheered.

Trixie couldn’t bring herself to thank her well wishes not from pride, but from grief.

As the one with the most authority at the event, Loki gave the opening speech welcoming everyone and explaining the basics. Trixie tuned him out though, having heard it all before given her role as creator of all this, and only began to listen again when she heard a name she was attached to be brought up.

“Today also stands as the day Asgard gains its new power source the Sunwell, granted by our foreign visitor Kael’Thas Sunstrider and his expert arcane knowledge. When it is completed later today it will serve as a valuable tool in protecting the Nine Realms.”

The cheers from the Asgardian crowd showed a definitive support for the structure, something that had required months of Loki campaigning with them about how it could help them and protect them from future invasions. The Asgardians were sore about how they had not been strong enough to fight off the Dark Elves without outside aid, as well as how they fell to a civil war caused by Lorelei, and so that was what truly earned their approval. They did not wish to become a laughingstock, and their warrior pride would rather use magic than fall to an outside force.

Loki laughed as he thought about an unfortunate schedule slip that had occurred recently, “I had intended to unveil its power before the proceedings, but some engineering difficulties arose from how our builders have never built such a thing before,” he shrugged to the amusement of the thousands gathered from Asgard, the other two races more quiet due to their own opinions of him, “Besides, it would have granted the Asgardians an advantage that would have proven unfair.”

With his explanation of everything done, he took a step back on the stage and gestured to Trixie, who was standing in a newly crafted purple robe that she Rarity make for this occasion. She had chosen to be in her Elven form as it was the most neutral of the forms she could chose, not favoring one of the three races in the stands over any other.

“Now, I believe I should let my daughter speak, as it was her initiative to put this all together.”

Trixie stepped forward and took a breath in. This was it. Everything she had worked for…the culmination of her whole life.

Now it was time for the biggest, and possibly last, show of her life.

“Thank you all for making it here today. I hope that today all three of our species can come together and find a common link that bonds us. We may be from different worlds, but we are now all brought together by the blood of our royal families. In the past there have been differences, discrimination, war, and other such undesirable things on our worlds and between some of us.”

Trixie could say more, but she had said enough. This was all a pretense for what was to come next, so she cared not about properly addressing the games and what would happen. She had waited so long that any more anticipation would drive her over the edge.

“Now, without further delay, I would like to present the entertainers who have become popular in both Equestria and in Asgard. May I present, the Dazzlings!”

Loki had left for the VIP booth, but Trixie and Kael lingered at the edge of the stage as a hole opened in the middle of the platform. From this circular hole a platform began to rise, on which the three Sirens stood in a thick fog.

Once the platform was above the normal stage, the vocals from Aria and Sonata began. From the crowd came a large round of applause and cheering from the fans the three had managed to accrue over time, and with this support Adagio began.

Her hips began to sway along with the others as she sang:

“Blindsided by the beat
Clapping your hands, stomping your feet
You didn't know that you fell…”

“Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh,” came her backup singers, each of them mimicking the movements of their leader.

Adagio gestured to the crowd before her, “Now you've fallen under our spell.”

“Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh…”

The green mist from before appeared once again, though it was slight and almost unnoticeable as it poured forth from the crowd. The only place it was not coming from was the VIP section, which Trixie had specifically designed to block the transfer of magic by using ancient Asgardian spells from their castle’s library. She had prepared for this.

The crowd, however, was beginning to move to the sway of the singers, who continued in their softly seductive voices all together.

“We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say "jump", you say "how high?"
Put your hands up to the sky
We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say "jump", you say "how high?"
Put your hands up to the sky
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
You didn't know that you fell
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
Now that you're under our spell..."

Adagio broke out from the other two as they fell silent just long enough to let her sing, “Listen to the sound of my voice…”

“Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh…”

The green mist began to grow in thickness, but the mesmerized thousands were unable to pick up on it. Less blind to the magic flowing forth from the crowd in droves was Loki, who was beginning to eye it with suspicion. He had no idea that the mist was actually magic, but he was not quite trusting of it. He had not heard of any usage of fog machines or the like, but he was willing to see where this was going. The others in the VIP booth were either too ignorant or tired to really notice or care about it, leaving him the only one aware of it throughout the stadium who was not in on the plot.

“Soon you'll find you don't have a choice,” Adagio proudly sang, her eyes and face beginning to show her casual smug expression.

“Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh…”

“Captured in the web of my song…”

“Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh…”

Adagio gestured to all of those who stood before her, her back to the VIP booth, “Soon you'll all be singing along.”

“Oh, whoa, oh…”

Loki studied the crowd intently as the three women sang. Even the Jotuns, who had no previous experience with the Dazzlings, were seemingly falling for their song…

Loki regretted that Laufey had not been located at the time of the transportation of the Jotuns, for he would like to ask him about the matter. Were they secretly fans of women singing, or was this something supernatural? He had a growing feeling it was the latter…

In fact, even he was beginning to like it, and he had not expected that. He didn’t want to like it. While Trixie had managed to drain-proof the VIP section, the only way she could keep the Sirens from controlling others was to soundproof something, and to soundproof the VIP box would be too obvious and reveal her knowledge of everything.

After finishing the song’s refrain again, the song ended and gave way to Adagio letting out a bout of maniacal laughter. She could feel power flowing through all three of them, and they were just beginning to receive the very beginning of it all from the crowd.

Projecting her voice, she addressed the crowd with a grandiose voice, “Thank you all for coming today! I assure all of you, this will be the time of your lives. Now, for our final performance…”

All three Sirens began to sing again, though none of them spoke a lyrics as they reset their place on stage.

“Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah…”

Loki looked down at Trixie and her companion, who were not seeming to go along with the song like the others. However, Trixie was using her magic to play a summoned set of instruments without even looking at them, her gaze directed straight at the singers.

The three began to sway around, their bodies moving from side to side as they let their arms freely sway with the rest of them, “…ah-ah-ah-ah, ah…”

After the singers had warmed their voices up enough, Adagio began to demonstrate her alluring voice again.

“Welcome to the show…” she trailed off as she gestured with both hands to the crowd, her face fully displaying her evil smirk as she felt the power continue to flow into her.

“…ah-ah-ah-ah, ah…” came the soft backups of Aria and Sonata, which partially surprised Loki as he thought more about it. Aria’s voice was rough, so to hear her singing voice so melodic made him uneasy.

“We're here to let you know…”

“…ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah…”

Sonata and Aria each gestured to Adagio, who in turn pointed to herself as she sang, “Our time is now…”

The three each rose an arm out to point at one section of the crowd as they sang in unison, “Your time is running out…”

Given that Sonata and Aria had to turn to point at the crowds on the side, they gave Loki a glimpse at the front of them…where their necklaces were glowing a bright, menacing red. This sight, compounded by the lyrics of their songs, gave Loki the strength to snap himself out of the reverie he had begun to fall into.

He turned to the others in the room and found himself disturbed to see that Luna was innocently humming the songs, with Twilight and Celestia each looking at the singers dreamily.

The singers were enchanting everyone. What they intended to do, Loki did not know, but he did not trust that it was simply to force everyone to enjoy the show. Still, he wanted to see more before he drew any conclusions.

That did not mean he could not try and snap his wife out of this though.

Loki grabbed Luna by the shoulder and shook her, briefly bringing her out of her little zone, “Cover your ears.”

Luna looked at him with a dazed expression, as if she did not understand at all what was going on at the moment, “Why?”

Loki covered one of them for her, with Luna weakly covering her other as she slowly came back to full consciousness, “Do it. Their influence on me is likely slighter because of how I am not fully alive, but their voices are seemingly capable of manipulating others.”

“You mean that…”

Luna gasped as she looked down and saw that Trixie was standing a few feet from them. Were they controlling Trixie too?

As if to remove any ambiguity of their intent, the three Sirens rose their hands up towards the sky, at which point a blood red crescent formed in an arc above them. This crescent blasted up into the sky and expanded exponentially as it went higher, with similar crescents forming and following it as they sang.

“Feel the wave of sound…”

They lowered their hands down towards the crowd, and the various vibrant red waves reversed motion and slammed down into the crowd. Upon impact even the less enthused members of the crowd fell completely under the spell the Sirens were bringing forth.

“As it crashes down
You can't turn away
We'll make you wanna stay!”

Loki stood up from his chair in anger at the sight. These women were bringing forth a second case of Lorelei, and he was not going to let them continue!

Before Loki could teleport and attack them with his father’s spear, the powerful Gungnir, Luna grabbed his arm. With the power they were demonstrating, and the sway they had over the crowd, Luna feared what might happen if they actually fought.

As if a current was lifting them up, the three women began to rise into the air. In fact, the magic they were absorbing from the collective thousands around them was forming that seeming current, and they continued to rise as they sang further.

“We will be adored
Tell us that you want us
We won't be ignored
It's time for our reward!”

Loki saw across the stadium a rift appearing, as if someone was opening a portal from somewhere else. He watched in interest as two figures came from it, while Luna watched in fear as the Sirens began to glow with a sickening red power that quickly enveloped them. When it subsided, they were left with ethereal and horrific wings sprouting from their backs, revealing some of their true nature for all to see.

With such power flowing through them, the Sirens prepared to finish their song. The power from the crowd was almost fully extracted, and they only needed to absorb it into their own bodies. With the most confident and smug expressions each could manage, they reached up to the forming cloud of green energy in the air so they could continue taking it for themselves.

“Now you need us
Come and heed us
Nothing can stop us now!”

A husky but loud voice combated their shriller ones, and with some confusion the three looked around for its source.

“I beg to differ.”

While Sonata wasn’t perceptive enough to catch where it was coming from and merely shrugged, Aria gave a disgusted expression as she pointed towards where it came from.

Shrouded in a black cloak, a being with the body of a minotaur stood beside a nervous looking Discord. Trixie laughed at the sight, pleased to find that Discord had done as told and brought Tirek around.

“Who is that?” Sonata whispered to Adagio, worried about someone interrupting them while they weren’t done assimilating the magic in the air.

Having actually paid attention to the reports of Tirek’s escape from Tartarus and the occasional mention of him stealing a pony’s power, Adagio was not quite as caught off guard once she got a look at the heckler.

“Tirek, if my eyes do not deceive me. I read up on him when I heard he can steal magic,” Adagio looked at Discord with her devilish grin, recognizing him as the one who fathered Celestia’s child, “And you brought a friend it seems. Too bad that you’re too late. The magic here belongs to us, not you, old man.”

Tirek smirked as he tossed his cloak aside, revealing a frail looking red minotaur with the lower body of a horse. He had a ring through his nose, and menacing horns coming from his head, and the look on his face made him seem quite confident that he was able to confront the three on stage, “We will see just about that.”

Raising his hands up, Tirek began to absorb the magic in the air at a rapid pace. The Sirens gasped as he managed to absorb it all into his being faster than they could, and they seemed even more surprised at how he began to grow in size as he took in more and more of it.

After only seconds of this, Tirek was taller and larger than Discord, who he quickly grabbed by the throat and began to siphon the power from. Discord did not seem to expect this quick betrayal, and so he was unable to do anything until it was too late. Tirek took all of the power from the chimera in only a second, and he tossed him aside without any regard for the being who had brought him there and helped him evade capture.

While irritated that Tirek had taken some of the power they were going to steal, Adagio laughed at the sight of the betrayal, “Ohhh, stealing power from an ally? You are quite the unscrupulous devil.”

She looked to her cohorts, who both nodded to her, and Adagio laughed at the being before them. After all the power they had just taken along with their previous power, there was no way he could beat even one of them. Adagio gripped the gem on her necklace as she laughed haughtily at his audacity.

“So some upstart wants to pick a fight with us? Then let's battle!”

Each of the three kept their smug expressions as the set back into singing,
“What we have in store
All we want and more…”

Their eyes shone a bright red as each of them adopted a menacing expression.

“We will break on through
Now it's time to finish you!”

After a brief transfer of power from Adagio to her partners, bursting forth from each of the Sirens came the figure of a giant Siren being, that of a mermaid mixed with an equine. These projections of the true forms of each of them, with an orange Siren for Adagio, a lavender one for Aria, and an aqua blue one for Sonata, rushed towards Tirek and moved to assault him with their power.

Where they collided they caused a huge explosion that could have killed even an Alicorn with its sheer force and power. However, when the dust of the attack settled there was no sign of Tirek at all, leaving the three startled.

Sonata tried finding him, but he was nowhere in sight, “Where’d he go? Did we get him?”

Adagio began to scan the crowds for their foe, who was large enough in size to stand out, but she could not see him anywhere. Their victims were weakly laying in their seats, unable to move because of how much energy had been stolen from them.

“He must have stolen Discord’s ability to teleport…” Adagio shrugged her shoulders dismissively, not really caring about it at all, “It’s no matter. Even if he steals the remaining power of the fans, we have access to the royalty and their power.”

Touching down on the ground, Adagio turned towards the VIP section. It was time to take the last of the magic available before their foe could.

“Sonata, find and handle him. We have more important business to attend to.”

Aria grinned and began to move to the edge of the stage, looking forward to kicking the ass of the uptight royalty while also watching Sonata likely get her ass kicked.

Sonata, on the other hand, rose an objection over this plan because of that same reason. She grabbed Adagio pleadingly by the shoulder, her voice whining, “But he’s like getting really strong! You saw what he did to that freaky looking guy, right?”

Adagio brushed her off and snarled at the other woman, her voice going from smug to threatening, “Then get stronger. You do want to keep your powers, don’t you?”

Sonata yelped and took a step back while Adagio followed behind Aria to go to the VIP section, the blue Siren sobbing quietly as she watched her “friends” leave her behind.

While not happy about it, Sonata began to look around and try to find Tirek. She had to do this if Adagio and Aria were going to care about her…

Still standing nearby, Trixie approached the sole Siren and placed a comforting hand on her. Trixie knew that Sonata was just as evil as the other two, but she was still more innocent and quite dim witted, so Trixie felt sorry for the woman as she tried to hide the dejection she felt from her face. From Sonata’s account of their history, their group formed as a way of protecting her…but now?

Now they left her to possibly die, just to buy time for them to gain their own power.

Even though she planned on pitting these groups against eachother, she would rather not see Sonata killed. Imprisoned for life afterwards, yes, but Trixie had no doubt that someone as ruthless as Tirek seemed to be and was told in ancient texts to be would kill the dumb Siren if he managed to come out on top in their fight.

“You do not have to fight him, you know.”

Mimicking Adagio’s action of brushing her off, Sonata pushed Trixie away while fighting tears in her eyes.

“Pfft, what do you know?!”

Sonata moved away from Trixie to continue looking around, while Trixie grimaced at her.

“I’m warning you.”

Unfortunately, Sonata continued to ignore Trixie and kept looking around. With the woman’s mind made up, Trixie decided to leave her to her fate. She left the stage and headed after Adagio and Aria, who were almost at where Loki and the others were.

The Siren had brought this on herself, and she would pay for it in one way or another.

With Celestia and Twilight each mesmerized by the song, Loki had tried to shake them out of it to no avail. He decided that the best way to do a reset on them would be to knock them out and clear their heads that way. They were just coming to when Loki and Luna noticed that the Sirens had turned their attention on their section of the stadium, causing the husband and wife to shoot each other looks of concern.

“Loki…” Luna whispered, unsure about what to do. She was glad they seemed to ignore Trixie and Kael’Thas, but the sight of so many being drained, controlled, and the idea of being usurped like this was scaring her. She could feel the immense power coming from them, and it genuinely worried her.

Loki, on the other hand, had already begun to piece together some of what was going on behind the scenes and was more calm, “Luna, go back to Canterlot Castle. If these harpies are half as effective as they seem, they will have forces invade the castle, take the children hostage, and use them for whatever nefarious plot they have.”

The idea that she would leave him to fight them alone astonished Luna, “And leave you to fight them all?”

Loki waved her away as he began to study the stadium and its events, “If I am right, your daughter seems to have a plan already in motion. I will follow her lead this time,” he turned back to Luna to give her a serious look, “Now go. I do not trust those pathetic guards of the castle with a single bit, not to mention the lives of our children.”

Understanding what he was saying, Luna nodded. Even if they calmed things at the stadium, it would mean little if they lost Hela and Sleep Near, “Be safe,” Luna glanced down at where Trixie was on the field, “And keep her safe.”

“We will be fine.”

Loki only wished he was sure that he was telling the truth. This was one occasion he did not want to be lying in.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Remember, comments are :heart: !

You'll Be The First To Go, And When She Leaves You For Dead, You'll Be The Last To Know

A/N: Special thanks to only God of Physics, Amethyst Blade, kojivsleo, SilentMech, Killabyte, Evilhumour, Sidetrack, and Ketvirtas...kind of disappointing turnout for the largest chapter yet, but I am grateful for those who did comment for what they said. Hope to hear from more people this time, since there is plenty to talk about in this chapter with everything that goes on!

Chapter title from "Last to Know" from Three Days Grace.

Hope you enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments below! Remember, comments are :heart:

After Adagio, Aria, Trixie, and Kael all left the field the proverbial stage was left to Sonata and Tirek. Sonata was the one in power between the two, but not in the better position as she had no idea as to where Tirek was located. He could strike at any moment, and even though Sonata knew she was stronger in power she was worried about how large he was. He could certainly take a bigger hit than her, and Sonata was not intelligent enough to try to sway him through singing, though it may not have worked anyways.

A swift movement to her right side drew Sonata’s gaze that way, revealing that Tirek had teleported back from wherever he was before and was larger than even before. While above Discord’s massive height previously, the bull-like centaur had grown to be as tall as a two story building after pulling what energy hung remained in the area.

His demonic eyes, large upturned horns, and white mane gave him a surreal appearance even behind his frightening size, which in turn made Sonata wish to run away from him instead of actually engage him in combat. She could fit in one of his hands, and the idea of him simply crushing her with his palm like a fly came to her mind.

Instead of running like what her brain was telling her to do though, Sonata held her ground. If she just ran away Adagio might take her power back, might leave her…and that was something that scared Sonata more than fighting a giant monster who fed on energy just like they did.

Tirek had the opposite mentality, seeing the occasion as more of an boringly easy chore than something that could mean the entire restricting and defining of his life. So when Sonata let out a wave of sound that could have rendered someone immobile from agony, he instead teleported just as she opened her mouth and delayed his return for a brief second.

The sheer force of her voice shattered the stands behind where he had stood, collapsing even more of it and plunging some of the ponies that sat there into the area beneath. Not at all effected though was Tirek, who had not been there to have his ears pierced. Instead he appeared directly behind Sonata, who turned around in both fear and anger to continue screeching at him like a banshee.

Tirek managed to disappear again just as her vocals burst forward, the red gem on her necklace glowing with power as she demolished in the shape of a cone a whole portion of the back half of the stage.

Once again the giant chose to appear behind her, though this time he chose to give himself a little distance. If she rendered him deaf he would not be pleased, nor would he enjoy having her hit him with a frequency that could actually harm him.

Still, while Sonata was the smaller one of the two, she was the brute and they were both aware of it. She couldn’t do much beyond using her powers, and she could in no way outwit him.

Before Sonata could look around fully and find him again, Tirek decided to start playing with her mind. After all, a distracted and distraught for would be easier prey than one that could solely and unthinkingly attack and attack.

“Why do you fight so fervently? You are only delaying the inevitable,” he spoke to Sonata in a booming, sinister voice that echoed across the whole coliseum.

Sonata was able to find him quickly enough by using her powers to feel out the various levels of energy in the area, eventually finding the closest and also largest source of it on the field. She could have just spun around to look, but last time she tried using only her vision it hadn’t worked at all because he had disappeared entirely from view. Where he had gone that time, Sonata had not a clue, but wherever it was he had come back far larger and with far greater power.

Still, despite all of Tirek’s gains, in terms of pure magical energy he was still only at about seventy percent of Sonata’s own power. She had been siphoning it along with Adagio and Aria for a whole year beforehand, and they had also been skimming some of it off Celestia, though not enough to render any suspicious about it. She had also begun to take power from the crowd, only for Tirek to end up taking a lot as well. If it had only been one entity taking power from the crowd instead of all three Sirens at first they would have received far more than Tirek had in the end, but by splitting it between all three of them they each received substantially less than him. Tirek started at a lower level, almost nothing in face, but his draining of Discord and the crowd had put him at least on the same tier of power as those he sought to drain as well.

Sonata just hoped that her advantage in terms of magical ability would grant her the ability to defeat him, though with every passing second she was feeling less and less confident she could.

“I’m stronger than you! I can feel it!” she cried out directly before blasting out with her power, trying to use it to hit in every direction. This wave of circular energy expanding out from her in a ring was easily avoided by Tirek, who simply teleported a few feet forward just as it was about to hit him.

The ancient conqueror who had once tried to take Equestria for his own almost felt sorry for his dull witted foe, who was desperately trying to solve a problem in a way that would never work, “Strength alone does not dictate how combat plays out. If that were so, I would have never been defeated a thousand years ago by this nation’s royalty.”

Sonata’s next attack missed him once again, causing her to growl in frustration much like how Aria might whenever Sonata was doing something idiotic.

This time Tirek attempted to strike Sonata, since it would only take a few moments of draining her to completely end the fight. When he appeared behind her to reach down and grab her though he found himself surprised to find that she wasn’t where she had been a moment ago.

Sonata had realized the pattern of his movements, and she had jumped to the side to prevent him from actually getting close to her. In Tirek’s moment of confusion she shot another burst of her empowered voice at him, destroying even more of the stage as she screeched out in as shrill a manner as she could manage.

Tirek actually was hit by the beginning of this attack, the blast knocking him back and making his ears cause him immense pain as they were subjected to the loudest noise he had ever had to deal with. Despite his pain though Tirek managed to once again teleport, though he did it far more sloppily and only managed to move to the side and just out of the direction she was projecting.

It was then that Sonata realized that perhaps she could sing and lure him in, but it was too late by the time of realization. If she wanted to seduce him to their side with music, she would have to not have her singing interrupted, and she was really only good at being backup vocals to Adagio. It’d be too difficult to start now, and she began to curse herself for her own lack of intelligence.

Sonata tried hitting him again, but Tirek had learned from his last moment standing still and disappeared just as her voice rung out. To give himself a moment to recover from the pain that he suddenly felt wracking his body after his ears calmed, Tirek moved as far away from her on the field as he could, as well as away from the direction she was blasting with noise.

Tirek groaned as he finally began to pull himself back together, his head in immense pain still but fine enough to continue his diatribe, “No, factors far beyond the simple trait known as strength are involved. My brother betrayed me. As family, I expected our bond to be eternal, for his loyalty to be absolute…”

The mention of his own past would have made Tirek furious if not for his already slow burning anger at having allowed himself to be hit by the fool. Already angry, it instead gave him focus as he continued speaking to further impact his foe with words. At close range she could easily blast him back and harm him, but at range she could be avoided and distracted.

Sonata turned around again to face him, though she had to take a series of long and deep breaths to make up for her constant shrieking and to prepare for another attack, “But if even family can turn on one another, what about friends?”

Instead of merely yelling her frustration, Sonata actually carried it out through how she let out the most powerful blast of energy and sound yet, “Adagio and Aria didn’t betray me!”

Having realized that he could catch her the most offguard while she was breathing, Tirek waited for her to tire as she began to sweep across the stadium with her voice as he continually moved to escape its focus.

While waiting for her to run out of breath, Tirek continued his attempt to destabilize her mentally, “Oh, so leaving you behind to act as a decoy is not betraying. Forgive me, I thought leaving your friends to die was wrong to do, not that I would refrain from doing so.”

Tears began to well up in Sonata’s eyes at the truth to be found in what he was saying, as much as she refused to actually admit it, “Just die already!”

“I must apologize, I have no intention of doing that,” Tirek teleported again and let out a long laugh as he continued to evade her by teleporting from one side to the other, “In truth, I came today with the intention of killing you first, so this occasion is quite fortunate. I have had quite some time to plan, to research my foes, and I came to the conclusion that killing and draining the least intelligent foe would be the best course of action when I made my move.”

While completely aware of her own lack of intelligence, Sonata despised hearing it be acknowledged out loud, especially by someone who wasn’t Aria or Adagio, who she believed did it in a love-hate manner, “I’m not stupid!”

“Of course you are. You are so foolish as to think that your friends care about you at all.”

His words pierced Sonata enough to relent in her attack, her breath heavy as she paused and felt her shoulders sink.

Was he right? Did they really abandon her? Was she just some tool, some plaything to the others?

Sonata stumbled back as she felt tears fall down her blue face, “I…I…”

Tirek seized the opportunity to strike, moving in with his magic to grab her and drain every last ounce of power she had to offer. When he reached for her with a large, red hand though he found that he was grasping nothing.

Looking down, he found that Sonata had fallen backwards off the stage into one of the parts she had destroyed and blown away with the power of her attacks. Before he could lunge and attack again though, the sobbing woman curbed her self-pity and diverted it into anger of a sort only one in denial could muster.

Her voice blasted out and repelled Tirek as he attempted to grab her, knocking him back and farther away with every moment she yelled out, “Adagio and Aria love me! We’re like a family, and families can fight but they always care about eachother!”

Ears ringing and in pain he had never felt before, Tirek lunged at her again as she continued to blast up and out of the hole in the section. He only needed to reach down and grab her, and it would be over. He just had to fight through the pain long enough to manage that.

As he toughened himself for what amounted to a bull rush into a constant stream of agony, Tirek bellowed as loudly as he could to further disturb his foe’s psyche, “You may have been right once upon a time, but feelings and relationships change with time. Your death will come about today because of the same principle that brought about my downfall! You trust your loved ones, and that is why you will be the first to fall!”

The two more cerebral Sirens had entered the structure of the stadium and were heading on their way through it to where the seeming largest sources of magic still lay, that being the VIP section. Trailing behind them were the other duo of Trixie and Kael, who would have managed to catch up to them if not for the fact that Trixie was beginning to stumble and hyperventilate, which was stopping her from doing the easiest method of catching up to someone who was fleeing: teleportation.

“Trixie…” came her companion’s worried response to how Trixie was beginning to use the wall to keep herself up, her head shaking back and forth as if she was trying to cast away some bad thought, memory, or feeling.

Her response to his concern was a low growl as she clenched her eyes shut and did her best to not fall over.

“You know I don’t need to explain it to you…”

Trixie shook her head again and waved a hand towards the passageway ahead, where the Sirens were running at full speed towards their targets.

“Go…I’ll catch up…”

Kael shook his head sorrowfully as he began to leave Trixie behind, “I will start the evacuation of the audience, as also planned. That should give you the time to…”

“Just go already!”

Kael sighed, but let her be as Trixie slowly sank to her knees and gripped her head as if it were in inordinate pain.

Just kill them all…

No.

It’ll be easy, and you can take everyone’s power for your own when they aren’t around to cling to it…

No!

Come now, you still prepared for my plan after all…

That’s just a backup, something in case we…

No, no, no…I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, I will not give in to your petty temptations! I will defeat the Sirens, I will rout Tirek, and I will kill Thanos all of my own accord! I…

Farther ahead on the same path, the Sirens slowed their pace to regain their breath and grace before confronting the royalty they had manipulated for so long. With the focus of Loki being on Asgard and Luna’s own focus being disrupted by and directed at her pregnancy, it had been easy to just stay out of their way and go about their own plans.

Not knowing that the people in the VIP section had not been already partially drained, and not knowing that they were not under their spell exactly, Adagio believed that the royalty were not exactly going anywhere, when in fact Luna was gone and Loki was still active. With this assumption in mind, she was comfortable in taking her time to get back to getting to them. They would come out on top of this situation so long as they reached them before the brute Sonata was fighting did.

The leader found herself smug in the idea that, soon enough, she would be in control of not one but three races. In addition, she would control the entirety of the power from them, and could give and take it as she well pleased just as she did with Sonata and Aria. She was already growing intoxicated on the filling meal she had earlier, and the thought of feeding off even more power absolutely enthralled her.

“Think about it Aria. Once we take their power for our own, we will be the most powerful beings in the universe.”

Beside her, the purple Siren was not as confident about everything. While she was feeling empowered and on top of the world, she was still aware that their powers could be lost the same way they were taken, “You think Sonata can handle that guy back there?”

The idea that Sonata would lose to some random outsider made Adagio want to laugh, but the fact that it was Sonata made her at least consider it remotely possible, “Even if she can’t, the two of us will prove more than a match for him after we steal what power lays within here,” Adagio brought a hand to touch her chest, her evil grin forming on her face once again, “Besides, once I’m Queen and control the universe I won’t really need extra muscle, just brains. ”

The lack of mention of power for Aria made her quite skeptical, and she crossed her arms as she cast a doubtful glance over Adagio, “Uhhh, why do you get to be the Queen?”

The fact that Aria did not seem to naturally know, or at least accept, the answer made Adagio roll her eyes derisively, “Because I am the mastermind behind this all. Any other stupid questions?”

Aria forcefully planted the tip of her index finger into the middle of Adagio’s collar bone while still crossing her own arms, “Yeah, how about we discuss this little power trip you’re on? I know we’re more powerful than ever, and that we always win, but seriously, I think you’re gonna get us all screwed over if you keep it up.”

That made her bedfellow laugh. Was she really being challenged at now of all times, when they were about to grapple ultimate power for themselves after starving for so long?

Adagio brought one hand to her hip and the other to Aria’s chin to stroke it like one would a pet’s, “I know you are a born complainer, but this is bold even for you. After all, we’re winning, so why do you feel the need to nitpick every little thing?”

The demeaning treatment infuriated Aria, who batted Adagio’s hand down and moved forward to put no space in-between their faces, “Maybe I’m just sick of listening to you blab on and on about how great you are. You’re no better than Sonata or I!”

It had been quite some time since Adagio remembered showing Aria who really was boss, so Adagio actually found herself excited by the idea that Aria was rebelling against her, “Oh, do I sense that you want to test that theory?”

Aria tried to grab Adagio by the top of her shirt to hold her still to punch, but someone clearing their throat stopped the almost-fight from breaking out.

Standing about twenty feet down the hallway from where Aria and Adagio were, Loki was looking with a bored expression over at the two as he got their attention, “I hope I am not interrupting anything. I hear that you two can really…go at it.”

His flippant expression infuriated Adagio, who refused to be seen as something not worth anyone else’s time. Her pride shone through as she flipped him off, while also grabbing Aria hard enough to make the other woman gasp, “Buzz off, cadaver. Let the beings with actual magic talk.”

Loki continued to show the two a bored expression, confident that he could cut them down in a fight if it came to that. So long as their magic did not increase their defensive qualities by too much, a glaive through the throat would still be fatal, “I may have to borrow it, but that does not mean it is any less effective. Your cohorts know a lot about borrowing power though I assume, seeing as how you fed them some of your own power out there.”

With that Loki drew his blades and put himself into a defensive stance. He had watched the way the other one fought Tirek outside from the VIP booth, and he was well aware that they could blast him back with their magic. He could have let them fight one another, but even the tempered Loki had traces of his own pride to satisfy. He had not been in real, personal conflict in about a year and he did not want to let what might possibly be his last chance to win a fight slip away. After all, Thanos was bound to come and end him one day, but perhaps he could be remembered as the one who saved so many worlds from these menaces.

Besides, Trixie and her pet Elf would be along soon enough if he was having any difficulty, and Twilight and Celestia were bound to wake up at some point. He only hoped that they would wake up without the brainwashing in effect.

Adagio pushed her partner away and turned to face Loki with a snarl, “Aria, I would love to put you in your place, but it seems like we have a visitor.”

“Seems like our song didn’t get Zombie man,” Aria snorted, turning her anger towards Adagio towards Loki instead.

“Probably because he’s only what…eighty percent alive?”

Aria found herself actually laughing at the whole thought of how they were about to kill someone who wasn’t actually even fully alive, “Does that mean that the blue bitch is into necro? I wonder how that works…”

Loki shook his head sorrowfully. He had not intended to get his nice, regal clothing stained red at this event, but it seemed like he was going to have to eviscerate someone to act as an example for all future people about how you should and should not talk about your royalty.

“I would be careful if I were you about what you say. Words have an awfully large effect on people,” Loki warned, though he had no intention of letting the two women learn from their mistake, “They can drive some to intense sorrow, grief, dismay, confusion…”

Aria’s laughter was ended by the tip of Loki’s glaive brushing against her throat. It would have gone straight through it, but his other glaive had already slit across her stomach and, because of the immense amounts of raw energy running through her, some of it decided to leak out from the first slice. This had the effect of blasting her backwards just as his glaive would have killed her, with the very small explosion from her gut pushing her just back enough to not be killed instantaneously.

Even after the initial force back, Aria continued to stumble back another few feet all the while gripping her stomach and the bleeding wound she now had. Fear gripped her suddenly as she realized that Loki, while not on their level magically, was far greater a threat in the physical realm of things.

Adagio realized this as well, and attempted to blast Loki into one of the corridor walls to no success. Without much magic coursing through his body, Loki would likely fall to a single one of their attacks, but his speed kept that from being possible as he leapt forward to kick Aria in the gut and knock her off her feet.

Planting one of his golden boots on Aria’s neck, but not yet pressing down on it, Loki decided to finish his little lecture if only to leave her with something before he gave her to Hela to forever toy with, “But most of all, they can infuriate. Enjoy your trip to Hel, for I will not allow someone to besmirch my queen in my presence.”

Just as Loki prepared to let gravity do its work and Adagio prepared to blast Loki away from Aria, the sound of a familiar voice carried throughout the walls of the structure.

“LOKI! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING OLD FRIEND?”

The first to react was Adagio, who was wondering who the hell this new person was and how they thought they were welcome to also crash this party, “What the hell?”

Loki had already taken his foot off of Aria’s neck by the time Adagio spoke, as he was now wholly concerned with the man who was calling his name.

It looked like he wasn’t going to get the chance to toy with the two opponents there before being killed by Thanos after all. How Thanos managed to get to Equestria was something Loki intended to find out, but for the moment he needed to confront Thanos before the mass murderer decided to start killing people.

“It seems that I have a bigger threat to deal with. I doubt I will need to lift a finger against you though.”

With that, Loki sped down the hallway at a pace faster than either Aria or Adagio could keep up with. Magic could boost physical attributes, but theirs had yet to truly set into their bodies as evidenced by the outburst of energy from Aria that ironically saved her life. Once digested, the power would allow them to at least possibly keep up with Loki, not that they ever would get the chance to try.

“Bigger threat? Who does he think he’s talking to?!”

Aria coughed up some blood as she rose to her feet, one hand still on her stomach even though the energy coursing through her had sealed and partially healed the wound, “An idiot.”

Annoyed by the snark given to her, Adagio pushed the still recovering Aria back onto the ground, “He wasn’t speaking to just you, Aria. After all, who has kept us alive all these years? Who is the real genius? It surely isn’t the one who complains ever step of the way, who doesn’t act out of her own initiative, who just follows the leader both at work and at play.”

Even as she was knocked over, Aria threw a leg out to take Adagio’s legs out from under her, “And you have some real dumbass ideas sometimes, you overconfident bitch!”

In a display of fortitude, Sonata had managed to keep up her attack on Tirek as the latter tried rushing her time and time again. She screamed until her lungs were starved of oxygen, the power of her voice blasting him back and keeping him at bay just enough to give her the brief moments she needed to breathe to do it again. She had managed to partially crawl to her knees so she wasn’t on her back on the ground, making it easier to turn and blast her opponent back every time he appeared from a different direction of attack.

Her determination to survive and win surprised Tirek, who had expected the fool to fall apart when she realized her friends had abandoned her. To be met with her complete and full resistance was surprising, though he knew that her tears were indicating that she was effected. She would crumble completely, he just needed to keep applying pressure to her mental wound.

“Aria might be a jerk, and Adagio may be full of herself, but they’re my friends!” Sonata shouted as her voice repelled Tirek once again. Her attacks had begun to do less to him after he began to use his own magic to form a barrier focused entirely in front of him which diverted enough of the force and sound to let him not suffer the same debilitating headaches as before while still being pushed back.

Before Tirek could gather himself enough to cut her with words, the Siren continued to shout, “They were the ones who protected me from all the other mean people! They made me feel better when people called me stupid! They may have forgotten, but they’re not just evil!”

Sonata began to completely bawl, and her sobbing granted a pause in her defensive offense. This granted Tirek a moment to recover, as well as begin his assault anew as Sonata softly cried.

“They loved me, even if they couldn’t say it out loud…”

What she might have said next was cut off by Tirek’s giant fist slamming down into her side. She forcibly tumbled across the wreckage of the stage before finally stopping face down on top of some broken materials from the ruined structure.

Sonata did not move to get up, and Tirek assumed that his strike had been enough to break a few bones. This would be over soon enough.

Ever malevolent, Tirek laughed at her tragedy as he walked over to her, “Even you are using the past tense now. It is good that you are realizing the truth you will have to live with in the afterlife for eternity. Perhaps, when madness overtakes your mind you will be released from your pain.”

Tirek reached down to grab Sonata, who had finally felt her entire reason for fighting crumble. She had wanted to do it for her friends, to make them care for her…but if they didn’t care for her anyway, what did she have left?

“I just want everything to be like how it was…” Sonata closed her eyes as her opponent’s giant hand just about reached her, ready to just let her life go, “Just the three of us, together…”

Her eyes did not remain shut for long, however, as Tirek howling in pain and stumbling a few feet away made her curious. What just happened?

Sonata rolled over and looked up to see that a large axe had buried itself in Tirek’s forehead, and the giant being was pulling it out as he continue to scream in pain.

As Tirek diverted his attention to the axe that had been deeply buried into his head, Sonata found herself being lifted to her feet by someone behind her. She looked back to see a familiar pretty man with a goatee and mustache, whose slight frame for an Asgardian made him quite unique when not compared to the half-Asgardian Loki.

“F-Fandral?”

With Sonata on her feet again, the warrior smiled to her and pushed her back and away from Tirek, “I can stall him long enough. You had best go, since I am sure things will be better if he does not have your energy too.”

The fact that Fandral interrupted her attempt to let herself die actually angered Sonata, who didn’t even begin to run away, “What are you doing? This isn’t your fight! You run!”

By this time Tirek had managed to take the axe out of his head, and with fury he tossed it down to the ground. Fandral frowned at the sight of the axe being discarded, as it was one he had brought for an empty chair he had reserved for fallen friend Volstagg. He had been given the axe by Volstagg’s widow when he had given her the news of the burly man’s loss. Not being much for shows of strength, Fandral had not really found much use for the weapon, but as an Asgardian he still had the strength to twirl and hurl it with deadly strength and precision as Tirek found out.

Fandral laughed at Sonata’s suggestion as he planned his next action, which was to rush to the weapon and use it again to wound his foe, “What kind of gentleman would I be if I did that?”

Since Tirek was only wearing basic clothing, not actual armor, the sharp weapon would be effective even with how powerful Tirek had become. Like the Sirens, his power had yet to settle down and so when the axe collided with his forehead some of the raw power escaped which is what truly caused the hit to be so painful.

As Fandral enacted his plan and grabbed the weapon while swiftly dodging a furious punch from Tirek, Sonata found herself dumbfounded by the sight. He was helping her, even after what she and the others did minutes ago. She wasn’t even telling him to do this…she had left him inside when the show began, which meant that he wouldn’t have had the controlling music wash over him.

“Aren’t you mad that I’m hurting your people?”

Mad? Oh, Fandral was furious. He had actually begun to like the occasional visit from the exotic foreigner whose voice was so beautiful, especially since she was as interested as he was in intellectual discussions.

But he had heard the back and forth between Tirek and her. He had heard about how her friends abandoned her to what amounted to a death sentence, and he found that inexcusable as an honorable knight. In addition, his ladykiller ways would not allow him to just let a poor woman be brutally murdered, even if she was evil in her own demented fashion.

Fandral danced around Tirek’s fist while using his momentum to drag the blade across the man’s thick red arm as well as to quickly draw his sword from its sheath, opting to use his continual movement to keep swinging the blades instead of slowing down and only being able to use one or the other.

While by no means in love with the woman, Fandral was ready to make up for his inability to help the last time a friend was in need.

Inside of the other parts of the stadium there were still some stragglers who were not rendered unconscious and drained like the rest of the people at the event, and those people included the majority of the athletes. Kael decided to first go to the shared locker room of the athletes instead of one of the three individual ones, as it would be most efficient to warn each of the three races at once and let each of them then warn and help their own people.

Unfortunately for Kael, upon unlocking the door to the room and entering he found himself face to face with a Pegasus who appeared as if she was about to ram it.

Rainbow Dash stopped her charge at the now open door and instead decided to address the situation, “Hey, dress guy, what’s going on out there? People are yelling and stuff, and there’s a lot of screaming too, but the doors in here have all been locked from the outside this whole time!”

Kael realized that this too was something Trixie planned. Because she couldn’t be everywhere at once, and because once the crowd was drained their purpose was fulfilled, there needed to be a group to get innocent bystanders out of the way of everything.

Not about to explain that part to Rainbow, Kael instead offered the information she was actually seeking, “There is a group of three that are currently trying to drain the magic from everyone here, and they have succeeded in doing so from the crowds. A fourth, separate, individual is doing the same.”

While not dumb, Rainbow Dash was impulsive and so she tried rushing out of the door as the rest of the room of athletes just watched and listened with various levels of confusion and distrust, “Let me at ‘em!”

Kael grabbed Rainbow by the scruff of her neck and sighed, “They are far more powerful than you by several figures, and if they tried they could manipulate you into serving them. Your princess is instead asking that you rouse the crowds and help begin an evacuation.”

Saluting him, Rainbow Dash prepared to rush out of the room again, “Yes sir! I’ll go wake everypony up in no time at all! I didn’t work off all that fat for nothing, you know!”

Once Rainbow took off, all of the many gathered athletes approached Kael. They didn’t know him personally like Rainbow did, and so they did not exactly trust him or his authority, but he quickly addressed this issue by gesturing to the door.

“All of you, are you going to let a flying horse take all the credit for saving lives here, or are you going to go and help save your people?”

The pride of the Jotuns, Asgardians, as well as Equestrians forced all three races to begrudgingly agree, since the sounds from outside did seem real enough and none of them wanted to see their families harmed.

“This may be asking a lot, but do not engage them in combat. Help your people out of here, and leave. We will mop everything up here, as them draining you of your powers would do no-one any good.”

When Luna appeared in Canterlot her first stop was the nursery, where she found Scootaloo tending to the light blue foal she had mentioned was her sister that she had wanted to be a brother.

Looking around the room Luna could see all of the others, and they appeared to be asleep in the cribs provided for them, but her motherly side forced her to ask still, “Scootaloo, are the foals all well?”

Scootaloo tried to play off how surprised she was for Luna to just suddenly appear next to her, and so she laughed as she finished bottle feeding the foal in front of her, “Yeah, all the foals are doing just great. Sleep Near keeps shifting forms though, from the monkey one to his foal one and back.”

Luna knew firsthand that Hela would not speak up to let her needs be known, so she decided to further inquire about her daughter instead of her son who was at least vocal, “How is Hela?”

“She’s just staying in the monkey form now. Why, is something the matter?”

Luna sighed at the thought of what she was about to say. Things were really in a bad place if she had to be telling the foalsitter of her children to watch out for danger, “Scootaloo, I need you to lock the door and do whatever you can to keep people from coming in, okay?”

While usually trying the play the part of a tough filly, Scootaloo found herself frightened by the fact that a Princess appeared worried about something,m “What’s happening?”

“Some bad people are likely going to be coming to the castle, and I need to stop them, but I can’t be there stopping them and with you all at the same time. I don’t want them to hurt anypony, as it is my duty to protect everypony who lives in my nation in one way or another.”

Luna paused at the sound of yelling and screaming outside, only to then turn around and rush to the door at the sound of a window breaking in the hallway as some object crashed through it.

“Please, keep them safe!”

Scootaloo saluted Luna as the mother rushed away, leaving an empty doorway behind her as she ran to confront whatever threat was coming her way, “Yes ma’am!”

Once Luna was gone, Scootaloo placed her sister back in her crib and went to go close the door. When she reached it however, an orange guardsman was there in the doorway to greet her.

Scootaloo smiled at the sight of a guard, thinking that it meant that she would have somepony to protect her from whatever was going on.

“Hi mister, did Princess Luna send you?”

His blank eyes and lack of speech made Scootaloo quickly realize that, no, Luna had not sent this guard.

“Uh oh.”

“Kill the tyrannical royalty!”

“Take back the power that is rightfully ours!”

When Luna reached the site of the uproar she found herself pleasantly surprised by how the ponies making a ruckus were the nobles gathered at the front gates along with their servants, some of their sympathizers, as well as some guards. The crowd was using magic to hit and destroy all of the things in their path, and it would be soon enough that they breached the inner castle as the few still-loyal guards did not know what to do to quell the uprising.

The faint green glow coming from the eyes of the ponies in the mob gave Luna the impression that they were indeed being controlled, as before Celestia and Twilight were rendered unconscious they had a similar ailment.

“So they have gotten to you too. I know not how to cure your ailment through magic, but perhaps brute force can convince you to stand down…”

Luna took to the sky before skydiving down right to the point in front of the crowd so as to cut them off, her voice picking up in its strength as she began to project to them all.

“All you nobles and fools who dare tread upon the land of my castle, listen to this: if you so hate me, now is your chance! I am not running, so if you think you are so righteous and noble in your cause, your rebellion, come and take my crown from me! Prove that you have the strength to carry out your ideals, prove to me that you are better than the weak cretins I have always known you to be!”

Without another word, the crowd rushed at Luna feverishly, intent on doing just as she said.

Unfortunately for them, even out of practice and outnumbered, Luna was more than willing to beat them into the dirt with her far superior power and magic after all the trauma these ponies had inflicted on her student and daughter.

Had this been a year ago when Luna was the one in possession of the Nightmare’s corrupting influence and not Trixie, this rebellion would have been put down in a most lethal fashion.

When Trixie finally caught up to the Sirens, she was surprised to see them grappling on the ground as each tried to overpower the other. They would grab, punch, kick, bite, and even headbutt one another as they continued to fight for dominance, with Adagio currently winning due to her superior power and previously unwounded status.

Aria climbed on top of Adagio, only for the latter to lift her legs up and use them to forcefully kick Aria both off of her and into the air before landing on her back. This done, Adagio stood up and approached her rebellious colleague, “I knew you liked it rough, Aria, but this is surprising even for you. Need you humiliate yourself any further?”

Aria spat out some more blood onto the ground as she prepared to say something, only to have her attention be caught by the now present Trixie. Trixie was glaring at them both, though Aria realized that perhaps this would be a good time to enact that betrayal pact of sorts Trixie had proposed…

Adagio grabbed Aria by the front of her partially ripped shirt and dragged her to her feet before pushing her towards Trixie, “Oh, new girl, mind helping me remind Aria why I’m the one on top?”

Aria winked at Trixie, who ignored her and sidestepped the purple Siren to instead have a perfect view of Adagio, “On top of the ground, maybe.”

Before either Siren could speak further, Trixie blasted them with a quick burst of magic that took them off their feet.

From the ground, Adagio began to growl. She had not waited this long just to be backstabbed by two of her conspirators, as well as be interrupted by two outside entities, “Trixie, you…you…”

“I am not your pawn. No-one tells me what to do, not that either of you will be doing much bossing around after this,” Trixie proclaimed menacingly. She was not in the mood to deal with the bickering of these two, and they had each played their part.

Still, Adagio was not about to just give up without a fight, so she rose to her feet and snarled at how Trixie was turning on her, “How are you not under our control? By now even you should be under my command! You were right next to us in the performance!”

Trixie pointed to the necklace hanging on to Adagio’s chest from her neck before gesturing to herself, “The power of your necklaces is far weaker than my own. I have the power to create and destroy as I please. Your little trinkets are just baubles when compared to my magnificence.”

While Aria got back up again and stumbled over to Adagio’s side, preferring to side with someone who would actually work with her, Adagio saw something behind Trixie that was of interest.

“Well, perhaps your assistant would like to show you what happens to traitors?”

Trixie did not need to turn around to know that Kael had rejoined her. She already knew.

Adagio waved a hand at Trixie dismissively, wanting to see just what he could make the once loyal Elf do to his master. Adagio had spent quite some time singing and winning him over after all, and so she would enjoy seeing Trixie have to fight her own companion, “Kael, kill her. We don’t need her anymore.”

In response Kael bowed, “I live only to serve the mistress.”

And then summoned forth a large torrent of fire to knock the still recovering Aria off her feet. The Siren swore about continually being the target of everything while Adagio looked back and forth between Aria and Kael with awe, not at the burning shirt Aria was wearing, but at how once again her powers failed her. But this time she had no idea how it would not work, since Kael was puny in power compared to Trixie the last time she checked…

With a moment of sensing magic, Adagio realized with horror that there was a magical link between the two Elves. While Kael may have had very little a year ago, he did not need much of his own magic if he was sharing with the immensely empowered Trixie.

Trixie placed a hand on Kael’s shoulder, finding herself pleased by how badly she played Adagio for a fool, “He’s under my control, not yours. Like I said, your power is trivial compared to the power I now hold. I can destroy this entire planet if I so please, I only don’t because my hatred of those who live here is not quite there yet.”

Having everything turned against her on what was supposed to be a day of triumph infuriated Adagio, “Aria, get the hell up!” after her partner finished putting her fire out and get up, Adagio realized something that made her confident again that she could win, “You can’t possibly use your full power against us. Not without killing countless civilians.”

Trixie shrugged. She had come completely prepared for all of this, and felt no fear of actually losing, “I don’t need my full power for you. Even after all the power you have drained, each of you are only just above two thirds my strength. You are powerful, but not enough to win. Submit now and I will be lenient. I will take your power, permanently, and you will live under house arrest for the rest of your long lives.”

Adagio and Aria taking in breath to use their vocal attack made Trixie realize that they had chosen to do this the hard way. They had their chance though, and so she was going to make them regret ever daring to put her family in danger.

Tirek had initially only failed to wipe the floor with the wounded Sonata and the relatively puny Fandral because the pain coursing through his head, but once that calmed down some he turned the tables. After Fandral had entered the fray he had taken to hacking away at Tirek’s legs, while Sonata used her sonic attacks to assault him and keep him from doing much of anything.

However, a single magic blast directly to the ground threw the warrior to one side, his weapons hurling away from him as Tirek revealed some of his own magical ability. He had hoped to save all of what he had for the remaining Sirens since they were the largest threat he knew of, but Sonata and Fandral had pushed his patience too far.

Tirek looked down with interest at the blade that had burrowed in his head, and he realized by observing it that he wanted nothing more in this fight than to bury it in the body of the puny being who dared to cut him with it.

Tirek took the weapon in hand, and just like Fandral threw it at him Tirek hurled it down at the sole member of the Warriors Three present at the event.

Only, the axe never found its way into Fandral’s flesh.

“This…”

Fandral, having landed on his back and having been nearly rendered unconscious by the burst of magic, opened his eyes to see that the person who spoke was Sonata, who was leaning over him.

It didn’t take him long to realize that blood was pooling on him, dripping from her back where the axe he brought had embedded itself in her after she shielded him.

Tirek laughed maniacally as he realized that he had finally won, and without another word to her he began to drain her power as it seeped out of her body from the gaping wound it now sported.

Fandral gasped as Sonata slowly slumped onto the ground beside him, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to smile at him.

“I-is this what dying feels like?”

Having taken all of the power that seeped into the air, Tirek decided to survey the area once again and reassess his priorities before taking what remained in Sonata’s body. This process was interrupted, however, by the sight of some approaching silver contraptions in the sky. He had never seen anything like them, and so he squinted as he tried to observe them.

“What are those?”

In this time however, Fandral had scooped up the rapidly fading Sonata and begun to carry her towards an exit where some others were making their way out of the stadium.

Given that Sonata would die in moments and that the wounded Asgardian could not likely travel far in his wounded state, Tirek decided to let them run as he studied the approaching…things in the sky. After he found a way to handle them, he could just take whatever still remained in the blue corpse.

“Cowards, I will deal with you as soon as I deal with these new variables!”

Once Fandral brought Sonata out of sight of Tirek, he let her down again gently. The axe had fallen out of her a few feet back, and Sonata was still bleeding profusely.

Dreary from her blood loss, Sonata thought in her mind that he was bringing her someplace to be helped. Only, Fandral didn’t know where someone with medical expertise was, so he was just trying to find a peaceful place to let her down.

“Just let me die. I don’t want to live anymore…”

In an attempt to humor her delusion, Fandral smiled at her as he fought to keep tears from his face, “When I lost my best friend, you helped me with my loss. Now you want to go and die too? I am afraid I cannot let you do that to me…”

Her eyes closed, causing the warrior to grab a hand and clench it. While evil and genuinely a villain, she had just saved his life…

“Sonata?”

Her eyes flickered once before slowly closing again, a smile on Sonata’s face as she looked at someone who actually cared, like her friends used to.

“I wish Adagio and Aria were like you. You really care for your friends…”

And, with that, her head softly fell to the side and her slight grip on his hand became nothing.

Author's Note

Wow, I'm...actually crying. Didn't expect that for this chapter, all things considered. And I don't think the tears will stop anytime soon...

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed, and I would love to hear from you in the comments! Sonata was bad, sure, but I'm curious if you all feel as damn sorry for her as I do. Remember, comments are :heart:

You Don't Like Being Second, I Don't Like Being Wrong

A/N: Special thanks to SilentMech, Amethyst Blade, Magestikus, Ozymandias, Sidetrack, Ally of the Daleks, Cadmium, ChaoticLightning, IAmNotSmartest, and Ketvirtas for the comments last chapter. Seems like you guys liked Sonata, so I'm sorry! Anyways, I hope to hear from you all again this chapter, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter title from "Goodbye" from SR-71. Next few chapters, like starting next chapter, I really suggest giving the songs a listen...

Hope you enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments below! Remember, comments are :heart:

Luna had more difficulty deciding which of her many targets to focus on than actually defeating them. Instead of capitalizing on her wings and teleportation abilities, Luna stood her ground and confronted the Nobles and their allies at the front gates of the castle. She was taking effort to not mortally wound any of them, but she still was racking up quite a large body count in defeated enemies. While not dead, the corrupted ponies were none too pleased about being impaled on an Alicorn’s horn and those who then had a follow up blast of energy sent through them.

You could live with a hole in you for awhile, provided it was the right area of your body, and Luna was fine with permanently wounding and crippling them. While averse to killing enemies who were being controlled by someone else, there was word amongst the still loyal guards that the nobles intended to do this anyways and this was simply what brought them to actual action.

Luna dislodged, with a level of indifference, her horn from a Unicorn who she recognized as one of the judges who unfairly judged Trixie so long ago. If they had simply treated her fairly how different would things be? Trixie would never have fought the Ursas, been rendered comatose, been around for Thanos to kidnap, spend time in Hela’s world, and all which resulted from that whole debacle.

Luna’s thoughts would be reflected in later thought about the whole situation and the theories about what caused the ultimate climax of the family’s story.

Luna shook her head harshly from side to side to throw back the ponies dogpiling on her upper body, since the Nobles had realized that anything short of attacking her head on would be ineffective. She had reflected some of their weak spells back at them, and at ranged Luna could just blast them all away after all.

Freer from their grips and bites, Luna let out a surge of energy that blasted all the others off of her. She felt some teeth rip out and fall off her skin, though she didn’t care about the light pain she felt all over from their pathetic attempts to hurt her. A moments healing refreshed her completely, and Luna was pleased to see that she was not too far off her normal state of being despite being out of action for a year.

On top of the ponies before her was one of the athletes Trixie had been put into competition with. Luna, upon further reflection, would realize that this was also one of the crowd who had first attacked Trixie upon coming to Canterlot in the event which would draw Luna to her.

Luna scoffed as more ponies moved forward in an angry mob to climb over others, amused partially and otherwise disgusted by how they were literally climbing over eachother to harm her, “You are all lucky. If my daughter was not busy with bigger threats elsewhere, she would be able to get her own revenge on you as well.”

“She’s just a Unicorn! So what if she won some competition? She doesn’t belong in the royal court!” came a scream from the crowd, which Luna met with another burst of energy. Why pick a target when she could wipe the floor with all of them at once?

As the next wave crumbled on top of the previous one, Luna found herself laughing, “Just a Unicorn?” Trixie was an Alicorn in hiding, something that would drive these pathetic, worthless cretins insane if they really had the truth, “Oh if only you knew…”

Trixie as an Alicorn…Luna had not been able to see her daughter in the form much, but she was so proud of Trixie for having been able to reach that form without Luna’s aid. And that was in addition to having the Aether, which was seemingly an artifact as powerful as the scepter Luna had been keeping for herself, only to forget about it when she actually needed it. It was for this reason she had loaned it to Trixie, which now meant Trixie had two extremely powerful artifacts and Luna zero.

Luna knew it was wrong, but she felt jealous of not being the strongest being around anymore. On the other hand she felt proud at how she managed to create the most powerful spellcaster in all of existence, and that motherly pride ultimately made Luna ignore her other feelings and her doubts about it all. She was happy to pass along her duties after fighting so long, even if it wounded her pride a little.

“I am actually quite jealous, as is my nature unfortunately. She was deficient in her natural magical power despite having the brain to learn and perform spells,” Luna mused outloud, all the while blasting nobles back brutally with magic. She even bucked one in the face who came from behind, only to end up through a wall and some glass.

Luna stomped on the back of a pony in front of her, feeling some delight at the feeling of their bones breaking. She knew she ought not to like the carnage, but the relief she was feeling at finally being able to fight this group of ponies who had done her and her family so much harm was outweighing her natural moral compass, “But now she has a source of near limitless energy powering her, making her the most powerful pony I have ever met. I honestly wish I could have that power, but she has kept it to herself. I suppose it is her right, as she took it upon herself to spare me from it in a time of vulnerability.”

Luna felt an odd feeling about the follow up concerning the Aether…like that she had wanted to remove it from Trixie, but for some reason never followed up on it. What could have caused such negligence in her? She was hesitant to blame such a thing on her pregnancy, especially since there seemed to be a collective amnesia of those privy to Trixie’s possession of the artifact.

The princess of Equestria and Queen of Asgard turned swiftly and threw her head to the side to slam it into a leaping Unicorn who had propelled forward using magic. The impact sent the stallion flying in the opposite direction as Luna’s head collided with his side. As he fell and joined the others on the ground, Luna continued her prideful boasting about Trixie, “Take that weakness away, and you have a skilled and powerful mare who has a lot of trauma and anxiety to take out on anyone in her way,” Luna sneered, “If I had been her, in my formerly corrupted mindset, I would have invited you all there to be collateral damage.”

“And, unlike me, she has worked out her personality problems. If anything she is too meek now compared to her boisterous self previously. She has no self-esteem, and she is willing to do anything to make others like her. As such she has been quite submissive.”

Someone manipulated them, but whether that was Trixie or not had yet to be determined. But the timing was too perfect, and the situation too coincidental to be anything but a plan implemented by someone. Luna would honestly be impressed if Trixie had managed to dupe a possible security threat and then use that opportunity to empower herself to face other threats, though on the same level Luna was embarrassed she had been too out of things to see this all coming.

A pony by her hoof attempted to grab onto Luna, resulting in Luna stomping on their closest hoof and snorting down at down.

“Does that hurt?” Luna imagined the possibility that this was the first time anyone had ever hurt this doughy, soft pony in their life, as well as the first time they ever had to do some actual work for theirself, “Good. Now you realize how it might hurt being stepped upon by someone of a higher station of life, like you all do to others. I can keep going, and will so long as any of you have movement capabilities.”

Thinking about the subject of making others do work for them, Luna remembered a certain other noble who was deserving of her wrath but did not appear to be present. As Blueblood was at the top of this sick society, perhaps he had something to do with all of this. Luna would love for that to be the case, as it would give her reason to punish him and bring an end to her anti-noble sentiment.

“Tell me, fat one, where’s your little ringleader? If you tell me where Blueblood is, I may spare a leg.”

The noble wailing and whining at their broken limb beneath Luna’s hoof gave no further verbal response, their incoherent sounds expressing their supernatural anger as well as their very natural dismay at being crushed beneath a giant horse.

“No? Too bad. I would have enjoyed trying him for treason. I think it would do all of us some good to remove such toxic elements from the community, don’t you think?”

Luna removed her hoof, though the crazed screaming did not end. Luna had broken so many bones over the years that this felt a little melodramatic, but she suppose the pony had spent his whole life living off the sweat of others and being told he was a perfect little angel, so he wouldn’t know what pain was like.

That, and he was being mentally manipulated into a state of heightened emotions it seemed based off of how uncharacteristically bold they all were being. That and faintly glowing red eyes.

“Oh, right. Raving mad. My apologies.”

Loki had to leave the stadium itself to find the man who had bellowed his name, and the King had some trouble rationalizing why he actually went out to meet the challenge. He had not improved much physically since his last encounter with Thanos, and when that happened he had been hopelessly outmatched by the man in every way.

In the end Loki rationalized his meeting with the man an extension of his own loyalty to his people. Time Thanos spent grandstanding and wasting on Loki meant time that those in the stadium, Trixie included, were not subjected to the man’s fury and sadism.

While everyone else had been focused on the Sirens and what Tirek was doing, Thanos had appeared with an entire armada. While he was on the ground, his fleet was slowly approaching the planet and just breaking through the atmosphere.

For now, it would be just the two of them. But that would not last long, and soon enough Thanos would bring down every ounce of military might he had on them all.

The large purple being stood out in the open fields around the stadium with a dark aqua colored suit of armor with golden trim that reflected Loki’s own regal regalia. Unlike Loki’s less practical design with the long horns from the helmet, Thanos’s had no extra details that made it seem like anything other than a personal set of armor. The armor had one difference, however, in that its right gauntlet was golden and had empty sockets on where some of its knuckles should be as well as the back of the hand and on the lower section of its thumb.

The two sockets that were filled were what worried most, even more than Thanos himself. Thanos had managed to harness the power of two Infinity Gems and bond them to the Infinity Gauntlet he had stolen from Asgard, which meant that he had the power of twice the Aether, an artifact that on its own could destroy everything…and the Gauntlet would make it even more than twice, as it was what was meant to wield the power and could do so better than any mortal.

For someone of fainter heart, speaking to the large man would have been nerve wracking and reduce them to a quivering puddle. For Loki, it just meant hiding the fear he was well allowed to fear of the monster before him, “Thanos.”

Thanos seemed to enjoy the greeting, his large square jaw moving to a smile as he looked down at him, “Loki, it has been quite some time. I take it you received my gift in the time we’ve been apart?”

Gift…that was not the word Loki would use for it. Not after the gruesome scene he had been forced to witness and handle. He was only happy that Luna had no knowledge of it, even if it may have heralded Thanos returning.

“I have never seen anything as nauseating as that,” Loki snarled at the giant, not willing to even entertain Thanos now that the subject had been brought up, “You slew your own child, its mother, and her family. Yet you returned my spy alive.”

Maiev was still comatose, but she was lucky to only be that. With the condition she had been returned in, she was lucky she had been in Asgard and had been able to be healed quickly enough.

Thanos shrugged, not really caring what Loki thought but also finding some amusement in remembering what happened when he noticed someone spying on him, “I have no quarrel with your spy. She is a pawn belonging to another pawn. She is worthless, and I serve to gain more by leaving her alive. Instead of going on to never accomplish anything in her life, she now can herald the new, frightening strength I possess.”

Thanos lost all traces of amusement as he clenched his hands and pretended to be snapping someone’s neck, “On the other hand, that woman bore a child that served as a reminder of a time when I did not devote myself to my love. Before I knew of her I had many such trysts, and I suppose there exists many bastards who could be called my progeny.”

Obsessed with “Lady Death”…Loki had no doubt that Thanos was wholly wrong about Hela and what she stood for. To him, she was what took life, not managed it. His very basis for his obsession was wrong, but to point this out would likely cause Thanos to stop wasting any time and instead kill everyone in the blink of an eye.

It was because of this that Loki held his tongue and let Thanos continue, as part of being an expert manipulator was knowing when not to speak, “Interestingly enough, the few I sent you are all that remains of that race, even if they are corpses. I tested out my power not only on your spy, but on the planet itself. It was quite the marvel to have the world crumble around me, earthquakes radiating from a touch…”

Thanos tilted his head back and began to laugh maniacally, something Loki was not accustomed to hearing from someone with a deep voice, “I have learned to restrain my power more so since. It is quite exhausting one would imagine to hold and use the power to change the very fabric of what some would consider reality.”

“Are you here for me or the Aether then?” was Loki’s measured response, hoping fully that it was the former. He doubted Thanos would go to this effort just for him, but he would rather be the only casualty of this conflict than see Thanos kill him and everyone else.

The question brought back some of Thanos’s seeming amusement, as his features relaxed as Loki spoke briefly, “The Aether, of course, and the scepter that your wife has in her possession. I would see it returned to me after its long absence.”

“I am sorry, but the princess is in another place,” Loki smirked as he realized he might not be leaving this place. If he was going to die though he would give it his all though, and he would be damned if he did not slow down this man in his goal of galactic domination and conquest, “I could entertain you for now if you please though.”

Even if it meant putting his collection of the Infinity Gems on hold for awhile, Thanos was quite interested in fighting Loki. Loki had failed him, had turned on him, and that was only the beginning. He was a necessary example for others to go by, or at least he would be after he was mercilessly beaten and tortured, “We never did settle our business. You left my Lady’s world after all, a slight against her I will not allow.”

Loki prepared his weapons calmly all the while shaking his head sadly, “Her name is not Death. Her name is Hela, and she is my daughter.”

Even if Loki stalled Thanos, he doubted he would get to ever see the newborn grow up. He would apologize to her in Hel, where he was sure he was going to go. Not Valhalla like he expected the likes of Thor to go after death.

Still, Thanos was obsessed with his daughter, and the very thought of him taking the universe and her for himself made Loki’s blood boil to a level it had not in a long time. This was the man who turned him against Luna and his family, who killed untold billions of innocents in his endless wars to gain power and to satiate his bloodlust, and who a year ago killed a friend of Loki who he had grown to care about.

Loki decided to put his trust in Trixie to protect her sister, for Loki considered this his final fight. Thanos was the penultimate villain of Loki’s story, and he would be damned if he let the man harm his family.

“And I will see this universe burn before I let a monster like you touch her!” Loki growled, leaping forward and into battle.

Inside the stadium, Trixie was handling her own situation with greater ease than what Loki would be faced with. Trading blasts and waves of energy was favorable to her and Kael because of their power greatly outmatching that of Adagio and Aria. After their initial attacks were traded, their positions changed to account for Trixie teleporting between the Sirens and blasting them in opposite directions. To get away from her they each went in opposite directions in the hallway, with Kael joining Trixie between them.

The Sirens thought that perhaps attacking from different directions would catch their enemies off-guard, but they were stunned to find that the waves of energy created from their voices were blocked by walls of ice summoned by Trixe. The blast cracked some of the ice, but its supernatural qualities kept it together as Trixie focused on protecting herself.

The Sirens continued to try and break it, but they had to pause to breathe in after their sustained attack on it. The moment their mouths closed to do so, Trixie prepared to change from offense to defense.

Now!

With that Trixie reformed the wall of ice on either side into a tendril of water, one which she hurled forth at Adagio while Kael simultaneously let loose a stream of flame at Aria. The water slammed into its target and threw her back, while the fire rushed into and past the woman it was aimed at. Adagio fought to stop herself from being flooded down the hallway any further, using her magic momentarily to propel herself forward and away from the summoned torrent, while Aria fought to put out the fire now on her entire body that only was not lethal because of the regeneration caused by her absurdly high magic level.

Adagio coughed up water as she let loose another wave of magic energy at her foes, “Damnit, you insolent…”

Aria managed to finish putting out her fire just in time to see that Adagio was no longer waiting for her to coordinate an attack, which was what their opponents were doing and since Trixie and Kael were winning it seemed like a strategy they should continue themselves

“Adagio, we need to work together—”

The reason Trixie and Kael did not follow up was that they were ready to teleport, and did so the moment Adagio’s attack would have struck them, Adagio screaming at the same moment, “Shut up and attack!”

By dodging the strike it instead carried down the hallway and was unavoidable for Aria, who found herself blasted off her feet. Adagio growled at the sight and at the humiliation she was suffering. She had not lost in a thousand years, and she was not going to start now.

Trixie and Kael reappeared where they had been before, with the former shaking her head dismissively at the other two, “Before you two were each more powerful than an Alicorn,” Trixie let loose some of her own magic to knock Adagio back and stop her from attacking again, “After taking the power from the entire crowd you expanded that amount far beyond that point.”

With Aria finally managing to get up again, Kael reversed gravity where she was standing so that she couldn’t aim. Trixie smirked at the sight while looking at her own opponent, “You now stand as the most powerful foes who have ever attempted to take over Equestria, but sadly you will not have that honor for long.”

“What do you know, girl?” Adagio growled, not appreciating how she was being talked down to. How she was being toyed with. When had Trixie become so powerful? She had made sure to acquire enough power to defeat the woman should she prove disloyal, and yet here she was mopping the floor with them.

Trixie found it ironic that had this coup happened a year or so earlier that it would have succeeded, as there would have been little to stop them. But now they were just magic sponges that Trixie was ready to harvest for herself, so she could fight her true foe, “A man just arrived with an army tailing behind him that will soon overrun this place and impose military control on everything and everyone here, and the man is even more powerful than I am.”

Trixie pointed to herself with a small smile appearing on her face, “We’re equally matched in some regards, but he will kill us all and take everything for himself.”

The idea that not only Trixie was there to stop her, but some other being was there to usurp the power Adagio had intended to claim for herself was infuriating for the Siren. She had not waited for so long to return to Equestria just to have someone take her moment from her.

“I…you…”

The angered confusion of Adagio made Trixie happy for the first real time since she had come to the stadium. Since she had seen the twins, “What’s the matter Adagio? Upset that after all this time you have been played, manipulated, and will be defeated in the end of it all? I know I would be if I were just the puppet of someone else’s little show.”

Before either Siren could continue to try and retaliate further, Trixie grabbed Adagio telekinetically and threw her at a rapid pace into her companion, knocking each of them down onto the ground with Adagio’s body interrupting the spell done on Aria.

“You thought your charm and abilities would sway me to your side. If anything, I find you repulsive. Not only am I immune to your more physical advances, I find your personality toxic and believe it to be the cause of your group’s infighting.”

Trixie watched as the two tried to pull themselves together, with Adagio coughing up blood onto the ground and the prone Aria, while Aria strained herself just to try and get up.

Trixie snarled as she summoned forth more water to form more ice, having a less defensive intention for this set, “Infighting that will ultimately cause you to lose, as with Sonata here you could possibly overcome me. Instead you saw a chance to rid yourself of her or possibly gain even more power, and so you took it.”

Adagio rose up to try and counter what was being said to her, but found herself gasp instead at the sight of several dozen floating icicles formed to have the sharpest possible tip.

“You always talked so much before, and now you’re speechless. What a shame,” Trixie commented without emotion, prepared to literally nail her foes to the wall and render them unable to fight for the remainder of the conflict.

Trixie let loose the barrage of icicles, only to find herself surprised by a sudden shout. Aria had rushed to her feet and unleashed another sonic attack, this one shattering some of the incoming ice as she moved in front of Adagio.

Her counterattack was not fully successful and only managed to take out about two thirds of the incoming ice shards, causing her to brace herself and protect her upper body and head as the rest rushed forward and flew into her.

Trixie had aimed them all originally to pin her opponents by impaling their limbs, but the sonic attack caused them to go awry. This meant that some sailed past the Sirens, while others hit where Aria had been.

Standing behind her ally, Adagio gasped as she realized one icicle had pierced all the way through the woman in front of her’s shoulder, “Aria…”

It was not alone. Aria coughed up blood as she fell to one knee, icicles embedded all over her body and making her want to scream in pain. If she wasn’t so in shock by the pain of having an icicle in her shoulder, side, hip, arm, and both legs, she would have.

Instead, she tried to act tough and stand back up, “I’m…” she coughed out more blood and fell back down, “I’m fine…”

Adagio’s looking over of Aria ceased as she instead turned her attention to someone who had appeared behind her, along with the person behind them.

This changed everything. Adagio smirked at the sight of their first pawn, “Hello Celestia.”

Celestia and Twilight had come to where all the noise was coming from nearby, and now the former was preparing an attack. Twilight was ready to fight the Sirens, but found herself shocked by Celestia firing at attack at Trixie. Trixie did not move or try to avoid it, and it seemed to dissipate in front of her entirely, but this did not mean it shocked Twilight any less.

“Princess Celestia, what are you doing?”

To answer her question without giving the others time to reveal anything that could hurt her image, Trixie spoke up, “They have her under their control. Until they are defeated she will not be free, so I need you to restrain her.”

“Got it!” Twilight yelled back, scared at the prospect of having to fight Celestia but also realizing that she had to if what Trixie said was correct.

Aria growled as she realized Twilight was not on their team, “I thought we had the purple one too!”

Adagio snarled at the realization that a full powered Twilight could probably take on a drained Celestia, especially since the latter was not currently all-there mentally. They had accounted for this though and had planned to manipulate Twilight too, so why wasn’t she on their side?

“Sonata was the one who was controlling her—”

Adagio paused as she realized her mistake. No Sonata, no control over those she was specifically controlling. Trixie, on the other hand, felt free to talk as she frowned at the Siren disapprovingly, “Not only is she not here, it is completely possible and very likely that she is dead right now. Congratulations.”

With everything turned against them and no further cards to play, Adagio saw no reason to continue this all anymore. If she couldn’t win, she wouldn’t let Trixie defeat her and take her power. She could always come back and win another day after all.

Grabbing her partner by shoulder, Adagio pulled her to her feet and twisted her around with a tug on the arm.

“Come Aria, we’re leaving!”

The two started to leave, with Aria panting in pain as she forcibly removed the ice in her legs so they could start healing. Trixie would have gone right after them to stop them, but with the realization that they could only run she found herself more inclined to helping Twilight fight Celestia. It would only take a moment, since Celestia was a shell of her normal self in terms of power, but it would free up Twilight to her them confront the two living Sirens.

Outside the stadium, Loki was doing his best to avoid the strikes of Thanos with his supernatural speed, only to find that his foe was even faster. For every attack that Loki would almost dodge, it instead was a slight hit.

A slight hit that, for all intents and purposes, would kill most people despite mostly glancing off them. Instead Loki was knocked down and then forced himself back up, the lethality of things hitting him not quite the concern it would be for others. While afraid this would be his last fight, Loki was wholly aware of how difficult it would be for him to actually be “killed”.

Thanos halted his assault to watch Loki get back up from a hit that ought to have ended him, with his bones cracking and snapping after the strike, but Loki was twisting his body and forcefully bringing it back up onto its feet. The perseverance was astonishing to Thanos, but he realized quickly and easily that something else was at play. Thanos had been able to kill someone in a strike before being powered by two supernatural artifacts, so to have someone actually get back up meant there was something allowing them to do that.

Given Loki’s time in Hel, Thanos quickly deduced as to maybe why Loki was capable of surviving like this, “I am impressed. It seems the way my Lady altered you has allowed you some…” Thanos frowned as he thought of how unfair it was that Lady Death had not granted him any such favor, “Advantages.”

Loki fought to keep himself on his feet, eventually steadying his blades to prepare them for another attack. His previous attempts to slice into dark armor and purple skin were met with failure, with the blades formerly belonging to Illidan only once coming into contact and even that was met with failure. The behemoth had avoided the strike for the most part, and the blade that touched him only managed to scratch at his armor before it was no longer touching it. From what Loki felt the blade could do damage, but actually hitting the monster was the issue much like how others had difficulty striking Loki himself.

Thanos began to slowly approach Loki, intent on taking his time and making this enjoyable, “Even all the tricks in the world will not save you this time however. I will find immense pleasure in killing you, your race, and your entire family.”

Loki began to match the pace of his foe, only heading in the opposite direction. The more time he padded this out the better off everyone likely would be, “Do you just enjoy being the prime, quintessential example of evil?”

“Most so called villains do not think of themselves as such, as they simply are the heroes of their own stories with different objectives than the heroes more times than not,” Thanos let out a bellow of laughter as he picked up his pace slightly to offset Loki’s retreat, “I, however, do take immense pleasure in doing wicked things simply for the sake of doing them. The pain, the misery, the ruination I cause is almost as pleasing as the acts that bring them about.”

In a sudden burst of speed Thanos launched himself at Loki, attempting to grab with his golden gauntlet the man’s face. Loki avoided this by ducking and dodging to the side, though a sudden kick out from Thanos slammed into his closest leg. As Loki stumbled onto the ground his foe gave no reprieve, quickly using the other leg to punt Loki and cause the proud prince to crash into the side of the stadium and through part of the reinforced wall. Thanos had only used a fraction of his power on purpose, not wanting to end this so easily, but he was pleased with the sight of Loki in the rubble.

“I wonder though, does that animal daughter of yours share my opinion? After all, she has tasted the power of the gods as well.”

Loki would laugh if his body was not in such pain, though he supposed his head trauma from the crash was helping somewhat with that. His helmet had come off in the collision, and as such he felt partially light headed, “You desire to court one daughter and then insinuate that another is as disturbed as you are. My feelings on most people are mixed between positive and negative, but I must say I only hold the latter for you.”

Thanos gestured to the sky above them and laughed mockingly, not believing that the ambitious Loki would be so opposed to conquest, “Are you telling me that if you had her power you would not try and take everything for yourself?” Thanos shook his head before laughing further, actually finding this to be the most enjoyable activity he had taken part in for some time, “I know you lied to the others about this, but you were wholly complicit in your actions on Earth.”

Even Loki knew his next words were going to be partially false, though he had nothing else to say to save his pride as he crawled from the broken section of the stadium, “You were corrupting me with the scepter.”

“The scepter has the power of mind alteration, I will admit this much, but I never made you do anything you were not already capable of. That was you, whether you wish to admit it or not,” Thanos taunted, as pleased by breaking others with words as Loki was.

With Loki removed from the wall, the Asgardian pulled himself together to put up a better fight this time around. He wouldn’t let a change in speed get to him again.

As Loki prepared himself again, Thanos found himself distracted by the glowing green glaives in the man’s possession, “Those blades bring back interesting memories. Your friend fought valiantly, but seeing as how I stand here now and not him the outcome should be obvious.”

Loki tensed as he remembered exactly what Thanos was speaking about. The exit from Hel…and Illidan’s sacrifice to allow it to come to be.

Thanos reached down and removed something comparatively small from a part of his belt, his face smug as he continued to observe the warglaives, “I actually brought you a few gifts for this final occasion. One is waiting for you back at Asgard, in case you ran back there in some act of cowardice, while another is right here.”

Thanos tossed what was in his hand to the wind, which fortunately for Loki was blowing in his direction. The object?

Illidan’s bandana which he used to tie over his blind, shining eyes. Loki moved to catch it as Thanos laughed at the sight because of the memories it brought back. It was rare for Thanos to have a real fight, and he actually had to try when fighting Illidan. It was a shame he had proven too powerful, or else Thanos would have liked to subjugate and use him for his own ends.

“This is all that remains. After he caused me to fail in blocking your escape, I hunted your friend’s soul down for what felt like months if not years. Every time it pulled itself back together I tore it apart again, repeating the process until nothing remained.”

Loki gripped the cloth in calm fury, his anger high due to what Thanos had done to Illidan but his rational mind keeping his actions in check. Good things did not come from acting out in abject anger, “Illidan was a good friend. One of the few who have never judged or betrayed me.”

Thanos began to approach his foe again, this time with a glint in his eye showing that he was more serious now, “And sadly he will be the last. Let us continue fighting, Asgardian, lest I grow bored of you and decide to finish you.”

“Hey, purple guy with the weird gauntlet, back away from Reindeer Games!”

Thanos had just enough time to turn around and catch an assortment of laser beams to the face. He growled not in pain but annoyance as he watched a red and golden figure fly by him, with three others running towards him and Loki on the ground.

Loki smirked at how Thanos had been so busy taunting him that he had missed out on the Bifrost opening somewhere nearby, though he couldn’t say he was much better himself. He had been put through a wall, so he missed a few things understandably.

Thor, Captain Rogers, and a massive green being known to some as Doctor Banner and Hulk to others were joining the fray along with Stark, who was peppering Thanos with a variety of missiles and laser attacks to distract him with minimal success.

Thor ran to Loki’s side first at the sight of him, worried about the rough condition he was in, “Brother, I apologize sincerely that I am late, are you alright?”

Loki waved a hand as he watched with amusement Dr. Banner tackle Thanos and begin to grapple with him, “I am fine.”

“Why is this monster here? This was to be an event of peace, and he dares mock it? I have not forgotten what he did to Volstagg the last time we met,” Thor growled, revealing how ready he was for a fight. The foes he had been fighting on Earth were not worthy of his power most of the time, but this was something almost entirely in the opposite direction as that.

Loki grabbed his brother’s arm to halt him from doing anything too hasty, “Thor, with the Gauntlet and the power he has in his possession he is too much for any of you to handle.”

Having learned some degree of patience in his time on Earth, Thor paused and nodded. He would defer to Loki’s judgment, and he believed that his brother was telling the truth given his own experience with Thanos, “Is there a way to stop him?”

“Perhaps. My daughter still has the Aether, and with it she can contest Thanos and possibly defeat him,” Loki explained, not all that pleased that their only chance at winning was if Trixie could possibly defeat Thanos after dealing with all the others.

“And where is she?”

“Defeating some other villains who have similarly sought to use this event for their own gain.”

Thor turned from Loki and began to swing his hammer around, a move that would directly precede him using its momentum to carry him towards a foe and into battle, “Then let us buy her time to finish them and return to defeat this man.”

As if it was an afterthought, Thor quickly added, “Oh, and when this is over I would like to invite your whole family to join me on Earth and celebrate the birth of your children, as well as my new engagement.”

Loki rolled his eyes as he too prepared to enter combat, albeit not by using a magical hammer to fling himself forward, “Will your lover mind that you are fighting a battle against an unstoppable behemoth?”

“It comes with the whole Protector of the Nine Realms title. She is growing used to the idea.”

“Do not make me be the one to tell her you are not coming home.”

“And here I thought you didn’t share my familial love.”

“I am…growing more used to the idea.”

With that, Loki and Thor entered what they each hoped would be the last battle they would ever have to wage to maintain stability in their worlds.

Inside the stadium, the Sirens continued their retreat away from Trixie and the others. They could hear the distant sounds of Celestia being defeated, and they each knew it would soon be their turn. They wouldn’t be able to run forever from someone who could teleport.

Stopping a moment to rest and to gather herself after all the pain she had suffered, Aria coughed as she spoke, “We can’t beat her…” she wheezed as she tried to keep standing, only to fall onto one knee again, “She’s like twice as strong as either of us, and Sonata’s gone…”

Aria trailed off at the mention of that. She had hated Sonata, but for some reason the idea that she was gone was biting at her. Did she really care about Sonata after all?

Adagio knew she was right though about their situation. They couldn’t win…they would be defeated, and for all she knew they could die with everything that was going on.

The thought of dying, of losing everything, was making Adagio begin to panic. She didn’t want to die. She had never once, not even in her time on Earth, expected to perish with her nearly immortal lifespan. The humans she interacted with would serve her, even if at the time she could only control one or two simultaneously, so she never really had to fear anything.

Adagio looked back at Aria with a careful eye, and slowly she began to realize something.

Her fear evaporated as her mind began to put together a plan, “We may not be strong enough…” she smiled as she brought a hand down to touch Aria’s face, “But maybe we don’t have to be.”

Not savvy to what Adagio was thinking, Aria rose her eyebrow. What could possibly turn things around in their favor?

“Uh, Adagio, what’s with the weird look? What’s the plan?”

Author's Note

I hope you all enjoyed, and I would love to hear from you in the comments! Sonata was bad, sure, but I'm curious if you all feel as damn sorry for her as I do. Remember, comments are :heart:

I Will Now Rise From The Ashes, Don't Call Me Pretentious, I'm Sitting Here Making My Own Rules

A/N: Special thanks to King Sombrony, Mewaponny, kojivsleo, ErekLich, SilentMech, Ketvirtas, Ally of the Daleks, Ozymandias42, SadisticNerd, Drgnwolf, and hs0003 for your comments last chapter, for your support is very much welcomed and I want you to know just how much it is appreciated! We are approaching the finale soon, and I honestly can't wait for it, so I hope you guys enjoy and will continue to let me hear from you as we head on our way to that point (chapter 80)!

Chapter title from "Rise from the Ashes" from Quietdrive.

I hope you enjoy, and I hope to hear from you all in the comments below!

When Thor’s hammer struck Thanos next, the latter had expected it to leave almost no impact. When the Hulk surged forward and buried a fist down into Thanos’s cheek, there ought to have been no damage done.

Instead, when both of these attacks hit their mark, Thanos found himself being pushed back a step. These foes were more powerful than when he first struck them down, as if they were being empowered all of a sudden. Seeing as how they should be dead, he could instantly figure out that it was the interference of the man in red with the Infinity Gem. He was granting some of its power to them in order to let them be actual threats, but that meant that the Elf did not have that power to use for himself.

Despite both Thor and the Hulk inflicting pain on Thanos, it was hardly anything severe. With his own natural power, the energy of two Infinity Gems, and the Infinity Gauntlet to harness their powers and keep them in check, he was more than a match for the two even with their power boosts.

The purple man grabbed the much larger Hulk, whose massive size made the large Thanos appear puny in comparison, and before the green monster could react it was already being used as a weapon to be swung at Thor.

With Thor swatted away with the improvised weapon of the Hulk, Thanos continued his swing to spin around and then launch the green being as fast as a bullet towards his foes, “A man in a dress dares think he can fight me?”

Loki had moved to avoid the attack as soon as Thanos moved to gain momentum, but Kael remained in place. He needed a moment to channel his magic, and it was just in time to halt the green mass of muscle heading his way. The Hulk’s momentum moved upwards and his body spun around as if the world’s physics no longer wholly applied to him, which was exactly what was the case.

“A mantle does not a dress make,” Kael, who had summoned a second cloak after leaving Trixie behind, retorted as he lifted his hands up and finished a follow up spell, this time cast on Thanos himself, “Now, I wonder how you will fare when your world is turned upside down?”

At those words Loki found himself completely understanding what was about to be done. Thanos was powerful, but he was still susceptible to things that were not exactly harmful. A flash of light would likely blind him like anyone else, his mind could be tricked, and…his body could still have gravity reversed around it since it wasn’t a change to Thanos himself but the actual area around him.

Upon seeing the Hulk suddenly stop on his path towards Kael and Loki, Thanos realized that his opponent possessed unique abilities and decided to take no chances. He made a mad rush towards Kael, and even managed to strike the foreign prince across the face just as the mage’s second gravity spell finished.

The change in gravity lifted Thanos into the air just after his gauntlet struck across Kael’s cheek, the metal shredding skin and bone as it impacted his pale cheek.

Loki could hear the man’s neck snap at the touch, though instead of slumping over in death Kael’s neck just snapped back into place as the flesh and skin on his face began to reshape. This was followed up by a ball of fire forming in the man’s hand, as well as him smirking at the would-be fatal blow.

“You’re not the only one who had to survive Hel for years upon years,” he muttered towards Loki just before launching his fiery attack at Thanos, who was attempting to right himself and find a way out of his predicament.

Given the relative vulnerability of Thanos in that moment, Loki sought to capitalize on it while he still had a chance. With a swelling of power within him he could feel originated from his Elven ally, Loki launched himself towards Thanos while mentally preparing for the gravity shift. By expecting it, he was able to roll over and bring a warglaive down across Thanos’s exposes chest. The glaive’s green, glowing blade seared through the armor the man was wearing and Loki could even feel it pierce partially into the man’s body, though it was little more than a flesh wound with how shallow it sunk.

Thanos recovered with enough speed to attempt an attack back at Loki, but the Asgardian King used his foe as a kickboard to move away. This shift in movement made Thanos only connect his fist with Loki’s left leg, causing a compound fracture in the limb and breaking the light armor Loki was wearing there.

Loki’s momentum away caused him to fall outside of the gravity warped zone, and so he fell rapidly towards the ground despite his sudden ailment. By throwing his weight in one direction he managed to position himself in his fall to land on his hands, with the glaives in each of them serving as small buffers of sorts.

As Loki found a way to fall with a style required to not incur further damage to himself, Kael began preparing another fire attack. The previous one had scorched the man’s dark armor, and while Kael was sure that a follow up strike would yield likely the same results, he had little else in the way of damaging the man while he was stalled airborne, “Thanos, do you really think that this all will earn the favor of that twisted psychopath you have so long poured your pathetic heart to?”

It was then that Thanos reached the top of the invisible zone of reverse gravity that Kael created, causing the monster of a man to alternate between going up and down as he was pushed in opposing directions. The moments of being in regular gravity allowed him to begin truly righting himself, though it was not an instant process. He would have laughed as the fire blazed across his armor without any real effect if not for the insult levied at both him and Hela.

Given how both the Hulk and Thor had been taken out of action again, Kael began to channel more energy into them to renew their fighting capabilities, though his mouth continued to spew hatred for his former warden, “A cruel being will twist the heart so long as they please, and should they be insane this fact is compiled! You’re nothing to Hela, and you never will be anything to that monster!”

It was then that Thanos managed to remove himself from the reverse-gravity zone, and he was none to pleased at what he was hearing as he moved to plummet right at Kael, “You dare speak against my lady?”

As Thanos slammed into the ground, Loki felt his leg’s ailment heal as he felt more power pour into him. It seemed that the Gem that Kael held was capable of effecting issues pertaining to life or souls, or so Loki assumed, yet did not grant the massive power of one such as the Aether which seemed solely capable of empowering someone’s physical capabilities to their very limit.

Loki brought himself to his feet and spun around quickly to prepare himself to a similar move to what Thanos did earlier. The tyrant had landed on top of Kael and stomped down on him brutally, though this left him open to a frontal assault since the Elf was not in the way.

Angered by Kael’s insult towards “Lady Death”, Thanos had taken to stomping on his chest and neck brutally to pay his words back and keep him from saying anything else. This of course meant he had a slight lapse in attention, allowing for one of Loki’s glaives to bury itself in his gut as it launched forward with enough power and speed to then allow the magically empowered weapon to accomplish more than it had previously.

As the seemingly indifferent Thanos grabbed and yanked the blade from his stomach, he was once again assaulted by a blast of fire though this time it was to his exposed face. The scorching attack caused him momentary discomfort as the fire razed across his eyes and entered the open places on his head such as his mouth. This distraction then allowed for both Thor and Hulk to assault him again, even managing to grapple him off of the magician who revived them.

Still on the ground, Kael managed to rise to his knees as he wiped blood away from his face. He wasn’t done angering Thanos yet, fully hoping to send the man into a rampage since it would rob him of his intelligence, “She is not some being worthy of your love or your respect!”

Thor brought his hammer across the part in Thanos’s armor that had been broken the most, and it removed even more as the villain moved to steady himself. The rapid assault was not long-lasting, and before he could do a follow up strike he was swatted away and actually sent careening into the stadium.

As Thanos uppercutted the Hulk in the stomach and his fist burst through the giant’s other side, Kael began to prepare another spell, “I should know, having been tormented with my failures and my life’s tragedies in that grim world of hers for longer than I can even imagine! I do not care who she is, I do not care whose family she belongs to, but that sadistic woman deserves nothing but pain and misery!”

Loki paused as he heard the Elf’s words. They had merit to them given the sadism Hela regularly demonstrated, but to hear someone so vehemently abhor her right by him made him uncomfortable. He intended to make sure his own daughter, not this alternate one, would end up differently, so a part of him wanted to set that record straight after the conflict.

Kael’s attempt to anger Thanos further succeeded and Thanos quickly set about grabbing him with both hands to then crush him with. Loki used this time to grab his tossed blade and also to begin cutting Thanos from behind, his mind wondering if he would be able to use his secret weapon. If it worked, the fight would be over, but if it missed he could possibly lose them the encounter.

With unnatural speed Thanos began to evade Loki’s strikes without even facing his direction, apparently no longer seeking to lower himself to their level and instead going all out.

Despite the immense pressure put on him, Kael managed to choke out, “Every minute of every day I have to suffer away from my world, my people…”

In an attempt to shut up the vocal enemy, Thanos unhanded him and very quickly punched forward with enough strength to level a mountain range. The impact struck Kael right in the stomach, though instead of being utterly leveled by the strike and disintegrated the Elf just stumbled backwards. The durability of his foe struck Thanos as odd, and even though Kael was wearing armor alongside his mantle that should not have spared him. There was a reason the strike was partially nullified, but Thanos would never learn of it.

Still standing, Kael brought a hand forward to unleash a torrent of flame to strike Thanos all the while yelling, “The pain of not being there is far greater than anything you can muster, beast! They were at the brink of annihilation the last I saw of them, and now I have the opportunity to rejoin them. I will not let you stand in the way of my return, and I will not let you damn my people through your arrogance!”

This time Thanos managed to shield his face before the flames engulfed him, though a follow up attack from Loki caught him off-guard. A thick icicle erupted from the ground and impaled Thanos’s back where some of his armor was chipped.

Enraged by the constant damage he was incurring, which while overall meaningless given his bodies regeneration brought about by his sheer power, Thanos decided he was finished with fooling around in any capacity. He had already stepped his game up only to be countered by the Infinity Gem Kael held, and so it was time to take things even further.

Calming himself, Thanos emitted a shockwave of energy that knocked everyone else off their feet and broke the bones of all of them, the only thing keeping them alive being the constant healing factor of their Infinity Gem, “I am done with this. Where is your animal of a mistress, Elf? Where is the other Infinity Gem?”

This time even the stalwart Kael struggled to get up, the Elf instead weakly preparing to fire another attack as well as heal the others.

“By fire…be purged...”

Once again Thanos brought a foot down on top of him, this time crushing the hand that had been preparing the fire spell, “Do you think yourself capable of truly harming me? While I admit your attempts are more than just feeble, they are still second-rate,” he let a confident grin grow on his face as he let out another shockwave of power, this time in all directions which had the effect of repelling a previously invisible Loki from attacking from above as well as pushing back Thor’s hammer as it lurched forward through the air to strike Thanos, “After all, what are these warriors but gnats to me?”

“You were not here when the announcement was made, but there is a project that is just about at the point of completion in Asgard…” Kael, instead of giving up Trixie’s location, coughed up blood and smirked as Thanos continued to push him deeper and deeper into the ground with both his weight and his overflowing power, “In fact, it actually is finished, except that a certain someone ordered the workers to not report that fact and instead say the contrary…”

Loki recovered from being knocked back just in time to hear that last line, and while normally he would be infuriated about being lied to despite his own propensity for doing so himself, he found himself actually glad this one time.

“Heimdall!” Kael coughed out as loudly as he could, screaming to the sky as if the man would hear him.

Of course, Heimdall being the guardian of the Bifrost and having near omniscient sight and hearing, he did.

When the Bifrost would impact something normally it would cause actual damage, which was how Loki managed to use its power to begin carving up Jotunheim long ago. This time, however, the beam was far larger than he ever remembered the Bifrost to be…and he realized that this, of course, was because the Sunwell Kael had assisted in constructing was tied directly to the Bifrost’s power to increase its capabilities.

Kael had just called down an empowered strike capable of destroying a planet on himself, only to have Thanos in-between him and it for the most part.

The blinding golden light of the Sun-Bifrost made Thanos howl in true pain for the first time that day, for its power was far greater than anything he had been hit with thus far. He hurried outside of its range to avoid the scorching power of the mechanical contraption on an entirely different planet far away.

Instead of being flattened by the immense power being bombarded down into the ground like Thanos nearly was, Kael laughed as he let the energies of the Sunwell wash over him. As someone hailing from a race that had used such a fountain of power for thousands of years, he was capable of absorbing its energies instead of being harmed by them.

As Thanos managed to finally stumble out of the area of effect and free himself from the incredible pain of the weapon, Kael began to rise to his feet as he felt his body fill with power. Once power began to literally spark off of him he removed himself from the beam as well, not wanting to overdose on it, and it simultaneously ended its stream just as he did so, “The Sunwell is a fountain of arcane power, enough even to empower a species of mortals and grant them magic beyond your comprehension!” taking one shimmering hand, Kael pointed it at his foe and let out an extended laugh befitting of a nobleman, “I had hoped to not have to use it so soon, but this is the ace up my sleeve that will allow us to defeat you! Pray to your goddess of death, for you will be spending the rest of eternity with her!”

A beam of pure magic surged forward and collided with Thanos’s face, shattering part of his cheek and searing the visible, purple flesh. While this would be debilitating to most, possibly even lethal given how some of his face was melted away, it only received a small chuckle from Thanos.

“Impressive…” he turned to fully face Kael, a smug expression on his face as he began to realize that perhaps this would be a worthy challenge after all, “That…actually, truly hurt me. I am not used to the sensation, at least not anymore…”

Still the more powerful of the two, albeit by a smaller margin now that Kael was empowered even further, Thanos prepared himself to attack Kael once again. He had to admit that the persistence of this group was both amusing and irritating. Why could they just not accept death? Did they really cling to life with such strength and ardor that they would resist what should be killing blows? And for what other than to oppose him and prevent him from attaining his goals he had worked so long to achieve?

“All of this struggle to keep my hands tied until your animal is ready for me,” Thanos shook his head as he began to call forth a good portion of his power, though making sure not to overdo it so as to not destroy everything and possibly erase both of the two Infinity Gems he did not have in his possession from existence, “How pathetic. I am sorry, because you seem to be quite the worthy challenge, but I state once again that it is time to end all of this.”

This time the sphere of energy originating from Thanos was even more powerful, and with its strength it managed to even ravage and begin disintegrating Kael as he stood his ground in its wake. Loki and the others had not the strength to weather the strike and were pushed back constantly as it advanced outwards, and in doing so they were spared of much of its power while also being defeated once again.

With the power of his own Infinity Gem, Kael stood still after the attack ended, though now blood was dripping from every part of his body as deep gashes marred his skin. His arms stood as guards in front of the rest of his face, and so they were wounded the greatest out of any part. His armor on his arms was completely missing, and his mantle that partially covered his front was also ruined.

The Elven Prince coughed up some blood before falling to one knee, only to quickly force himself back upright. Turning his gaze to the others, who lay crumpled on the ground like ragdolls, Kael growled as he realized he was alone.

“Get up and fight!”

Loki was the only one to manage to pull himself together and rise to the command, though he did so because of his own will and not because of the order. The King of Asgard did not want to die facedown in the dirt, and he would not allow himself to be unready when the moment came to end Thanos’s life.

Seeing both Thor and the Hulk remain motionless, Kael reached out towards them and cursed them out as he began to rise them from the dead once more, “Damn you, I said stand up!”

This time the two Avengers rose up and prepared themselves for battle once again, now even stronger because the energy they were being fed was much greater. However, not about to stop there, Kael began channeling more magic to help their chances even more.

“Servants, minions of the undead, obey my call!”

The ground beneath the plains began to rumble, and soon enough bones began to break through the earth. The golden blasts from the sky returned as Heimdall now began to use the golden bridge between world to actively attack the enemy, and given that Thanos was occupied by avoiding the constant strikes of the Bifrost he could not stop Kael. Despite this, he found himself irritated by the prospect of having to fight even more foes.

Just as Thanos dreaded, bony creatures emerged from the ground of varying shapes and sizes. Some were mere skeletons of equines, others held the shapes of wolves, but even more frighteningly there were some that belonged to beings such as Ursas which were risen from the grave to fight.

Kael prepared to send them after his foe as a diversionary tactic of sorts, but a booming voice interrupted them.

“You, the one dancing with the golden flame, you must be the one who has summoned those frail, metal skeletons in the arena, as well as those flying beings in the sky,” the newly arrived Tirek laughed as he crushed one of Thanos’s soldiers in his palm before tossing it aside lifelessly, “Now joined by regular skeletons I see. Most impressive.”

Thanos was capable of moving far faster than the beam of energy could, granting him the occasional moment to retort and sneer at the newly arrived giant minotaur being, “And you are?”

“Lord Tirek, he who shall conquer all of Equestria and the known world,” Tirek announced as he finished exiting the broken coliseum he was now almost as tall as. Behind him lay a destroyed army of Thanos’s soldiers, as well as a now completely ruined stadium that had a one of the giant floating creatures that arrived with Thanos crashed down in the center.

Indifferent about the deaths of his forces, since he had many more in the orbit above them, Thanos continued to sneer at the relatively small time villain who now stood before him, “What small goals.”

Given the shift of attention from them to the newly arrived villain, Kael stopped his would be assault on Thanos in order to let the two duke it out. Even if it only stalled Thanos a moment, it would be worth it to not have their own skin in the game.

“I have waited a thousand years for my freedom. I am not going to let some upstart with such a pathetic army get in my way,” Tirek boasted right as a glowing orb of energy formed between his horns.

Thanos laughed as avoided the blast from his new challenger while also avoiding the Bifrost’s relatively slow assault given his near impossible speed, “You truly believe yourself capable of confronting me?”

Tirek scowled, actually having considered the idea before entering this battle, “I can feel your power, so if I don’t defeat you now I believe I will end up ceding everything to you, and that would be unforgivable,” he paused as he prepared another attack, a smirk forming on his face as he realized Thanos was actively trying to not remain in one area too long given the large diameter of the beam coming down. If he were to pause even for a moment to enter melee combat or to charge an attack of his own he would be assaulted by the powerful beam, “Besides, I have a feeling the one who is behind all of this madness would like to see us come to blows. There is someone who brought us all here on this day, and I must say they have given me quite the opportunity to expand my power. For that reason alone I will play to their fiddle.”

Thanos had to agree, though he wasn’t all too pleased with how he was being forced to run from something he couldn’t fight back against, or at least had not found a way to battle yet, “It does seem like someone wanted this all to happen, though I must say I don’t care. Since no-one can challenge me, why should I care what they intend?”

Canterlot was not the raging battlefield it once was given that Luna had viciously, yet carefully, beaten down every single one of the crowd spurred to action by the influence of the Sirens. Those who were still conscious seemed to be less enthralled, which made Luna think that perhaps the Sirens had been taken care of, but a part of her still remained worried. What if this was only the beginning of a greater plan? What if someone was using them as tools for a greater plan, like when Loki manipulated the Changelings?

Luna had some of her fear creep up further when she went to check on the newborn foals only to find the door open. She had told Scootaloo to keep it locked, and Scootaloo wouldn’t go against her command…

“Scootaloo?” Luna called out as she quickly teleported into the room, not wishing to waste another second. She could check on Loki and Trixie later, but for now her flesh and blood foals were possibly in immense danger.

Luna looked around briefly inside the dark room before finding a wounded, bleeding Scootaloo by her hooves. The filly was barely conscious and brought a hoof out to touch Luna, at which point Luna looked forward to see that there was a familiar orange guard on ground by the door. He was even more beaten and bloodied than Scootaloo, and he seemed to be suffering from various bite marks. He seemed to still be awake, yet still entranced like some of the other victims, but given his condition Luna paid him no mind. He must have come to harm the foals, only for Scootaloo to fight him off.

“P…princess Luna…”

Luna smiled down at Scootaloo, who she was very grateful for right then for saving the lives of the twins. She began to cast her healing magic on the wounded filly while speaking in a comforting voice, “Shhh, just rest.”

Scootaloo tried to shake her head no as she finally lost consciousness, “Behi…”

That small utterance made Luna realize she had not yet actually checked the foals condition, and when she spun around she found herself looking at a man with an odd silver, skeleton-like cage over some of his face. His upper face was shrouded by his hood, and his body was similarly shrouded…except for his ghoulish hand which held Hela by the neck and back. Hela was in her Asgardian form at the moment and was struggling as he moved to hold her with one arm while bringing a blade to hover by her body with his free hand.

The man smirked underneath his open mask in a wicked way, as if he was truly amused by this situation, “When Thanos sent me here to take care of the infants, I did not expect to encounter their animal of a mother as well.”

Luna remembered hearing about this man who served as the agent of Thanos, though she could not recall if she had encountered him before. He was the one who had bullied and threatened Loki into first betraying her, and now here he stood threatening their children, “You.”

The man moved to be behind Sleep Near’s bed as well, not for a moment underestimating the capabilities of the newly arrived Alicorn. He had to hold these two hostage until he could find an opportunity to escape with them, at which point he could kill them at his leisure, “I am known as The Other. Aide of the man who shall soon transcend this world and become a true, living god. Not the mere imitations that you and your husband are, but a truly powerful force.”

He tapped the knife down on Hela, “My duty here is to butcher these infants, and it seems that I can do so right now…” he shook his head as he spoke with a cold smugness, Luna not moving as her eyes coldly looked on at him, “But I am afraid I will instead use them as hostages. You wouldn’t dare harm me with them in the way, would you?”

Given that Luna did not move at all still, The Other took this as a sign that his plan to hold the infants hostage would work after all. In that moment he allowed himself to consider her nothing more than a distressed mother.

“Such weakness. I will enjoy seeing you crushed beneath my lord’s heel, after he finishes that mongrel with the Aether and your depraved husband.”

Sleep Near began crying in his crib as if to do so for his mute sister, distracting The Other’s attention just for the brief moment it took for Luna to both uncloak beside him and to force his knife up into his through with telekinesis. This done, Luna rammed her horn through his chest and used her telekinesis to lift Hela up and out of the way.

The Other was dead before he even realized what happened, though Luna felt obligated to taunt the dead man anyways, “I am sorry, but you’ve been watching nothing but a mirage,” she sneered as she removed her horn from his chest, the alien being falling over in a bloody mess as she finished, “And anyone who dares harm someone in my family, be it physical or mental, has signed a death warrant. Your mistake was not finishing the job sooner.”

Having dealt with the threat and believing there to be no further threat because of how the smug man made no reference to any allies, which would most certainly come in handy when in a standoff with her, Luna began to tend to the foals. Hela seemed to not be disturbed at all, though she clung tightly to Luna’s fur when Luna brought her over. Sleep Near was still crying as Luna brought him to her as well, her coldness melting away as she embraced them gently.

“Hey now, it’s okay. The bad man is gone,” Luna kissed them both lovingly before slowly putting them back in their beds, her brain finally processing what The Other said about Thanos, “Mommy will be back for you later, but now she needs to stop some evil people from hurting your father and sister.”

Having been healed of her wounds somewhat, Scootaloo managed to get up and limp towards them. She smiled at Luna before saluting the princess much like Rainbow Dash might have in her place, “I’ll look after them.”

Luna approached the filly and placed a hoof on her orange shoulder, not even knowing how to begin to explain how grateful she was that someone had been there to protect the twins, “Thank you Scootaloo. You have done my family a great favor today, and I will forever be indebted to you.”

With that, Luna prepared for what she hoped would be the final fight of her life…in the good way.

Left to look at the destruction of the coliseum she had built, Trixie found her eyes tearing up at the sight of some bodies of citizens who had not been able to escape. This perfect storm she had brewed had turned out not so perfect, and they had paid the price just because the timing had been slightly off from what she had hoped.

“I…what have I done?” she whispered to herself as she clenched Kael’s real cloak to herself, her eyes continuing to tear as her mind mewled over the sight before her and all of its implications.

She shook her head at the realization that she caused this, even if her part had only been to arrange for the different entities to come to this place like a master marionette might be able to. They would have all come to usurp power at some point, but she held the guilt of assuring they did so all at once, even if it was for the best of everyone involved since it squandered the villains powers against one another.

Still, there were dead people, and that guilt lay on her shoulders, “If I can’t pull this together, I’ll have ruined everything…” should Thanos succeed, there would be nothing left to even show that she had failed. Everything and everyone would be dead, “Everyone will…they’ll all…”

“I can’t go back…I don’t want to go back…”

Trixie stomped her hoof down in both parts anger and sorrow as her teeth clenched, “I did not intend for things to get this far off the rails, not that they will care,” she waved the hoof out at the mostly empty crowd before bringing it to point at herself, “And it’s not as if they ever understood to begin with, especially not that all I ever wanted was to give them the show of a lifetime, one which would ensure they all had lives to live…”

It took that long for Trixie to realize she was in her true form, at which point she wiped away her tears and reverted herself to the Elven body so she could better limit her power, “But of course nothing ever turns out like I want it to…”

Still…the Sirens were finished…and the sounds of a battle outside made Trixie think that Tirek and Thanos were finally going head to head. Things were still going in the direction she wanted…she simply needed to steer it all back on course.

“No, no, no…” Trixie threw her head back and let out a laugh as she realized she had still managed to manipulate things to such a degree that even when things went wrong she was still controlling the outcomes, “Well, what the Hel! I have done my very best in planning things, I’ve done my best to prepare,” she tossed a hand out and allowed power to surge through it to the point she nearly tore the fabric of reality like Discord was capable of, “With all of the power I have now, I can even reach beyond what any mortal ought to! And when this is over, they’ll all have stories to tell of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s most magnificent show ever performed!”

Her chest was warm, her ego was swelling…Trixie found herself laughing even more as she realized what this was.

“This feeling…” she stifled her laughter to instead shout in a commanding voice, “No more sniveling, no more whining! For the first time in years I actually feel true power and confidence, like I truly am the Great and Powerful Trixie…”

She paused as she stood up, the mantle still wrapped around her as she began to look down at her hands with conviction.

Trixie clenched them and looked up with true confidence, no longer feeling at all conflicted or scared about everything going on both external and internal, “That’s right, I AM the Great and Powerful Trixie! And nobody is going to stop me now! Not everything, not after all the pain and suffering I have endured!”

She threw her hand out to the side and summoned to herself the purple hat she was so accustomed to wearing, not bothering to also replace the red cloak with her purple one, “And if this is going to be my best show yet, I’m already wondering what my next will be like! Forever etched in history will be the magnificence demonstrated by none other than I these coming days! They’ll forever know just who it was who saved them all, they’ll know how wrong they were all this time to doubt and ridicule me!”

The distant sounds of explosions made Trixie snap back to the task at hand, and she turned her gaze towards the direction Thanos and Tirek were throwing down and battling, “Now I just need to see about making everything get back on the plan I have set for us all.”

Trixie did not know it then, but she was being watched, and so she would have no way of knowing that by being watched further tragedy would be brought about.

As Trixie emerged to join the others on the battlefield, she surprisingly found herself greeted by Tirek who was not in direct combat with Thanos at the specific moment.

Tirek, missing an arm and with a broken horn, smiled coldly at Trixie as she approached them all, “I must say, you have arranged quite the spectacular show here.”

Seeing that he was weakened, Trixie decided to look for the other threat, only to see to her own amusement that he was being bombarded by the power of the Bifrost trap she and Kael had arranged for. Still, she was surprised Tirek had managed to piece together her involvement in it all, but it wouldn’t help him in the end. If anything, it signed his death warrant.

Trixie slowly clapped as she walked over to him, “Very well done. Yes, I arranged this all, and I would love to discuss with you the many details of my master plan,” she rose a hand up to face him, a smirk then gracing her lips, “but I don’t have time to be talking to dead people.”

A second beam of power similar to the Bifrost came down and struck Trixie, though similarly to Kael it only served to empower her rather than cause extreme pain like it did even Thanos. Now empowered, Trixie fired a beam through the wounded Tirek’s skull, killing the villain instantly and ending the threat he posed. This done, she turned and began to approach her allies, who had taken to grouping up during the Thanos vs. Tirek battle Trixie just ended decisively.

Kael was the only one to speak when she approached, given that Thor and the Hulk were too battered by battle to formulate conversation and that Loki was stunned by the brutal killing of Tirek to form words, not that he disapproved.

“Trixie…”

Trixie placed a hand on his shoulder as she stood above the kneeling Elf, her face warm as she spoke despite the deed she just did, “Even though the words were your own, I must say I am of the same mind. However, you will do as I say now, Kael,” she then grew concern in her voice as she brought her hand to his face, “And that begins with not worrying me so greatly. Understood?”

Kael nodded absently, giving Trixie the permission she needed to move on to the next person she cared to speak to. Loki tried to stand up as she approached him, his mind questioning the second Bifrost-like beam as well as how he could best coordinate an attack now that they had most of their fighting strength present.

“Father, I believe I owe you just as much thanks for keeping this madman occupied here while I gathered myself. For that I will be forever grateful,” Trixie bowed before him in an overly polite and dramatic manner, almost making Loki scoff by her formalities alone.

“You can repay me by getting us out of this alive,” he joked back to her, though he did not expect her follow up.

“Oh, don’t worry, this battle is already decided.”

It may have been a boast, but in many ways she was correct: the victor had been decided from the start, and all it took was the cooling of her nerves and insecurities to ensure that initial outcome.

Even though not even an hour had passed by, not even half an hour since Thanos arrived, it was all too late.

Author's Note

My side story to this fic, "Nothing Lasts Forever", is finally updated and has a new chapter for you all! Please give it a look, and I hope you enjoy and that I can hear your thoughts on it after you leave your comments below!

I hope you all enjoyed, and I would love to hear from you all in the comments again this time! Thanks for your support!

I've Let Myself Become You, I've Let Myself Become Lost Inside These Thoughts Of You, Giving Up a Part Of Me, I've Let Myself Become You

A/N: Special thanks to Amethyst Blade, SilentMech, Sidetrack, Ally of the Daleks, Deimon, Ketvirtas, Ozymandias, kojivsleo, and hs0003 for your comments last chapter, for your support is very much welcomed and I want you to know just how much it is appreciated! We are approaching the finale soon, and I honestly can't wait for it, so I hope you guys enjoy and will continue to let me hear from you as we head on our way to that point (chapter 80)!

Chapter title from Linkin Park's "Figure.09", and I hope everyone takes good note of all these songs and the chapter titles! It's how I hint stuff without coming out and saying things exactly, because I listen to certain songs when I mean certain things. I get something I want to write, plan it out, and then listen to a fitting song during it!

Let's play, who can spot the foreshadowing! Next chapter's gonna be a doosie, I can assure everyone of that! :rainbowlaugh:

I hope you enjoy, and I hope to hear from you all in the comments below!

Luna was not the only one who would encounter the chaos in Canterlot that day, and it was a duo of mothers who would soon cross her path that were forced to wade through it. Maiev stumbled as a pony rushed past her away from the conflict, their body bleeding from a gaping wound that looked to be caused by some kind of impalement while their yellow fur appeared singed by something else, likely a magical blast. In anger she kicked the noblewoman who had just partially collided with her in the leg, snapping one of their legs, which appeared to be pre-injured given how brittle it was.

The woman snarled at the sight of the fleeing pony, having just seen them get up from a pile of ponies who were assaulting the castle. As a servant, albeit an estranged one, of Loki and his family, she would not allow these equines to put up such an insurrection, “Who are these equines, and why are they rebelling?”

Her companion, a blue Unicorn mare, coughed up some blood as she fought to stay in step with the Night Elf, “Given their mindlessness, I would assume mind control…”

As she moved towards the castle bit by bit, Miaev continued to fight the pain in her body from the utter thrashing she received from Thanos while spying on him, “I…”

She fought the urge to throw up the hospital food she had taken to eating upon awakening a couple days prior, only to have small bouts of consciousness since. She forced the doctors to release her with brute force, only to have the other patient in the room request to come with her.

The mare, Trixie’s mother, coughed and wheezed for a moment before questioning how Maiev was slumping over in pain. She winced as she kept walking, her own body in extreme pain because of the months and months she had spent limp and idle in bed as she suffered the same comatose fate her daughter had previously.

“Are you sure you desire to come?”

Maiev scoffed at the question, seeing it as an affront to her strong nature, “Of course, equine. Are you revealing your own doubts and weakness?”

She did not know it, but Lulamoon spoke words that would have made her daughter proud then as she retorted, “Anything you can do, I can do better, even if I can barely stand.”

The castle’s front gates were woefully underguarded, and so each of them managed to stumble right in. They had decided upon leaving the hospital to see what was going on that was causing such racket that it had awoken them both, as well as caused an influx of patients to the hospital. It didn’t take long to find out the source of the madness, Canterlot Castle, but by the time the two injured women arrived the conflict seemed to be over from outside the structure.

Still, things could be going on inside despite the seemingly diffused situation outside, so the two didn’t give up on going. One was worried that perhaps their daughter had come to harm, while the other was seeing it as an opportunity to gain favor with her current employer which would help her own familial situation, “Perhaps…”

Maiev coughed up more blood than she had in days, her lungs tightening and making it difficult to breathe. If not for how her body had been healed after returning, Maiev would have died from her wounds. Nearly all of her bones were broken or twisted when Thanos caught the spy, the man capable of seemingly seeing that which was invisible.

Ignoring the blood dribbling down the front of her silver and green armor she retrieved from the hospital storage, Maiev continued to sputter as she talked to this relative stranger, “Perhaps if I prove myself, they will find a way for me to speak with my son…”

“You have a son?” Trixie’s mother asked, now finding that she had some common ground with this woman. They each seemingly had some form of estranged offspring from the sound of things…

The hardened warden kept her voice level as she recalled the necessary memories, her mind so distracted by these that she did not even notice as they entered the main hall of the castle without anyone stopping them. It seemed like just anyone could walk in at this point, given that the guards were all distracted or wounded.

“He died before being born because of dark magic…” Maiev clenched a fist to try and distract herself from the pain in her body, given that not having received nearly as much healing as Lulamoon had given that she was just a pawn to the others. They didn’t care much that she was harmed, and while this was callous she could not blame them. Loki had a poor opinion of her from their time in Hel, and he was using her as a tool. As a tool she had been broken, and he didn’t need her as a result. It was the way things worked, “Now I learn he lives on, though I do not have a way of finding him…”

Lulamoon closed her eyes as she thought about the last time she spoke with Trixie. Of how Trixie had shouted at her for being so terrible…had finally let out her emotions after a lifetime of having suffered because of Lulamoon’s actions.

“My own daughter won’t even talk to me…” she hung her head as her self-pity began to disappear, with self-loathing replacing it, “Then again, I don’t suppose I deserve any affection from her. Any I did deserve I lost the right for by everything I put her through.”

Maiev paused, beginning to sense the same kindred feeling as Lulamoon was. Neither of them were mother material it appeared, yet each of them had a child. How twisted was the world that some who desired children were deprived of them, while others unfit or unwilling to have them were given them?

Curious, and secretly hoping to possibly gleam some motherly intuition and feelings she could use for her own interaction with her son, Maiev pressed on, “And now?”

That…that wasn’t very complicated for Lulamoon, but it wasn’t easy to think things through. Every detail hurt to process and realize, since it all pointed back to her own mistakes and the pain she brought to Trixie. She was worried…first for Trixie’s health, and next for how Trixie would react to seeing her again.

“I’d like to make things right between us, and so I am worried for her given all the chaos. I may hate her father, but I love her.”

That was something Maiev knew well. There was no-one she hated more than Illidan, but that did not change who happened to be the other half of the equation concerning her child, “My son’s father is a man who I loathe beyond reason, though I realize that perhaps some of that hatred is unearned. He never intended for us to have a child, nor did he intend to spend ten thousand years locked away with me as his warden,” Maiev remembered how bitter she had felt at how, even when with her, Illidan had thought of another. Forever tormented to love the woman who had wed his brother, he was forced to endure a feeling of love and resentment not unlike her own, only his was split between two people instead of one, “His heart belonged to another, and it was only through emotional manipulation that our tryst managed to come about. I regret it, but with that much isolation…”

Lulamoon picked up when Maiev trailed off, not wanting this conversation to come to a halt. It felt…good to let out some of this, since it was something neither of them really would talk about with others. Lulamoon had no-one else, while Maiev had lost every one of her own friends on her path for vengeance either through death or through losing their trust and friendship.

“My daughter comes from a man who took advantage of me years back. I’m barely older than her. I wasn’t ready to be a mother, and now that I’m dying I suppose I never really will be…” she was unaware that Trixie had healed her of her diseases, which would become important later, though that is merely speculation on the part of many historians and those who were there at the time about her coming actions. She let out a sigh before shaking her head, her mind suddenly going to a dark place as it thought about the cause of her own misery (other than herself), “I killed him for what he did years later though. I don’t think what I did was right, since he honestly deserved to rot in prison for eternity, but I would do it again…”

The further similarity between the two made Maiev smile sadly, “I killed Illidan, my son’s father…” she did not want to add that after killing him she had chased him into death itself, only to find herself unable to continue exacting her vengeance in that world. It gave nothing to her, no real release from the pain, just as Illidan had so wisely warned her, not that she’d ever admit it to him, “The revenge did nothing for me. Not even the knowledge that he is suffering for eternity in a hellish realm does anything to soothe my mind. I just feel empty now, which is why I…”

Maiev stopped as the two finally found someone to help explain what was going on inside the castle, though that person was someone who was not exactly about to help them.

Standing before them, blood spattered on her blue fur coat, was Princess Luna. She had just left a room and appeared about to do some magic of some kind from the glimmer of her horn. She stopped that though as soon as she saw the two, though in reality her mind was just honed in on one of them.

“You,” Luna snarled at Lulamoon, who instantly took a half step back in fear before she managed to steel herself. She wasn’t as worried so much that she would be harmed so much as she was worried she would be killed before she could apologize to Trixie for everything. Trixie deserved that much, even if they never spoke again after that point.

“I came because of the riot…” Lulamoon tried to explain, only for Luna to growl and menacingly approach her, seemingly ready to chase the other blue mare out of the castle from sheer anger at her past crimes.

Before Luna could do anything else, Lulamoon spoke up again with urgency, “Wait, please, I came for Trixie…is she okay?”

That stopped Luna in her tracks as her brain went back to the crisis at hand, a crisis that ought not to involve any unnecessary baggage, “No. She is in danger, danger I will now save her from.”

Maiev bowed before Luna, her own stomach clenching and feeling as if it had been struck with a searing blade. This was an opportunity to make up for her failure and perhaps convince Loki to aid her more urgently in finding her son, “Take us with you. We can lend you our aid.”

Luna cast doubt on the prospect of the hobbling duo being able to contribute anything, though she did acknowledge that Maiev was a warrior and that Trixie’s mother had at least killed someone before. Still, both of the two appeared about to fall down in miserable piles of pain, “You can barely walk.”

“I have died before. This is nothing,” Maiev responded without a beat, determined to salvage the only glimmer of hope she had in her life. Her friends and family she had left behind despised her, but a son she had secretly wept for for years…

Both Lulamoon, who stood stiffly with determination in her eyes, and Maiev appeared serious, so Luna thought again about the issue. She personally would not cry if either of them perished, and perhaps seeing Lulamoon come to harm would drive Trixie to a feat of strength as great as her encounter with the Ursas.

Besides, in the best case scenario, Luna could show off what it meant to protect and be there for your children to this poor excuse for a mother. She could demonstrate why she was what Trixie needed, that Trixie’s real mother was nothing and worthless.

With these thoughts in mind, Luna decided to bring them along when she left the castle through teleportation. It did not, however, make her glare at Lulamoon any nicer, “Do not think that this means I forgive you for anything, but I will not deprive you of the chance to see me do your job for you.”

Thanos let out a bellowing laugh as he watched Tirek fall dead, the minor rival for power dispatched so easily with a powerful beam of magic. It seems the man was unable to absorb energy when it was assaulting him, or else it would have just empowered him instead. Trixie had already known this, having studied her foes as much as possible before establishing and developing her plan, and so she ignored Tirek’s now corpse as it fell.

“Oh, the little mare wants to play now. How amusing,” Thanos taunted despite the pain he felt from being struck by two Sunwell empowered Bifrosts moments before.

He had thought about drawing closer to his foes and thus making the pillars of light crushing down on him stop because they would harm allies, but this thought vanished when he also realized that Kael had managed to absorb its powers for himself when he was struck by it. He had an affinity for it, and he did not want to find out whether any of his other foes had the same trait lest they be empowered by it and placed in a better position to fight him. The fact they were not shooting themselves more with the beams would hint at the others not sharing the immunity to their damage, but given that the beams were seemingly more focused on harming him than empowering his foes it could just be that they just hadn’t had a chance to yet.

Trixie sighed as she prepared herself for a deep breath. This was it. Now it was time to make all the pieces fall together, “I’m a lot bigger than you think.”

Thanos gestured towards Kael, who had since sent his army of undead at Thanos to stall him further, “Oh, you mean that soft, Elvish form you have? I repeat, how amusing.”

“Not exactly…” Trixie closed her eyes as she felt power welling up inside of her. It was time to call on her full strength, to use her full potential. She had hit the limit she could sustain on her own, and while she could definitely go higher it would have its…drawbacks.

Trixie, upon feeling the power reach its apex, called upon nearly all of it as she cast a spell she was grateful to have learned just for this specific occasion, “Everyone, stand back and focus on the members of his army. I will handle him alone.”

With that, Thanos found himself no longer on a grassy field but rather on a blank, nondescript floor. Around him was seemingly an infinite amount of nothingness, with only a distinct lack of color or detail anywhere in sight…

Except for the others present, of course. Trixie finished channeling the spell and proceeded to borrow Kael’s gathered power to fill up her own, their bond allowing the transfer to process easily and quickly. This act made him fall down in exhaustion, though it did not stop the skeletal ghouls also summoned to this new place to stop their charge at Thanos.

“This…” Thanos used a quick burst of powerful energy to incinerate the bones sent to assault him, the man not willing to spend the effort and energy required to fight them in any other manner. After all, they were nothing to him, but even nothing could leave an annoying scratch or two, as demonstrated by Loki previously, “Now this is different.”

Trixie smirked at him as she finished gathering herself, one of her hooves gesturing out to the area around her and all of its nothingness, “So long as you are in this place, you cannot harm anyone else. I was hoping to isolate you in this manner, and I am pleased to have you in my grasp once and for all. You have something I want.”

The Infinity Gauntlet…if Trixie could liberate it from Thanos, could somehow take it from him, then this conflict was over. But he still was far more powerful than her, and she had multiple other steps in her still on-track plan to complete.

Thanos could tell what Trixie desired, and now that he was alone with both Trixie and Kael he was feeling far more relaxed. No more interruptions. No more beams of burning light crashing down on him. This place was wholly preferable in his perspective, and he could not understand why Trixie would be so foolish to trap him in a more preferable location.

This, of course, made him wary, though Thanos could not think of a way of returning to his previous location without forcing Trixie to take him back there or by taking the Infinity Gems from her and the Elf and then recreating reality as he saw fit with the power they would lend him.

With his knowledge of Trixie’s desire, Thanos held up his jeweled gauntlet with his smugness returning to his face, “You mean this?” he lowered it as Trixie snarled at him, “Oh, I don’t believe it and I will be parting ways anytime soon. It is the reason I can harness such great power after all, power that will soon include that which you and your Elvish toy currently possess.”

He paused before realizing the oddness of Trixie’s statement that he would be unable to harm anyone else…even though she brought someone with her.

“Speaking of whom, why is he here?”

Trixie moved her hoof to point at Kael and then herself, her eyes never leaving Thanos as she shot him a cold look, “He and I are one and the same. Our fates are currently intertwined, and he would not mind if he participates in this. After all, should we win he can finally be reunited with his face after so many years.”

Her words rung hollow to Thanos, who saw through her lies with his stellar perception, “You use others just like tools. Puppets in your game of life. How can you confront me when you are no better than I am in mind or morality?”

His declaration that they were similar in some way made Trixie nearly blanch she was so caught off-guard, though she was not going to let this moment of surprise stop her from powering up to full once again. She was just glad Thanos was seemingly taking this time to relax after the constant assault he had just been under, which while semi-harmless was still enough to have left some minor marks on him while the deeper wounds healed quickly, “You dare presume yourself to be the same as me?”

His booming laugh returned, “Oh don’t be so offended. If anything, you are the only other one who can understand what this power truly is like. What it is like to be one step from seizing the very fabric of reality and twisting it to your command…”

He paused to look down at the gauntlet, at which point he bellowed again.

“Of course, I have the Infinity Gauntlet to keep my power in check! You have no such buffer, and for that I pity you and your mind. It is quite fortunate that you will not live past this encounter,” he paused to gesture in a manner similar to how Trixie had moments ago, mocking her with his mimicry, “Now, if I may be so rude as to ask, what is this interesting place?”

Trixie saw no reason to not tell him, as every moment in this place was another success on her part, given that it was more time for those outside of it to recover and prepare for the final piece of the plan, “My teacher and her sister can create their own realms…” Trixie found herself growing smug at her own power, finally having the true position as the most powerful and great magic user of all Equestria, “Such a feat is trivial to me now. It is here that we will fight for now.”

At her words Thanos found himself slightly displeased with himself. He had not taken much time to expand his own abilities in what must be decades due to how nothing he came against was anywhere near a threat. Because of this he was lacking in certain areas his foe now excelled, though he was quite sure she could not keep up with him in physical combat, “I have less of an understanding for the arcane than I really ought to, but I have not come this far alone with simple trickery.”

“That’s exactly how I have come this far…” Trixie responded with a sigh, her eyes closing as she thought back to her actions the past year. Their number, their implications, their purpose…

“Oh, I know that. Your traitor of a father is not the only one capable of finding information concerning others. Though, I wonder, how much do they know? You have such a loving family, it must hurt to keep secrets from those angels who would never dare do the same to you,” Thanos continued to mock Trixie, the pain from the Bifrost attacks finally fading from his body as it regenerated further and further.

Trixie felt anger creep into her mind as she took the mockery. She was already unstable, and his words were not helping her maintain her façade of calmness. She was composed and her plan was on point now, but this part called for her more emotional side, and she wasn’t going to keep anything back now.

It was time to work out some stress where no-one else could overhear.

“I have kept them in the dark, and since even you can’t decipher my true intentions it will remain that way,” Trixie glowered. Rage building, she was quite ready to just let loose again like she had with Adagio, just this time it had far more justification and would instead be the required energy to defeat a foe rather than beat someone while they were down.

“Your secrets and lies must be quite numerous then. What an upstanding heroine we have.”

The sarcasm dripping from his words did nothing to stop Trixie from smiling and preparing herself physically to engage in her first attack, “We are the heroes of this story, and you will not interrupt another chapter of our life. I have too much to do to let some evil, vile being compromise our future!”

The fierceness in her voice was accentuated by the opening of what appeared to be two portals on either side of her, at which point Trixie began to calm down and instead let out a small laugh.

“You know, Thanos, if I am to be perfectly honest…I’m not fighting you for them right now. The reason I hate you, the reason I will put you in the ground is not that you are a genocidal monster, not that you’ve harmed everyone I care about in some way or another…”

The portals finished opening, and out of them poured the beams of the Bifrosts. Trixie had used the time they were talking to have them charge back up for another sustained use, not wanting to break the important machines from overworking them, but now she needed them again.

Both beams struck Thanos, and with a whisk of a hoof Trixie sent the portals to quickly move across her created world. They stopped when their beams caught Thanos in a wide X, and as they fired outward into nothingness the man screamed as his entire body was lit aflame under their power. One of them was enough to harm him. Two of them were enough to actually stun him momentarily, and with this opportunity Trixie dropped her polite façade completely and teleported right in front of him while also changing forms to her Elvish body for the hands it granted.

Whipping out the staff she had borrowed from Luna, which happened to be yet another Infinity Gem, the mind gem, Trixie brought it forward and impaled Thanos as she seized this moment of opportunity, “Because of you, Princess Luna was forced to confront her wayward lover as Nightmare Moon!” she withdrew the sharp blade and then whipped it across his wounded chest as she shouted vehemently, “If it hadn’t been for you, he never would have betrayed us and forced her to do that!”

This done, Trixie smashed it down across his face, the staff’s powers of mind control weak on such a powerful foe but still enough to help keep him in place, “Her not being Nightmare Moon would have made her kinder!” once she had beaten him across the face Trixie screamed as she then dragged it down to slash across his neck, “She and Loki could have been happier so long ago!”

Thanos tried to move slightly, but the furious assault of Trixie did not cease long enough for him to manage anything. Standing right in front of the current of energy that he was being fried within, Trixie spun around to then stab a momentum fueled staff into his chest once again, the damage from the first strikes already beginning to heal despite the extreme damage being done on him, “A not-Nightmare Moon-Luna would have taken me in!”

Lodged in his chest, Trixie used the staff’s power to fire off a powerful beam like she heard Loki once had while opposing Luna and those in Canterlot, “She wouldn’t be so selfish all those months,” she jabbed the weapon deeper into him as she howled in anger not only directed at him, “She wouldn’t spurn my growing admiration for her because of a single failure!”

Upon letting out another blast she actually saw the blue energy of the weapon pierce through the either side of the giant man, causing Trixie to continue firing directly into him as she continued to chastise him over his influence on her life, “I wouldn’t have fought the Ursas and nearly died!” once a blast blew completely through him and left a hole in his gut, Trixie dislodged the blade and then moved to impale it on his forehead, “I wouldn’t have been put in a coma because of it all!”

The would-be fatal damage done on him rapidly healed as Thanos lowered his head to catch the blade with the top of his armor’s helmet, at which point he growled in anger and reached out to grab her, “I wouldn’t have been taken by you to where that sick monster torments people!” Trixie dodged his grab as she removed his helmet by swinging the blade away, at which point she swung around and impaled him in the chest again, “I wouldn’t have been taught by Hela at the price of having her toy with my mind for what felt like years!”

Thanos brought both arms forward to grab the staff, which he managed to succeed in given how it was sticking through him, but he did not manage to also grab Trixie who jumped back and then threw her hands into the air, at which point a large icicle erupted from the ground and impale her foe in the same place he was already wounded, “I wouldn’t have been able to compete as well as I had in the Equestria Games, I wouldn’t have caught the attention of my mother!”

The fiery rays from the Bifrosts served to melt the ice assault on Thanos, but Trixie did not let up and quickly summoned more and more to continue the job of opening up more and more of his now exposed abdomen, “I wouldn’t have found out my actual father was some sick bastard who raped my mother when she was a foal just old enough to have children!”

Thanos snarled as he began to remove the staff impaled within him, only facing difficulty by how more and more ice pushed it in further and further with each passing secong. All the while, Trixie continued her outburst of anger and emotion, “I wouldn’t have had to protect Luna from the Aether, since she’d have had her children or not been fighting at all!”

He finally managed to take the staff and point it at Trixie, only for her to teleport behind him and bring a blade of ice she formed around her arm to impale him from the opposite side, this time aimed right at the heart, “I’ve had to suffer every moment of this forsaken existence, and I won’t let you ruin it now that I am finally accomplishing something!”

One arm inside him, Trixie drew her arm back and brought up all of her remaining energy to prepare it for a beam attack. In this timespan Thanos snapped the ice impaling him off and spun around, at which point he turned to find himself face to face with Trixie’s most powerful magic.

A torrent of multicolored energy rushed forth from her palm and engulfed all of Thanos to the point he was no longer visible, Trixie’s anger mimicking her power by reaching its own apex, “I could hide why I want to murder you, but I’m sick and tired of hiding everything! I’ll kill you for ruining the best thing to ever happen to me and for driving me down this damnable path I’m walking!”

After her power faded down she had hoped that he would be dead, albeit not entirely obliterated. She knew she had no chance of doing that, but it would ruin her plan if she had somehow succeeded so spectacularly.

The most likely scenario, however, was the one which came true. After the light faded away, the portals closed from Trixie’s exhaustion, and Thanos was left standing with the majority of his armor melted away or otherwise destroyed. His purple skin was just reforming in some places it too had been melted away, and his face was actually amused as he looked at Trixie with his intense red eyes.

“…cute,” was what he said as Trixie took a step back, only to find herself quickly slammed in the gut with his golden gauntlet with the two gems shining on it.

“This world is of your creation, but even here you cannot defeat me. How pathetic.”

Trixie was too out of it then to realize that her overpowering sense of anger, her sense of injustice at the hands of another being, and the utter contempt and seething hatred for others were things she was only once familiar with, but now had adopted from Luna in her time as Nightmare Moon.

For better or worse, Luna had left an impact on Trixie, and it had led her to all of this. The unspoken truth behind Trixie’s yelling had been that while Thanos influenced Luna, Luna had influenced Trixie, and in the end Trixie had not even noticed that she had been crying despite her anger during it all.

Deep down, she knew, even if it wasn’t bubbling to the top of her mind as Thanos prepared to execute her in her own world.

Luna had arrived at the stadium just before Trixie disappeared, and by the time she found the main battlefield it was the second Trixie left with Thanos into her own world. Maiev and Trixie’s mother had trailed behind, though neither of them approached where the battle seemed to be waging. Maiev stopped to assess the situation to gauge what her further actions should be, while Lulamoon felt her heart seize in fear when Trixie disappeared.

It was Luna who asked Loki what just happened, though she was asking more out of concern than actually expecting an answer, “Where did she go?!”

Loki shook his head sorrowfully, “They just disappeared, and I have no idea where they left to,” whatever happened, it was of Trixie’s doing it seemed, so he wasn’t as worried as the distraught Luna, “I think she’ll be fine. What is the status at the castle?”

Luna paused to try and focus herself. She could swear she had seen Thanos disappear just at the same moment as Trixie, and given Loki’s words it seemed that was indeed the case. As she tried to take in the scene around her, Luna began to explain her own adventure since they parted ways, “The foals are fine, but there was a riot I had to put down…”

Loki could sense that was not all, “And?”

Luna shook her head as she finally came to her senses. The entire area looked ruined…just what had happened since she left? “I killed the man who tormented you so that you would serve Thanos. He came to kill Sleep Near and Hela.”

At that, Loki dropped his blades and embraced Luna as she stood before him still in her Alicorn form. Loki kept himself from crying, but he was extremely grateful she had managed to save them. If they had been harmed by that man, he would never have forgiven himself, and to hear that they were saved made his nerves release somewhat. It was then that Loki said something he was unused to saying.

“Thank you.”

Silence fell between them as neither found the words to say. Things were bad, but they were making the most of things for the time being.

“For now, we can only hope and wait…” Loki finally explained, his voice somewhat somber as his mind began to wonder what Trixie intended to do. He still had his own trump card, one which would have been useful for Trixie to know of if things had been a more coordinated effort.

For now though, he had no idea that his own plan to kill Thanos would conflict with hers, and so he held onto the small device in preparation for the moment he could use it and change the tide.

Luna, on the other hand, felt her heart sinking as she realized that wherever Trixie was fighting she could not help her, “Trixie…”

When Thanos moved to outright kill Trixie for her brutal assault on him, it was instead Kael who took the attack in her stead. The staff that might have impaled her head instead slid off his chest despite the broken armor there, as if there was something unstoppable blocking its path, and so Thanos quickly drew the seemingly useless blade back to instead begin punching the Elf man. The first blow knocked him back into Trixie, who stumbled back before they both collapsed. Once this was done, Thanos took no time to begin setting into Kael for interfering with him once again. Brutal hit after brutal hit slammed down into the prone man, and once he stopped moving Thanos began to move onto his next foe.

Trixie tried to get up, only to catch a kick to the gut instead that sent her rolling away. One of her feet hit the prone green orb that lay near Kael, bringing Thanos’s attention to it, and the monster smiled as he reached down to take it. It fit right into his glove, and while Thanos felt exhausted from all the damage he had taken from Trixie, he was now feeling better because of how he now possessed four gems including the one on the scepter.

Trixie once again got onto her knees and attempted to get up, but Thanos ended this attempt with a strong punch right into her spine. Once she was on the floor he slammed the scepter’s base right into her neck, further pressing her face into the blank ground that was now coated with some blood, “You need not humiliate yourself like this. Just expel the Aether from your body and I will end your suffering. I am hitting you both hard enough to shatter worlds. You cannot resist this forever, and you will suffer should you try.”

The response was a groan as Trixie clawed at the ground and tried to push herself up, only for him to harshly stomp on her back in payment.

Not quite dead, Kael rushed to his feet and whipped out the blade he had been given by Loki’s people. He drove it into Thanos’s back and it began to glow, though this miniscule damage and pain didn’t even warrant a true response from Thanos as he continued to just wail on the empowered Alicorn-Elf. After Trixie stopped moving though, Thanos rectified Kael’s attempt at interference with a slam of the fist that sent the Elf sprawling away dozens of feet. From there he would have a more difficult time of interfering, and so Thanos was left in peace to focus on Trixie. He was at least pleased that one of his foes thought so little of their personal safety that they would assault him head on despite him holding four infinity gems. It was almost admirable, if it wasn’t so stupid in his mind.

With this done, he lifted Trixie up into the air with the hand he also held the scepter, while drawing the one with the Infinity Gauntlet back to punch her into nothingness, “I suppose I will just have to rip the Aether out of you, since I already possess your other gem.”

“Go and try…” Trixie taunted right as an impossible to see flurry of strikes struck every part of her upper body, her bones breaking and her body crumbling in his hands.

Little did he know, the only thing materializing the realm they were in was Trixie being conscious. Her fainting under his barrage brought them back to the field they had been in, which brought about a slight hesitation in his brutal beating of Trixie.

This however gave Luna, Loki, and everyone else present enough time to view Thanos holding an unconscious Trixie from his hand.

“Trixie!” Luna gasped in shock and anger both. While no longer Nightmare Moon, she was most definitely not about to feel anything but complete and utter fury when seeing such a monster harm her adoptive daughter.

She wasted no time in rushing at Thanos, who actually seemed surprised that the Alicorn was now here and was charging straight at him. Did she think she could actually harm him?

“I’ll kill you!”

To Thanos’s surprise, the sudden glow around Luna’s horn that soon found it’s way into his body did in fact hurt.

He actually gasped as he realized this animal had managed to stab him wholly despite his powerup, something he didn’t believe possible. As her horn sunk in, he tried to voice his confusion only to be cut off by her, “You—”

Thanos balled his fist as Luna let loose a surge of electricity into her foe, utilizing her control over the elements to use the one that ought to have the greatest effect even on a foe more powerful than her, “First you try and kill my son and daughter, and now you harm her?!” she drove the horn even deeper into his thick body as she poured even more of her energy into her attack, “I’ll kill you, you recalcitrant foal!”

While slowed by the extreme pain of the electricity, Thanos still managed to punch her in the side hard enough to send her tumbling to the side. Her horn ripped from his body as she moved away, leaving Thanos to stand there and sit in pain where it struck him as electricity continued to course through him over the next few seconds.

Loki ran quickly to his wife’s side to check on her condition, worried that perhaps the single hit had slain the not-immortal Alicorn.

“Luna!”

When Loki reached her side he could see that she was still breathing, and her barely moving body revealed that she was not even unconscious. Still, having her brought to harm in front of him also enraged the otherwise stoic Loki, who had had quite some time since the last time he felt such an overpowering negative emotion.

“You…how…” Thanos continued to gasp, before realizing too that Luna was not dead. All traces of his composure left as he glared menacingly at her, “You filthy animal! You die first!”

Using the magic granted to him earlier by Kael, Loki called his blades to himself and began to rush at the man who dare hurt his family, “Thanos!”

Loki calling his name made the villain stop in his place, for he realized then that his wounds were not healing as quickly. In fact, he was not healing almost at all, and this left him quite vulnerable. He felt the speed quickening as the seconds went by, but it was not the instant process it had been minutes ago.

Not stunned in confusion was Loki, who instead was busy converting his magical power into a boost for his physical traits so he could rush Thanos and bring harm to the man who had for so long tormented his life.

“You held my mother’s life against me, you forced me to join in on your insane plan to invade Earth, you made me attack this world, you kidnapped me and forced me to endure hell for years in a desolate world, and now you harmed my wife. I have an issue letting things go, and believe me…”

In a move faster than the man could process, Loki flipped over Thanos’s head and impaled both curved glaives into the purple monster’s back.

“For this, you will wish I was more forgiving!”

Even despite the pain he could feel from being impale, Thanos doubted Loki could actually accomplish anything. After all, what could possibly fell him now? “As if you could—”

Loki dislodged the blades to slash them across the unarmored back, only to then dash forward and slash deeply into the purple flesh he passed.

The wounds were not lethal, but as Loki began to spin around him and cut him in a multitude of places and ways, Thanos felt himself gradually feeling the pain he previously would be able to ignore. He took a hand and began to swing it around at Loki, who personally wished that Trixie was not nearby because her presence on the ground made him unable to use his secret weapon.

As Thanos continued to miss the nimble Loki, who had begun to throw in illusions to aid in his evasion, Thanos grumbled, “Why…why am I so weak?!”

His answer surprisingly came from the ground, where a weak laugh preceded an explanation that made his blood boil.

“I spent all my energy on making my realm…” Trixie coughed as Loki continued his flurry of blows against Thanos, “Instead of making things dark, making a landscape, or anything else, I made everything there more enervating…I also made it so it’s easier to absorb energy…”

It was at this point that Thanos realized why Trixie had taken the effort to bring him to such an odd place…she had done it because she had complete control of the region, and she manipulated the laws of the area to make these things happen. The sheer training, the effort it must have taken her to arrange such a thing must have been extraordinaire, but in the end Thanos felt less powerful than when he even arrived despite having twice as many gems.

Trixie smirked as she slowly got up to her feet, only not being dead because of her own obstinance and her plan sapping the strength from her foe, “Kael was so kind as to absorb that power you shed, as well as anything I lost. When you took his gem, it already had its own power drained. He took even more of your power when you ignored him in favor of harming me. In terms of power we have traded quite well, I would say, but I dare also say you did not.”

“And the energy you left behind was still there…you have gained power in our battle today, but you have also lost it,” she laughed haughtily as she felt her strength flowing back into her, “Now that my world collapsed, whatever was left over I can now use for my own purposes, so I thank you for the donation of power.”

As Loki continued to stall Thanos and wound him, he could not help but snark, “The benefits of having a magic sponge when he’s not choking you.”

Trixie fought the urge to blush at the comment, instead taking this time to point a finger fiercely at the man she had just pulled off a gambit to weaken, “Now, once more we will fight Thanos, and this time you will fall. I am of equal power to you with all of this aid, and I have no more time for games.”

Luna slowly rose to her hooves and joined Trixie silently, her body too exhausted from her sudden defeat to form words yet. Now with three enemies standing before Thanos, Loki found himself actually confident that they could win this. Trixie had managed to pull off a plan like he had thought she was going to, and it seemed to be paying off, “Three on one seems a bit unfair.”

“Are you okay brother? Because I count more than three.”

Loki looked aside to see that Thor and the Hulk had rejoined the fray, now also accompanied by Maiev, and Loki found himself smiling. It was good to be fighting alongside Thor once again, and now perhaps they could each accomplish something other than buy time.

“Hulk smash!” the green monster screamed in its deep voice before rushing straight at Thanos, though the lack of sophistication made Loki semi-doubtful that the Hulk would be all that helpful in a team fight.

“Yes. Just be sure to smash him, and not me this time, Doctor Banner.”

A green fist colliding with Thanos’s jaw was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He began to quake not in fear, but in anger, much like what was demonstrated by those he was fighting mere moments ago, “You…you…”

Thanos knocked the Hulk away before letting out a mighty roar and calling forth the little magic knowledge he had to form a ball of energy in his hands while stretching them over his head.

“That’s it, everyone dies! I’ll pick up the pieces when your entire world is gone, I’ll destroy everything you hold dear! I’ll make sure that there is nothing left in this forsaken existence but I so that Lady Death has nothing to cherish other than my glorious self! I will recreate everything in my own image, recreate you only to then kill you brutally and as painfully as possible! You mortals will not deny me my destiny!”

Loki backed off in his attack to keep from being hit by whatever Thanos seemingly intended to slam down into the ground, but it was Trixie who spoke next in a smug voice while Kael rejoined their group silently.

“I’m sorry, Thanos, but the last part of this stage is your humiliating defeat. Your story ends now, while ours goes on.”

Reaching a hand up, she called out loudly.

“Heimdall, Laufey!”

Once again from the sky two beams slammed down into Thanos, stopping the spell he was channeling and causing him to erupt into even more pained rage.

No longer were they fighting the cavalier competitor who would take their fighting in stride. Now they were fighting a mere monster driven beyond reason and fueled by emotion.

As Trixie had stated previously, her arrival spelled the imminent ending of the day’s long turmoil.

Author's Note

My side story to this fic, "Nothing Lasts Forever", will update again soon and has a new chapter for those of you who haven't checked it yet! Please give it a look, and I hope you enjoy and that I can hear your thoughts on it after you leave your comments below!

I hope you all enjoyed, and I would love to hear from you all in the comments again this time! Thanks for your support!

Nothing Lasts Forever, I'm Sorry, I Can't Be Perfect, Now It's Just Too Late, And We Can't Go Back

A/N: Before the thanks, I just wanted to say that I don't think I've ever cried more while writing than I have for this chapter. Perhaps its the fact that I've been having a terrible time in real life the past week despite everything I do and try, but I think that's just what set up my eyes for this chapter. I was crying when I started writing it because of real life, and crying at the end because of what is in it. Sorry, just wanted to get that off my chest because it was really hard to write this...

Special thanks to SilentMech, hs0003, RedEyedDJ, kojivsleo, Ally of the Daleks, Ozymandias, and Ketvirtas for your comments last chapter, for your support is very much welcomed and I want you to know just how much it is appreciated! We are approaching the finale soon, and I honestly can't wait for it, so I hope you guys enjoy and will continue to let me hear from you as we head on our way to that point (chapter 80)!

Chapter title from Simple Plan's "Figure.09", also featured in the story I am writing about Trixie's side of events in WRE called "Nothing Lasts Forever". Please check it out if you haven't yet!

I hope you enjoy, and I hope to hear from you all in the comments below!

While Thanos was being occupied by the collective power of all those outside the coliseum, things were still chaotic within it. Out of all those escaping the Jotuns fell victim to the most casualties as the army belonging to Thanos swarmed and hunted down anyone who might interfere with the battle their master was in. Certain Asgardians had tried to join to protect their lord, but with their powers drained they could do little to get past the blockade formed since the point Trixie attacked Thanos.

The Jotuns fell victim more due to more sluggish reactions as a whole to the situation, as if their entire race was having an off-day. Few actually managed to get anywhere while the more cerebral Asgardians and the ponies present were capable of at least making it a safe distance from the conflict. Neither their rivals the Asgardians nor the xenophobic Equestrians minded though, and neither was about to go back and look for them.

One Asgardian had stayed though, and while finding it difficult Fandral found himself able to match the skeletal-machines assaulting the coliseum using his expert skill and speed. While weaker due to having his powers drained since the beginning of the conflict, he could still muster his mental skills and his quick reaction time had not left.

He had chosen to stay not for Loki or Thor, who he knew he would be unable to help, but rather to hunt two people in particular who he now had a score to settle with.

It was after cutting down what must have been his twentieth foe with his sharp blade, once the weapon of the fierce warrior Volstagg, that he caught side of one of his targets.

Off to one side, where a gaping hole in the side of the coliseum made the inner hallways and structure visible, he saw Adagio slowly trying to climb away from the conflict. She was moving weakly, and it seemed she couldn’t walk, which made his timing all the more easy.

Adagio would have shrieked if she was not so exhausted, so instead she just rolled over to her side so she could look at whoever just threw to embed itself in the ground inches in front of her face.

A part of Adagio wished it had strayed a little bit and hit her; though the woman couldn’t tell if that was Aria or her own guilt.

“You…”

Fandral scowled as he approached her, one hand reaching for his sheathed sword while the other balled in fury. This woman was the reason Sonata was gone. This was the reason he had lost the person who helped him through his pain.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Adagio couldn’t respond because she honestly did not know. What could she do now when her magic was taken and her companions were dead…or as good as dead, Aria reminded her?

Her lack of response did nothing to aid the grieving man. He had lost too much in recent times to allow for this loss to go without some kind of revenge.

Adagio had been looking over the axe by her face, partially wishing she had the strength to use it and also partially wishing Sonata was here so she wouldn’t have to…

There was only dried blood on the blade, because for some reason the foes Fandral was defeating seemed less willing to bleed that he would expect. Fandral did not give her much time to look it over before he finished approaching her and yanked it from the floor.

“That blood belongs to Sonata. My friend. She died protecting me because, unlike you, she had a heart.”

The sight of Sonata’s blood etched all over the blade made Adagio show her first traces of emotion since her defeat. Her pride and bravado were gone with her chances of coming out on top in this conflict, leaving her only with what felt like regret and self-loathing.

“Kill me…”

Her request actually caught Fandral off-guard. Had defeat reminded her of a time before her haughtiness? Before she abandoned one of her companions to be slain?

“Please,” Adagio pleaded, her left arm weakly reaching out to his ankle, “I have nothing left…”

It was then that Fandral realized that her right arm was laying at her side despite not appearing to be any worse for wear than the rest of her. Whatever had happened to this evil villain since he set on his quest to defeat her? Was it the other one who had done it?

Whatever the case, the gentleman had a difficult time finishing off his wounded opponent, much as he would have liked to. He hesitated as she rolled back onto her stomach, and once he noticed the severity of her wounds he decided against doing it.

“If I kill you, you will never have to live with your decisions.”

“I’m sorry…” Adagio sobbed, though her tears fell on death ears. Regret did not redeem a criminal or villain. It only made them seem more pathetic in his eyes.

“Your apology does nothing to ease my opinion of you.”

“I…”

With that, Adagio collapsed onto the ground, her forehead flat on the floor and her left arm no longer moving. Instead, her right arm struggled to move from beneath her as she had partially passed out on top of it, the limb moving independently of the rest of her.

Fandral frowned. Just what had he missed?

Thanos disappeared from view as the golden beams bombarding him from the sky continued to pound into the Earth. When he reappeared, it was to swing a heavy fist at Trixie before she could react. He still held a speed advantage on them except for Loki, and while Trixie could teleport to avoid him she had to expect the strike in some manner to do so.

As Trixie stumbled over scorched earth of the plains she temporarily shifted forms to that of an Alicorn, large wings sprouting out and her body expanding rapidly as she changed involuntarily. Her brief moment of unconsciousness and loss of control was fixed as she snapped back to attention and teleported away from him to give herself some distance, ending the teleport in her Unicorn form so as to mask her actual form once more.

Thanos took a deep breath and held up the Infinity Gauntlet smugly. With it he could harness the powers of the gems and mitigate their drawbacks while also having their full potential. While he may have been exhausted he was still not done fighting yet, and with such power at his disposal he was still a threat.

“While I may be left weak for now, I can feel my power rushing back to me…” he found some of his calm confidence returning as he realized that it was now him that only needed time. That the longer this conflict dragged out, the more it favored him now, “For now you have the advantage, but when I return to my true strength I will have nothing left that can stand in my way! I have four gems to your one!”

Luna had turned to find Trixie and make sure she was okay while Loki rushed at Thanos and began an assault on him once again. Joining him was Maiev who took to dragging her crescent blade across the man with pleasure, having been informed that Thanos had been the one to finally put Illidan down in Hel while she was left empty-handed. Not only could she earn Loki’s aid in finding her son, she could take revenge for the man she had dedicated her entire life to.

Thanos managed to keep up with both of them with his own incredible speed, first catching one of Loki’s glaives and then forcing the man off-balance with a tug so that he was hit by his own ally. In the brief moment of confusion that followed Thanos used his large leg to punt both of them away from him, though his arms, legs, and torso had a new slew of cuts to show for the encounter. He would have considered it all trivial if not for the blood running down his head from a wound Loki placed above the madman’s right eye.

By now Trixie had collected herself and prepared to fight again with the aid of Luna healing her, though she was caught off-guard by something that should not have been on the battlefield. Thanos was just as surprised, though for different reasons as he looked over Trixie’s mother on the far edge of the battlefield.

“Another illusion?” Thanos scoffed at how his opponents were fond of such underhanded and indirect tactics, “I could swear I am seeing double, though I can feel that this one has only as much power as any of you animals.”

“Mother?!” Trixie shouted, her eyes widening as she watched Thanos lift his scepter up to point at the mare who appeared too weak at the moment to run.

“It’s no matter, you will die like the rest,” Thanos commented as the scepter glowed blue and then fired at its lone target.

Trixie initially thought to intercept the blast with her body, of tackling her mother out of the way, or do some other kind of saving move but the rush of emotions she felt right then kept her from completing any rational thought or react in time.

The area where her mother stood exploded in blue energy. Trixie felt her chest seize up as she watched it happen, though when the energy dissipated a moment later she was left in an even more shocked state.

She hadn’t moved in time, but Kael had. She hadn’t told him to do it, yet he had just thrown his body in front of her mother faster than even she could.

Trixie could feel herself crying as the Elf crumbled to his knees, the impact of the blast having knocked the wind out of him and also blown a hole through his armor. The red of the armor and his clothing hid the wound and made it difficult to tell if he was bleeding at all, but that didn’t stop Trixie from rushing over to them both, “Kael?” she helped him softly down to the ground with her magic as he continued to fall over, “How…why…?”

In a show of his wound’s real damage, Kael spat out blood as he closed his eyes and smiled. Unlike Trixie, he knew fully well why he took such a brutal attack head on.

“She’s your mother. You may hate her, but you will never forgive yourself if something were to happen to her. Remember what happened months back when you thought you lost her?”

Trixie was not the only one surprised for her mother took a soft expression as she saw the man cough out more and more blood with each passing second. Trixie began to heal the wound with what she learned ironically to heal her mother, granting her mother time to look over the two with regret.

“Sir…” she trailed off as she noticed that he had passed out. She wanted to thank him, but it seemed like that would have to wait. She had not intended to enter such a high stakes battlefield, and now one of the combatants in this life or death battle was defeated thanks to her. She felt terrible, but she had only come to see if Trixie was okay…to help her if she could…

Left with Trixie to talk to, her mother sighed and watched as Trixie finished healing Kael, “He’s a good man, isn’t he?”

“He’s the one person who hasn’t hurt me,” Trixie murmured, not able to meet her mother’s eyes with her own. She had run her mother off the last time they were both really talking to one another, and afterwards she had tried killing herself in grief. Trixie felt guilty for that, one of many emotional struggles she had weathered in her mind in recent years, and even though she hated her mother she couldn’t bring herself to feel good about the matter.

A part of her mother though was pleased that Trixie had found someone she could trust, even if he wasn’t a pony, “Your lover?”

His wounds healed, Kael groggily began to awaken, and with that his first action was to finish coughing up the last of the blood in his mouth before collapsing entirely again, “…plat…”

Trixie sighed as she cast a glance over to elsewhere on the field, where Luna and Loki had taken to assaulting Thanos once again to cover for the others while they did this, “Platonic. Believe me, I’ve never had a stomach for anything more.”

Her mother only nodded, not knowing what else to say because she was still not on speaking terms with Trixie. What could they say, especially at such a time?

Turning back to Kael, Trixie ran a hoof over his cheek. Yes, it was platonic. That was the point. But it didn’t mean she didn’t still care deeply about her friend, apprentice, and companion of sorts.

“Kael, rest…we might have so much work to do later if…”

With that Trixie rose up to her full height and narrowed her eyes at Thanos. Luna had taken to firing lightning strikes and magical beams from a distance while Loki and Maiev occupied him at close range while peppering him with one slash after another. Neither had the body or presence to keep him from trying to get at Luna, whose magic was searing through his body a little better than their enchanted weapons, though she managed to keep away from him by teleporting rapidly like she had taught Trixie how to so long ago. Luna wasn’t going to let him actually hit her now as the last hit he did to her finally began to sink in and ache for the massive blow it had been. He was quickening and growing stronger with each passing second so Luna feared what a second strike would do if the first had been so devastating.

Trixie didn’t look at her mother as she commanded her to do something, her eyes observing the battle for an opportunity to attack, “Stay back. You’ll only get in the way. You shouldn’t be here.”

Trixie teleported so that her horn would impale Thanos with his own momentum as he swung a fist at Loki, and with a follow up beam of magic Trixie managed to blow a hole directly through her opponent’s chest as her bottled emotions and restrained power came out all at once in the attack.

Thanos retaliated with a punch to her side, then his own follow up with the scepter to blast her back, though it just shot through thin air as Trixie reappeared elsewhere along with a small army of illusions of herself.

“Thanos, if you wish to spend so much time with Hela, why don’t you just let me kill you so that you can spend all of eternity with that witch?”

He would laugh if not for the insult to Lady Death, “And here I was under the impression you were family.”

Loki and Luna had shot Trixie suspicious looks at the insults, with Loki understanding the reasoning but curious as to what Trixie’s hatred of Hela really stemmed from, and Luna’s stemming from a sudden bout of fear that in this next generation there would still be petty sibling squabbles that could possibly tear a family apart.

“She is a different person than the child born weeks ago. Different from my beloved sister. She is a person twisted by the reality and life she grew up with, one wounded and harmed there…” Trixie responded while preparing for another attack, pausing only because Loki was still engaged with Thanos in melee and any attack could hit and harm him instead.

“She let her experiences and pain drive her insane. She let her duty get to her. I despise those who can be described in such a way!” Trixie growled as she teleported back in to try and impale Thanos’s upper arm. If she took the gauntlet from him, if she just separated him from it (and the arm attached), this would all end quickly.

Thanos had recovered enough speed to avoid her strike and to instead use the gauntlet to backhand her as he moved to impale her with the scepter. If he could impale one of the three major threats he could win, given that the scepter’s mind controlling capabilities were powerful enough to sway even these champions.

“Then you are a hypocrite!” he yelled as his scepter’s blade grazed her blue fur just as she teleported away in response to the backhand strike. He used the momentum to instead swing around and knock Loki off his feet with a powerful strike to the gut.

Trixie retaliated with a pillar of ice right beneath Thanos’s feet, the ice forming and rising to alter his footing and make him a better target, “Whoever said I exclude myself from this statement?”

Thanos launched himself off the ice and grabbed Trixie by the throat, his speed having improved yet another notch since he had lost the majority of his abilities.

“No wonder you were so foolish to invite me here. To challenge me to a final battle to decide everything,” he clenched his fist to crush her between his gauntlet, though the golden metal of the Infinity Gauntlet only grabbed itself as he finished, “You want to die.”

Trixie had to clear her throat after the close save, her body reappearing a few dozen feet away as she continued to battle with him physically and verbally, “Think what you will. I have too much to accomplish to allow you to be the death of me,” Trixie decided to bring the aces up her sleeve back into play, “Though it might be best if this ends as a mutual kill…”

With a thought, the Bifrosts resumed their assault on Thanos. This time though he did not move to run and instead lifted his scepter up to point at the center of the beam cascading down on top of him.

“I think I have had enough with these distractions,” he smiled as he charged the largest blast anyone had seen from the scepter, the sight of which made Trixie realize something that sent shivers down her spine.

“No, you can’t—”

Thanos discharged the energy upwards into the Bifrost, and with a speed and power just as great in the opposite direction but more focused the blast pierced through the middle of it all and came back to its point of origin, damaging the actual structure after passing through space in a seemingly impossible fashion.

Thanos laughed as the beam of energy hitting him ended and as the other one halted, his amusement ending up as a cackle. The scepter was even more powerful with the Gauntlet wielding it, and unlike Trixie he could control anyone’s mind with it given the right touch. She was unable to control someone like himself who had the power of multiple gems at his disposal, but soon enough he could make these fools do whatever he pleased.

Trixie reacted to his attack on the Bifrost as a complete affront against her, her face growing more shocked than it had ever been, “I—I needed that! Do you even know what you have done!?”

“Improved my chances to crush you, and that is what matters,” Thanos smirked as he felt his wounds begin to heal faster than either Maiev or Loki could give them to him. In fact, he had begun to completely ignore the damage because of how meaningless it was, though for the most part he was managing to shift in and out of place to avoid the attacks entirely now.

Loki kept waiting for the giant to have his guard completely lowered, to have a moment where he wouldn’t be able to see through an illusion or be able to stop Loki from what would only take a moment to do and a moment to escape. Seeing as how he could no longer even keep up with Thanos, Loki would not risk it. A part of him feared the weapon he kept hidden. If it went wrong he would never be able to forgive himself, and for that reason he kept it hidden in his armor for the time being.

Still, that did not mean he could not try and gouge at an eye while Thanos paid a moment of attention to Trixie. The glowing green blade granted to him by Illidan pierced the soft organ and shifted all attention back to Loki even as Luna and Trixie each fired more magic at the man.

“You grating…” Thanos growled as Loki completed his jump over the man. He was about done with these little cuts, even if they were now just annoying rather than actually harmful.

A ways back from the frontline of the battle Luna exchanged glances with Trixie. The elder mare had noticed quite well that Thanos was improving by the moment, and whereas they once held the advantage it no longer seemed to be the case, “Trixie, can you still take him?”

“We sapped his strength, so the damage we are inflicting now is harder for him to recover, but he should return to his full power soon…”

That thought was not one Trixie wanted to imagine. The man was a monster with two gems…with four at his disposal it would be impossible to defeat him.

Something came to Luna’s mind that irritated her in retrospect due to the unfairness of it all, “I thought when your Elf drained people that it was permanent?”

“Thanos controls the Reality Gem I believe, which allows him to bend certain rules about how things work,” Trixie gritted her teeth as she charged up as much of her power as she could without losing control, “In this instance, I believe he is using the Gem as a substitute Aether to gain power and regeneration. Using its full power to bend reality enough around him to grant him the qualities the other gem grants.”

“And the other gem he brought?” Luna questioned as Trixie didn’t fire at Thanos but instead upwards to the sky. During their conflict Trixie had lost awareness of Thanos’s army hovering above them all both in the sky and orbit, but while observing the scene she noticed Captain Rogers fighting one of the skeletal machines that comprised the army’s foot soldiers. Their small flying ships and giant leviathans in the sky all were in a compact grouping around and above the coliseum as they exterminated all life within it.

To remove their possibility of being a threat later Trixie let loose a curved blast of far greater power than she had ever used. It was in fact even enough to possibly outright slay Thanos if it directly hit him, but she was hesitant about aiming such power anywhere but up for it could possibly rip through the planet given the Aether’s massive power boost to her abilities.

It was in this manner that the entirety of the fleet in the sky and orbit disappeared in a soft purple light with red, black, green, and blue sparks coming from it. Not a single piece of the airborne army remained, and Trixie let out a large breath as she finished the attack. She only wished she had the power to do such a thing in her own domain she had created, but sadly she had been sucked dry of power there due to maintaining an entire reality all on her own.

As Luna marveled at the brilliant display of power, Trixie finally answered the question, “It is the Space Gem. Because of it he can move to wherever he pleases at an astonishing pace,” “It is why even your husband cannot keep up with him now. Thanos is not moving so much as he is teleporting in rapid bursts.”

Luna could tell why the gems were such objects of desire for a madman like Thanos…if he possessed the magical capabilities of someone like Trixie or Twilight, he would be unstoppable, not to mention that with his own gems he was managing to warp reality and space itself to accomplish his goals.

Before either Luna or Trixie could continue their ranged barrage at Thanos, Loki was too slow to avoid Thanos’s scepter. The blade slashed down Loki’s chest and sliced through the skin like butter even with his armor on. Now off-guard he was susceptible to Thanos stabbing the weapon straight through Loki’s back, having appeared behind him to do the brutal tactic.

“Loki!” Luna shouted, her body moving to rush in to help him before her mind could even process the events her eyes just witnessed.

“Mother, if he hits you now he might kill you!” Trixie shouted after Luna, though her warning fell upon deaf ears. She attempted to get in the way of Luna by teleporting in front of her, but Luna leapt right over her and teleported in mid-air to close the entire gap between herself and the man who just harmed Loki so terribly.

Trixie was worried because Luna was not as tough as herself or Loki. While stalwart and a bruiser in her own rights, she did not have Loki’s undead status or Trixie’s own massive power boost from the Aether to keep her alive from Thanos’s attacks. In fact, Trixie was surprised that even the weakened Thanos hadn’t killed Luna in one strike given the power disparity between them, but then again Luna had always been stubborn to a fault, so perhaps she had just fought off the damage to her body with willpower…

It did not mean she would survive a second one though.

Summoning forth all of her own power, Luna’s eyes glowed a bright white as she prepared to do to Thanos what she did to his associate sent to harm her family, “You are the scourge of my husband’s life! Let him go you wretched being, for I will not allow you to torment our family another moment!”

“What incentive do I have to give in to your demands? You will try, and fail, to kill me no matter what I do,” Thanos laughed as Luna attempted to run his heart through with her horn, his hand even catching the glowing source of magic.

Thanos began to move to break the horn off entirely, but in a surprising display of coordination Luna shifted forms to release herself and then changed back to finish her attack, though she only managed to get his shoulder with it instead of her more vital target, “I am the Princess of Equestria, the Queen of Asgard, and will soon rule Jotunheim as well! Don’t underestimate me!”

With that Luna let out a fusion of every kind of power she could wield right into his shoulder blade. The beam broke through the thick man’s body entirely, though most of it went on to carry on out into the air as Luna was no longer impaling him.

Thanos stood beside her, having moved in the middle of her attack, and with a fist pulled back he taunted Luna right before smashing her into the dirt.

“I apologize. Were you saying something?”

Luna made no movement, making him smile. He could feel that she was still alive, but she was little threat before and she was no threat now. If anything, her being alive acted as a shield for him should he ever be by her because it would limit the movements the others made.

“One of those singers posed as much of a threat as you. You are nothing without that boost you have since forsaken.”

It was at that point that Thanos realized he had left the scepter in Loki’s gut when he moved due to Luna, and also that point that he realized that Maiev had since removed the blade and had handed it off to Trixie, who was livid in anger at the sight of Luna defeated.

Without a word Trixie leapt at him and began to recharge the attack used on his fleet previously, no longer caring about the resulting damage if it meant finally murdering this man. She only managed to begin the power charge before Thanos finally reached his complete power and knocked the wind out of her by teleporting to her side and bringing both hands down together into her neck.

Trixie collapsed on the ground without any further resistance, completely defeated by his obscene capabilities. Done with her, Thanos kicked her brutally aside so he could focus on the next target, “A valiant attempt, but I am seeing that perhaps I should stop using my gems for the sole purpose of expanding my already incredible physical qualities.”

This time the heavily wounded Loki assaulted him, though Thanos took his time enjoying this one by using his powers to copy Kael in some ways and mess with gravity: only instead of reversing it Thanos increased it to make Loki’s charge slowed and pathetic.

Thanos met Loki halfway and grabbed the man by the face, once again able to savor the battle.

He had won, and Loki was literally in the palm of his hand. It was the end of these wretches and their miserable lives that had so long irritated him.

“Oh I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun! I don’t know why I was ever worried to begin with…”

From the kick she received Trixie had tumbled almost a hundred feet of smashing into the ground and leaving a trail of blood. If not for the Aether’s healing qualities Trixie would have died outright, but instead she was left disabled and as close to unconsciousness as she could be without actually being there while the Aether worked on fixing her body’s bones and the many fragments they had been shattered into.

She didn’t know it, but it was likely on purpose that she landed at the feet of her mother, Lulamoon. A sick display of what his power could accomplish. A way of toying with her and likely displaying what he would do to her next. The sadist did not need to know the entire family history between the two to know what it would do, all he needed was the fact that Trixie called this one “mother”.

“Trixie…” the marginally older woman softly stated as she looked in disbelief at the sight before her. Trixie lay limp with her eyes shut as her mother nearly crumbled onto the ground herself.

The helplessness she felt did not make her any less determined to make sure that man would never lay another hand on her daughter. She had seen an Alicorn fall at his hands, but all it took was the right moment to exploit and even the strongest being could fall…

As she looked at Trixie she remembered every time she had hit the young mare with her own hooves. The times she starved Trixie not only because they had nearly nothing, but because she found some new reason to resent Trixie. Remember everything that she had yelled or coldly told Trixie for having ruined her life at such a young age.

She lowered herself to embrace Trixie, and after a moment of comforting her like this Lulamoon lowered her head to nuzzle with her as well, “I know that nothing I ever can do to make up for all your suffering and pain…”

Seeing how Trixie reacted at the sight of Luna falling…that was how a daughter ought to love a mother. Trixie had hesitated when her actual mother was in danger, while she carelessly rushed into danger to help her adoptive one.

Lulamoon knew she deserved it, and she was happy that Luna could give Trixie the warmth she never had been able to.

“I know that she’s the one you love. That she’s done more for you than I ever have, but…”

She felt tears well up in her eyes as she fought to keep herself from choking up. She failed to though, but as she kept talking she slowly regained her façade of composure.

“I ask that you forgive me. That you forgive everyone who has hurt you. You have a heart that your father and I never did, and I’m proud of you.”

She had expected to die long ago. She had contemplated killing herself for years. She had tried, only to fail because Trixie had a big enough heart to come and talk to her even after everything she had done.

If she was going to leave one thing behind, Lulamoon was honestly proud to have it be someone who would risk their lives for others. Who had a supportive family and a true friend they could live life happily with.

But she had also seen the cracks in that happy world Trixie was hiding from everyone else. Trixie was close to breaking down from all the pain inside rather than anything outside, and it was because she cared too much. She tried to act in control. She tried to seem confident at times. But Trixie was, to her mother, still just a filly who wore her heart on her sleeve and would be hurt far more through how things could tug and cut at it, including herself and her own emotions.

If Trixie was to be happy, she would need to let go and forget. Something her mother had never been able to do, culminating in her murder of the man who forced Trixie upon her, “But part of having a heart, of having a soul, is learning to forgive others even if it doesn’t mean loving them. I don’t deserve your respect or love, but others do, and I don’t want you to harbor the same feelings of hatred and pain that I did for so many years.”

She was crying fully into Trixie’s still body. She couldn’t tell if Trixie could actually hear her, but this would be the last time she would have a chance at doing this, so she continued to wear her own heart on her sleeve for once, no longer stoic or reserved as she had been for so many years.

“Pain begets more pain, and I don’t want you to suffer any longer. If I could, I would never have started the cycle you’ve been victim to since birth…”

With a gentle kiss to the forehead, Lulamoon stood up and focused her eyes on where Thanos stood, Loki beneath his foot as the man stomped down on top of him time after time with no way of escape for the Asgardian King given the intense gravity pushing down on him as well as the weight of his opponent. Thanos had won and was celebrating like he had originally intended to, with Loki finally beneath his foot and under his power. If Lady Death could not respect such a display of power, nothing could woo her.

Lulamoon noticed Loki doing something though. He was weakly removing something from his armor, and it seemed to be important given that he was doing his best to not let Thanos see it.

“But I can try to help end it,” she whispered with determination to her offspring, finding herself unable to look back down at Trixie as she summoned up the courage to try something of her own.

First she teleported over to Luna, who was struggling to move but still not dead due to her own grit and refusal to let someone harm her family.

“Please, look after Trixie. You may be flawed too, but she chose you in the end. I don’t even deserve to be called her mother.”

It was then that she left Luna to seize another opportunity before Luna could even give a sign that she had heard.

Loki’s voice signaled the turning point of the entire battle, “I’ll see you in Hel!”

On the ground beneath Thanos, Loki realized that this was the end. He had come so far, toiled through so much, and now he lay defeated…

Strike after strike landed on him, and Loki found himself preparing for his final gambit. He could no longer fight and it was only Hela’s curse on him that was keeping him “alive”. He did have one last option though, but it meant he would be leaving his son and daughter behind forever.

“Luna…forgive me…”

His father had been taken from him when Asgard was invaded by the Dark Elves. Now he was to die as well, leaving Thor and the others behind…in fact, where had Thor gone? Loki had no idea, but Thor had collapsed along with the others shortly after Thanos had taken control of the Life Gem. There bodies were only being kept powered through it, and while they were no longer dead they were still in no condition to fight without magic coursing through them.

His mother would be upset, but if it meant he could let his legacy live on through Hela and Sleep Near Loki had little regrets. He could either die for them, or die with them, and he refused to let anyone else he loved die so long as he could help it.

It was with this in mind that he retrieved from his armor the black hole grenade he had acquired after the battle with the Dark Elves and kept in case of emergency. One such weapon had killed the last king, and it would kill him too it seemed. Loki had feared using it and having Thanos use it back on him or someone else, but now there were no other options. The weapon would annihilate anything nearby and tear it apart, even someone as strong as Thanos. Such power was too much for everyday use, and so he had made sure all of the others were disposed of after the Dark Elf conflict.

This one though…he would have literally carved Thanos’s name into it if he had not feared doing such a thing would set it off somehow.

After the barrage of boot stomps stopped raining down on him Loki realized it was time. Thanos hadn’t seen him remove the grenade, so all he had to do was activate it…

“I would turn you against your family, but I think we are done here. They are all at death’s gate as well.”

Thanos grabbed Loki and held him up, his face smug as he watched the crushed man weakly writhe in pain. His super speed and reflexes allowed him to catch Loki’s deadly action though, and as Loki shouted Thanos reached his hand out to crush Loki’s hand.

“I’ll see you in Hel!”

Loki would have liked that to be the case, but Thanos had grabbed his hand before he could finish activating the grenade. The damage Loki had taken had made his movements and his actions slow, and so he was unable to finish the job.

He had failed, and now his family would pay the price.

Thanos ripped the grenade from Loki’s grip and tossed the man to the ground. He did not intend to give Loki the chance to use whatever this thing was, so with Loki a good ten feet ahead of him Thanos began to inspect the objet, “An interesting device you have here…”

It only took a moment for Thanos to realize why he recognized the device as something to be dealt with immediately. He had heard about this tool before when he had checked up on details concerning Loki.

As he held the egg shaped, dark objet in hand, Thanos smiled at the gutsiness displayed by Loki in using it, “I think The Other told me about these…” he held the grenade out in his right hand as he drove a verbal knife one last time into Loki, “A grenade killed your father. How quaint for you to carry one around. Is it in memory of him, or in spite of him?”

Loki couldn’t respond he was in so much pain, leaving Thanos to grip the device in the upper part of his palm just enough to maintain a grip and enough to not set it off. He actually saw potential in bringing this back with him as a way of instilling fear in others once it was mass-produced. Being a physical god was one thing, but it was often the smaller horrors that produced the best effects. One could only react so much to a planet exploding. One could cower in horror as they watched their friends and families erased from existence itself.

“Such a weapon can be studied and replicated in my new world. The idea that one could kill any foe with such power is invigorating! And when I scale its power up, I will not even need to be the one to wipe out planets—”

His glee was cut short by a purple flash right in front of him. He swatted to the left where an illusion had appeared, leaving him vulnerable for the split second needed to end his boasting forever.

Having teleported right into the air in front of him with the momentum of a leap behind her, Lulamoon grabbed the barely showing activation button with her mouth.

Thanos realized in horror just as the device glowed red that he had no way of getting rid of it instantly, “You…”

Sparing one last look at her daughter, Lulamoon smiled with tears in her eyes just as the weapon went off. Thanos had attempted to toss it at Loki, but a purple glow had surrounded the red one and slowed down the toss. Both Trixie’s mother and Thanos’s lower right arm were engulfed in the power of the weapon, and it threatened to pull the rest of him in as well.

Thanos struggled to fight the pull over the few seconds it lasted, the gold of the gauntlet and the colors of his gems swirling around inside of its intense gravitational pull, but at the end he was left with nothing below his mid bicep. Horrified, Thanos took a step back as he looked at the damage done to him that was for once no longer regenerating. Furthermore, he no longer had what made him so powerful, so his body began to bleed from all the wounds that had still been in the process of healing.

Only pieces of the Infinity Gauntlet remained, and the gem previously belonging to Kael was the only one to escape the pull of the grenade given the short timespan of the explosion. It rolled across the ground only to be picked up by said Elf, who had since gotten back up and was ready to raise his allies to their feet again.

“I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU VERMIN ON THIS PLANET! I WILL ERASE EVERY EQUINE IN EXISTENCE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE GAUNTLET, YOU HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING I HAVE SOUGHT FOR SO LONG!”

Thanos was not taking this all well. Off to the side, Luna felt magic rush into her and give her the strength to get back up. She was at a loss for words with the sacrifice she had just seen, but she wasn’t going to wait and possible let the mare’s death be for nothing. Thanos still lived, and he needed to die.

Loki too had been given the strength to fight again, and with a breath he grabbed his blades from the ground. He was alive…though he had a feeling he would need to do a lot of cuddling with his new daughter to make up for her loss. He could do comforting and cuddling. It would just kill his pride.

“It’s over, Thanos.”

Loki swiftly impaled one of the vibrant green blades into the tyrant’s chest cavity, while Luna began to electrocute the man with all the power she could muster. Together, they made Thanos kneel down as he struggled to overcome the pain his body could no longer handle.

“You should have never involved me in your plans. I would have loved to out-gambit you, but even my mind cannot surmount the strength you had…” Loki sighed. So this was it. What was likely to be his final battle. He would feel more disappointed if it had not been such a turnabout victory.

Loki looked over to Trixie even as he used his second blade to eviscerate Thanos more, “It seems that my daughter had more tools at her disposal though. It is unfortunate she is not awake to see our victory.”

Withdrawing his first blade, Loki prepared it to sunder straight into the man’s throat. It was about time.

“For Illidan, Volstagg, and Coulson, not to mention the untold trillions you have slain in your life terrorizing the cosmos,” Loki closed his eyes as he promised himself that this was it. That no longer would he have to suffer at the hands of this man or any other, “I, Loki Odinson, King of Asgard and Prince of Jotunheim and Equestria, sentence you to death.”

The blade found its home in Thanos’s neck, and the villain fell choking on his own blood.

Luna took the next two minutes bombarding the corpse with energy until nothing remained, while Loki instead turned to address the situation elsewhere. Thanos’s men were still alive on the ground, or at least they ought to be outside of more (welcome) interference from others.

Loki decided to address the man who had gone to help protect the evacuees, known to some as Captain America and Rogers to others. Loki didn’t really care to call him by anything less than the title he deserved, so he addressed him as such.

“Captain, report. What is going on in the coliseum?”

“With the aid of one of the…” Rogers hesitated as he attempted to remember the odd name he had been told moments ago, “Alicorns, I organized the escape of the civilians. Many expressed desire to partake in the battle, but the sight of those stubborn enough to try falling in combat made the others run all the harder.”

“I take it that we can arrange for everyone’s return?” Loki was only worried because Trixie seemed to have been worried about the Bifrost having sustained damage.

“Yes sir. The matter has already been taken care of by…Twilight?” he paused again, unsure if he had gotten it right. The Alicorn who had helped him also had done the organization, “Isn’t that a book series?”

“There are many books out there, so I have no doubt that it is a book of some variety, though I cannot claim to know of its quality or its lack thereof.”

Loki sighed as he realized he had no stomach at the moment for accomplishing actual work. He wanted to rest. And lay in bed with Luna. And not rest because of Luna.

“Can I leave you in charge of handling this clean up?”

Rogers saluted Loki and returned the respect shown to him. From what the man had seen, Loki had been willing to put his own life on the line despite being royalty, so he was redeemed in Roger’s eyes from when they first met, “As you wish, sir.”

“What about me, my ray of sunshine?” came the simultaneously amusing and annoyed voice of Stark. Loki turned to him before just pointing him to Rogers.

“Assist him with that suit of yours. Enlist Banner’s aid too,” Loki was a bit sore that his brother had been unable to help at the end, so when he saw him try to saunter off Loki beckoned him back, “Thor, you forsook your title. You will help just like the others.”

“You just enjoy seeing him do menial labor, like any good brother,” Stark laughed, though it was Loki’s response that made everyone else laugh as well. Except for Thor that was.

“Guilty as charged.”

Luna realized that Loki was making preparations to just leave, and while she was concerned about Trixie she saw that Kael was helping Trixie up to her feet. Trixie was fine, and Luna didn’t really know how to explain what just happened to her. So she’d put off that conversation until she could find a way to do so gently.

Luna winked at Loki and kissed him on the cheek as she returned to her Asgardian form, “How about we head back to Canterlot and help deal with things there? So much happened…we’ll have so much to do…”

Loki could get behind this idea. Get behind her fully with it.

Thor was pulled out of his own self-pity as he waved for his brother to leave, “Go ahead brother. We can handle things here.”

Before Loki and Luna could leave the crowd and go over to gather Trixie (who likely needed a week to sleep off everything, much like themselves), some chanting from the coliseum and the outside rim where some refugees now were began.

“Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight!”

Luna rose an eyebrow in confusion. Had none of them just seen how awesome they had been? How they defeated an undefeatable menace? Why were they calling the young princesses’ name?

“What’s going on?”

At this point it was Celestia joining them, her face displaying damage from when she had been used by the Sirens to stall Trixie and Twilight, “It seems that the ponies in attendance believe Twilight to be the one who saved the day, since she was here in the stadium helping fend off the attackers here while you all engaged in battle outside.”

If the ponies gave all the credit to Twilight Luna could most definitely see there being issues down the road. Twilight didn’t win the day. Twilight didn’t make sure the universe still existed as they all knew it. Trixie did. Luna herself had. Loki had. Even Trixie’s mother deserved the honor of having defeated Thanos, the actual threat. And besides, Trixie had wiped out the enemy fleet…

Idiots. Luna felt her old rage at her nation’s populace resurface.

“Someone should set the record straight.”

Celestia sighed, actually sympathizing with Luna on this issue but also not being willing to be a killjoy after such a momentous victory, “I agree, but right now we shouldn’t take this from them. Not yet at least. After all, we all contributed, though in different ways.”

Before the issue could carry on any further, a voice shouting caught everyone’s attention.

“No!”

Trixie was scavenging on the ground near where Thanos died rapidly. She was jittery as she looked back and forth at the small golden fragments on the ground, all that was left of the Infinity Gauntlet.

“No, no, no, no, no…Where is it?!” she began to look around to see if anyone had taken it, seemingly not willing to entertain the idea that it was gone entirely, “I…we need…I can’t…”

“Are you looking for the Infinity Gauntlet?” Loki questioned, worried for her as she frantically searched for it.

“It’s…” Luna sighed as she saw Trixie’s hopes rise at the mention of the tool, “It’s gone. I am sorry, but we couldn’t save it.”

A pause followed. Trixie just stared blankly at them for a half minute before asking in a nervous voice.

“Wh-where’s my mother?”

That was a sucker punch to Luna, who had hoped to not address the issue yet. Another day she might have been able to tell Trixie and help her through it, but right then it was too much.

“Trixie…”

Trixie gave a small smile as she looked around, the crowd looking at her with pity as most of them had seen the event and those who hadn’t could tell from Luna’s voice that things had not gone well for Trixie’s mother, “She left, right? Went back to the hospital? Because I never told her she wasn’t dying anymore. I never told her that I cured her so we could…”

Luna teleported to Trixie to wrap her up and hold her tight. The act of doing this made Trixie begin crying, as it said everything in and of itself.

“She’s gone. She took off Thanos’s arm, and…”

Luna couldn’t finish that sentence. She despised what the mare had done to Trixie years ago, but now she had something to thank her for as well: their lives.

“She loved you, and so she…” Luna couldn’t tell if it was her or Trixie that was crying more, as Trixie had grown silent as Luna held her as tight as she could, “I’m sorry Trixie…”

Loki felt at fault for the event. It had been his grenade, and he had been the one who failed to use it at an earlier time. He had never tested how quickly it would go off, he had no real idea what the range was…it was just a weapon he kept for emergencies such as this.

Now he killed the true mother of his adopted daughter. Sure, she had done it to herself, and it took Thanos out, but…

Loki sighed as he watched Trixie slowly worm her way out of Luna’s grip. He had lost his father in the same way, a parent dying to save their child, and so while he was nowhere near as close to Trixie as Luna, he still fully felt the pain she must be going through.

“I…” Trixie began as she started to move away from Luna, her back turned to the woman as her mind began to piece things together.

Trixie looked up at the sky, which had begun to grow dark as the day began to end.

“Mother…I hate you.”

Trixie’s tears continued to fall, her face crumbling as she failed to maintain her composure.

“I can never forgive you for what you’ve done to me…I can’t forget my pain, I can’t forget the toil, but…”

She lowered her head and used the red cloak provided to her earlier to wipe her tears away, only to realize that they weren’t stopping yet.

Despite everything that had happened, or rather because of it, she felt empty.

“I loved you. And in the end, that’s what hurts the most.”

Author's Note

I can't say I hope you enjoyed that, at least not in the "happy" sort of enjoyment way...but I do hope you appreciated it in the other sense of the word, because that was hard to write...

Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. I could really use the support right now, though I'd rather not talk much more about it. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to our final five chapters.

I Tried To Be Someone Else, But Nothing Seemed To Change, I Know Now, This Is Who I Really Am Inside

A/N: Tonight is the biggest chapter to date. Not in size, of course, but in meaningfulness. I hope that you all enjoy it, but by that I hope that you enjoy the story in a manner other than just "Yay, everything is happy and awesome" way. Not that kind of enjoy, the kind where you finish watching Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet and are like "That was good, even if it was depressing".

So, with that out of the way, special thanks to Mewaponny, Deadinlight, SilentMech, Amethyst Blade, kojivsleo, Ally of the Daleks, ErekLich, Killabyte, Ketvirtas, and Ozymandias42 for your thoughts and comments last chapter, and I hope to continue hearing from you all as we bring this story to a close!

Chapter title is from "The Kill" from 30 Seconds to Mars, which is a song I thought about while writing this chapter like most of the others where I use them as the chapter title. I suggest giving it a listen. :twilightsmile:

So, I hope you all enjoy, and please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

“Fandral!”

The member of the former cadre of warriors known as Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had been helping the wounded at the Coliseum when he heard his name called. Without Thor or the others to place value in him, he was just like any other Asgardian and so he was busy doing the semi-menial task of helping out those in need. Not that he minded, of course, as he was just happy that he himself survived the whole ordeal.

So, when he turned around just in time to be both tackled and hugged by someone he thought dead, he was taken aback.

“You’re…”

Sonata was absolutely beaming as she squeezed him as tightly as she could manage. Blood still marred her shirt where she had been struck by the axe, but outside of that she appeared no worse for wear. She was alive, something Fandral had previously considered himself lucky to be.

Sonata brought her face down into Fandral’s chest and let out a content breath. She had not expected to be brought back to life, but she did get a glimpse at how, “That hot Elf guy brought everyone who was dead back to life!”

She took a quick glance to the side to see that one of Thanos’s soldiers still lay dead on the ground. But, given that it appeared almost like a metal machine rather than a normal living organism she couldn’t exactly say it was alive to begin with, and she had not the philosophical mind to debate the subject of what constituted “alive”.

“Well, almost everyone, but I don’t think anybody misses them…”

Fandral didn’t mind the revelation that she was alive, or the feeling of her pressing up against him given his perverted nature, but he was perplexed. Okay, so the aide of Trixie was the only one who was an Elf to his knowledge, and he could revive the dead now? How long had he been holding that trick up his sleeve? And if he revived everyone except those who they were fighting, why was it that Sonata was here now and alive?

He had personally seen her less evil side, but how did the Elf know?

“If he wasn’t reviving villains…” he trailed off, a part of him hoping that everyone was revived who wasn’t Thanos or his men…but that would mean that Tirek, who was deceased, would be alive too. Unless an exception was made for him, but if exceptions were being made why would Sonata be alive in this instance? Did they bring her back by accident or by design?

Sonata didn’t have the capacity to understand the issue or what Fandral was partly concerned about but mostly grateful for, “I think he took pity on me or something, but whatever the case, I’m alive now!”

In the end, Fandral dismissed the issue with a smile. What mattered was that this woman had come back to life after dying to save him. While he was furious she had been a traitor, he could not bring himself to hate the dimwitted woman, “You saved my life.”

“After you saved mine,” Sonata murmured, her eyes growing softer as her face morphed into one of grief. She had done it because she cared about him, just like she would have done it once for two others, “You’re my only friend…”

Seeing how she was beginning to think about her less scrupulous companions who stabbed her in the back, Fandral decided to steer the topic away from them. They could address that issue another day.

“Let’s find you a place to rest, milady. I hear that dying takes a toll on people.”

If Kael knew that reviving Sonata would come back to bite him in the end, he never said so, though it’s entirely possible he knew that she could still play a role in their story and went out of his way to revive her for that reason.

Adagio was slumped against a wall when she was found by Trixie. Kael was busy reviving the dead with the Infinity Gem he possessed and so that left Trixie to handle other business alone.

“Come to kill me too?” Adagio sighed. She had heard the fighting, she had heard the yelling, the explosions. It wasn’t hard to surmise that the threats were no more, given the brutality of it all.

Trixie blankly looked at the Siren with no notable expression on her muzzle. Given the lack of response, Adagio winced and thought about the pain she was likely about to feel. Still, it beat the screaming in her mind. It beat the sick feeling in her abdomen as she thought every moment about what she had done. Thinking back on it all, it was like a dream. A dream where she was drunk on power and victory, where all that mattered was herself and her own petty desires.

“I wouldn’t blame you…in fact, I welcome it.”

That surprised Trixie to hear, though she again said nothing. It seemed like Adagio had more to say, and there was plenty going on in Trixie’s mind to keep her from saying anything yet. So much to consider. So much to repress. So much to decide.

“Aria’s fighting my control. They always do, but this time I can’t overpower her completely…” Adagio brought her left hand down to her body and winced again while her right arm lay limply to her side, “I’ve never taken someone’s life and power when they were my near equal. I never…I never had someone so strong willed they could fight back this hard. Oh Aria…”

Trixie could hear the regret. She hated Adagio for how power hungry and manipulative she tried to be for evil goals, but the regret noticeable in her voice made up Trixie’s mind.

“I am not so far gone as to deny you mercy, as befitting of a victor to give a foe post-defeat. I will take you to Tartarus, a prison for beings such as yourself. You will live there the rest of your life. You won’t hurt anyone else ever again.”

Trixie made sure to remove the magical necklace that helped store power for Adagio, only to notice she was wearing two now. It seemed that she had needed Aria’s as well, bringing Trixie’s mind back to how she herself had lost the tool she needed to wield the Aether.

The Infinity Gauntlet was gone. Pieces remained and with enough time perhaps someone could fix it, but she needed it now. She had her own considerable power, the Aether, the Nightmare power, Adagio’s power, Aria’s power, the crowd’s power taken by both Sirens, Celestia’s power also taken by them, had absorbed what Tirek had taken which included Discord’s and the audience’s powers as well as Sonata’s, she had absorbed the energy pouring off of Thanos in their encounter to counter him and keep herself going, and now she had no ultimately powerful tool to keep it all in check.

“I have a feeling you will regret your life choices soon enough.”

Adagio scoffed at Trixie’s words. She knew something the others didn’t then.

“As if you’re any better…”

“Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Twilight!”

The cheering had continued even on into Canterlot, where all the leaders returned to after the events. Everyone broke off and went their own way to handle this matter or another upon arriving, but Celestia and Twilight had stayed together for the sole purpose of Twilight wanting to speak about something very important with her mentor.

As they reached Canterlot Castle Celestia began to take in all the damage that had been wrought upon the structure in her short absence. Luna must have been quite busy when she confronted the riot.

Still, it was Twilight who was receiving the praise. She was the Celestia of this age, the public icon and sweetheart who people looked up to and loved. While Twilight had indeed fought and helped, both she and Celestia knew there were others far more deserving of the good will being bestowed upon them.

The fact that Twilight was not reveling in the cheering pleased Celestia though, because her student had not humored the crowds, which may have in turn caused bad blood between her and those who actually saved the day, “It’s good that you aren’t encouraging their cheering. It could cause future resentment from the mare who will be Luna’s replacement one day.”

“I haven’t really been paying attention to them to be honest…” Twilight admitted, her mind having solely been focused on the other new princess of sorts, “Princess Celestia, I’m…” she struggled to find the words to say even though she had been considering this topic for quite some time, “I’m…worried about Trixie.”

That was a very serious topic to bring up, though Twilight likely had no idea the severity of her words to Celestia. The eldest ruler of Equestria still remembered the last time she said something negative about Trixie around Luna, as well as the death threat that followed.

There had best be a good reason to bring up such a thing, so Celestia decided to inquire as to what her pupil had in her mind, “Why Twilight?”

Twilight had a good enough reason though for her worries. She had seen Trixie explode on Adagio and beat her down with a fury that belied greater issues than just the problem at hand at the time.

In fact, Twilight had been scared to follow her into battle with Tirek and Thanos because of that fact, and had instead helped with the situation in the coliseum because she was worried Trixie might perhaps continue taking out her anger in less than healthy ways. She had even saved someone she hadn’t seen in awhile because of this, but that was neither here nor there. If she hadn’t saved him though he most certainly would not have been among those returned to life, though there was no way of knowing this at the time.

Twilight had a theory behind it all though. She had once fought Trixie long ago when Trixie was corrupted by the power of the Alicorn Amulet, long before Luna even took Trixie under her wing. If that taught Twilight anything it was that power could truly corrupt, especially when its source was a tainted one.

“I think that she’s struggling right now with the power of the Aether, and she seems to have issues outside of just the villains we’ve encountered. Luna should know—”

Celestia curtly cut her off. She had learned from experience that saying your mind on such matters would not go over well, and that a more gentle, subtle approach was warranted, “Twilight, I do not think this is the time to talk to Luna about such a matter. After all we’ve all been through I think it might be best if you give this a day or two.”

“But…” Twilight complained, not wanting to contradict Celestia but also not really agreeing with her about the solution presented.

“Twilight, Luna loves Trixie and if you approach her saying that you believe her student and daughter is unwell mentally, you will be quite lucky to only be laughed off. I for one would like to see my daughter and wind down without someone blowing something up in anger.”

Hearing this confused Twilight somewhat, but this was only because she was not present when Celestia and Luna had their last spat.

Celestia thought it best if she clued Twilight in on her own hesitation to be up front about any issues she had. Twilight couldn’t possibly be hurt by knowing the truth after all, right? If it meant she wouldn’t step on any landmines, it would be for the best.

“When you fought against Trixie last, Luna threatened my life for daring to imply that she was using Trixie as a tool. Her mind was corrupted back then, as it was for quite some time, but it is a complicated issue and must be dealt with in a calm, diplomatic matter over time. Addressing it head on will only serve to further the rift between us all, a rift that has for some time been closed.”

Twilight remembered how on-edge the two sisters had been that day, though luckily it had been diffused in the end and everyone was happy.

Not wanting to be the one to ruin the social situation between them all, Twilight found herself discouraged from approaching the others about this as much as it sat wrong with her.

“I understand, Princess…”

This done, Celestia left Trixie behind to visit her daughter and relax for the rest of the day. She had been through quite the ordeal and felt drained, though she believed it to be because of the fight she had been forced to partake in against Trixie and Twilight rather than because of a huge piece of her power just being gone entirely.

Alone, Twilight began to walk around the outskirts of the castle, not entering in case she ran into Trixie, Luna, or Loki. She feared she might spill the beans and let loose her doubts and fears.

This location was perfect for her to be found though, as after she stewed and contemplated her thoughts a little more someone approached her.

“Still curious?”

Twilight looked to the side to see that Prince Blueblood was back as well. He had been saved by Twilight when she opted to not help Trixie and instead help the ponies in the stadium, the so called Prince first having snuck into the event despite having been told not to come. He had yet to be found and thrown out by the time everything went to hell, and so he was still there when Thanos’s army came and tried to execute everyone.

Twilight had saved him because she saw it as her duty as a princess, but she despised him as a pony. She knew how rude he could be after hearing stories from her friend Rarity, and her own encounters with him prior to his fleeing the country were always grating.

“Blueblood…” Twilight groaned. She hadn’t expected to see him, nor did she want to. Sure, he owed her, but it really would have been best if he didn’t.

The smarmy stallion smiled at her and gave a small bow to her, “I think for saving me I ought to show you some form of gratitude, so let me help you. We do share a common interest after all.”

Common interest? Twilight narrowed her eyes at him, her mind highly suspicious of him and whatever he had in mind. What was he talking about?

“I did not save you for any personal reason,” she sighed as she gave in to him in an attempt to be polite, “But what do you want to tell me?”

“Oh, nothing too much…” he lied, his face still smug as he shrugged, “Just that Trixie has some very interesting books in her room from what I hear…”

Twilight paused. This was definitely feeding into her craving for knowledge surrounding her former rival, but she only cared out of concern. Blueblood seemed to be out to besmirch her name. Still, if it helped explain anything Twilight would not exactly object to hearing all the facts…

“There’s also how she seemed to be affiliated with the singers who recently tried to bring harm to us all, but ended up fighting them. An interesting thing to keep in mind,” Blueblood continued as he noticed Twilight grow interested in what he had to say.

Despite her own interest though, Twilight did not want this to continue. She had internally bit the bait, but she no longer wanted to hear him slander Trixie, “Blueblood, go away. Trixie’s just been having a rough time and I want to help her. What you’re implying is slanderous and I won’t have any part in it.”

“But aren’t you curious? If not, I suppose I’ll just go and talk to her myself. She and I have so much to catch up on!”

Twilight didn’t even watch him leave or listen to him. His words had struck a cord in her…

Something was wrong, and she was going to figure it out before anything else could go wrong.

Elsewhere on the castle grounds were Luna and Loki, both of whom were barely standing after everything they had been forced to survive through, and yet either of them could hardly be happier. While soured somewhat by everything from the day, they were no longer under the shadow of Thanos. They could live happily with the knowledge that they had defeated the strongest threat in existence, and that they could now focus on being a family and living their lives in that manner without any powerful outside threat looming over them.

Luna had powered through strikes that ought to have killed her outright, yet with enough healing she managed to stumble forth through the castle while Loki used her as a way to keep himself upright. He too had been crushed and maimed, even more so, though his affliction assisted in this would be issue.

“Loki, I need to rest…” Luna coughed up as the two took a moment to rest. There was going to be a lot of work to do again rebuilding after the battle much like with the Dark Elf invasion, but that could wait long enough for Luna to sleep off her pain.

Loki ushered her on towards their room, though he did not follow in her footsteps, “Go to bed and recover. I can handle the immediate oversight here, and then I will join you.”

Luna turned around to kiss him, not caring that she was still in her equine body, “I love you.”

Loki brought a hand to the top of her large skull as she nuzzled against his face, his other hand wrapping around her back and neck to embrace her, “I love you too.”

When the two parted ways and Luna was finally about to head to her room a voice brought her to a stop.

“And here I thought love was my specialty.”

Luna turned around to see Cadance smiling at and approaching her, the pink princess of the Crystal Empire seeing Luna for the first time in many months.

“Oh, Cadance. Did you come when you heard there was a problem?” Luna gave a weak laugh as she thought about how Cadance may have been helpful to have with them. After all, the princess had the overpowered ability to make people love eachother. Perhaps it might not have worked on someone as powerful as Thanos, but having her certainly wouldn’t have hurt.

“Oh, yes, I was quite worried,” Cadance said with some exaggeration on the last word, though Luna did not catch it in her daze.

“I am thankful that you came to aid us, but we have handled all the possible threats we could have in a lifetime in a day. You should return to your empire and—”

Cadance had continued to approach Luna as the elder mare spoke, and given that there was no-one but the exhausted Luna around there was no-one to notice the sneer forming on her face as Luna spoke.

Because of this, when Luna found herself suddenly impaled by a jagged horn unlike Cadance’s it was a complete surprise.

“I heard there were problems, that you all nearly died and were exhausted…” the so-called Cadance whispered before shifting into all out taunting, “What better time to take advantage of a situation and finish all of you pathetic meddlers while you are too weak to fight back?”

The pink form of Cadance disappeared and became replaced by that of Chrystalis, still alive and having returned after her defeat so long ago.

“Chrysalis…” Luna coughed up blood as she prepared herself for a fight.

If she had not been stalled on her way to the residential ward, perhaps things may have gone differently.

Yet another pair of royalty was in the castle after splitting away from the others, though these two were in complete silence. Trixie had been sitting in her room and been hiding away from everyone else after the battle, her eyes a cross between wide and weak as she felt more power churning inside of her than she ever thought possible.

Standing at the door and keeping guard to make sure no-one disturbed her was Kael, who after quite some time broke the silence.

“Trixie, you need to—”

He was silenced without Trixie moving a hoof or even looking at him.

“Quiet. I know what I ought to do…I don’t need to tell myself that…” she let out an amused sigh, “I talk to myself enough as it is…”

Focusing on keeping herself in check, on not losing control, was barely yielding any results. The Aether was too much for her to control, but over time she was at least able to tame how it changed her. In fact it was what spurred her to initiate the plan that had its first stage completed today, of putting on the greatest show ever…

Only for Twilight to take the credit—Trixie shook her head. No, it wasn’t Twilight…it was those idiots who would forever undervalue Trixie and instead sing the praises of Twilight no matter the situation. She had gotten her own dosage of this when she defeated Twilight in combat, but that was temporary fame and adoration. She knew who the public truly loved, and it wasn’t her.

She tried to be the good student to Luna…she tried being the good leader for the people of Equestria…she tried being a good daughter to fill a hole in her life she had had since she was a child. But none of it mattered. She was nothing, and the person she tried to be did not matter at all to the others around her.

Celestia and Luna, Thor and Loki…Twilight and Trixie.

Luna broke under the pressure of her own envy and depression, Loki had broke under his own envy and seemingly death seeking ways…

A part of her had planned for this. But she wasn’t like them. She wasn’t going to let envy drive her to ignobly seize power and harm the ones she loved…

Trixie felt herself begin to cry again as she thought about what she had planned as her way out of this downward spiral. It was a single object, a single thing that could have tamed the beast swelling within her these many months, threatening to rip out of her and lash out at everyone at every given second and turn.

“I needed that Gauntlet…” Trixie was hollowed and emptied by how she would never be able to speak to her mother again. She had spoken to Loki after he lost Odin in the same way, and it seemed that there was no soul left after those weapons went off. Nothing to go to Hel, or the good equivalent of Valhalla. Loki did not have firsthand experience with the latter, but he had sighed when he explained that his father should have been there, but that he never would be able to join other good people and champions in that world.

“Mother, you saved me, but…”

It’s time.

Trixie shook her head at the sound of the voice in her head, refusing to listen to it, “No. I know I set things up to carry on from here, but I…”

You know you crave it as much as any of them once did.

“I…” she sobbed, “I can’t…”

It’s easy. Just let go.

“No!” Trixie finally shouted, losing her depressed expression and gaining one of fury in its place, “I can keep control. I don’t need that device to keep my power in check! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. I won’t let it change me, I won’t fall to the power of an artifact ever again! I couldn’t overcome the Alicorn Amulet, but I’m different now! Even then I was able to restrain myself to avoid doing anything irreversible, and I can do the same now with the Aether. I can overcome the Nightmare power Luna failed to!”

You’ve already changed. You just refuse to see it. Just let go.

“Be quiet! Shut up! I am not…”

Trixie took a deep breath in. No…she would not give in to the temptations that clouded her mind. She would not be like all the others in her place.

She stood up and had to take deep breaths to keep herself from caving in on herself and crumbling to the ground in misery. Her body was searing and her mind had grown hazier as the day had come to its close.

“I need to calm down…”

She could have visited Luna, but the Princess was the last person Trixie wanted to see to calm down. There was too much emotion tied into even the thought of Luna for Trixie to consider going to her.

There were others though…in fact, there were two in particular who wouldn’t judge her…wouldn’t talk down to her, wouldn’t see her as pathetic.

Sleep Near and Hela would love her no matter what, because newborn foals weren’t jaded or corrupted like everyone else. Even the thought of the two innocent beings helped calm Trixie down, so it was with this in mind that she decided to pay them a visit.

“My good sir, I am looking for a certain pony who wrongfully considers herself a princess. Could you be of assistance in helping me locate her?”

“Trixie might be with her family.”

“She’s not at her room, she’s not with Luna, and she’s not with that outsider Ikol or whatever his name is,” Blueblood muttered to himself, “Where else could she be here?”

“Visiting her newborn siblings, my Prince.”

“Bring me to them.”

Had there been a less lax security force that day Blueblood would never have been able to enter the building. He wouldn’t have been able to find a guard who was nursing a variety of injuries under and over his orange fur and who wasn’t in the greatest states of mind.

The issue noticed and observed earlier that day by Luna and many others would finally come back to bite them.

When Trixie left her room she had left the door open, her mind too scattered and distracted to focus on such simple things as shutting a door. This would otherwise be cured by having someone else with her like Kael, but he had similarly left it open when he followed Trixie as a silent sentinel.

This meant that anyone who so pleased could stroll on in, and so while she felt bad about it Twilight did so. She needed to figure out this mystery so she could solve whatever was going on before it erupted and became a big issue. She was the Princess of Friendship, and so it was her duty to make sure rifts and issues would not interfere with their everyday lives. She had been so busy in Ponyville she had not noticed anything arising in Canterlot, yet now she had the chance to possibly help out and prevent another in-fight.

What she found made her go from worried to frightened gradually as she looked at every single word on the papers she found.

“Bifrost books…Ancient Equestrian Threats…The Art of Mind Control…” she gasped as she found what appeared to be designs to accompany the texts, “Are these blueprints?”

Twilight put everything down as she shuddered at a dark thought that just crept into her mind.

“Trixie, what have you done?”

It took some time, but Trixie managed stumble her way to the nursery. While harmed physically that day and having used a lot of energy, her wounds were healed and exhaustion alone would not make her falter while walking. It was the heaviness of what was on her mind that caused her to sway back and forth and even crash into the wall on occasion.

When she reached her destination she pushed the door open and let out a content breath. She could relax here.

Scootaloo had since left, and when she did so the guard she defeated in combat had been removed. If he had been left there, Blueblood wouldn’t have a guide, but Trixie didn’t know of any of that.

Their cribs kept the infants out of view from Trixie in the doorway, but she could hear their soft breathing. They were asleep, or just being mute as Hela was prone to being, but that was just fine.

Trixie approached one crib and looked in with a smile. Below her was the pale little girl who, in a different time, would become a sadistic monster born from tragedy. This was the baby who could become that, but that didn’t mean she would be…

Trixie brought a hand down to brush against the silent, sleeping infant’s face. The only noise she let out was that of the air releasing from her body. With a dark green blanket draped over her it appeared that Loki had made sure she was comfortable, since green was only his color.

Well, it was all of theirs in a way because of the saying “green with envy”, but Luna preferred her black and blue, and Trixie was blue and purple.

“Hela…”

How that name brought pain to Trixie…only to vanish as soon as Trixie repeated the mantra that this was a different girl. This wasn’t the one who tortured her and so many people. This was a sweet, innocent girl who would one day be the best daughter Luna could hope for.

Feeling less on the edge, Trixie turned to face the other infant in the room, Sleep Near. Scootaloo had taken her own sister with her when she left to meet up with Rainbow Dash, and Celestia had taken Ataxia for a nap in her own room along with the newly returned Discord. This meant they had the room all to themselves, sans the quiet presence of Kael standing vigilantly behind Trixie.

“Sleep Near…” Trixie sighed as she looked down at the foal who had too many limbs. He was surely going to be made fun of in the future, but hopefully he wouldn’t give in to his own grief like his parents had when they were ostracized. A family of pariahs, that they were, and any who would say otherwise were deluding themselves. One day they might be loved like others, but they did not have the natural draw and pull their counterparts had.

Sleep Near was a good person even in the reality Hela was twisted in, which meant that in this better one he was likely going to be even better. Luna would have two children who were great and would love her, and that thought made Trixie want to give up everything in her soul to be a part of.

“You will grow up and be perfect. I know you will.”

She paused and looked down away from them. They wouldn’t remember any of this, but she had always been keeping record of what she was doing so it perhaps wouldn’t matter.

She wanted only one thing as much as she wanted to be with them, and that is what she was struggling with. There was no way to have both.

“I…I’m…”

“No better than that deceased whore who you called mother.”

Trixie’s heart jolted at the voice.

No…it couldn’t be…

She turned around slowly as her body froze up. Not him…not now…

When Trixie turned to face Blueblood she lost the warmness and kindness in her voice. He was standing right in the doorway with a guard behind him lazily, though Blueblood corrected this by shutting the door and creating a sense of privacy.

“You,” Trixie snarled. She wanted to hurt him for everything his father did now that he said those words. She had no faith in this fool. She didn’t think that he had it in him to be any better than what he proved himself to be thus far.

If he wasn’t her brother, she may have killed him outright for his callous statement towards her mother.

The stallion did not appear to be put off by her anger, as if he didn’t care and even expected it, “Yes, it is I, Prince Blueblood in the flesh, returning after a disgraceful exile brought about by you and your disgusting mentor. At least, disgusting is the word I believe most would use to describe any mare who would create those half-breeds you call siblings.”

Trixie shook her head back and forth while growling at him, “Shut up, you insolent, recalcitrant foal.”

“Did I hit a nerve? What, are you mad that your mother was nothing more than some abusive, drunken whore? That your so called siblings are half-breeds who will one day be as depraved as their mother, father, and sister,” he mocked with a sneer towards the infants in the room.

“Shut up or—”

His verbal barrage had been planned and he would not let her interrupt his moment of payback for what she did to him. He had spent months studying her, looking into her life, and now it was time to make her cry and whimper, “Or what? I’m a Prince, and you are just the adopted daughter of a traitor,” he returned to his planned words and even began approaching Trixie with the same smug look on his face as when he and her first met, “And actual daughter of the lowest part of our society. I am surprised you ever managed to amount to anything with such a pathetic mother.”

That was enough to set Trixie off and bring up something she had been trying to hide from herself for over a year.

“Well it certainly wasn’t because of our father!”

What should have been a shocking revelation instead only made him pause.

“Oh?” Blueblood questioned quietly, though Trixie watched with abject horror as his previous expression returned from the blank one he had adopted briefly, “Oh do you think yourself special because we share half our blood?” he jabbed a hoof into her chest and laughed as he brought it back to point at himself, “Silly foal, I am his legitimate heir. You are a bastard daughter whose mother was lucky enough to have my father spend the night with her.”

Trixie froze, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping at him.

This was exactly what Blueblood desired after he had been so humiliated by this mare. He wanted to make her feel as low as possible to match the feeling he had when he was shaved all over his body and humiliated to the point he left the country, “I am so glad I could catch you right now at this very moment. Your wit must be dulled by the long day you’ve had. What, does a cat have your tongue?”

Trixie forced herself to snap her jaw shut and to avert her eyes. She couldn’t take this anymore. Not now. Especially not now.

“That's enough. Get out and shut up. I won’t warn you again.”

Blueblood just laughed at her threat. As if she could do anything to him without her so called “mother” there to make the royal decree or allow it? Her reaction was feeding into exactly what he wanted from her.

“Ooooh, big scary mare. What, you think I buy all those stunts you’ve pulled off were your own work? Bah, you were a street rat who Princess Luna has been carrying this entire time. Why should I fear you?”

Trixie lowered her head and began to mutter to growl in increasing volume, “Shut up, shut up…”

“Where is Princess Luna, anyways? You look like you could use a hoof here, and I bet she’s on the other side of the castle with that ape making yet another disgusting half-breed child to replace you.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Trixie continued as a mantra with increasing intensity, though it had no effect on the stallion out to taunt her.

“What, does thinking about the princess having such disparaging physical contact with another race disturb you?” Blueblood brought a hoof to brush across Trixie’s face in a mockingly gentle manner, “I could show you how it should be done, even if you are marginally related to me. You’re large enough and have big enough hips to possibly even prove your worth having a child one day…”

Trixie’s body was as tight as it could be as she fought to keep herself from beating the stallion to death. Her mother wanted her to forgive others, yet she found it nearly impossible to feel anything but outright hatred for this disgusting example of a living being, “Shutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutup—”

“How about it? Would you like to be just like your whore of a mother? I can add you to my list of consorts. Plenty of mares here in Canterlot are willing to do anything for a few bits, not to mention social status…” Blueblood trailed off as he remembered all the mares he had taken in and then spurned for nothing more than his own amusement. There was a steady stream of them in his social world.

“Here, you’re too shocked and weak to really do anything, so let me help you,” he laughed offensively, “Knowing your old fashioned mentor, she may even make you wed me, but I would of course decline. I can’t have myself be lowered to marrying such an impudent mare, even if she is attractive…”

Trixie found herself hyperventilating and unable to speak as his words processed in her mind. The sheer audacity and despicableness of the stallion could not have possibly made her any angrier than she was, for in that moment she hated him even more than she had hated the monster Thanos.

“Come on, follow the example of both of your mothers and be a good little mare for me. I’ve wanted to make you pay for ruining my reputation for over a year now, you disgusting bitch.”

Trixie’s horn began to glow as Blueblood brought a hoof down her side sensually, though it did nothing but further her building rage, “I said…”

If he had taken another move towards her he would have died in that moment, but he had some time yet to live because he backed off to laugh even more.

“Hahahaha, that’s what you want to hear, don’t you?” “You’re just as petty as I am. You want every reason to hate me, and I won’t give you the pleasure. Why do I need to bother myself with being like my father when I can have everything I want, and what I like are high class mares, not anything and everything.”

In a shocking turn for Trixie, he revealed himself to have been making a sick, dark joke. Her bided anger deflated at this, though the fact that he was willing to be such a disgusting pervert in even the form of words kept her still on the tipping point of her sanity that she had spent so many hours trying to keep in check.

“You see, sister, you and I are very different. I am comfortable and have always been happy with what I have been granted in this life, while a low class wretch like you has clawed her way up to the top every step of the way, and now that you’re here you’re is coming to the realization that somepony like you never deserved anything more than the small pittance you were born with alongside that deceased whore—”

Unfortunately for him, the revelation that it was a joke did nothing to endear him to the mare who was still grieving her mother. While Trixie held resentment towards her mother, the fact that this stallion dared insult her so egregiously after she died saving them all nobly was the last straw.

“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Luna teleported sluggishly to the side of Chrysalis to dislodge the latter’s misshapen horn, and once free of the appendage Luna threw her whole weight into her opponent to set her off balance. Chrysalis was powerful and could even defeat a fully powered Celestia under the right circumstances, but she did not have the tricks that Luna had built up over time.

A magic strike of any importance would be too much for Luna to charge and hold long enough to aim and use, so she began to focus on ending this physically.

Chrysalis recovered from the strike to her side by turning and kicking Luna fiercely in the chest, placing her long, swiss cheese legs in the way of her stomach as if to protect her insectoid abdomen. Luna paid no mind to this and took the strike head on before batting down Chrysalis’s legs with her face and then stomping on them midway down.

While Chrysalis was not as tired, she was no tougher than either Luna or Celestia, so having her legs crushed made her howl in pain. This slowed her down as she tried to turn around and shoot Luna with a beam of magic she had initially meant to shoot through the point she stabbed her only for Luna to teleport.

Luna sidestepped the beam and then rushed forward to again use her head as a battering ram. She caught her opponent in the throat and made Chrysalis cough out for a moment because of her damaged wind passage, giving Luna the time she finally needed to charge up a beam of magic to blast Chrysalis back with.

The magic struck Chrysalis and knocked her off her feet, the Changeling Queen awkwardly falling onto her side as she tried to steer herself in her fall. She was not at 100% either, but not for the same reason as Luna.

Still, Luna reigned victor as she threatened her fallen foe with a long and sharp horn so as to keep her from getting back up and trying to fight, “Even weakened, I defeated you. You must be out of practice after all those months masquerading as Cadance,” Luna was almost grateful that her time in constant conflict left her capable of fighting and doing so scrappily, “When did you replace her?”

Realizing her defeat, Chrysalis let herself fall prone. She could not defeat these ponies even when they were at their weakest…though perhaps that was because their current weakest state lay entire tiers above where it once had been. They had improved, while her own skills had regressed as of lately. Still, she had to take the chance lest she forever lose the opportunity to end them all, since she doubted she would ever receive such an opportunity again.

Chrysalis sighed as she realized just how defeated she was, as well as how she was likely going to be punished for this all, “Many months back, so many in fact that I cannot even recall the precise date. Some ponies took notice and started rumors that I was acting out of it because I was carrying a foal,” she closed her eyes and sighed again, one hoof falling to her lower abdomen, “They weren’t entirely wrong.”

Luna gaped as she looked down at what was a curve she had not noticed before on Chrysalis, “You…”

She was masquerading as Cadance for quite some time…that meant that it was quite likely that whatever foal she was going to have was from the stallion whose wife she replaced.

Just how sick and wrong the situation infuriated Luna to even think about, and if it didn’t mean killing an innocent foal she would have slain Chrysalis right there.

“You disgusting witch!”

Chrysalis didn’t complain, since she both understood and did not care what Luna had to say about this.

“Shining Armor truly believed me to be his beloved. I didn’t even have to use any mind alteration on him this time, since he scoffed at the idea that he had lost his lover twice to an impersonator. A foolish delusion I took advantage of.”

That still left out an important aspect of the whole impersonation issue, one that left Luna worried and feeling sick to her stomach because of what might be a dark answer.

“Where is Cadance?”

Fortunately, Chrysalis was not above keeping a hostage, “She is imprisoned in the place I once was. How trusting she can be when she thinks she is in charge of an Empire isolated from everywhere else…” she snorted at how she just lost what she had slowly gained power over and assimilated into. She never expected the charade to last forever, but now she could not even continue that, “She’d have loved to visit more, I suppose, but I didn’t care to. Easier to manipulate events when you are at the top of the food chain in a place with little outside interference.”

“You disgust me.”

Chrysalis sighed and kept her eyes closed, a part of her worried that perhaps this would finally be the end of her life, “So, are you going to kill us?”

“As much as I wish to, I am a new mother myself. I will imprison you though, and after you carry your foal to term I will see about how to judge you,” Luna growled as she thought about this. The way Chrysalis said “us” made it sound as if she was going to use this as a way of defending herself from the start, “And how dare you use a child as a shield. As a tool for your obsession…”

Luna would have insulted and demeaned Chrysalis for her wickedness even more if not for the loudest explosion Luna had ever heard. She half expected to see a wave of energy cascade from the direction she heard it, but no such thing happened.

Still, the sound was enough to get Luna to look towards where it came from.

“What was…”

It was when she looked to the side and could see the explosion come through the roof of a part of the castle visible through a nearby window that her heart froze and Luna panicked.

The entire roof of the nursery had exploded in a violent burst of magic with a whole variety of colors that lit up the night sky. Fire too burst forth from the room, and Luna found herself screaming at the sight.

“Sleep Near, Hela!”

The light carried on enough to be visible for miles as it ascended further and further into the sky.

The day’s tragedies had only just begun. Thanos had only been the set up to the true events that ended their story, and it was with this fusion of events that the family created from good will and emotional turmoil came to fall apart.

It was the day that Trixie remembered who she was, not who others wanted her to be.

Author's Note

I think I'll say more after next chapter, but I believe I have made mention before that the story wasn't over...sorry if you thought everything was all set and good, but I've had 52 chapters of build up for this.

I hope you all enjoyed, and will join me in our final arc these coming weeks! Four chapters (and the epilogues) to go, so please leave your thoughts in the comments below! Hope you guys aren't too angry, but I can't say I regret anything here.

Familiar Faces Smiling Back At Me And I Knew, This Would Make Them Change, The Only Thing That's Going to Bother Me, Is That You'll All Call Yourselves MY Friends, Why Can't You Look Me In The Eyes One Last Time?

A/N: Hey everyone, this is now the longest chapter of the story and it is by far the most meaningful for the story's overall message and for its themes. I don't want to say too much about it, but I will address it in the comments when I hear from you.

Thank you everyone for supporting the story this far. I have been waiting for this chapter for over a year, and so it would mean a lot to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I hope you enjoy in the same manner as last chapter, and I really do hope to hear what you all think!

Luna had fear running down her spine to the point she was completely stricken by the sight of the nursery room exploding so violently. She attempted to teleport to that part of the building so she could rush right to the site of the now fading cataclysm of energy rising to the sky, but her attempt failed as her exhausted body failed to gather enough power to carry out the action. Her recent scuffle with Chrysalis had robbed her of what little energy she did have, and now she was left as a weakened and wounded being unable to cast magic.

“Damn it!” she cursed as she forced her pained body into a gallop down the hallway. Chrysalis was still capable of escaping, but Luna would rather grant the villain a chance to escape and make sure her children were fine than secure Chrysalis and not rush to the side of her infant children.

The energy displayed had been so great that it significantly narrowed its source of origin down to a single being, and that was what worried Luna, “That had to be…”

Something had happened to Trixie while she was seemingly visiting the foals, though what would make Trixie unleash her power in such a way? What would make Trixie possibly harm the foals she seemed to care about so much?

Though sheer determination Luna managed to get to the nursery as fast as her hooves could carry Luna even as her body threatened to collapse beneath her. She was one of the first to arrive at the scene, though the others who were there did not dare approach the room: the explosion had stopped and all that was left was an inferno of red, searing flames.

Not caring about the fire, Luna leapt into the room through the doorway left open by how energy forced the door open.

Upon entering Luna noticed that there were flames curved around the cribs like mini-barriers of sorts, though all that registered in her mind was the fact that the cribs looked perfectly intact unlike the rest of the scorched room.

“Sleep Near, Hela!”

Luna leapt over some of the flames as they spread on the ground so she could place herself between the two cribs. She was physically exhausted, but a fragment of her magic had returned to her and she managed to use it to part the fire and remove her twins from the fire that had formed around them.

Each of the foals appeared fine, with Sleep Near even being asleep despite everything and Hela awake but silent as always. Luna brought them in close to her and laid them on her long back, unable to use telekinesis on them any longer.

“I’m so happy you’re okay…I…”

The fact that they were safe made Luna start crying. Someone had saved them, and for that she would be eternally grateful.

Luna left the still burning room carefully and methodically, not even minding the flames that nipped at her legs as she cautiously balanced the two infants on her back.

When she got outside she was met by Loki, who rushed to her and both used his limited magic to cool her burn wounds as well use his arms to take the children from her back, “Luna…”

Luna let herself fall down to the ground after the children were in Loki’s arms. She couldn’t bear to stand anymore, and her mind was still reeling at what just happened, “What just happened?”

Loki shook his head and sighed. He had his owns ideas, but he was going to keep them in his head for the time being. Luna was in bad enough shape that she did not need cynical yet realistic ideas about what was going on now. He could be wrong, but like Twilight he was capable of putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

“Whatever that was, it most certainly involved Trixie. None of us have that kind of power right now except her.”

Luna said nothing to this, not knowing how to rationalize what just happened. She refused to think that Trixie willingly endangered the foals, and yet she couldn’t understand what Trixie could have been doing that would result in such a thing. Had she simply lost control of her power?

Her thinking about the issue was halted by her eyes lazily coming across the door that had been blown off its hinges. The door was scorched black on the inside where it had been bombarded with magic…except for an outline that formed against it.

Luna gaped at the sight, once again shocked that night, “Is that…”

Loki moved closer to observe the door as other members of the castle began to whisper and speak, having gotten over their own initial shock. It only took Loki a moment to recognize the marking on the door.

It was an outline of a stallion, though it was hard to notice much in the way of details given its 2D nature. What it did reveal though was that there was somepony in the room with Trixie, as well as that they no longer existed given their outline splattered against the door that had been blown out and away from the room.

“She killed someone,” Loki announced not as a condemnation but rather as a statement of the facts. He had killed before, and Trixie was quite gentle compared to him and Luna, so he wouldn’t raise an issue over this if it was all that happened.

Still, Luna was not about to just accept that Trixie had done something so terrible as murder in their very own castle. She could have been defending herself for all they knew, and since Trixie was not there and had left no trace they could not ascertain the actual truth just yet, “We don’t know that!”

“It appears to be a pony…” Loki clarified, not having the same moral outrage at the idea as Luna. Now that she was back in her normal body without her mind corrupted she was the softer of the two of them on such issues, “Was there anyone she could have a grudge against?”

Luna snickered momentarily as she thought about how well they all harbored resentment, “Only about half the world,” realizing quickly this was not the time to joke about their collective issue, she quieted down and tried to think about the issue at hand. She had killed someone, so it likely was someone she truly despised, “But…”

Loki looked over the room and realized that perhaps someone else had a hand in this all. He waved a hand and used the last of his magic to quell the fires, their very presence a sign that perhaps they still had more to consider, “She doesn’t use fire…”

“So her pet Elf was here too when it happened,” Luna finished his thought, a part of her hoping that perhaps this was his doing and not Trixie’s. It would explain why there were fire barriers around the cribs if he was the one to instigate the explosion, which he perhaps had enough power to do, since he would have been able to react quickly enough to shield the foals if he instigated the issue.

One of the guards who had come to observe the incident came to his princess and bowed before her, “Princess Luna, there is another outline on the wall as well, along with fragments of a guard’s armor!”

Luna looked up to see that a second outline of a pony rested on the wall across the hallway from the nursery room. Given the position of the markings it seemed like the guard had been close to the door when the explosion happened. Had he been listening in and paid the price with his life?

Luna would mourn the loss of one of her workers if not for the fact that whomever this was allowed whoever was meeting with Trixie to cause the whole issue. If they had done their proper duty as a guard they would have removed any ill intentioned person, so their stupidity or ignorance almost made them complicit in the event and their own death.

“Well whoever he was apparently was so poor at his job that he let someone do this!” Luna growled, finding strength through her anger which thusly allowed her to rise up from the ground.

Loki approached her and shook his head, “Luna, calm down. We need to find them, and for that we need cool, collected heads.”

“I…”

Luna’s anger left her at his guidance, and thus her strength to stand faded. She fell back down and brought her head as close to her body as she could. Luna wanted to just cry and be miserable about everything they had to go through, but she had a feeling it was not over just yet.

“Right now you can barely stand and I am not much better. Let us give this the night and have your soldiers search in the meantime,” Loki suggested. If Trixie did not want to be found they would not be able to given her illusions and teleportation magic, so there was no use in either Loki or Luna pursuing her because of their exhausted bodies. They wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Luna glanced up at the babies Loki gently held in his arms, a part of her almost amused by how even now Sleep Near managed to sleep through it all. He was living up to his name.

“They are sleeping in our room.”

“Of course.”

They assigned servants to patrol everywhere they could think of up to and including the former Ursa caves and the house formerly belonging to Trixie’s mother, and after some explanations to the rest of their family they headed to bed.

Despite it all, Luna had a knot in her stomach. Something did not sit right with her, though she was not nearly as close to the truth as either Loki or Twilight.

“Oh Trixie…”

Trixie had suffered enough because of how Luna involved her in her life, and she was resolved to put an end to that. They deserved to live a happy life together after everything they had all gone through.

The night’s search yielded no results in locating either Trixie or her companion, but once he had more time to consider the issue at night Loki had come up with a better solution to the problem. He gathered to meet Luna, Thor, Celestia, Twilight, Maiev, Fandral, and the Siren Sonata who insisted on tagging along with Fandral. He was unsure what would be waiting for him in Asgard due to Thanos mentioning that he had left something there for him, so he was going to bring the strongest fighters they had when he implemented his new plan for finding Trixie.

They had gathered in the place Trixie used to train, and so Loki spoke to the others as they gathered around the field, “We should meet with the guardian Heimdall in Asgard. His nearly omniscient sight should allow us to find her easier than we might otherwise be able to.”

There were few arguments. Everyone wanted to find the missing duo so that they could all begin to relax and enjoy the freedom from Thanos they had earned.

“You are right,” Luna commented, though no-one else said much on the issue. Everyone was tight lipped because of their own personal feelings and insecurities about the issue, and it would not be until later that they shared their thoughts.

As the group began its preparations for leaving, Luna found her gaze caught by the sight of a tree she had not noticed before. Nearby her sat a cherry blossom tree with a brilliant glow to its pink petals…how long had that been there? She tried to think, but she couldn’t remember it.

How little had she been paying attention these past months as she prepared for the foals? She had not even noticed and could not even remember having a tree added to their garden. It was beautiful though, and Luna began to think about the tree.

It was supposed to symbolize something, but she was still feeling a bit tired and was unable to recall the pertinent meaning behind it.

Despite this she approached it and moved to touch one of its brilliant petals…which wilted and the entire set of pink petals lost their color and died the moment she did so.

The tree had lost its petals some time ago, but illusions and magic kept up its pretty appearance even after it lost its beauty. Luna winced at the sight of the empty tree left behind, though she decided she would get another such tree to make up for it upon her return. She was beginning to remember a bit about talking with Trixie some months back about this, but she hadn’t thought of it since as if something had kept her from doing so.

In fact, Luna began to have what seemed like a haze lift off her mind the more she thought down this path. She had originally intended to take the Aether away from Trixie, yet somehow she had stopped thinking about that and stopped worrying even despite having every reason to. Why was that?

As Luna confronted her own memories, Loki was approached by one of the people he had decided to bring along. There were more he could take, but many of the soldiers of both Jotunheim and Asgard were sapped of their strength as was Discord.

“Loki?”

He looked down to see that the former rival of the missing Alicorn was at his side, “Purple Smart—” Loki stopped himself to correct his error, “I mean Princess Twilight. You do wish to aid us, correct?”

He asked only because he did not want to involve anyone not willing, and he had little clue about how Twilight felt about her former rival nowadays. They could still be bitter enemies for all he knew, but he honestly doubted that.

Twilight nodded her head and smiled at him sadly, “Yes. I’m worried about Trixie.”

Loki looked from side to side to check if anyone was close enough to hear them. Once he was sure enough he could whisper he leaned in to speak in a hushed voice to Twilight, “I am too, and not in the same way Luna is.”

To that Twilight nodded. After what she had found in Trixie’s room she was quite concerned, even more so than she had been at first, and so she continued down the path set before her when she witnessed Trixie go berserk on Adagio.

Seeing that he had someone to aid him in this secret matter, Loki continued to whisper, “When we arrive at Asgard, I have a task I would like you to undergo.”

Twilight nodded, dedicated to the cause of helping out someone in need who she felt really needed a friend, “Anything to help.”

“Very well then,” Loki checked again to see if anyone was listening in on them, “You will depart to Jotunheim. It is a frigid world, and the inhabitants are not the most welcoming. You have the power to protect yourself from them which is why I ask this of you.”

“What will I do when I go there?”

Something had not sat right with Loki ever since the reveal of Trixie’s secret weapon in the middle of the Thanos conflict, “During the battle Trixie was in control of two Bifrosts, one of which she called on the missing King of Jotunheim, Laufey, to use.”

A lightbulb lit up in Twilight’s head as she realized that there was some meaning behind what she found in Trixie’s room, “So you think…”

Loki nodded, “Search for a similar structure on their world, as I assume it might be hidden. Do whatever you need to in order to locate it.”

“I’ll find this structure and then return to you all to help you with whatever is going on. May I ask the importance of this though?”

“If it is hidden as I suspect it could be where we need to go to find her, a refuge of sorts. It is just a thought though, and this way we can eliminate it as a place to search at the same time we handle more obvious locations,” he explained, though any further conversation he would have with Twilight was cut short by someone calling her name.

“Twilight!”

Both Twilight and Loki looked to the approaching group made up of Twilight’s friends. They all moved to hug her, which she returned with a bright smile.

“Hey girls!” she smiled before sheepishly taking note of a small purple reptile hugging her leg, “And Spike.”

Rainbow Dash looked around and rose an eyebrow at the gathering of random people in the yard, “Where are you going, Twi?”

“We’re going to go try and find Trixie. She’s gone missing and we’re worried.”

“Need a hoof? I bet we can help you in whatever you’re doing!” Rainbow enthusiastically said back, having been irritated previously at being unable to fight the big villains at the stadium. She wanted to feel like she was accomplishing something, since even Scootaloo got to tell an awesome story of how she beat up a security guard and all Rainbow had to say was that she beat some grunts who got in the way of the evacuation.

Twilight frowned as she shook her head at the others, “I’m sorry girls, where I’m going I don’t think you’ll be able to go too.”

“Awww, come on,” Rainbow Dash complained, though Rarity patted the excited Pegasus on the side before speaking to Twilight.

“It’s okay Darling, just come back soon. Everypony back in Ponyville wants to celebrate all you’ve done.”

Twilight laughed as she thought about the party her friends were going to throw her and how much in contrasted with the frigid world she was about to go to, “I don’t plan on being gone long. I hear it’s chilly there.”

Spike spoke up next, still holding onto Twilight’s leg like a child might, “Be safe, okay?”

Loki watched as Twilight gave him a warm, affectionate pat on the head as she spoke to him in the same caring tone a mother or older sister might to a young child.

“I promise.”

After everyone was sure they were ready and rested, the entire group had Heimdall call down the Bifrost for them and within moments the entire party was transported to Asgard.

The experience was slightly off-putting for those less used to it like Twilight and Celestia, though Loki ignored the former’s slight dizziness as they arrived. It was time to send her on her way to Jotunheim.

“Twilight.”

The princess shook her head free of the disorientation and prepared herself to leave, Heimdall making the necessary preparations in silence from his station that controlled the circular room’s magic.

“On it. Hopefully you guys find her first!”

As Twilight left for Jotunheim the rest of the group gathered together and found themselves relieved that the place was not crawling with minions of Thanos.

“Where is she going?” Celestia asked, partially concerned with how Twilight was splitting off from them all.

Loki waved a hand to calm her fears, though he was not entirely sure it would be completely safe. And not just because of the Frost Giants remaining there trying to kick her out, “She is running an errand for me on Jotunheim.”

That silenced Celestia, though Luna spoke up soon thereafter. Across the room, where there was normally an exit, it was sealed and a group of four people stood. Heimdall moved to join them, at which point Luna voiced her confusion.

“Wait, that’s…”

Heimdall, Lady Sif, Hogun…Volstagg…and Kael.

While surprised by Volstagg being across the room and not in Hel, Luna found herself surprised by the presence of one of the people they were searching for, “Kael!”

Kael had his back turned to them all while the four others stood two on either side of him. His body was glowing as if he was channeling magic, and the stone cold expressions on the faces of the other four made what would otherwise have been a warm welcoming off-putting and intimidating.

Something was wrong.

Kael finished whatever he was doing and turned around, revealing that he was in his full cloth and armor again. His face was impassive as he began to speak, stopping Luna mid-step as she first tried to move towards them, “Energy…power…my people are addicted to it. A dependence made manifest after our Sunwell was destroyed.”

Loki stepped forward and put an arm in front of Luna, who realized that this was not a friendly greeting. They were trapped inside the Bifrost and Heimdall was the only one who could control it, and his blank expression showed that he was not exactly “there”.

Kael laughed as he gestured to the glowing energies of the room, “Welcome to the future. A pity you are too late to stop it. No-one can stop me now!”

Realizing the betrayal both shocked and angered Luna. What was the reason behind this? What did this man think he was doing?

Luna pushed past Loki’s arm and began to charge up her energy, having regained it over the full night of sleep.

“You bastard! What is it with Elves and trying to take over this kingdom?”

Kael scoffed as he snapped his fingers once, “I have no desire to rule this land, but I do have a need for some of your resources.”

Luna would have shot a powerful beam of energy right at him, but an axe swinging by her face stopped her from finishing the attack. Her whole focus was thrown into avoiding the startling display of speed by none other than Volstagg, the man quiet as he began to hack and slash away at Luna as she did her best to avoid him.

“Thank you Volstagg.”

The others moved to help Luna and stop the rapid pursuit of the surprisingly nimble warrior, though Kael made no move to help the man doing his bidding.

“He was brought here broken, defeated, by Thanos’s soldiers while the events in Equestria unfolded. Heimdall killed the soldiers sent, something I doubt Thanos expected, leaving Volstagg here to recover in your medical chambers until now. He and the others were not quite prepared for my influence.”

Loki clenched a fist as he began to analyze the situation. He would have assisted Luna if not for something he had hidden from all the others: someone had stolen his blades at some point the night before, likely when he was distracted by the nursery incident.

“You…”

Being betrayed was something that Loki despised, though he was used to it in some ways. Having someone betray him and seize control seemingly of the minds of his loyal servants to then pit them against him? That was infuriating. To use these loyal people to attack his family?

Kael would need to be punished over the course of eternity for this.

With the quick dancing around of Luna and Volstagg it was quite hard for the others on her side to get in the way, but eventually someone managed to: Fandral swooped in and landed a boot against the side of his friend. He would do whatever he could to knock sense into the burly man, having lost him once and not wishing to go through that ever again. They were true friends, and the loss had brought Fandral to tears in a way even the death of his king was unable to.

From the sidelines Sonata stood back as the only one not trying to fight other than Loki, for she did not have much in the way of aiding them attack given her limited power, “Fandral…”

“What is your goal here, Sunstrider?” Loki growled as Fandral began to engage Volstagg in combat, the former combatant only able to avoid Volstagg’s strikes because the man’s strength and sweeping movements gave brief moments of respite when one was avoided.

Kael smirked as he gestured to the glowing inside of the Bifrost, which glowed with the energies granted to it by the Sunwell Kael had helped add in the past year, “With the power of this, mixed with the fountain of energy that is my Sunwell, I can attain the means needed to return to my world,” he laughed as he watched Volstagg land a strong punch on Fandral to send him reeling back, “But that is not all. I have kept it hidden until now, but my mind control capabilities are greatly expanded by all of the power I have been gathering as of recently.”

Volstagg moved to bring his axe down on Fandral, but a pair of beams from Celestia and Luna caused the imposing warrior to stumble to the side and miss.

“Soon everyone will quit their petty disputes and wars and be forced to an era of peace. My reach will be unlimited when this device finishes charging from the power I have poured into it, and then I will have the control and power I need to save my people,” Kael continued with ardor, though he paused to give his next words weight, “Even from themselves.”

Maiev tackled Volstagg but was pushed back by an aura of energy surrounding him, as if he was being empowered by some massive source of energy. Luna turned her attention from the implacable man to Kael and growled, “That’s enough! Where is Trixie you duplicitous bastard!?”

“Why, if I told you that I would not be very good at this evil overlord role I have been cast in, would I?” he shook his head and laughed quietly, “You will find her when you are finished with me, though that is assuming you can overcome me.”

The Elf cast a hand towards his mind controlled minion and gave a command, “Volstagg, no more holding back. Finish them.”

With a violent swing the bulkiest member of the Warriors Three knocked back Luna and Maiev both, the former able to dodge enough to then teleport out of the full damage while the latter was forced to brace herself with her weapon. She stumbled back but not too far, her armor insulating her from a good deal of the damage while the initial strike was stopped by her own weapon which was now sporting cracks and damage.

The display continued to amuse Kael, who continued to narrate as if to solely irritate them, “Normally he would be a normal warrior, but now he is empowered by my might. He could kill any of you if he landed a good enough hit. Be careful.”

From the ground Fandral began to pick himself up with the help of Sonata, though part of the way up he realized he sprained his ankle upon falling. He was the softest of the warrior troupe he was so proud to be in, and he had not expected to be so demolished in a single hit by his friend.

“Volstagg, wake up! Don’t you think your wife and children miss you?! Stop this—”

He did not finish because even while magic struck Volstagg he managed to spin around and hurl his axe at the downed Fandral. This time there was nothing Sonata could do as the axe buried itself in Fandral, who had shoved her out of the way just as Volstagg tossed the blade.

The axe caught the lean man in the chest and he coughed out a single mouthful of blood before collapsing onto his knees and then side.

Fandral died before hitting the ground.

The sight of this had an effect on Volstagg none of the attacks on him had in that he paused entirely. He froze at the sight of his friend laying there lifelessly as some woman shook the corpse and screamed.

Time stopped for Volstagg, but it didn’t for the pragmatic Maiev who seized the opportunity to run her blade across the back of his neck and sever his spine. Upon being stunned his aura had dropped just momentarily and he was left as vulnerable as anyone else without a helmet, and so Volstagg too fell within moments of seeing his friend do so.

“How unfortunate. Oh well, there are more from where he came from. Lady Sif, if you would not mind taking his place.”

Sif attacked this time, but it was Thor who intercepted her as she moved in to attack Luna. He had been unable to match the speed of the others just barely in the fight against Volstagg, but since he had a moment to prepare he was able to get in Sif’s way. His hammer clashed with her blade just as it came down towards Luna’s head, with Thor’s back pressed up against his brother’s wife.

Even empowered Sif was able to be matched by Thor, though the match up was close. Thor’s face strained as he fought to keep their weapons locked, though his opponent showed the same strain. Sif was skillful, but in a battle of sheer power that carried less weight which was why Thor was fighting to keep things as they were.

“Sif, you must wake up from this haze he has brought upon your mind! This is not you!”

Thor’s pleading fell on deaf ears as Sif finally managed to get her sword free from Mjolnir and quickly used it to cut through the lower part of Thor’s side. His armor kept her blade from chopping right through him, but its follow up strike never happened because Loki caught her arm in his hand.

He and Thor had been fighting with Sif for centuries, so neither of them felt particularly bad about Thor following up this opportunity with a swing of Mjolnir into her gut. Loki let go as Sif stumbled backwards from the might of Thor due to not wanting to be pulled along with her.

It seemed that things were finally beginning to grate on Kael’s nerves, as his voice was neutral rather than smug as he spoke up again, “They will not stop until they are dead. If you wish to defeat me, you will have to cut down your own allies.”

“No! There must be another way!” Thor cried out as he began to spin his hammer around in preparation for an attack. Sif prepared herself to defend, but when the hammer swung it flew on past her: right at her controller.

Everyone had been so busy trying to prevent the empowered soldiers from massacring them to actually try attacking their leader, though if they had it would have proven worthless.

Mjolnir flew on its intended path, but a flick of the wrist on Kael’s part and Sif teleported to be between him and the weapon. It was aimed at his face so the tall man was forced to manually lift her up and use her as a shield.

The hammer struck her in the spine and dented the armor there causing Kael to snort. He tossed her to the side and removed his energy from her, no longer having use for the wounded warrior whose spine was shattered.

Thor screamed and ran as yet another of his longtime friends fell. He had been shocked and infuriated by seeing two of them fall, but for a third to be so greatly harmed by him and then tossed aside set him off. He called his hammer back to his side while Maiev moved in and stomped on the other woman’s neck: she did not enjoy killing her allies, but these controlled warriors could kill them all and the Elf had the power to raise the dead and heal. Anything less than brutally slaughtering them to make sure they stay down was kids play and would end in them all dying. As the biggest outsider amongst them, she didn’t possess the sentimentalities that might restrain her.

Kael flicked his wrist unenthusiastically and then snapped his fingers at the charging Thor, “Hogun, show our guests why you are a part of an elite force of warriors.”

Hogun moved to intercept Thor but stopped dead in his tracks as Loki moved between them and slipped a previously hidden knife into the man’s throat. Loki was the only one in the room naturally faster than their opponents, so much speed in fact that he was able to slip the blade in-between the energy pouring outwards from the man. It poured forth at a rapid pace from every direction, but in the split second it was not coming from one inch on his neck the fatal blow found its place.

Loki was not pleased with himself, but he was done with this game. He had observed that weakness while watching the other two come up and fight and it was time to exploit it as the only person in his small army who could. He would not let this madman toy with his family and bring harm to them, and he was of the same mind as Maiev in wanting to end the suffering of those controlled as quickly as possible. They couldn’t fight both these warriors and Kael at once, of that Loki was sure, so there simply was no choice but end their lives before confronting the man who dared take control of them in the first place for who knew how long.

Kael gave a friendly pat to the shoulder of Heimdall, for Kael was no longer under threat of Thor charging him because the god of Thunder was holding Hogun as the man lay lifeless, blood streaming from his wound, “I am quite impressed you have the strength to not only defeat them, but also your own emotions. You aren’t paralyzed by guilt. Perhaps you aren’t the heroes you pretend to be…”

“I will exact every ounce of pain they felt upon you when I receive the chance, Elf!” Luna yelled, her vocal frustration matching what Loki was bottling inside to unleash when the time came.

Seeing that once again he was at threat of being attacked himself, Kael had his last fighter join the fray, “Heimdall, this is your place of guardianship. Deal with the interlopers.”

Unlike the well rounded Hogun, Heimdall managed to block Loki’s strike as he moved in to attack: Heimdall was a warrior said to be on par with the King Odin if not his better in combat, so with a boost to his abilities he was supernatural in terms of his fighting skills.

Loki knew this though, and had defeated him before with a trick up his sleeve. That was the only way to defeat a martial master after all.

Loki ignored the sword that cut into his armor’s side and into his body as he summoned forth the magic he borrowed from Luna prior to coming: he beat Heimdall by freezing him in ice before, and this time he would repeat a past success rather than come up with something new.

A howl of winter came forth as Loki encapsulated all of Heimdall’s body in ice with more and more packing on with each moment as the warrior began to slow and end his swing that would have cut Loki in half.

In physical combat, Loki now reigned supreme, though his enhanced traits came at the cost of being unable to use magic at will. As such, he and Luna formed a duo of might: physical and magical powerhouses that each could defeat foes who otherwise were undefeatable.

Unperturbed by the defeat of the last of the mind controlled Asgardians, Kael smirked as his hands glowed with magic. As they continued to glow weapons began to appear around him in the air, at which point Loki caught sight of two familiar glowing blades.

“As you see, I have many weapons in my arsenal.”

Kael had stolen the blades at some point, and Loki intended to get them back.

Illidan’s Glaives soared through the air as the magic controlling them made them move to assault Loki, while the other weapons summoned moved to attack the others in the room.

Luna found herself met with the sight of the scepter she had once stolen from Loki and which had first come from Thanos. It both swerved at her and tried to impale her as well as formed magical blasts to fire at her, though both were dodged with choice teleports on her part.

Thor found himself dodging blast after blast from Odin’s staff Gungnir, which he last fought when it was wielded by Loki in his previous reign as King of Asgard when he was using the Bifrost to destroy Jotunheim. Familiar with the weapon due to its previous owners, Thor was able to avoid it, but he had trouble doing anything about it other than avoid it because of the way it flew through the air instead of stood on the ground like a normal combatant.

The others all found themselves assaulted by other weapons seemingly stolen from Asgard’s armory and so the conflict devolved into a game of cat and mouse between Kael’s weapons and the others, since there was little that anyone other than Luna and Celestia could do to fight the things in the air.

Not dodging or running from the swinging of swords of firing of magical blasts was Sonata, who sat on the ground cradling Fandral. She had died for him, and now he had died when he took the only time he had to dodge to make sure she was clear of the attack. She had no idea that Adagio was alive still, nor that she had any regrets, so all Sonata believed herself to have was this one friend who had just died for her.

She cried into his still warm body as a flurry of common blades swarmed around her and prepared to impale her. These weapons were enchanted to attack and kill, and they would do that whether the target was mourning or not.

They moved at a more sluggish pace than perhaps they ought to, and a slower pace than the other ones racing around the room surely, which gave time for a concerned onlooker to form a barrier around Sonata.

Sonata looked up and noticed that Celestia had formed a magical barrier around her, while Thor had leapt through the air and knocked down a good few of the weapons, shattering them in the process.

This revealed that while they were animated, they were no stronger than these weapons otherwise might be. Kael couldn’t enhance them with his magic like he could people, so they could be swatted down and destroyed like any other thing.

Thor shouted this much to for everyone to hear, and so the tables turned as both Luna and Celestia moved to fire at the floating weapons with their magic. In short order the remaining weapons fell to the ground in various states of disrepair, with some even having been tricked into shooting one another and those targeting Maiev buried into the frozen statue that was Heimdall.

Now with nothing protecting him from the large group of opponents out to take his head, Kael decided to harken back to an old but useful trick, “Perhaps I underestimated you. It would be unfair to make you fight all four warriors at once, but…”

His hands glowed with magic as he brought all of the fallen warriors under his employ back to life, Heimdall even bursting out of the ice on him to rip the blades in his body out.

“Fair treatment was never shown to my people. I’m just returning the favor.”

Loki could systematically eliminate the four, but he could not do so all at once. They could kill someone or a few of the others if he did not act quickly and think outside the box, so he called out to the only person in the room other than Kael well versed in mind control.

“Sonata, can you control them?”

While grief stricken, a part of Sonata wanted to exact vengeance. She was no better than the man they were fighting and in fact was quite petty in her evilness, but she was helping this side because it suited her selfish desire of being wanted and cared about.

Kael had taken the one person who did care for her through his toying around with others, and she wanted to help make him pay.

“I don’t have much power, but I can try…” she said as she stood up and steadied herself, tears still rolling down her cheeks but determination replacing the fear she had the last time she fought someone stronger than her.

As her voice rang out the four revived warriors slowed their assault. No longer were they only having Kael impress his will upon them, now they also were having a second voice begin to influence them. The conflicting nature of this caused the hesitation, and it was what would save Loki’s team.

“Protect her at all costs! We can’t afford to be fighting them all at once!” Loki shouted, not caring if Kael heard him. The man already could tell what was foiling his mind control, and while Kael vastly overpowered Sonata the slight distraction was enough to allow an axe swing that would have cut through Celestia’s neck to instead leave a flesh wound across it, a sword that would have rushed forward and impaled Luna to instead flail through the air as its target teleported, and for Loki to take down both Hogun and Sif again before they could reach the others.

Thor batted away Volstagg’s axe as the large man moved in to attack Sonata, the difference in speed taking away from the might of Volstagg’s attack and allowing Thor to fight him like he would any other opponent of about the same power as him.

Loki tended first to Heimdall who was assaulting Luna, as he loved his brother but Thor could perhaps take a hit with his armor: Luna hadn’t repaired her armor after it was damaged in the Dark Elf invasion because she wasn’t going into combat anytime soon, and a swing from the mighty Heimdall with his powerful sword that also acted as the key to the Bifrost would quite likely kill Luna outright.

Loki grabbed the glaives that had been shot out of the air from the ground on his way to intercept Heimdall, and with the two blades he managed to catch and hold the sword Heimdall swung. This gave Luna, the intended target, time to charge up her own power and blast Heimdall back with a powerful torrent of magical energy. Celestia took part in Luna’s defense too by blasting Heimdall from the side, and it was with some sorrow that Loki finished the man by forcing both searing green blades into the stumbling man’s chest.

Volstagg’s assault ended when Sonata stopped trying to serenade him and win control of his mind and instead refocused on using her voice as a weapon. Everyone in the room grabbed their ears to keep themselves from collapsing from the sheer onslaught of pain that came from the high pitched wailing, everyone except for Loki that was, for he used the moment of Volstagg being off guard to fell him once again.

Sonata had exhausted herself and her voice because of her lack of power and so she stopped after Volstagg fell, leaving the room silent for a moment as everyone readied themselves for the next stage of the conflict.

The silence was broken by a sigh, one followed by Kael’s annoyed voice.

“Alas, sometimes one must take matters into one’s own hands.”

The mind controlled Heimdall had put Twilight a good distance from where she would end up finding what she was looking for. She had been confused when she was dumped in the middle of a barren wasteland, but through some quick thinking she managed to find where she should teleport to.

The Sunwell gave off immense power, but it had to be built upon a place of magical energy. So, Twilight figured by sensing the magic of the world’s regions she could locate it. Trixie had not been the only one who sought to improve, and Twilight had done a bit of extra work after she was defeated by Trixie in combat.

With her method of searching it only took minutes to locate the facility as Twilight teleported long distances in every which way to survey new landscapes for their relative magic levels.

Twilight found herself stunned as she looked at a replica Bifrost built on the ground of Jotunheim, not resting on a glacier like most of its civilization but actually resting upon actual earth from which it received some of its unending power.

Upon entering it Twilight was shocked by what previously was an open doorway closing right behind her.

“Trixie?” She called out as she turned from looking behind her to observing the rest of the inner structure of it.

The response she received sent more of a shiver down her spine than the frigid air of the frozen world.

“Oh Twilight…”

A wave of fire swept across the Bifrost Loki and the others were in as Kael finally entered battle himself. Loki could see that Kael was not at full strength after using so much of his power doing everything but fighting, but even despite this the man managed to muster more power than what any one of them could on their own.

“Shut up and fight, Elf!” Luna yelled at her foe, infuriated by Kael’s constant narration throughout the previous segments of the battle. She had avoided his first attack and was preparing to unleash an attack of her own on the man who dared betray and harm them.

Kael responded to her with laughter as he prepared another volley of fire to fling at them, his first having not been fast enough to catch anyone in its path, “Such fury. You remind me of the Huntress who once stalked and murdered my closest friend!”

The obviously insulted Maiev leapt at him in anger to respond to his comparison, “You had already betrayed Illidan, you insolent cur! You are lucky others killed you before I had the opportunity, Betrayer!”

With ease he blasted her aside with his fiery magic, her green armor scorched and melted as the heat from his strike repelled her own attack. He did not waste an extra second with her before he whisked Loki away from him with a twist of a hand, gravity distorting and sending Loki flying away from Kael as he moved to get close.

“A valiant effort, but even with the majority of my power flowing through the Bifrost I am still leagues above you.”

Luna fired an attack in the form of lightning straight at him, but if it had any effect on Kael it did not show. The lightning seemingly rolled right off him without actually inflicting any pain, which made Luna wonder if the man had control over more than just fire. It wasn’t as if he revealed the full extent of his abilities until now anyways, the traitorous bastard.

Thor had since closed the distance and attempted his own physical attack, though he had little more success than those before him. Kael smirked as he gracefully sidestepped a strike and then grabbed the warrior by the shoulder.

“Shocking, you missed, oh lord of Thunder.”

While not possessing muscles that could compare with the likes of Thor, Volstagg, or Heimdall, Kael was no slouch in the strength department. He spun on his heel and used his whole body’s weight to throw a powerful punch into the side of Thor’s head. Once he punched the other man Kael summoned a small fireball in hand to blast Thor in the back with, setting the man’s red cape on fire and also burning through the back of his armor.

“There could be twenty five of you and things would end the same way!” Kael boasted as he dodged a magic blast from Celestia, “Now, let us see how you fare when your world is turned upside down.”

If there was a power second to his ability to control minds, it was his ability to warp gravity. Summoned fire could hurt and melt away flesh and bone, but rendering a foe basically harmless was a powerful tool, especially when it could be applied to a room full of them.

Everything except Kael in the room lifted up into the air as gravity itself became reversed. Celestia and Sonata were unable to do much of anything as they had never really experienced this before, while Loki and Maiev were on the opposite side of the spectrum and were able to keep from flailing like imbeciles.

As Loki found himself being pushed farther and farther away from Kael he noticed something about the way the man stood, the way he spoke as if it were scripted…

“How did I not see it before…”

No-one else heard him, as the more loud Luna spoke at the same time as she continually teleported to try and counter the gradual rise and so she could fire off more energy attacks at him.

“I don’t care if you change the gravity around us, I will not let your betrayal go unanswered!” she snarled as she let loose another beam of energy straight at Kael, “Trixie loved you, you sadistic son of a bitch! We trusted you two with our future!”

Kael held out a hand lazily to the energy rushing at him and when it struck his palm it disappeared in a bright flash. The energy sponge that had introduced himself to them by stealing power shook his head at the ignorant attack, “I would recommend not feeding me more energy.”

He did not appear to be in any hurry as the others all rose to the ceiling and he began to speak again, now actually responding to Luna, “Now, did you honestly believe that I would trust the future to some…weak, half-insane horse?”

Kael’thas’s laughter set Luna even more on edge than she already had been, though she did not have any ideas other than shoving a horn through his heart to rectify the issue, and he appeared quite proficient at close ranged combat unlike her.

Fortunately for them his monologue continued, “Oh no no no. She was merely an instrument, a stepping stone to a much larger plan. It has all lead to this, and this time you will not interfere.”

With that, he dropped them and all of his opponents plummeted to the floor. Loki managed to land gracefully while Thor hit it like a sack of bricks, Maiev not doing much better but at least landing on her feet. Sonata hit the floor and rebounded over unconscious. Celestia hit the ground even harder than Thor due to her size and found her limbs all severely wounded from her own weight, but Luna averted this issue because she teleported straight at Kael and attempted to go through with her impalement plan even if it might get her ass kicked and humiliated.

Luna’s horn struck his chest but slid right off the thick armor he was wearing. She thought a moment too late to channel her magic into her horn before impaling to have a more penetrating attack, but the slight timing mistake cost her the entire attack as Kael’s arm became engulfed in flame and he uppercutted her right in the throat.

Luna felt the flames wash over her as the fire transferred from his body to hers, but she was almost amused by how it was not an instant kill shot like Thanos’s were in-practice. She had taken worse hits just a day before, so she could fight through this pain.

To avoid any follow up attack that might actually do some severe damage Luna teleported again to put distance between them, “Your attacks lack a certain punch to them!”

Kael shrugged as he ducked under an attack by Loki and caught the man’s stomach with his shoulder, then blasted him back with a strong burst of flames, “I will admit while searing, the damage of fire is not what it instantly unleashes, but what comes over time.”

The Loki blasted back was not Loki though, as Kael found out as a glaive buried itself in his back. The illusory Loki disappeared as the real one tried to bring down his second glaive into Kael’s neck, but Kael wised up and repelled him with an aura of flame.

Loki had hit close to the heart though, and had it been a lesser man it would have been a fatal blow. Instead Kael kept himself from faltering and stood up straight despite the wound. He used the flames around him to cauterize the wound and keep himself from dying outright as he prepared another spell.

“I cannot let you pass. I must stop you here and now, lest you ruin everything!”

Luna charged at him again and copied Loki’s technique by forming a set of illusory clones around her to mask which was the real one, even separating them into two groups to make it all the more confusing.

Kael fixed this by flinging a wave of fire the direction of one, scorching the illusions and the ground the stood on, and using his other hand to once again change gravity where the other group stood, revealing which one was the real one because it was the only Luna to actually lift with his attack.

This diverted his full attention however and Loki returned to strike a decisive attack on Kael, knowing quite well that anything less than lethal would be shrugged off by the strong willed Elf, but his attack never connected.

Loki gasped as his throat was caught by Kael, who had finished turning just in time to catch his opponent closing in on him. With one hand tightly gripping Loki Kael lifted him up into the air and growled angrily, his fingers constricting around Loki’s skin as his arm began to light up again so he could set Loki ablaze like Luna. Not only that, he would also drain the very life from Loki, as there was no magic in-between Kael and Loki’s life force.

What Kael did not account for was a hammer slamming into his spine just at that moment, followed by a blast of magic he could not focus on absorbing, and a thrown knife that buried right into where he had healed the wound from Loki.

Kael lost his grip on Loki as he fell to his knees and coughed out blood, “Mistress…grant me strength…”

Now freed, Loki spun and gave his foe a roundhouse kick that knocked Kael over onto the floor. Thor dropped his hammer onto Kael’s chest, effectively pinning him to the ground because it could only be lifted by those worthy of it, though this did not stop the man’s struggling.

From the ground Kael coughed up blood and spoke with as much anger and volume as one could manage with a heavy hammer pressing down on their chest, “My demise accomplishes nothing!” he coughed as he tried to force the hammer off, “The mistress will have you…you will drown in your own blood! The cosmos shall burn!”

Loki did not want to give him a chance to continue on and moved to execute his enemy, but someone speaking did give him pause.

“Please, stay your hand. Leave him be.”

It was Trixie’s voice projecting into the room as if it was coming from some indeterminate location.

“T…Trixie?” Luna asked as everyone else conscious in the room gathered around Kael’s barely conscious body. After a moment of no response Kael collapsed completely, while simultaneously a large, floating screen appeared in the middle of the room with Trixie’s face on it.

Luna looked at the screen with concern, “What’s going on?”

Trixie sighed and shook her head on the screen. Nothing else was visible or projected other than her face, making the event all the more surreal, “Like the Nightmare entity bonded with you, mother, I was bonded with this man when we were forced between worlds and dimensions…”

Trixie looked down at the unconscious Elf and sighed again, “It took a little time to realize the depth of it, but we have a link now between us that is deeper than anything one could craft by hand…”

Her forlorn expression slowly morphed into a smirk to the confusion and horror of those watching her, “And I used it. I used him like a marionette uses a puppet.”

Loki was the only one not horrified by the statement, having noticed that Kael only acted like he was being relayed orders. There was a reason he was almost never seen without Trixie, as it made keeping him in check easier when she could physically see him.

It was too confusing to be focusing on two places at once.

Trixie pointed at her fallen companion, her smirk remaining upon her face as she continued to explain, “He’s in there mentally, but he has not been calling the shots for quite some time. It seems he is used to such an arrangement after spending so long in a disturbed state of mind.”

Loki looked to Luna, who was gaping in abject terror. He was worried about this possibility ever since the night before when Trixie murdered two people. Trixie had snapped, and it seemed that she was on the edge of doing so for quite some time.

“He has been but a puppet to distract you. Is Trixie acting a little off? Oh, she must just be nervous about being around her poor crush. How about I think only about her romantic interests rather than actually confront bigger issues?” Trixie mocked, unable to keep from laughing as she did so.

Her laughing continued even as she shook her head to try and stop it, now devolving into a mad cackle, “I should have really thanked poor Twilight for giving me such a grand idea in the first place! If not for her offhanded comment, I would have likely not realized the true potential he held as a patsy!”

“You…you’re the one…”

Luna wasn’t able to finish her sentence. She was frozen by the realization that it was Trixie pulling the strings on this occasion, that everything evil or bad done was a result of her beloved student and adopted daughter.

“Yes, and you know what? I don’t even regret using him. He played the part I needed him to by acting as a decoy love interest as well as a powerful piece in this game I’ve been playing,” Trixie’s expression soured as her eyes became soft at the sight of blood seeping down in a puddle beneath Kael, “I will admit though that I pretended perhaps a little too well…”

She shook her head again, this time trying to dispel the sympathy that had cropped up, “I used his actual personality, or what I could find pieces of in his mind. And I filled in perhaps what I might like to…see in someone in-between. I couldn’t make it too easy for myself though, lest I blow through my excuse for seeming a little off.”

The screen disappeared and in its place a projection of Trixie appeared next to the crowd, though it was kneeling beside the wounded man who Trixie had used for her own purposes. She brought a corporeal hand to his still cheek as some regret formed in her face, this time talking to the unconscious man instead of the others, “I still promised you I would bring you back to your people, and I will keep that promise. I may have forcefully taken your body for my own purposes, but you didn’t fight me. Even in those moments I wasn’t there or able to control you, you didn’t act out. Sometimes you even took over from where I left off.”

She “stood up” with her projection and gave everyone gathered a sad look.

“So, I ask that you spare him because I am the one you have to blame for all of this. I have been the one manipulating events to my own ends this past year. In fact, you should thank him for saving Sleep Near and Hela when I lost control of my power. If not for his ability to absorb magic and the protective fire he used I would have killed them too as I murdered Blueblood.”

Luna was crying as she continued to hear Trixie speak, with her now being the one shaking her head as she threw herself into denial, “No, this is some kind of trick. What are you saying Trixie?”

Trixie glanced over at Loki in an icey manner, “Loki already knows it is the truth. He has for a little while,” her eyes narrowed as she continued to speak with some venom, “Why else would you send Twilight to my hidden base of operations?”

The fact that he might have known something made Luna go from denial to complete shock again. She was feeling all sorts of emotions and had no idea how to process it all.

“Loki?”

He nodded once in admission. He had figured it out during the fight, though he had hoped he was wrong. He did not know that Kael was only being used, but he had a feeling his strings were at least being pulled.

Trixie being behind it all explained why Kael didn’t just use his power all at once…Trixie had him deliberately fight them in a gradual manner to waste their time. She was up to something, and she needed time.

Not only did she need time though, she wanted them to find her on some level. She wanted them to confront her, when she could have had Kael wipe the floor with them while they were still confused. Him defeating them would give her all the time she wanted, but that would deprive her of a more personal satisfaction.

From a rational mindset, allowing them to catch her made no sense. From an insane one though with an agenda? That was more graspable.

Angered that no-one was really answering her question, Luna shifted into rage as everyone else watched her sorrowfully, “Trixie, what have you done? What is the meaning of all of this!?”

Trixie looked away from Luna, not wanting to face her, “I had Kael explain some of it to you, but if you wish to gain further insight, I would ask that you come by and see for yourself,” she flicked a hand at her adoptive father, “Loki knows where to find me.”

This time it was Luna’s sister who spoke up. Celestia had rage building inside of her ever since Trixie revealed herself, though a good portion of it was directed at herself. She hadn’t listened to Twilight’s fears the night before, before all of this went down.

So it was with this rage that she demanded forcefully, “Where is Twilight?”

Trixie paused at that, “Twilight…”

Her voice stopped…and a small laugh replaced it. A laugh that was followed by a few more chuckles. Then a few more. Then a complete cackle and fit that a hyena might be proud of.

Trixie grabbed her mouth to cover it as she continued to laugh, though it wasn’t enough to stifle her laughter as she made everyone realize the answer before she said it once again to their complete terror.

Trixie glanced over at Luna as she lowered her hand and let her laughter take off again, “I did what neither you nor Loki could, you know…”

While everyone else was occupied with Kael, a different confrontation took place.

Twilight realized upon entering the Bifrost just what it was for as the pieces all fell into line.

“You…you…” Twilight stuttered, her face twitching from fear as her bright mind figured out the plan she had just walked into, “You’re going to…all those people…”

Twilight tried to teleport out of the Bifrost and get herself as far as she could from the pony approaching her slowly from the other end of the room.

Trixie shook her head at the attempt and folded her wings in as she shifted to a form Twilight would be more comfortable with, the Unicorn body she often used, “I control this place and the reality surrounding it. No teleporting. Don’t embarrass yourself trying to run.”

Twilight stopped trying to use her magic and felt herself begin to cry. She couldn’t run away, and she knew quite well how far above her Trixie had reached.

“W-why? Why are you doing this?” Twilight questioned, hoping that perhaps if she just had another moment or two the others would all come and find her.

Trixie reached about ten steps from Twilight and stopped to sigh, “Please don’t make this harder on me, Twilight,”

Still, she decided to oblige her. She owed her that much she supposed, and it would be nice to get some practice in for the others.

Trixie shook her head again as she thought about a way to explain things from her perspective, “There are only a few ways I could think of for solving the disease of all races known as pettiness and all of our innate selfishness. I could wipe the slate clean, or…”

She summoned forth images of the Sirens, at which point she smiled sadly.

“I could study a being whose specialty was controlling others. Use what I learn to find a way to emulate that same ability myself…”

Twilight took another step back, bumping into the wall as she did so. The chilled structure made her almost yelp and she moved forward to no longer feel it. Despite the immense cold of it though it was nothing compared to the coldness she could see in Trixie’s eyes.

“You could say it was a success,” Trixie laughed nervously as she waved a hoof around the room, “And, with all the power in the world and two devices with the ability and power to spread my influence across the stars, there won’t be a black-hearted being left across the known universe.”

Twilight fought her fear and approached Trixie, the lecturing and moral part of Twilight overcoming her personal safety concerns.

“You can’t just control everyone, forcing others to do what you want is wrong!”

Trixie shook her head in amusement at the defiance shown by Twilight. Her amusement faded though as she realized something about what Twilight said.

“You’ve learned that firsthand from what I’ve read. You have so many life experiences, so many adventures I would have loved to have been a part of…” Trixie sadly responded, her tone showing regret for a life and path she would not be a part of.

Despite her sadness Trixie moved to pace around Twilight so as to avoid her fearful eyes, all the while finding herself apologizing for this, “I am so sorry. I’ve wanted to tell you all. I’ve wanted to let everyone know for so long, but I knew you all would try to stop me…”

Trixie fought the urge to cry, though she could hear the small sniffling of Twilight which was what made it all the more difficult to not cry on her own.

Now behind Twilight, Trixie continued talking as she reigned in the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, “I wasn’t even going to go through with it until I snapped…Believe me, I mean it when I say that I really wanted you as a friend…”

She stopped again a couple feet in front of Twilight. Upon stopping she sighed and hung her head, “Unfortunately, I gave up on having any long ago.”

Twilight moved to touch Trixie’s shoulder, “Please, Trixie, whatever it is…”

Trixie stopped the attempt to touch her with a hoof, “Don’t beg. Not now. I need time, and you can sabotage everything if I don’t stop you now. Believe it or not, but your power is enough to be a threat if pooled with everyone else’s.”

Trixie turned to face her former rival, the student of Princess Celestia herself, completely. Her eyes showed both regret and determination, which made Twilight recoil and stand still, “If I hadn’t lost my mind so many months ago, I would have wanted to be a part of your group of friends,” Trixie hung her head again for a moment as she thought about all that she was forsaking, “I would have wanted a normal life. Friends. Family.”

Trixie lifted her head and a glow formed around her horn as she felt the first tear fall. Twilight looked at her with as much dignity as she could muster given the situation she was in, but fear and hurt still appeared in her expression.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight…”

Twilight let out a small breath as Trixie’s horn penetrated her body and went straight through her heart.

“You’re the best friend I never had.”

Twilight dropped to the ground without another breath, leaving Trixie behind to feel the chill of the air and to listen to nothing but her own breathing.

She had come too far to be stopped now.

Author's Note

We have been moving to this point for the past 54 chapters, so thank you for reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! I will answer your questions to the best of my not-spoilers ability.

The Thinning Line Between, You and My Sanity, Is Quickly Fading, Takes Just a Breeze to Cause a Storm, It Takes Me to Cause a Tragedy

A/N: Special thanks to Amethyst Blade, Thelykenking, ErekLich, Ally of the Daleks, kojivsleo, The Batmane of equestria, Nightdancer Moonblossom, and ketvirtas for your thoughts last chapter and for not wimping out after our shocking little reveal. I appreciate that not everyone instantly jumped the bandwagon because things aren't 100% happy, because I've been promising a bittersweet ending all the way back from the start and now here we are! Hard to tell what will happen when one hasn't read everything, so I don't get all the sudden pessimism some people displayed, but that's fine. Their loss, and it makes me all the more thankful for those of you willing to keep on going! :twilightsmile:

Chapter title from "Broken Inside" by Broken Iris.

I realized Trixie would be the final villain of this story when I introduced her and realized Luna wouldn't be the best of parents...which thematically perfectly fit with the whole anti-hero/anti-villain idea of the story, and was a far better way of ending things than just the flat good vs. evil that Thanos offered.

Thank you everyone for supporting the story this far. I have been waiting for this arc for over a year, and so it would mean a lot to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I hope you enjoy in the same manner as last chapter, and I really do hope to hear what you all think!

“Where is she?”

Luna’s question hung in the air of Asgard’s formerly unique Bifrost for some time as the still recovering crowd of empowered beings thought about what they had just heard.

One of them knew the answer, but then again Loki was unsure about what to say or do at this point. Trixie’s image had disappeared, but her words still weighed in their minds as heavily as if she was still with them.

Luna was crying silently as her question remained unanswered, but even more wounded than her was Celestia. The elder sister had collapsed down on the ground upon the implied revelation that Twilight was dead, having been murdered by one they all considered to be one of their very own family.

Thor was left to look regretfully at his fallen allies and friends, the sight of Fandral being cried over making the warrior actually feel sympathy for his former foe who now was left to weep over their shared friend. The only one not upset by the betrayal was Maiev, who was busy kicking and brutalizing the unconscious body of Kael without landing a lethal blow. They might be sparing him now, but she would be damned if she let him escape any form of punishment, as well as be in any fit state to confront them later on.

The grief of those around him forced Loki to speak, though he only did so once he had approached Luna and brought a hand to her face and another around her long neck. Right now she was feeling the initial grief and pain that Loki’s own mother once had to suffer, and so Loki was brought to face his own past experiences as a traitor as he witnessed the shocked and desperate face of his spouse.

“She is at Jotunheim,” Loki sighed as he realized what he had to say next. Luna would run headlong into the situation out of a mix of parental worry, confusion, and anger, but doing so would not lead to anything constructive, “But I would not go there if I were you.”

“What?” her voice was completely consumed by angered disbelief. Who did Loki think he was telling her to not go and see Trixie who was obviously having some kind of breakdown akin to what both she and Loki had gone through in their own pasts?

Loki could sense her anger and so he sought to explain himself without backing down, “We could use the healing chambers here to make sure we are ready to confront her,” he sternly narrowed his eyes even though Luna could not see his face in his given position, “Or do you want to confront someone strong enough to battle Thanos head on while your skin and fur are burnt, and while your mind is addled?”

“I…”

It hurt to admit it, but he was right. Luna wanted to kick and scream about this right now, but she was too awestruck to think clearly. She had once confronted a loved one while they were evil when she had less than a clear mind, and it had resulted in the death of a friend. Twilight, Fandral, Volstagg, Heimdall, Sif, and Hogun already had perished and Luna would not allow for another casualty if she could help it.

Silently Luna agreed with Loki with a small nod that moved into a turn of the head to press against him. Her mind was varying between seething rage and utter despair, and it was too much for her to handle. She just wanted to feel the touch of her husband, who she knew was just as familiar with this sort of affair as she was.

It was soon agreed upon that a quick rest in the healing chambers would precede the next stage of this conflict Trixie had brewed, though the responses were merely nods than actual consensus. On the way out of the Bifrost Loki was actually forced to stop his ally of convenience from continuing her beating on the unconscious Elf, who had not moved an inch since his defeat.

“Leave him. We have no business harming someone Trixie coerced into helping her.”

Maiev was less than willing to let go of a grudge, a flaw that had chased her ever since she met Loki, “She said he did not fight her control.”

Loki admittedly was feeling sympathy for the fallen man, who had been controlled much like Loki had once been by Thanos and the scepter, “He was a broken shell when we found him, and then she took control of his mind. We will have to sort through his issues later, but for now I think we would be best to acquiesce to Trixie’s wishes concerning him and bring him no harm.”

Angering an unstable person who had shown herself willing to kill now was not exactly high on Loki’s list of things to do, especially since it was someone he did not consider himself capable of defeating.

Still beholden to Loki for the purpose of using his influence to find her son, Maiev stopped her assault on Kael and left him be. Truth be told she could use the healing chambers as much as any of the others wounded, and it would be good to have a more reliable method of healing than a hospital bed for once.

On the way out Luna only paused to look at her sister, who had only just risen and prepared herself to move forward. The eldest princess of Equestria had her soul crushed in a way she had not felt in close to a thousand years, and she had no way of processing the pain in any concise manner.

“Tia…”

Celestia looked up to Luna. Both of them were crying, but they each were fighting to keep it from afflicting their voices.

They both failed.

“We don’t know if…” Celestia started, only for her voice to drop off into the silence that had previously permeated through the room.

Luna did not know which of them was more unfortunate, but the competition mattered little: who was worse off, the mother-figure who lost their surrogate daughter or the mother-figure whose surrogate daughter killed the one lost?

It was easy for them both to see that the day would end up more haunting and painful than either of them had faced before, something chilling for the former villain and for the mare who once had to banish her own sister for a thousand years.

So, when Luna spoke it was an automatic process rather than a deeply held sentiment. Her mind was trapped in the horror of the revelation she just received, and as much as her heart panged for her sister it was breaking under the weight of her own tragedy.

“I’m so sorry…”

As the others all waited in the healing chambers, Loki found himself wandering about. Asgard had become quite quiet ever since the back-to-back conflicts concerning Lorelei and the Dark Elves, a fact that was compounded by the absence of even the remaining Asgardians due to their presence on Equestria.

Loki had not been wounded as much as the others, and so he took the time they all sat in various states of grief to clear his own mind.

He had not the will to speak with his mother, so he went to the only other place there ought to be any other soul in the castle: the prison.

Upon reaching the prison Loki was pleased to find that everything was in order…outside of the guards with various burn wounds and non-lethal punctures Loki was willing to bet were the cause of ice.

The first cell he sought to visit was the one belonging to his physical double, the Loki who Hela led to him to display a path he could have gone down. Whether he belonged to her world and was her own father Loki was not sure, but he did know that it was thanks to this disgusting monster that Odin was gone forever, his soul lost to a place it would take a miracle to escape.

Odin would not be going to Valhalla, the place after death any great warrior ought to go, because there was nothing left of him to be passed on to the next world. He died protecting his family, saving his wayward son who he had not reconciled with…

Loki had been repressing the feeling of guilt he had concerning Odin’s death. He had once let his feelings out and hang on his sleeve much like Thor had, but since he returned from Hel and since he lost his father-figure he had not been able to muster the same feelings and emotion as he once had. Not only tempered, he had lost a part of him he would never be able to get back. He would never be able to reconcile with Odin who, prior to saving Loki, had expressed distaste and hatred for all Loki had done in recent years.

Reconciliation stolen by the limbless, dying man before him and the same weapon that ruined Thanos’s bid for power.

“Ikol…”

The cell had been opened and the man inside was brutalized terribly. While he had previously lost his arms when Loki bested him, now Ikol lay in a puddle of steadily growing blood that came from his legs where the limbs had been severed.

He had been healed so as to not die after the Night Elf conflict with the intent being that he would be locked away forever and suffer in captivity before he died of old age, at which point he would be released to Hela far weaker and decrepit than he had been when he first entered her grasp. Loki intended for him to suffer greatly for his crime of irreversible regicide and patricide.

This though? This was done by a madman, or as the case would have it madwoman, bent on revenge. Trixie likely came here to give brutal justice to him on Loki’s behalf, perhaps thinking Loki too weak to do the deed himself, or perhaps giving the man some kind of cruel mercy…Loki was unsure of which it was given her mental state, but he would not shed a tear for the man left to bleed and die.

“Don’t you…d…d…” Ikol coughed and spat blood as his wounds slowly killed him, “D-d-dare pit…t-ty mee…”

Loki shook his head, “You need not fear that unlikely outcome. I had intended to let you suffer as you were for all eternity, what with your important limbs removed and your magic drained thanks to a visitor who I asked a favor of.”

A visitor now bleeding and beaten by the Bifrost…a visitor who had really only been an outlet for Trixie to indulge her growing insanity.

Loki brought a hand to touch the glass separating them, his mind imagining how things may have gone differently and left him behind this same glass, “When I left you down here I didn’t expect anyone to think of you again. Everyone believes our Father slain by Malekith or one of his men…”

That was enough inspecting this particular prisoner. Loki had little else to say to him, and he would not particularly miss having him around. Ikol deserved the suffering he received, and Loki was not going to waste a healing chamber on the man when they were instead being used to heal people of actual use.

A new idea cropped up as Loki turned to leave Ikol to his fate. Perhaps Trixie had assaulted Ikol not from sheer madness or to dole out justice, but yet another possibility came to mind: Ikol escaped captivity once and caused the death of Odin. Perhaps Trixie ended him to preclude any threat he posed at any given point in the future, though that was yet another thing he would have to consider after he handled her through her hysteria.

“You may continue your suffering as you die. You deserve every moment of it. I do suppose they were correct in ending your possible threat, even if the chances were minimal that you would return to any form of power.”

By the time Loki approached the second cell he had an interest in he was no longer the only conscious person in the hallway. He heard the approach of a person with no armor and a light step, quickly cluing him in on who it was without even facing her.

“What are you doing here?”

Sonata paused nervously out of surprise given that Loki noticed her before she announced herself verbally. She was still shaken from the recent battle as well as the conflict from the day before, her gut telling her that perhaps she belonged here with the other prisoners…and that she may end up with them if they lived through whatever Trixie had in store for them.

“The others sent me to bring you…” the singer paused before explaining further, “I…I finished healing first.”

She had only be lightly wounded in the conflict and so she had only needed moments to be brought back to full health in comparison to the likes of Luna, who had shrugged off her wounds in the battle but was actually terribly burned from the fire that had managed to lash across her.

Loki took a moment to look at her and then at the deceased prisoner before him. Not only had Ikol been executed, Lorelei had been as well. A hole in her forehead the size of a common coin revealed that she had been instantly put out of her misery unlike Ikol. The former seductress had collapsed forward when she died however, landing face first into the barrier that kept her from escaping and her whole body buckling forward to join her face in crumpling against it.

Loki thusly confirmed that these two would not be meddling with affairs, and so his mission here was over. Since Trixie, or rather Kael’thas under her control, had taken Lorelei’s powers it was possible that she could have returned the power somehow. As for Ikol, they could have made him able-bodied again and used him as a pawn against them, but instead they chose to actively aggravate them by using allies instead...

It seemed like Trixie was actually trying to goad them into coming after her instead of leave them both confused and without hostile intent. Did she want them to come try and stop whatever her scheme was, or did she want to let them try and fail? So much was still unknown, but Loki was not going to just leave it be.

Loki turned to leave and face Sonata, who was busy looking at all of the defeated guards. Some of Asgard’s finest defeated with ease, displaying Trixie’s utter dominance over men who by most would be considered gods.

There was little time to dally and waste now. If Trixie was trying to goad them into confronting her, she had to be nearing the final pieces of her nebulous plan.

“Well then, let us return to them. I can understand their impatience.”

Sonata did not start to leave as Loki did, instead taking a series of steps forward to observe what had been captivating Loki’s attention.

“W…what happened down here?”

“I believe that our adversaries in this conflict sought to right some of my decisions they believed to be mistakes.”

Loki purposefully left out a few details in the hope that the dull witted woman would be satisfied and so they could move on without him explaining everything.

Sonata was feeling a pang she couldn’t explain as she looked down at the deceased Lorelei. The woman had a feeling that she ought to know who this was, but couldn’t for the life of her remember why as she pressed a hand against the glass, “She…who was…”

Loki sighed as he was pressed to answer more inane questions. In the case that they ran into more mind-controlled foes the Siren would be useful, but in the present she was eating up time, “She was a monster, a witch who was detained after causing untold destruction in this castle, forcing men to fight against one another for her own twisted whim. Nothing of value has been lost here.”

Sonata removed her hand from the glass as she found herself repulsed by the given description. It sounded like what she and the others would do, but they never intended to make everyone kill eachother, “It sounds like you’re right…”

Loki beckoned the Siren to join him in leaving, “Come. We have a child to calm, lest we fall victim to whatever scheme she has implemented.”

Just as Loki had lost his chance to reconcile with Odin, Luna had long ago lost the chance to speak with her mother, Trixie lost her own birth mother, Sonata now was on the opposite side of the paradigm though she would never learn it: her daughter lay dead and she too was deprived of whatever feelings she would have gained from being reunited after centuries.

Sometimes though, ignorance could mean bliss.

Everyone was just finishing healing when Loki arrived with the now silent Sonata, though her lack of babbling matched the atmosphere of everyone else present. No-one was speaking as each mentally dealt with the issue at hand. The only one doing much of anything was Frigga, who had joined them all when Loki left.

Frigga had been informed briefly by a bereft Luna, and after offering her condolences the elder woman had paused to reflect. While Luna knew little and Frigga knew even less, Loki’s adoptive mother certainly knew what it was like to watch a child fall into darkness. Not only had she seen Loki lose his sanity once upon learning his true heritage and the reason for Odin favoring Thor, but when Loki was returned to her later after invading not one but two worlds.

“Mother,” Loki greeted softly as he joined the others by the healing chambers. Frigga left Luna’s side to go and greet her younger son.

“Loki…”

Loki lowered his voice so that their conversation would be more private, though he was not confident the sensitive ears of Luna and Celestia would be unaware. It was worth the effort though, especially since both of them

“I intend to return with one more than I am leaving with.”

He had been the one throwing a cosmic level tantrum before, and he was not about to forsake his adopted daughter for doing what he once had.

Frigga understood and so she nodded before revealing something through a question, “That…man was exerting some kind of influence on the few Asgardians still here, but it is gone now. Have you slain him?”

So Kael had taken control of the remaining Asgardians…but now that he was defeated and unconscious they were free it appeared.

“No. He was being controlled by the true schemer, so I will not punish him for being in the shoes I once was placed into by Thanos.”

If and when Kael came to his senses, provided Trixie was dealt with, they could use him as a real ally. Loki could not trust what Trixie said concerning Kael, and given her insanity it was possible she had just forced him to be her puppet the whole time. The truth would be found later, of that Loki was certain, and he was not going to leave the man’s ambiguous morality and situation unresolved to later haunt him. He could not question an unconscious man who might still be under the sway of Trixie though, so the matter could not be resolved to Loki’s standards yet.

“Please, bring my granddaughter back.”

It was a plea of some desperation. Frigga had once lost her son and had still not recovered from the loss of her husband, her partner for thousands of years. Even if Trixie had only been a part of her life just over the past year, and even if Trixie was in the throes of insanity she was still family. The lack of blood relation meant little to Frigga given that she had taken Loki in as her own.

The hurt in her voice brought Loki to embrace his mother, “I fully intend to. Not for her sake or yours though, but for Luna’s.”

Frigga lowered her face into his chest, “I know. I…just feel as if I am to blame for having helped Trixie research these past months…”

Loki was past the point of allowing any further tragedy to befall either him or his family, “Do not worry. Everything will be fine. We are all a family now and I will not allow for us to lose anyone else.”

“Thank you, Loki.”

There was hesitation before Loki left his embrace with his mother. Deep down he felt the fear of having just told his mother a lie. If they could not contain Trixie, they may lose both their lives as well as hers.

It was time to confront her though. No more stalling or wasting of time, and so Loki rallied the motley crew they had at their disposal for what might be their final encounter.

“Are you all ready?”

He received nary a response from the others besides a nod per participant and a cautious statement from Thor.

“Brother, if your kin is truly the villain behind this…”

Loki’s response was terse and brought Luna’s attention to him rather than her own thoughts, “Use your best judgment. I aim to bring her back and stabilize her. She needs to learn she is not alone if she is going to overcome the madness that has gripped her.”

“Understood,” Thor agreed, “And when the Elf wakens we will use him to revive the others.”

“Of course. I am most sorrowful that they were dragged into this,” Loki commented, the loss of life involved already too high for him to bear. He lost people who had once upon a time been friends to him, people who he had hoped to one day perhaps call friends again.

Hopefully the Elf would retain his powers once Trixie was felled or brought to heel.

The warrior of the two brothers, having been revived himself, brightened at the idea that they could revive their lost companions. He flexed his muscles and began to boast as he gripped his trustworthy hammer, “I only fear that we will fail to return them home. But if we do, I will kick down the gates of Hel itself to right our failure!”

Loki gave his brother a light touch on the shoulder before casting a glance to Luna, who was slowly trotting towards the exit. Thor stopped his grandstanding and gestured for his brother to go comfort his wife, earning a grateful nod from Loki.

“Luna.”

In all honesty Loki knew not how to comfort Luna. When he had broken down and became a villain it took time for him to be reeled back in. Luna had been enthralled by her own darkness for a millennium…

Would it take time to recover the Trixie they once knew?

“I need to see her. I…”

Luna wanted to cry, but she fought the feeling. To cry now would make her collapse and begin upon a path of self-doubt that would cripple her. Thoughts about what she may have done wrong, of what she may have done differently were already nipping at her mind, and she would not give those feelings fuel by physically responding to them now.

What she was left with was an emptiness in her chest. A feeling that history was repeating itself around her and that now she was the one cast in the position she had once despised others for: the loved one who unintentionally overlooked the pain of a family member.

All that remained to see now was if she could tame the beast that her daughter had become, or if she would end up the lonely and heartbroken shell that her mother had become upon her own descent into madness and then banishment.

The same reasoning and thought process which allowed Twilight to quickly ascertain the location of Trixie’s backup Bifrost similarly allowed Loki and the team of powerful beings they had at their disposal to locate Trixie.

The structure was almost identical to the one in Asgard except for a more winter themed look to it than the autumn look of Asgard’s, each matching the overall appearance of the land they were a part of: winter colors to match the frozen world and warmer ones to match the more pleasant one.

None of the group was eager to enter, though at the very least Celestia had a craving for knowledge about what happened to Twilight. While the answer was quite obvious, she had hope that her suspicions would be proven wrong, but it was those same suspicions that kept her from rushing inside.

While assuming they were on a timetable still, Loki decided to use this moment of hesitation productively, and so he approached his beloved who had since steeled herself and forced a grimace on her face in place of the tearful frown she ought to be wearing there.

“Luna, before we go in, I must make something clear to you.”

While the cold air of Jotunheim nipped at Luna through her blue fur she was paying that pain little mind, distracted instead by a pain far harder to bear as she awaited advice from Loki she rather never have had to receive.

“The same strengths that Trixie has won her battles with will now be used against us. The fortitude and willpower she mustered to defeat an Ursa now are our greatest foes. While her magic may bolster her natural toughness and resolve, it is her own stalwart behavior that will make this a difficult confrontation.”

Luna nodded, quite familiar with the determined nature demonstrated by Trixie in previous conflicts: while both Luna and Loki were certainly hardy enough to keep fighting beyond what their bodies ought to allow, the one who had displayed the most spirit in this regard was the apprentice who managed to slay two Ursas with relatively weak magic and tricks alone.

She also had come prepared for that conflict with other utensils other than her own strength…if this trait was to be carried over even through her madness Luna could not tell, but the fact that Trixie had crafted a spare Bifrost and kept it hidden pointed to her being wholly prepared for this conflict, whatever that would end up entailing.

“If we break her will to fight, we can keep her from getting back up,” Luna responded without emotion, her face still embroiled with her deep scowl and her eyes set forward to the closed gateway that would grant them entrance to the most difficult conflict of their entire lives if not physically then mentally and emotionally.

“Ideally that would be the case, but be careful. Her weakness was once her lack of power: now it is grand enough to confront Thanos,” Loki warned, the image of Trixie burning away the invulnerable Algrim imprinted quite heavily on Loki’s mind.

“It won’t come to that. I can convince her to come home.”

There was no-one present who believed her, not even Luna if she were to look deep enough and fully contemplate the situation. However, there was reason for her to make such a proclamation, one which she quickly made apparent as her stone cold façade cracked for a moment.

“I can’t bear to think what will happen if I cannot.”

With that there was nothing more to say between them all. Luna led the way inside, the gate opening just as they approached it, and a rush of air met them as they moved inside.

In the center of the room was a stand and structure similar to the one in the other Bifrost, where Heimdall’s sword would be placed to activate and control the structure, only this one had the scepter Trixie kept after she “borrowed” it from Luna. A brilliant aura of yellow and blue surrounded it, forming a shield around it that looked to be powerful. A safeguard likely to stop anyone from disturbing its vital role in everything.

A look around the inside of the structure revealed a similar aura surrounding the edges of the structure and a quick reflection revealed to the newly arrived visitors that the surrounding earth and ice was similarly engulfed in the power exhibited. Another failsafe: collapsing the ground beneath the Bifrost could dislodge and render it useless.

While lashing out in insanity, Trixie was by no means unintelligent…though at the same time something in her was keeping her plan from being wholly savvy and unstoppable. What that was would soon be revealed as she came into conflict with everyone else.

The same observation everyone gave the room was the same one that revealed the still body of Twilight over in the back right side of the structure. The door closed behind everyone once the uncomfortable truth was revealed, locking them from the outside world and trapping them in what quickly transformed into a domain of Trixie’s own power. A miasma of energy swirled around the room just as steadily as the blood now pooled around Twilight had come from the wound to her heart.

The one behind everything stood opposite them, beyond the guarded scepter and standing still as everyone else came to terms with the sight before them. To her left and opposite Twilight was the similarly still body belonging to Hela’s partner, the bastard child of Illidan, though it was difficult to tell if he was dead as Twilight was because of the lack of blood and his dubious “living” condition before given that he was raised and lived in Hel.

While Celestia was shocked into inaction briefly at the sight of Twilight, Maiev wasted no time unleashing her fury at the distant Trixie. She flitted across the room with tears pouring down her enraged face, displaying more emotional range in a single face than the entire time the others had known her.

Her foolhardy attempt at avenging her son was met with near instant failure, for the energy swirling around the room swatted her aside with such force that she slammed heavily into the left wall and crumpled down to the floor after only getting just past the scepter.

“Twilight…”

Celestia was crying too, now forcibly faced with the situation she had dreaded ever since Trixie revealed her true nature. Loki felt disgruntled at the sight but was not broken up, feeling responsible for Twilight’s demise but also aggravated that she had so unintelligently stumbled into the lair of their foe. Twilight was book smart, but her lack of tactical sense and savvy had cost her everything this time and not just some championship game. This was not some happy-go-lucky encounter where just showing the power of friendship would win, it was a life or death situation Loki believed that she would have understood given Trixie’s power. He was wrong, and now Twilight was dead.

Blame would not be tossed around at the time however as Celestia took little time to set about her own revenge, forming the most powerful beam of energy she could muster after having her power partially drained by the Sirens. The energy surrounding the scepter reached all the way to the ceiling, where the Bifrost’s opening was focused, and so Celestia had to move to the side to fire at Trixie. Luna tried to shout for her sister to hold back, but it was too late and Celestia poured every ounce of energy she had at Trixie: Celestia may not have wished to slay Trixie or anything of the like, but she was emotionally pressed to her limit by the sight of her dead student.

Celestia’s attempt to avenge her student and loved one was swatted down near instantly as the mist of energy swirling about the room carried her energy around the yellow and blue light in the center, taking it around a bend it originally was not going to go on before circling around the structure completely and coming straight back to collide with Celestia.

The miasma of energy had made the attack come back stronger than it had been let out and so in a single stroke Celestia was rendered unconscious, though most definitely not slain.

The two most bereaved members defeated in moments, the rest of the force assembled by Loki held still to await some kind of acknowledgement from their foe who had defeated two of their number without lifting a hand.

Currently in her Elven form, Trixie’s back was to Luna and the others, but none of them could miss the sight of the indigo helmet she wore. Its blue was much like that of Nightmare Moon’s regalia, but the style of the armor was more like that of Loki with two horns coming off of it like his own. A purple cape hung down from her shoulders where it attached to her new cloak with the same shade as her helmet. Only one of her arms had a gauntlet on it, once again in the color of the helmet, while the other remained bare.

Her outfit was a deliberate mimicry of what Luna and Loki both wore once upon a time. Of what they wore when they were at their very worst.

Trixie did not turn around as she spoke up, “So you’ve come. It is time we finish our chapter in history. You come here for answers,” she paused to glance back with a stoic countenance, “and to stop me from a plan I started with the knowledge you all would disapprove from its very inception.”

Given what Kael had revealed, was Trixie trying to implement some form of massive mind control through the powerful structure she had created? That question gripped through the minds of those still capable of thought, though by spending the time to think about the meaning behind all of this they gave Trixie a chance to continue her speech.

Trixie finally turned around fully and began to move, though it was slowly and it was with a hand cast towards the bloodied body she was approaching, “Upon this stage we will spill the red ink that will determine the path which all lives take from here on out. We will determine if my final show is worthy of changing the world, or if your garish blundering will instead capture what the books will say about this day.”

“Trixie…” Luna whispered as her own fears were confirmed. Trixie’s eyes were cold, distant, even beneath their glow of magic.

When Trixie reached Twilight she lowered herself to stroke the deceased Alicorn’s face, her face even displaying a bout of sadness as she did so, “You know, I’ve…seen myself standing here for quite some time.”

Loki stood beside Luna and placed a hand on her shoulder. Attacking wildly and without thought would not accomplish anything, but perhaps waiting a moment to hear Trixie out could give them some kind of edge. Luna was not, however, ready to strike her daughter just yet. Equal parts hurt, angry, and confused, Luna honestly did not know what to do to confront her unhinged student.

Trixie stood up fully and continued her slow pace towards the others, coming towards them on their right while circling around the edge of the rounded building, “When I was put in a coma by the Ursa conflict, Hela visited me in my long sleep…”

The pseudo-Elf brought a hand to her head and tapped the helmet she wore gently.

“It felt like years in there, with time even more distorted in my mind than it was in the area around me. She taught me things. She helped me learn,” Trixie stopped her movement to cast a glance aside to where Hela’s companion lay, then to the platform the scepter was pouring energy forth from, “But, at the same time she revealed herself to be a mentally damaged psychopath. For every moment she spent teaching me, she spent ten showing me things that would harm me.”

Trixie’s eyes narrowed as they returned to focusing on Luna and the others, a glint suddenly in her eye as she coldly looked them over.

“She showed me your then future argument with Celestia at the Equestria Games about how you were using me. She showed me instances of you belittling and chastising me, or at least the version of me present in Hela’s distorted world…”

Luna seized up at the revelation that this was all a result of her own actions as shown by her own daughter to her other. She remembered well when she darkly threatened to murder Celestia if she ever dare insinuate that she was using Trixie, despite the truth there was in the idea.

Was she to blame for Trixie’s fall just like Celestia and their mother were to blame for some of Luna’s fall, and Thor and Odin once were to blame for Loki’s own?

Trixie gave a sick grin at the thought of her own pain and misery, hardships faced before that together had culminated in this outcome, “She showed me killing you. She showed me a sight of Loki betraying you. That wicked being we call Ikol paid for that crime,” she explained the fate of the dying prisoner, only to lose her grin to snarl, “But worst of all, she showed me standing here after what we are about to do. She showed me all of your corpses. She has shown me so many realities and universes that it was as if I was living a whole new life…”

Trixie shook her head violently as she brought a hand up to grip it, pain suddenly cropping up in her head that she could not heal. As she convulsed in pain and let out an infuriated yell Luna moved to approach her and comfort her, but Loki stopped her in her tracks. Given how volatile Trixie was right now he did not trust the young mare around Luna, who seemed to be the object of her current hatred.

While still gripped in pain Trixie’s tone began to rise into one of enraged shouting. The pain even reached the point that Trixie had to grab her head with both hands, though after a moment of this she cast them aside with fury and lowered her gaze to the ground, which she stomped on with a distinct ferocity.

“She showed me the times my mother abused me. She showed me the moment I was conceived, and since I was unable to fall unconscious I was forced to watch every moment of it!”

This shocked even Loki, who up until then had been the only one to not outwardly show some kind of emotion to Trixie’s impassioned monologue. While Hela had outwardly brought harm upon him, she had been also torturing Trixie with horrific visions ranging from murder to the rape that conceived her. The insane mistress of Hel tortured those she thought befitting of it, and if the Trixie in her own world had gone insane it would greatly explain why she was so cruel towards this one: the visions of Trixie slaying Luna were likely from her own past, which would explain why she had Thanos take Trixie along with Loki to suffer in Hel.

Hela had, in an effort to punish Trixie for the actions of her counterpart she would yet become, ended up pushing her in the very direction that caused the conflict. She created her own villain, or at least set Trixie down the path to become the mad woman she was now. It was a mixture of Hela revealing dark things about Trixie’s own life and Luna living up to those dark visions that brought them here today.

That, and the unfortunate spark for it all that was the deceased Blueblood.

The pain gripping Trixie seemingly faded as the thoughts passed by, and while she stumbled to one side for a moment she quickly recovered and stood up straight with a smile, a complete turn around from her appearance moments before, “When I got out of my mental prison I locked those bad thoughts away. I tried to pass them all off as inconsequential, as nothing but nightmares…”

Her hands balled and tensed as Trixie once again started shooting daggers at Luna, who was the true cause behind her downfall.

“I couldn’t though. While I was in her world I suffered every moment, but I suffered nearly as much upon returning and learning that little had changed. The mare I loved as if she was a mother still would use me as if a tool in her own conflict with her sister, and my once soft heart couldn’t do anything but go along as if everything was fine.”

Trixie paused to shake her head sorrowfully, while the others stood awestruck at what they were being told. Thor was caught in a conflict between wanting to hurl Mjolnir at Trixie and wanting to embrace his niece.

Luna, however, was trying to not collapse as began to see why her loved daughter and student had turned on her and engaged in some mad plot to make the world kneel under her.

She was hurt by what Luna had done despite being like an idol to her: she had the person she trusted most hurt her just like everyone else in her entire life had.

Trixie gesticulated to Luna with one hand, going from an extended open palm to a clenched fist which she brought in to her breastplate, “I love you, Princess Luna, but I hate you equally for failing to live up to the expectations I had of you. You came and changed my life so long ago, but you did so for your own self, and you only enjoyed the fact that you helped me as a secondary notion to your intention to get even with your sister.”

There would be no argument from Luna about the harm she had inflicted upon Trixie, harm that perhaps others had questioned or brought up but that she had ignored or deflected until now. She was guilty of the same oversight that she once despised Celestia for, and now she was seeing the seeds of her own faults come to fruition.

Luna bowed her head, unable to look her student in the eye as she thought about the pain she would see there. Pain that she had once held in her own heart and eyes from a loved one’s neglect, “Trixie, I love you…you…you know that. I…” Luna found her voice cracking as she tried to find a way to apologize and own up for her wrongs both, as dodging the blame now would do little to calm the eldest of their children, “I did exactly as you said though, and for that I accept your anger. I deserve it, and I will do anything I can to make it up to you. Please, come home. I don’t want to lose you. I…I…”

The Princess of Night’s head lowered further as she thought about her own pain now. The pain that once upon a time belonged to Celestia and their mother, who ended up dying of grief born of her daughters conflict, “I don’t want to lose you like my mother once lost her daughter. Please, I will do anything for you…”

Trixie held a hand up to silence Luna and her mother did so just as Trixie responded to the plea, her head shaking slowly as she closed her eyes.

“I…it is too late for that,” Trixie stated, quite ready to exact her vengeance but also gripped by a sudden pain now that Luna admitted her faults.

If Trixie had been suffering for so long, there was a question Loki would have answered, “Why did you not ask for help?”

For the first time since their arrival Trixie focused on Loki, her eyes displaying less hatred but also less sadness than when she looked at her surrogate mother, “Luna hadn’t changed in my absence. Not enough at least,” Trixie’s gaze briefly returned to Luna, who she began to scowl at once more before neutrally glancing at Loki again, “She had admonished me for a failure outside of my control because of her own impossible expectations, leading to my confrontation with the Ursas. If I came to a mare like that and said my feelings were hurt, what kind of response should I expect but to be laughed at? Be further harmed?”

The accusation stung Luna, who didn’t believe herself to be so callous as Trixie said, but at the same time not being and not believed to be were two separate things.

“Trixie, I wouldn’t…”

Trixie snarled as she brought her attention back to Luna, “You once chastised Twilight for displaying weakness,” she calmed herself with a deep breath, but not before her body convulsed briefly, “But after awhile I lost that reason. I no longer feared drawing your ire, of being hurt by you, because your confrontation with Celestia happened. You proved that Hela wasn’t showing me random, harmful things…she was showing the future, even if it was only one of many. It validated what I already knew about the past.”

“I wanted to hide it all again. Bury my feelings, but then my mother came back into my life…and she too proved Hela right…” the recent pain of losing that same mother, who Trixie had begun to want to reconcile with, gave her pause, “Then we had the Dark Elf invasion…”

That brought a smile to Trixie’s face, but it was not a jovial one born of good cheer: it was one born of a mad cackle bubbling to the surface that soon found itself erupting from her as Trixie began to think about the catalyst to her insanity.

“From the moment I took the Aether I knew I couldn’t give it up. Its power was intoxicating, and that is not even to mention the feeling the Nightmare force it had subsumed gave me!” Trixie shuddered with pleasure as she thought about the power coursing through her body, though she calmed down upon speaking again, “But to wield that power I needed a way of not letting it surpass my meager capabilities…of controlling it without losing my mind.”

“The Gauntlet was my way out, but my own restraint kept me from acquiring it,” she laughed madly again before quickly reeling herself in and giving off a colder countenance, “I held back at points in my fight with Thanos with the fear I would destroy it along with him. When you have such powerful magic, reigning it in is quite difficult. I knew I would be doomed if I lost it, and I had to struggle with my own sanity versus the lives of everyone.”

Trixie raised a hand in front of her to observe, one where the Infinity Gauntlet would have completed her outfit if not for its destruction.

“But my hesitation cost me my chance. I was defeated temporarily, during which my mother died and deprived Thanos, and me, of the tool we both needed.”

Trixie lowered the hand as she turned her back on the others and began to reverse her approach, now putting distance in-between them while also offering her back up as a target. Whether she knew that the others who had come to face her were too scared to take the opportunity or not would not be revealed, though if so she was right because they stayed in place due to that fear and did not capitalize on the opportunity.

“I knew if I let loose and I wasn’t able to use the Gauntlet I would have gone down this road. I have been planning it for so long after all as I have slipped more and more into this madness along the road,” she snorted and shook her head again, “I had triumphed over my feelings that drove me to this path though. I had recovered some of what made me who I am…”

She brought a hand to her forehead and began to laugh madly again as she thought about that: once upon a time she had been a lowly magician whose arrogance and lies brought her to ruin and to be the most reviled showmare in all of Equestria. But through it all, she had been herself, even as others tore her down and made her life miserable. Now that she had been raised to live among gods she had felt her soul torn away piece by piece because of the continued pain she had experienced under them.

Trixie sighed and let her shoulders hang as she continued to speak, “Given time, I may have been able to overcome the struggle. I may have found a way to permanently rid myself of this power that is tied to my very being, for as much as I crave its feeling I also cannot relinquish it. The Aether will not leave me…”

Luna glanced over at the scepter in the center of the room, which continued to course with power as it did whatever Trixie set it to do.

Trixie glanced back at the scepter before stopping her movement right where she had started, “I can’t say Hela made me do this though. She may have shown me those things, but my falling into place with her visions was my own doing. I wanted to fall in some ways. I wanted this for so long. I chose this and I refuse to be ashamed of that decision, whether I live or die today.”

As Trixie began to pace again Luna felt her eyes slowly widen. Trixie had wanted this? Then Hela merely opened her eyes to the possibility of this, and she openly chose to fall into madness because of her lost faith in her mentor and the pain coming from her shattered feelings and affection?

Trixie approached the defeated bodyguard of Hela and kicked him with enough strength to send him brutally careening into the nearby wall, at which point she tilted her head back and let out a sick laugh, “Still, I can see why that impudent daughter of yours Hela is so insane! This power…being able to see into worlds and places I never thought imaginable…”

Her laughter continued on into a full, mad cackle with random intermissions which demonstrated the true level of her insanity in that she could not even sustain the laughter as if she was forgetting what she was doing every few moments.

After gathering herself more Trixie turned to face the others with a wicked smirk, her eyes widened from her madness, “There’s no other feeling like it! I am equal parts empowered and withered by just holding it in my grasp!”

She cast a hand to one side and then gripped it, the place her hand had pointed to exploding violently as the magic she was surrounded by and in control became volatile under her command.

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Isn’t that right?! Our family all know that very well, and neither of you can criticize me over this feeling!” she shouted at both Luna and Loki, who each admittedly had to cede the point given their own histories under the thrall of power.

Trixie gestured to herself grandly before waving that arm away with haste, “But even so, what of my own corruption? Would it really be all that bad if I just won? I’ve lost everything! I’ve had so much taken from me, I’ve felt my soul shattering and breaking for so long, that all I have left besides the pain are the ideals you placed in me! That of being a good ruler who looks out for their subjects fairly and with a kind heart!”

She shook her head as she realized she had still not gone about explaining her plan to them, and a good part of her really wanted them to know. Know so that they could fully oppose her and not solely face her to avenge their loved ones, but to oppose her ideology as she expected since she first got the idea to do this.

“Today I will bring about a new era, but not just to our four worlds! I can reach into the universe itself and pull it to suit my desires now that I have all of this power, I just need the time to harness it! No world will remain unconquered, no person untouched by my influence! Today I erase the weakness we living beings all share!”

Her maddened motioning towards the magic floating around them and focusing in the very center of the room was interrupted by a curt, infuriated voice of someone no longer able to sit back and listen.

“Enough!”

Loki was faster than Thor and could have stopped him from assaulting Trixie, but there was little he could do to force the man to bite his tongue as he took a single step forward and called Trixie out on her actions.

“What of the lives of Fandral, Volstagg, Sif, Hogun, and Heimdall!?” the god of Thunder yelled as he waved his hammer only those worthy could wield at Trixie, “What of them!? What reason did you possibly have for dragging them into your private conflict!? What of your friend, who you so callously murdered when she came to help you!?”

Trixie blinked at his interruption and paused to look aside at Twilight.

She shrugged.

“I needed you to have proper motivation to come here and fight me. To give you all a chance to stop your own downfall, or else this performance I am putting on would be so boring.”

Her answer was all Thor needed to begin twirling his hammer around to prepare it to launch forward at Trixie, who just laughed as he went through the futile effort.

“I regret that it had to come to such drastic means, but I succeeded in motivating you, haven’t I?”

The hammer launched forward and Trixie laughed as it sailed true towards her. Her magic attempted to alter its trajectory to protect her from the incoming weapon, but it failed to do so and the hammer struck her straight in the gut. The weapon’s attack stunned her for a moment as it began to push her back and her heels dug into the ground beneath her, only for Trixie to have to teleport to the side to release herself from the attack.

Mjolnir sailed around the room and returned to Thor’s hand, who was still furious even after seeing his attack connect. His hammer had a vague method of choosing who was worthy of it, but the magic belonging to someone so mad and wicked would not be able to do the job.

Trixie straightened herself out and let her bones snap into place as her body instantly healed from the damage it took, the physical goddess more irritated than truly harmed, “You think yourself so clever. Try that again.”

“As you wish!” Thor responded to the taunt and flung the hammer forward again to unleash his wrath, though he was unable to follow up on his words in any fashion as the hammer disappeared from sight only to then reappear flying in the opposite direction to strike the warrior with the same attack he had just unleashed.

Thor tumbled back from the powerful blow, though it did not defeat him like Celestia’s reversed attack had. He was winded and knocked down to his knees but the warrior who had likely fought more battles than all the others in the room combined was not going to let himself fall victim to his own attack and so he powered through the hit to force himself to his feet.

Trixie used the moment everyone’s attention turned to see how Thor was doing to continue her dialogue, though Luna was just beginning to get an inkling as to why she was saying so much.

“This portal is the gateway to everything that exists. When it finishes I will be able to extend my power, my ability to control others, to all of existence,” she jabbed a pinkie towards the swirling vortex of power, “When that happens, you will have lost! Only those in this room are safe from its power, so your free will is to be spared. This wouldn’t be as fun or as great a show if I just made you slaves too.”

Luna grit her teeth as her feelings other than grief began to boil to the top, “You can’t just…”

Trixie cut her off with a sudden shout, “I can’t what?!” she scoffed as she turned her full attention to the mare whose mistakes broke Trixie along the path they had shared, “I can’t!? I can’t make others bend a knee to my desires because of what!? Because it’s wrong? That’s bad comedy coming from a dictator who once upon a time would have killed everyone who dared cross them, including their own sibling!”

She then turned to look at each of the others in the room while continuing to shout at them, her hands seizing and moving as if she was stopping them from doing something: most likely conjuring magic and hurling it at those she was facing, “You all would not be in this situation if you had put half as much effort into what you do as I have! I am the hero of this story, I am the one who will come out on top after all of my sacrifices! I’ve done everything I can to improve and get stronger, while you vile beings have sat back and let your egos keep you in check!” she grabbed ahold of her own chest and growled at the others, “The hero always wins, which is why I will triumph where you shall fall!”

Luna balked at Trixie’s assertion of morality, her own eyes taking a glint to them as she listened to Trixie’s proclamation, “You think we’re the villains here?”

“You are brash, arrogant, obsessed with controlling,” Trixie answered, “You do as you please, and if someone opposes you, they are damned to be considered an enemy even if they are family!”

“We rule to help! How else could Equestria function without the power of Celestia and I?”

It became a battle of words as Trixie responded with growing fury, “Help your own egos, maybe! You’re selfish, and your pride would lead us all to ruin!”

“And how are you being any different!?” Luna shouted, now just as infuriated as her wayward kin. Loki moved to calm her but she shoved him aside. If Trixie was to criticize her for her selfishness and emotions, then she would not deprive her daughter of what she hated most, she would give her the full range of her feelings and not hold anything back now.

Trixie continued to shout back in escalating volume, “This whole time I’ve only done what’s necessary to be the good person you all want me to be, and now I am going to drag you all down with me when I end this! People like us do not deserve to live happily ever after! We don’t have it in our DNA!”

Luna stomped her front hooves down and ignored another attempt from Loki to calm her, “You’re wrong, Trixie! Just as you’re wrong about all of this! Don’t you realize your own hypocrisy? You wish to control others, yet you’re no better than any of us, who you dare criticize for our lording over others!”

“I never claimed myself to be perfect or free from the crimes you all have committed before!” Trixie screamed at the top of her lungs, though her voice cracked at the very end, leading into her almost sobbing as she continued to try and hash out words with Luna, “The difference is that I can’t live with myself being like this and I realize how terrible I am, and I am going to fix that with blood if need be! That is what separates us!”

Luna noticed out of the corner of her eye that the power concentrating in the center of the room had grown in size: Trixie had been stalling them with words to buy herself time.

“Enough!” Luna commanded as she tensed her body anxiously, awaiting the moment she would have to change from battling with words to battling with magic and weapons, “If you are going to run your mouth, you had best get on with backing up your words for I will not allow you to stall any longer! I refuse to accept your ideal, for I cannot trust some mad whelp with the fate of the everything!”

The discovery of what she was doing made Trixie halt in her impassioned shouting match, her mouth going from a deep scowl to one of complete amusement.

“So you could tell,” Trixie laughed, “To be truthful, you have come at a fortunate time. I have invested nearly all of my power into my scheme. After all, opening a gateway to everything in existence and powering the device that will go through it and forcibly change people’s minds with its brilliant light, does indeed take a great deal of power.”

Loki narrowed his eyes in observation of the power coursing around the room. She was working on slowly adding more and more of her energy to that of the scepter, which upon further observation had faint signs of a shattered gauntlet and gems around it: had Trixie managed to find the pieces and retrieve them from their destination with her power?

If so, that would mean she found something horrifying at wherever that place was…for the gauntlet had not gone alone, and what seemed to remain of what had been torn apart was completely in shambles. The power of just the destroyed stones must have been a terrible task to tame, not to mention bringing all of that together in a way that could be harnessed and used in addition to Trixie’s own baffling power.

Loki found himself with a slack jaw momentarily: they weren’t actually in the Bifrost, not really. They were in a created, controlled environment that resembled the inside of the Bifrost, one where Trixie lorded over what happened to some degree. By creating her own world, she could then better use it to control such massive energy, which was something she was not naturally attuned to doing.

The reason Thor’s hammer could disappear and reappear as she pleased was because she could warp the physics of this world as she saw fit, but the reason she couldn’t stop the weapon from striking her at first was because she couldn’t change the properties of an actual object. She was powerful enough to accomplish such a feat as creating her own world, much like Luna’s dreamscape she likely based it off of, but Trixie had not had the hundreds of years of training to truly master it: she was skillful and powerful, but still could not make up for the gap of time.

Trixie formed an orb of magical energy and sneered at the others as she stood across from them all, “Even so, the pittance of strength I have is enough to handle you, so come at me! What are insects like you to a living god such as myself?!”

Thor and Luna each launched themselves forward at the prompt, though the until then silent Sonata spoke up quickly to try and keep things from devolving into physical combat.

“Wait!”

Even though Trixie had played the Siren trio like a fiddle for her own ends, Sonata had liked Trixie when she was with them. She even had been saddened that Trixie did not want to join them in more than a business related manner, and while Trixie betrayed her and the others Trixie was the only one present who had ever been something she could call a “friend”. No matter how this would end with everyone fighting it would be heartbreaking to Sonata, who had lost every other thing she could consider close to her.

Even Loki had given up on the front of geniality and diplomacy, as the only way to stop Trixie now would be to defeat her as revealed by her unwavering dedication to her scheme, “This is not the time for sentimentality!”

“He’s right you know,” Trixie laughed before boasting in an overly haughty voice, “I killed Twilight. I have defeated his monster of a daughter, Hela, and her servant died in vain trying to save her. All he could do was keep me preoccupied until you arrived, but now he can join his father in Hel! Your Asgardian allies lay dead because of me, and I seek to erase the evils of free will! So come, fight me if you dare, for the only way you will ever hope to undo this is by ending my life!”

Thor had never stopped charging at Trixie with his supernatural speed and so he reached her just in time for her to sidestep him and smash him across the back of the head with her single gauntlet.

The counterattack made him spin in place, but the seasoned warrior used the momentum to swing his hammer right where Trixie’s head ought to be. Instead it sailed through air and left him off balance as Trixie created a blade of energy beneath him. Thor carried himself in a direction away from Trixie to avoid being impaled upon her conjured weapon, though it still managed to slice through his thick armor and tear his billowing cape halfway through the midpoint as it moved behind him.

Not to waste an opportunity Trixie grabbed Thor by his cape and planted one heel down before spinning and tossing him in the direction of Luna, who had just fired a powerful magic attack at her. The magic struck Thor and sent him back towards Trixie, who stopped his reversed momentum with a punch.

Despite the rapid beating Thor struggled to rise to his feet, and due to never having dropped his weapon he also attempted to swipe it at Trixie’s legs.

Unfortunately for him, she had teleported to be beyond him and closer to the others, her wicked smirk having returned as she prepared to return fire at Luna.

“Come, try and kill me, for I have no problem giving you the sweet embrace of death!”

Luna unleashed a second attack, this time a burst of lightning that arced in a distorted fashion to lessen the chance it would miss Trixie, though this attempt was no more successful than the first beyond not striking an ally.

“When all of you villains are powerless, defeated…” Trixie teleported just before the electricity would have touched her, reappearing right beside Luna to strike her with the magical blade in hand, “That’s when this will be all over.”

Her blade caught not Luna but Loki in the gut, the King of Asgard having foreseen Trixie’s attack on Luna given her outrage and focus on punishing Luna for the slights the now Queen had brought upon her adoptive daughter. Loki would have gone straight for Odin or Thor when he was still mad, so he could not imagine Trixie acting outside the perceived norm of their family in that regard after she dealt with any immediate threat.

Trixie twisted the blade in Loki’s gut as he moved to retaliate with his twin glaives, “Because people like you are the reason everything like this happens!”

His blades just barely nicked her as she ducked under him and move to strike Luna, the energy blade disappearing the moment she let go of it. Trixie was nowhere near as powerful as she ought to be and that included the power lent to her by the Aether: she was focusing everything she had on opening the largest portal in the sky right above the Bifrost and purposefully out of their view given that they had no way of seeing outside the structure or the created world she had placed inside of it. If Trixie were at her fully powered state there would be no question about her avoiding that attack, but as it was a trickle of blood now marred the glowing green of the twin glaives.

She was boasting her supreme power, but for the moment she was exhausted. Like with Thanos after she drained him, the more time that went on the less of an advantage they would have against their enemy.

“You lie!” Trixie growled as she attempted to impale Luna, only to find herself slashing through an illusion.

Trixie twirled around to impale Loki again with a newly summoned dagger, but midway she was intercepted by the form of Luna tackling her. Not about to be trampled underhoof, Trixie teleported as well and buried her dagger into Luna’s side, “You manipulate everyone around you, even your loved ones!”

Luna howled out in pain as the blade pierced some of her internal organs, the Queen quickly going about healing her wounds with her magic even as Trixie prepared another attack. Luna utilized the effective but cowardly tactic of constant teleportation she taught Trixie to escape the follow up attack, but the wave of energy unleashed by Trixie managed to arc around and slam into Luna regardless by catching her off guard with a sudden jolt of direction.

As the energy carrying the colors of not only the Nightmare force and the Aether but Luna’s own impaled its former owner, Trixie teleported again to unleash a furious punch across Luna’s jaw.

“Everything is only for your own personal gratification,” she followed up the jaw strike with a knee to the leg, aiming to harm but not kill Luna, “your own sense of pride and ego!”

Luna teleported away again just as Trixie connected the strike, though this gave her little reprieve as Trixie’s all-out assault on her continued. This time Trixie utilized some of the energy swarming above Luna to come crashing straight down on her, also tossing the body of Twilight aside due to Luna’s new position as the power crashed down heavily on the area.

The use of the energy on something other than the opening of the portal would likely set Trixie’s plan back by some interval, but the maddened schemer seemed not to care so long as she could inflict pain on Luna. Overpowered by the attack and Trixie’s current abilities surpassing her own, Luna tried her best to rise even as she felt a heavy stream of blood escaping down her side and as she felt her bones crack under the attack. While not lethal the attack should have at least felled Luna in some form, but she kept rising to the challenge despite the massive pain by tapping into a resource only she could use out of everyone present.

As Luna struggled to rise Trixie continued the onslaught by hurling lobs of energy straight at Luna and blasting away fur and skin with each and every magic strike, “You don’t care who gets hurt, you don’t care what damage you do, so long as you are the ones who are on top in the end!”

Even torn asunder from the attack, Luna remained standing, though it was with bent legs that threatened to buckle at any moment. However, despite her power advantage, Trixie was wheezing after her attack on Luna. She was stretching her own power usage as she attacked and attacked, having started the battle with only the energy she had managed to acquire during her distracting monologue that would not only provide them with her reason for her betrayal, but also time to rest and not be instantly slain with what little power she still held given how much she invested in the Bifrost.

Trixie stumbled towards Luna as she tried to catch her own breath, “I’ve seen that all too clearly…”

She used some of the last vestiges of her power to teleport out of Loki’s way and to appear right next to Luna, with her adoptive father stumbling as his intended strike did not bury itself in Trixie but in the wall behind where she had stood.

Trixie raised a palm in front of Luna’s head and began to try and call forth more energy to finish her mentor off, “You taught me well.”

Taught. That word made Trixie’s resolve falter. Her arm shook and she fell a step back as she winced and her body began to convulse.

“You…”

Trixie was crying as she tried to steel herself for the final attack. She wanted to end Luna’s life, but something was keeping her from doing so. She wanted revenge for how Luna had spurned her, had used her, but even now when she had the opportunity to do so she could not finish the job.

“You’re the only one who ever truly taught me anything…” Trixie sobbed as she continued to fail at finishing her self-appointed task at meting out justice for Luna’s actions, “You’re the one who took me in when no-one else would…”

Luna rose up to her full height as Trixie continued to stumble. Instead of comforting her or playing on the emotions now rising in Trixie, Luna looked her dead in the eye and gave her a dark glare.

“If you’re going to kill me, get on with it.”

Trixie had slain the Ursas who were killing ponies. Trixie had killed Algrim when he was a direct threat to her family and had hurt Luna. Trixie had killed Blueblood by accident if her words were to be believed about losing control.

She killed Twilight for finding out her secret too early, but even then she seemed to regret it. Furthermore she was actively trying to provoke them with it, as if to say “I am so evil as to kill someone innocent” and then goad them into attacking her in retaliation.

Trixie was not a killer. She was not a monster, and even madness had not changed that. She had killed Twilight to get them to come after her. To get them to try and stop her. So despite all her posturing, despite everything she tried to do to get them to attack her, she was just a lost child throwing a tantrum and she knew it.

This was what Luna believed, with her deep knowledge of her beloved student and daughter. She had not taken in a sociopathic monster, she had taken in a broken mare who even at her worst was not an evil person.

Trixie gaped as Luna took a step forward towards Trixie’s outstretched, quivering hand, “Do it! If this is what you truly want, what is holding you back!? Until you hold the strength to kill those who have wronged you and those who you love, can you truly say you are wholly devoted to your ideals?”

Trixie winced at the harsh lecture, but Luna continued as she let loose the emotions she had been feeling this whole time.

“I am ready to die for my sins. For what I have done to you and to others. So go ahead. If this is what it takes for this to end, I will gladly give my life. I only wish for my family to be happy, and if I must die to accomplish that so be it. But I know you are not a villain, Trixie, much as you would like us to believe otherwise! So go ahead, try and kill me, I know that you cannot muster the strength to do so!”

Caught between utter rage and complete despair, Trixie began to shake her head and repeat the mantra she had once said to Blueblood before losing control.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

Luna’s attempt to call out Trixie’s true morality by pressing her to the breaking point almost worked, but Trixie snapped a moment before she could reel herself back in. Her attack would have struck and killed Luna if not for one hitting her first.

Trixie stumbled to her right after being blindsided by an impressive beam of light from her left. The distraction caused Trixie’s attack to fly off to the side and hit nothing but the wall, and with it Trixie was left with almost nothing to fight with.

“Your life is not yours to give, Luna.”

A look to the side revealed the recently awakened Celestia, who had dashed over to the side near where Thor and Illidan’s son lay to get a clear shot at Trixie that would not miss and hit Luna. So distracted by Luna’s speech Trixie had ignored the other threats in the room including Celestia and even Loki, who stood behind her and was prepared to plunge his blades into her body should she actually slay Luna. While he had affection for her as a parent, his devotion to Luna superseded his feelings towards Trixie, and he would grievously wound her if need be to save Luna.

Celestia looked to Trixie, who had quickly put space in-between herself and Loki upon rediscovering his presence.

“And the same goes for you, Trixie!” Celestia shouted, “I was nearly broken by having to live a thousand years without my sister, living every day with the knowledge that she had fallen and was gone because of my own failures as someone she trusted and loved. I can’t imagine what she would go through if you were taken from her, especially if you were to leave her forever,” she had lowered her head while recounting her own history with Luna, and threw it up to look Trixie in the eye again, “Don’t throw your life away! There is always time to make amends, so long as you live on!”

Trixie casually avoided Loki’s attack by teleporting, even if the effort made her wheeze in pain, “How can you…” she coughed as she reappeared by where they all started. Her mind was left in a state of confusion by the fact that Celestia almost sounded like she was forgiving Trixie, “I killed your student! I killed someone who ought to have been like a daughter to you!”

Celestia turned her head to look at Thor, who was finally rising from his previous defeat, “I have seen the dead return to life more than once these past few days, and if your hesitation and words have told us anything, you killed her to goad us into killing you.”

Luna closed her eyes at the revelation that Celestia was on the same page as her. Trixie was trying to get them to kill her while also accomplishing some kind of goal, though Luna could not fathom everything going on in Trixie’s mind. She had been pressed for far in her depression that she desired death, something obvious to her foes as they continued to face her.

“If we cannot forgive, we cannot move on. Your mother said that to you before she died…” Luna chimed in, her words slow as she coughed up blood while speaking, “Trixie, we’ve come so far…Please, things don’t need to end this way…”

While previously tame the past few moments, Trixie went from confused and conflicted to cackling and smirking madly again. Her moment of regret had passed and had morphed into her previous smug insanity, her moods as fleeting as could be expected by someone not in control of their mind.

“I would suggest you stop giving me time!” Trixie laughed as she called enough power to launch a medium strength attack at Celestia, “At this point I’ve already brought Earth under my influence, and Equestria will soon join it with so many Asgardians and Jotuns there.”

Celestia took the attack head on, not fast enough to avoid the sudden lurching forward of the magic because of how Trixie was in control of the dimension they all had stepped into.

“I subjected the Jotuns to some mind control previously. Experiments for this…” she continued to laugh weakly as she tried to continue her recovery, but Trixie was at too much of a disadvantage from the very beginning to have the power to actually win when so much was required to do as she pleased. If they had come right after defeating Kael she would not have been nearly as drained and have bested them easily, but them taking time to recover while she continued her plan gave them this heavy advantage in an otherwise unwinnable situation, “You may have noticed they’ve been a bit out of it as a species…”

Trixie spoke no further before she was forcibly thrown to the side and pinned against the wall by an invisible force, only to then have a barrier of ice thrown in front of her to seal her off from everyone else.

“I hope I am not too late,” came a cheeky, almost laughing tone.

Body ravaged by the severe beating he received after his defeat and by the battle that left him unconscious, Kael stood in the entrance of the Bifrost after suddenly teleporting inside of it to the surprise of everyone inside.

Author's Note

Boss phase 1 complete! Phase 2 and 3: incoming! (What, you thought we were done?) :rainbowlaugh:

Oh, and happy mother's day :trollestia:

I know things are looking rough, so thank you for sticking through it all and reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! I will answer your questions to the best of my not-spoilers ability!

And I Know, I May End Up Failing Too, But I Know, You Are Just Like Me With Someone Disappointed In You

A/N: Today marks the two years anniversary for this story. It's hard to believe it has come this far, but I am proud of the story, and I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. This being our penultimate chapter of the main story (79/80), we are almost done, and I think I'm going to miss this story soon enough...but, let us cherish the time we still have with it, and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Special thanks to Thelykenking, The Batmane of equestria, Sidetrack, Nikita, Amethyst Blade, Ketvirtas, and InsanityStreak for your thoughts last chapter. It was hard getting this chapter done, but hearing from you guys helped me get it done. Thank you for your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

Chapter title from "Numb" by Linkin Park.

“I hope I am not too late,” came a cheeky, almost laughing tone.

No-one was more surprised than Trixie, who from her position against the wall and behind a thick layer of ice gasped, “K-Kael?”

He was across the room from everyone but Sonata, and while his hands were glowing with magical energy those conscious were not as focused on that as they were the fact he just trapped Trixie.

Luna began to approach him as she felt her stress begin to melt away. It appeared leaving him alive was the smart choice, because despite the heavy wounds he was still sporting the Elf was radiating power, power which was being used to disable the weakened Trixie.

As Luna continued across the room Loki held silent and began to observe the newcomer. Kael was looking past Luna and at Trixie with a smug grin, though after a moment he lowered his gaze and let his eyelids shut. The magic swirling around his palms began to focus and it shone as if it was a mixture of red flame and blue ice.

Luna felt drained by the recent conflict even beyond what the conflict with Thanos had done to her body, if only because of the emotional turmoil, and so she spoke in a heavy voice as she strolled past the halfway point of the room, “I see you have come to your senses—”

Loki opened his mouth to shout right as a torrent of flame and a flurry of ice burst from the Elf’s hands, lashing out two directions as one hand turned to the area between Loki and the nearby Luna and the other pointing to where Sonata stood to Kael’s left. While Loki could deftly avoid the attack as he anticipated it, Luna was engulfed with flames and impaled with the ice with such force that the assault carried her back into the wall far behind her. Large shards of ice embedded in her body to pin her to the structure while the flames twirled around her fur and wracked her body with even greater pain than the objects protruding from her body.

Similarly Sonata was unable to avoid the attack headed her way and she wound up with ice piercing her body as well, her clothes and skin taking the brunt of the flame damage in place of the fur Luna possessed. Her smaller body than the Alicorn let her take less hits from the ice, but the fire had the same effect because the cone of flames still engulfed her completely.

First believing herself betrayed and then realizing that the matter was more complex than that, Trixie yelled out through her ice barrier to her former puppet as he finished unleashing his surprise attack on two of the combatants, “What are you doing!?”

Kael threw down a wall of flame to cut of a rapidly approaching Loki, the flames reaching all the way to the ceiling, as he prepared a spell in the other hand, “You are hemorrhaging power right now because of everything you are doing. Sit this one out for now so you can regain your strength. I will buy you the time you need…one last time.”

Loki halted just in time to not barrel straight into the supernova of heat before him, thankful that its intense heat seemed to go no farther than the actual flame lest it strip the flesh from his bones. Once still he gave his opponent a good look over and realized that Maiev’s damage earlier was obviously taking its toll on Kael’thas: his posture was forceful, as if he needed to focus on not hunching over, and he was sporting a variety of wounds from her savage beating of him while he was unconscious.

They had beat him once as a team, even when he had backup, so Loki was sure they could do so again when he was alone and on his last legs. Kael’s statement seemed to imply that he too knew that he was not in a great position, that this would be a heroic last stand…on the behalf of the person who once upon a time controlled him, and was apparently not doing so anymore given her wild confusion and his sidelining of her being through force.

Loki had not even noticed the confident smirk grow on his face when he was suddenly being called out on it by his foe, Kael scoffing as he finished preparing his next spell, “Oh don’t look so smug. I know what you’re thinking. But Asgard was merely a setback! Did you honestly believe I would trust my people’s future to you blind, self-absorbed monsters?”

Kael lowered his head again to chuckle softly. He raised his palm in the direction of Thor and Celestia and a sphere of flames five meters in diameter formed. It launched as he shook his head amusedly.

“Oh no, no, no. You were all merely instruments, stepping stones to a much larger plan,” the sphere launched forth and began to home in on the two, even moving around the vortex in the center of the room where energy was still being gathered, “It has all lead to this…and this time, you will not interfere. By fire be purged!”

Loki snorted as he came up with an idea to counter the fiery wall keeping him from approaching his foe, “Like a broken record.”

Kael snapped his fingers and suddenly the left shoulder of Loki’s armor burst into flame. The fire seared through it with ease and ripped away at some of the flesh beneath before Loki’s innate coldness countered the flames. The pinpoint strike would have torn through where Loki’s heart was if not for how Loki leaned forward to begin moving.

“I apologize if I use my own lines for once, but I really can’t help but take them back after someone has been using them for me for so long.”

Loki leapt straight through the inferno to the surprise of his foe, though the steam quickly rising from every inch of Loki’s body revealed how he did it: he coated himself with his own ice magic using some of the magical energy surrounding him to fuel the technique. This gave him just enough time to form armor made of ice around him and escape unscathed from the flames,

Being backhanded just as he exited was not expected though, and Loki nearly stumbled back into the flames as Kael finished teleporting right into his charging enemy.

Loki began to assess his situation as he focused on his footing and began to push against Kael’s force as they locked hands, “She manipulated you. Why are you still serving her?”

“Trixie brought me from the depths of insanity and tethered me to the real world. She saved me from my own darkness,” with his greater overall size and greater mass given his heavier armor, Kael began to overtake Loki’s struggling might and the tips of Loki’s golden helm began to melt as they graced the blazing fire behind him, “Even if it was just so she could control me better. She did far more for me than anyone I can remember, staying with me every step of the way to my full recovery.”

A hammer catching Kael in the chest of his plate armor drove him back enough for Loki to escape his grasp and leave the danger zone of the fire wall, only for it to dissipate as soon as he accomplished this task. The hammer had dented the plate’s breastplate quite heavily and made the Elf gasp as his ribs broke from the impact.

With a piece of his magic Kael was able to restore his body to a more mended state, but healing magic was not his specialty. He could revive, but the most skillful thing he could do medically was cauterize something. He glanced over to see where the hammer was arcing back to, finding Thor not vaporized as was originally the plan. Celestia’s unconscious body displayed horrible scorch marks, but her affinity to fire through her sun powers rendered the attack largely useless on her except perhaps prolonging her unconscious state some more minutes.

Kael fought off the need to wheeze as he began flinging flames at both Loki and Thor, hoping to drive the latter back and keep the former from using his weapon to such brutal effect again, “You would stop us and end our efforts here, which will destroy this facility with all the volatile energy coursing through it that only Trixie can wield.”

Loki sidestepped all of the flames as did Thor, and each used their evasive movements to carry them closer to Kael. Just as Loki reached the Elf, Kael crouched down onto the floor and placed his palms on the surface. Instead of swinging his glaives down at Kael’s head as had been the plan, Loki found himself being hurtled upwards as a tower of flame erupted from the floor beneath him, the only warning being a extremely brief warmness beneath his feet.

Thor was not caught by this as he launched himself along with his hammer this time, though a pillar of flames formed where he had been standing at the time as well.

“The only opportunity to see my people again, to help them, lays in this weapon. With the power of the Sunwell and the Bifrost combined I can wipe away the hatred of the races who would seek to subjugate us.”

Kael drew his own sword and sidestepped the rapidly moving Thor so he could spin and swing the twin pronged blade into the side of the warrior, “With this, I can assure there will be no more tragedies to my kind! For that I will sacrifice the free will of your own, as it really will be for your own good!”

Thor crashed and tumbled into the wall behind where Kael had been standing, unable to stop himself in time because of the sudden change in his momentum caused by him being struck.

Loki back flipped off the pillar raising him to the ceiling while melting through his boots and shin armor, but on the way down he was unable to twist himself out of the way of another torrent of flame. If it had not been for Loki’s Jotun heritage he would have been incinerated. Instead he was harmed no more than if he had touched scalding water, which is quite the downgrade.

As Loki crashed onto the ground without grace, his planned fall ruined by him being swept by the fire, Kael rushed at him and swung his blade at Loki’s prone body. It Loki had not managed to scramble and use his blades to parry the strike he may have been skewered straight through the neck. Instead he diverted the blade enough to the side that it became embedded in the floor.

With Kael disorientated by this, Loki used his bare foot to kick the other man in the gut, further stunning him, and Loki followed this up by bringing his knees into his chest and then launching them straight up into Kael’s upper body and pushing him back while also allowing Loki to roll over after the strike to a standing position.

Kael ripped the blade from the ground just in time to lock it with one of Loki’s, his eyes watching Loki’s second one as Loki fought to gain an opening in the power struggle.

“We are to banish wickedness and give everyone respite from suffering and pain. You may think us wrong in what we seek to accomplish, but that is just your perspective. To each of us this is a fight for what we perceive as right, so keep that mind as you take my life. You are not vanquishing a villain, you are combating a hero!”

Loki snorted derisively as he tried to plunge his spare blade into Kael’s armor, having waited for him to start speaking to leave a bigger opening, “Everyone is the hero of their own story.”

Speaking did not seem to have as much of a drawback to the Elf as it may others though, as he swatted his twin blade down on the second while catching the first in-between the prongs. The second blade was knocked from Loki’s hand as the first was wrenched to the side to pull Loki off-balance.

“How true, but let us look at this from an objective standpoint—”

Kael interrupted himself this time to avoid a powerful beam of magic aimed right at his damaged chest plate, the source of it being a very irate Luna. She surprisingly appeared no worse for wear, her wounds having been healed while her fur was restored where it previously had been marred.

The shot fired had been an illusion though. The real one had been rendered invisible at great strain by Luna, and it curved to slam into the side of Kael and render him off-balance.

“Enough talking! I have had enough of you!” Luna shouted as she prepared to continue her assault, with Loki stepping out of the way to not be caught in the crossfire.

Kael laughed even as the action caused a jolt of pain in his chest cavity, “That actually hurt a little. Too bad for you I have felt much worse…”

He slung magical blast after magical blast to counter Luna’s own in mid-air, the colliding forces effectively neutralizing each other and dissipating into the room’s ever growing vortex of energy. Kael let one slip past him though to collide into Thor though, who had been about to strike at him from behind. The blonde warrior’s armor let out a ring as the magic slammed into him and carried him off his feet once again. Thor was supernaturally tough, but even he could only take so much punishment without being knocked out again.

As Kael matched Luna’s onslaught of blast after blast he kept talking, the action not seeming to distract him at all as he kept up with Luna completely, “I must say, Trixie was quite the terrific actor considering that she was playing two roles at once. With my memories she replicated quite the stellar stand-in for me. I must say I am thankful she did her best to keep me in character, even if I was not the one in control. Being unable to control my own body is preferable to the feeling of having lost one’s own mind.”

“Do you ever shut up?” Luna snarled just before deciding that she has had enough of this fireworks display and would end Kael the more personal way: at the tip of her horn. She teleported right in front of him to impale him right through where a crack lay on his armor, though her natural weapon struck thin air instead.

Kael’s cape swept behind him as he sidestepped Luna’s obvious move, her emotions letting her movements become easy to read.

“I am sorry, are my theatrics growing old?” Kael threw a hand up towards the ceiling, palm facing up, “Here, let me show you an old but still amusing trick.”

Luna felt gravity reverse around her and she cursed as she lost her orientation while lifting into the air, “Damn you!”

Kael did not give her the time to focus and teleport again, instead reversing the gravity so that she sailed away from him at a rapid pace and straight into a wall nearby where Sonata lay, “I am sorry, milady, but I am far more skilled at using my own powers than Trixie ever was. I can use the potential she could not unleash, and with it I will ensure the future that we desire.”

He threw an arm out to the side and clenched his hand around a green glowing blade that had been about to strike him. Kael cast his gaze over to the stunned Loki, who had not expected the blade to be caught and stopped in its tracks.

Kael’s hand began to bleed as he tugged it towards himself, Loki coming along for the ride because he refused to let go of the weapon, “Here’s another old but goody,” with Loki close enough Kael grabbed ahold of the other blade with his free hand, having long since dropped his own weapon to focus on his magic usage against Luna.

Loki watched with frustration as the green sheen disappeared completely from the blades he was holding at such a rapid speed that they went out in what amounted to the blowing out of a candle, all to the amusement of his foe who used the moment to swing his head down and head-butt Loki right in the temple, knocking him back and making him drop the blades as Kael released them from his blood palms.

“I can drain magic. What makes you think using magically powered blades against me is a good idea?”

Loki’s response was a spin, during which he grabbed one of the weakened weapons and at the end of which he hurled it straight at Kael. The Elf only managed to move slightly to the side to prevent it from hitting anything vital, and so it lodged itself deep in his shoulder as it found a kink in his damaged armor.

“Thank you. I almost was beginning to think this was going to be too easy.”

Off to the side Trixie was still watching it all, trapped behind the ice wall she was stuck behind. She had pulled from Kael’s memories a technique to form nearly impenetrable ice that would take great power to remove, both from the outside and inside should it be used as a shield or wall. He had trapped her for the time being, and it would take great effort to free her.

What this meant was that she had to watch as the wounded, broken Elf fought her family fiercely in what would surely result in his death if he kept going. She couldn’t help him, but she could feel just how in-pain he was, and he would collapse if not for the determination he had to see this through to the end.

“Kael, stop it! Do you want to die!?”

The Elf heard her, though he took a moment to reply as he wrenched the blade from his shoulder, “Every day since my actions nearly lead to the destruction of my race. Perhaps now I can give them the aid they need…” some blood dribbled down his cheek as he swung the weapon right as Luna appeared behind him to try and ram him again, the close quarters combat allowing for little to no mistakes, “Even if I do not live to see it…”

The blade swung around to catch Luna in the side of the cheek, just barely grazing the edge of her eye socket as the force behind the twisting strike made her head divert to the side and miss its target, her horn firing off a powerful beam of energy she had intended to send straight through him upon impalement.

“I can make sure of that,” Luna spat, still infuriated by how she had been betrayed by this man twice in a single day: once without his consent and once fully intentionally.

Kael threw a shoulder into Luna’s side as he continued to spin to face her, his next action being to reach out to the side and open his palm. Loki was thrown back as Kael’s sword was yanked from the floor and hurtled into its owner’s palm, cutting harshly across one of Loki’s arms and his armor’s gut mid-flight.

Luna teleported just as the blade was thrust into her side, only a good inch or so of it piercing her before she was free of it and across the room, now next to her sister. She would have let out a breath of relief as well as pain if not for the sudden eruption of pain as she felt a quick but accurate fireball strike her side and combust her fur once again.

Loki moved to try and draw Kael’s attention away from Luna, only to find himself flung back much like Luna had been by a shift in gravity’s direction. He had no way of removing himself from it unlike Luna and was forced to slam into the nearest wall at a speed fast enough to kill any regular mortal, but only enough to keep him off his feet momentarily.

“As will I. We have a score to settle, Elf.”

Kael turned around just in time to catch a blade of ice to the arm, the limb being impaled to save his face. The Elf smirked despite his own pain, amused by how he was not the only one to decide to visit this location at such a crucial moment.

As Loki pulled himself together he noticed who the new arrival was, and while not entirely surprised it did not help remove the ill feeling in his gut.

“Laufey…”

Laufey twisted the knife and followed up his first stab with another strike meant to impale Kael’s neck, but a flare of heat melted the blade before it struck its mark. With a heavy breath Kael lifted his blade up and slit it across Laufey’s gut in a diagonal direction, though the sword’s metal became brittle and nearly broke as it struck through Laufey’s light armor.

Not fazed by the wound, Laufey smashed Kael across the face with such force that Kael was moved partway around, only for the Elf to continue the movement into a retreating maneuver. While he certainly was doing better than Trixie had been pulling his strings, Kael started the encounter on the verge of collapsing from internal injuries. His shins wanted to give out, his knees were cracking with every movement, a hip had been out of place until he forced it back into place prior to arriving, his abdomen was bruised heavily, his arms were nearly broken, and his shoulders were barely in their sockets before he jammed them the way they should be.

There was a reason Kael had not arrived right away, and he regretted being unable to fight by Trixie’s side. So the more recent damage was enough to make him nearly collapse in pain, something Laufey took advantage of by summoning forth an icicle from the ground to impale Kael through the gut, splitting apart one of the more cracked pieces of his armor in the process.

No longer under direct physical threat though still in pain, Kael teleported away just as Luna had before. He managed to get towards where Trixie was still trapped, her purple eyes looking on in horror as he kept fighting when he should just fall down and go comatose.

“Kael, stop it, your body can’t take anymore! Please, I don’t want to lose you…” Trixie sobbed from behind her barrier. He was the one person who knew her given how long their minds had been linked, the one person who understood everything she went through. He was her friend, and he was going to die for her, just like her mother had.

The Elf coughed up a mouthful of blood before wiping his blonde hair from his eyes, some of it having become stuck to his cheek where blood had been dribbling from his wounds.

“Sorry…” Kael tried to stand up tall, only to nearly fall and become forced to use his sword as an awkward cane of sorts, “But just as you’ve chosen your own path, I have chosen mine. I’m placing my trust and faith in you because you are the one thing that can—”

His spitting out more blood cut him off, and it was then that Kael’s slowly dizzying and fogging mind remembered he could cauterize himself. He began tending to his wounds to prevent them from impacting his further actions, as he was not done yet. Trixie was well on her way to recovering her strength, but she was far from completely there. With this time he bought her she had restored to about five percent of her maximum, when twenty would be enough to completely annihilate their godlike adversaries.

During this time Laufey had set about approaching Loki, though he made no action to help his offspring get up from his own wounds. Laufey had no way of moving at any speed beyond his impressive natural speed, for he possessed no teleportation, so he decided to group up rather than press the attack for it could just be avoided unless he could corner their foe.

“Stand, son. These fools would take what is rightfully ours.”

Loki’s pride and distaste for his birth father spurred him to react to the order, not because he particularly wanted to work with the man to reclaim their land, people, and the like, but because Loki could not bear to ever face himself if he did not match up to Laufey in any way. His distaste for the man made him want to surpass him, so if Laufey could ignore a normally mortal wound across his chest then Loki could ignore his own aches and pains to rise to his feet and continue fighting right away.

Laufey gave a small nod of approval as Loki rose, at which point the ice giant turned to face the recovering Kael’thas.

“Your partner conquered our people and warped the mind of the Asgardian looking over us to let our plight go without notice,” Laufey levied a conjured dagger at the usurper, “I cannot fault strength and taking what one can with their abilities, nor can I deny the cunning displayed. But now I return to take back what is mine, and I will slay any craven fool who stands in my way.”

As Laufey spoke Loki noticed something to the side: Trixie was beginning to have sparks form around her. The kind that appeared when magic was just bursting forth from someone. Kael had said he would buy Trixie time, and he was accomplishing that quite well.

Loki called out across the room to his wife, who had taken a moment to see if her sister was alive, only to find a faint heartbeat, “Luna, destroy that ice surrounding Trixie! I can see the power radiating from her. If she returns to full strength and we are still in this condition we are finished!”

Kael and Laufey did not seem to pay this much mind, Kael because he knew he could not stop all of them in his condition and was resolved to just keep as much attention on himself as possible while Laufey simply didn’t care beyond the enemy he had his sights on currently, and they each began to approach eachother carefully.

“Fire melts ice. Good luck though. I admire your strength in the face of adversity and certain defeat,” Kael taunted Laufey after he caught his breath.

It was Laufey who went on the offensive, utilizing the momentum of his blade swinging to keep Kael parrying rather than fully utilizing the longer reach of his weapon. Loki backed him up by flanking Kael and assaulting him from behind, only to have a pillar of fire form behind the Elf to cover his back. This forced Loki to swing around to the side, where a fierce elbow to the face was waiting for him as he swung around and caught the bone with his full momentum.

Laufey lunged in at this moment and planted one blade right in Kael’s less wounded shoulder, making Kael almost lose grip of his weapon he was wielding with one arm. A burst of fire enwrapped Kael’s own shoulder as he burnt the wound and cauterized it, his pale skin growing darker as it burned under his own power. This also melted the blade lodged there, but Laufey had already created another to continue swinging with, one in each hand as he forced Kael back towards his own fire.

Kael chortled as he ducked and then teleported away from the fire, all the while spreading the column already there to encase his melee-orientated foe. To escape it now Laufey would have to burst through the flames.

Loki tackled Kael, who hadn’t teleported very far due to a lack of energy. The two dropped everything as they began to grapple on the ground, Loki possessing more skill in the grapple while Kael was able to muster more strength. With the greater strength, Kael managed to dislodge Loki and hurl him away. As Kael started to rise from the ground conflict he was already under assault by Laufey, who had utilized a trick similar to Loki’s to escape the fiery prison at the cost of his remaining magic reserves.

Kael’s movements were sluggish as he backed away from every swing and avoided every jab, though he managed to at least avoid any true damage until Loki entered the fray once more and began swinging one of Illidan’s glaives at Kael again. The glaive struck home and allowed for one of Laufey’s daggers to find a place in Kael’s collarbone right at the tip of his armor.

Having backed himself into a wall, to give himself space Kael summoned his blade to himself again and swung it forward at a downward angle to force the other two back while keeping them from lunging underneath it, “Ice Giants aren’t as tall as one might think.”

This sweeping motion done, Kael utilized a little more of his magic to push Laufey forward right onto Kael’s long, outstretched sword. Laufey would have been able to strike at Kael and drive the still embedded dagger in deeper had he had a little more reach, but he couldn’t actually get to Kael from his position on the sword. Laufey coughed up blood as he tried one last swing at Kael only for it to come up many inches short, at which point he was kicked off the sword.

Loki plunged his own weapon into Kael’s broken breastplate, but the blade deflected off of something buried beneath the shattered covering. This prevented his would-be kill strike from finishing the job, and gave time for his foe to disarm him and knock him away with the butt of his sword.

“Perhaps if your reach was better you would not have fallen upon the funeral pyre we all shall share today,” Kael remarked weakly, his strength fading rapidly as he started to walk past his two prone opponents. Across the room Luna was shooting magic blast after magic blast at Trixie’s containment cell, but she wasn’t close to breaking through. Kael had remembered the technique from a past life, and it would grant Trixie her victory in the end.

For him though, he was ready to collapse, so he stumbled past Laufey and Loki without doing anything to finish either of them. He feared if he lowered his body to assault them, he would not be able to rise.

A bright light ten feet in front of him made him stop though, the blinding nature of it keeping Kael from looking up for a good half minute until it faded. When it was over he drowsily rose his gaze up to see that the humanoid form of Sleep Near stood, a scowl plastered on the grown foal’s face showing his obvious displeasure.

“And the prodigal son returns. Come to rescue your parents or your deranged sister?” Kael taunted as he fell to one knee. He had an idea, but he needed to actually get the chance to fight Sleep Near, which he was afraid he would not get the chance to do because of four figures that accompanied Sleep Near out of the blinding light that was undoubtedly the gateway to Valhalla, now closed.

Two were Humans seemingly dressed for the cold environment, with thick furs, clothes, and capes that would do them great service in the land of Jotunheim. Kael could sense no magic emanating from them, at least not in any amount beyond that of a common Human, but the blades held by each revealed why they were here. Humans without magic but martial skills would prove useful in fighting someone who could drain magic to empower himself.

The other two were a blonde wolf with blue-grey eyes and a dark brown, nearly black eagle with an eye of the same color and a mismatched blue eye. Kael remembered them from Trixie’s intensive studies the past year: the guardians of Valhalla, the gatekeepers to the greatness that was the other world.

Kael would be honored if they were not about to try and kill him.

Sleep Near turned his back on the dying Elf as he surveyed the area and noticed where Trixie was encased and where Hela was. He waved a hand to those accompanying him, “I will handle my sisters. Kill the Elf. I had to break a lot of rules and use a great deal of power to do this, but there are times when the fate of one’s family and the universe matter more than rules concerning life and death.”

Four enemies? Only four? Kael almost felt insulted. He weakly rose to his feet and had his blade raise up into a defensive stance. He could power through a minute or two more of pain if it meant he could just get to Sleep Near.

“It was five on one the last time I was truly defeated, and twenty five on one the time before that. I do not think numbers are on your side. And an Eagle and a Wolf, really? You are to loose your pets on me?”

Sleep Near ignored the obvious jeer and began to use his own power to assist Luna in freeing Trixie, so that he could then defeat her and end the conflict. The fact that he too was helping with his far greater power meant that Kael would have to hurry and defeat the Humans and animals before it was too late.

As Kael moved to engage the final four opponents in his path, Loki began to rise from his defeat. He was having trouble standing ever since that fire engulfed his lower legs and charred the skin there, which made his agility based combat far harder than it would otherwise be.

“I can not even remember her face…”

Loki looked down to see that Laufey was speaking in a faint whisper. His lungs and heart had been impaled, and he was not long for this world. Curious, and seeing that Kael was preoccupied and things were finally going their way, Loki took the time to inquire since he wouldn’t be able to later, “Whose face?”

Laufey’s eyes flickered as he tried looking up at Loki, trying to get a good look at the Asgardian’s face, “Your mother,” he coughed and wheezed as he tried to keep talking, “I know that a long time ago I was foolish though. Foolish enough to believe that I could be happy.”

Loki blinked. Was this the tale that Laufey did not elaborate on when they were in Hel, the one about Loki being half-Asgardian?

“You are not the only one smart enough to slip through the realms, but Asgard wisened up over time,” Laufey tried to say with pride, only for it to come out weak and soft, “One time while I was spying there I was caught by some commoner. I don’t even remember how, but…”

Laufey let his head hit the ground, his neck losing strength as he went on, his voice now pained not only because of his damaged lungs but because of his distant memories, “I do know that she was weak. So weak that when she bore you, she died, leaving me with the half-breed runt who had taken her life.”

Loki felt himself freeze up as he was given a piece of his history he had never known, nor wanted to know.

“I wanted to kill you, for I had for once felt attached to someone and you took that from me,” Laufey coughed and wheezed, his eyes shutting as his body grew numb.

“I couldn’t though…even in my hatred I could not kill you outright, so I left you to die…That man…Odin…found you it seems. He took you, after I abandoned you, with the idea that one day he could bridge peace between our people.”

The irony in his own mind made Laufey want to laugh, if only he could, “I would call him foolish, but I had the same idea once. Only, it was by marrying the woman I had taken back with me from Asgard of her own free will. War after war would only bring negative things to both of our races, but I gave up when I let my heart grow cold.”

Opening his eyes one last time, Laufey looked up at the shocked Loki with a determined scowl.

“I do not seek your affection, mercy, pity, or anything else positive. I only wish to let you know what I know of…”

As the King of the Frost Giants passed away, Loki found himself nearly as numb as the deceased man who gave him life. Family was always a sore spot for him, and being confronted with it in such a way left him feeling hollow.

Across the room, Kael had been in a three way sword fight as a Wolf occasionally attacked him as if it was a gale of wind, no singular strike dealing life threatening damage but each being quick enough he could do nothing about them. The Eagle assaulted him just as well, using cunning angles to prevent Kael from retaliating with his magic.

The swordsmen were very skilled, though one of them greatly outstripped the other. Sleep Near had spoken of the effort it took to bring them all here, and he was not lying: what lived in his realm was not supposed to leave, so it took a great deal of power to even allow these four willing souls to come through and risk their very existence in stopping the rampant Trixie and her Elf partner. An army of the most powerful of Valhalla would have been welcome, but unfeasible.

The less skilled swordsman was actually Kael’s equal in terms of skill, the Elf being quite trained and capable, but not naturally gifted with the blade like he was magic. The man’s long, dark hair reached down to his shoulders, and he seemed to be trying to protect the others with his movements. Fitting of a man from Valhalla, Kael supposed, but it also meant he was slightly getting in their way and so Kael was doing his best to not finish him as it meant he would have a better chance against the others.

Kael, even wounded, was fasted than the two Humans because they were not highly empowered gods like the other combatants present. This allowed him to actually block one and then the other, though he resented the strikes of the more skilled one not because they were all nearly kill-shots, but because the man’s greatsword was so powerful it actually would make Kael stumble and leave himself open to move attacks from the Wolf.

Seeing the four on one scenario made the already crying Trixie continue to cry out, not caring that both Luna and her little brother were focusing on her because of the peril faced by her partner, “Stop it, you don’t need to die for me!”

Caught up in the moment, Kael could not respond to her just yet, but his focus rewarded him as he ignored the growing gashes, tears in his armor, and talons aimed at his face. His two-pronged sword locked with the greatsword that was as tall as some men, and the blade became stuck and under Kael’s governance.

“That is a nice sword you have there,” he wrenched their swords downward, easily taking control by taking a hand to grab the other man’s sword since the power of the weapon came from its downswing and not the actual strength of the Human, “I think I’ll take it!”

In the same movement as he jerked it Kael forced it from the other man’s hands, used this movement to spin himself into the position that the other swordman’s strike would not be lethal, grab ahold of the greatsword in place of his own, spin the rest of the way now with two hands on the powerful weapon, and then finally land it in the neck of the man he had just disarmed.

The better swordsman fell limply to the ground, his dark brown hair and grim face now coated in blood like his own blade. Kael took a breathe before clasping his arm down on the blade that had been driven into his side during his maneuver, trapping the second swordsman’s only weapon as Kael took the moment to smirk to himself.

Lifting the greatsword with one arm, something nearly impossible for a mortal like them to do, Kael drove it into the eyesocket of the remaining man. After a twist to make sure it had done its job, Kael tore it back and threw the other man onto the ground.

Looking at his two defeated foes, Kael let himself gain some respite even as the Wolf finished gnawing through his shin armor and the Eagle slashed him across the eye.

“That’s no way to get ahead.”

Kael looked down to the Wolf now burying its fangs deep into his shin and ripping away at flesh, forsaking its careful strikes before for more ferocious ones, “You should have run when you had the chance,” he noticed that the Wolf and Eagle each slightly gave off the same look at Luna’s ethereal hair, in that they seemed to exist without fully being there. Perhaps they could not harness their true strength or fully exist in a realm outside of their personal domain, something Sleep Near seemed to have overlooked, “I will not hold back from phantoms.”

The Elf swung the greatsword to the side and it slammed into the Eagle, knocking it aside as Kael summoned up a fifth wind for the sake of his people, and for the sake of his only friend and companion, “Trixie may have forced me to serve her, but for the first time in years I was not submerged in my sorrow.”

With a lumbering stab downwards, Kael just missed the Wolf as it dodged out of the way. These beings were unstoppable pillars of strength and ability in their world, and he loathed to think what it would be like if he was fighting them on their own terms. Kael had no magic left to use on his enemies, so he was forced to continue and try to hack away at them as he fought on, “With the bond forged between us she nurtured me back to a place of sanity, from which I was able to regain who I was even if I could not control my own body.”

The Eagle returned and forced Kael’s next hit to miss the Wolf, at which point the Wolf tackled him to the ground. Now able to reach it, it lunged for his neck, but Kael’s gauntleted hand slammed into its face and knocked it away.

The Eagle swung down for a coup de grace, but Kael did not allow for it to happen. Draining the slightest bit of power from the nearby Wolf, Kael used his other hand to toss a lance of ice point blank at the Eagle and impale it.

The bird fell to the side, giving Kael time to collapse fully, his eyes shutting for what he was sure would be the last time, “For that, I will be forever grateful…there is but a single person who cares for my existence, and for them I would gladly die…”

It would have been, if not for the efforts of Luna and Sleep Near. Using their combined strength they had cracked through the ice protecting Trixie, all that stood between them and ending the conflict, but the crack gave Trixie the ability to re-establish her bond with her dying partner. Pouring just a fraction of her godly energy into him, she stabilized him and let him recover his strength, while his wounds lessened slightly.

“Kael…”

Now having their link re-established, Kael could feel the warmth of his friend’s presence, and with it he once again fought through pain to do what he thought was best. The Wolf had begun to retreat, taking the body of the Eagle and the two Humans with it to a blinding portal it seemed to will into existence.

This left Kael with Sleep Near, Luna, and Loki. Sleep Near noticed the change in situation, and after cursing himself about damnable perseverance, the massive man moved to fight Kael.

“Six arms, huh?” Kael drew the sword he stole again and prepared himself to stall once again, “Let’s see about fixing that.”

Sleep Near’s movement was nearly unnoticeable to everyone in the room it was so swift, but it mattered not. When he gripped Kael with all six arms and began to literally pull him apart in anger for his part in defeating Hela, Kael gripped Sleep Near’s limbs and smiled.

Almost instantly Sleep Near realized his mistake wrought by anger, a trait inherited from his mother despite his normally cool temperament. He and Hela were on a level of their own in terms of power, and that included massive amounts of magic.

He had just grabbed a magic sponge.

Kael laughed as he quickly stripped nearly all of Sleep Near’s power from him, weakening him enough to force the man to drop him and then give the newly rejuvenated Kael the opportunity to grab him again, this time by the face.

Luna turned her attention from Trixie’s barrier to Kael, ready to attack him for daring to harm her child, “Get your hands off of my son!”

Despite drained of his magic, Sleep Near recovered enough to shove Kael off of him and strike him with fists faster than Kael could see coming. The counterattack drove Kael off enough for Sleep Near to regain his composure, “Mother, finish removing this barrier. I will handle this wretch.”

Luna glanced over to Sleep Near and Kael as they began to exchange blows too quick for her to catch without focusing fully on them, and with her attention split she was forced to look back at Trixie so she could focus on freeing her. If she freed and defeated her, they could go back home. They could make everything right, they could forget any of this ever happened…

A look at the still deceased Twilight made that last thought ring hollow in Luna’s mind. Even if they succeeded, then what? So much had been done…

“Once upon a time you were to join those in Valhalla and live amongst the most noble of souls. You fell from grace, only to redeem yourself. Now you and your co-conspirator are cursed, never to join the heroes of Valhalla nor suffer in the pits of Hel. I have seen your path and I pity you,” Sleep Near chided Kael off to the side as they continued to fight.

“I don’t need your pity,” Kael snorted, only to then warp his voice into an even more condescending tone, “But your remaining magic will do nicely!”

Luna glanced to check on Loki, who she hadn’t seen in the recent fight. A look at him revealed the King to be solemnly looking down at the deceased Laufey, an emptiness coming from his eyes showing that the death of his actual father was all the worse given that he had finally found some connection to him. Like Trixie, Loki would be deprived of the chance to ever look into that bond. For Loki, it wouldn’t be the first time, as Odin was still deceased, his soul torn apart so terribly that he could not pass on as there was nothing to pass on to the next world.

Luna spared another guilty glance at the Sleep Near-Kael confrontation at the cost of stopping her assault on Trixie momentarily…the reason being she was too shocked to continue channeling her magic.

Sleep Near had just been struck point blank by the attack Kael had used on Celestia, though without her resistance it had bore a hole straight through him. His magic would have protected him, but it being stolen was what allowed Kael to use the attack in the first place.

“It was intelligent of you to bring notable warriors without magic I could drain, but your fatal weakness will be your own magic’s strength!” Kael pushed the suddenly unconscious giant over onto the floor as he let out a content sigh, “You will be joining your abominable sister. Rest, and let our will be done.”

The Wolf had returned just in time for the final blow, and it rushed to its master’s side as Kael spoke with some actual concern, “Take your master back before I decide to finish him. Right now his soul may not pass on without Hela to reap it, but I can still drain it and his life force and turn them to energy if I so please.”

Luna had been so shocked by the sight of her son having a hole blasted through his stomach that she had completely frozen. The sight of her children in danger spurred her to action, the sight of them very well dying…

Suddenly Loki placed a hand on her shoulder. How long had she been frozen in place as she watched the Wolf drag Sleep Near back into their own realm?

“I can hold him off for a moment, you had best finish this task with extreme haste,” Loki stated, his voice emotionless as he narrowed his gaze at Kael. It was through sheer persistence that the Elf stood up still, and Loki was determined to end that.

Luna had been holding back to some degree because she feared what would happen if a defenseless Trixie was struck by the entirety of her power…but now Trixie’s power was radiating from her, and the barrier was nearly depleted. But at her previous pace Luna wouldn’t be able to finish before Trixie busted her own way out, or the juggernaut who was using his own opponents energy to sustain himself finished them off.

“But…” Luna hesitated. Could she ever forgive herself if she actually harmed Trixie? If she killed her?

“Crack that open and defeat Trixie before she recovers any more! It is our only chance to end this!” Loki chided before rushing away from her side to confront Kael, who had finally managed to will his broken body to start stumbling their way.

“If I use my full power she may—”

“Luna, now is your last chance! Finish her!”

“I…”

“Now! For Sleep Near and Hela!”

Luna clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, unable to look Trixie in the eye as she made her decision.

If Trixie succeeded in her plan, everything would be for nothing. A deranged, damaged mare would be in control of everything and everything that existed. While she claimed to have noble intentions, could she be trusted to carry them out? Luna knew Trixie better than to doubt her normally, but her mind had broken and become warped beyond true reason.

“I’m sorry…”

In that moment Luna summoned every ounce of magic she still held within her body to unleash the most powerful attack of her life directed at one of the people she loved the most.

The room flashed brightly with the attack, and everyone was blinded in the process.

When the light faded, Trixie’s prison was gone…

“Kael…”

…and in front of it stood Kael’thas with his body outstretched as a shield. The majority of his outfit and armor had been torn from his body as the energy had overwhelmed him, and it was only through absorbing some of the incoming energy that he was not entirely disintegrated by the attack. Instead, he had skin cut away in some places, was bleeding profusely, and finally lost all of the strength he had.

Trixie rushed forward from her previous position to kneel down beside him as Luna began to break down as she realized what she almost just did, while Loki began to step back and plan what to do next.

Kael weakly rose a hand to his partner’s cheek, stroking soft fur as she took on her equine form, “I’m just glad this body of mine could do one last thing for you…” his hand fell down and his whole body fell limp, “Forgive me though…I need to…”

Trixie nuzzled her head against the now unconscious man’s head. So long as they shared this bond, she could try and keep him alive. His skills were perfectly suited for a battle of attrition and stamina, but it left him in this broken state and that weighed heavily on the already mentally damaged Trixie.

“Rest. I will finish what we have started…When you wake, we’ll have the whole world to ourselves…” to thank him, Trixie gave him a soft kiss on the forehead, “Just you and me…”

It struck Luna and Loki then that, even though they were fighting, there was truth in what Trixie and Kael had said. They all wanted what they thought was right, what they thought would be best for the world. Just because they were opposed did not mean their foes were heartless, and in fact this all was because of the very opposite implication.

That did not, however, mean that a pony’s snapped brain was fine.

Trixie rose from her position low on the ground to look up at Luna. Her face was stoic as she stared intensely.

“You.”

A glance to the scorch marks left by Luna’s attacks revealed what was on Trixie’s mind.

Her mother had very nearly just struck her with something powerful enough to kill, and the only reason it didn’t was because Kael could absorb magic…though not fast enough to spare himself the brunt of the attack, only enough to keep it from annihilating him.

“Trixie…”

Nothing Luna could think of could make her feel better about what she just did. She knew it was for the best, and she had dearly hoped it wouldn’t truly harm Trixie, but she had taken that risk…she had placed the good of everyone over her own love for her daughter.

“You really could have just killed me,” Trixie noted as her horn began to glow, her voice cracking with mad laughter before shifting into a dark tone of anger, “Now let me return the favor!”

Luna had no magic to fight back with or to teleport, leaving her wholly vulnerable as Trixie prepared an attack of similar proportion to what Luna just unleashed, “Wait, Trixie—”

“Hulk, smash.”

Trixie’s attack ended up firing up into the ceiling and ripping through it as a large green fist slammed into her and spun her partway around upon the command of a calm man’s voice Luna could identify as Captain Rogers’.

Luna did not know how they had managed to arrive, but she was beyond pleased by the sight of Dr. Banner’s anger made manifest, Captain Rogers in his red, white and blue outfit, Stark, and even the two Human assassins who had previously been left behind, Black Widow and Hawkeye.

Despite the brutal hit from Banner, Trixie bounced back quickly and teleported as close to the vortex in the center of the room as she could without actually being within it. Its movement made her fur all sway with her mane.

Trixie did not seem to have high regard for the newly arrived crowd, as she smirked at them and shook her head with amusement, “Oh, so the vultures return to scrape away at the glory of others. Go home, I don’t have time for insects like you, not even big green beetles.”

The Hulk roared at Trixie in response, but Luna placed a hand on his side worriedly. He was nigh-invulnerable to most things…but Trixie wasn’t most things anymore, “Banner…”

The giant green rage monster looked down at her as he seethed, and despite her efforts Luna could not keep him from charging in at Trixie. No longer surprised by a rapidly approaching green being, Trixie used her magic hanging around the room to sent him swirling around the room at higher and higher speeds until she let him go and just let him crash through the wall nearby where they entered. Her running out of power before had made her personal domain lose its more interesting properties, but now that she was back up and running she could have everything bend to her command once more.

With the Hulk temporarily displaced, Trixie turned to the others with a haughty look beneath her custom armor now shaped to fit her equine form, “What do you flies think you can accomplish?”

Stark took flight and his suit’s “eyes” began to glow menacingly, “I wouldn’t sound so haughty, and believe me when I say that means something coming from me. I’ve been studying all your so called magic, and I’ve managed to make a few trinkets the past few months. Couldn’t get them to work for the longest time, but the time in your castle let me study your books I had been too prideful to glance at until then.”

Trixie snorted, not caring about whatever he had discovered. He was just an insect in armor compared to her, on a level so far below her she really ought not to even pay him a any notice, but her ego pushed her to spread her wings out and take flight in mirror of him, “You are not the only one with flight.”

Luna looked over to Loki, who had seized the opportunity to help his brother to his feet.

They were about to enter the last leg of this conflict, for better or worse, but they both would be damned if they let the latter occur.

Author's Note

And you guys thought Kael was coming as the calvary! Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's a reason that even in his lucid moments he went along with what Trixie was doing (as she alluded to before). But it turns out that a tough SOB who can drain energy to empower himself is kind of hard to take down when he keeps on doing that while refusing to let the aches get to him. Not often that the "villain" is using the power of friendship to fight on and pull a heroic last stand, is it?

Also, turns out, if you've only ever curbstomped people in battle and you've inherited a certain person's rage you can end up making a...disastrous mistake when it comes to fighting someone like that.

Hope you guys enjoyed, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Maybe I'm Not Forsaken, The Silence Speaks The Words Unspoken, Behind The Tears There is Salvation, Behind the Hurt, A New Beginning

Chapter Title from Mutiny Within's "Forsaken"

I hope you enjoy our final "chapter", and that you will grace me with your thoughts in the comment section below. There will be plenty to talk about, so I do hope to hear what you all think!

At the edge of the battle no-one noticed the wounded Sonata get up from the ground. She was not built for physical combat, and the way she had been scorched by flames and impaled by ice showed just how out of her depth she was.

The pain had numbed though. The edges of the vortex of magic in the center of the room were throwing traces of magical energy out into the room, empowering anyone who could snatch them, and the overflow of magic was serving as a healing aid. By no means was Sonata fine from her wounds, and even as she rose from the floor she nearly found herself collapsing again. It was only enough to give her the strength to get to her feet, since she did not know how to actively heal herself with the magic.

“Aria…Adagio…”

She was crying as she watched Trixie come to confront the newly arrived Avengers. The green one was defeated with a blast that would kill many others, but only served to repel him for the moment.

Seeing Trixie try and forcibly control people while fighting those opposed to the idea reminded the Siren greatly of her own bid for power just a day prior.

“Not to long ago, we would have been the ones doing something like this…”

Sonata wiped the tears from her face, but more came to join them. Because of Trixie, Sonata had lost everything. She didn’t care that it saved them from Thanos, she didn’t care if they were in the wrong, but she cared that she had lost everything because of the blue mare.

“I want things to be how they were. I want my friends…”

It was then that she realized the warm feeling of the magic brushing up against her. Magic was like food for them, and Sonata found herself surprised by how much of it was just hanging in the air. She did not know this, but the Bifrost could only use so much of the power given it due to mechanical limitations that Trixie could not deal with. It was receiving her power faster than it could handle it, and the extra had to go somewhere.

“This energy…”

Wobbling pathetically, Sonata had what might have been her first good idea in centuries. No-one was paying her any mind, and she had power she could absorb if she only just had the time to sing.

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh”

Having taken flight to mirror Stark doing the same, Trixie’s blue face curled into a smirk as she watched him fly with the aid of his mechanical suit, “So many people to kill…it would be so much easier if you all just accepted your fates. I am only trying to help people, and here you are trying to stop me!”

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

From the ground, Luna could see that Stark was ready to start fighting, but she had seen what Thanos could do to him and the others, and she didn’t want that to be done by none other than Trixie. Sure, Luna had no power at the moment and should be grateful the others would provide a momentary distraction, but she was not thinking rationally with how hurt her heart was at the time.

“Trixie, pay them no mind! I am the one you want to fight!”

Trixie began to fly around wildly to avoid the incoming projectiles from Stark and the two other regular Humans who had come to their death in fighting her, though she still managed to spare the time to shoot a mildly powerful blast at Luna at a speed too great for the Alicorn to avoid. Luna collapsed from its power, the attack enough to kill any lesser being, but she held on to consciousness by tapping into a reserve of strength Trixie did not know to account for.

As much as she had power over them, Trixie was having trouble doling it out in the quantities she desired due to the sheer massive quantity she had flowing through her, so the sight of Luna barely hanging on both relieved and pleased her.

“I want you to be last. I want you to see them suffer so you can know the pain I do,” Trixie commented coolly as she continued to flit about, avoiding energy blasts, bullets, and arrows with calm ease.

Now that you're under our spell

Blindsided by the beat

Clapping your hands, stomping your feet

You didn't know that you fell

Stark flew after Trixie and continued to fire at her to no avail, her empowered speed outmatching his suit which could fly faster than a military jet, “I didn’t even like her that much on Earth, but who are you fooling? You’re hemorrhaging power because you can’t control it all. You’re lucky you have this device gathering everything you shed so you can prevent yourself from imploding.”

Because of his suit Stark was able to read her situation quite well, though it made little difference in Trixie’s mind given his low threat level, “How perceptive…I’m restraining myself at this level of power so I don’t kill and destroy everything. My power is beyond a scope your little device can understand.”

She was avoiding them rather than attacking because it amused her to see them fail so spectacularly. She had become stronger than she ever imagined and it was getting to her head.

“Too slow,” she taunted as she avoided a missile sent flying at her by Stark, mimicking something Luna once told her.

Now you've fallen under our spell

Loki tried lending a hand by flinging a set of ice daggers at Trixie, though they too were unable to land a solid hit. Trixie had stolen the staff he was used to, and Luna was the one holding onto Gungnir in her own pocket dimension…and she had no power with which to retrieve it and lend it to him now that things had taken to the sky.

Trixie laughed in a calm, controlled manner as she avoided the increasing number of projectiles being hurtled at her, “Over here!”

We've got the music, makes you move it

Got the song that makes you lose it

Stark needed to get in close to Trixie to make use of his newest invention, but her speed was preventing him from even getting close. He unleashed every weapon in his arsenal in the hopes it would distract her enough to give him an opening.

When one missile was prematurely detonated by Trixie’s magic just as it left Stark’s suit, it took all of the others along with it. The explosion sent him spinning in the air as his suit’s laser beams all went awry instead of on target.

“You missed…” Trixie spoke in an almost disappointed tone. Now that she was in control of the area again she had sanctioned off teleportation again to keep things interesting, but when she could move this fast she didn’t need to.

We say "jump", you say "how high?"

Put your hands up to the sky

Just as Stark stabilized himself in the air, a voice behind him spelled his doom, “Have fun with your friend Coulson.”

Trixie mirrored the way Loki impaled Coulson long ago and Stark fell from the air as his body went limp, and the lack of control causing him to crash haphazardly on the ground.

The sight of a comrade falling caused Captain Rogers to glare at Trixie as she set down on the ground. She knew she had an advantage in the air, but she would have too easy of a time if she went all out on them. The only way this would be fun was if they were all truly gambling their lives, and she surely was interested in losing her own.

“Seriously, did the others seriously not tell you how foolish you were to come here? You are just sheep coming to the slaughter!” Trixie scolded them in a pitying tone, though the disparity in their power would not make her spare them.

We've got the music, makes you move it

Got the song that makes you lose it

We say "jump", you say "how high?"

Put your hands up to the sky

The Captain stared Trixie down as he prepared his trustworthy shield for combat, with Trixie giving him the grace of last words, “Heimdall told us the danger, but we came anyways. You may outmatch us, you may have more power than we ever will, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still die fighting for what we believe in.”

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Now that you're under our spell

His nice little speech over, Trixie’s retort came in the form of a sigh, “And die you will.”

She fired a powerful blast at the Captain and he raised his shield to guard just in time for the energy to clash with the metal.

Listen to the sound of my voice

Loki was watching as the shield held its own even as the magical energy began to press Rogers back, his feet not taking a step back but rather being pushed bit by bit as his signature tool kept him from becoming a speck of dust.

What was keeping Loki from fully focusing on the spectacle before him was the fact that nearby a woman was singing to herself and going through the motions of a performance as if nothing else mattered.

“Siren, now is not the time for your damned singing—”

Soon you'll find you don't have a choice

Loki paused as his eyes caught a glimpse of the power surrounding her in slow, but increasing, amounts.

He grinned as he noticed what she was really doing, and he found himself revising his plans to take this into account, “For an idiot, you are no fool.”

She gave no indication that she had heard him, though she did continue on as if in her own world.

Captured in the web of my song

Soon you'll all be singing along

The swirl of colors forming Trixie’s attack broke as the Captain forcefully took a step forward, and in this moment of freedom he hurled the circular piece of armor at Trixie, who had since turned her attention to the other Humans who had come to fight.

The metal collided with Trixie’s jaw and neck as she turned to face it, at which point it bounced right back to its owner who caught and quickly prepared to use it in its intended purpose. Instead of retaliating though, Trixie sighed and shook her head. The attack had done close to nothing to her, even though it was irritating.

“You Humans could have crafted any weapon for your premier soldier to use, and you chose a frisbee that works like a boomerang.”

Seeing how little damage it did, Rogers looked over to where Thor was finishing recovering and then took to hurling the shield right back at Trixie.

Trixie moved to sidestep the easily dodged projectile just as Rogers called out his ally’s name.

“Thor!”

The shield was hurtling across the air, but Thor still managed to focus his own power on the metal object due to its conductivity. Electrical energy slammed down into the shield just as it passed by Trixie, and when it splashed in every direction it struck Trixie as well.

Unlike the purely physical attack, this actually put a miniscule dent in Trixie. What it truly did was put a dent in her patience, as her horn began to glow once again, “I am a fan of lightning, myself.”

As the Captain caught his shield again, a large storm cloud appeared right above him and he began the conduit for which energy would travel from it. His bulletproof armor gave him little protection from the fully directed electrical wrath Trixie was unleashing upon him, though he did not even have the chance to fall to his feet before Trixie grabbed him with her telekinesis and threw him in a wide arc all the way to the other side of the room, the soldier slamming into a wall and collapsing down as his body writhed from the entire storm just unleashed into his form.

The defeat of his ally had Thor in a rage, though his compassion for his comrade overrode it temporarily as he watched the Captain’s body convulse sickly, “Rogers!”

He was not the only one infuriated though. Trixie felt small pieces of metal deflecting off her body as she stood, and once she had enough with the pesky metal pebbles being shot at her she began to dodge them once again.

Try as she might, Black Widow was unable to do any real damage to her target as her poison laced bullets were not even breaking Trixie’s skin but rather deflecting off of her uselessly.

Annoyed with the bullets as she was, Trixie decided to redirect them directly back at their owner. The hail of bullets shed during the fight found themselves much more at home in the flesh of a Human than resting on the cold floor, and yet another of the Avengers fell.

“How pathetic.”

You didn't know that you fell

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Now that you're under our

By this point Thor had hurled himself at her, but Trixie avoided his great speed with her own. With him barreling past her, Trixie turned to the last of the Humans, the arrow slinging man named Barton and she went about ending the Human element.

“What can a mere Human hope to contribute to a battle of the gods?”

Spell…

Trixie’s head was just about to turn to face the maniacal laughter that was interspersed with sobbing coming from Sonata, but she sensed the rapid approach of yet another opponent that would require her attention far more than Barton or the weakened Siren.

A mighty roar preceded the Hulk rushing back into the fray, and Trixie was forced to avoid yet another strike from Thor before she could then narrowly avoid the enlarged and enraged Doctor Banner.

She actually had to begin a gallop so she could continually move out of the large man’s path, though this was because she was internally considering how to deal with him rather than because she couldn’t just eliminate his threat in an instant again, “So you’re back,” she suddenly stopped dodging as she realized how she wanted to finish him off.

His fist stopped less than an inch in front of her face, as if it were being held there against his will. The green monster tried using its other fist to punch at her as well, but it began to bend back in the other direction as Trixie began to break his thick arm while keeping the other still.

“I know that in your rage you are just an ignorant jerk, but it’s about time we put you down like the animal you are.”

She remembered Luna speaking about how she had befriended Doctor Banner in her time on Earth. That would make this all the more difficult to watch. Coldly, she pointed her horn his face as she forced him to bend down to her height.

Luna was just beginning to get a piece of her strength back, having unleashed the entirety of her magic on Trixie when she had tried to stop her in one attack…but the Elf had intervened and left Luna at the mercy of her daughter. Now she could not help but watch as Trixie killed yet another person she cared about in such a brutal manner Luna would have gagged if she had the strength to do so.

Trixie shrugged as the Hulk slumped to the ground, almost surprised by how much power had gone into her last attack.

“Perhaps that was a bit much.”

Her attention focused on the Hulk did not stop her from also blasting Thor back yet again, his strong body not powerful enough to combat her even stronger magic. Nor did it disallow her from catching an arrow flying at her face right before it connected with her eye.

Trixie haughtily looked over at Barton, who was preparing another arrow, “An arrow? Really?”

The arrow hovering right in front of Trixie’s face exploded with more power than anything she had been hit with yet, courtesy of a specially crafted arrow by Stark given to Barton for such an occasion. Trixie was engulfed in the fiery explosion and actually let out a cry of surprise as she let her guard down to the foe she believed the least threatening.

“Yes,” the man replied plainly as he fired his knocked arrow and quickly went about preparing another to fire. As he unloaded a series of arrows into the growing masses of explosions, the Siren began her second song as magic began to glow around her.

Ahh, ah-ah, ahh

Ah, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah

Ahh, ah-ah, ah, ah-ah

Ah-ah, ah, ah-ah, ah, ah-ah

“Enough!”

Barton found himself on the receiving end of an arrow, though it was truly just magic formed in the shape of an arrow. Flying out of the cloud of smoke that had appeared in his explosions were a series of these arrows lashing out in every direction. Barton ended up being pinned to the wall closest to them as his Human reflexes could not spare him from them all, while Loki moved to shield Sonata from the arrows while Thor stood his ground as they tore and ripped across his already damaged armor.

As the smoke cleared it revealed a still healthy Trixie, though her fur was darkened in some places and she had very minor wounds to show for the surprise attack, “Didn’t see that coming, did you? Anything you all can do, I can do better…”

Loki took interest in her physical state. She indeed was not physically immune to their attacks because her body could only become so strong, but her magic was dampening the damage taken. She had endurance, not toughness, at least not in the same degree.

She could be defeated if they brought her body to the point it could no longer stand even if her mind willed it. If they could weaken her to the point where holding her massive power was actually a liability rather than a strength, as it would seek to break from its weakening host through the chinks presented.

That all was secondary to the Siren’s seeming intentions though, but Loki could still see about enacting this backup plan while stalling for his main objective.

“Brother, can you fight?” Loki questioned Thor as the warrior began to shake and wobble from the damage sustained from Trixie’s barrage. True to her intentions, Trixie was forcing her surrogate mother to watch as she harmed the others, since Loki was quite sure she could kill anyone and everyone in the blink of an eye if she really desired, but that wouldn’t deliver the same satisfaction. The rational plan was not always the most satisfactory or fulfilling, and if Trixie were to live with herself in her deranged mind afterwards she would need to receive the complete satisfaction of this encounter lest she be rendered hollow by an easy and complete massacre.

Loki was thankful she was mad in both senses of the word: he once was too, and it was a helpful tool for opponents to exploit.

Thor felt the call of his body to just fall down and collapse, but so long as he could will it he would keep on his feet. He prepared his hammer and nodded to Loki, “I must, so I will.”

Welcome to the show

We're here to let you know

Luna weakly rose to her hooves, having regained the strength necessary to heal her body in the requisite amount and ways to restore her motor functions. Caught between crushing despair and seething anger, Luna was not even sure what to do. A part of her wanted to let Trixie punish her for her actions, while the rest of her was feeling pressed to attack and protect her friends and family.

As Luna stood in confusion Trixie flicked her head and took a page out of her partner’s book, erecting a barrier between Thor and Loki that cut Loki off completely from the main arena of battle while trapping Thor by Trixie.

“Do you think I am just going to let you two team up? You fought together for centuries, I am not so daft as to give you the opportunity to pull out of this,” Trixie scoffed. Out of all her remaining foes, she placed the most faith in Loki, Thor, and Luna in actually succeeding at something.

Our time is now

Your time is running out

Despite being isolated, Thor refused to back down. If he turned his back on Trixie and tried destroying the barrier she put up he would be vulnerable to her attacks, and he was already running on empty. Still infuriated by the fates of his allies, Thor charged headlong at Trixie. If he failed, if they could not stop her, then the lives of everyone on Earth, everyone in existence across every instance of existence, would be left at the hands and hooves of an insane mare. As protector of Earth and a lover of all life now, Thor could not allow that.

Seeing Trixie begin to dodge Thor with complete ease while laughing contemptuously snapped Luna out of her indecision, and she ran towards the barrier erected while also retrieving the weapon she had been holding onto for Loki.

“Your rage reminds me of your father’s. Where did that get him?” Trixie laughed at Thor in a deliberate attempt to get him to start swinging harder: while he was fighting to win, he was still holding back a little with each swing because of an unconscious inability to completely fight against family with his all. It was how despite all their conflicts nothing serious had ever befallen Loki, since the elder brother had a resistance to fighting kin.

His swings became faster and stronger as his mind entered a blind fury at the mention of Odin, “You will refrain from speaking of him in such a manner!”

While quick, Trixie had trouble avoiding each and every swing now that he was in a state of bloodlust, though the challenge was actually enjoyable to her. She was not at the point of exhaustion she had been when they first arrived, since due to Kael’s stalling she had recovered quite a great deal of strength. More than enough to finish things, but not too much to stop enjoying the conflict.

The hammer began to deal more damage than Barton’s arrows as each swing gave another scrape and another bruise, but Trixie was able to ignore it all as she playfully returned with her own counterattacks with a magic formed hammer of similar appearance to Thor’s signature weapon.

The bruiser fought through the pain inflicted upon his body as he swung again and again at Trixie, though when he was finally unable to block out the pain he swung one last time and let his hammer go at the end of his swing not from exhaustion solely but as if it was planned.

Trixie used this opportunity to use her summoned weapon to uppercut him in the jaw and neck, hitting him with enough strength to knock him dozens of feet away as a mist of energy began to leave his body. Trixie was about to comment on the magic leaving Thor’s body when she felt Mjolnir slam into the base of her head, right where it connected to her neck.

She had discounted the weapon’s threat when she knocked Thor back into unconsciousness, since only those worthy could lift it…but when she turned around to see who had thrown it she growled in anger.

Captain Rogers stood gasping in pain as he finished lowering his arm from the position it had been in when he hurled the weapon, his body stumbling from both pain and dizziness because he had spun around to gain extra strength behind the throw. The Human had managed to catch the hammer when it was thrown by Thor, and in the process catch Trixie completely off guard because of something she did not know to account for.

Not about to let him do a similar trick again, Trixie sent her summoned hammer flying straight into the man’s chest, breaking through his armor and impacting straight into his instantly shattered ribs. Mjolnir had fallen beside her as she stood her ground when it hit her despite her confusion, and while it was barely more damaging than any singular one of Thor’s strikes it did leave her mind in an unwelcome haze.

“I really do hate that hammer…” Trixie muttered as she tried to ignore the growing migraine in her head, though she had little time to rest as another voice yelled out just then.

“Try this then!”

Trixie sidestepped based on the source of the noise a powerful blast from Luna, and in a pitying mood she decided not to return fire so she could instead mock her.

“You really ought not to announce your attacks, mother. It really telegraphs them.”

Luna smiled smugly at Trixie, “I know.”

The meaning behind that statement just dawned on Trixie’s muddled mind when the immense power held in the staff known as Gungnir slammed into her head on. As Trixie dealt with Thor, Luna had freed Loki, and by using Luna’s attack as bait they allowed Loki to reposition himself and take his own aim at their wayward daughter.

Ah-ha, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Ah-ha, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

The attack blasted Trixie back quite a ways, nearly pushing her into the edges of the vortex of energy being absorbed into her machine, but she stopped herself in time to not fall victim to her own power.

With a glint Trixie glanced at them both, avoiding their follow up attacks by rushing forward, “Cute.”

When Trixie lunged forward Loki met her, putting himself in the way of her and Luna. He used his father’s staff to ward her back, though Trixie’s far larger body pressed into it with enough strength to begin pushing him back.

Loki was grateful she was likely too out of it to really focus and cast magic, something he knew would not last long, as she began to lean in with her body and try and skewer him with her long horn, “End this madness!” the Alicorn’s natural weapon began to close in to his face as Loki felt his muscles begin to fail him under her strength and weight, “I have lost my father, I have lost my friends, I refuse to lose anyone else! You are of our family as much as any of us!”

His words actually gave Trixie pause. She had always felt like Loki cared less for her than a father ought to, but here he was pleading for her to stop because of how it would not only hurt Luna, but him as well…

Trixie’s pause lessened her attack on him from impalement to a headbutt that spared him the horn. While he proclaimed caring for her, Trixie failed to recall any great instance or example of this, and so she denied him his plea as she knocked him aside.

“If only that were true.”

Feel the wave of sound

As it crashes down

You can't turn away

We'll make you wanna sta-a-a-ay

Trixie once again turned her head to where the increasingly loud sound of singing was originating, though a flurry of attacks from Luna caught her direct attention. With but one mind, she could only focus on so much at once, and she could just eliminate the Siren next.

On the ground where Loki was about to get up from with the aid of his former staff, now crutch, a hand grabbed Loki’s leg. He looked back to see the weakened Stark, the man’s mask removed in the front to show his face.

“Let me…get ahold of her. I got another trick up my sleeve that might help, so make an opening for me to grab her.”

Loki knew not what the drunkard had planned, but it surely was better than being beaten down without purpose, “I can try, but it’s up to you to succeed.”

Trixie’s attention was torn from trading blows with Luna when she noticed that Loki had approached the center of the room and was pointing Gungnir at the place where his former scepter sat at the eye of the entire vortex.

“What are you doing!?” Trixie screamed as she disengaged her confrontation with Luna to instead deal with Loki. As she did this, she did not notice that a certain other soul in the room was begin to float from the power they were receiving, with wings and other vestiges of Sonata’s true form as a Siren beginning to shine through as her once great power was restored to her.

We will be adored

Tell us that you want us

We won't be ignored

It's time for our reward

Loki began blasting away at the core of it, trying to punch through the vortex but also knowing that he would fail at doing so, “If I destroy this, the magic will be unleashed and wipe out this entire facility.”

While Trixie was not convinced he could succeed at what he was doing, since to break through her power surrounding it all would take power nearly as great so long as she was in control of it, but the ramifications of what would happen if he did succeed had her worried nonetheless, “And the nearby galaxy! Do you know how much power I have stored here!? Get the Hel away from that!”

Now you need us

Come and heed us

Nothing can stop us now

Trixie rushing to confront Loki left her open to suddenly having Stark launch from the ground and attempt to grab at her. Trixie realized this just in time to pull her body away from him, and with his distraction done Loki stopped his bluff and instead turned to also confront Trixie. Stark said he had a plan, and Loki intended to let him fulfill it.

It was with great agility that Trixie managed to keep avoiding each of the two men attempted to grab ahold of her, though she was suddenly over-conscious about possibly using too much power right by her machine’s center: Loki might not be able to damage it, but if she accidently unleashed too much energy she might destroy everything she had worked so long on.

“What are you doing, Human?” Trixie growled in anger as she felt a slash from Gungnir nick her side, only for Stark to just then grab ahold of her body’s barrel in the swirling madness and confusion of their close quarters encounter.

What we have in store
All we want and more

Trixie felt her energy level instantly sap down multiple tiers from just the brief touch, and in shock and anger Trixie twisted and bucked Stark in the gut. His suit had overloaded on stolen power upon sapping it from Trixie preventing him from moving to avoid her attack, and so Stark fell.

“Get away from me!”

As the final member of the Human Avengers fell, Luna called out to him in anguish.

“Stark!”

He did not stir from where he had collapsed, his since closed metal mask hiding whatever expression would be held on his face after the felling blow.

We will break on through,

Now it's time to finish you!

“Damnit, what do we do?” Loki whispered as he put space between himself and Trixie, though remaining close enough to the room’s center to be shielded from her own power.

Fortunately for him, a third and final song followed the end of the last.

“Hush now, quiet now…”

The voice of the Siren had grown louder and more enthralling with each passing moment, her power growing as she sapped it from each person in the area as well as from the air itself. Using a song acquired in her time in Equestria, Sonata was entering the fight on her own terms, causing Loki to smirk as he realized how good timing she had, “Well then…”

Still leagues above the others in terms of strength, even Trixie found the entrancing words of Sonata beginning to dig into her mind. Stark’s intervention had weakened her to the point where Sonata, using Trixie’s own excess power, could actually begin to rival her in terms of magical energy: after all, she had been lapping up the massive quantities Trixie had been shedding previously to not implode under her own power.

“Shut up! No lullaby’s! I defeated Adagio, I can—!”

Trixie had turned to face and completely blow Sonata away with a magical attack, but her body’s sudden sluggishness caused her to stumble and miss despite the size and width of her magical strike.

“…it’s time to lay your sleepy head.”

Loki began to laugh as he felt his own body grow weak as well. He had a resistance to the Sirens due to his…special traits, and he was watching in amusement as both Trixie and Luna began to fall down in exhaustion to the Siren who he had made sure to bring along in case she was useful.

It turned out she was, and Loki was willing to take credit. The fact that Sonata looked as if she was about to collapse as well made it all the better, since she could not use the opportunity to come out on top since Loki would still be awake and she would be nearly dead.

“W…what are you laughing at?” Trixie tried to growl, but her grogginess as her body began to lose balance and her eyes fluttered made it sound more like a whine. Sonata was singing directly at her, and so Trixie was receiving the brunt of the song despite all being effected.

As Trixie fell to her knees Loki moved out of her head’s swivel range, not wanting her to shoot at him even through her exhaustion, “The whole time we have been fighting she has been gradually taking energy from the room around us. She’s been leeching it to power herself.”

“…hush now, quiet now…”

Trixie could not defend herself from the verbal assault, for it assaulted her very mind rather than her body. Given her minds fragile state it made the influence all the more effective, though she fought to remain awake and get back up, “I…won’t lose…to a damnable…”

Despite her best efforts, Trixie fell victim to the unexpected attack. In her last moments of consciousness she forcibly stood up, and in the end she fell asleep while upright.

Loki began to contemplate how to handle the situation now that no threats remained, but his thoughts were disrupted by Luna moving to be beside Trixie as the latter fell asleep. Luna leaned into Trixie and nuzzled her as she too fell asleep, standing together with Trixie as they both succumbed to Sonata’s lullaby.

“Luna?”

Luna had a plan that meshed with what the Siren had done to disrupt the battle. Being the Princess of the Night, she would use her powers to enter Trixie’s sleep and continue speaking to her there where no-one else could interrupt them.

She would make Trixie see reason. She would end this and make sure they all would come home alive, which was still possible so long as Trixie and Kael could use the Life Gem or Soul Gem. Luna didn’t care about their names so long as they worked to her ends.

Luna had directly entered Trixie’s dream upon them falling asleep given their proximity and her deliberate intentions, and so she found herself in a dark landscape that reminded her of the dark abyss she once found Loki in.

Come to think of it, Loki had betrayed her then too…and she had been blind to it until the very end. While she was better than Celestia at recognizing such things, she too had fallen into obliviousness when it came to those she loved.

Her mother, her sister, Loki’s father, Loki’s brother…and now her. She had played the same role to Trixie they all once had in the downfall of herself and Loki, and Luna hated herself for it. She had always wanted to be better than them, to surpass them and transcend their faults…but in the end by striving to be better than them, she drove yet another down the same path she once was on.

“Mommy.”

Luna blinked as she heard the voice of a toddler nearby her in the black void. She turned to her side where there suddenly was a small foal, no bigger than a young toddler, sitting in a crib staring at her with big eyes.

Luna found herself mesmerized by the soft blue fur and the silver-blue hair that revealed who this was. A mental projection of Trixie at a young age was staring up at Luna uncertainly, as if it were not sure how Luna would react.

The foal tried leaning up on the edge of its crib to point past Luna at something.

“Awpul.”

Luna looked back to where it was pointing, and surely enough a tray of food had materialized. An apple was shining as the focal point, and the young foal seemed to be craving food. Her body was far thinner than it ought to be at that age, not possessing the girth most would attribute to babies but rather appearing underweight.

Without hesitation Luna moved the apple over to Trixie with her mental projection’s magic. She smiled as the foal form of Trixie began to dig into the meal provided, and Luna sighed contently as she saw the innocence of the child.

“How’s my little girl?” Luna cooed as she moved over to the crib and began to stroke Trixie’s fairly long mane for a child, as if she never had it cut yet in her life.

The foal seemed to forget the apple it was so wildly tearing into until then when Luna touched her. It turned to face Luna, at which point it moved to hug all its limbs around Luna’s outstretched one.

“Mommy…”

Luna could have spent forever just like that, but it all disappeared moments after as a different scene presented itself inside Trixie’s dream.

Now a young foal, years younger than the likes of Scootaloo but by no means a baby, stood before her and was presenting a cake to her. This version of Trixie was beginning to take on the appearance Luna knew well, with height offsetting the lack of weight and making her appear gaunt in all but face.

“Happy birthday, mother.”

The overly polite tone used…Luna winced as she realized what this was.

“These are your memories…”

Luna was standing in the place of the deceased Lulamoon, back when Trixie was still at the whims of the depressed mare little older than its own daughter. Luna wondered just how these memories had played out with the other mare at the helm, since Luna doubted the resentful Lulamoon would have been so caring…

“Huh?” the child form of Trixie questioned, not understanding what Luna was saying to herself.

To recover from this Luna shook her head and leaned down to kiss Trixie on the forehead, letting her know how much she loved her. She may not actually get to raise Trixie or have these opportunities now that Trixie was grown up, but she could try and set her mind at ease after all it had gone through. She would let her know how much she meant to her.

“Nothing, Trixie. Thank you.”

Having received a surprising amount of affection, something Trixie was not at all used to at that point in her life, Trixie tried to reciprocate by leaning into Luna and rubbing her face on Luna’s chest, “I love you mother…”

Luna pulled Trixie’s mental representation into her as tightly as she could, tears forming at the edges of her own eyes as she thought about how much she wanted this to be real. To get a chance to do it all over.

“I love you too, Trixie.”

The scene faded away to black once again, though this time Luna was not left with a replacement right there, but rather noticed that there were all sorts of scenes playing out in the distance in the darkness.

There was the time Trixie was in Ponyville being heckled by Twilight’s friends, an instance of her being driven out of a town because of her reputation, her working hard on a rock farm, her using her savings from the farm to buy an artifact to get revenge on Twilight, her further disgrace after being bested once again by the Ponyville crowd, the beginning of her show in Canterlot where Luna would later intervene, her working in the field to train, Trixie’s time at the tryouts where Luna would stupidly spurn her because of the influence the Nightmare had over her, Trixie fighting the Ursas all alone…

The memories would go on for just about ever if Luna kept wandering through them. Trixie’s mind was actively going over the steps that brought it to the point it was at currently, and Luna realized that she needed to find the “real” Trixie if she were to actually accomplish anything. If she were to calm Trixie down from the fit of madness she was encountering.

While sorting through all of the memory-dreams, Luna had her attention caught by one she was in…not because she remembered it vividly, but because it felt like it was in a repressed part of her mind that only just came to the surface because of seeing it.

It was a simple dream with only Luna, Trixie, and a tree that had pink petals on it. Given the size of Luna’s stomach, this was from when she was still pregnant with Hela and Sleep Near and after the conflict with the Dark Elves.

Trixie was the one to take notice of the tree, for the beauty of its petals surprised her, “What is this?”

“This is a cherry blossom,” dream-Luna responded, stopping to observe and enjoy the sight as well.

Seeing that Trixie was interested in it, dream-Luna went on to further explain, “They are known for their beauty, but also for how their beauty is short lived. I have heard mention of them as a metaphor for the short and tragic life of a soldier.”

That gave dream-Trixie pause, and for a moment she looked down to the ground with pain in her eyes. Luna realized that even back then Trixie must have been struggling with her inner struggle, and it made her heart break to see Trixie realize the symbolism behind the tree and how it might apply to her own self.

After a moment of contemplation Trixie spoke again, her voice soft and restrained as she tried not to cry, “I think they are beautiful,” she had to pause again before she asked something that brought a full tear to her eye, “May we have one back at the castle?”

“Of course. I think they are beautiful as well,” dream-Luna smiled at the idea, only to then sigh as she realized the unfortunate aspect of the trees and their beauty, “I only wish I had enough of a green thumb to keep them from wilting and dying.”

“Perhaps if you heal them? If anyone could save them, I’m sure you could…”

The real Luna gasped at what she missed back then, and she felt her heart falter at how oblivious she had been. She noticed the dream version of herself give Trixie an odd look, though they quickly lost it when they chalked it up to Trixie just feeling sad about the trees beauty being fleeting. Luna remembered it now…she thought something was up, but she had been so willing to just be happy for once that she cast aside the notion that Trixie was as sad as she looked.

“Sadly, my limited healing magic is ill suited for longevity. I can remedy a tear or cut in them, but not the fundamental issue behind their loss,” dream-Luna said without noticing the irony behind her words. If there needed to be any reason this was one of the memories pulled up by Trixie in her sleep, Luna had found it, and she hated herself for not seeing the signs all sooner.

Trixie nodded, only to then lament wistfully, “Short lived…”

She looked up to Luna with a faltering face, as if she were about to break down in tears just by looking at her.

“I…”

Instead her horn lit up and dream-Luna had an aura of magic appear around her head. Trixie had used magic to make her forget the conversation…

How much had Trixie made her forget to keep Luna from finding out? How much did she hide to keep Luna from realizing how broken and depressed she was? Luna had trouble recalling many actual meeting with Trixie all the way from the conflict with the Dark Elves all the way until now, though it felt like something ought to be there…

The scene faded away like all the others, though the one it was replaced by was one without Luna at all. Standing in her hidden Jotunheim fortress and Bifrost, Trixie was standing with tears dripping from her face onto the floor where they froze.

The only one beside her there was Kael, who stood silently in his mind-controlled status Luna cursed herself for not understanding sooner. She had even been the one to let Trixie inside his head in the first place…

“I can’t…”

Trixie was trying to say something, but her voice was failing her as she began to ball her fists in anger.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t hold it in any longer. There is too much for me…”

She shook her head violently, causing the purple hat sitting atop her head to nearly fall off. She was in her common clothes she would wear as an Elf rather than the outfit they would later find her in, but the purple cape and hat gave Luna memories of when she first met Trixie. So much had happened since then…

There was no time to think as Trixie conjured up statues of both Luna and Loki, ice forming their bodies as her perfect control let her craft them so beautifully.

“Mother, father…”

Trixie cracked a smile as she waved a hand and formed five other figures to form beside them in a half-circle formation around her.

“Twilight, Celestia…” Trixie’s face softened further as she saw the last two, “Sleep Near, Hela…”

In an afterthought Trixie conjured two more to finish the family of statues.

“Thor, grandmother…”

Trixie’s face slowly lapsed into a pained expression as she looked over them all, causing her to grab her forehead to massage it, though after the pain did not leave her she ran her hand through her hair as a panicked expression settled in on her to replace the other.

“No, by now you all know how much of a monster I am. You know what I’ve done…”

“I’m a murderer, I’m a monster…no better than either of you…” what started as a self-deprecating statement to demean her own self morphed into a different kind of hatred as Trixie looked on at Luna and Loki’s representations.

“I’m just like you! Does that make you happy!?” her voice started to shout as her pain began to channel itself outward by focusing on them, “I tried so long to make you love me, and now I’m just as twisted as you two. This is all your fault!”

Anger gave way to wide eyed madness as Trixie stumbled to the side and began to breathe heavily, on the path to hyperventilating, “No…I don’t care what you all think! I have come this far because of everything I’ve worked for…” she screamed as she grabbed her head and lowered it down, her voice increasing in opposite proportion, “I deserve this! So what if Hela said this would happen? So what if that frigid bitch says I’m going to destroy everything I love!?”

Trixie stood back up in complete fury as she whipped around to face the representation of baby Hela, which she then quickly destroyed in an act of anger, “I make my own fate! I do this of my own free will, and nothing anyone does or says is going to change that! I am my own master for once, not the fool of fate or the pawn of some selfish woman!”

Seeing the shattered pieces of Hela fall onto the floor shocked the highly emotional woman back into another state, gasping as she realized what she did and began to crumble at the sight of it falling apart.

On her knees, Trixie began to sob, “But I…” Trixie brought a hand out to touch the front leg of Luna’s representation, “I love you all…I can’t…”

As if in pain, Trixie recoiled from the touch of the ice. She pulled back and stumbled over onto her side while suddenly sobbing, “No, no!”

Pulling herself to her feet, Trixie looked at all the figures with a completely distraught face, “I can’t go back…” noticing she dropped her hat when she fell over, Trixie gingerly picked it up. While looking at the stars embroidered on the purple surface she gave a soft sigh, “That’s…that is in the past…that’s a life I’ve forsaken.”

Trixie spun around and threw the hat rather than place it back on her head, and instead of let it hurl away she clenched her hand as a glow of magic surrounded it. The hat exploded in a display of ice, its tattered shreds falling to the floor.

This done, Trixie looked back up to the two statues she started with. Her eyes seemed hollow as she looked on at them, her mind at a breaking point for the battle she was raging within, “Luna…Loki…”

She sighed and lowered her head. As she took in her next breathe, a glow surrounded her clothing, and in moments her original clothes were instead reformed into the mimicry of Loki’s and Nightmare Moon’s she currently was in.

Trixie glared at the two statues again, anger now simmering in her eyes and in her voice, “You reap what you sew. And I am going to make you pay for every bit of suffering I have gone through because of your mistakes, because of your faults.”

With a violent heave Trixie both summoned the staff she stole and smashed the statues before her. This done, she glanced over to her accomplice, who had stood in silent vigil nearby.

“Go. I need time. Stall them in Asgard.”

Kael wordlessly obeyed, having been at her beck and call, and once he was gone Trixie let herself fall to her knees once more.

“Now I am truly alone, the way I deserve to be…

Luna wanted to go to her and tell her it would all be alright, that they could make things better together…but the memory faded. It was just another fleeting dream Trixie was having along with countless other memories.

As Luna began to leave it, she heard shouting nearby that drew her attention. Not surrounded by any scene was Trixie in her Unicorn form, and a malformed and misshapen Alicorn form of Trixie. The two were running around in circles and firing off pseudo-magical blasts at one another, occasionally physically colliding before setting themselves apart and continuing their back and forth fight.

Luna realized that this ought to be the real Trixie, fighting a nightmare, and she rushed to the confrontation so that she could intervene.

Still awake, Loki felt an odd feeling wash over him. He no longer felt as cold, as if Hela’s curse were being lifted from him.

While this might be good in some regards since it meant he would have access to his magic, the affliction also had its benefits…pain began to wrack Loki as his now mortal body began to feel the pain his undead one was able to ignore.

Loki fell to the ground as he tried to fight through the pain, and though it was a winning battle it was slow. He had a dark feeling that Hela had succumbed to her pain and thus her magic had worn off on him.

Across the room from him he noticed that the previously still body of Celestia was finally regaining consciousness. She had been hit hard early on, and hit even after she was down which undoubtedly prolonged her status.

As Celestia weakly rose to her hooves, Loki could hear her murmuring something as she looked on at Trixie and Luna.

“Get…”

Celestia stumbled forward as she tried to right herself, her eyes barely able to hang open as she fought through pain to look on at Luna and Trixie.

“…away…”

Loki wanted to yell out to her to stay her hand, but he could only cough out in pain as blood formed in his mouth. He spat out blood and began to choke on it as Celestia’s horn began to light up.

Celestia was not alone though among those recently awoken, and the sight of the next one to stand made Loki even more worried.

Using her ability to manipulate dreams, Luna dispelled the corrupted depiction of Trixie and rushed to the side of the original one. She embraced it like she had the others, hoping to comfort it, but she found herself surprised when it rebuffed her and separated itself from her side.

Turning her back on Luna, Trixie grunted, “Why are you here? Why aren’t you with Hela? She really is your daughter…”

Luna realized that what Trixie said was true: both Hela and Sleep Near were also there, and they were likely in pain as well, but she had come to Trixie’s side. The answer was simple though: those adult forms of her children were from another world, and they would likely be fine after everything. Trixie needed her here and now though, for Luna feared that she would be lost forever if she was left to confront her inner demons like she just was.

Luna did not find the words to respond in time to stop Trixie from beginning to sob, despite trying to put on a tough act, “Just as I am not.”

That actually struck a nerve for Luna, for she truly wished that things had been different and that they were actually related, but she had come to grow past her own reservations in order to fully open her heart to Trixie long ago. It seemed as if Trixie resented that fact about herself though, that she was not actually Luna’s daughter but rather was some fake substitute.

Luna shook her head as she approached Trixie again and brought a hoof to her shoulder. She did not give a full hug again in fear that Trixie would react badly to it, but she did want to give some comfort, “Trixie, don’t say that about yourself. You may not be my flesh and blood, but neither was Loki to his family. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

She did not verbally respond to the statement, but Trixie’s body relaxed some as she heard Luna’s words. As they sunk into her Trixie let herself shrink down, and she began to sob even harder, “I want to be your daughter. I want to grow up with you as my mother. I want Loki to be my father. I want to have siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins.”

Trixie paused to just cry for a few moments, her tears streaming down her face and dripping into her own mouth as she tried to speak. As she did this Luna just consolingly ran a hoof down Trixie’s back, being supportive without overdoing it.

“I…I want people to love me, but…”

That made Luna wince. Did Trixie really believe that no-one loved her? In an effort to dispel this, Luna shook her head and smiled at Trixie weakly, “We do love you, Trixie.”

Trixie began to lean on Luna’s side, still unable to look up at her but also finally giving into the comfort on some level, “No, you loved me, and the others love you. You’re the only one who cares about me personally.”

Luna was actually surprised, though it made sense the moment she began to think about it. The only reason the others paid any mind to Trixie was that Luna loved her, even Loki. However, Loki had still done his share to care for Trixie, even if he showed it in a different way, “Loki put himself through extreme danger to keep you safe. He may not have bonded with you yet the way I have, but these things take time. Believe me, Loki may be reserved but he most definitely has a big heart.”

Trixie forced herself from Luna and turned to face the completely opposite direction as her, her voice weak as she spoke her inner feelings, “You’ll all be happier without me. I brought my own baggage and problems to the table, and they have only made things more difficult to you all. You don’t need an adoptive, bastard daughter, to mess with the inheritance of your true borns.”

Luna paused before approaching Trixie and finally embracing her in a full hug, and while Trixie momentarily struggled she ultimately allowed it as Luna crooned, “We all have our problems we bring with us. A family comes together and overcomes them, and that’s what we are.”

Once again Trixie tried getting free of her, but Luna did not allow for it this time. Trixie may be more powerful in real life, but Luna was the one with power in a dream world.

“Trixie, why won’t you let me love you? I thought that was what you wanted?”

“I…” Trixie stopped her struggling to instead bury her face in one of Luna’s legs, “You didn’t deserve what I did to you. You deserve better than a washed up performer. I just thought…”

Luna moved to make herself curve more around Trixie as the latter continued to sob and speak. Her daughter had always had self-worth and self-confidence issues, and they had made all this worse than it ever had to be because more than anyone else hated her, Trixie hated her own self.

“I thought, even though it was selfish, you could fix what my mother did. Be the one who would make me feel good. Be there to support me and love me unconditionally. But I…I don’t deserve you.”

“Sometimes we get things we don’t deserve,” Luna whispered in Trixie’s ear softly, “I didn’t deserve such a loyal, thoughtful student, nor a great husband, or the family we now have together.”

That managed to soothe Trixie enough that her sobbing began to ebb, and silence fell between the two in a way that was not uncomfortable but rather needed.

Once she had a moment to think, Luna spoke again and gave Trixie’s head a soft nuzzle with her own, “Trixie, when we wake up, I promise I will do everything I can in my power to make you happy. Please, snap out of this. Hela and Sleep Near need their sister growing up. They need to have you so they can know what it’s like to be a good person.”

That actually brought a sardonic smirk to Trixie’s lips as she returned Luna’s gesture, “I’m haughty, prideful, and have crippling self-confidence issues despite those two things…” she almost laughed as she joked, “Not exactly role model material.”

Luna could feel the pony she had taken under her wing so long ago back again. This was the Trixie she loved, the one she was willing to die for in order to bring back, “For…for what it’s worth, Trixie, I…I wish I could have been your mother as well. I wish I could have been the mother you thought I could be.”

Trixie’s amusement sobered as Luna spoke, though she did not become distraught or sullen, only quiet.

“It’s the one thing I couldn’t bring myself to do. I could change your mind and alter memories, but I couldn’t make you better. I couldn’t make you love me the way I wanted you to. I would rather have painful, true love than that kind of hollow feeling.”

“I think there is another who loves you, you know,” Luna teased, a pairing she had thought perfect before coming to mind, and even despite recent revelations it still held due to a certain man’s complete and utter devotion displayed in a way Luna couldn’t even resent him for despite him doing so by opposing her.

That made Trixie scoff and blush at the same time, embarrassed by this other aspect of having a parent, “Kael and I share only a platonic relationship. We both understand and know this.”

“Are you sure?” Luna continued to playfully tease as she played with Trixie’s mane.

Pressing on that assertion made Trixie seem less sure of herself, and she paused briefly before letting out a sigh, “From my side, at least,” she could, after all, only truly confirm that it was platonic for her. But at the same time, having been inside his head, she was pretty sure it didn’t go beyond that for him…yet, “I don’t want the happily ever after other girls dream of. I don’t want Prince Charming…I want everything. A whole family, so I know people love me…so I know I have a place in this world.”

Luna could tell that Trixie had more to say, but she did not press her and instead let her calm down. Once Trixie had finished relaxing herself, she sighed in a defeated manner.

“But…families give so much more than that feeling…the very thing I want hurts me more than any other kind of pain I have experienced.”

Luna could understand that feeling. She knew it from back when she wanted Celestia and their mother to love her, to show it beyond a doubt, but at the same time she grew to resent them when they didn’t meet her specifications for affection.

“When we get back, you only need let me know if something I do hurts you and I promise I will do whatever I can for you,” Luna gave Trixie another kiss on the forehead to reassure her beyond a doubt, “We’re not perfect, no-one is, but I will never purposefully harm you. I love you too much.”

Sensing that she was succeeding at getting to Trixie, Luna continued onward, “And stop feeling so bad about yourself. Trixie, you are a wonderful mare, if only you could just realize that. You aren’t some wicked being who is as forsaken as you think you are. I love you, Trixie, you only need to learn to love yourself.”

It worked. It got through to Trixie, and for the first time in years she felt at ease.

Finally, Trixie turned around part of the way so that she could look up at Luna. Her face was equal parts sad and tired, though Luna could tell by looking into those eyes that things could go back to how they were. Trixie was not gone, she was just hurt and confused.

“I love you too, mother. You know that, right?”

Luna would have said yes, but it was then that the dream ended and she was thrown back into reality.

“What the…”

Luna groggily looked around to see what was going on, but when she saw it she saw it as if in slow motion.

Trixie was being hit in the side by a powerful beam of magic originating from Celestia, who was screaming “my sister!” as she did so.

“No!”

As Luna yelled out in desperation, she noticed that someone else was attacking Trixie: Maiev had recovered and, in an attempt to avenge her son, was slashing across the back of Trixie in what would have been a lethal strike if not for how Celestia’s attack moved Trixie. Instead, it ended up leaving a deep gash on Trixie from the top of her shoulder to her lower hip as Trixie spun out of her original place.

Standing still, Trixie began to shake as her eyes widened, “You all…you…”

Shaking more and more violent in every second, gone was the girl Luna had just been comforting, and back was the insane mare intent on forcibly changing the world and fate to fit her desires.

“Get away from me!”

Luna tried to approach her and resume her comforting, but a shockwave of energy caught her and Maiev and hurled them all the way against the walls behind them. So far was its reach that it knocked over even the recovering Loki, Celestia, and Sonata, slamming the last two so hard that it rendered them unconscious.

Trixie’s eyes lit up and her body began to completely glow with magical power. Along her body she began to change bit by bit as everyone else still conscious could only just watch, “I’ll kill you all! No more pain! No more evil! I’ll drag you all down to Hel with me!”

By the time she was finished screaming she had finished changing. Up until then she had been hiding her true body, her true self from everyone including her own self. Locked away behind her magic and self-restraint, Trixie had put on the aura of being a regular Alicorn for some time now…but it was not the truth.

Now standing was indeed an Alicorn, but with long wings that were not formed correctly. Her body was completely gaunt, as if she had just been stretched out, and her fur was a faded version of its original hue.

Overall, it looked like a skeleton with blue fur, raggedy wings, and purple, glowing eyes.

Shocked at the reveal of Trixie’s true body, Luna took a moment to formulate a response, “Trixie, please—”

Trixie snapped at her with her eyes narrowing in fury, “Shut up! This isn’t just for me…” Trixie shook her head and growled again, though her tone softened somewhat “I don’t want anyone to go through that. I can’t let them, not so long as I have the power to change things.”

Luna found herself crying once again, though she refused to watch Trixie willingly walk back into the abyss she had just helped her escape, “No, that’s not how this is supposed to go. We’re supposed to get through this together, just like we always have!”

In a surprisingly tender moment, Trixie dropped her head and spoke even softer, “Mother…please…leave me. I’ll hurt you…”

Having regained his magical sensibilities, Loki could feel energy surging in Trixie’s wrecked body. The power of the Aether had forced this unnatural transformation upon Trixie in the first place, and he could feel its dark energy coursing throughout her. It was no longer locked deep down in her and now instead was threatening to burst out.

Knowing that the Aether would lash out at anything that might be a threat to its host, Loki crawled to his feet and called out to his wife, “Luna, don’t!”

Luna ignored Loki’s warning and began to approach Trixie as the mare stood in the center of the room as if in extreme pain, “I’m not going to leave you, you’re my daughter. I won’t leave you, not when you need me.”

Luna was only feet from Trixie when the latter finally spoke. Her eyes did not rise to meet Luna’s, instead focusing on her own hooves beneath her.

“Maybe I’m not forsaken like you said…”

What Luna had hoped would be Trixie backing down and giving all of this up instead happened to be an eruption of magic that was so powerful that it forced Luna back hard enough to hurtle Luna back against a wall and nearly break all of her bones given her proximity to it when it went off.

As Luna was hurled away Trixie began to lose her composure to shouting and screaming again, “But even so, I am the one who decides my own fate! I may be able to return to how I was, but this is who I am! This is who I choose to be, and nothing is going to change that!”

Having decided her path, Trixie went about ensuring it. Her gaze fell upon where Maiev had been slammed by the entrance, and the stubborn woman was trying to get up despite having numerous broken bones.

“You…”

Trixie braced her awkwardly shaped body and lowered her head so that her horn was pointing forward.

“Burn in Hel like your son!”

The amount of energy unleashed was enough to kill any mortal, and it tore a hole straight through the entranceway the size of a normal room.

When the beam faded, no trace was left of the vengeful mother who had fought for her child’s sake.

This done, Trixie turned her attention to the next person she had a current issue with. To the left of the entrance, Sonata was shifting in-between consciousness and unconsciousness, and was in no state to even notice she was being approached by a very furious Alicorn.

“And you!”

Once she had closed the gap between them somewhat, Trixie prepared another attack. She had to brace herself to counter the massive power behind her attack, and as she did this the light from her own horn’s glowing mass of energy blinded her temporarily.

So, when Trixie found her head yanked upwards to point at the ceiling she was completely caught off guard, and she screamed as her attack burst through the ceiling and damaged her creation.

“What the Hel!?” she threw her head around to shake whatever the Hel was grabbing her, though a glimpse of what was on her back and tugging her head with her mane was all she needed, “No, you died!”

Atop Trixie’s back was a smug Fandral, who continued to fight against Trixie’s movements to try and disorientate her. As she began to try and toss him off he responded to her in his normal, jovial voice.

“Your friend gave us his gem. I doubt he expected us to come back in time for this though. I guess he was feeling guilty for having had us killed!”

Fandral had not come alone, as the fully restored team of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had come to fight as well. The only Asgardian warrior available who had not come was Heimdall, who was left behind to keep control of the other Bifrost. After being given their lives back by Kael through his gem, they all recovered in the healing chambers so they could do more than just hobble around and fall over.

Unfortunately, their timing proved little more opportune.

“It’s no matter,” Trixie ignored the blades and axe that pierced into her skin as she spun around violently and tossed Fandral off of her despite his best effort to hold on, “I killed you off once, I can do it again!”

Fandral crashed into Hogun and Sif, and Volstagg was smashed aside by Trixie’s rapid spin that dislodged Fandral. With the warriors all disorientated, Trixie called power back to her horn to end their threat.

Appalled that Trixie would just kill them all too, Luna called out to her from across the room, “Trixie, wait, you don’t have to do this!”

Loki too was shocked, and in anger he grabbed his father’s weapon to level at Trixie. He blasted her with the powerful weapon, but it did nothing to stop her from her intended murder.

Trixie ignored Luna’s outcry as the four Asgardians got back to their feet, “You all are standing in the way of me saving everyone, you all are the cancer of our society, you all are the reason for all this! I will see you all rotting in Hel before I let you stop me!”

Four beams left Trixie’s horn, each splitting off and jutting in irregular manners to perfectly strike each of the soldiers straight through the heart. Each fell as their lives were taken as quickly as they had arrived, and while they were not able to deal much actual damage to Trixie they had a greater effect on the battle’s outcome.

Seeing them fall shocked both Luna and Loki into realizing how far Trixie had fallen. She was not coming back from this, nor could she.

Despite a newfound resolve to end this, Luna shut her eyes in pain. The realization that even though the Trixie she wanted was in there that she would still have to fight her to the death was crushing Luna, and it almost made her sick to contemplate, “I have to…”

Her husband approached her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Luna, if you can’t, I will do it for you.”

While Loki did not expect to really get to share a tender moment, he did not expect to be yanked off his feet and thrown to the ground. He recovered just in time to block with Gungnir a large sword from coming down on his neck.

Above him stood a heavily wounded Kael’thas, finally awake and most definitely still alive despite all the punishment he had received earlier, “You will have trouble defeating her when you are busy with me, my King!”

Loki struggled to keep the Elf from killing him outright, since now losing his head would be quite lethal, “You’re still alive…” Loki grunted as struggled to both think of a way out of this position and to keep pressing up against his attacker’s blade, “Your persistence would be commendable if not for your actions!”

Loki twisted Gungnir so it was still blocking but so its sharp end also slammed into Kael’s leg. Before Loki could launch a point blank blast into the limb, Kael spun out of the way and Loki had the time to roll out of the position.

With both men upright they began to pace around one another. Neither was as invincible as they had been earlier, and a wrong move could mean their death, “Oh come now, you are not about to act as if you have some kind of moral superiority to me, are you?” Kael scoffed as he continued to demean Loki, his mouth running just as it would normally with him at his own reins, “This, coming from the man that nearly wiped out an entire species to get over his own insecurities?”

“I have since learned from my mistakes, just as you are free to do now.”

Kael narrowed his eyes and frowned, actually feeling some remorse at being unable to accept that offer, “Live or die, I have made my choice. It is a shame you have as well!”

Across the room Luna had her hooves full dealing with a raging Trixie, who was slinging magic with such abandon that she was destroying the floor all over the room. It was either due to careful planning of complete luck that she missed the bodies of the many dead and unconscious people in the area, but it was with strenuous effort that Luna managed to avoid each attack while returning a few of her own. Trixie managed to avoid some of them, but she was so focused on killing that she was not thinking clearly about avoiding attacks.

Also disturbed was her mind, as she began to yell at Luna in ways that confused the elder Alicorn.

“Why did you even have me!?” Trixie screamed, her mind blending together her mother figures into one solid object of deserved hatred, “If you hated me so much, why did you even have me!? Why did you torture me all those years when you could have been done with me before I was even born!?”

“Trixie, snap out of it!” Luna yelled back, though she knew it would yield no result. She could see the pain in Trixie’s eyes, she could see the scared little Unicorn who was unsure if their mother was going to hug them or yell at them, but she could also see the sheer mad rage behind those purple orbs as well. Looking into them yielded nothing but an insight at a future that would not be, as well as a sad understanding of what would.

“All you ever gave me was pain! It’s all you can ever do, you deplorable bitch!”

Trixie tackled Luna and knocked her over, preparing for a powerful magical attack at the very same moment to serve as a coup de grace for Luna.

As she charged her power up Trixie began to cry anger fueled tears, her voice not backing down from its high level, “I’m not going to let this ever happen again! No more petty revenge, no more pain, no more choice about whether to hurt others or not! I’ll remove free will from you all if that is what it takes to make no-one suffer again! The Sirens had the right idea when they sought to control everyone!”

Fortunately for Luna, Trixie’s madness made her take too long to actually finish her attack. Luna leapt out of the way just as Trixie fired her attack straight into the ground and by the time she finished it Luna was well clear of her.

Not about to let the setback slow her down, Trixie continued to hunt after Luna with relentless attack after relentless attack, “And why not? Is there something better about being able to decree that someone do something rather than just make them do it with a whim? Either join me in shaping the future, or become a missing piece of the past!”

Luna hissed in pain as a strike hit her that ought to have broken the bones in her barrel, but she remained standing as if it didn’t happen, “No, Trixie, I’m not going to let you twist the world to what you desire! I love you and everyone else too much to let you do that! This isn’t what I wanted for you, Trixie! Please, stop it while you still can!”

Trixie did not heed her words at all, though she did play off them as she howled back in rage, “You wanted an apprentice who could one day take your place. Well congratulations, I have become far more powerful and manipulative than you ever were, mother!”

As Luna dodged another blast she found herself being body slammed by Trixie, who then impaled her mother straight in the side with her long horn.

“If you want to stop me you’ll have to kill me, for if you don’t finish the job I sure as Hel will!”

Luna tore herself off Trixie’s horn and ducked under a blast that would have torn straight through her, with the blast instead forming a wall of sorts between Loki and Kael. The two had been exchanging blows and been parrying eachother carefully, and while each man was wearing down no real damage had been done. Kael was still recovering from his near death and was just beginning to get control back over his magic while Loki was trying to save his for when he would need it most, not wanting to waste what little he had recovered at a less than opportune moment.

As they were forced apart by Trixie Loki stared down his rival, “I can see now why Illidan pitied you. You are truly lost, forever to act as the well intentioned extremist even when alternatives present themselves.”

The beam dissipated and Kael lunged forward and swung his acquired sword down forcefully, intending to strike Loki down once and for all.

The blade began to press into Gungnir as the spear stopped it in its tracks, though Kael’s greater natural strength started to give him the advantage as they engaged in a power struggle.

“Don’t you dare lecture me. I may not be as old as you, but have you lost your home? Have you had your people annihilated by the pettiness of others? I lost my family, I lost everything I had, and even then I went onward! I will always give everything I have for others, and you cannot look down on me for the sacrifices I make!”

Loki forcefully diverted the sword to the side and quickly slipped in a dagger into one of many openings on Kael’s armor. The Elf seethed as the pain wracked him, though he did not let it slow him down as he returned his sword in a figure eight motion that began to drive Loki back.

“I would have found a way to aid your people. We could have been allies!” Loki grunted as he was forced back step by step.

“Allies?” the word enraged the Elven prince even further, “I was a part of an Alliance once, and it nearly wiped out my race twice-over! I am through with waiting, I am through with trusting other species to do what is right! Trixie understands that woe, and with her I will save my people as well as all others!”

With a powerful strike Kael actually knocked Loki around, sending him a few feet back…and right into a place Trixie had forced Luna to dodge to. Loki collided with Luna and each was disorientated enough that Trixie managed to take Loki off his feet with a wild charge and Luna howled in pain as a blade carved through her side.

“Damnit…” Loki cursed as he curled up to prevent Trixie from completely trampling him. While no longer master and servant, Trixie and Kael appeared to still be completely in tune to one another’s thoughts as they had coordinated the tradeoff attack quite adeptly.

Loki flung himself to his feet as Trixie finished running him over…just in time for a greatsword to catch him through the gut. Kael and Trixie had spun around in a circle to disorientate their foes once again, with Luna having expected Kael to continue attacking her only for Trixie to spin around and launch another blast of energy at her while Loki was left vulnerable to a well-timed blade placement.

Trixie used the moment as a breather since Loki was dispatched and Luna was hobbling on the ground. Trixie had shed a great deal of her power, and her wounds were beginning to catch up to her, “You two aren’t like us. You are manipulators, fiends who just use one another…” she glared over at Luna, who she didn’t understand how she could keep fighting on, “You don’t understand true partnership.”

“True…” Loki coughed as he dropped his father’s weapon to grab Kael’s arm and pull him and the blade closer.

An Alicorn horn pierced through Loki beside the blade, and before Kael could do anything he was being slammed backward by an attack so sudden he could not absorb it. His blade went with him as he was launched away from Loki, and afterwards Luna removed her horn from her husband as Trixie watched the utterly demented move in abject surprise.

“But because we take advantage of eachother, idealistic fools like you can’t predict our movements!” Luna scolded as she used some of her power to seal Loki’s wounds. He would need medical attention for them later, but she could keep him from dying for the moment.

The Luna who had been blasted by Trixie had been a quick illusion thrown up by Loki, while the real one managed to escape and utilize his move to catch their foes off guard.

“Idealistic, am I…” Trixie sighed as she began to gather power for another attack, “Yes, I once had an ideal about who you were.”

“Now I’d rather hate you for who you are, than love you for who I want you to be…” Trixie paused to fire her attack at Luna, who had trouble avoiding it because she was beginning to feel aches all over her body that slowed her, “Just as I want you to hate me for who I truly am, and not for who I’m not! Who I never could truly be…”

Loki hobbled over out of the way so he would not be a detracting factor in the fight for Luna. Across the room their Elven foe was just beginning to recover, his willpower and the bond he shared with Trixie tethering him to the land of the living still. So long as one lived, the other could still feed them energy to live.

Given that Kael and Trixie could and would coordinate their attacks together in a way that would win them the conflict, Loki knew that despite his own current weakness he would have to eliminate the Elf before he could rejoin Trixie.

As Loki went to hunt down the Elf, Trixie had halted her assault as remorse crept into her soul, “I am what I am. A weak mare whose lack of self confidence drives her to pretend and act around others, deceive them, and try to earn their love and admiration by being something I’m not…” tears ran down her face, and the sight of them kept Luna from taking advantage of the moment, “I’m not a good mare. I’m just a selfish one.”

Luna felt conflicted as Trixie began to shake uncontrollably from her self-hatred, since now would be the opportune time to strike, but this was also perhaps the last chance she would get to talk Trixie down from this. As futile as she knew it was, Luna decided to not attack so she would have one last chance.

Trixie was completely crying as she nearly collapsed in grief, barely standing on her misshapen legs, “I wanted you to respect me, and over time I wanted you to give me the love I could never receive from my own mother…” she looked up to Luna sorrowfully, “If I had to adopt the hats of a good student, a good daughter, and a good member of royalty, I would do all of that just to have myself affirmed by you.”

Seeing her opportunity, and still knowing it would be pointless, Luna tried once again to reach out, “Trixie, you’re not bad. The pain you feel…The pain you feel is proof enough that your heart is true. You may not realize it, but you’re better than you think you are. Perhaps after acting so long you forgot what your true center is, but—”

Just as expected, the attempt at consoling Trixie instead set her off and she assaulted Luna once again, “I don’t need your false kindness! I never deserved any of this to begin with, and I won’t let you lie to me any longer!”

“I’m not lying! Trixie, I—”

Luna was cut off by a barrage of magical attacks all colliding with her, each with enough power to perhaps kill her. However, when the smoke cleared, Luna still stood before Trixie.

Trixie had been forced to stop controlling their environment in order to unleash that last barrage, having cut off that power drain so she could focus on finishing the fight. How was it that Luna could still be standing after that?

“Why won’t you die!?” Trixie screamed, though she needed to recharge for a moment before she could continue on attacking.

Luna was panting as she fought to keep standing, her blue fur now duller and mixed with some grey, “Remember how I saved you after you came back?”

Trixie’s eyes widened as she realized what Luna was doing: she was healing herself to keep from dying, but she needed so much energy to do so she had to tap into her own life. She was sacrificing her lifespan to continue combating Trixie, sacrificing her future so that she might have a better one.

“I donated my life energy to keep you alive…a part of me is in you now because of that…” Luna’s laugh was weak as she fell to her knees, “In some ways you truly are my daughter now…”

The explanation infuriated Trixie, for the same thing that once saved her was now costing her the victory she had so desperately sought, “Just die already! Fall!”

Despite another wave of magic wash over her body and threaten to kill her, Luna refused to let it stop her. She would not lose this, and if she could help it she would not lose anyone else in the process, “I didn’t get much of a chance to use it once I mastered it a bit more, but…”

“You foolish mare, you honestly think that by sacrificing your life energy to keep yourself fighting you’ll somehow come out on top?!”

“I can either die outright or live a shorter life. I think the choice is obvious…”

Loki had approached the wounded Elf like someone about to put down a rabid animal. He gave him proper distance, but he still closed in so he could accomplish the deed. Instead of Gungnir he had brought Illidan’s blades which were on his path there. He saw it fitting to finish off the man with the blades of their mutual friend whom Kael had slain back in Hel.

Despite his caution, Loki did not expect for Kael to pull a new trick out on him. So used to Kael using the same few powerful techniques, Loki did not foresee Kael pointing a hand at him and for the part of him the weakened Elf pointed at to begin glowing.

Loki could feel a fiery sensation burning in his arm where Kael had just infused magic into him, and the glow began to creep up his arm as his limb began to feel like it would burst at any moment. Loki painfully took Illidan’s blade to his own left arm and removed the limb before the light could creep up to his main body.

He only then had a moment to move to the side before the limb exploded in a large inferno that nearly knocked Loki off his feet. Remembering that Illidan’s blades could be fused, Loki used his one remaining hand to do so as Kael began to slowly pick himself back up.

“Damn…I had hoped that would work…” the Elf groaned, not sure he’d be able to do that same trick right again. Loki glaring at him made him quite sure he also did not have time to catch a second wind, so Kael accepted his fate with one caveat: if he was about to lose his life, why not pour every ounce of energy he could muster into one last glory or death strike?

“I only have one shot left…” Kael gathered his strength and brought his hands back, an orb of fire forming around them.

As Loki charged at him, Kael took one more glance at Trixie. He had hoped to survive this with her, but he had no regrets in dying for her, “For you…”

His next words were swallowed by the sound of a Phoenix’s screech as he cast his hands forward and unleashed his strike, with his following words able to be heard by all others in the Bifrost.

“By fire, be purged!”

A flame the shape of a bird burst forward from Kael, followed right behind by a giant orb of flame. Fire trailed behind the flaming bird as it surged forth right into Loki…

…only to pass straight through him as the real Loki appeared in front of Kael and lodged his blade straight through Kael’s chest cavity. The Elf sunk to his knees without another word or move, and Loki let him be as he looked back to where the flames ended up.

Loki had not realized it, but Luna had been in the path of the phoenix as well as the large orb of fire that Kael had previously used on Thor and Celestia. Luna had seen it coming and accepted her fate like Kael had, not having the body strength to avoid it and not mentally aware that she could teleport again.

When the flaming bird did not crash into her, Luna found herself stunned to see Trixie shielding her with her own body. Some flames surged through from the bird as it disappeared into Trixie’s scorched side, but overall Luna remained relatively uninjured from the last attack from Trixie’s partner.

“What…what are you doing?”

Weakly, Trixie choked out, “We’re a family…and no-one but me can kill you…”

In that one sentence Luna could see the fight inside of Trixie to both love and hate them, but she could not comment on the contradiction then because something else caused her to shout, “Watch out!”

Trixie turned to face the slow but oncoming second piece of Kael’s attack: the floating orb of flame. Trixie would teleport out of the way, but the terrible pain surging through her was keeping her from even taking a step just yet. She needed a moment to fight through the pain, and she had not had it yet.

Just as she had done though, someone else took the brunt of the attack.

Trixie gasped as she saw Celestia throw her body in front of her, and then Thor do the same. The two were blasted aside by the power of the spell, but it dissipated and left both Trixie and Luna alive.

“Uncle? Aunt Tia?”

Celestia had ended up blaming herself for how things turned out, and saw it as a chance to redeem herself and possibly help Trixie back from the brink she was standing on, “I am sorry…”

Trixie wasn’t looking at them anymore though, for her eyes had gone ahead to where the attack had come from…where Kael silently rest without any trace of life.

“You…you killed him…”

Shaking her head side to side, Trixie began to choke on her tears, “No…he…he’s the only person I…”

In a flash of light, Trixie disappeared and reappeared next to the core of the room. Standing only a dozen feet away from the vortex, Trixie lit up her own horn and shut her eyes.

“This last strength will do it. Your people will be saved, and everyone will…”

Luna pulled herself upright and cast Celestia a concerned look before the loud noise of Trixie focusing her magic drew her attention.

“Now and forever, everyone will live as I wish…even without me…”

Across the room, the weakened Loki cursed himself as he realized he would not reach Trixie in time to accomplish anything, though Luna could teleport, “Luna, now is your only chance! I can feel it, if she lets that power go, the Bifrost will succeed at its task!”

He hadn’t said it out loud, but Luna knew exactly what he meant, “But I…”

Loki knew it would kill her on the inside to do, but she was the only one who could defeat Trixie and end this all, “She braces herself to counterbalance her magic’s power, you can strike right at the moment she lets her guard down!”

Surely enough, as Loki said, Trixie braced herself to prepare for a large emission of power by spreading her legs and lowering herself, and it was as if she didn’t even hear them talking with how she just went on and did it anyway...

“Trixie…I…I’m so sorry…”

Standing in front of Trixie’s chest, Luna began to cry as she felt blood running down the top of her head. It wasn’t her blood though.

Her horn had pierced Trixie’s heart, and her former student slumped down on top of her. The magic Trixie had been charging dissipated, and she felt her life leaving her as Luna continued to cry into her chest.

“Don’t you dare pity me…” Trixie coughed out weakly, spurring Luna to shed even more tears.

Loki looked on for a moment before he had to avert his eyes from the scene. He couldn’t bear to see this…but then he forced himself to look back at it. He would need to see this. To remember it, so he could make sure he would have what he needed to make sure it would never happen again.

Trixie’s mouth began to bleed, but she kept speaking despite her pain, “But … remember this moment…You’re looking at your own past…your own future…”

“Trixie…” Luna sobbed, not knowing what to say. She wanted to hear what Trixie had to say, but she also couldn’t bear to handle the terrible feelings coursing through her at that moment.

“Every world…every civilization…” Trixie coughed again, her eyes growing dimmer as she continued her last words, “Tears and blood are always shed…they always will be, so long as we are free…Even after everything, I couldn’t change that…”

Luna felt her heart breaking as she listened to the very sound of her unforgivable failure, “Trixie, please, just…”

“Some day you will see too…”

Her tone shifted for a moment though as Trixie cried out, “Mother…I…”

Luna finally looked up into the chest she was stabbing as she adopted a soft, motherly tone one might use for an infant, “Please, just rest. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you. No one will every hurt you again.”

Trixie looked down to Luna and smiled despite everything, “Thank you. For everything…” she coughed one last time as her eyes shut, “I only wish…in the end…”

Trixie’s body fell still as her last words left her mouth.

“That I was sorry…”

Unwilling to just leave her daughter then, Luna stayed there standing with Trixie as the room began to crumble. The magic in the room was going wild without its owner to guide it, and the facility began to tear apart around them all.

Loki dared not interrupt Luna’s death embrace with Trixie in a physical manner, but he could see what was happening around them, “Luna, we must go!”

Luna stared blankly into Trixie’s chest, unable or unwilling to listen to him. Fortunately, a hand placed on Loki’s shoulder spelled their savior.

“I didn’t die…” came the soft, dulled voice of Kael. He still had a blade run through him, but Loki could feel that the energy coursing through the room had given him a jolt of life, “But I am prepared to now. I have stolen enough power to teleport you and the others out of here.”

Loki was still concerned about what would happen, given what Trixie stated before, “Won’t this structure destroy everything in the nearby galaxy?”

“Not if I meddle with its power…” Kael closed his eyes as he passed Loki and approached Trixie and Luna, “I will stay behind, with her, so she’s not alone.”

He took a hand to Trixie’s resting face and then leaned his own head into it. After a moment of silent crying, the Elf turned back to Loki one last time.

“Farewell…Make our deaths count.”

Every soul in the room was removed except for Kael and Trixie, including the unwilling Luna. Left alone with Trixie, Kael brought her into an embrace as he held a hand out to the energy surrounding them.

“Trixie…I’m sorry…I…”

Everyone had been teleported outside a good few thousand feet from the Bifrost, though only Loki was standing after it. Luna had collapsed down in self-pity and hatred, unable to look back at the structure where Trixie lay.

It only took a moment more for the entire facility to explode outwards and take with it the nearby area…though not so far as to reach them. As Loki watched, he noticed something that caused him to grab Luna.

“Luna, look.”

She turned away from him in anger, “Leave me like you left her.”

Loki could understand her feelings, but he would not let her miss this, “No. Not when you are ignoring her final gift.”

“Final—” Luna started, though her curiosity finished her inquiry by having her look over.

Where the second Bifrost once stood was a brilliant explosion of pink light around a white stream of energy…holding the shape of the tree Trixie had been so taken by that she requested one be planted in the castle.

A cherry blossom of energy was emanating from the wreckage, and from it streams of energy were shooting off into the sky.

Not only that, some of the energy streams branching out were arcing down into the dead bodies around them. Those slain soon stood, and those harmed stood with their lives once again. Loki watched as his arm reformed around him, though this replacement limb felt hollow given how it came to be.

Everyone was alive who had fought from Twilight to Banner…everyone except those lost in the explosion. Kael and Trixie remained gone, with no trace of them coming from the explosion.

“Oh Trixie…” Luna said in pain, thankful that Trixie in the end had the heart to undo her damage, but hurt by the thought that perhaps that had always been something Trixie intended to do. It wasn’t as if she could ever find out now.

Around her everyone was celebrating, with Twilight and Celestia embracing, Thor joining the Asgardians in merry cheer, Sonata tackling Fandral to the ground, the Avengers all gathering together and laughing off how the first one to do anything was the guy with the bow, and even Sleep Near and Hela were gathered at the back together in a silent embrace. None of them knew what had happened, and so they all were celebrating their good health and victory.

Away from the main group Maiev had what would be the first physical contact she has ever had with her son, and he embraced her back as a white light appeared beside them both…from which the form of Illidan appeared. While Maiev was shocked, his son took to embracing his father as well.

Loki wanted to speak with his friend, but something appearing beside Luna caught his interest even more. As Coulson appeared next to all the Avengers, another person right beside Luna.

“Luna?”

Luna spun around to face a white coated mare with a red mane…who was as tall as Celestia. In fact, she had the same white coat as Celestia. Luna gasped as she stared into her mother’s eyes.

“Mother? You…”

Her mother smiled back at her before moving to embrace her, “I could feel someone’s sadness drawing me towards them…” she paused to stop herself from growing the frown she had almost had, and then smiled back again at her youngest daughter, “But they led me here, and now I can be with my family again.”

The mention of family caused Luna’s sudden elation to leave her completely. Her eyes welled up with water and she fell down into her mother, crying into her and using her as a support to stand.

“What has happened?” Luna’s mother questioned, knowing something terrible must have just happened.

Luna refused to answer her, instead spinning around to face the brilliant aurora above them, “Of course you would do this!” she was shouting up at the pseudo-tree in unrestrained anger, “Of course you would help everyone but yourself!”

Loki moved to embrace her, and after a moment she calmed down at his touch. Trixie had ripped these souls out of the depths of the afterlife so that their loved ones could be happy again…her energy diverted from enslaving everyone to freeing lost souls.

“Loki.”

Loki twisted around to come face to face with Odin. The elderly man was smiling slightly at him, as if unsure what to do. After an awkward moment the two embraced, and then a moment later Odin found himself shaking hands with an offering Laufey.

Seeing everyone happy, seeing everyone get along…it was all perfect, but to Luna it could never truly be.

They may only be missing two loved ones, but that was the part that hurt more than anything felt by any of them before.

Luna spared one last look up at the brilliant light above her. This was Trixie’s final gift…

“We’re a family…And you’ll always be a part of it.”

“P-princess Luna, I uh, can explain…I think.”

“There is no need to. This city has a serious infestation by arrogant foals.”

“I only came to try and cheer everypony up after word got out about the invasion…”

“For that, you have my thanks.”

…

“You do look quite thin. Care to come with me back to Canterlot Castle?”

“Wait, seriously?”

“I would rather you not be starved while I tell you more about my proposal.”

“Proposal?”

“If you are willing, I am looking for a student of my own. It is quite fortunate I found one so talented…Only if you so wish, though.”

“I-I, uh-“

“A nod will do.”

“I am pleased. There will be some conditions, however.”

“Conditions?”

“Of course, anything! I promise to do my very best!”

“I will hold you to that.”

“Princess, I…Not to sound ungrateful, but do I really deserve this opportunity?”

“Relax. I am a firm believer in getting your just dues, and you sound as if you are in need of some help after all you have been through. Become my student and you will not ever have to worry about bits or a home again.”

…

“I will not disappoint you, Princess!”

“I’m sure you won’t. Now, have a good night, Trixie. Tomorrow we get started.”

Author's Note

An epilogue will follow, but in the meantime I would greatly enjoy hearing from you all. This is the largest singular thing I have ever wrote, so there is plenty to discuss, especially if one wants to talk about the story as a whole or something like that since this is the end and all...

In any case, I hope you all will forgive me, and I thank you for helping me get this story this far. Please comment, as comments are :heart: !

Epilogue: We Remember...Everything

A/N: Special thanks to SadisticNerd, bonamb, kojivsleo, Amethyst Blade, InsanityStreak, Equinox-Moon, ErekLich, NightdancerMoonblossom, Thelykenking, The Batmane of equestria, Sidetrack, and Fear the Dark for your comments on the last "chapter" of the story. This is our finale, and while I have little things I may post for the story (deleted scenes, extended epilogues for characters, etc), this is the end of what one might consider "canon" so the speak. Everything else is of dubious official canon, though one of them will be the link between the story and "Equestria Was Merely a Setback".

Thank you to everyone who has helped me get this far and for all of your support across these thousands of words and comments. Very special thanks to Drgnwolf, who has been the driving force behind my ability to write this story many a time as well as my secretkeeper for the final twist this whole time. If not for you, I would not have reached this point I do not believe because of the literal thousands of comments we're shared back and forth talking about all sorts of things directly or tangentially related to the story which has kept my interest here and focused for it.

Credit to ponyphonic and Daniel Ingram for their influence on the characters singing who in turn influence the character who sings in this chapter. I purposefully went for heavy reference to their work after first crafting my own music because I realized given emotional states and the ones helping the in-story writer that it would very likely not be a terribly long nor wholly original work, since they would need help just to put the words down on paper. So credit to them for their brilliant music, and I hope you all do not mind what I put together from there on out.

Thank you all once again, and I hope you enjoy. Please, as always, leave your thoughts in the comments below, and I thank you for all of your help and support these past two years!

Sincerely,
Thunderscourge

“Trixie, I…I know it’s been awhile, but…”

The words were true. It had been some time since Luna had come to this place hidden away in the many courtyards of Canterlot Castle. Others were barred from visiting without her express permission, and the few who might wish to also knew better than to ask for it.

Luna had only been there a few times herself, and usually it was alone. However, standing beneath the pink petals held some gripping power over her voice, and despite having been there before Luna could not bring herself to speak even once before. Instead of words it was the tears of the sky that would always come forth.

This time though Luna remained stalwart and her voice was not stricken from her at the sight of the modest statue before her.

“It’s been years. I can’t believe how busy I am with your brother and sister, but…”

‘Trixie’ had been Hela’s first word when they first visited the hollow grave as a family years prior. The infants had not understood the site’s significance at the time, and neither Luna nor Loki had the heart to tell them.

“I hope you’ve been at ease here, and I hope having them visit will not disturb you. They know of you, and they love seeing all the things you left behind for them,” Luna paused only to snuff out a tear, though the action gave her mind enough time to diverge from its subject, “All of your memories and messages to them…you spent a lot of time preparing for this, didn’t you?”

Luna snorted angrily as she continued to talk to herself, knowing deep down that the statue of a Unicorn before her would not ever speak back to her, “Of course you did. You created a scenario you would come out on top in no matter what happened.”

There was a point in time where Trixie could have accomplished nearly anything she desired, but in the end she fell victim to her own power it appeared and fell into an abyss Luna herself once scratched at with her Nightmare powers that the Aether had thankfully stripped from her, only to then merge with her student. Just what kind of war was Trixie waging after that? Luna dreaded her own experience with such power, so imagining what it would do to a lesser being with less tolerance for it chilled her to the bone.

Luna hung her head rather than look at the stone eyes that had been blankly returning her gaze, “Though you didn’t seize your opportunities to do so. You could have killed us all before we even knew to oppose you, but you…you chose a different option. Was it mercy or insanity, a gift for us or your own curse?”

The one thing Luna was certain of was that her student had given up on life itself, and so it surprised her little that the way things ended was at the cost of Trixie’s own life.

To keep herself from growing too angry at her deceased child who had in her last acts both wounded and healed her, Luna forced herself to backtrack. She might have years of frustration and grief to let out, but she wasn’t going to let this devolve into simple chastisement if she could so help it.

“Speaking of insanity and curses, Hela’s…quiet, but she’s talking…whatever has changed in this world has helped her from being that wicked being we have both met. I think all of our decisions and actions have made sure of that.”

Hela had taken quite the liking to her father’s pranks, even if a disproportionate amount of them were focused on her twin. Luna had a harder time connecting to her than Loki if only because Hela preferred to be mute, and conversations would not naturally spring up between them. Luna was doing her best, however, to still show that while she did not know how to bond with her, she still loved her daughter, and she knew it was working…even if the bond was not as deep as the one Luna and Loki both shared with their youngest child, though perhaps with time Luna could find her own way to bond with the nearly-mute girl.

As far as muteness went, Hela’s brother was only talkative when compared to her. In fact, while he said more verbally, she said more in total with her actions given how shy he had become. Perhaps it was because he was the baby of the family, always hiding behind his mother, but Sleep Near was quite quiet. He had few friends outside of the family more so because of his own self-consciousness concerning his physical appearance than because anyone else minded, but of course some others gave him weird looks on rare occasions to confirm his self-effacing attitude.

“Sleep Near is much more normal, but sometimes ponies give him a second glance because of his four extra hooves. Even now there is some negativity, but he’s happy…”

The hold Trixie had on all other beings for those short minutes had a lasting effect on them from what Luna could observe, as while conflict was not eradicated, arguments and negative feelings were less common because everyone was acting less cruel and selfish in the long run. While Luna was unsure about the morality of forcefully changing others and their mentalities, it was not something she could undo and it was currently positive despite its implications.

All she cared about though was that Sleep Near was not actively being bullied for his deformity, which he would have been had things been how they were before. He could grow up happy and without scorn.

Luna found herself smiling as she thought of how Sleep Near and Hela each would go around and play like how she remembered herself doing with Celestia centuries ago. While Luna enjoyed seeing them do it, sometimes though she had to tend to other matters befitting of her rank and had to leave them in the care of certain trusted others. This list was a relatively small one, being comprised of Celestia, Thor, Frigga, Luna’s mother Faust, Odin (who had mellowed since his return), Fandral and Volstagg (only if another on the list was there to supervise their boisterous ways), Stark (only in the mid-day before he could physically consume his normal quantities of alcohol), Twilight, and of course their official caretaker, Scootaloo.

“Rainbow Dash’s adoptive child, Scootaloo, is looking after him. She is a good caretaker, and it’s nice to think that after everything we can be forgiven of so much. Her mother and Loki are a plague on Ponyville and Canterlot with their pranks, but that’s who Loki is,” Luna sighed as she thought about how Loki coped with his own feelings, upset partially that she had brought him pain that he now had to deal with, “He’s recovering from his own pain and loss too now that he has our family to help him.”

Thinking about Scootaloo’s time with her children made Luna smirk about something she had begun to notice. While looking after the two royal children, Scootaloo often was looking after her own sibling as well since their parents were busy with their work, “And I know romantic things make you uncomfortable, but I think Sleep Near also has a tiny crush on Scootaloo’s younger sister. She’s quite the brash and tough Pegasus, but then again I could be completely wrong. It will not be the first time…” Luna looked down at her fur that had once turned white, only to have returned to its normal blue upon Trixie’s death, “I just hope they manage to work out the issue of lifespans, as Thor had to with his own spouse.”

Life could be too short for some…and it saddened Luna that the only times Hela and Sleep Near could see their sister was when they were looking into fragments of the past. Sleep Near had not yet grown inquisitive about it, but the normally stoic Hela actually had spoken complete sentences to ask when Trixie would be coming back.

“Hela’s been…wondering about you. She and her poor brother don’t understand that you’re going to be gone for awhile. I wish I could explain it to them without hurting them.”

To keep herself from weeping Luna tried to focus on something less gloomy, though even in trying to do so Luna felt it hit her, “I hope you do not mind, but I gave her some of your old outfits. It hurts to see her running around so happily in them, but it was all I could do to soothe her worries about you.”

With that, Luna clenched her eyes in an attempt to fight the water they held, but the effort to keep them together drew her willpower from her knees, which folded under her as she lost focus on them. Luna knelt down in front of the memorial, and after a moment of fighting against it, she let her forehead brush up against it.

“I would give anything to have you back. I regret everything I have ever done. I would gladly be exiled to the moon a thousand years if only it meant I could see you again.”

She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Not only was the sky above them pouring water down to strike the ground, but Luna herself let out a torrent of tears to make up for years of withdrawn feelings.

After untold minutes crying right into the smooth stone used to construct the statue of Trixie as well as her epitaph, which read “Friend, Student, Daughter. May you find the peace you sought in life”.

When she calmed down, Luna let herself slide even further down. She had come to say something, as if to ask permission, but it clung in her chest. It felt wrong, but at the same time it was a sign of respect and love at the same time, so she needed to say it all.

“Trixie…Loki and I are considering having another child…I want to name it after you if we do. Loki is thinking we name it Fenrir if it’s a boy, but we’ll see about that.”

Luna looked up at her first daughter’s likeness once again and winced as she looked into its marble eyes.

“I…I know you can’t hear this, but I have to say it: I don’t want to replace you. I don’t want to forget. I just want to name my daughter after the bravest person I have ever known. After someone who took the weight of the world onto her own shoulders because her empathy and compassion had grown so deep.”

That was how Luna had to see things if she was to ever cope with her loss. That the death of one of her loved ones had a greater purpose to it, that the pain came from her greatness rather than the propensity for pettiness they all had at one time. Others may still whisper about the truth, but Luna had her own personal truth concerning the matter.

“Even if your name is fouled by more ignorant people, I can think of no better role model for her to look up to.”

If they had another daughter, Luna hoped more than anything else that it would grow to be half of the mare she had known Trixie to be. She would do anything she could for it just as she was trying her best with her two others, she would give it all the love and compassion that she had unsuccessfully shown to the first being she was willing to call one of her children. She would never spurn it for something petty or hurt it intentionally. Luna wanted to make up for her mistakes from here on out, and even with all the effort she poured into her twins she never felt as if it was enough.

“I love you, Trixie…I miss you…and I will always remember you. I failed in giving you what you needed from me, but every day I reflect on what I did that drove you down this path. I think about how my actions can influence those around me.”

“I’ll make sure no one else goes through the pain you felt ever again, just as you’ve done for so many others. You may not be pulling their strings, but everyone is…”

Things had changed for the better, as much as Luna hated to admit it. Trixie had left a greater impact on the world and the cosmos than Luna could ever hope to with how she cleansed the evilness found across the stars. Luna could not tell if it extended to realities beyond their own, but she was doubtful Trixie had succeeded that much as when Luna forced her way into Hel itself the world was still the dark realm she had come to know it as.

As much as Luna wished it would not be the case, she knew in her heart that Hel was where she should find Trixie’s soul because of her chosen actions and the lasting ramifications of what she did and what she did not do. Despite that, Luna still held that her daughter had not done what she did out of innate evil but rather out of misplaced good, for even in her madness Trixie undid her actions in a very deliberate manner as if she had planned specifically for that to happen.

“You died for our shared sins, and even though you could have saved yourself, you chose this. You chose the path where we would continue on without you, better but wounded. I noticed that you did not undo every ounce of sorrow…Blueblood remains dead, as well as your true mother…”

A glance to Luna’s right and the statue’s left led Luna to see a small plaque on the ground, placed in memory of the elder Lulamoon who had not been shown the same mercy as the others. Had Trixie been unable to forgive her? Had she been unable to restore her soul and revive it like she had Odin’s? Had she seen it as futile because of her mother’s propensity for illness, or her suicidal tendencies that would be brought to bear by Trixie’s own death?

Trixie’s flaw, her inability to let go of slights and grudges, was what helped lead her down her path and it helped explain why even after everything these two were not revived. The guard had not been revived either, though it was likely an oversight, or possibly a reflection on how he had been one of the ones who had joined in with the nobles that day only to be fought off by Scootaloo. Blueblood was gone though, which was fortunate for him as Luna might have been incensed to kill him herself should he still be there for being the final piece in Trixie’s meltdown.

Despite the deliberate nature behind who was and who was not brought to life after the conflict, Luna could not really blame Trixie for leaving her own mother erased from the world just as Odin had once been. Trixie’s first mother had been the one to put the cracks and deal the damage that Luna would years later open unknowingly, and so despite her noble sacrifice at the end of her life the elder Lulamoon was the instigator for it all. She held the same innate flaw as her daughter, for her inability to let her feelings go led her to mistreating Trixie.

“Whether you were unable or unwilling to restore her as you did Odin, I do not know, but I…I cannot judge your actions,” Luna let out a sobbing breath before she could speak again, her tone forced to be neutral as she tried to not just break down into incontrollable sobbing, “Even if that is what you wished, I cannot do so for myself. I acknowledge your wrongdoing, but reconciling that with the good you have brought to us all…”

Luna had tried, but there was no finding Trixie. She had tried everything she could at first to bring her back, but the mare’s soul was gone without a trace to be found. All Luna could find of Trixie was what she could find in herself, for Trixie had returned the energy once given to her as well as extra life energy to substitute for what Luna had sacrificed in the conflict. It wasn’t Trixie though. It wasn’t her daughter, her daughter who was not killed but rather lived her tragically short life to its completion.

“The older Sleep Near told me he couldn’t find you. That you exist neither in his world nor Hela’s…” Luna lost her composure as she leaned into the statue and wrapped her furred arms around it, “Even your friend didn’t return. I’d take him back in an instant if it only meant finding you. I wanted to hate him at first, but the more I thought about it, I’m glad he was there for you. I only hope that, wherever you are, he’s still there for you.”

Luna sniffed as another reason she came resurfaced in her mind. She had come with a gift of sorts for Trixie, though it was far from imperfect. She had meant to craft it perfectly and make it grand, but in the end despite the aid of two others she could not keep writing it and saying the words without breaking down and crying.

“Celestia and the Siren were kind enough to help me…help me write this for you. I know it is not perfect, but I…I can only write through with so much grief...”

Luna steeled herself for a moment before she took a deep breath and opened her lips to sing the hardest song of her life, if only to serve as a farewell lullaby.

You came such a long, long way
Further yet did I expect you would go
No longer can I see you grow
No longer can I see what you might do
Because of what I put you through
You will never know how proud I am of you

With despair, with pain, we each born
My failure to you is why I now mourn
So, my daughter, my student, please find the peace you sought
In your rest may you forgive the damage I have wrought

Trixie, our princess, goodnight daughter mine
And rest now in the sky’s embrace
Bear up my lullaby, tears of the earth
Through cloud, and through sky, and through space
Carry the peace and the coolness of night
And carry my sorrow in kind
Trixie, you were loved so much more than you knew
Forgive me for being so blind

Our castle is busier than ever, yet silent
For while our foals run and play
You are not here for them today
Sleep Near and Hela each love you
And know that Loki and I do too
Forgive me if in my pain I grew violent

Your pain was born of many a source
So in your memory I acted without remorse
The Nobles and Maidens have been judged rightly
Their greed and sins too great to forgive
Their nooses had been fastened tightly
For it is by their crimes that you do not live
I would spill each ounce of blood for all to see
Should it bring you back to me

Sleep now, Trixie, our beloved daughter
Your rest bought with many a tear
My own penance to be paid with water
For now, I pray my nightmares may never clear

May all your dreams be sweet tonight
Safe upon your bed of moonlight
And know not of sadness, pain, or care
And when I dream, I'll fly away and meet you there…

Finishing, Luna took a moment to herself to finish crying. She had broken down while singing with each verse, and while each word pained her she did it as a tribute to her lost daughter. She would find the time one day to fix it, but even after years the wounds were still fresh on her. One day she would be able to even think of Trixie without tears, but that day had yet to come. Then she would sing her something more worthy, and perhaps less impassioned with anger.

“I only wonder how things would be different if I had been better…If I had been more than selfish…would you have ended up like this? You chose your fate, you chose to burn the bridge between us to the ground, because you couldn’t forgive and forget. You were no more perfect than either I or Loki, yet I still have my own culpability in your fall, just as Celestia and my mother were a part of my own.”

Luna had Celestia and their mother, Loki had Thor and Odin, and Trixie had her mother, Luna, and Twilight…each of them had their own causes for their downfalls, but, unlike Luna and Loki, Trixie did not make it past her crucible. She chose to die, just as Loki chose to fall into an abyss rather than face his family again…though he found a new one waiting for him, while Trixie was gone forever.

“I love you, Trixie. You may have made yourself the perfect tool to harm me, but I still love you. A thousand times I will say this, and as many times I will mean it: I would do it all again if only I could change how it ended. Every mistake is a scar upon my body that will never leave.”

Luna wiped the tears from her face and rose to her feet. Once standing she looked into the statue’s eyes with the sorrow of a mourning mother who had outlived their child.

“It all went by too fast, Trixie, and I can’t change the past…” Luna brought a hand out to touch Trixie’s face, only to feel a pang in her heart as her hand touched the marble and she realized once more that it was not her beloved student and daughter, “Please, I know you could not before, but forgive me…”

“Mother?”

Luna turned around to see that across the former training field stood Loki and the twins, each of them in their Asgardian bodies because they had been in Asgard the past few days. Hela had been the one to speak, her young face concerned as she looked on at Luna by the statue. Sleep Near was busy looking up to the sky while Loki was focused on his wife, who he could tell had finally mustered the strength to do this.

“Is big sister Trixie crying?” Sleep Near questioned as he looked to the sky in wonder, his many arms crossed as he observed the rain. He heard it wasn’t supposed to be raining, so someone had to be making it rain.

Loki had the other two stay put as he strolled across the grass to Luna. When he reached her Luna received a comforting hand on her back, but he looked at Trixie’s statue rather than Luna, “I have words of my own to say.”

“Loki…”

Luna had noticed over the years that it was not only her that winced when someone brought up Trixie, when someone spoke of something even tangentially related to her such as bread. No, Loki had come to care about Trixie too, for she was their first daughter and even if he had taken time to do so he had opened his heart to her…just in time to have it crushed by her. Despite this he had to be Luna’s rock, the one who kept her steady and going as she felt her own pain and faced the turmoil of losing a loved one.

For that, Luna would forever be grateful. He had not left when things were rough, just as she once had been by his side when he was the one in pain.

Luna brought a hand to touch Loki’s, the feel of his chilled body bringing comfort to her, “Thank you for staying by my side. Thank you for everything. Without you, without them…I don’t think I could have…”

Loki shook his head to silence her. He did not need to hear her say what he already knew.

“You took me in when no other would. You helped me even after everything I had done to you. You are not some wicked being, Luna, no more than any of us,” he let his concern show on his face as he brought his hand to her drenched cheek, “You are not to blame for all of what happened. The fact that you care so greatly and feel remorse shows that you aren’t the monster you believe yourself to be.”

It took Luna no time at all to rush into his chest and bury herself there. Loki let her do this for a moment before gently guiding her face up so it was looking at his. This done, he brushed his hand across her cheek again and nodded over to where the two twins were standing silently. They only knew they were not supposed to enter this area, and with how the rule had been explained to them they each knew better than to dare question it or cross it.

“Go on. They need their mother,” Loki turned to the statue with a wistful expression, “I will join you all later.”

“I am sorry I dragged you into all of this…”

Loki raised a hand to silence her, not wanting to hear her apologize for something she need not apologize for, “I made my choice more than once. I chose you. I chose to protect her. I chose to have this family, for I no longer fit in my own.”

He clenched a fist while looking on at the statue, his own face beginning to betray his own feelings, “This is my failure as much as yours,” he lowered his gaze to the epitaph, unable to face Trixie’s eternal gaze with the weight he held in his chest, “If I had been less reserved…”

Would things be different if he had reached out to Trixie sooner? If he had gotten over his own feelings and accepted her sooner as Luna had done? Could he have given her the support she craved, or was he doomed to tread the steps of his father from the beginning? Loki wanted to say he could have saved her from herself, but he would never truly know.

Luna left him to mourn on his own as she joined Sleep Near and Hela. She cast an illusion on herself to hide her disheveled appearance from the two young children, not wanting to make them think something was wrong even if they might intuitively know it. Luna whispered to them that their father would need a minute, but that she would take them out to go play to celebrate their sister’s birthday. There was not actually a record saying when Trixie was born, but as it was the anniversary of Luna taking her as a student it was as close as they would ever get.

Hela playfully shoved her brother and ran past Luna down the corridor to snap Sleep Near out of his reverie looking up at the sky. The boy responded by shapeshifting into his equine form and chasing after her at high speed, each of them laughing as they disappeared down the hallway even as Hela’s pointed hat flew off her head and had to be caught by her hunter. Luna gave a small smile to them as they barreled away from her in their sibling farcical quarrel. The two were close, and Luna was happy with how well they were turning out to be. The cold and stoic Sleep Near from the future did not seem to be the same as this one, nor was the insane Hela anything like the playful trickster Luna was raising. While the basic traits remained the same, their upbringing and environment were causing them to be better than their counterparts.

With Luna and the others gone, Loki found himself looking at the statue as it sat beneath Trixie’s tree that protected three empty graves from the sky and world around them. Luna had made sure this was a sanctuary of sorts after the conflict, and Loki had to admit he found it relaxing. The rain was fading as Luna left and the sun was beginning to shine down on them and the forever-blossoming tree.

“The past will not change for us. We must look forward while being aware of what is behind us if we are to rectify our mistakes,” Loki sighed as his words mirrored what Luna had said previously.

He looked back up to see the statue’s face, “When Luna took you as a student I had joked about her signing adoption papers. I didn’t know I would be right…” he paused to sigh once again, for while he was normally a master at choosing his words he was having difficulty even speaking, “I didn’t want to be around you at first. I found you an intrusion on my otherwise simple relationship with Luna.”

Loki looked down to the plaque resting on the ground without a statue to go with it, the only grave to be like that specifically so there would not be two near identical statues side by side. Furthermore, it was for the one least deserving of a statue in the eyes of those making the decision, and so it received a plaque and little more.

“I was hesitant of having an heir that was like myself: damaged, adopted, foreign…I thought it would do me no good to invest in you like my parents had foolishly done with me.”

Loki looked back up to Trixie’s statue and shook his head at the sight of the since passed Unicorn. She was gone and nothing they could do would bring her back given her manner of passing. There was nothing to bring back, nothing to save.

“Now, you are gone, and I am a fool for having been so slow to reach out to you. By the time I could make myself do it, it was too late for you.”

Loki knelt down before Trixie’s representation and bowed his head. He had made a promise to her years before, one he had been unable to keep. One he would never be able to keep, though it did not stop him from wishing he could.

“If the time comes when we cross paths again, I will make good on my promise. I will set aside a day or a year if need be, but I will spend that time with you I said I would. Just you and I, no-one else.”

Words failed him once he reaffirmed his promise to her, for no matter how hollow it was he felt the need to do so. His words tripped up on Trixie, he turned to his left to where the second statue stood to her right. Taller than Trixie’s statue was the one of Kael’thas, who stood far taller than a Unicorn who was sitting down.

Like Trixie, he was dead and gone, but Loki did not harbor hatred for the man as he felt was his right to. He had betrayed them for the sake of his own people, sacrificing Asgard and Equestria for the lives of his own dying race. He had betrayed them for Trixie, who had been the one to bring him from the brink of insanity even if it was only to use him in the end.

A foreign prince forming a partnership with an Equestrian and forging a strong bond in the process? There were a great many parallels to draw between the deceased Elf and Loki, and so Loki had made sure the man received his own place of remembrance. Both he and Trixie were prosecuted for their crimes post-death, as they wished, so they were not public statues, but here there could be a memorial for the members of their family who died in an effort to change the way the world was.

Loki looked over Kael statue carefully as he remembered the man’s valor, valor that kept him on what he believed to be a righteous path all the way up to his death. He died assuring the safety of the others, and Loki would not be surprised if he had helped the passing Trixie in reviving the others. He was not the corpse-like man encountered in Hel, but a proud prince that had recovered his grace in a second chance at life.

If Trixie were to be removed from this plane of existence, Loki was happy such a soul was accompanying her so that she might never be lonely. She deserved that, just as the man deserved rest from his tragic life.

“I trusted you once to look after her. I now ask that you do so even in death,” Loki placed a hand on the Elf’s shoulder and gave him a look that was a mixture of pride and sorrow, “And know I would trust her with no other.”

This done, Loki turned to face Trixie’s statue and removed his hand from one statue so that he could touch this other with the same hand.

“Trixie…” he brushed his hand against what would be her cheek if it really were her, “You are just like Luna and I, far more than most children ought to resemble their progenitors. I would have been honored to be your father.”

He finished running his hand across her face before taking a step back away from her and looking at her solemnly. This all started because of him, this whole tale of all of their lives, and he knew it. Would she be dead now if not for him? Perhaps, for Thanos would have been a galactic threat, but so much had changed in so much time that he could not be certain. He had learned firsthand that one could control their own fate, for his children were not the ones he met beforehand, and he would do everything he could as a father to make sure they did not grow up to resemble those damaged souls…

“I would never have expected the path this world brought me on, but I do not regret it,” Loki paused as he thought about it all. No, he did not regret the journey itself, but he did have regrets about his failures in it, “I do regret my own part in the pain wrought to so many, however. This was not supposed to be how it all goes. The stories are all supposed to end with great triumph and cheer, not heartbreak and sorrow!”

By the time he finished Loki was nearly yelling, his own eyes threatening to release the wells of tears that had sprung up on him. He had long ago given up on the idea of ever having a happily ever after ending to his life, but even so he was pained by it all. Hurt by the what ifs, hurt by what he might or could have done, and hurt by every word he had said trying to distance himself from someone who had deserved his love as much as he had deserved Frigga’s or Odin’s.

“After all we’ve done…all we’ve been through and learned…I wish things could have ended differently, though such a wish is nothing more than a dream. Pain begets pain after all, and we are all damaged in our own way…”

Taking a step forward, Loki closed the gap between himself and the statue and embraced it tightly. The tears fell freely as he thought back to everything, of how this all began because of his own fall from grace and how it ended with Trixie’s. It ended the way it began, and he hated himself for not being able to prevent the tragedy that had befallen him on yet another member of his family.

As he stroked a hand across her fake mane, Loki whispered in the hopes that she somehow could hear him, “Do not worry. Your death left its intended scars in each of us, and this will not be a lesson forgotten. Our cycle of pain ends here…”

Loki brought his lips up to her forehead and gave her a gentle kiss in the same manner he might to Hela or Sleep Near before they went to bed, at which point he parted from Trixie and gave her one last look.

“We will remember everything…and, we will always love you just as much as we all love one another.”

He left the silent courtyard as light shone down on everything there, the rain long since gone and replaced with the warmth of the sun. As Loki left the statues behind to join the others he did not catch the sight of the last bit of rain drizzling down the cheek of Trixie’s statue.

Life would continue on, and while they were saddened by their loss they could live on knowing that things would forever be better from here on out. They were a family and they would be there for one another, forever determined to never allow another die of a broken heart as Trixie had.

Loki may have once been lonely as Luna had been, but together they were no longer entrapped by their sorrow. They could live on despite it, and while they would certainly still mourn their tragedies, they would live on, as they believed Trixie would want them to.

Hela and Sleep Near might play around like siblings, Loki and Luna might bicker about what name to give their coming child, but each would live on in peace. They had surpassed their pain and faced every tribulation thrown in their path, and at the end of the road they were left standing with the strength of one another.

The path of the pariah would end with each of them, and the path of love began.

Author's Note

Things get better if one tries hard enough. They did, and so they are better off than they once were...though that doesn't mean that every ounce of everything ever is happy. Life doesn't work that way, especially for those plagued by tragedy like Luna and Loki.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I invite you to join me in the random bits and pieces I will be publishing that did not or could not fit into the main story (such as a fun Gamer Luna bit I have planned, Hela and Sleep Near fluffiness, Sirens ending, and of course my favorite, the tie-in to Equestria Was Merely a Setback which makes this story end on a happier note...though one would have to look into that story to find out why!)

Thank you once again, and I hope to hear from you all in the comments below!

Gaiden: That Is The Promise Of Our Future

A/N: This is the first of the "Gaiden" chapters of this story, the side-story and bonus stuff that don't really fit into the main story and as such are of dubious canon. You can think of them however you will, much like "Equestria Was Merely a Setback", however I do hope you enjoy! They will often be lighter fare, since things in-story have improved and lives are better, so I hope you can enjoy the fluff.

Thank you greatly to ErekLich, NightdancerMoonblossom, Gleaming, InsanityStreak, SadisticNerd, Thelykenking, Amethyst Blade, Basadre, The Batmane of equestria, refferee, Carnelian-Quaser, and Spah for your thoughts on the story's epilogue, and I hope that you may now enjoy the future that the epilogue set forth for us.

Chapter title from "Fields of Hope" from Gundam Seed, and there is also a reference to Telltale Game's "Game of Thrones" visual novel. What it references has been out a few months now, so I'm not exactly being that spoiler-y!

I would love to hear from you all in the comments below, and I am wondering if I should create an epilogue story in addition to the gaiden chapters I just have to finish up...basically a fluffy thing about Hela and Sleep Near that focuses on their group mainly. Please let me know what you think concerning the matter in addition to your other thoughts, as I have so many scraps and ideas from the two years I wrote this story!

The sun was shining down on Canterlot Castle as the day hit its apex and began to dip into the beginning of the night’s reign. Celestia’s provided illumination was helpful for Loki and Luna who were searching together for their missing twins: Hela and Sleep Near were both obedient to their parents and quite respectful to their elders, however they were prone to occasionally get carried away with their own shared antics and would leave behind their caretakers if it meant carrying on their chase to punish the other for poking them or other such particular minutiae to everyday life.

The search was indeed aided by sunlight, but it was hampered by Luna’s own slow pace caused by her distended stomach. The last time she had carried a child it had been in her equine body, but now she was carrying in her anthropomorphic form that held the traits she preferred of each body. As such the process was more draining for her as she was not balancing the extra weight on four feet but rather two, though she was able to use her arms and hands to alleviate her discomfort just the slightest amount.

As he kept pace with her Loki found himself observing the new curve to her body. She had her youth restored to her years back when the others were all restored to life, yet it had taken her some time to conceive for unknown reasons to them. He had been unsure at first if she would even be able to go through with having another child, but Luna’s beaming face told him that she was recovering even after everything they had been through these many years.

“A near mute, eight legs…what next? A giant? A snake maybe?”

Luna rolled her eyes at Loki’s playful joke about their record for children: thought to be a result of Algrim’s savage beating of Luna while pregnant, Hela had been born without a penchant for speaking while Sleep Near had his own problems they reasoned were a result of the healing of the two in the womb. He had extra limbs, while it is possible Hela may have been revived yet still harmed.

It was hard to tell though as the two ran across a yard while playing with swords, each brutally hacking away at the other as if it was just a game…which for many it would most certainly not be, as they were using true swords of the highest quality as they fought back and forth.

While previously amused by Loki’s words, Luna was quickly set off by what they had suddenly caught their twins doing, “Sleep Near! Hela! Knock it off!”

Sleep Near quickly knelt down and placed his sword on the ground as his older twin’s last strike sailed over his head. This done, Hela sighed and tossed her own blade to the ground before averting her eyes entirely from her mother.

“Yes mother…” Sleep Near murmured as he finished kneeling, his personality the more bashful of the two siblings.

Hela refused to show the same guilt as her brother, as she knew fully that they had not been doing anything dangerous: an accident years before had shown that Sleep Near was capable of regenerating limbs and healing from wounds nearly instantly if he chose to, and just being around his soothing aura of magic led others to display similar feats albeit at a reduced rate.

Hela, on the other hand, knew she wasn’t going to die to her brother’s blade, so he could swing it as much as he wanted and she would not fear it.

Loki let Luna take the offensive as he stood by her side, not personally concerned about anything bad happening given how often he and Thor once fought when they were younger, but he knew that it was important to instill a sense of respect for authority and the rules placed before them if they were to shape these two into future rulers, so he let Luna chastise them and he would silently support her despite knowing no true foul had been done.

“What have I told you about doing that?”

Sleep Near murmured a soft statement about not fighting alone and the dangers that doing this posed, while Hela continued to avert her eyes from Luna…instead staring at Sleep Near and nearly wincing as an image flashed before her eyes and her eyes alone.

“How many trainers do we have for you two, and you fight without them. Who’s day is it today?”

“Mister Asher,” Sleep Near spoke, his words becoming less of a whisper as he felt the danger fade from the situation. Their mother was worried, but she wasn’t going to punish them if that was the direction she was taking the conversation. He was the meek one of the twins, but he also was the more empathetic and perceptive of them.

He still was scared of his mother’s fury though, so he dared not do anything more than answer her question now that they had been caught getting carried away while they were off in their own world, ignoring all others.

The mention of the trainer made Luna’s eyes light up as she thought about something she had yet to bring up with Loki, “Speaking of the devil, how are the new guards?”

Loki shrugged. By Asgardian standards the soldiers were skilled but abysmally weak given their Human origins, but it was merely the first set of many hopefully lent by the Sleep Near of Valhalla, “Fine enough. The more powerful they are, the harder it is for him to return them, so for now I must make due with skilled Humans to bolster our roster.”

Luna nodded to her husband and then spoke softly to him so as to keep the children from hearing her, “It was kind of the elder Sleep Near to pay us back interest for his failure.”

The future incarnation of Sleep Near from another timeline had failed to keep his Hela from wreaking havoc in this world, and that had led to future events that he was forever disgraced by, at least in his own mind. So he was trying to make up for the unnecessary pain and destruction by gifting them soldiers, assistants, and other such souls as a form of interest.

“It is,” Loki noted, however he was not exactly happy with how the elder Sleep Near was handling the negotiations concerning the once deceased souls, “Now if only he could bring them back without making deals on their behalf. I will need to each our own son how to bargain better.”

Sleep Near looked up to his sister as Luna snickered at how Loki was admonishing the other Sleep Near for promising to certain souls that Loki’s group would pay for their aid by helping their families and friends in their own conflicts using the combined powers of Asgard, Equestria and Jotunheim. The younger Sleep Near noticed that Hela had shut her eyes and was trembling the slightest amount, and so without any further thought he took her hand in his own.

Hela looked down at him, at which point she winced suddenly, but once this was done she gave him a weak smile to try and tell him she was okay.

Luna’s attention was focused on Loki and so she didn’t notice the display, but Loki caught a quick moment of it as his wife gave him a playful shove, “Oh come now, you could single handedly end the conflict he’s asked of you. It will not be that difficult.”

Pressing between them and putting an arm around each of them was a Human man with dirty blonde hair and an ever-present grin, “Aye, she’s right my lord. I promised to bring an army, but you’d do just fine.”

Loki ignored the physical contact as he coldly looked down at the shorter man, “So long as you fulfill your duties I will uphold my end of the bargain, Asher,” he nodded over to Sleep Near and Hela, “Now go and do your job. Are they really that hard to keep track of?”

Realizing that his boss was not happy, Asher slipped past the two of them and started to head over to the children, though not without one last quip, “Last I checked, they can teleport, fly, and all other sorts of crazy stuff…and I can’t.”

Luna smirked at her husband as he tried to not reveal how uncomfortable the sudden physical contact had made him, though his words betrayed his icey exterior, “Normally I would punish such impudence, but I only have to handle it so long as Sleep Near bargains with Hela over changing the outcome of a conflict. Apparently where he’s from everyone tends to die, so ending a war decisively will alter the flow of life and death.”

Out in the yard Asher had the two siblings take their weapons back from where they had been placed down and they began to resume the combat lessons they had been learning earlier in the day before a prank by Hela had set the two off across the castle in a grand chase that led to the situation at hand.

“Dodge!”

Hela had to dodge to the side as a sword strike nearly cleaved her across the face, its tip nearly slashing the pointed hat she wore even while sparring. Asher knew that he was facing beings stronger than even superhumans so anything he could throw at them would not cause actual harm, so he used every advantage he could and did not hold back at all to teach them the brutal, cutthroat fashion of combat he had learned in his own land.

Of course, while Hela dodged his slash, she still tripped over the leg he shot out at the same moment as his yell.

Sleep Near scoffed in the same manner his father might as he watched his sister fall despite having been seemingly warned beforehand.

“You know Asher, telling us to dodge isn’t all that helpful—”

His moment to explain the flaw was enough for Asher to spin and kick his legs out from underneath him too.

Asher laughed as he helped the two of them up, his sword since stabbed into the ground so that he wasn’t handing it to them along with his hand, “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Friend I made in Valhalla loved yelling that.”

Luna sighed as she noticed how both of the two twins had blood and now dirt on their clothing thanks to their day spent fighting and being kids. Unfortunately, she thought, it would take the two of them forever to start undoing this because of Sleep Near’s meticulous and prima donna cleaning habits and Hela’s general apathy to doing anything of the sort since she cared not at all for what others thought.

“Sorry to cut things short, but now that Asher has your leash again you had all better clean up. You do not know how hard I have worked to set up this dinner.”

Sleep Near rose an eyebrow and looked between his parents.

“That’s because dad set it up, mom.”

Luna scoffed, knowing that Sleep Near only dare possibly cross her because he was championing Loki and so Sleep Near was protected from punishment by default, “I will have you know I worked very hard on those invitations.”

“Didn’t miss Rarity do them?”

Luna knew that Loki’s children would be sassy and talk back, but she was beginning to wish Sleep Near was like Hela, who at least only gave looks rather than verbally criticized things, “And who do you suppose gave her direction? Supervising advice?”

Loki laughed as he put an arm around Luna to console her, “Now, now, leave your poor mother alone. It is not her fault that I took the reigns from her. I simply cannot be bothered with a four hour event that is more formal than our wedding.”

“This is for our anniversary. It should be proper and nice,” Luna declared.

“Comfortable, small, and informal,” Loki countered with a sweet tone, his face grinning as he watched Luna stew before him.

“Proper.”

Knowing he had won since before the argument took place, Loki kept smiling at her, “Luna, reaffirming that statement won’t change how things have been planned in their middle-ground route.”

Having stopped the brief melee, Sleep Near turned his attention back to his playfully arguing parents. He didn’t get why they did this so often, since his mother was so calm and relaxed these days except when someone was pressing her buttons, and his father seemed to do that intentionally, “Why do they argue like that?”

Asher lowered himself to the pre-teen’s level and put a hand on the kid’s shoulder, all the while whispering with a chuckle, “Well, one day when you like girls, I’ll let you know. It’s not so much about the argument, but what follows thereafter.”

What happened after an argument? More fighting? Sleep Near couldn’t wrap his young mind around it, not that he ought to be able to, “I don’t get it.”

Asher laughed as he pushed the kid along towards his parents, “Like I said, you will one day. Now, let’s get freshened up for the company your mother has decided to have over!”

“Do you even have nice clothes?” Sleep Near quipped, though part of him was genuinely curious: the man had come to live with them in worn traveling clothes befitting of a mercenary.

Their fighting teacher flashed a smile at Sleep Near as well as Hela, who trailed behind her brother silently, “I’d like to think all my clothes are nice, in a rough, tough, warrior kind of way.”

“That means no.”

“Think your father will make me wear one of those curly horn things?”

“I hope. You will look ridiculous.”

Hours and a manicure later, Sleep Near found himself seated at a table and he was suddenly the one being made fun of.

“I hope your next sibling is a boy.”

Sleep Near rose a brow at the soft blue Pegasus who had been invited along with her older sister Scootaloo to the formal event. Frost Bolt wanted him to have a brother rather than a sister? Was it because she was a tomcolt rather than a girly girl like Ataxia and Anima?

“Why a boy and not a girl?”

With a snort Rainbow Dash’s daughter playfully shoved him, “Cuz’ you’re the only guy I really hang out with, and you’re a wimp.”

Across the table from him Hela watched the proceedings and narrowed her eyes on her brother, at which point she let out a brief but profound utterance of, “Idiot.”

The four armed child glared at his blue furred friend who had indigo for a mane, aptly being named after winter itself as well as her grandfather Bifrost, “Now my own sister is insulting me because of you.”

As Frost snickered more, Hela turned to her and repeated what she said previously in exactly the same voice and tone, “Idiot.”

Now being on the receiving end of the insulting, Frost scoffed at Hela, “Whose side are you on anyways?”

Given that Hela was not going to speak in response, only sit there occasionally wincing for seemingly no reason, Frost decided to recruit Celestia’s daughter for aid, “Xia, can you tell your friend to not insult us when we’re just having some fun?”

Ataxia nodded to the Pegasus before taking a bite out of some cake and then proceeding to talk with her mouth full, “I can, but I don’t want to. I have cake to attend to.”

Much like her mother and mother’s pupil, Ataxia had a fondness for cake and had the occasional narcissism of her father, though it did not outweigh her mother’s kind nature when push came to shove and it was necessary. A petty squabble did not rise to such an occasion however, and so she was going to summon and eat as much cake as possible while her mother had her attention distracted elsewhere.

Hela smirked at Ataxia, or rather her neck specifically as the chimera ate at a rapid pace, “Choking would be an unfortunate outcome.”

Sleep Near glared at his morbid sister who he could tell was wondering how horrifically the cake could get lodged in the wrong part of the neck and lead to agonizing death. Hela had…different interests, and the magic to make them come true if not for her sense of right and wrong. Still, it sounded vaguely like a threat and so he spoke up to keep her in check.

“Hela, not at the dinner table.”

“It’s embarrassing that they give us this kids table anyways,” Frost commented as she poked at her plate. Unlike the more casual and celebratory plates belonging to the others with every kind of delicious treat they could imagine, her own was full of foods that were healthy and proven to be beneficial to training athletes.

The only humanoid at the table other than Sleep Near and his twin spoke up as she glanced at the other table in the room where all the adults sat, including both of her parents, “I dunno, I don’t like sitting with mom and dad when they get all kissy-face.”

“Aren’t they always like that?” Frost snickered as she too glanced over to find a teal Siren leaning against a man’s blonde beard.

The girl blushed as she saw embarrassing her parents were being in front of everyone, “Yeah, but it gets worse when they have vine.”

“Wine,” Sleep Near corrected his dim friend. She was a near carbon copy of her mother, except far shyer seemingly as an inverse of how gregarious her parents tended to be.

“Yes, that,” Anima whispered as she felt the embarrassment of being dumb in front of a crowd set in. Fortunately for her none of the others cared, having long known and prescribed her as the dumb one of their crowd while Sleep Near was the intelligent one. Hela was seemingly as bright as her brother, but she did far less to show it, and so Anima was left to blush at Hela’s brother correcting her.

The subject of wine made Ataxia’s eyes sparkle, “That’s a good idea!”

Before Sleep Near could protest or Hela could smack Ataxia across the back of the head, the chimera had summoned a bottle of fine wine seemingly from thin air. Whether she had taken it from somewhere else or created it was only known by her, for she was a reality bender much like her father and either was quite possible.

“One sip for everyone. That way they won’t notice.”

She levitated it over to Anima first, who didn’t even bother for whatever reason to pour it and instead took it and began to chug it. Sleep Near massaged his brow as his sister watched in curiosity and Ataxia tried to take it back from the half-Siren.

“That was more than a sip.”

Her cheeks flushed a shade of purple, Anima laughed as she said the most intelligent thing of perhaps her life before and yet to come, “You never said how big it could be.”

Ataxia shrugged as she took it back, and as she began to drink Sleep Near finally verbalized his objection, “Uh, guys, shouldn’t we…not drink that? It’s for adults. It has negative side effects for still developing people like us.”

Frost Bolt nodded in agreement, only to not then notice that she was moving her chair a little closer to his while she spoke, “Octopus has a point. I don’t think our parents would like if we drank that…”

Ataxia scoffed as she handed the bottle over to Hela, who poured it into her empty cup and drank, “Oh come on Sleepy-head, don’t be a stick in the mud like your marefriend. You’ve lost limbs in practice before, a little liquid poison won’t do anything. Even your sister is in on it—!”

The smash of a cup cut off any further conversation, as the table looked down to where Hela had smashed her cup as was Asgardian custom.

Despite the dramatic action her voice did little to match it, “Another.”

A silver haired butler in the room moved to clean the mess up, only to stop when Frost signaled him and smiled to the waiting staff member.

“Don’t worry All Thread, Hela will pick it up,” she politely and nicely stated all the while glaring at Hela’s action. If Hela wanted to make a mess, she would clean it up.

Hela returned the glare for a half minute before slowly flicking a hand and removing any trace that there had been a broken glass there. This done, Frost Bolt smiled to her and then turned her attention back to the others, who were all impressed that the only “normal” one of them had managed to get Hela to do anything.

Sleep Near was the only one brave enough to speak up about his sister, “Wow, not many people can stare her down.”

Frost laughed and pretended to punch him with a hoof as she glanced back at Hela, “I beat her up when she was too young to really use magic. She has a good memory.”

Hela, who had partially smashed the cup to distract from Sleep Near’s soon-to-be embarrassment about having a certain mare being called his marefriend, felt irritated that the same mare now was revealing to the others about the first time they fought…which, truth be told, had not worked in the favor of Hela because she could not fly at the time or use magic, while Frost had been able to fly since before either her or Sleep Near.

So, irritated by being called out and then immediately embarrassed, Hela rolled up a sleep and flung her purple cape behind her as she prepared to punch the horse sitting across the table. The only thing keeping her from pouncing her was another sudden image and then the pain that followed, and so Anima had time to grab Hela’s arm.

“Hey, hey, no fighting at dinner!”

Another voice then intervened which further managed to tone down the situation given how its sudden entrance surprised them all.

“Yeah, that’s right! Don’t be getting me in any more trouble, you got that?”

The kids all looked up to see Asher rushing over to them, the adult bodyguard of them arriving late to the proceedings because of how long it had taken him to remember how to do certain dressing up related things. Now clad in a fine suit and not a single ounce of dirt on him, he had arrived and had been banished to sit with the children for his tardiness and to carry out his duty.

Hela crossed her arms and looked up at him from her seat, “No.”

Anima looked over the guard with interest, ignoring how Hela was now poking him in his beard as he sat down in a chair obviously not meant for someone of his size, “You have such a pretty dress mister Fortnest. Did miss Rareskitty make it for you?”

Asher did not expect his last name or the name of another to be butchered so terribly, so he was somewhat caught off guard as he turned to the young girl, “Uh, yes, she did in fact,” he struck a pose and resumed his grinning to try and look cool, “Where I come from, I am a noble, so I can dress up if the occasion calls for it.”

“Loser,” Hela continued to poke his beard just to try and be annoying, but he had grown immune to her need to find random ways to mess with others. Loki had told him that Hela was like he had been at that age in regards to messing with others, so the best way to deal with it was to ignore it rather than feed into it by acknowledging it.

“Ooh, are you going to marry a princess and live happily ever after?” Anima cheerfully asked, ignoring Hela while glancing at a member of royalty at the table.

Asher gave the girl a look of confusion, “Uh…I don’t think so?”

Ataxia looked away from the table for a moment and smirked at the idiocy of her younger friend, “Annie, not everything is a fairy tale. This is real life.”

“But I like fairy tails! Mommy always sings me songs before bed, and daddy and his friends always tell stories of their adventures!” Anima complained, ending with a pouting lip.

“Well, if its stories you want, how about I tell you about the time I fought members of the Lost Legion with my big sister?”

As Asher began to speak about his past life to the interest of the others, Sleep Near glanced at his sister and noticed that she had her eyes closed again.

“Hela?”

Upon hearing her name she left her reverie and looked to her twin, who she could see was very concerned about her. Part of her wanted to talk to him, but she also knew he was too nice and innocent to really understand.

“I’m fine.”

It was a lie, and he knew that, but he also knew she would only talk about it when she felt ready to.

“Hela?”

The night had slipped by in the blink of an eye with the good cheer of the anniversary event, and after it everyone had gone their separate ways and headed to bed…except Hela, who was sitting across from a statue with the same cape and hat on it that she now wore.

Loki had heard from a worried Sleep Near that Hela was not feeling okay and was not in her room, and since this matched what Loki had caught a glimpse of earlier he had gone looking for her in the one spot he would expect her to be.

When Hela heard him say her name she turned and got up to rush over to Loki and embrace him instantly. While she was somewhat distant with her mother, Hela was closer to Loki than any other family member. Perhaps she would share as much with her twin when he got older and could understand, but for now she felt like Loki was the only one who understood her…

Or, well, the only one alive who understood her.

“Daddy…”

Loki stroked her hair softly as she buried herself in his abdomen and tears began to wet his shirt, “Having trouble drifting to sleep?”

She nodded into him, but said nothing more. Loki never wanted either of them to ever be upset, and so he lowered himself down to his knees and brought her into another hug, this time with each of them on the same level.

“What is it?”

He felt the tears falling on his shoulder now, but he let her speak because he knew she would if he asked her to. She could talk, she only chose not to unlike what many thought about the silent princess.

“S—Sleep Near will live at least five thousand years without prolonging his life.”

Loki blinked for a moment before realizing the implications of what Hela just said. Was she speaking of their normal lifespans, or…

“Frost will live to age seventy-four. She dies earlier than she ought to because she worked herself so hard to live up to her mother’s reputation…”

Loki closed his eyes as he realized why she was so upset, just as he had begun to think right before she confirmed it. The Hela he had met before could show visions of the future, of what might be…and now his own daughter, this Hela, was beginning to grasp the same powers, only she was not seemingly in control of them given how much they frightened her.

“I knew this day would come,” Loki kissed his daughter softly on the forehead before moving back so he could wipe her tears away and look her in the eye, “Hela, I think you know this, but you and your brother have powers concerning life and death. But you must not fret over or fear them. Your mother and I will do everything we can to help you when the time comes for you to use them.”

Hela began to nod, but she did not lose her distraught appearance.

“But…”

She, like many others, had noticed how much Sleep Near had taken to the young Pegasus who he had met as an infant thanks to Scootaloo needing to sometimes look after each of them. While barely anyone would vocalize or act upon their feelings, many were put off by Sleep Near’s unusual appearance…but not his lifelong friend, who while occasionally brash and prone to poking fun at him was always by his side.

Hela didn’t want her to die and leave Sleep Near alone. She was worried not only because she could see their deaths, but that she could see that they were not intertwined, together, as of now.

Loki grinned and decided to crack a joke to try and cheer Hela up.

“Your brother would love to hear that you care so much for his emotions,” Hela blushed as the last of her tears fell, “So, you can tell when and why someone dies now?”

“Not on purpose. It just happens,” Hela confirmed for him before moving in for another hug. Never before had Loki seen her tremble like she was now, but he was not about to let her stay unhappy.

“You know, I once was shown a path I could walk down, a path to my death.”

His words hit their mark, and Hela’s attention moved from her pain to his words. Seeing that it was working, Loki continued to speak to try and explain why she should not fear the prophetic visions she was seeing.

After all, he had changed how the story ended once…she could too.

“Upon seeing this possibility I changed my ways and I went on to marry your mother and we now have you and your brother.”

Hela gave a rare smile as she thought about her mother’s swelling stomach, which she knew was not going to end up the way Frost wanted it to, “And sister.”

Seeing that she was calming down, Loki smiled back warmly, “Yes, and your sister.”

With both arms Loki scooped her up and brought her up. It was time she went to sleep, and he could see the dreariness in her eyes behind her fading sadness. In his arms he held her close and moved a hand to tussle her hair.

“So don’t worry, my dear princess. We wouldn’t want your kind brother to wallow in sadness over losing his best friend, would we? Let’s have her over more. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Hela nodded as she buried herself into Loki’s chest, her purple hat poking up over his shoulder as she made herself comfortable.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed. I’m sure your mother and brother will make sure you sleep well and forget all about your visions. They both care about you as much as anyone.”

Hela smiled as she thought of her family, even as she took one glance back at the statue they were leaving behind, and then closed her eyes again to try and get started on the rest she so dearly wanted.

“I love you…”

Loki nearly stopped when he heard her say it, but he managed to not melt right then and there because of how she was only just barely awake. He did not want her to make fun of him at some later point for being overly sentimental, so he instead just whispered.

“I love you too.”

Sleep Near stayed awake until dawn to make sure she slept without the nightmares Loki warned him that she might have, taking over for his mother since she needed to rest too in her condition.

He didn’t get why when he did wake up later he was able to have his friend over despite it being a studying day, and he didn’t know why Hela let him play alone, but he was happy all the same…

And so she was too.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! I have all sorts of ideas and scraps to use, so these will be all over the place in terms of subject and tone, but I do hope you'll enjoy them nonetheless.

Gaiden: Your Time Is Running Out

A/N: Special thanks to InsanityStreak, Amethyst Blade, Thelykenking, refferee, and Spah for your thoughts last chapter. I hope to continue hearing fro you, and I hope to hear thoughts from more of you as well!

This is the first gaiden chapter I started on, and in fact it has been nearly done since the first day I wrote for the Sirens. I had nearly all their dialogue finished all at once when I worked them into the story, so this was the first real instance of me having a post-series chapter that didn't really fit into things. These chapters are going to be about all sorts of things, so here's one dealing with the other Sirens!

Chapter title from "Under Our Spell", the Siren song.

I hope you enjoy, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

It was dark.

Occasional flashes of light would illuminate the darkness, and of course there was always the unnerving shine coming down from unknown sources to light up the platforms that littered the cave-like setting. But sparks and small beacons across a large landscape did not make a welcoming environment.

It was quiet.

Sounds might occasionally echo across the plane, but their sources occasionally gave up hope after little time. Powerful beings brought down to a state of weakness, such that they were unrecognizable to their previous selves, would first try to escape, these attempts did not last long. If Cerberus left enough of them to even survive, that was.

After realizing their helplessness and knowing the eternal torment they would be faced with in Tartarus, many died off by either lack of self-care or through more proactive methods.

More than anything, though, it was lonely.

“Aria…”

A Siren laying on her back stared lazily off into the darkness above her, her eyes falling just below the light beating down on the stone platform she was confined to. Sure, there were steps down towards the exit, but without any power and with barely enough strength to stand she was quite sure Cerberus would maim her.

…though if it ended the slow, prolonged death she was suffering in this forsaken realm…

“Adagio.”

Even if another person had been there, they could not have heard the second voice. It was confined to Adagio’s own mind, a voice that was within her very soul…for it was no longer hers alone.

“I don’t see why we can’t work this out.”

It had been quite some time and despite that so little had been said between the two. Adagio had been so distraught by her defeat that she was near comatose, and without prompting Aria did not want to be the one to start and thus give in to her literal soulmate.

She had been bitter before, but their current situation did nothing to endear her partner to her.

“You killed me!”

Adagio closed her eyes and tried to imagine the pure, purple form of Aria. They had fought and lost, and in desperation Adagio did something rash she would admit…but it was not as if she had many choices if she was going to come out on top, “She would have killed us both if I didn’t.”

“Well she didn’t, she wasn’t planning to, and you didn’t win anyways!”

Aria’s tone might be biting, but Adagio had trouble blaming her for it. Sure, Aria had been rough for as long as she could remember, but now she actually had reason to be…

“Only because you were fighting me from the inside, though I admit I made a mistake. Perhaps if Sonata had—”

Her words continued no further due to a sudden backlash from Aria.

“Oh you wouldn’t dare have that airhead in here too! I’d rather actually be dead.”

Adagio almost smiled. Aria might hate Sonata, but Aria had been the one who questioned leaving Sonata behind…perhaps the bond the three once shared had never really left the purple Siren, even if only like a phantom.

Still, Adagio was surprised Aria wasn’t dead. She should be. She should be gone…not linger like she was.

Adagio opened her eyes to look up once again, the light shining down on her causing them to remain in a half-lidded and tired look, “Well, you would be, at least fully, if I had my magic. Your entire being was absorbed, and I was supposed to suppress your personality until it assimilated into my own. You fought back unlike all the others, who were too weak to.”

That silenced Aria for a moment, but the biting tone soon returned after the initial shock wore off.

“Wait…have you done this before?”

Adagio scoffed as she brought her only usable arm over her eyes, “Ever wonder how I’m stronger than either you or our blithering idiot of a partner?”

Aria gave pause once again. Adagio had definitely been the most powerful…and they did feed off of energy, but Aria had never known Adagio to completely absorb another with her powers. Had she been feeding off others over the years in that way? Was that how she managed to keep all three of them alive on power on the near magic-less Earth?

Adagio had no other minds and souls stirring within her though. That fact made Aria worry, as if she had done this before and they were missing…what happened to them?

“So the others...”

Adagio felt her stomach tumble. She had tried not to think about that ever since she had come to regret her decision. And she did regret it, which is why she was trying to come to terms with it and reconcile with Aria…not that she would ever fully express that feeling if she could help it.

Admit it? Maybe. Tell Aria that the thought of her sarcastic, caustic voice fading forever scared Adagio even more than the thought of being left here for the rest of their extended lives.

After all, the others were gone because their minds, souls, and wills were completely consumed by Adagio. They became one with her like any other food joined its consumer.

“They all were just whispers until they faded away completely…”

Adagio could swear she could feel Aria’s soul tense up at that…or perhaps that was just her hand that was no longer under her control, but Aria’s. That was more likely, as Aria held sway over that particular limb now.

“Is—is that gonna happen to me?”

Adagio used her own hand to touch the unmoving arm, allowing her eye to see underneath the now moved limb it had been covered by to see Aria’s arm. It was as close as Adagio could get to touching her, even if it was technically her own arm.

“I don’t know. Probably…”

“So…what now?”

The caustic tone was gone in place of pure fear. Aria might act tough, but the thought of slowly fading away into nothingness, of losing herself into the abyss that was Adagio, had her stricken.

“We have to get out of here, obviously.”

“Well duuuh, but what next?”

That was assuming they even could get out…but once they were out, what then? Adagio did not really have the answer to that.

“I don’t know…” she sighed as she remembered her defeat, “My magic is completely gone. World domination won’t be possible anymore, especially since that insolent girl has probably taken over everything and stolen every last ounce of magic, using our powers to control everything in her path.”

“How about we go and find me a body?”

Adagio growled at the insolent woman. Did Aria really even think they would get that far? Was she losing her mind in addition to her soul?

“Yes, because it would be so easy to escape this place, find a body for you to inhabit, and then also find a way to transfer you to it. You really are an idiot, you know that?”

“Shut up! You’re not the one trapped inside the body of the person who killed you! You’re not going to slowly fade away into nothing, because you are still alive, you bitch!”

Her words actually made Adagio wince. She was not normally empathetic, but she could not help but understand what Aria was furious about. Ever since her magic had been removed Adagio had felt a haze lift from her mind…as if the power itself had held her in its grips.

She still did it all though. She had made the choice at the time to kill Aria…and now she had to live with it failing, for the time being.

“Aria…”

Adagio could feel the spirit within her sobbing like she had never known Aria to before. She not only was scared, but she was hurt and her fury was driven by the sense of betrayal.

“I wanted her to kill you…”

Adagio did not really blame Aria for that. She would have wanted the same thing if—

“Wait, what are you doing?”

The arm she had been touching in a consoling manner had moved until it was on Adagio’s chest, its hand now gripping at and attempting to choke her.

“Aria! If you choke me we’ll just pass out! What will that accomplish?!” Adagio yelled as she used her other hand to try and fight Aria’s off.

“You’re right…” Aria’s voice whispered, its intonation cracking as she suddenly focused on gripping a specific section rather than the entire neck, “But if I crush something so we can’t breathe this will be so much quicker.”

“Aria, please!”

The lost soul within Aria continued to sob further as she tried to kill them both. Seeing that Aria was not relenting and not having enough strength to fight off her marginally stronger arm, Adagio choked out another plea.

“I—I don’t want to die!”

That worked, but not because Aria pitied Adagio but rather because of her own fear of death.

“I don’t want to die either…” Aria sobbed, “But I…I…”

She hated Adagio with all of her heart…but she was not sure herself if she was willing to actually die to drag Adagio down with her. She had at the height of her anger and betrayal, when she realized she could force some control upon Adagio’s body when she still had her own power…but now she was left weak in someone else’s body, someone she had once considered as the closest thing to a friend she had.

Which made the “friend” betraying her in such a brutal, nigh unforgivable manner hurt even more.

Pushed to a state of heightened emotion by Aria’s moment of weakness and her own near-death experience, Adagio began to sob herself as she let go and let her arm fall to her side.

“Aria, please forgive me…”

She was beyond forgiveness, but Aria did not resume her attempt to kill them both for a reason beyond Adagio’s understanding. Instead things quieted down, leaving Adagio to begin feeling the damage done to her throat by Aria’s attempt at suicide.

Silence fell between them as their struggle ended and died down.

“When did this all start?”

That got Adagio to shake herself out of the desperate hyperventilating, which she just realized she had been doing following her ability to breathe without restriction again.

“When did what start?”

“You and I…” Aria’s voice trailed off inside of Adagio’s head before picking up again as she came up how to finish her sentence, “I don’t even remember how we got to this point. I remember that there was something before us being enchantresses, but I don’t remember anything specific…”

That actually got Adagio thinking. It had been a thousand years since she really last thought of their previous lives…when Celestia banished them, they became bound to new lives with no real relation to their old ones. They did not spend all day reminiscing, so they had forgotten with time much of who and what they were outside of the basics.

Despite that, Adagio had a feeling that one of them might know…or have known. The only sentimental one may have been stupid, but perhaps her genuine compassion for the other two would leave her with some care for their history.

“I think only Sonata does…” Adagio winced as she realized that she misspoke, given that as far as she knew Sonata was still dead and in the ground now, “Or did, I should say.”

Sonata had died because they abandoned her…something else Adagio felt pangs of regret for. But she wouldn’t get the chance to ask Sonata for forgiveness so long as she was here…but even if she left, what more could she do than ask a grave forgiveness?

“I really hate you Adagio.”

Adagio sighed and closed her eyes. She was beginning to hate herself too…but Aria was still a bitch.

“I hate you too, Aria.”

Still, Adagio did not know what she would do without her lifelong companion, even if she couldn’t stop complaining at any point ever.

“Hey Adagio?”

It was impossible to tell how much time had gone by given the never changing sky in its constant darkness. Still, Adagio was beginning to panic internally about the prospect of her partner fading away, and as much as she thought about it the more she began to fear she would be unable to do anything and be left alone…

Still, she wasn’t about to let Aria know she was worried. So she replied to Aria’s faint voice with a low growl, to make it seem like she was more irritated than she really was.

“What is it? Is my peace of mind that irritating to you?”

“I…”

Adagio’s eyes shot open and she removed her arm from her eyes as she noticed that she could barely hear Aria.

“Aria?”

“I feel weak…” Aria continued feebly, “Does this mean I’m…you know…”

Adagio shook her head violently and grit her teeth. She refused to let Aria just leave her alone. Not as much for Aria’s sake but for her own.

“Oh no you don’t! I’m not going to let you leave me alone here. Wake up!”

Adagio felt the presence that was Aria within her swell up a bit at that. Apparently getting yelled at was enough for the highly confrontational Aria pull herself together.

“Hey, hey, calm down will you?” Aria’s tired voice responded, but it was stronger this time, “I’m fine…”

That relieved Adagio, who let herself relax once again when the urgent sense of loss faded like her companion had seemingly begun to.

“Don’t scare me like that.”

“I thought you wanted me to finally leave you alone?”

That…that was not true at all. Adagio knew it was selfish, but she did not want Aria to leave her alone to suffer in this place alone. If they could be together then perhaps she could manage, but to be alone would drive her insane if it did not cause her to just end her own life in despair.

“Believe it or not, Aria, being alone for the rest of eternity isn’t exactly something I want to do…”

Adagio felt herself sniffle as she fought back tears. She truly had nothing, and even a complaining harpy in her head was better than eternal solitary confinement.

“Besides, I can’t remember anything either…you’re all I have left.”

“Pfft. You’re so sappy, Adagio,” came the sarcastic voice in her head.

Being called out on expressing positive feelings towards Aria by Aria set Adagio off, who was insecure enough about her growing concern over her partner without being mocked for it.

“Oh excuse me for caring! If you really think I’m too sappy, why don’t you go and hurt me by just dying? That’d solve everything!”

“Hey, hey, calm down!” Aria hurriedly said, her voice sounding like she was surprised that Adagio was so incensed, “I…”

Aria paused before admitting to herself a truth she despised: she had even less than Adagio, in that she had no body of her own and was slowly drifting off and fading away. She could feel it, even if she didn’t want to get Adagio too worried. But why did she care about Adagio’s feelings, she wondered?

“I’m sorry. Okay? Don’t be mad at me…you’re all I have too.”

To make it up, Aria had an idea. She tried moving the arm she had control over only to realize that she could only move the wrist and hand now. She truly was slipping away, but she couldn’t do anything with just the hand laying beside Adagio like this…

“Aria, what are you doing?”

“I’m feeling a bit fuzzy, but I can still kinda move your hand…” she grunted as she failed to move the limb on her own, “Move your arm.”

Adagio looked down and smiled at Aria’s movement, and so she relented.

“Does this mean you forgive me?”

“No, this means we’re sharing a body, so I’m gonna see if this feels as good as when I do it.”

“You and I both know you can’t feel anything but in that hand.”

“Shut up and help me.”

Adagio awoke on another occasion to the sound of Cerberus growling, a person yelling about revenge in the far distance, and the flapping of wings.

“What is that noise…?”

The platform closest to the one Adagio was on was the one receiving a new prisoner. Such a thing was rare given how few entities needed such a specialized prison, so this was actually a new experience for her: she had only seen it from afar before.

Still, perhaps they could ask the jailer for mercy concerning Aria’s condition…help perhaps. Would they even care?

“Aria, do you hear that? Someone…Aria?”

Adagio tried clenching the hand that had belonged to Aria and realized that she could do everything but pull her fingers in to her palm.

“Aria?” the orange Siren worriedly inquired, hoping to rouse Aria from her ‘sleep’.

No response came.

Adagio shot to her feet and began looking around for where the jailer was. Noticing their flying figure moving away from the one platform, Adagio saw that Princess Luna was about to pass by this one, giving the Siren a perfect opportunity to flag her down.

Flailing her arms and yelling, Adagio called out to Luna with all the might she could muster even in her weakened state.

“Please, I need your help! Don’t go!”

Luna did hear her, and she did stop to Adagio’s relief. It was not out of genuine concern, but rather curiosity and disgust directed at the former villain.

“And why should I listen to you?”

She shouldn’t…but it would be the moral thing to do, to save a life, wouldn’t it?

“My…”

How could she explain her relationship with Aria? Friend could work, lover…but friends don’t kill eachother. They don’t betray eachother. Still, if she was going to win Luna over she was going to have to phrase this in a way that garnered sympathy.

“My friend is going to die if I don’t find a way to save her.”

“Friend?” Luna scoffed, seeing no friend nearby the Siren.

“My fellow singer Aria…” Adagio explained nervously, sensing that she was beginning to sound crazy, “During the battle she lost her body, but her spirit is inside me. She’s fading away though and I don’t want her to die.”

Luna rose a brow at Adagio, “And what are we supposed to do? Find her some innocent’s body to possess?”

She did have a point, but...

“I…”

Adagio was surprised to find herself crying. She didn’t want to lose Aria. She wanted things to go back to however they were before they all had become so twisted. She wanted Sonata to ask her something stupid. She wanted Aria to question her every decision. She wanted their family to be back together, and she did not want to be all that remained.

Now knowing how pathetic she must appear before the Princess and Queen, Adagio hung her head and fell to her knees.

“Please, every moment counts. I don’t care if you keep me in here, I…please…just let me help her. After all I’ve done, please let me do this…”

Adagio looked up to Luna and wiped her tears away. The other woman was looking at her seriously, but some of her malice had become replaced by pity.

“You were a villain once too…” Adagio bowed her head again, resenting how she was now an inferior but knowing she had no choice but to display that very fact in order to win sympathy, “Please, let me at least do this one thing that can be considered good.”

It took awhile, but Luna nodded. She understood the pain loss brought, and given that the Sirens were no longer a threat and never would be she did not fear them, “I will look into the matter. If it can be done without harming an innocent, I will give you your friend back.”

Before Adagio could thank her, Luna departed, leaving the prisoner behind to contemplate what might happen. Would Luna do as she said? Would it be in time?

“Aria…?” Adagio whispered, “Please, don’t leave me alone…”

“Adagio…”

She was still in there…just that thought made the Siren sigh in relief as she lowered herself to the ground again.

“Whatever happens, Aria…I’m sorry. For everything…”

“Yeah, whatever…”

“I…I love you Aria.”

“I…may or may not feel warmly towards you as well.”

“Please, hold on a little longer…”

Author's Note

Gaiden: You Can't Quit Until You Try

A/N: Special thanks to InsanityStreak, Amethyst Blade, refferee, and Chibalt for your thoughts last chapter. I hope to continue hearing fro you, and I hope to hear thoughts from more of you as well!

Hela and Loki got focus last time we did the main family, so now here's the opposite side of the coin, albeit a few years later...and with a new family member!

Chapter title from "Life is Beautiful" by Sixx AM.

I hope you enjoy, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

After Twilight Sparkle fully moved back into Ponyville after years of supporting Celestia and Luna in Canterlot, the room that had been hers was transformed into a personal library and study for the usage of those of the royal family. Given its small patronage it ought to have received little usage, but it was where much of the Princesses offspring went to do their lessons as they were taught privately in recent years. They were leagues above any peer of their age, and while they shared their age in numbers they were far younger. Despite Sleep Near and Hela each being in their teenage years they appeared as if they were barely teenaged at all.

This carried over to their development in other ways, but it did not interrupt the flow of their personal lives to great lengths because they were being nurtured by other long lived beings who were watching something they had been through play out.

Compared to Hela’s aloofness, Sleep Near was very focused and dedicated to his studies. This gave him the bookish reputation of the two, with Hela receiving more of a mischievous one despite being of relative same intelligence: he learned about his powers, and she put her own into practice, often in less than helpful ways.

“Where are the others?”

When Sleep Near entered the library he had expected to see more than just Luna sitting at its center, where tables had been pushed aside to make room in the room’s center for magic casting. Luna had made sure to create back ups of the books in the room just in case anything happened to them, but as this was a place to learn she had set it up so that her children could practice to some degree what they had learned in their massive tomes.

Luna gave Sleep Near a smile as he walked in, having long since heard his eight hooves as they trotted down the hallway in their awkward fashion, “Your sisters are out in the courtyard studying today. I will be overseeing your studies today.”

She was smiling, but Sleep Near knew better than that…Hela had, on a whim, decided to take their other sibling with her and do whatever she pleased. As she would not try to fully incur Luna’s wrath, Hela would likely teach her younger sister something to pass off as a lesson, but this was truly just an act of defiance born of teenage rebellion which was fueled by an unresolved family matter.

“Mother, I am sure if you asked her Hela would join us.”

Luna closed her eyes and tilted her head back as her mind pondered why she had done something so foolish…only to come back to the same realization she would feel worse if she had not, “Your father has already spoken to her. I accept her animosity. I’ve expected it from each of you all these years.”

Sleep Near sat down next to her as Luna lapsed into silence, “She still loves you.”

Her response was under her breath, but that was not enough to keep Sleep Near from hearing it.

“I wish she did not, sometimes.”

Sleep Near brought a hoof around his mother’s body, only able to do so because she was in her anthropomorphic form rather than her equine one, “We’re not even two decades old at this point. She just needs time, and we have plenty of that. You just need to talk to her, instead of letting our big sister do it for you. That won’t help anyone.”

While she wanted to cry, Luna instead returned the gesture and smiled. While she was not close to one of them, she still had the other…and her youngest as well, who was too young to know of true malice for one’s parent, “You’re so wise for your age, you know that, right?”

Sleep Near nuzzled his head into her fur, “I learned from two people with a lot of life experience. So has she…she’ll understand.”

The encouragement was enough to get Luna to smile to him and nuzzle him back, her spirit rekindled, “I’ll muster the strength to talk to her later, when we’re done here.”

That last part got Sleep Near’s mind to thinking about the rest of his day, though he knew not how to plan for it without knowing his mother’s intentions for their study session and how long it would run, “When will that be?”

Of course, Luna took this in the way that would be most embarrassing to her son, and her mind went to a cobalt haired mare who frequented the castle, “Oh, are you longing to be with your marefriend?”

“Mother…”

“Hah, so much for a prince! You should learn how to walk before you try to fly!”

“Must be hard moving around like an octopus!”

Sleep Near had been leaving Celestia’s School for Talented Unicorns and on his way to Canterlot Castle when he tripped over his own legs and made a fool of himself in front of a crowded street. He had just passed a since retired from use public stage and he had clumsily moved his middle hooves in a way that tangled them and made his next movements stumble him further and lead to a painful crash.

He had been about to take flight, something that did not involve his numerous legs quite as much, which had caused his mind to wander from keeping track of his legs to instead focus on taking off.

While nearly all of the people on the street kept quiet and did not dare speak to Sleep Near for fear of divine retribution that might be wrought upon them by Luna for daring to acknowledge her son’s misshapen body and lack of control over it, not all of the street was as well mannered or frightened. A trio of Pegasi had taken notice and stopped to laugh at him.

Sleep Near wanted to shrink and die he was so embarrassed, only being an extremely young colt at the time, and he found himself too embarrassed to look at them as he tried to pick himself off the ground.

“Leave him alone!”

Sleep Near heard someone land on top of the nearby stage, right above where he lay, and he found himself confused by who they were. No-one but his family and their friends talked to him, at least no-one except those who liked picking on him when he came home from school.

Hela usually took care of those, but she had been sick and their mother was taking care of her that day. She also didn’t talk in public, so who was this? She had blue fur and a much darker blue for a mane, and her green eyes were narrowed at the trio who stood in the street.

One of the bullies laughed and snorted at the mare, recognizing who she was and reacting as he noticed who the interloper happened to be, “Ooh, what are you gonna do about it, Frost Colt?”

She exhaled and stomped a hoof down on the stage, irritated by the nickname but also by the situation at hand, “Keep making fun of him and you’ll find out!”

“Pfft, now he needs a girl to stick up for him. What a wimp!” a second voice, this one a mare, came from the trio of bullies.

“That’s it!”

Sleep Near had opened his mouth to try and interject, but the Pegasus on stage had leapt down and assaulted one of the Pegasus who had just spoken.

“What did Mom and Dad tell you about fighting?”

Sleep Near watched as his babysitter, Scootaloo, finish applying band aids to the blue furred mare who had stood up for him. She had been roughed up a lot by the crowd she had swung at, but two of them did not go home conscious and the third only managed to tuck tail and run because Scootaloo had arrived in time to reprimand her sibling.

The younger sibling, who appeared to be little older than Sleep Near, snorted and looked away from her sister, “They deserved it.”

Scootaloo laughed as she thought back to her own days being bullied as a filly, quietly appreciating that her sibling was more…active about the issue than she had been, “I know, so I won’t tell on you, but you better not go and get me in any trouble.”

Her mending of her sibling done, Scootaloo finally turned her attention to her young charge, “Hey Sleep Near. I brought my sister today since our parents are busy and can’t look after her. Sorry if she caused you any problems.”

It took a moment for Sleep Near to realize Scootaloo was talking to him, for he had been captivated at first leap by her sister. He was blushing heavily beneath his fur and was unsure about what to say or do. He really had only a couple kids his age he knew, and seeing as how Hela was the only one he spent any real time with he was left speechless and unprepared for the sudden heart beating in his chest.

Realizing his attention was on her, but not realizing why, Scootaloo’s sister held a hoof out to the awkward Prince and smiled, “Hi. I’m Frost Bolt.”

“I’m…” he swallowed heavily while lifting a hoof up to shake with hers, only to force a second leg from following the first as if they were conjoined, embarrassing him further, “I’m Sleep Near…”

Frost ignored his physical problem while still smirking right at him and speaking in a joking tone, “You sure about that?”

As the only not-young-child present, Scootaloo managed to pick up on the expression her sister was receiving and snickered. Not wanting to interrupt anything further, she winked at them and left towards the castle.

“I’m going to go let Princess Luna know I’m here. You two play nice.”

Left alone, Sleep Near felt his eyes drift to the ground, for he could no longer look at the other kid without completely losing his composure. In some ways her attitude reminded him of his mother, and he could see the physical similarities Frost shared with her mother outside of having a simpler mane color.

For her part Frost found herself raising an eyebrow at the completely bashful Prince, who she had honestly expected a bit more from given what Scootaloo told her about the kids she looked after. This difference between what she saw and what she had heard caused her to be silent long enough for the melting Sleep Near to speak up softly.

“T-Thank you…”

The acknowledgment of her actions made Frost swell with pride. It made the bruises and the scrapes feel worth it, even if she might get in trouble later with her mom. At the time she didn’t know that simply standing around Sleep Near would remove the wounds, and would end up still wearing her band-aids until later, where Rainbow Dash would reprimand her as a mother ought to…only to then ask about how hurt the bullies were, and snicker at the response she received.

To give off an aura of “coolness”, Frost tried to downplay it while also reveling in the fact that a Prince was thanking her, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Who do those dummies think they are anyways, making fun of a prince?”

Sleep Near thought back to the incident and brushed his mane out of his eyes, “My mother and father tell me to not let others get to me.”

He had once tripped a broke a wall with his head. He was told it ought to have been the other way around, and that he and his family were special, and that until he had full control over himself he was to exhibit complete caution.

Hela didn’t care, but she wasn’t the one who was still tripping over their own limbs…

Frost scoffed at the revelation that Sleep Near was not only holding back because of his personality but also because he was disallowed from retaliating, “So they think that you’re an easy target, since you don’t fight back? You should put them in their place next time!”

The Prince glanced over to where the fight had taken place, two of the bullies still sprawled out after one spirited mare dispatched them. Scootaloo had notified their parents of the incident, making sure to note that they picked the fight.

“I don’t want to hurt them…”

“You’re too strong for them, right?” Sleep Near’s silent nod made Frost smile, and she brought a hoof up to her chest while pointing her nose up haughtily, “Well then leave them to me. I can’t stand bullies, and I’ll beat them all up for you.”

When she realized that she was not going to receive a response from the withdrawn colt, Frost approached him and smirked again, though this time in a softer manner, “You are pretty shy, like my aunt Flutters. How about this then: what do you want to do?”

What he wanted to do? The young colt really didn’t know what to do with someone who wasn’t his family, and he wasn’t yet used to being put on the spot by someone else since his family understood his disposition and accounted for it, “I like reading, and playing with my sister Hela…”

Understanding his predicament to some degree, and sensing this would not really go anywhere, Frost flapped her wings and extended them for him to see, “Do you ever race?”

“Race?”

With a quick flap of the wings Frost thrust herself into the air and then began to fly around Sleep Near in a relaxed fashion, showing off superb skill for someone their age.

“Yeah, you know, when you run or fly with someone else and see who is fastest.”

Sleep Near realized what she was talking about then, and it was not something he had ever needed a word for until then: the person he did them with didn’t talk almost at all, so they had never minced words over the topic.

“Only with Hela…” Sleep Near sighed as he thought about his abysmal record compared to his sister, “She wins all the time though when we use the same form.”

“Form?” it was a genuine question for the young filly, who had not encountered one of his ilk yet…but she would quickly see what he meant.

A flash of light before her ended just as quickly with a completely different being in Sleep Near’s place. His skin was as pale as his father’s, and no fur hid it except at the top of his head. Resembling his father at the same age, Sleep Near’s raven hair was styled in the same formally combed manner his mane had been. In this body he also resembled his sister more, though only because she often took to her Asgardian body more than her equine one, and so to the common pony they would appear quite alike since their kinds were not wholly integrated yet.

“I can shapeshift,” Sleep Near stated after the fact, quickly becoming aware of how in this body he had no way to hide his blush.

The flying filly continued to circle around him, though now she was observing him. He still had extra limbs, but in this body the extras were arms instead of legs and he had the two extra sets crossed on his abdomen. The fact that he was so powerful magically that he could shift forms impressed Frost, who was beginning to see why it was the bullies who ought to fear him rather than the other way around, “Woah, that’s awesome!”

Her observation did result in finding one detraction to his body, which the blunt mare spent no time in pointing out, “You don’t have wings like that though…” she shrugged and then did a loop-de-loop in the air for fun, “Oh well, how about we see who can fly around the courtyard fastest?”

Sleep Near shifted back and flapped his own wings to join her in the air, quite interested in playing with someone that was his age for once…especially if it was somepony that made him feel good.

“That’s the spirit!”

Sleep Near drifted out of his recollection to look back down at the book his mother had him studying. He was such a fast reader that even with his mind diverted he had managed to finish the book entirely in the couple hours he had been given to do so. There would not be much actual practice today, only a lot of preparation reading to do. The harder the spells and magic he and the others learned, the more reading there was…at nearly an exponential rate.

He and Hela had been born with more magic than their older sister had when she tried out for the Equestria Games, and so the only thing keeping them back from doing anything they pleased with their powers was learning how to tame them. Fortunately Luna was able to enact a higher level of teaching for them than she had been able to for their sister given their strength disparity, and so all that was needed at this point was time.

“Mother, may Frost come over later?”

Luna smiled as she looked up from her own book, having enjoyed the shared silence but also enjoying the fact that her comment before seemed to have had an effect on him.

“I do not see why not, provided you finish your studies.”

Sleep Near nodded but said no more. Everyone knew of his deep crush on his best friend…except that very same friend it appeared, who had taken his awkwardness as a given when in fact it was greatly reduced whenever she was not around. Since she had never seen him without her, she had no idea how shy she made him.

“When are you going to tell her your feelings?”

Even if it was obvious, he felt the need to defend himself, “I do not know what you are talking about.”

Luna sighed and gave him a serious glance, “Sleep Near, you do not need to lie to me, so do not.”

“She’s already married to her future career. Why should I bother?” his eyes averted, he ran a hand through his hair nervously, realizing then that during his daydream he must have shapeshifted when he had been first thinking about it, “By the time I’m finished being an adolescent she will have retired.”

Luna could hear the rationalization, and could well tell that it was a deflection of his own insecurities concerning the whole matter. Still, what he said was true, and so long as he saw it as an issue he would drag his feet and let someone he loved slip away, “My sister and I agreed long ago to not engage in romance because any partner we might find would pass away long before us.”

Sleep Near looked down abashedly as she spoke, realizing sort of what she was getting at even before she continued. His glance down gave Luna the chance to lean down and give him a kiss on the forehead gently.

“But, my lovely son, you of all people should know that lifespans can be changed.”

Sleep Near remained unconvinced, however, and more doubts crept in as he thought about his missing twin and the secret she had shared with only her immediate family…that she could see how people were going to die. That she could even know when, and the circumstances leading to it.

“Hela has visions and knows what will happen, I…”

He was not so cursed with visions, but rather left with a mind that could ascertain every possible outcome to a series of actions. While Hela could see the future and look back from it, he could understand what could be, and the more he learned the more doubtful he grew of trying to do or change things. If any change outside of his own being could result in untold influence both positive and negative, should he?

“I know what could be with my imagination, both good and bad. If I change anything I could make things worse just as much as I could make them better.”

He went back to reading as Luna continued to look at him with a sad look. As great as their power was, her children were cursed by that very same strength they possessed.

They would grow into it though…she was sure of it. It would just take time, and they were but teenagers.

“Are you alright?”

Sleep Near was laying down beside his heavily breathing friend, whose lip was split and bleeding as she spoke back.

“Yeah…I just need a bit…”

Her lip healed quickly and the blood faded, and the bruises hidden beneath her fur faded as she felt Sleep Near’s power wash over her. Frost had come to visit her friend along with Scootaloo, but once again she had gone ahead of her sister and found Sleep Near surrounded by bullies. They would need to be carried home, and they wouldn’t be able to fly for possibly months given how she aimed for the wings, but even though she was tougher and faster than them did not mean she was able to easily best three ponies at once.

It was for this reason that Sleep Near tried to talk her out of doing this. There were many such instances of this sort of thing happening when she was over, so many that Luna had decided this would be the twins last year going out to school, but never once did Frost fail to stick up for him…

“You don’t have to always fight for me.”

She tried to pass it off as no big deal, but she had to admit to herself that it really hurt even if she didn’t regret it, “Pfft, what do I care? Those jerks really need to learn it’s not okay to treat others like that, especially not a Prince like you.”

The fact that he was royalty was something she often brought up, not out of malice but out of respect for his station, but it made him uncomfortable since he was not an egomaniac and he did not place himself on a higher level than her or anyone else, “I’m no better of a person than anyone. I…I just have more powers.”

“Of course you’d be modest,” Frost joked while playfully punching his shoulder with one hoof. Upon touching him, a thought struck her that made her laugh as she rolled over onto her back and enjoyed the courtyard they chose to relax in, “Hey, think I could be princess of kicking butt when we grow up? That way I could make sure there isn’t anyone like them around?”

“I…” Sleep Near averted his gaze as he tried to think of a way of telling her that something like that didn’t exist, “I don’t know…I don’t think mother wants to create any more ponies like us who isn’t a part of our family…”

As Frost began to mumble about something, Sleep Near nervously added to his statement.

“You could always be…m-my princess though.”

That certainly got her attention, and Frost looked over to see if he was joking or not. Realizing that he wasn’t, she smirked and leaned in to place her head by where he was resting.

“I think I live with that,” she paused before looking up at him with a smile, “You’re my best friend, Sleep Near. You know that, right?”

He was unable to read her the way she just read him though, and so he was unsure if she was serious about the first part, though he had no doubt about the second.

“And you’re mine,” Sleep Near lowered himself to the ground as well so they would be on an equal level, “I want things to always be like this.”

She playfully punched him again while also scoffing at his words, “Hey now, don’t get too wishy-washy on me,” she softened after a moment, having realized his surprise, “But I don’t want anything to change either. You better keep your promise.”

“Promise?”

“I want to be the best flyer there ever was, but I think Princess will do.”

“I wonder if she remembers...”

“I am sure she does, but I doubt she feels comfortable bringing it up.”

Sleep Near looked up to see his smirking mother. He had forgotten that she was capable of looking into daydreams as well, provided they were vivid enough to be actual imaginations rather than fleeting thoughts.

He shook his head to free himself of the lingering pieces of his decade old memory, all the while formulating an argument to ward himself off from it, “Mother, would it not be selfish to marry for my feelings rather than some political arrangement?”

“I want you to be happy,” Luna said back with a soft smile, one of her arms wrapping around his far shoulder to pull him into a hug, “I would rather my dear son live with someone he loves than someone who he does not care for.”

The way she said it…Sleep Near could see logic in it. Still, despite that, it did not make it feel any less selfish and merely served as an apology for one’s own selfishness. If he were selfless he would happily marry whoever was best for the nation, not who was best for him specifically so he could happily lead.

Sensing his doubt, Luna gave him another kiss on the forehead and consoled him softly, “You have thousands of years for politics. Don’t worry about them now, when you still are young. I only want the very best for you, and that begins with your happiness. Never forget that for everyone to be happy, you, as a part of everyone, must be too.”

That was something that had been forgotten by her eldest, and she would be damned if she watched her son fall down the same path.

“Mommy!”

Both Sleep Near and Luna looked up to see a young filly finish pushing the door open as she rushed inside to join the two inside. Sleep Near moved aside as his younger sister rushed forth and began to climb onto Luna’s lap and began rubbing her light blue fur on Luna’s dark clothing.

While she was endeared that her daughter was so devoted to her that she wanted to tackle-hug her every chance she got and climb up onto her lap, Luna did not want to show a complete lack of discipline towards her children.

“Trixie…”

Realizing that she was being reprimanded given Luna’s tone, the young filly stopped climbing on Luna and sheepishly looked down at the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Trixie sobbed as she poked at the floor with a hoof. Sleep Near wanted to pity her, but this was the third time this week they were having this conversation.

Luna had intended to name her next daughter Trixie, but when she had given birth to a second daughter and its fur was an almost near match to her deceased daughter’s, Luna had been filled with so many emotions she did not know what to say or do.

The filly had the same voice as Trixie, similar mannerisms, and if not for the wings and the slightly darker fur this one would be a near replica as to what the original had been like at this age. Luna had taken to nearly spoiling her out of guilt and except for instilling the same rules she had with the twins, she was always trying to make things easy for her.

“Remember Trixie, you are royalty. It is part of our duty to act the part.”

Having heard what Luna said, the very young filly elected to begin climbing up on her lap anyways. Once up there, she curled into a ball and began rubbing her head against Luna’s body.

“Mommy…”

Seeing that she was not going to win this time, Luna gave in and decided to find a way of dealing with this excessive clinginess later, “You are incorrigible.”

The reprimanding session over, Sleep Near felt able to speak up again. He brought a hand down to his sister’s head and rustled her fur softly, “How’s my little sister?”

Trixie pulled herself up so she was sitting in Luna’s lap and was able to look at him, “Hela and I just finished our lessons. She showed me some of dad’s ice magic!”

Sleep Near smiled as he thought about how Hela stole Trixie away for the day. Hela had grown up idolizing their older sister, even after she learned of her passing and everything that led to it. When this Trixie was born Hela had taken her under her wing and had grown about as protective of her as Luna herself was. Trixie did not understand why sometimes her sister kept her away from their mother, but she did know that everyone loved her very much, even if her dad sometimes joked she looked nothing like him.

Sleep Near and Loki each let Luna and Hela work out their tug of war on the child, but each was feeling it was about time to bury that hatchet. Whereas the original Trixie had lost her sanity with the help of Luna and the alternate Hela, both Luna and Hela were trying to one-up the other in terms of raising this one correctly and with as much love as they could.

“Mother, can we have ice cream?” Trixie’s innocent voice piped up after a moment of silence amongst the group.

“Was the ice of your magic not enough?”

“Pleeeeeease?”

Sleep Near had to stifle a snicker at the sight of his sister using her big eyes to forcefully win Luna over, who quickly relented to the adorable sight before her.

“I suppose you deserve it for working so hard. Go talk to the chefs, and remember to thank them.”

Trixie leapt out of Luna’s lap with a big smile on her face, “Thank you mommy!” when she landed on the ground she looked up to Sleep Near and urged him along with her, “Come on big brother!”

Trixie was at the door by the time Sleep Near even stood up. He gave a glance to Luna and smiled sadly.

“You’re going to spoil her if you let her just walk over you.”

Luna hung her head as she agreed to what he said, “I know, dear, but…”

“She loves you though, unconditionally, so do not be afraid to sometimes be firm with her.”

Perhaps not abusive-firm, but firm nonetheless. Such was the duty of a parent, and Loki could not always be the one to lay down the law to one of them while Luna only did so to Hela. Sleep Near knew a balance had to be had.

“Come on big brother!”

Sleep Near noticed that his sweet younger sister was still waiting for him by the door and so he made his way over to her.

“Coming, Trixie.”

Looking at her made him suffer a thousand flashbacks, remember a thousand videos and messages left to him by her predecessor, and all of it made him pause once more as they moved towards the kitchens.

It couldn’t be the same Trixie, could it? She was born over a decade later, and she was not even an absolute match to the original, but still…she made him wonder nonetheless. Was it some cruel joke, or a blessing to heal Luna’s heart by giving her another chance?

“What’s the matter? You look sad…”

Even the young child could tell something was wrong, and so Sleep Near quickly went about fixing his facial expression to hide what he was feeling. He didn’t want her to ever know about what he was thinking…she was happy, and each of them wanted it to stay that way.

“It’s nothing,” he smiled at his sister brightly as he thought about a way of repairing the rift this kind foal was inadvertently causing, “How about tomorrow you spend the day with me and Hela? We can all go out to town together, maybe even with mother and father.”

“Will Daddy and Mommy let us? Tomorrow is for studying.”

“I’m sure I can convince them,” Sleep Near moved her pointed hat to get at her mane, which he rustled from the side this time playfully, “Now, let’s get you your ice cream, okay?”

“Is there toast flavored ice cream?”

“I think I just lost my appetite.”

Author's Note

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Trixie 2.0 will appreciate your love :heart:

Gaiden: Wanna Join Me, Come and Play?

A/N: Special thanks to Amethyst Blade, refferee, and InsanityStreak for your comments last chapter. Hope to hear from you all more this chapter!

This chapter originates from a picture I saw and wanted to write about but given the point this story was at I couldn't fit a more comedic part in as far as tone goes.

Chapter title comes from the League of Legends song "Get Jinxed". This chapter takes place during the Thanos arc of the main story.

Hope you enjoy some Gamer Luna, and hope to hear from you in the comments below! I wonder if any salt shall be shed...

Enemy slain.

“Damnit!”

Double kill.

“That wasn’t even fair! Why’d we even do instant respawns?!”

Triple kill!

“Oh come on!”

Overkill!

“Stop or I’ll—”

Killtacular!

“That is not even a word! I would know, I read the dictionary!”

Killtrocity!

The game ended as Luna turned her scornful gaze upon the mare sitting next to her.

“I hate you.”

The peach colored mare next to Luna only stretched out as she placed her controller down. Next to her was a similarly agitated man in a business suit befitting of a billionaire, for Tony Stark was the one to gift Luna with her impressive collection of video games as a symbol of friendship as he continued to serve as an ambassador of sorts between their races.

Luna liked video games, but the player they had tried to face together still managed to defeat each of them with ease…despite being a Human transformed into a pony, and thus having the handicap of using hooves instead of hands.

Needless to say, they were both humiliated.

“It’s not my fault you’re just a filthy casual.”

Luna huffed indignantly. She had found this player “online”, whatever that meant in Stark’s own form of magic, and after playing with her a few times she invited the Human over to play in person after an event in said mare’s life made Luna want to reach out. Not many other Equestrians did not yet understand the novelty of such technology, so Luna was left to meet other players outside of her own people.

Of course she had forgotten to mention that crossing over between worlds could result in changing forms, but Stark was savvy enough to come through the Bifrost rather than a portal so he was not so affected.

Luna’s face flushed red as she thought about the thorough beating she just took in-game. By somebody without opposable thumbs or magic to accomplish the same task. This humiliation led her to scoff at her guest, who was so blunt it put the princess off-guard.

“I have things to do other than play video games at least!”

For a relatively new horse, Luna’s guest got the motion of snorting down well.

“Doesn’t make your K/D ratio any less sad.”

“Shut up Vivian.”

The pony shrugged as she shifted on the couch Luna set up for her and Stark. The way things were going Luna would never win, nor Stark, not that either was incompetent. They just were facing someone with thousands more hours logged in gaming than them, and so such plebeians were beneath her level in this sort of game.

Every gamer had a different kind of game they were good at though, everyone had a type, so that gave Vivian an idea about how to make Luna feel less bad about losing so badly at Halo.

“Maybe you should try another genre, because I don’t think we’re making any progress here.”

Luna crossed her furred arms over her stomach, indignantly responding to the blunt manner of discussing the recent failure.

“Hmmph.”

Vivian rolled her head to the side and caught sight of a computer that appeared extremely new. She had no idea how it or any of Luna’s consoles for that matter were connected to the internet, but if anyone could manage such a thing it was Stark.

“Your husband is good at Starcraft. Wanna try that?”

Luna balked at this revelation. Surely this was said in jest? A jape of sorts? For surely her blue ears had heard wrong.

“Wait, what? Loki’s been playing?”

Vivian’s tired eyes shut and she yawned. It seemed she had uncovered someone’s secret without trying, but she didn’t really care given that it wasn’t her business, “Well, yeah. He didn’t tell you?”

Stark was snickering across from Luna as the princess grumbled, “He usually tells me how much he thinks my games are childish. Hypocrite!”

Vivian sighed. Luna was quite hormonal given her pregnancy, and it was making her overreact to silly things.

“Well he seemed pretty good to me. How about we invite him over and do the 4v4 mode in it? You can learn by copying what he and I do.”

The strategy video game was quite difficult compared to many others, but Luna was smart and Vivian was sure she could manage if she focused instead of letting her anger get to her.

Of course, Luna would accept the game switching suggestion…to a degree.

“No! I refuse! I will learn this game and become far better at it than that insufferable prince who would dare tell me to go outside now and again.”

“You’re pregnant, right? Wouldn’t it be good to get some fresh air or something?” Vivian straightened out her green and purple hoodie as she got up and went over to inspect the computer she had seen, “Or are you all just fat? I don’t seem to have such a big stomach…”

“Quiet, mortal, and set the game up.”

Vivian snorted again. Luna was child’s play compared to the vitriol third person shooters would breed, so if she was meaning to sound intimidating she was talking down the wrong person. Of course, most twelve year olds trying to sound tough did not also have the power to change the time of day and cast magic, but Vivian was pretty sure Luna wouldn’t go that far over nothing.

The pony ran a hoof over her headband with an infinity loop on it as she finished checking out the specs of the computer before her. It was top of the line and no expenses seem to have been spared by Stark, which impressed Vivian, but she doubted Luna really understood the more intricate side of things.

Of further note, there were two keyboards: one meant for Human sized hands, and a custom made one for hooves to use with far larger keys equaling a massive keyboard.

Still, Starcraft was one person per computer, so Vivian continued to look around the room to find another. Surely enough, Luna had multiple set up though the others did not appear well used, “Well, since we can’t play on the same computer I’m gonna have to turn your other one on. Stark really gave you some sweet stuff to play with.”

“Yes, and it was quite nice of him to give me all of these games as well. They are quite enjoyable diversions.”

Tony blinked, his ego bruised by the way they were talking about him despite it being in a flattering light, “I’m right here.”

Before either could acknowledge their third player though, another voice interrupted them from the doorway.

“Mother, who is this?”

The three looked over to see Trixie standing in the doorway with Kael behind her. Trixie had a quizzical look on her face, though minimized by a look of exhaustion. It seemed like she was using Kael as a crutch to stand up.

Luna gestured to her guest, though she did not look in their direction, as she was still cross with how thoroughly she had been trampled in their last game, “This is Vivian. I met her online while playing some game or another.”

“I called her out over referring to herself as a pony, thinking she was just some special snowflake horsekin from Tumblr,” Vivian explained before growing a wry smile, her freckled cheeks raising as she shot a glance at Luna, “Then I shot her character. She didn’t like that very much.”

Once again Luna saw fit to complain, seeing the in-game maneuver as poor etiquette, “It is unfair to shoot someone while they are focused on speaking.”

“Actually that’s the best time, casual.”

Trixie raised her eyebrows at the childish fight going on, but said nothing. She knew her mother had taken to playing such games, but she had not paid much attention to the hobby. She had even assumed it was a phase until it lasted entire months.

Luna got up to give Trixie a hug before moving over to join Vivian by one of the computers, while Stark went about setting up yet another, “But, yes, she was having some fun with her friends and then someone threatened to bomb her house, so she’s playing here. It’s easier to face her anyways while she’s here, because there is no lag. I need every advantage I can get to face such a skilled player.”

Trixie smiled at Luna and then sighed. If it kept Luna happy and diverted, that was good enough for her. Her only problem was that Luna seemed to get stressed out while playing, but then again every hobby could be in its own way…

“I…see. Well, I have some work in Jotunheim to do, so I will see you in a few days, Mother. Take it easy and relax.”

Luna smiled back and waved as Trixie and Kael moved to leave. She felt embarrassed to have her adopted daughter looking after her instead of the other way around.

“I will, I will…”

Vivian rubbed a hoof against her chin as she watched Kael disappear from sight. After a moment she shrugged and went back to setting up the computer.

“He looked familiar.”

Luna couldn’t fathom why that would be, but she also did not particularly care, “Meh, whatever. You ready yet?”

Vivian grunted as she finished the setup, “I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to type as a pony without this special keyboard…”

She glanced over to Luna and then back at her own body. Things were indeed harder without hands, not that she’d up and admit that.

“So was there a reason you had me turn into a pony, or is this just to get back at me for saying ponies probably suck at games?”

To not dispel the belief that Luna herself had caused the transformation, when in fact it was an accident, Luna dodged the question to make herself appear more powerful than she really was.

“I still do not understand how you can play well with hooves.”

“Determination I guess. Now, if I carry hard enough, can I have my normal body back? It’s kind of weird having fur and everything.”

Luna chuckled, amused by the almost flustered look the mare whose flat affect was so deadpan she could pass for Pinkie Pie’s sister Maud, “Maybe. You make a good pony.”

To once again try and gain some attention Tony spoke up, “I still don’t see why we’re playing this instead of Super Smash Bros.”

Luna scoffed, “You just want to play as Samus.”

“She’s a badass bounty hunter warrior who has a powered suit of armor! Not as great as a hero millionaire philanthropist playboy with a power suit, but almost as good,” Stark defended himself while also flattering himself.

Vivian snorted, “And she has boobs in a skintight outfit.”

Tony nodded without missing a beat, “And she has boobs. Huge boobs in fact. Melons the world could aspire to.”

Luna shrugged at the mention of the female anatomy she did not grow up possessing in the same form the other two were used to. It was fine if Stark enjoyed that kind of thing, but she had no personal attachment to the issue, “Still don’t understand that fascination.”

Once again Tony fired right back all the while smiling smugly, “I fail to see how you fail to see that they are great.”

“A study has shown that players of fighting video games have their reaction times noticeably slowed when they are distracted by the attractiveness of the characters on screen,” Vivian added, adding in her own relevant information to the discussion.

Stark, with his genius intellect and great repository of information, continued on his roll as he pointed a finger to Vivian, “But the same study says that guys have better reaction times on average.”

“Good thing I’m not average, since you still can’t beat me,” Vivian taunted him. This done, she turned to Luna, “There anyone but your husband who can play? Because this will be way too easy. I could beat four by myself, and with you two it’ll be super easy. Might as well make it four and do something fun.”

Luna paused for a moment as she got set up at her desk. Who else would play?

A devilish thought crossed her mind, and not a moment later she was yelling out so that all could hear her down the hallway.

“Tia! We need you! It is very important!”

As Luna’s voice carried down the building, Vivian noticed something on the game’s friend list and she clicked a button with her hoof, “Oh, Milo is on. I’ll invite him to our group.”

It did not take long for the requested Alicorn to arrive, having had an afternoon second lunch interrupted by her sister’s loud voice. Celestia stood in the doorway in some confusion as she saw Luna sitting before her new computer along with a pony Celestia did not know and also Stark, who Celestia did not know was visiting.

“Luna, what are you doing?”

“Thanks to Stark, we have electronics now, and they are very fun. Come join us.”

Celestia paused to mull over the invitation before realizing that she had only planned to eat cake and ice cream this afternoon anyways, so some quality time with her also-pregnant sister would not be too terrible.

“I was going to fill out paperwork, but I suppose it can wait,” Celestia lied as she approached Luna’s side and tussled her mane, “Anything to spend time with my dear, younger sister.”

“Tia, quit mocking me in front of my friends,” Luna whined as Vivian snickered along with Stark, the former running a hoof through her ginger mane unconsciously at the sight of Celestia touching Luna’s hair.

“I don’t see the resemblance,” Vivian observed as she watched the two sisters begin to bicker playfully. They looked wholly different outside of their species, but none of these talking horses made much sense to the expert of vidya games.

“You hush Vivian and let’s get started. I’m building Stalkers because teleportation is amazing, so you all build something else.”

“Luna, what buttons do I press?”

“Keep pressing until something works, Tia, I am not our mother.”

“I’ll build Reapers. They remind me of my Iron Man suit.”

“Didn’t you hear? They got nerfed.”

“I’ll change that when I get back home. I’ll buy their company and make them strong again.”

“Less talking, more playing!”

Luna enjoyed gaming, and while Loki would only do so in secret, the two managed to use it as a way to spend time together in the future, sometimes even including Celestia among others.

It took Luna awhile to think back to the memory though, given that Trixie subtly pushed it along with many others out of the way without deleting them entirely. So when she did remember she was saddened at first, but this faded quickly as her youngest daughter grew an interest in games and they too managed to bond over them.

To Luna in video games it didn’t matter what you are, if you were a pony or a Human, for the fun they provide could unite people of all kinds.

And, after a bet made on bad impulse, Vivian was crowned Princess of Video Games in Equestria after Luna lost to her twenty-seven games in a row.

Yes, Celestia was not pleased.

Author's Note

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed a bit more of gamer Luna, who I wanted to do more of in the main story but it wouldn't have fit in with the plot with where we went. Still, that's what this is for! Just random bits of extra fluff and stuff.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments below! I missed hearing from you guys last time.

Gaiden: TvTroping

A/N: Did you all know that we have a TvTropes page now? No? Go check it out when you can, and if you're a tropes perhaps you can help it out a bit!

Anyways, special thanks to those who commented last chapter, and I hope you continue to enjoy and that I can hear from you after this small but fun chapter! Bigger one to come soon, and the more I hear from you guys the faster I can update it!

"Goodnight daddy."

Loki finished pulling the purple covers over his youngest daughter before moving a hand to brush across her face and remove the loose strands of her mane that hid her sleepy eyes.

"Goodnight, dear."

He lent down to kiss Trixie on the forehead, beside her Unicorn horn, before standing up and moving to leave her behind for the night in her spacious room set aside in the Asgardian castle next to Hela's and Sleep Near's rooms on either side. Hela had originally insisted on having Trixie in her room when the youngest was still a baby, so she could look after her, but now that Trixie was older it was time for the mare to have her own space.

Of course, this meant that Trixie would occasionally curl up in Loki and Luna's bed instead of her own, but Loki did not resist that idea like he once had. He actually felt a twinge as he entered his own chambers and noticed his own bed where that had first played out over a decade beforehand through the first Trixie's tiredness and Luna's drunkenness.

Things weren't easy back then, but Loki longed for them nonetheless.

Tearing him from his thoughts was a glow projecting onto his wife, who sat contently underneath their covers while staring at a glowing technological device beside her known as a 'laptop'. She had become quite interested in all the technology Stark offered and Loki indulged in her predilection, even playing some of the games she had taken to playing. For her sake only, of course. The King of Asgard was above such things, or so he told himself.

It was late though, and since Luna was currently on a 'normal' sleep schedule and not nocturnal her being up at this point was not healthy, precisely the reason Loki put their daughter to bed after finishing a magic lesson with her.

"Luna, what are you doing?"

Luna did not even look up as Loki moved to the bed and sat down beside her, moving to look at her screen.

"Troping."

Loki blinked. Troping? Was that even a verb?

He had to inquire further, as when he took a glance at the screen she only seemed to be reading some text on a standard type of web page, "Troping?"

Luna blankly nodded as she scrolled down the page, "Troping."

Still not getting it, Loki decided to press on further. Upon further inspection he could see that she was looking at some page called "Legend of the Galactic Heroes", which he recalled was some show the first Trixie had watched in her free time years back. Perhaps Luna was reminiscing?

"And that means what exactly?"

"Take a look for yourself."

The setup of the page was simple, with a small hyperlinked set of words being used to describe something which were then followed by an explanation of sorts. The page Luna was on was titled "Characters" and seemed to be a database of characters which belonged to the series Luna was looking into.

One such example was the following belonging to the character, which Loki found to have intrinsic meaning despite not knowing much about the site: 'Meaningful Name: "Reuenthal" can be, rather appropriately, translated as "Valley of regrets" (in German "reuen" means "to regret" and "thal" in place names means valley). His flagship's designation is "Tristan" which is related to the French word "triste" meaning "sad".'

So this site collected basic information that pertained to what was on it, and described how it applied in a simple manner? His interest piqued by how he could understand basic things despite not knowing the series given the format, Loki continued to look on as Luna finished reading the section.

'The Starscream: Somewhat. He is loyal to Reinhard, but also highly ambitious on his own. Reuenthal himself lampshades this every single chance he gets.'

That was something that made Loki's eyes widen. He had heard of this Starscream, in fact he had read some 'comic books' including the character. He found himself amused by the backstabbing bastard's antics that often times backfired and sometimes even got him killed, but found himself more drawn towards the character's partner Thundercracker who exhibited honorable qualities and found himself walking a line between good and evil that Loki could respect. After all, he was a backstabbing bastard himself once upon a time and didn't want memories of that, so he'd rather find himself invested in a different sort of character.

So, if the site was using the word 'Starscream' to describe this character, Loki supposed that Starscream was such a notable backstabber that he was being used as a way to describe others in a simple manner. Loki wondered briefly what he would have to do to have his own trope before shaking his head and continuing to read.

'Tragic Hero/Tragic Villain: Is Reuenthal a bad man trying to be good, or a good man who can't help but be bad?'

The 'Tragic Villain' part was hidden by a spoiler related feature originally, but Luna highlighted it to read it anyways. Loki found himself feeling sorry for whoever this was, as it sounded just like himself once upon a time before he had reformed. Perhaps he and Luna could spend some time watching this together with Hela and Sleep Near? They were old enough for something mature, even if Trixie was too young.

"Explain this site to me. I think I get "

Luna nuzzled her head into Loki's body as he made himself comfortable beside her, "This internet thing is interesting. There are databases of information, and I have found mentions of us on this site known as 'TvTropes'. We appear quite popular."

He clicked onto another page, where Loki read briefly about him being a darkhorse or something, and then onto another page where Luna was listed as such. She then clicked the word darkhorse and it led to another page which defined it: 'The term "Dark Horse" has its origin in horse racing. A relatively unknown horse would be risky to place bets on, compared to a horse with a known track record, because the gamblers would be "in the dark," so when an unknown horse won a race it was called a "Dark Horse Victory." The term is also used in politics to describe a lesser known candidate who does better than expected in an election.

Generally, it's used to describe a side character making up part of the Ensemble, either a non-lead secondary character or a mere Flat Character, who can sometimes become unexpectedly popular with the fandom (sometimes, even more than the lead characters) depending on who and where the Fandom is, as well as what the other characters are like in comparison (for example, the hero is not as popular because s/he is too much The Everyman). Often, this can happen because the character has very few character traits, allowing fans to imagine this character to have traits that they like. The Ensemble Dark Horse can sometimes be viewed as the character equivalent of a Cult Classic.'

"Ensemble darkhorse..." Loki smirked in recognition of his apparent popularity with denizens of the internet. While he would not classify himself as a Flat Character, he was not going to complain about recognition, "Interesting..."

Luna rolled over and kissed him on the cheek before opening up another tab she had prepared.

"They have a page for Starcraft II as well."

Loki blinked as he thought about the game he had not played in recent years as other games released to supplant it. Nonetheless, he had loved its final installment and nostalgia began to flow through him at the thought he could read about it in this interesting method.

"They had better have done Fenix justice and mention how little attention his death received in the first two installments, only to be teased and ultimately let down in the third."

Luna smirked at how he quickly became emotional about the game he rarely admitted to playing, much like how he denied partaking in the hobby altogether outside of a select few people, "I think I saw something about that when I peeked at it. So, want to read with me?"

Seeing that Luna wasn't intending to sleep anytime soon, and not for their usual reasons, Loki decided to just go along with what she was doing since it could amuse him too.

"Why not? This is just a new form of data and information collection, and I always enjoy spending time with my beloved wife. Let's start with my page though. I presume I have one?"

Luna snickered as she pulled up another page she had apparently been looking into, only for Loki's face to pale as she scrolled up to the top and he read its first sentence.

"Welcome, Midgardian, or whichever other insignificant being you might be. The internet's becoming quite popular, after all..."

Luna had to put a hand over her mouth as Loki began to contort his face as he tried to find words to describe his feelings on how the article attempted to sound as if he was the one speaking in it.

"Are these Humans...pretending...to..."

He shook his head and gripped his hands into fists, entering a form of tranquil fury as he looked at the blight of the internet before him.

"I am contacting Stark. These fools dare think that they can speak for me, the King of Asgard and Equestria, God of Deceit and—"

It was then that Luna could not help herself and she burst into laughter, instantly cutting Loki's incoming rant off with her mirthful noise.

"What are you laughing at?"

Luna patted him on the leg as she fought to reign in her laughter, though it was made more difficult by Loki's look of confusion at how amused she had been at his antics.

"I apologize, I just find it fun to see you get worked up about something. After you went to Hel you really calmed down."

Not wanting to admit defeat, Loki changed the subject and crossed his arms.

"We're reading your page next. Let us see how much you enjoy having fools act as if they speak for you."

"Read it to me in your best Luna impression."

"Even if they mimic your old, backwards speaking mannerisms I helped cure?"

"...yes, We permit this. Amuse Us."

Author's Note

TvTropes is one of my favorite sites there is, so here we are! It's how I have gotten into a lot of the things I now love.

This all to inform you that, yes, we do have a TvTropes page now! Would have made one way back if I knew such a thing was possible. It would mean a lot if you guys could help fill it out, so if any of you guys trope, please lend a hand!

Actual update coming this following week. Been super busy with school and Nanowrimo, but I have more free time coming up! Sorry if this one was more of an advertisement than a chapter :rainbowlaugh:

Also, any comments would be much appreciated! Hope you all have a nice Thanksgiving, and your support will help me get writing done over my short break!

Gaiden: Girl's Day Out

A/N: Special thanks to Referee and InsanityStreak for your comments last time. Hope to hear from more of you this time since it's an actual chapter!

I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below, because boy is this more than just pure fluff!

Hooves and the legs they were attached to all desperately pulled out of the way of a blue flash making its way across the street, itself carried by a set of four hooves as the blur made its way from one side of the street to the other back and forth in a haphazard fashion. Excited to be out of the castle for once, they were displaying their enthusiasm by how much they ran around in absolute glee, even as their supervisors all struggled to keep up without making a scene.

“Trixie, slow down!”

The loud voice calling out made Trixie instantly halt her young hooves, her mood shifting from glee to petrifying dread. Trixie bowed her head and waited for Luna to make her way through the crowd to catch up with her, at which point she murmured.

“I’m sorry…”

Realizing that she had inadvertently scared Trixie, Luna calmed herself down and lowered herself to scoop the filly up in her arms gently.

“I just don’t want you to get lost, okay?” Luna cooed, nestling her own face in Trixie’s fur as she brought her daughter close to herself, “I’m not mad, I’m just worried about you.”

At this point the others with Luna and Trixie had caught up, the last of which was Hela, who had teleported ahead of Trixie to cut her off in case she got too far ahead.

“I have never seen Canterlot like this before,” Luna’s mother Faust stated, looking around as she stopped beside Luna, “Things have changed so much.”

Luna sighed as she felt Trixie move to hug her, her own mind thinking back to her first time in Canterlot years back after her return, “I know the feeling. You have acclimated to the language change far better than I had.”

Faust smirked down at her daughter, standing taller than her because while Luna was in her mixed form her mother was still standing as an Alicorn, “Of course. I am your mother, to be inferior to my daughters is not in my job description.”

The last member of their group spoke up with a playful tone, “I would think that making our children better than us is very much in our job description.”

Faust rolled her eyes at Frigga’s words, knowing them to be true but also not wanting to fully admit that, “That does not mean we cannot try our best to prolong the period it takes for them to do so.”

Trixie, having listened to the conversation, gestured over to her sister, “Is Hela better than mommy?”

Luna glanced over to Hela, who was averting her eyes at the time. Hela had powers Luna never would, but Luna knew that even her daughter was not perfect, “In some ways.”

This made Trixie hopeful, and she looked back to her mother, “Am I better than you, mommy?”

The thought made Luna balk, wanting to be ever kind to her daughter but also willing to draw a line at telling her that she was better than her, “Trixie, you are five. Ask me that in a few millennia.”

“Awwww…”

The rest of their walk went without incident, though Luna eventually put Trixie down only for Hela to take the young girl in her own arms and hug her close the rest of the way.

Their destination was a particular boutique in Canterlot that Luna had often conducted business with on behalf of Loki, as he was too proud to be seen going to it himself. Luna often rolled her eyes whenever he came up with a new excuse not to be around frilly dresses and the like, but given that Loki did other things she did not mind taking care of their clothing.

“This shop is owned by our friend, Ms. Rarity. I have some things I would like to pick up, so feel free to browse while I do so,” Luna explained to the others when they reached the entrance, at which point Hela placed Trixie down so that she could move around as she wished.

When they all entered they found the owner, Rarity, attending to a Human man who Trixie recognized as one of the ones in charge of teaching Sleep Near and Hela. He was standing in a full military uniform except for his feet, which Rarity was measuring for what appeared to be a pair of slippers she was working on.

Realizing the company now present, Rarity turned her attention away from the man to face the royalty who so casually entered her establishment, “Oh, Darling, pardon me.”

“Empress Luna, Queen Faust, Queen Frigga,” went the greetings as Trixie slipped away from her family, Rarity, and the man wearing the grey uniform and pink slippers. Curious about all the frilly things she was seeing on mannequins in the shop, Trixie continued wandering until she bumped into someone else quite literally, that person being the airheaded friend of Trixie’s older brother.

“Miss Anima!” Trixie cheerfully greeted, forgetting her own dizziness at having collided with the woman in favor of seeing someone familiar.

“Oh, Trixie. What are you doing here?” Anima asked as she looked around, as if expecting someone else to be with Trixie.

Trixie glanced back at the others and giggled as Luna studied the garments she was there for.

“Mommy is picking up clothing from Miss Rarity. It looks really stretchy!”

“Maybe you’re going to have the baby brother you always wanted?” Anima smiled as she lowered herself down to Trixie’s level.

Once her blue face was level with Trixie’s, Anima gave one last look around and whispered, “Speaking of which, where is your brother? Sleep Near isn’t usually too far from Hela, especially not when you’re around too.”

Trixie laughed as she remembered what she had been told that morning about their family’s plan to split into two for the day, “He’s with dad and their boyfriends!”

Anima raised an eyebrow, hoping Trixie was mistaken, “You mean boy friends.”

“What’s the difference?”

That was not something Anima was sure she should tell a five year old, but she didn’t know how to really dodge the question so she tried to say it simply, “Well, one is boys that happen to be your friends…and the other is…”

Realizing that she was not smart enough to simplify it, Anima sighed and realized she’d have to say everything rather than just a minute amount as she had hoped.

“You know how your mom and dad are together, right? Married, right?”

Trixie tilted her head, confused about one of the words said since she had only her vague mentions of it so far, “Married? Is that a type of food?”

“No, it’s when two adults are like your mom and dad and live together and have a family. A boyfriend is someone who is like that, but not as permanent as a husband in a marriage. Usually someone’s boyfriend can become a husband. Like, for example, if Sleep Near and I were to be together we’d be boyfriend and girlfriend…” Anima blushed and shook her head, “Not that we are or anything, just saying…”

Trixie hugged Anima’s leg and rubbed her face against it, a behavior she had grown when dealing with her doting family, “You know a lot about this stuff miss Anima.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I haven’t had a boyfriend yet. Not for lack of trying, mind you. Well…sort of.”

Trixie mimicked her mother’s earlier blanching expression, “You shouldn’t, mommy and daddy get all smoochy and kissy and they don’t save any for me. That stuff’s gross when they do it.”

“Maybe you’ll grow into it. You’re only a kid now.”

“Never!”

It took less than twelve hours for Trixie to go back on her word.

After Luna had stored her clothes away, the group left the boutique and realized they did not have a part two to this trip in Canterlot given that this was an impromptu get together. As a result Faust offered a suggestion to the others that she thought would have appeal to everyone.

“Is there perhaps a bookstore we could visit?”

Luna smiled to her mother, happy to indulge her mother if it meant she could also get Trixie and Hela to read more, “Of course. It has been some time since I have picked up anything new, after I bought some books on speech and our current language at Loki’s suggestion.”

Faust smiled back, appreciating her in-laws for how well they treated Luna, “I am glad my son-in-law is so thoughtful.”

Trixie, wanting attention, spoke up with what little she could add, “Daddy thinks a lot!”

Luna nodded to Trixie and gave her a gentle pat on the head, “He does think a lot, Trixie, but you need to lower your voice when we are in the bookstore, okay?”

Trixie nodded, realizing she had been loud and that she was impolite. Still, she was curious about the possibility of getting something at the bookstore since she was quite fond of books already given all her studying with Sleep Near and Hela at the castle, as well as the books Luna would help her through and read to her, not to mention those her parents took turns reading to her at bedtime.

“Can I pick a book?”

There were worse habits to indulge in than a reading habit, and so Luna actively sought to encourage Trixie’s, “Of course you can. And when you finish that one we can get you another.”

When the bookstore was in sight Faust gave Trixie a soft pat similar to how Luna had, “I will look after her.”

Frigga wound up in the children’s section reading to the children gathered there, foals, Asgardians, Frost Giants, and Humans alike. Luna and Hela were left to go off elsewhere as Faust followed after Trixie, who was wandering similarly to how she had in the street, only with less speed.

“What kind of book are you looking for, Trixie?”

Glancing from shelf to shelf, Trixie gave a vague response, “Magic book.”

Realizing that perhaps the foal did not know enough about book stores to specify more, Faust decided to just let the girl wander as she stayed in decent proximity of her.

“Don’t you have enough books on magic in the library? How about a history book or a novel?”

“Mommy’s books are hard…” Trixie whined quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone who might be reading and also not wanting to be heard by her mother, wherever she was.

Faust chuckled softly as she realized that Trixie, while precocious in some regards, was still only five. She needed something that someone a few years older than her could read, not something that would take someone a decade older to decipher at the earliest, “I suppose things meant for adults are hard for somepony your age to get through.”

Instead of responding in amusement or returning the laughter, Trixie hung her head. Her grandmother paused, unsure what was going through her head until Trixie suddenly spoke again.

“I wish I could learn with other fillies.”

That caught the elder Alicorn off guard, not having intended to make Trixie sad by dwelling on her learning circumstances, “Oh?”

Trixie continued to scan the shelves until a name caught her eye, at which point she dully removed it from the shelf and began to look down at the floor as she hovered the book in the air, “Mommy says I’m not the same, that it wouldn’t be fair to have me learn with them.”

That certainly was true, but Faust knew it was not the full reason why Luna was homeschooling her children. While there was less animosity and more good will throughout the world, there were still faint traces of the things Luna’s first daughter had strove to wipe out in her final actions. Luna feared that if she let her children, especially her uncannily familiar second daughter, experience such things that they might feel the pain that their elder sister had tried to shield them from.

So they had friends, but they were those already in their family’s inner circle. Unfortunately there were not any around Trixie’s age that she could bond with, and she felt isolated because everyone was older than her and treating her like the foal she was.

“Your brother and sister had trouble in school when your mother had them go. She doesn’t want you to have to go through that,” Faust tried to explain gently, not wanting Trixie to misunderstand things. They weren’t doing this to hurt her.

Still, Trixie hung her head and had to keep herself from crying.

“I want a friend.”

Faust pulled her granddaughter into a close hug, not knowing just what to say. She had created much in her time, but this felt like a particularly tall order, and so for the time she just took to comforting the young girl.

Elsewhere in the bookstore, Luna found herself facing a different kind of dilemma with one of her daughters, given that Hela was awkwardly standing right by her the entire time without saying anything. She was still awkward around Luna ever since learning of their family history, but she was at least on speaking terms with her now.

Or, Hela’s usual equivalent of speaking, nods and stares. Luna didn’t know what to do get Hela to come out of her shell, but she also did not want to be forceful in her approach. She didn’t want to give Hela a reason to resent her, but how could she walk that line without making it seem like she didn’t care about her?

She decided in the end to ask something neutral, something about what they were doing rather than the thick cloud hanging between them that Frigga had left her to handle, “Do you want anything, Hela?”

Hela was staring at a book on the shelf that seemed to be captivating her entire attention. When Luna moved herself to get a better look at what the book was, it made her spine shiver.

“Hela…”

Luna noticed then that Hela’s hands were clenched. Not only that, her arms were shaking as she stared at the book she had found.

Despite this, Hela choked out.

“You’re a good mother.”

Luna blinked, having expected the opposite statement from Hela, especially given the book that had thickened the dark cloud over Hela’s head.

“What?”

Hela lowered her head just like Trixie had moments ago, unable to look her mother in the eye, “You love us, you take care of us, and you would do anything you could for us. You comfort us when we cry, and you do everything in your power to make sure we don’t.”

Luna brought a hand out to touch Hela’s shoulder, but Hela caught it with a movement faster than Luna could see. She gripped Luna’s hand tightly at first before then loosening her grip and then allowing her own hand to guide Luna’s down towards their waists, where Hela then gingerly intertwined her fingers with her mother’s.

“I know you made mistakes, I know that it was not entirely your fault, but I…”

Luna fought the flood of emotions she was experiencing as Hela finally took the step to mend their bond, which had been a casualty of Luna’s own mistakes over a decade prior. Mistakes she entirely owned up to, but which she had come to understand were not the only pieces of the puzzle that went into her first daughter’s downfall and death.

It seemed that now Hela too was willing to forgive her. That was something even Luna had taken years to do.

“Hela…”

Using her free hand, Hela removed the book she had been staring at on the shelf and held it before herself, allowing her eyes to glance over its cover instead of its spine.

“This book…”

‘Nothing Lasts Forever: A Semi-Autobiography by Trixie Lulamoon’ hung before them. A published book of memories Trixie had stored away detailing her life and later descent into madness. At first Luna had fought to keep others from knowing publicly what had happened with Trixie, but with time she realized she had to let others know, and know correctly. Trixie had left behind a will wishing as such, explaining also how to access the library of videos she had left behind for Sleep Near and Hela, as well as videos for Luna and Loki. Both videos to remember their good times, as well as others to highlight those that broke her psyche.

These, in addition to help from Twilight who offered to write the book, was why this semi-autobiography existed. An accounting of what happened, so others could know the truth and so others would not twist it into something it was not. Luna had executed certain individuals directly following Trixie’s death who had sought to do just that, up to and including her maternal grandparents who had helped set everything into motion by throwing their own child out after what happened with Blueblood’s father.

Still, they were not the only ones who were punished in a form…for Trixie’s will explicitly admitted to her crimes. Luna sighed as she thought back to the day when her heart broke its second time on Trixie’s behalf.

“It was made after the public trial we had for her. She had asked that we prosecute her like anyone else who would do such crimes.”

Hela nodded the smallest amount before looking from the book up at her mother. Luna could see that even in her daughter’s resolute eyes that tears were beginning to form. Hela idolized her elder sister, and the scars still left on Luna were only newly embedded on the teenager who had come to learn of them.

“The biography has all the information we’ve gathered about her. There are missing pieces because neither her nor her mother could tell us…but…”

Hela nodded as she tucked the book under her arm, showing her intention to read it, as she took on a stoic expression even more serious than the look she had been carrying.

“One day I will have the power to go and see it all myself.”

And, if she could manage to, fix what she could. But she knew little of time travel, alternate dimensions/timelines, and the like, so she let those thoughts die down as she decided to settle for now with this story.

Seeking to make use of the moment, Luna pulled Hela into a hug which her daughter did not resist. The two stood silently in the bookstore, unbothered by patrons because of laws Luna had enacted at the suggestion of her new guard leader concerning the possibility of assassination. No-one could approach the royalty without permission, though they would not be found at fault if royalty approached them.

This of course did not pertain to royalty itself, and so the mother-daughter moment was interrupted by another member of their family.

Luna felt something poking into her side over and over again at a slow pace, causing her to look aside to where Trixie stood levitating her book in the air. The foal was seemingly unaware of the moment going on or its significance, so she continued to prod Luna.

“Book please.”

The innocence she could see in her daughter made Luna cheer up immediately, hopeful for this second chance to do things right with her daughter. A part of her wanted this to be the Trixie she lost, but another wanted a fresh start to do things right.

“Of course, Trixie.”

Once she learned that she would be able to get the book she chose, Trixie instantly began reading it, hovering it right in front of her face and reading at a pace one would not expect of her age. Being a living god came with its perks.

Hela knelt down and brought an arm around Trixie, even giving her a small kiss on the head, “How’s my little sister?”

Focused now intently on reading, Trixie ignored her sister and continued to read, “Book.”

Luna snickered at the single minded focus being displayed before looking down and actually reading the title of the book Trixie had chosen. Faust had ended up steering Trixie in the direction of a non-magic book after all, as this was a biography from the ‘Humans In Equestria’ section, “A novel about Mister woman’s bunny slippers? Trixie, I thought you were going to read something your own level, not a full biography.”

This playful accosting was lost upon Trixie, who didn’t seem to get the problem and just continued to read as Faust joined them with a smirk on her muzzle, “Luna was quite similar at her age. Oh how long its been since then…”

“Mother, you make it sound as if I am old.”

That got Trixie’s attention, and she laughed as she prodded Luna again with her book, “Mommy’s old!”

Luna did not even look down at her daughter as she half closed her eyes in resentment over the fact she was being ganged up on, “Trixie, do you want to join Hela and Sleep Near in their lessons tomorrow?”

“But tomorrow is drill day!”

Luna scoffed at the irony of one of the people running the drills being the one on Trixie’s book, the expression further amplified by Luna’s own self-pride as she spoke, “Then your mother is a beautiful, young mare who is in her prime and at an optimal point in her life to do anything she wants.”

Trixie nodded as she went back to reading, “Mommy is Optimus Prime.”

Hela snorted as Luna hung her head down, at the end of her rope in patience and just deciding to give up for the time being.

“Close enough.”

After the family milled about Canterlot for the day, they met up with the other half in Asgard at the orphanage that Loki had established in the main city. Fortunately it was not filled to the brim, but it was not empty because of the conflicts Asgard still had to enter thanks to its role in protecting so many worlds. It had taken a lot of effort on Luna’s end to convince Loki to stop leading from the frontlines in every battle, with him only agreeing if she reciprocated. If something major arose they would still call on their soldiers, but for the time being there was really no need and great risk at having royalty go out onto the battlefield for every which issue.

“Who’s Lulamoon?”

Luna cursed herself, having planned to divert Trixie’s attention when they arrived, only to have herself forget right when the moment came. Trixie still did not know she was a carbon copy of her older, unrelated sister…only with slightly darker fur and natural wings. She didn’t really know about all that, and Luna intended to keep it that way until she was much older.

To avoid dodging the question entirely and making Trixie ask someone else, Luna gave a small explanation that could be grown with time, “Someone else is our family who has passed away.”

“Oh. Was she nice like you mommy?”

Luna looked down sadly at her daughter, whose face was still buried in her almost finished book, “I think you would like her, if you two could meet.”

Not wanting to go further into the topic, Luna guided Trixie with a hand towards the orphanage where she could see children running about and playing inside. Faust had mentioned Trixie’s sadness earlier and Luna saw this as a good chance to rectify her oversight. She had thought Trixie was happy with just her family, but she realized that it was more healthy to have her experience others her own age.

“Now, Trixie, you go play inside, okay?”

Trixie nodded, running first to Loki and Sleep Near who she hugged tightly before she ran inside. This left Trixie with the crew Loki had been going around with, including both Odin and Laufey as well as Illidan and his son, but they got to talking with Frigga and Faust as Hela watched Trixie go inside.

“Loki, how was your day?”

Loki shrugged as he kissed his wife on the head, then pulling her into a hug where he was able to run his hands over Luna’s firm stomach with its small bump, “Laufey nearly killed Sleep Near in training, Sleep Near had the chance to meet Illidan’s son and make a friend, and the world did not end. Overall for a day of physical gods getting together, I would say it was productive. How was yours?”

Luna tried to think of something she could counter with that was also in good cheer, and so she smirked as she whispered into her husband’s ear, “I found out that a certain member of our staff goes to our seamstress friend to get pink bunny slippers. I bet he left that out of the biography Trixie picked up at the store.”

Loki smirked back, knowing that he loved his wife for a reason. This was the sort of playfulness he required in a partner, “You know, when I bartered with the other Hela to get him I was not expecting that. I think when we get back I’ll have to have some fun with him. What, are his stuffy boots too uncomfortable?”

“What have we become that we are gossiping like common folk?” Luna joked about their conversation, realizing that they no longer were discussing matters of dire importance but rather fun things that amuse them. She liked the change, but it was different than when they met.

“Regular adults who do not have to worry anymore about the world ending at any given moment,” Loki explained in a whisper to her ear before leaning in and kissing her on the neck and cheek, making Luna blush since her mother was extremely close.

“Now, are we going to do this showing of good faith and be with the orphans or not?”

Loki grinned at Luna’s blunt admission to their purpose there. While it was a nice place to meet, and offered Trixie a chance to play, it looked really good for royalty to visit places like this and interact with normal people. It kept people from resenting them from afar, instead instilling a sense of close admiration.

Loki summoned some of his more regal clothes, including his golden helmet, and stepped to Luna’s side where he offered her an arm. She took the arm and smiled to him, the two then following in their daughter’s footsteps and going inside.

“Trixie, where are you? It’s time to leave.”

The sun was setting and Luna found herself wanting for a nice bed after all the walking she had been doing the whole day. She had lost track of Trixie with all of the orphans and administrators she interacted with, and was actually genuinely curious where she had gone off to.

From a door leading into the yard outside the back of the orphanage, Trixie galloped inside and joined her mother at the first call of her name.

“Mommy, I found someone who can do magic!”

Luna smiled as Trixie moved to climb up on her, her foal obviously quite happy and wanting to hug her mother as a result. She normally wanted to do that, but she really was trying to climb up on Luna’s lap since Luna had taken to sitting after all her activity that day.

“Oh, did you?”

Trixie nodded with excitement, seemingly glad to have a personal friend for the first time, “Yeah! He’s my sidekick now.”

“You said partner…”

Luna’s ears heard the voice coming in from the back and she nearly felt herself have a heart attack on the spot. Desperate to remain calm, she took a moment before actually looking over to see that a young boy with long ears and blonde hair had followed her daughter inside.

Trixie had spun around on Luna’s lap to face her friend, who she jokingly stuck her tongue out at, “Sidekick!”

Still stunned, Luna shook her head and tried to steady herself as she stared at what must be a phantom, “W—what’s your name?”

The boy looked up from his new friend he, who he was sticking his tongue back out at, to Luna. Not sure what to do with suddenly seeing a Queen, he began to mumble and fight between deciding to salute or bow to her.

Utilizing this indecision, Trixie gestured to her friend and spoke in a know-it-all voice to her mother, “His name is Kale’floss. They say he’s a Dark Elf.”

Luna felt a hand place itself on her shoulder, nearly jerking her out of her reverie caused by seeing a living boy who was the spitting image of Kael’thas and was even named after him, minus Trixie’s mispronunciation of his name. Luna glanced back to see that Loki was standing behind her now and was indeed staring at the same thing, confirming that this was not a hallucination.

The resemblance was not 100% much like Trixie’s, but outside of his hair being paler and eyes not shining it was an awfully close mimicry of the man who had been saved by and who had followed their first daughter.

Loki was the next to speak, though his arrival made the boy even more nervous, “Can I see your magic?”

The young Kael’thas glanced to Trixie and then at the ground, unsure if he could perform in front of two people who scared him so much just by their station in life. He thought a talking horse was funny, but meeting her parents who happened to be his King and Queen made him a nervous wreck.

“Come on Kael, I know you can do it!” Trixie cheered, trying to boost his confidence. Fortunately it had its intended effect, as Kael snapped his fingers and a wisp of fiery magic waved across the air in front of him. As Luna continued to look on with intense shock, Loki instead grinned.

“Did I…did I do alright?”

Loki nodded to the boy as he stepped in front of Luna and Trixie.

“Luna, take Trixie and meet the others outside.”

Unsure what her husband was thinking, Luna simply nodded as Trixie waved goodbye to her new friend. Once they were gone, Loki knelt down and with his magic removed his helmet. Looking the very nerve wracked Kael in the eye, Loki smiled.

“I take it you are well fed and taken care of here?”

Kael nodded before he averted his gaze and began looking at the floor much like Loki was used to Trixie doing.

Loki glanced back to the still waving Trixie and laughed, “My daughter seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“None of the other kids play with me…”

“But she went right over to you,” it was a guess, but Kael nodded and that made Loki laugh again, “Have you ever heard the expression ‘don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’?”

The young boy didn’t seem to get it given his quizzical tilt, but Loki waved a hand given that it didn’t matter.

“I’ll explain it to you sometime. Now, to answer your magic question, you are quite skilled for someone I presume is self-taught. Would you care to learn more?”

“More?” nervousness gave way to curiosity.

Loki nodded, revealing his intentions for staying behind, “If you wish, you could join me as my apprentice. I think I know exactly how to nurture that talent of yours.”

This seemed to shock the boy, so to seal the deal Loki finished explaining what that would mean.

“And you would be staying with my family, so you could be with my daughter whenever you want,” he winked, “So long as it does not interfere with your studies, of course.”

That decided it for Kael, who nodded quickly and began to thank Loki endlessly as the King tried to downplay it all and say it was nothing. Loki spoke to the person in charge before leaving, a young Elf in tow.

Outside the others had all waited for him, and when he left the building with the blonde boy standing by him Loki saw his daughter’s eyes light up, “Trixie, Kael is coming home with us.”

“Loki…” Luna started, but she was cut off by Trixie leaping out of her arms and tackle-hugging her friend.

“Yay!”

As Trixie began to roll about with her friend, Loki approached Luna and whispered.

“Perhaps two surviving Dark Elves had a child, and perhaps someone at some point named the blonde child after the man who gave us the leap in technology we now use in our everyday life.”

Glancing back to their giggling daughter and her complete shift in mood from what Faust had described earlier, neither could bring themselves to stop her. This was uncomfortable on some levels, but the fact that Trixie was happy was enough to make them content.

“Whatever the case, they are happy. They have a new lease on life, if it is the same two, and we should be happy for them.”

Seeing Trixie and Kael run around in circles to the amusement of the others gathered made Luna find herself smiling as well. If things had gone as she had once hoped, this would be her granddaughter and grandson playing, but given the circumstances she couldn’t be angry, “You are right…”

Whether it actually meant something or not, they did not know, but symbolically the family felt whole again to both Luna and Loki.

Author's Note

Hahahaha, oh, been thinking about this one for awhile. It's a 2 parter, really, but the other half is "Guy's Day Out" rather than something that takes place afterwards.

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to hear from you in the comments below! Bit by bit, the family is getting their happy ending after their original bittersweet one!

Gaiden: Hearts and Hooves Day

A/N: Special thanks to InsanityStreak, the other sans, and Greycait for your thoughts on the last chapter. I am sorry I have been MIA on this story for awhile, and I hope to rectify that in the coming weeks.

So, in the meantime, have this small bit of content! I hope you all enjoy, and I hope to hear from you in the comments below!

Seated on the bed he and Luna shared in Equestria, Loki found himself feeling...off as he read a book he intended to later teach to his apprentice. He took a look up from his book and tried to ponder why he felt the odd feeling. Had he forgotten something? If it was something important, he was not aware, and so he turned to the woman sitting beside him.

"Luna?"

Luna stopped playing with the toddler in her arms to look to her husband. Fenrir struggled briefly until Luna began to feed him while responding to Loki's inquiry.

"Yes Loki?"

Loki put his book down so he could run a hand across his son's head, "Today feels off. Is there supposed to be something happening today?"

Luna paused to think about what he was asking. She had felt that something was a bit off as well, but had not been able to pin it down yet. Loki not knowing made her at least feel better since she wasn't alone, "I don't know..."

Laughter in the hallway signaled the approach of two children before they ran past the door, Trixie in the lead as her best friend ran after her. Luna pursed her lips as she thought about the last time she saw one of them chasing the other. The fact that Trixie was wearing Kael's robes and he was left shirtless as he chased her added even more to it, but Luna had come to accept that these two were far too similar to their predecessors. The fact that they were happy, that they could laugh and play around instead of suffer under the weight of the world's burdens, made both Luna and Loki happy.

"That seems familiar," Luna sighed as she watched the display. The two children doubled back and briefly ran inside the adult's room, running around in circles momentarily before running back out, with Luna noticing something else as they left: Kael had some personally crafted, heart shaped card sticking out of his pants.

Luna would have questioned if he was preparing to give or if he had received that card, and what it meant, when a loud noise down the hallway drew her attention.

It was a utterance of sorts...not one of pain...not exactly any one thing, in fact, but Luna could almost recognize who it came from.

Luna blinked as she tried to wrap her mind around the absurdity of what she just heard, "Was that Hela?"

The noise, a seducing moan, returned and Luna's eyes flew open. As Luna placed Fenrir down on the bed as quickly as she could while retaining a gentle touch, Loki flipped to the next page in his book and spoke in a dry tone, "Let it be known for the record that she is not, in fact, mute."

Luna was halfway out the door by the time Loki called after her.

"Luna, don't castrate the poor boy. Hela is the aggressor I believe."

"Hela!"

Loki would regret if the child of his friend Illidan was to die that day, but between Sleep Near and Hela's powers he wasn't all too worried. Luna could take out the frustration of a thousand mothers on him and the Elf would still be alive...just a bit bruised.

Hela's romantic proclivities made Loki think about another romantic pairing he had been waiting to hear progress about for awhile.

"I wonder how things are going for Sleep Near?"

The day was Hearts and Hooves day. That's what was off...which would help explain why Sleep Near was so nervous earlier.

The prince in question stood hesitantly in front of a house situated in Ponyville atop a cloud, pondering if he could actually go through with this for what must have been a half hour before the front door opened without any aid from him.

In the doorway stood a stallion with a coat of fur lighter than even Frost Bolt's. Sleep Near smiled nervously as he was sized up by one of the house's residents, a small voice escaping from his lips as he felt himself looked over like a lab specimen.

"Hi..."

The stallion gave a small laugh, hushing himself from making too much noise as he turned away from Sleep Near to instead look inside the house.

"Frost, someone is here for you!" he called out, at which point he went back to whatever he had been doing inside the house, likely cooking if Sleep Near's nose whiffing the smell of pie was any indicator.

"Okay dad!"

Sleep Near froze as he realized what was about to happen. He hadn't even been sure he was going to go through with this, but having been noticed as he stood there contemplating it meant he no longer had an option. He was discovered, and now he had to pay the price for his carelessness.

Frost Bolt flew into the hallway leading to the door and the then plopped herself down on front steps right in front of where Sleep Near stood. It was a distance most would consider too close, but their familiarity and years together made it less of an issue even if Sleep Near was head over heels in love with his best friend.

"Oh, hey Sleep Near-"

Before Frost Bolt could finish her greeting the door behind her was pushed shut by someone waiting for the moment she stepped outside.

Twirling around, Frost Bolt began to pound on the door, her face flushing red at what she knew was happening, "Daaaad! Open the door! Dad!"

Realizing that it was locked and she was not getting back inside anytime soon, Frost turned back to look at Sleep Near and sighed heavily. Her father was forcing her hand...no opportunity to retreat except to literally run away now, and she was too prideful for that.

"Oh come on..." she muttered to herself as she finished turning to face her friend. She could see that he was extremely nervous, and she knew exactly why, even if he was about to try and pretend otherwise.

"Soooo...want to hang out?" Sleep Near asked, attempting to play off the whole situation. Any other day of the year and she might let him duck out of what he came to do since he wasn't seemingly ready, but today...no, not today. She had her mother's pride, and that meant she wouldn't let someone mess around with her.

"You know what today is, right?" Frost forced a smile as she baited him to admit his reasoning for coming over.

Sleep Near averted his eyes and began to speak some truth as for why he was there, though not actually answering her, "I really don't want to be around Hela today, and Trixie is busy playing hard to get, so..."

His words stopped when Frost flapped her wings to rise to his level and then look him daringly in the eyes, a smirk on her face. She had been waiting way too long for this and he wasn't going to weasel out now.

"You're asking me on a date, aren't you."

The blush on his face and lack of words told her everything she needed to have her heart melt. She lowered herself to the front steps beneath her, then spoke in a gentler voice.

"Come on...say it," after a moment, she added, "Please..."

The warm fluttering feeling she had felt like it was about to drip away, leaving behind only pain in its wake, as Sleep Near continued to look away and not talk. He was reluctant to admit his feelings, he had always been reluctant, and to actually go and risk a lifelong friendship over his feelings was a tall order for him. If he didn't though, Sleep Near felt like he would also risk losing her, so with a brief bite of the lip he finally mustered the strength to admit his feelings.

"I know you're my best friend...and I know you're a regular pony while I'm immortal...but...I..." he brought a pair of hands out to touch the mare before him, who nearly jumped back at the hug she found herself being pulled into, "Will you go out with me?"

Fighting the urge to jump away, Frost instead moved forward so she could wrap herself into his chest, her wings clinging to his body as she clung onto his chest, "It's about time, idiot."

Sleep Near's extra arms unfurled to his sides both in his confusion and to allow her to go against his body. The fact that she was seemingly...okay...with this made him unsure of what to do next. So obsessed with the horrible possibilities of what might happen if he actually asked her, he had not considered what he might do if she accepted, "W-what?"

Frost looked up at him and prepared to say something when a loud voice inside the house cut her off, possessing a very similar voice to the one that had been about to speak.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, FINALLY!"

Frost blushed as she heard her mother continue to gasp over the conversation she had no doubt been listening in on. Rainbow Dash was happy for her daughter, and she was not restraining herself whatsoever despite years of military discipline.

"Moooooooooom!" the mare complained as her mother continued to gush.

"I win, Soarin! You said they'd take until they were older than twenty! It looks like we ARE going to be grandparents!"

Sleep Near blushed as Rainbow continued to celebrate in her tactless manner, and to save both him and his "date" further embarrassment he nodded away from the cloud hovering by Ponyville.

"Want to go?"

Frost nodded slowly before lowering her head and sighing, "Yeah, let's go. I'm not sure I can deal with them right now."

They made their way to the edge of the giant cloud when Frost stopped and looked over to the Prince who had come to see her. They had come a long way from the time she beat up his bullies...and the thought about what they had just agreed to made her blush. She had wanted this for years, but her own obsession with living up to her mother's image as the best flyer in Equestrian history as well as unwillingness to be the first one to make a move had kept her from ever doing anything about it.

He had made the promise that she would be his princess years back...she hadn't felt like she should be the one to make that happen. That was his promise to fulfill, and now he was making good on it.

"Hey Sleep Near?"

The Prince paused as well, looking down to his best friend and one day lover with some confusion. Was something wrong?

Fortunately it was nothing of the sort, and she lent her head on his side affectionately, "Thanks..." she fought the urge to show how touched she was that he was finally admitting his feelings, not wanting to appear weak and cry like some regular mare, "I was close to giving up, you know? That you'd ever..."

Sleep Near could see the tears welling up at the edges of her eyes, and before she could give in to them he brought her in for another close embrace. The two stood there, together, as Frost slowly managed to regain her composure.

After standing for some time in silence, Sleep Near moved back slightly so he could look at her. Seeing him smiling down at her made Frost blush more than she had already been, so she became the one to avert her gaze as she next asked, "So, you have anyplace in mind?"

A flash of black and green light preceded Hela appearing right beside them, looking around in some worry, fixing her dress so that it was fully on, and then transform and take flight away from the scene.

"Hela?" Sleep Near questioned as his sister flew away without acknowledging him.

Hearing her name, Hela twisted around mid-flight and waved to her twin, "Happy Valenhooves day."

"Hela, where are you-"

A similar flash of light, this one dark blue, preceded Luna appearing with fangs bared.

"Hela, get back here this instant!"

Luna's would-be rampage was cut short by noticing her oldest son standing with his now-girlfriend. She did not know this though, so the two of them standing in a way which couples ought to confused her enough to distract her from the fleeing Hela.

"Oh. Sleep Near. Frost Bolt. How are you doing?"

"We're going on a date..." Sleep Near mumbled, not really sure how to explain things to his mother other than telling it to her straightforward.

Luna threw her head back and groaned, "Damnit, Loki wins! I thought it'd take you two another decade..."

Frost's jaw dropped as she listened to her Princess/Queen exclaim something about her personal life, "Oh come on, was everyone betting on us?"

Luna stopped her complaining to tilt her head in confusion, "You didn't know? I mean there is the general betting pool, the wager I had with Loki, your parents and their agreement..."

Her explanation was cut short by the sight of Hela flying away rapidly. Her quarry escaping, Luna looked back and forth between her and Sleep Near.

"Damn..." she narrowed her eyes at her son before giving him a supportive smile, "Sleep Near, feel free to stay out tonight, just don't get into any trouble. And whatever you do, stay away from the residence hall."

Luna flew away without further explanation, leaving her traumatized son behind. He had a good idea what his father had just won, and he was going to need brain bleach to survive that inference.

Also having realized it, Frost Bolt rubbed Sleep Near's back softly, not really knowing what to say, "I'm so sorry."

"I'll be okay. I just need a moment..."

She smirked at him, having a good idea of how to distract him, "Let's go calm down wherever you were going to take me, okay?" she paused before adding, "And...you know...I'm glad you're finally keeping your promise."

"I love you."

"I love you too...sap."

Author's Note

A/N: A little late for Valentines day, but I just had the idea so apologies! I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! The more support you guys give me in terms of comments, the faster I can pump out this post-story content! I have a lot of really great things left to get to, so I hope you all are still interested in some fascinating things. :raritywink: Thanks again for reading!

Also, reminder, if you enjoy my writing and want to read something I am currently working on, Equestria Was Merely a Setback is a MLP/Warcraft crossover I'm doing that is a sequel to this story! A future Gaiden chapter will touch upon their connection, so if you would not mind I would love to have you as readers there as well! Click here for more Trixie goodness!

Gaiden: Equestria Was Merely a Setback

A/N: Special thanks to EquinoxLiege, Greycait, the other sans, and InsanityStreak for your comments last chapter! They've really helped me out from a tough spot so I'm grateful.

Now, if last chapter was full-on fluff, this chapter is...not.

Enjoy, and I hope to hear from you all in the comments below!

"Mother, what do you want for Mother's Day?"

"You, Hela, your littler sister, and your father are all I could ever hope for, Sleep Near. You all are the reason I live."

"But I want to get something for you..."

"What I do not have that I...that I want...I can never have...so don't worry. I am as happy as I can be."

Princess Luna was alternating between doing paperwork and playing with her toddler, Fenrir, when a polite knock at her door interrupted her balancing act of work and slacking off. She opened it to find the gaunt man she had put in charge of her forces after he outwitted her military and royal guard.

"Princess, there is a message to you from an unknown source. I have had it examined and it poses no threat, but I believe its contents are of interest to you."

Luna was surprised that her guard captain had taken the effort to bring this to her in-person, but she appreciated the gesture. It must be important if the Human man deemed it important enough to bring himself.

"Thank you, Tarkin."

He bowed politely and left with a small amount of haste, giving Luna the feeling that he did not want to be present when she did read it.

The letter was plain, though it was not from any Equestrian parchment Luna was familiar with. Its seal had been broken already by those investigating it for any danger, due to its anonymous sender, though the remains of it reminded Luna of the colors the first Kael'thas used to wear, red and gold, the colors of his people.

Luna's face would soon match the red of the seal when she peered inside and read the simple words within, as well as see the strand of silver-blue hair within.

Come to the Ursa Cavern alone.

Luna teleported straight to the location requested after handing off to Loki their youngest child. She was not about to play around with whomever dared make such a bold proclamation. Who would dare attach strands of what appeared to be, but couldn't be, Trixie's hair to the letter. Did they seek to mock Luna by bringing her back to the place where Trixie's fall began?

Entering the cave in complete fury, Luna smashed a hand into one wall to make the entire structure shake, "Who dares summon me to this place? Speak fast, for I will not forgive such insolence and you have until I find you to say what will be on your epitaph!"

After the rumbling faded away, Luna found herself seemingly alone in the cave except for the leftover skeletons of two Ursas. After receiving no response for close to ten seconds, Luna lifted a hand up and formed an orb of magical energy to hurl at the cave and destroy the place she detested so much. A voice finally speaking out stayed her hand however, and Luna nearly fell from shock.

"So much time has passed, and yet so little has changed."

That voice...

Luna shook her head. No. She had to be hallucinating. This couldn't be real.

"No..."

Out of the darkness of the cavern's depths stepped someone Luna knew all too well...though in a form Luna had not at first expected.

"Hello...Mother."

Standing with her arms crossed over her chest, the Elven form of Trixie Lulamoon stood before Luna, who in turn was left in almost horror at how shocked she was.

"T-Trixie?"

The Elf nodded before lowering their gaze to the ground...averting eye contact like Trixie used to when she was nervous or bashful.

She was different from the Elven Trixie Luna was familiar with. This wasn't the exact same body that Luna helped Trixie construct in their transformation lessons...this Trixie seemed older, if only because she possessed more womanly curves. Already large hips were nothing if not motherly, and Trixie's bosom was larger than Luna remembered it. Trixie's hair was longer too, reaching halfway down her back, and instead of simple robes she was wearing an ornate, specifically tailored set of clothing that clung to her. Trixie's shirt and skirt both had silver patterns over their indigo material, and a green orb that appeared to be broken in half sat above her chest from a silver necklace hanging around her throat. A familiar purple cape trailed behind her, though instead of regular cloth it was made from what appeared to be fine silk...or at least, a material similar enough to give the same soft impression and appearance.

As Luna continued to observe just how...grown up Trixie looked, she heard her daughter speak.

"You look well," Trixie gave the smallest of smiles, trying to be polite and civil despite their last meeting.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Luna teleported to try and instantly grab Trixie and hug her as tightly as possible...but she emerged only to find herself to have missed Trixie.

Trixie had moved back a few feet to avoid the touch, once again sheepishly looking down, "I..."

So much had changed for her...but she hadn't come back ready to just pick things up where they had been before everything happened.

Trixie may have come to visit her, but she hadn't come with forgiveness dripping from her sleeve. Luna could hardly blame her, as she had taken this mare, now woman, and brought her life first to ruin and then to an end. If Luna were Trixie, years of being apart still would not have fixed the wounds that must have caused. To place your love in someone, only to have them unintentionally shatter it.

Luna found herself mimicking Trixie, though not by choice but rather by her own feelings of shame, "I...I understand."

The cave fell silent, leaving Luna's mind to begin flying through all of the things she wanted to ask. Trixie died. She knew that much. Luna had put her own horn through Trixie's heart, breaking it in more ways than one. After the battle, nothing had been left of Trixie...the alternate Sleep Near and Hela could not even find her even with their supernatural powers...

What had happened to Trixie? Where has she been? Why was she still an Elf? How did she come to wear such luxurious clothing? How many years has she experienced since she disappeared? How has she been? If she is alive, is Kael? That would explain the Elf form, but where could they possibly have been that near omnipotent beings could not find them?

"How...where..."

Trixie closed her eyes and smirked as she heard Luna try to verbalize all the thoughts going through her mind.

"You all left Kael alone with just about infinite power. Unlike me, he could wield it...control it..."

Luna narrowed her eyes at her daughter, unsure what Trixie was getting at, "What are you saying?"

"That he took us to a place where I could be free of the pain and agony I suffered here," Trixie looked down at one of her own soft, pale hands, "Where I could, for the first time in my life, live as who I wanted to be and not who I became because of what I went through."

Trixie laughed for a moment before bringing a hand up to the necklace she was wearing.

"We've been on so many adventures...met so many people..." she changed her gaze to barely be looking at Luna instead of the floor, "I think you would like them. They're all like us, or at least they almost all are. Broken souls who have had to pick up their pieces..."

Her eyes shut as she gripped the necklace tighter. Luna felt her heart break as she saw familiar pain flash across Trixie's face.

"We've also felt loss..." Trixie began to choke back tears as she kept speaking, "I had the chance to start anew, to make everything the way I wanted it to be, but I still couldn't do so without feeling like this..."

Luna was washed over with the same motherly love that made her heart break so much at having lost Trixie. At having hurt her while trapped as Nightmare Moon. Unwilling to just let Trixie stand there in obvious pain, Luna moved to touch her cheek and wipe away her tears when Trixie stopped her hand. Luna stopped at her daughter's touch, not wanting to force things, but also regretting that she had caused this wedge between them.

"Trixie..."

The Elf let go and turned her back to Luna, taking a moment to look down at her own hands before lowering them to her sides. This done, Trixie sighed and began to walk towards the back of the cavern.

"I may not want you to touch me, but..."

Luna began to follow Trixie for a step before realizing that Trixie wasn't leaving...she was heading to somewhere in particular within the darkness. She waited to see what Trixie was doing, curious what Trixie was going to finish saying.

She could barely see Trixie in the darkness, but she could just make out her kneeling down and picking something up. Luna squinted her eyes to make out what it was, only for her eyes to widen as Trixie drew nearer.

Trixie had a young infant in her arms, maybe a year old, wrapped in blue and purple blankets to stay warm. It was sleeping, and Luna felt herself nearly cry as she realized what Trixie had brought with her.

"His name is Illidan," Trixie explained as she held him in her arms, her face brighter than it had been since she came back to Equestria. She was happy holding her son in her arms, looking down at the face that had the same color hair as her, "Illidan Sunstrider."

Luna watched Trixie cradle Illidan for a moment before noticing that the infant was beginning to wake up. The baby yawned and began to wriggle in its blanket, slowly cracking its eyes open until it could look up and see its mother smiling down at it. The baby gave a small noise to show its joy, but it was not too noisy and contented itself with curling up against its mother's arms and chest.

Holding her son tight, Trixie gave a quiet laugh, "I am now Queen of the Blood Elves. I suppose I've finally surpassed you, Princess."

So, Trixie had...Luna felt a pained smile grow on her face. She had hoped that one day Trixie would marry the Elven Prince. He had stayed by her side and helped her so much that Luna had not thought any other could fulfill that role of lifetime companion as well as he could.

Trixie had a family now. And by the looks of it, they were happy...which hurt Luna's heart, as she realized that her daughter had grown up. She was off on her own now, with her own responsibilities, her own loved ones...having left behind all of them.

Perhaps it was for the best for Trixie, but it did not make it any easier for Luna, who suffered each day in having lost her.

Trixie brought her son up to her face so she could kiss him gently on the head, at which point she lowered him down and gave a sigh, "Illidan has a twin brother, Lavitz, and a little sister..." she had to take a breathe in and pause before she said, "Luna."

Luna...

That, even after all of what happened between them, that Trixie would name her daughter after her made Luna want to fall over. After everything, Trixie still loved her...

As if to cement the thought in Luna's mind, Trixie held out the bundle in her arms towards Luna. Luna nearly gasped at the silent offer, surprised that Trixie would trust her to even get near her child.

"Are you sure?" Luna asked, disbelieving Trixie's gesture.

Trixie once again averted her eyes as she held Illidan out for Luna to hold, "He is your grandchild. You deserve to hold him."

Luna slowly nodded and approached so she could pick him up. Trixie partly cringed as Luna's fur and skin brushed against hers, but she held still enough so as to not drop her son. The baby watched in confusion as he was passed to this other woman, who was for some reason covered in fur. Luna slowly pulled him in to a similar position Trixie had been holding him, and he appeared contented, not worried since Trixie had been the one to hand him over.

He brought an arm out to touch Luna's face, making her giggle as the infant's soft skin tried fumbling about with her fur. He had a head of hair just like Trixie's, but Luna felt that his facial features were more like his father.

"He'll look just like his father some day..." Luna smiled down to the baby in her arms in the same way she would to her own, a part of her mind imagining what all of Trixie's children would end up looking like, "But that hair is all yours."

Trixie moved to stand beside Luna, so she was in the infant's view, "This is your grandma, Illidan..."

The baby likely did not understand what Trixie meant, but it did like nestling into Luna's fur, and it felt at ease with her much like it did with its own mother. After a moment of Illidan burying himself in Luna's arms, another thought came to Trixie.

"I also have another daughter...well, for a given definition of daughter," she nervously explained, partly bashful that she hadn't mentioned her before.

Luna looked up to Trixie and smiled as she realized what that meant, "You took someone under your wing too, didn't you?"

Trixie nodded slowly, "An orphan who lost her family when she was young. She then lost the people who helped raise her, and lost her other surrogate parents...then she lost her uncle, as well as a friend," she gave a small sigh at the repeated tragedy she was mentioning, "She needed someone to keep her from falling into the darkness you and I both suffered from. She may not be the healthiest person mentally, but given the circumstances...I've kept her from going over the edge."

Luna used one arm to still hold the baby while using the other to reach out and touch Trixie, who this time did not avoid Luna. With a hand on Trixie's shoulder, Luna gave her a friendly smile, "Of course you could. I always knew you would make a great mother."

"I learned from you..." Trixie whispered, unable to say it any louder because of the pain the words held in them.

Feeling that it was a good time to do so, Luna handed her grandson back to Trixie and smiled at the two of them. He was very well mannered for his age, and Luna had the feeling that Trixie was a natural at this.

Now holding her son, Trixie looked down at him and smiled again, happy to have him in her arms and to see how happy he was as well. She began to talk with some warmth and humor in her voice, "I have a whole new family to myself. I have someone I consider a brother to me now, though he's probably as mentally wounded as my daughter. His mother tried killing him as an infant," she let out an amused breath, "Like I said, I've met quite a lot of people I think you could sympathize with..."

Luna nodded, happy that Trixie had managed to find others to empathize with and be with, even if they were similarly damaged people, "You sure know how to pick them..."

Starting with her husband. Luna remembered the man who had nearly died trying to save Trixie...who had shown her absolute devotion born of gratitude. She was almost happy for him that Trixie had let him into her heart, however that happened. She would make him a happy man...but as far as Luna remembered, Trixie had not been interested in that sort of thing. Was she as happy to have him as a husband as he was to have her as a wife?

"Is Kael a good husband?"

Trixie nodded as she continued to look down at the now sleepy and drifting off child in her arms, "No better one could exist for me. He makes me happy, he helps me when I'm hurt, and he always puts me before himself," she sighed again, her face showing a kind of contentment and joy Luna had long wished for her, "I'd feel bad if I didn't put him before myself as well. I love him so much..."

Luna moved her hand and arm from Trixie's shoulder to hovering around her back, inviting her to a hug.

"Trixie, come here."

It had been so long...Luna would never forgive herself if she wasted this opportunity. She didn't know if this was a dream or what this was, but Trixie was right here for her, and she never wanted to let her go.

Trixie hesitated, her remaining feelings of anger towards Luna rising and coming into conflict with how happy she was to be with her again, "I..."

In the end, Trixie let the woman she considered her mother embrace her and bring her into a tight embrace that accounted for the young child between them.

This would become one of the most noteworthy moments of Luna's life, holding her prodigal daughter in her arms for the first time in so many years.

Unfortunately, it would not last, as Trixie pulled away abruptly and shook her head, rendering Luna speechless and tearing her heart apart again.

"I have to go. I can't stay here forever."

Luna did not even try to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She had not thought that this would last forever, seeing Trixie, but the way Trixie said it made it feel like she was not coming back. That she was going to truly be gone this time.

"You...you're going to leave me again?"

"I..." Trixie, even as she began to move away from Luna, showed some of the same pain as Luna. She was forcing a wall between them even if she knew it would hurt her too, for she could not bear to feel the pain that already was there, "I am. I'm sorry, Mother, but being here brings back too much memories...too much of the feelings that..."

Trixie began to move towards the cave's exit before stopping and shaking her head, turning back to face Luna with eyes dripping with fresh tears.

"One day, I will come back to you though. I don't know when it will be, but sometime when I've finished healing from my pain...when I have lived my life to its fullest...I will return to you somehow..."

Turning her back on Luna for the last time, Trixie left the stricken Luna behind to weakly reach out and try to follow only to instead stumble.

"Goodbye, Mother. I...I'll always love you."

Luna collapsed to her knees, caught between wanting to chase after Trixie and force her to stay and also wanting to go and live the life she was choosing for herself.

In the end, she would lay curled in the cave crying to herself as she was left behind by the daughter she had once killed.

"Sleep Near...thank you. You did so much...I'm just sorry I cannot stay."

"Are you sure..."

"I have a new life...a new family...You all don't need me anymore. You have eachother."

"That's not true!"

"Sleep Near..."

"Big sister...please..."

"I promise, Sleep Near. I'll be back some day. Okay?"

"I love you, Trixie."

"Trixie..."

"Hela..."

"Hey you two...no crying, okay? I'll be back for you, for father, for our mother...I just need time."

"You two are so big now...please, look after her, okay? You two can be what I couldn't..."

"Goodbye, you two. I'll always love you."

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

Luna rolled over on her bed to see the last face she wanted to see right now. After returning late at night from the cave, Luna had not even thought to lock the door. Apparently her youngest daughter had heard her crying, and the young filly was trying to get into the bed to join her sobbing mother.

Also having heard Luna was Loki, who approached the bed and began to move the filly off the bed so he could get to Luna and help her, "Trixie, let your father handle this."

Luna moved a hand out to stop her husband, "No, Loki," she looked up at him and tried her best to hold back her crying just long enough to say, "Thank you, but I..."

This was about the older Trixie then...that was the only reason Loki could think that Luna could go off to that cavern and not return until far later. He had not wanted to disturb her before, but he would be a poor husband if he let her suffer now.

Still, she needed time with their daughter, so he would wait his turn.

"I understand."

Loki quietly left as Luna helped her daughter up onto the bed, the door of the room closing just as Luna pulled the young Trixie into a deep hug.

"Trixie?"

The filly was sad as she looked at her mother. She didn't understand what was causing her so much pain, but it was making her upset too, "Yes mommy?"

Luna shut her eyes to shield herself from the purple ones that threatened to remind her of those she had just seen hours before.

In her time alone, Luna had come to a conclusion. She wasn't sure...she wasn't even sure it was likely...but it was what she wanted to believe.

"You know how much I love you right?"

Trixie tilted her head and gave Luna a confused look, "I love you too mommy..." she began to pout, "Did I do something wrong?"

That...that was an interesting question. If things were as Luna thought, then perhaps the answer could be yes...but at the same time, Luna could never find it in her heart to say that to her daughter.

"I..."

Luna choked up as she tried to say it. She had been meaning to have this conversation for years, but now she felt she had to even if she wasn't ready for it.

"I've been hiding something from you your whole life, Trixie. You have an older sister..."

"I know Hela though," the filly responded in confusion.

Luna shook her head no, "No, older than Hela..."

Another sister? Trixie moved on the bed so she could get up. She wanted to meet this other sibling she didn't know about, "Where is she, mommy?"

"She..." Luna looked up at her daughter and gave a pained expression, "She left us. Forever. I thought I would never see her again..."

Luna's face began to slowly turn to a sad smile as she kept looking at the near exact replica of the Trixie she had found in Canterlot so many years ago. If what Trixie had said hours ago was true...that one day she would return...perhaps now Luna was looking at her.

Innocent...unburdened by a life of tragedy...this was how Luna had wished things could have been the first time, but now it seemed like her daughter had another chance to live her life with the family she had wanted so badly to be a part of.

"But, one day, I had another daughter..." Luna explained as Trixie settled back in to the bed, "She looked just like my oldest, she even would end up sounding just like her, and act just like her."

That perked the interest of the young Trixie, who was beginning to piece together the puzzle her mother had laid before her.

"I named her after the daughter I lost...Trixie."

Trixie's face went from confusion to sadness as she realized what Luna was saying. She curled up into Luna and wrapped her hooves around her to try and comfort her, "Mom..."

"Trixie...I love you so much. You left me for so long, but you came back to me," Luna sobbed as she pulled her daughter into her.

"Don't cry, mommy...I'm here. And I never want to leave you."

Even if she was being shown compassion, Luna did not want it. She did not feel like she deserved it, "Trixie, the reason I lost your sister was because I was a horrible mother...because I hurt her..."

"You're supposed to forgive the people you love, right?"

Luna stopped. Trixie's fall...her descent into madness...it all had stemmed from her being unable to let go of a grudge. Her unwillingness to let go, to forgive, and to forget.

"She wouldn't want you to be crying, right mom?"

Luna wiped her eyes and tried to smile down at her kind daughter. She was so pure...so kind...Luna almost wondered how someone with as many sins as herself could be so lucky.

"Trixie, no matter what, I hope you always know I love you. Nothing can or will ever change that."

Tired of the serious talk, the young filly closed their eyes and prepared to do what they had intended to do when they heard a noise outside.

"I'm sleepy..."

Luna kissed her daughter's forehead and smiled to her.

"Do you want me to look after your dreams?"

No response came. Trixie had fallen asleep swiftly, tired from a day of practicing magic and more recently calming her mother down.

Luna pulled the covers over her daughter and settled her into the bed, "Sleep well, Trixie."

"Luna..."

The Princess turned towards the door to see Loki standing halfway in it.

"She came back, Loki..." Luna looked back down to the filly in her arms, "Trixie visited today for just a few moments...She said one day she would somehow come back to us..." she nestled into her daughter's mane, making herself comfortable "That she would be with us forever..."

As he moved to join them on the bed Loki simply nodded, not sure if his wife was suffering from madness born of grief or was actually telling the truth. In either case, it would not change his next action.

Leaning in to kiss Luna on the cheek and to embrace both her and their daughter, Loki whispered to her, "Let's do things right this time then."

Trixie may have left them to go live another life...but at some point she would return in this form, it appeared. For a being who once controlled the power of the universe, such a thing was not too out of place.

They had all felt their fair share of pain, but they now had a chance to try things over.

Author's Note

A/N: I've been planning this in one form or another for years, but it took hitting a real emotional low to be able to actually write it.

As the title infers, this chapter is a tie-in with my current story "Equestria Was Merely a Setback". The Trixie visiting is in the future of the story's timeline, but it's still only the halfway point of that story that she hails from. It would be greatly appreciated if you guys would check it out as well and see what Trixie gets up to!

Hope you enjoyed, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! This chapter basically broke the heart that Luna's been piecing back together for years, though at least she ends it with some form of hope.

Gaiden: Foolishly Foolish Foal

A/N: Sorry for my absence this past half year, I took a big break from writing in general and even when I came back this story was on the backburner since it is technically "complete" outside of these extra Gaiden bits I am adding. In any case, I apologize again, and I hope you will still enjoy despite how long it has been since the last update.

This chapter contains heavy Ace Attorney references, but knowledge of the series shouldn't really be necessary...you'll see what I mean!

I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you hear your thoughts in the comments below!

In the years that had passed, Luna had worked on recreating the destroyed castle in the Everfree Forest, and at the end of her efforts she had managed to form what would become the center of her family's power: it was where they and the talent they recruited from across many worlds gathered to further establish, grow, and consolidate their power. With access to many realms, worlds, and countless conflicts, they needed to work on ways to resolve such matters so they could move on in their expanding power without having their existing worlds crumble beneath them and cause the fall of their growing empire.

It was for this reason that in a private meeting room there some hand-picked members of Luna's council were discussing their beliefs on how to handle these issues, and that it was most important that they not be interrupted from their think-tank of sorts.

"To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art..." one member of the council spoke, his voice trailing off as his point hung in the air.

A relaxed, almost half-serious voice followed next as it offered up a counterpoint, "Perhaps, but understanding one's enemy does not alone defeat them. Even if you yourself know how to triumph over your opponent, what good would it do if you cannot relay that information to your subordinates? What if internal politics keep you from taking action? The weakness of one faction can only be translated into a strength of another if they are able to act upon it."

This earned him a series of nods from the about half dozen in attendance except from one man, though the one he had responded to was one of those among the crowd agreeing, "A good point, Wen-li. There are also internal or extraneous factors and events such as third parties, assassins, and other meddling influences that one must also take into account."

The sole dissenter was a gaunt man whose r's rolled and his voice was sharp yet precise like a knife, "Of course, if you are too feared to be opposed then the issue never arises. Fear drives most, for we act out of innate self-interest of some form. Even most forms of charity can be ascribed some selfish value, such as seeking recognition or signalling apparent virtue to corral support of some kind either from an individual or the public."

Once relaxed, the speaker from before grew a bit scolding as they spoke back, "We cannot just hope to inspire fear in every civilization, even if we do happen to work with physical gods and goddesses. Fear can breed new conflict where none existed before, so while it can be useful in its intended application, it brings with it problems as well that must be considered."

"Haha, catch me if you can!"

The entire room stopped their discussion and turned to see a small blue pony teleport into their room after having said this, the equine using the room to aid their escape route. The pony, Princess Trixie, ran across the room and earned a mixture of amusement and irritation from those in attendance. The man who spoke of fear before displayed none even as their meeting was disrupted by what was sure to be a major commotion in a moment, and instead he rolled his eyes before training them on the fleeing filly.

"Princess, this is an important meeting. I am afraid you will be unable to use this space for whatever game it is you are playing."

Trixie moved close to him and climbed up on the side of his chair so she could try and whisper up into his ear, "I stole Hela's diary."

The man placed his palm on his forehead just at the moment the aforementioned sister teleported into the room as well, her normally calm face one of complete anger as Hela rushed right at her delinquent sibling.

This caused Trixie to dive behind the chair she was next to, "Save me!"

Despite the request for aid, she received none as the men gathered in the room all laughed or snorted instead. This was not the first time they had been through something like this, and they had agreed to remain neutral in regards to the royal siblings occasional playful quarrels. As Hela tackled Trixie and began to try and tear her hat off her head to remove the small book hidden inside, they all just watched the display as if it were a sport.

The fight was only half-serious in a way since the two sisters were not using all of their powers, but it still needed intervention to stop: intervention that came in the form of Hela's twin. Sleep Near had followed behind his sisters when he saw them fighting through the hallways, and so he forcefully intervened and kept them apart. Trixie was laughing even though Hela seemed a bit irritated, likely ruffled by the fact her sister likely had read at least part of the private document stolen, but it did not take long to send them on their separate ways.

Sleep Near lagged behind to apologize to those they had interrupted, ashamed on behalf of his childish siblings, "I apologize for my sister...my sisters' unruliness."

The man Trixie hid behind, the present leader of the Royal Guard and much administration, shook his head softly from one side to the other in disapproval, "I will speak with the Empress about the matter later. This is not the first interruption she has caused."

Not having more to say, Sleep Near just nodded at this coming punishment for Trixie's misbehavior and departed. When he was gone and the room was left to those intended to be in it again, a blue skinned alien smirked at the guard captain, "Grand Moff, I dare say you have grown fond of the Princess. I thought the people of Eriadu hunted animals, not catered to them. There was a time you would have castigated anyone who dared interrupt an affair such as this, at the very least."

He received an unamused look back, "You work for the same equines I currently do, Thrawn, so you had best not act superior."

The youngest in the group, a blonde man with a red haired aide by his side, cleared his throat to try and bring the subject back on course, "Perhaps we should return to the topics at hand. There are still conflicts that need our attention after all, and squabbling over nothing will not cease them."

The others did not need to say anything more before settling back into their strategic and tactical discussion of their Empire's matters, though the incident would not be forgotten and would soon lead to consequences.

In Canterlot Castle not many days later Sleep Near was walking through the halls, glossing over some paperwork related to his studies when he thought he caught sight of someone familiar in the hallway. Pausing to make sure, Sleep Near watched as a skinny silver-blue haired woman looked around as if she was trying to find something.

"Oh, Trixie, why are you posing as a Human?" he was looking at her from behind, but he found himself confused by Trixie adopting the guise of a Human being or Elf of some sort especially since it seemed to be an adult body rather than a reflection of her own youth, "And an adult at that. Is it to escape Hela?"

The woman in question turned around and looked the Prince over with some amusement before stretching an arm out, hand up and palm facing up towards him in a dramatic fashion. She was wearing professional clothing one would expect of a Human, and she honestly looked like a dead ringer for Trixie if she were to take a Human form...if not for the fact she had a noticeable mole on her face that Trixie ould not intentionally place on herself due to her ego.

"You mistake me for your sister, Prince Sleep Near. Instead you speak to the great and prodigious Franziska von Karma, who the senior Trixie tasked with carrying out her will as a separate third party entity some years past."

Sleep Near sighed as he realized he had another person to memorize among a sea of others his parents were bringing home to aid them in varying matters, "Mother has been abusing the Bifrost, Hel, and Valhalla it seems."

The woman, a German prosecutor from Earth who had become a lawyer by the time most would be graduating High School, crossed her arms and retained her smug expression that also reminded Sleep Near of his youngest sister, "What the Princess does outside of our business is of no concern to me. Now, where is Trixie Lokidóttir? Your mother has assigned me to be her personal trainer, and I will carry out this task with a level of perfection only a von Karma could."

Sleep Near was definitely beginning to realize why Luna had chosen this particular mentor for Trixie to learn from: they had the same personality, the difference being age, and they were a close physical match. Luna probably couldn't pass up the opportunity to have an elder Trixie mentor a younger one in a way, especially since this prosecutor carried a whip at her hip and carried the aura of a strict disciplinarian.

Seeing no reason to intervene if their mother was the reason behind it, Sleep Near granted her the information she sought, "She probably is in her room since mother is punishing her for her behavior."

"Thank you, Prince Sleep Near. I promise you that by the end of the day you will see remarkable improvements in the behavior of your sister."

With that, she bowed halfway over and made her exit, a determined spirit in her steps. For his part, Sleep Near only hoped Trixie wouldn't actually be on the receiving end of a whip...that would be reason to intervene, but it seemed that his mother was not worried so perhaps it was just for show?

The crack of a whip sent Kael fleeing across Trixie's room as a woman pushed open the door and strode inside with a sense of purpose, only to have briefly paused at seeing an additional child in the room where she had been told Trixie was not supposed to have other visitors as per her punishment.

Trixie had dove for cover in a fort of blankets and pillows, leaving Kael to his fate as he was cornered by a mere Human who stared down at him with the gaze of a principal about to reprimand a rule breaking student, "State your name."

"K-kael..." he choked out, surprised that he had been caught visiting Trixie when he shouldn't have been and also by his confusion over who was now in Trixie's room.

"Full name!"

The sharp voice made Kael crawl up even further into the corner he was seeking refuge in, "K-kael'thas!"

Having been told of this man by Luna, and recognizing it from another affair from years before, Franziska calmed down as she realized that this was indeed just a guest who wasn't allowed rather than an actual threat to the Princess, "What a silly name. Very well then, Kael'thas, may I ask what you are doing in this room while the Princess is under quarantine?"

Trixie had unburrowed herself and scowled at Franziska, a pierced pillow hanging off Trixie's horn, "Hey, you can't just boss Kael around-hey!"

After whipping the damaged pillow from Trixie's head, Franziska held her arm out towards Trixie like she had with Sleep Near before then bowing gracefully halfway through her next sentence, "Your mother has decided that you need lessons in manners, and has come to I, Franziska von Karma, to teach you how to be a proper lady."

"Proper ladies don't whip people," Kael grumbled, crossing his skinny arms as he stood up. This effort was in vain however as he stumbled over and fell at the crack of a whip aimed specifically to not hit him but come extremely close to doing so, causing Kael to fall into the corner again.

"And gentlemen do not speak back to their elders," Franziska said back as she curled her whip up again and placed it at her hip, her gaze turning towards Trixie, "Now, it is time we begin our lessons Princess Trixie Lokidóttir. I have matters to attend to on my own, so it is prudent that I not repeat myself or waste time. You will listen and do as told, understood?"

Scared of the first person who really bossed her around in her entire life as an actual authority figure, Trixie meekly nodded.

"Properly introducing yourself can mean a great deal in everyday conversation and life, for one only receives a single chance to introduce themselves for the first time. You must make it poignant and meaningful what you say, carrying across the persona you wish to expose to them."

The first lesson was a simple one, but an important one all the same. Unfortunately, Trixie was not yet used to how she should act around this particular mentor and answered simply.

"Hi, I'm Trixie-Ahh!"

Her poor introduction was cut off by the crack of Franziska's whip, not actually striking Trixie but using it close enough and with enough sound to frighten her into submission. It seemed that Luna had, due to her own inability to truly discipline Trixie, called in someone who would make up for years and years of neglect in that field in mere moments.

"Informal greetings are lackluster and give an aura of weakness to those seeking for it. If you offer your friendship first without conditions you leave yourself open to be taken advantage of so long as they go through the motions you began. Now, try again."

Determined to do her best so she could prove to her mother that she was a good girl who didn't need proper training like this, Trixie tried harder this next time.

"Hello, my name is Trixie. What's your name?"

Another whip crack sent a jolt down Trixie's spine, though she recovered faster this time as she began to register this as a competition of sorts.

"You used a contraction again in your introduction. Not only that, you have kept your warm greeting as it was with little change. Again."

Turning her nose up slightly, Trixie placed a hoof on her chest and spoke in a haughty tone, "I am Trixie Lokidottir of Equestria, Asgard, and Jotunheim. To whom am I speaking, and what is it you seek?"

Franziska smirked, glad that they had rectified the issue in such short order. Of course not every conversation called for such an introduction, but it was better that Trixie knew how to at least address certain people correctly rather than no-one, "Better. Flaunt your titles and power when greeting others of some prestige, as those that respect them will heed them, while those who are immune to such persuasion will likely reveal their biases against you. You must then learn to discern those who are openly showing such malcontent, and those who are hiding it behind a friendly visage."

Trixie smiled at the faint praise granted to her, but her lesson was only just beginning and she would have to keep working to earn further approval.

"Now, we shall deal with other forms of greetings and your would-be intentions in using them. For example, how would you approach a romantic interest of yours?"

Trixie shrugged, not really knowing much about the subject since she was still young, "I don't know. Hela's the one with a boyfriend, and mommy said Sleep Near's going to give her eight legged grandbabies now that he's finally asked his girlfriend out."

"Perhaps I should grant an example then," Franziska cleared her throat and began a proclamation, "You may be a foolishly, foolish, fool, but you are nearly as great as I, so I bestow upon you my affections."

Trixie tilted her head as even the young filly realized that perhaps that was not very romantic, "You don't have a boyfriend, do you?"

"No one asked you."

As their lessons continued, they moved on to another mundane yet important matter for personal interactions...one which had Trixie almost scald herself during the proceedings of since she did not yet know hot tea actually could be a bit searing right out of the gate.

"I will teach you how to make tea at a later point, but for now what is important is displaying proper manners as you serve and drink it. Understood?"

Growing used to the commands of her teacher, Trixie bowed her head so she could continue with the lesson, "Yes ma'am."

"Good, now go speak with that military adviser who offered to aid us and obtain the tea he brewed."

Trixie happily left the room to go fetch the tea prepared for them by another. One of the council members wasn't all too fond of war despite possessing unparalleled skill at it, so he took more time off than the other members with Loki and Luna's blessings. While reading history books he would often drink tea, and it was seeing him prepare some that prompted the most recent lesson idea and its implementation soon thereafter.

When Trixie returned she had the tea's container floating above her, using magic to aid her lack of hands, and she brought it over to the table she was going to sit with Franziska at. Her mentor nodded to her and gestured to the cups placed on the table, one for Trixie, one for Franziska, one for the maker of the tea, and one for Kael, who had been granted permission to see Trixie since she had not been misbehaving the past few days and had received good marks from her teacher.

"Now pour it without spilling a drop."

Thinking about how not to spill it, Trixie decided to pull the tea out of the container and use her telekinesis to place it down into the cups manually rather than pour it, "Like this?"

Franziska stopped her with a hand mid-way, resulting in Trixie only filling two of the cups in this manner, "Use your magic on the tea pot, not the tea itself. Pouring it accurately and without spilling using your telekinesis will show off all you need to, you need not waste the effort of moving each drop yourself in a way that will be seen as excessive by your guests."

Understanding the subtle yet still existing display of power and grace mentioned, Trixie did as she was told and began to pour the tea down with the aid of gravity. While a couple little splashes landed on the table besides the cups, she still managed to do it quite well with the only other complaint possible being that she perhaps overfilled the cups.

Blowing on her cup to cool it, Franziska nodded in approval to the proficient first trial, "A good start. Now, drink the tea for its health benefits before we move on to try again."

Trixie did as told, quickly gulping it down in a less than completely polite way that would be corrected soon after, but she stopped to nearly spit it out as she burned her tongue from the hot liquid. Irritated, she summoned some small ice inside her cup which dissolved quite rapidly but still managed to cool it down a bit, at which point she continued to drink. Beside her the fire-aligned Kael was having no issues with the heat of it, and he was using his free time earned by not burning his own tongue to look and blush at Trixie.

After drinking her own cup of tea, Franziska furrowed her brow and stared down at the container which still held some tea in it, "This tea tastes peculiar. What ingredients were used?"

The adviser who made it had joined them after Trixie poured it, and he was enjoying his own in a slow manner when he smiled absent-mindedly at the guest teacher, "Well, tea of course, and I am fond of putting some brandy in as well..."

The whip was brought out for the first time that day and the man had to flee from its reach as Franziska actually used it on someone for once, nearly striking him if not for his narrow escape. The man had originally been preparing tea for himself, but did he really not think about how two children were going to be drinking it as well? How could a smart man be so scatterbrained? The idea angered Franziska, who chewed him out with fervor.

"You insolent, drunken fool, do you not realize what harm alcohol can do to a child's brain?!"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to change what I was making!" he hurriedly responded, trying to avoid a hail of whip lashes.

As she calmed down from her attack on him, Franziska failed to note Trixie and Kael both enjoying what remained of the alcoholic tea. Franziska crossed her arms and stared harshly at the man whose mistake could kill the brain cells of these poor children, "Your punishment shall be thirty days of alcohol prohibition, and ten hours each week of mandatory lectures for the harmed parties to make up for what you may have cost their young minds."

The man balked, "Give up alcohol? But alcohol has been Humanity's...err, Pony-kind's friend for centuries. Can I just abandon a friend?"

They began to argue on the pros and cons of alcohol while Trixie and Kael watched on the sidelines in amusement, Kael noting dryly, "I like it when she whips other people."

"I want a whip too," Trixie stated admiringly, personally in a place between complete fear and respect for her fierce teacher.

Trixie's idle desire worried Kael, who shrunk in his seat, "You won't use it on me, will you?"

"Depends."

"Depends?!"

Trixie grinned, "If you listen to Trixie everything will be fine."

"This is why your mother says you can't have a pet."

"Trixie already has you, why would she need a pet?" she mocked him playfully, which was returned swiftly with a statement of fact from Kael.

"Didn't you want that rabbit you found in the courtyard?"

"Mr. Hopsy was so cute!" looking over Kael and having grown partially intoxicated, Trixie came up with an interesting idea...at least it was to her as she envisioned Kael with rabbit ears, "You will have to replace him."

"What?"

"Miss Rarity will make you some nice rabbit ears to wear at all times."

"...no."

While Trixie was growing to respect her teacher, she also was still frightened of her and was also a daddy's girl, so when she came across her father during a lesson one day she dove towards him for refuge and safety.

"Daddy, save me from the scary lady. She whips me."

Loki rolled his eyes, knowing his daughter was almost lying, "Trixie, she is whipping near you, not actually you. Of course I would not let you actually be hurt, but Luna saw fit to bring in an aide in correcting your misbehavior."

Soon noticing that Loki was accompanied by his wife, her mother, Trixie rushed over to her for a second attempt at refuge, "Mommy, I'm sorry, please save me."

"Trixie, this would not have had to happen if you had not interrupted four consecutive important meetings. You will be perfectly fine, so please don't whine."

Hanging her head in defeat, Trixie trotted back over to Franziska, "Okay mommy..."

Actually appearing shocked that Trixie was so afraid of her, Franziska appeared a bit hurt, especially since she had dialed down her threats of force after striking intentional fear in the child at first. She had meant to scare her into submission at first, then not need to need to use it afterwards, but it seems she still was a cause of abject fear in the filly. She never had been great with children, so this only further hit that wound on her ego, "I do not mean to inflict such fear in you, Princess, only what is necessary...I apologize if I have acted too boldly."

Trixie hugged her leg as her parents departed to go attend important business, "Trixie forgives you if you bring her toast flavored ice cream."

"I..." Franziska fought the urge to gag, "No. That is a disgusting and vile idea."

"I have searched for someone you find disagreeable, and have brought them here for this lesson."

Trixie narrowed her eyes at the person mentioned by Franziska, a pony her age with dark fur who was large yet quite ugly with a personality to match. Staring him down still, Trixie stated her reasoning for hating the other foal.

"Geary Thoughts here is mean to Kael because Kael's prettier than him."

The pony nicknamed Garry scoffed at Trixie in the courtyard Franziska had arranged the meeting at, "That dumb Elf should go home, and you should go with him sell-out."

"You're dumb," Trixie shot back and was about to stick her tongue out when Franziska stopped her with a hand.

"Trixie, a proper lady would not respond with such an improper retort."

"But he's a stupid jerk," Trixie complained, not seeing why she should spare him from even petty insults.

Franziska nodded in agreement, "Yes, he is, so you must be clever in dealing with him. He is obviously small-minded and incapable of intelligent thought, for he is incapable of understanding what it means to insult those of greater prestige and intelligence than him. You are a Princess, remember that. Grace and power are both requisites for you to carry out the duties of your station."

Trixie thought for a moment of how to incorporate this information, eventually coming to a conclusion on the matter as she was glared at by the bully she stood across from. Adopting an almost regal expression, Trixie wiggled a hoof in front of her to gesture for him to shoo away.

"Very well, you may think what you will. Dismissed. You aren't worth my time, but you had best not make yourself worth it lest I punish you."

Geary Thoughts used a hoof to push Trixie's chest, surprising her since she was not used to being touched this roughly by someone outside of her family.

"Pfft, punish? What are you going to do, get your whore mother to beat me up?" he laughed as he took another swing at Trixie, which she sidestepped after recovering from the first.

Franziska nonchalantly handed her whip over to Trixie, both pleased with Trixie's way of dressing down the bully and also partly shocked by the foal's language.

"A use of force is now called for. Perhaps granting you this will result in unnecessary damage, but a lesson must be taught."

Having been given the okay by an adult, Trixie retaliated in a quick flurry to the bully not only insulting her best friend but now also her mother, and who had taken a swing at her twice. In moments the bully was on the ground unconscious from the whip strikes he had stumbled into like a lumbering brute, having received one lash for each time he tried to attack Trixie again and again. The end result was his unconscious body, and Trixie only feeling half bad about herself for punishing him.

"Now Trixie, remember, a proper lady does not resort to violence as their first option, but rather when it is called for in a situation."

Looking at the whip she had just used, Trixie found she still wanted it, "Can I keep it?"

"No."

Even those who didn't like Trixie as much in their age group began to quiet their opinions after word came of her complete humiliation of the bully, as well as that of another bully who thought she had gotten lucky. While lightly reprimanded by Luna and Loki for fighting, they both were proud that she had actually gone terribly easy on the bullies who fought her given that she had the power if an Alicorn trained by both of them.

"I'm bored. I want to play..."

Franziska looked over from the legal paperwork she was working on and noticed that Trixie had faceplanted herself on top of the book she was supposed to be reading.

"Others are working at the moment and you will disturb them. Now is the time for studiousness, not boisterousness."

Trixie ignored what she didn't want to hear, "Where's Kael?"

"With your father, learning just as you should be right now. What would your mother say if she knew you were ignoring your studies of Jotun geography and of proper governance tactics?"

Trixie rolled her head over to look away from Franziska but still remain planted on the book, her voice one of somepony fighting back tears, "Mommy expects a lot of me."

Realizing that the girl was about to cry, Franziska put a comforting hand on Trixie's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look, even if Trixie could not really see it. After a moment of silence the lawyer sighed and shook her head, realizing that she actually had something else in common with this young girl.

"My papa had high expectations of me too. Everything had to be perfect..."

This caught Trixie's interest, one of her ears perking up before she shifted her head to then face Franziska.

"Was he like my daddy?"

The fearsome 'Demon Prosecutor' Manfred von Karma was not a man very alike Loki Odinson in almost any regard, so Franziska tried to hold back a laugh, "No, I do not believe so. He meant everything to me though..." she missed her father, even though she knew he had done horrible things...even to someone they both cared about. She felt like she could turn this into another lesson however and so Franziska spoke softly to Trixie, "It is important to know and remember that parents are people too, and they are not perfect even if we wish they were. Try as we might, we are not perfect either, so we must learn to forgive the faults of others and ourselves if we are to live in happiness."

Trixie said nothing to this, reflecting instead on how much she loved her mother...and realizing that yes, Luna was not perfect, but that they both loved eachother as much as anyone could. As Trixie thought, Franziska was left to ponder on her own about the first time she met Trixie...at least, a Trixie.

Before the meltdown of the eldest daughter of Luna, Franziska had received a visit on Earth from a talking horse who asked that their will be carried out in a few months should they not return for it. At the time Franziska had not known its contents, for they were sealed, but agreed solely on the fact that she was a horse enthusiast who had met a talking horse that was asking her a favor. The surreal experience had made her check if she had been poisoned or drugged, but when she confirmed it was real she was excited at the prospect of there being a race of these talking horses. She doubted they would be a fan of her old riding crop, but a small part of the little girl still inside her was just giddy at the prospect of meeting with them.

Come the time Trixie said to bring the will forward, Franziska had learned that her client had committed what was possibly the galaxy's most planned out, spectacular suicide. The family was in mourning at the time even though Trixie had been dead for quite awhile, and were even more bereaved when they read the contents of the will for themselves.

Franziska thought it suspect that this young girl so closely resembled the deceased, but she could not explain all of the magic in this realm and so she let it go. Still, she did not want to see this sweet young girl walk down a similar path of grief, anger, and despair, and so she spoke up about the past, "Your oldest sister did not learn or take such a lesson to heart. I hope you will, for I would not like to carry out the will of any more people my age or younger."

Trixie had no response to that and so silence hung between them for a few moments before Trixie shifted the subject back to something else they had been talking about, "What's your papa like?"

Franziska smiled with some pride, "He is quite like me, but he is the best prosecutor I have ever seen. He had a forty year win streak for his trials, and was ruthless towards those who would break the law," she sighed as she realized how many innocent people must have gone to the gallows or rotted in jail because no defense attorney could match her father...but at the same time, her father's relentless attitude was forfeit in many ways when it came to his family life, "He could be really kind though, at least to me, my mother, and a boy he adopted and took as his pupil."

Trixie smiled as she thought about something similar in her own life, "My papa brought home a pupus too, and he lives with us now," a thought crossed her mind as she thought about Kael, "He's better at magic than me when we're learning from daddy, so I hate him in lessons, but he's my best friend when he's not busy showing off."

The obvious jealousy mixed with affection amused the lawyer, who grinned to her student, "Do you like this boy?"

"Trixie does not know what you speak of. Kael is nothing but an annoying little bother who makes me look bad in front of mommy and daddy, so I hate him."

"No you don't."

"Trixie is serious," she whined before pouting softly, "He makes me feel funny, and I don't like it..."

"You obviously have feelings for your companion, even if you are jealous of his talents and abilities that surpass your own," Franziska sighed knowingly, "Admitting defeat is another talent one must master in life, be it in professional matters or in one's relationships."

A curious thought popped in Trixie's mind as she compared their situations, "Does your brother-thing make you feel funny too?"

The question caught Franziska off guard and made her gawk at first as she tried to formulate a response, "W-what kind of question is that?" growing red in the cheeks, Trixie wasn't sure if she was getting angry, embarrassed, or both, "As if I would fall for such a troublesome man I call 'Little Brother'. You must possess an overactive imagination if you were to think such a foolish idea."

"That's like what I said when mommy told me I liked Kael," Trixie playfully teased, realizing she had hit a nerve.

"Silence!"

"Mommy, Franzy likes her brother!"

"Recant your erroneous testimony at once, foal!"

In many ways, Trixie had a long way to go in terms of growing up and becoming a proper lady, but over the coming years she would learn some basic manners and etiquette she had somehow failed to pick up while living in a royal castle thanks to the cultured background of the family's newly hired legal expert.

As some in their inner circle would say, "The whippings will continue until etiquette improves."

Author's Note

I'm not the first person who has noticed the similarities between Franziska von Karma and Trixie (same personalities and appearances basically). I mean, look at Franziska as a pony. And Trixie in Franziska's clothes.

Also, her younger self kind of is how I would envision a Humanized/Elf Trixie at the same ages. Teen-ish here, and toddler here. In fact, it was seeing young Franziska in the anime of the Ace Attorney series that truly gave me the idea for this prompt.

Anyways, this was just a fun idea I had because of how similar they are in certain ways (heck, both even use whips at some point in their series), so I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! (Bonus cookies to anyone who can name all of the advisers)

Gaiden-Decretum: As If I Met Her Before

A/N: Special thanks to the other sans, EquinoxLiege, InsanityStreak, and Emperor of Jurai for your comments last chapter! I hope you all continue to enjoy and that I will continue to hear from you as we continue on!

Been awhile since I've done a really song related chapter, so here we are, "Decretum". The song is actually more of one for this coming arc as a whole rather than this particular chapter, but it's a beautiful song so I thought I should share it anyways.

For any curious what a humanoid Trixie will look like, as I mentioned previously my mental image is of the teenage Franziska von Karma.

I hope you all enjoy, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

"Big brother! Big brother!"

Sleep Near had just been about to depart their castle on Asgard when he was tackle-hugged by his young sister Trixie, who was just entering her teen years and was still full of the energy that childhood was known for. She was already growing to fully resemble their absent eldest sister of the same name, a bitter yet sweet realization her family came to terms with years before.

"Oh, hey Trixie. How are you today?"

Once Sleep Near returned her hug, albeit without the running start, Trixie decided to press onward with what had been her reason for chasing after him: she was curious where her brother was going off to today.

"What are you up to?"

"How to explain..." Sleep Near had not fully explained his role and duty to his young sister yet, so he thought about how to best convey his current mission to her in simple terms, "As a supervisor of sorts to Valhalla, it is my duty to make sure those worthy souls are taken care of. You understand that, right?"

"Uh huh," Trixie nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, some of those who come to me, or some otherwise worthy souls who for some reason come by Hela, are the way they are not from personal sin or because of things truly within their own control. Someone who thought they were doing the best thing they could, but it turned out to hurt a lot of people for example, could end up in Helheim as an accounting error of sort."

Trixie thought she understood, so she tried explaining a bit of it her own way, "So Hela gives you them back?"

"Yes, she and I have have an arrangement for such individuals. We even have it agreed that those tortured anti-heroes and anti-villains who may have deserved better than what life gave them should be able to be freed of their pain should they have earned such a chance in life," Sleep Near smirked as he thought of when his twin sister came to him and broached the subject, "Hela was actually quite insistent on this."

Curiosity still not sated, Trixie continued to press her brother for information, "How do you fix them?"

Sleep Near used all of his arms to gesture as he spoke, something that always annoyed his little sister since it was so distracting to see so many hands moving at once. He was ignorant to this fact though since she didn't want to be mean to her brother and his extra-limb condition, but it did almost make her dizzy as he spoke, "Well, it really varies on a case by case basis you see. Not everything would break the same person the same way to the point they would be unable to actually revel in the gift awarded to them through Valhalla. At the end of some lives those lost are in such despair that eternal bliss would rather be eternal torment, so in order to actually reward them for who they are or what they did, Hela and I have to actually change the way their lives ended."

Someone else approaching them turned Sleep Near's attention away from his sister and to the new arrival, with Trixie following suit and looking away from her brother up to their now present mother.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Mommy!"

Trixie was indeed as incorrigible as Luna had noted before on many an occasion and spent no time rushing up to her mother to hug her like she had her brother, earning a wry smile from Luna.

"It sounds like you two are having quite the interesting conversation."

This earned an excited nod from Trixie, who had to be careful not to impale her mother with her horn, "Sleep Near has a cool job! Can I have a cool job when I'm a grow up like him?"

"Perhaps. We'll have to see," Luna stroked the top of her daughter's head, running a hand through Trixie's soft hair, "Are you done with Ms. Franziska's lessons today?"

"Uh huh. Can I go to a real school now?"

Luna frowned, having hoped that Trixie would have either forgotten or given up on this topic...unfortunately her daughter had been so persistent that she caught Luna at a bad time once and got Luna to agree that if she kept up with all her lessons with her various home-school teachers that she could go out and experience what an actual school was, "Well, I did promise to let you see what it's like..."

This caused a renewal of the energy Trixie was expending into their hug, with Luna blushing as her daughter hugged her so tightly and embarrassingly in public, "Thank you mommy."

In another deflection attempt, Luna decided to try and stall things out by actually telling the truth, "I still haven't decided which one to bring you to if I am to be honest."

Sleep Near either did not pick up on his mother's reluctance or outright defied it when he spoke up next, "I believe I can relieve you of that burden, mother. The person I am passing judgment on next actually is a school student around Trixie's age, so I can just bring her with me and let her go to the school."

If Sleep Near was going to be there perhaps things would be better than just letting Trixie loose in a regular school where others could and likely would bully her...Luna still was hesitant on the issue however due to another factor, that being that it was not a location she had scouted and was knowledgeable of concerning the student culture, "Oh? Where is it?"

"It is a school on Earth, so Trixie might have to play the part of Human to not draw attention to herself," Sleep Near shrugged as if it was a simple matter, which in some ways it was for their family despite it being high level magic, "This alternate Earth is not apart of our Empire yet, so they would not know how to handle a speaking horse like yourself."

The idea of visiting a foreign Earth with her brother pleased Trixie, who pumped a hoof up into the air as she separated from her mother, "Road trip!"

Now feeling like she had no choice, Luna finally relented and decided to find out the specifics, "How long will you be gone?"

"A few minutes of the time here I suppose," Trixie had nearly skipped out of the building towards the Bifrost, where they would depart from, leaving her brother to finish dealing with their mother, "I will keep her safe, mother. Compared to us, there is little that truly poses a threat in the world I am travelling to."

"I know you will look after her, I am just worried how she will do with making friends...that is why she wants this after all..."

"She couldn't only have the one friend forever, could she? She will be fine."

Arriving at the island nation of Japan with her brother was a moment of both excitement and of apprehension for Trixie, who had donned a humanoid appearance that was much like the Elven form of her predecessor albeit tailored to represent a Human instead. Not only was she nervous about actually meeting others her age, she was not used to taking a form like this yet and so it took a lot of her concentration to maintain the transformation, concentration that was constantly disturbed by her tripping over things because of her lack of experience walking on only two legs.

Sleep Near arranged for them to have a house to live at in their time there, and it was here one early morning in Japan that he helped her put on her backpack full of school supplies. The dark blue of the backpack contrasted well with the light beige uniform she had to wear, with her black and plaid skirt finishing her full outfit for the classes she was about to take.

"So, I took care of things and you're going to be going to school with the eighth graders, okay?"

"Okay," Trixie said back in a meek voice, her nervousness creeping out and showing itself on her face.

To reassure her Sleep Near knelt down from his massive height, having kept some of his size even if he was pretending to be a Human, to look at her at eye-level. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he smiled warmly, "If you ever need anything, meet me back here. I can't follow you in the school, but I will be keeping an eye on you with my powers."

"I love you big brother."

"I love you too Trixie. Now, you had best be going. I would not want you to be late your first day and get in trouble."

After only a few feet of movement Trixie began to pout when she nearly tripped over her own foot after a misplaced step, "Walking on two legs is weird."

"You'll get used to it," Sleep Near laughed, having grown used to walking on two legs long ago. Unlike his sister, he alternated between forms as it suited him, while Trixie heavily favored her equine body.

"I wish Kael were here to help me..."

"He and Father are away studying or else I may have considered bringing him too. But here I was thinking you were doing this because you wanted new friends."

"I do, I just..."

"It's okay Trixie. Just be yourself and be as nice to your class as you are to everyone else, okay?"

The school was gigantic and held an architecture that was quite abnormal in that it looked nothing like how one might expect a school to, at least not in Trixie's experience of looking in at them without getting to partake in them. The interior was also quite unique to Trixie, with it possessing see-through walls that allowed one to peer into classrooms as they walked through the hallways. Just as Trixie was beginning to question who would design a school like this, she arrived at her assigned classroom. She had been informed that she would be introduced to the students inside after role-call, though to her surprise there seemed to be another new-girl outside as well waiting to be brought in.

The other girl had raven hair and dull eyes one would expect of someone to whom happiness was a foreign concept. Looking over at the other girl actually unnerved Trixie, who felt like she was being studied by this other girl whose pale skin contrasted her dark hair. Inside the room Trixie could hear the teacher ranting about something inconsequential, so she did not even feel comfort from the fact that she ought to be called inside soon since it appeared that the one who would introduce her was sidetracked.

"You shouldn't be here."

Trixie's attention focused back on the other girl in the hallway and she gasped when she realized that the girl had closed the gap between them faster than any person ought to be able, appearing as if she did not move at all as she came up too close for Trixie's personal comfort.

"I..."

Trixie backed up a step only for the girl to take that step forward and continue her intimidating glare right at Trixie, who may have been taller but was also far skinnier than this other girl who was by no means anything but athletic in build, "Who are you and why have you appeared from out of nowhere? You did not exist until just now, so answer me."

Unfortunately, Trixie had not expected this line of questioning and so she was caught flat-footed by the sudden inquisition, "Uh..."

Her teacher, a woman by the name of Kazuko, continued her rant in the classroom as this happened outside, "And you boys, better make sure you don't grow up to be men who complain about how the darn eggs are cooked, understand?!"

After a pause, the teacher served as accidental savior to the awkward girl joining her class, "Ahem. Well, now that that's out of the way, let's give a big warm welcome to our new classmates!"

The girl cornering Trixie suddenly gave her room and adopted a look of indifference, as if the altercation had never happened. Now that the attention was going to be on them she seemingly did not want to make a scene, something Trixie was quite grateful for.

Inside the classroom a girl with blue hair complained, "Uh, maybe that should've come first?"

The teacher ignored this heckler and introduced the first of their new students, "Come in first, Miss Akemi. Don't be shy!

Ignoring Trixie still, the black haired girl strode into the classroom and introduced herself to the class. Trixie did not bother to try and engage her further, having been unnerved by this girl whose manner was severe beyond their age. What was up with this other new student, and why was she so suspicious of Trixie?

Perhaps it would not have made as big an impact if not for the fact that Trixie really ought not to have been there and really was just now joining this world of people and appearing as if from out of nowhere.

Inside the teacher began the formalities related to introducing a new student, though it was a new experience for Trixie and so she tried listening in as best as she could from the hall, "Why don't you tell the class a little bit about yourself?"

The scary girl, whose blank expression remained without interference from an event that might be terrifying for many children, stood before the class and introduced herself, "I'm Homura Akemi. It's nice to meet you."

A plain greeting, but it did its part and she was soon absorbed into the classroom as the various students talked about things like her beauty and other remarkable features that went over Trixie's head. Trixie had no idea what passed for beautiful or whatnot in the Human race, she just hoped she didn't look too out of place while in this Asgardian body that would pass off for a Human one. While by most standards there would be no noticeable difference, if one were to compare her physical capabilities with those she would be taking classes with inside she would be notably inhuman.

That is, if she could stop tripping every few moments. For the moment she would just appear to be a clumsy fool, and she was beginning to feel it as she tried to enter the classroom at the teacher's introduction.

"Now let us welcome our other transfer student, Miss...Lokidóttir? Is that a Nordic name?"

Her teacher's question was interrupted by Trixie falling face first onto the floor, not yet understanding how shoelaces work or that they could interfere with how one walks.

It was in this way that Trixie was introduced to her class full of teenage children, who true to form became amused by her complete failure at entering the classroom. Hearing their laughter caused the swelling of nervous emotions within Trixie to burst and she found herself crying into the floor. As some peers were busy laughing, others kept quiet out of pity, while their teacher instead chastised those who were snickering at the display.

The matter was over by the next few seconds as Trixie pulled herself back up to her feet indignantly, making an effort to look tough to hide her obvious weakness. The tears still in her eyes defeated her purpose, but she tried to mimic Homura by looking tough and emotionless otherwise, "I am Trixie. It's nice to meet you all."

Kazuko held a hand out to show Trixie to her seat across the room, "We're glad to have you with us, Trixie. Now, class, today we will be focusing on math..."

The actual lesson was not of particular interest to Trixie, who had been force fed math textbooks by her mother as she grew up. Luna wanted her to have the best education she could, so Trixie had a small army of mentors who knew every subject she could possibly need to know. Be it Twilight and literature or Franziska and law, Trixie was well taken care of and so was actually well ahead of her age.

She didn't want to go to school for school though. That would be silly. No, she wanted to go to school to meet people her own age for once since Luna had her keep a sheltered life. Unfortunately though she worried that her foolish introduction would tar her chances at befriending others, since they would now know her as the clumsy girl whereas Homura would be known as that beautiful girl.

Thinking about that, Trixie looked over at Homura, who seemed to draw the attention of most of the other girls in the classroom. Mysterious ill girl comes to a new school after getting better was the vibe Trixie was getting, and it was a character type she was familiar with from reading novels tying in to school...if she couldn't experience it herself, she had wanted to try and do so with her imagination previously.

During the lessons the other new student showed herself to be quite intelligent, answering every question posed with ease when Trixie did not do so herself: Trixie tackled more universal questions she could apply her Equestrian-Asgardian learning towards, while she left ones that were more specific to Earth up to Homura to answer. The fact that someone could rival her own intelligence rankled Trixie's pride, since while she was fine with having gaps in her knowledge thanks to her unfamiliarity with Earth actually having someone on her intellect level who did not have these gaps made her feel inferior.

In a break between lessons the class seemed to swarm around the other new girl, Homura, for her supposed beauty Trixie was still confused by. Was she pretty too? She had always felt less beautiful than her sister Hela thanks to Hela resembling their mother so greatly, as if she were a mirror image replica in fact, but Trixie really couldn't compare herself to peers back home thanks to almost never seeing them outside of those with some relation to her family, and she could not really understand the comparisons here since she never had to judge what made regular Humans pretty before.

As she grappled with this, someone tapped on her shoulder to get her attention. Trixie turned around in her seat to look at the one trying to flag down her notice, finding herself now facing the blue haired girl she heard speak before. It appeared that on this Earth possessing abnormal hair colors was something mundane, as someone else had pink hair and yet another had green hair, though Trixie found the green to be an icky color one should be embarrassed to possess as their own.

"Hi, I'm Sayaka," the blue haired girl introduced herself. Like the other girls she had the same uniform, but her hair was cut in a way that implied that she was a tomboy. Trixie's own hair was long and feminine, its silver-blue sheen something she was actually proud of, and in this instance it made her naturally disposed towards liking this girl who may not have the same type of blue hair but still was within the same color.

Looking at her, Trixie felt something...familiar. She couldn't explain it, but she most certainly felt like this was not actually their first encounter, even though she knew it had to be.

Because of this it took Trixie a moment to stammer out a basic reply, "I'm Trixie. I...I'm new here."

Sayaka placed her hands on her hips and laughed in a good natured manner, "Haha, well no duh. You and that other girl are both new students, so of course you're new around here."

Trixie realized that she had indeed been redundant in her statement given that she had been introduced to the entire class, "I mean I...I've never gone to school before. I was homeschooled, so this..."

"Huh, really? So what type of stuff did you learn at home? You seemed super smart in class, so you must have learned a lot."

"Oh, I just learned whatever my teachers thought was necessary. I..."

Mathematics, history, writing, reading, arcane magic, effective governance, military tactics...some she expected to see repeats of here, but some which even the oblivious Trixie realized would confuse people if she were to mention. She wasn't a princess here, just a regular person...a both exciting and frightening state to be in, since now people weren't obligated to like her.

Sayaka gave a comforting smile as she sat back against one of the desks, "You're pretty shy, new girl. It really is your first time to the rodeo, huh?"

Already grateful that someone was speaking to her after her incident earlier, Trixie thought of something: when she had been getting up from the floor this girl was one of the ones not laughing at her, instead having been one of those like the pink haired girl who was now joining them to look like they were going to come help her up until Trixie rose on her own.

Meekly, Trixie nodded to Sayaka's approximation of her personality. In truth Trixie was perfectly comfortable speaking with and acting like herself around people she knew, but with all these new people...well, she felt like a fish out of water and she kind of wanted to hide like a clam in its shell.

Sayaka pointed right to herself with a thumb, her gregarious grin serving as quite the opposite of Trixie's more nervous expression, "Well don't worry, we'll show you the ropes," she moved her thumb to point over to the pink haired girl with pigtails held up by red ribbon, "This is my friend Madoka."

Madoka smiled brightly and gave off an aura of kindness from her warm greeting, one which Trixie came to appreciate, "It's nice to meet you. I—"

Unfortunately she never finished because someone else had approached them and distracted Madoka from her greeting. They all looked over to see the blank facade of Homura staring at Madoka,

"Huh?" questioned the pink haired girl, who was not expecting this other new student to leave the attention they were being fed by the class to come over here.

"Miss Madoka Kaname. You are the Nurse's Aide for this class, are you not?"

It was weird that she already knew this other girl's entire name...but while this oddness stuck out to Trixie, Sayaka, and Madoka, the latter decided to put it aside and so she continued trying to piece together what this transfer student wanted, "Huh? Um, well... I uh..."

"Would you please come with me? To the Nurse's Office."

Since it was Madoka's job in the class to escort people to the nurse in case they were feeling ill, she relented and apologized for not finishing her conversation with Trixie before going her separate way with Homura. This left Trixie behind with Sayaka, who was watching her friend leave with some confusion.

"Huh, that's weird."

Trixie frowned as she began to get the feeling that she was not going to like this other new student, "She's odd."

"You got that right!" Sayaka laughed before growing a devilish grin, "Watch, she's just luring Madoka outside so she can profess her undying love!"

Thinking that her classmate knew something she did not, Trixie gullibly took this jest at face value, "Really?"

Sayaka was actually surprised that Trixie was taking her seriously, getting the feeling that this girl really didn't get out much, "Dunno, maybe, but I mean, come on, they just met. Who falls in love with somebody they just met?"

Without answering her Trixie looked down at the floor, embarrassed by how she thought she had feelings for a certain best friend of hers...and had felt drawn to him since they first met. Surely love at first sight was just for stories, right? Thinking that didn't diminish the way even just thinking of Kael made Trixie's stomach feel funny.

"Oh..."

Seeing Trixie blush at her mistake caused Sayaka to laugh giggle, finding the naive-newcomer personality fun.

"You're weird new girl, but weird's cool," she stuck her thumb out again to point to herself proudly, "Stick with Madoka and me and we'll show you the ropes around here, okay?"

Interestingly, if Trixie hadn't humiliated herself before she wouldn't have drawn Sayaka's attention and thus made a friend in her first day of classes. Trixie didn't know the inner workings of the other girl's head yet, but seeing people make fun of Trixie had ticked off Sayaka and so she decided to make an effort to be different from them and be nice to Trixie.

Smiling up at Sayaka, Trixie nodded as she accepted the aid offered to her, "Thank you."

"Haha, you're so clumsy Trixie!"

While Sayaka wasn't fond of others genuinely making fun of someone, she wasn't above playfully poking at Trixie as the latter tried pole-vaulting in their physical education course only to misplace the pole, have it slide a bit across the ground, and then for Trixie's attempted jump to end with her falling on her back.

"I'm sorry..." Trixie apologized as her friend helped her up to her feet.

The two moved over to the side of the athletic field and track away from the other students so Trixie could rest her aching back. She had been falling over the entire time, since she could barely manage basic humanoid movement and thus applying herself to sports was quite difficult for her. As they sat down Sayaka decided to boost the new girl's ego a bit, "Hey, it's alright. You were homeschooled, right? I doubt you had PE class every day, so don't sweat it. You'll get the hang of things."

Nearby where they sat were a series of lifting weights for those who were training for more strength related sports and things, though they didn't appear anything special to Trixie, who grabbed the closest one to her to flex as she waited for her back to feel a bit better.

Seeing this lanky and uncoordinated girl lift a hefty weight got Sayaka worried, thinking that Trixie would drop it at any moment, "Those are the boy weights. You might want to wait to use them if you're still not able to walk straight."

Trixie didn't bother to listen, instead finding the weight too light. She placed it down carefully before grabbing the heaviest one available and began to curl it like she had seen others exercising do in the past, her face not displaying an ounce of strain as she lazily lifted this training device. She did not know what the limits on the human body were just yet, only knowing that they were weaker though she was unaware of the complete gap between them...she was thinking they were maybe a step below her kind, when in truth they were entire multitudes behind them.

Sayaka gaped as she watched her new friend lift the weight without a sweat, instantly reforming some of her opinion of the weird new girl who was smart but clumsy, "Woah! How did you do that?"

Not about to explain that she was a shapeshifting horse who was half Asgardian, Trixie shrugged and gave a simple answer that wasn't exactly a lie, "My mom and dad are strong, so I'm strong too."

Sayaka was going to question Trixie further until her attention was pulled by their classmates cheering on the other new girl, who had been exhibiting near superhuman athletic feats ever since the class started. Trixie too was curious about this, and began to think of how this girl could possibly be outdoing all the others so handily, "That girl..."

"She's breaking all the records. It'd be pretty cool if it wasn't so weird. How's she so good at everything?" Sayaka complained, a bit put off by whoever this new girl thought she was being literally the best at everything...except perhaps weight lifting, though at the rate she was going Sayaka wouldn't be surprised if Homura proved to be a prodigy at that too.

"Maybe she's a time traveler?"

It was a simple observation for Trixie, who couldn't think of too many other explanations as to why someone their age would both understand why Trixie shouldn't be there as if it were a fact as well as demonstrate abilities beyond those people of their own age seemed capable of. Someone who could travel through time could bypass those limitations Trixie theorized, and also could tell if someone wasn't a part of the normal timeline.

It helped that her brother and sister time traveled for their work, so the concept wasn't wholly unfamiliar to Trixie.

Still, it was a far-fetched concept to Sayaka who laughed it off like it was a joke, "Time travel? Hah, that's a good one. You watch a lot of anime, don't you?"

"Maybe," Trixie defensively shot back.

"Hey I'm not one to judge. I like plenty myself, particularly ones where there's some awesome hero who fights for justice and saves the day!" Sayaka exclaimed as she cleared up Trixie's misconception.

"My mother won't let me watch some. She says they're too sad, but we still have them for some reason."

"Is your mom one of those 'moral' guardians who complains about whatever kids like these days? I can't stand lame people like that."

"Well she is always telling my sister Hela what not to do..."

Trixie knew this was because Hela was mischievous and prone to doing things that would anger any parent, but it still was an act of laying down the law that she was familiar with seeing. In comparison, having Franziska whip Trixie into proper manners and shape was almost kind compared to all the times Luna had to punish Hela for various misdeeds.

"Woah, your sister's named Hela? Isn't that like Norse mythology or something?"

So they were only myths here...interesting. Trixie nodded to Sayaka and smiled as she got the chance to think and talk about her family, "Uh huh. My father's Loki, and my brother is Sleep Near. I think people call it Sleipnir or something like that here."

Sayaka threw her hands up in the air in an exaggerated manner to emphasize her words, "Your family's a lot cooler than I thought then! Like seriously, you've got to have awesome parents and grandparents if they name their kids stuff like that."

"My grandparents are Odin and Frigga on my dad's side, and my other grandmother is named Faust. Does that mean anything?"

"I dunno," Sayaka thought for a moment, bringing her index finger up to her chin as she tried to recall anything related to the name Faust, "I think I've heard something about some guy named Goethe having a book called Faust, but I could be wrong."

The class ended and it was time to leave the field, so Sayaka and Trixie went about getting up and leaving it when the former came up with an idea concerning this newbie.

"Hey, after school you want to come hang with Madoka and me? We usually get together after school with our other friend Hitomi."

Trixie held up her hands as if in protest, "I wouldn't want to impose..."

Not seeing how it'd be an imposition, Sayaka shook her head, "Don't worry, Madoka's cool, she won't mind and Hitomi's always so busy with her tea lessons and piano stuff that it gets lonely with just with Madoka and me. You're new here, so I'm guessing you don't have anybody else to hang out with or anything to do, right?"

Trixie blushed as she thought of her only other friend again, "Yeah...I only have one other friend, and he doesn't live near here."

"Then it's settled! You'll tag along with us after school, okay?" Sayaka went from pumping a fist in the air to curiously looking over Trixie as a possible complication came to mind, "Your mom won't worry about you being out, will she?"

Trixie smiled as she thought now of her mother, who she was sure would say no, that she couldn't stay out, but who also happened to not be there, "She's away right now, so my brother's looking after me. He won't mind since he's busy."

"Busy, huh? Is he a grown up or something?"

"Yeah, though I don't know really what he does for a living. When I grow up though I want to be like him though. He's so cool and he always is there looking out for me, so "

"Always looking out for you, huh?" Sayaka nudged Trixie and grinned impishly as she used a hand as a visor to begin looking around the area for any adults lingering there, "So is he somewhere around here lurking, watching all of us kids like some creep?"

"My brother's not a creep!"

"Haha, stop taking everything so seriously, I was kidding."

Trixie felt embarrassment flood her again as she realized she really needed to learn just when others were kidding...she wasn't used to others joking around with her, since her only other friend was basically her yes-man and was not prone to making such remarks, "Ohhh...my bad. Sorry Sayaka..."

"No problem. If he's so cool though you should let me meet him. How many siblings you have anyways?"

"I see that you have already found the target."

Sleep Near had felt his twin arrive even before she spoke and before she sat down on the cloud he was using as his spy perch to observe the person he intended to meddle with this time around.

He grinned over at his sister, who was lounging on the cloud in a bored manner, "You know, I was a bit surprised when you brought this case to my attention."

Hela looked away from him as she thought back to the event that sparked this journey, "I found the soul while searching for our sister. They were so similar..."

"You don't need to worry, I'll keep an eye on things. I want to see how things might play out with our dear little sister meddling, but I do intend to change things so that when they come to pass it will not be with the regrets and pain they suffered in the life we saw. What use is a Heaven if one is too broken to enjoy it?" Sleep Near explained to her before sighing, "Unfortunately fixing it one person at a time is a bit time consuming, but necessary."

"Trixie won't be the only one who meddles."

That was certainly true...Luna had a knack for intervening in her children's business, though they could hardly fault her for caring for them enough to try and help in her own ways. This would be far more likely than other times since Trixie was involved in this mission to some degree, and Luna loved her young daughter dearly, "Mother will certainly come to check on her, but we have a little while before that. For now let's just let Trixie have this 'normal' life...at least, until the path to despair reveals itself and we find our way to avert this story's ending."

"Playing god," Hela snarked.

"We are gods, and so we must play our parts," Sleep Near's voice grew serious as he looked down again at the school field where Trixie was leaving, "Besides, no-one should have to suffer like our sister once did. If I have to go to each dimension, each timeline in-person and fix everything by hand I will do so."

Watching Trixie's new friend put an arm around his sister's shoulders and playfully joke around with her made Sleep Near grin for just a moment before a grimace fell upon his face as he realized his mistake in not arranging more directly for Trixie to be in a different class.

"Hopefully by seeing the downfall and demise of this Sayaka Miki, Trixie will learn how to not follow in those footsteps."

Author's Note

I just binged all twelve episodes of Madoka Magica, a show I had first seen about two months after completing "We Remember Everything" and in which I saw them pull the same fallen-hero/downfall arc I did in this story. So I've been meaning to do this Gaiden bit for awhile but haven't found the inspiration to do so, but having just rewatched the show I feel that I can write this finally. I'll probably be doing other drabbles and whatnot too in-between chapters tied in to this, but this will be the first real "arc" within the Gaiden chapters in that it's not just a chapter or two, but rather quite a few.

In many ways, this story's Trixie (the first one) IS Sayaka from Madoka, so that is the inspiration for this all...expect future chapters to delve into this and the whole Magical Girl genre. For now I just wanted to set the stage for things down the road.

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Thank you for reading!

Gaiden-Decretum: A Magical Girl, Believing In Justice

A/N: Special thanks to Starlight Nova, the other sans, EquinoxLiege, and InsanityStreak for your comments last chapter, and I hope to continue hearing your thoughts as this little arc continues!

Today's song shall be, Credens Justitiam.

And here is an image from the show's ED that I think deserves noting for its adorableness. (From left to right, Hitomi, Madoka, Sayaka)

I hope you all enjoy, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

School passed by faster than Trixie expected it to, especially given that it was her first day and she expected it to be a long and tiresome affair to offset whatever she might discover there. Fortunately this was not the case and Trixie soon found herself walking out of the school's doors along with Sayaka, not truly knowing what to do now that classes were over: just what did normal girls do when they weren't in class? Trixie spent a lot of her time with her family or with her only real friend back home, but she doubted other girls spent all their time essentially hidden from the public eye.

She enjoyed her classes, even if her teacher was...eccentric. It seems that her relationship with some man had broken down that morning and so she was still stewing over it in class, bringing up how men ought to act and how they ought not to towards a hypothetical woman (or rather her).

Trixie hadn't dared trying to talk to the other students in her class after her embarrassing entrance, instead hoping that she might be able to befriend another batch through the school's cafeteria or through other methods of coming into contact with kids who hadn't seen her humiliate herself. If some hadn't laughed she may have felt comfortable still trying things with her own class, but for the moment she only felt safe talking to those she knew through Sayaka: shy but friendly Madoka, and the seeming class genius and popular girl Hitomi. Sayaka was the tomboy one of the trio, balancing out Hitomi's feminine traits from Trixie's observation, while Madoka was just kind of...there. Pretty and wore feminine clothes but wasn't some seeming role model of beauty as Hitomi was billed as being by the other students.

Hitomi being attractive ran contrary to Trixie's understanding of Humanoid attractiveness, given that by simple observation her chest was smaller than Sayaka's and was not noticeably larger than Madoka's. Wasn't that how it was supposed to work? That's the feeling she got from her prior experience with Humans, Asgardians, and also from her time spent in the school that day when she noticed that some boys at lunch had their eyes on her own chest. This didn't offend Trixie, who was used to being an equine and thus not wearing clothes so modesty was not at the top of her priority list, but Sayaka had considered the actions of those boys perverted and they were currently nursing bruises on their heads.

Humans were confusing, but Trixie found interacting with them fascinating all the same.

"So, I ran into Madoka and it seems like she had some sorta weird conversation with that other new kid. You can come with and listen as we discuss our battle plan and figure out how to deal with her!" Sayaka explained to Trixie as they departed the school, excitement creeping into the blue haired girl's voice.

Unlike the other Humans who Trixie found amusing or interesting in one way or another, the other transfer student was not exactly someone she cared to deal with again, "Miss Akemi scares me."

This statement seemed only to amuse Sayaka and further her dramatic narration of what they were going to be doing, "Oh so she's freaking you out too? This calls for immediate planning and action! First she's confused and upset Madoka, and now she's messing with her fellow newbie!"

Did Sayaka see life as if it was all some fantasy story? Trixie wondered. She found the energy a breath of fresh air since normally she was the one who had to lead the charge and decide what to do when she was with Kael, but now, thinking in terms of story narration, she felt comfortable following the lead of another protagonist.

Still, she didn't want Sayaka to suspect Homura too much...particularly because Trixie wanted to observe the other girl and her weirdness more before commenting. Unlike Madoka who seemed instantly put-off by Homura's weirdness and told Sayaka a bit about it, Trixie was going to hold it closer to her chest until she could figure out why Homura had been so threatening towards her, "I don't think she's a bad person...she's just scary."

"Pfft, if she's scaring both you and Madoka then she's a bad enough person for me."

There wasn't much argument to be had there, so Trixie just followed after Sayaka while the other girl headed to where she would meet up with Madoka and Hitomi, Trixie being glad that she was being invited to something like this. Given her near non-existent amount of friends back home she was wholly unused to being invited to just about anything on a personal level, since going to parties and major events with her mother were really just business affairs.

The location was a tall building that housed within it a restaurant Trixie didn't catch the name of as they entered, but which had a large open nature with spaced out tables and enough room for one to lounge without feeling as cramped as Trixie knew other restaurants to be. Holding an upside down palm out to the space afforded, Sayaka introduced Trixie to the location, "So, this is where we hang out sometimes after class. Food's great, they have tea, and it's a really relaxed place, nobody gets up in your business."

While it was by no means heavy for her, Trixie could still feel the weight of her backpack pulling down on her shoulders, so her mind came to think of things relating to it that also tied into this place's calm atmosphere, "Can I do my homework here?"

Though by no means a poor student, Sayaka was the least focused on her studies out of her group of friends and so she took this question as a joke. Laughing shortly, she had no idea that Trixie was dead serious, "I mean someone could, but come on, who'd do homework anywhere but home?" this changed as soon as she noticed Trixie's confused look to her, with Sayaka backpedaling quickly, "Oh, you weren't kidding. Uhh, so yeah, I think you can."

This pleased Trixie, for it gave her an excuse to hang out with friends while also doing work: she didn't know how to really not try hard in her studies stemming from it being one of the only aspects to her life so far, so it was of a high priority to her. However Trixie wasn't worried about doing poorly, she just wanted to be able to do what she knew she would be doing while also being in a place she could spend time with her friends. Sleep Near had their monetary needs all taken care of, so Trixie could spend as much as she wanted at a place like this without even worrying.

"So what do you eat? I don't even know where you're from, so I can't really guess."

They found a table that could seat all four of them even though Madoka and Hitomi hadn't arrived just yet, and when Sayaka ordered some tea she realized that she should probably make sure there was something for her friend to actually consume here.

Fortunately, Trixie was easy to appease and so she shrugged while offering a simple answer, "I like bread."

Sayaka grinned at Trixie's simple tastes, "Pretty sure everyone does, but at least that's a start. Anything with the bread?"

"Butter preferably, though it's not necessary so long as the bread is warm."

Now determined to expand the new girl's taste in food, Sayaka tried to keep a straight face as she rose an eyebrow at Trixie, "You ever tried a hamburger? It has bread, sort of."

"Hamburger? Is that the thing with buns?"

"Yeah, you got the right idea. Meat between two buns, makes for a tasty snack!"

Having dined in Asgard, Trixie wasn't wholly unfamiliar with the concept of eating meat, and having watched some television shows from Earth she had heard of hamburgers before, though she admittedly wasn't too familiar with them, "I haven't really eaten meat before, but my family does all the time. Do they have hamburgers here?"

This question would go unanswered as two other girls joined them at the table, Madoka and Hitomi finding their seats across from Sayaka and Trixie. Madoka realized that their arrival was an interruption to some kind of conversation, so she apologized for their tardiness that caused said interruption.

"Sorry we're late."

The other girls had only been there a few moments themselves, so neither took offense to only beating Madoka and Hitomi there by such a small sliver of time. Sayaka even verbalized her lack of concern as she shrugged her shoulders flippantly, "Hey, no problem. Now, Madoka, give us the scoop!"

"Give me a moment, Sayaka," Madoka commented, appearing out of breath. She knew that her old friend Sayaka was fast and since they hadn't come over together she still had to try to keep pace with her without Sayaka slowing down for her on occasion. As Madoka took a breath to recover she came to fully notice Trixie's spot across from herself, and so she smiled to the new girl, "Miss Lokidóttir, I didn't know you'd be joining us. How was your first day?"

Having been trained to be formal in this hypothetical scenario, Trixie accepted the warm greeting politely, "Thank you for asking. It was a good start I believe, even if it started out a bit...poorly."

Sayaka brandished an arm and flexed it in an exaggerated fashion, "Yeah, if anybody but me laughs at you in the future let me know and I'll straighten them out."

Both Hitomi and Madoka appeared amused by this while also sounding embarrassed by their friend's exuberant nature, with them both saying the same thing as they watched her, "Oh Sayaka."

Trixie smiled at the vow to protect her from bullies, but truth be told she could put someone's face through a wall if she wanted to, so it wasn't really necessary...though she did suppose that if she did that she would draw even more ire from her classmates. That, and Trixie was aware at least of the fact that Humans weren't strong enough to put someone's head through a foot of concrete on their own.

"Come on Madoka, you can't just tease me with juicy info about the transfer girl being a weirdo to you and then not tell me about it. What'd she do?"

"Well..."

"She said what?!"

Apparently, according to Madoka, the other transfer girl Homura had spoken to her about if Madoka was happy with her life. If she wanted to keep her friends, her family, and her life the way things were. She had ended up basically levying a veiled threat that if Madoka wanted to remain happy as she was, she ought not do anything to change her life.

Having finished telling the others, Madoka seemed concerned about this development, "It doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Sayaka raised one hand palm up as her fingers tightened and contorted in a way to show her aggravation, soon lowering it while mimicking the hand gesture with her other hand as well while she chastised the absent Homura, "Ah! I hope she doesn't think acting like a weird transfer student is cool. That's so MOE, it makes me sick!"

Trixie crossed her arms and frowned at her new friend's seemingly careless statement, "I'm a transfer student too..."

"Yeah but you're the good kind of weird. This girl's a total psycho!" Sayaka clarified, feeling ready to punch Homura the next time she saw her, or at the very least throw something at her.

Opposite of Sayaka at the table and in temperament, Hitomi was taking this all in calmly and did not mimic her friend's exaggerated anger, "This has to be a misunderstanding. Are you positive you've never met her before?"

This brought Madoka to contemplate something, with the pink haired girl pausing to think before responding to Hitomi's query, "Hmm... I guess the sensible answer would be 'yes'..."

The vague answer puzzled Sayaka, "Okay, what do you mean by sensible? Either you met her or you didn't."

"Well, it's like..." Madoka's normally cute expression was contorted into one of deep embarrassment, "You're gonna think I'm weird, but I first met her in a dream or something."

This answer was more suitable for Sayaka's purposes, and so she laughed and went with the far-fetched idea, "That's awesome! The anime character in you's popping out, too!"

"Come on, that's mean! This is really bugging me!"

Calming down marginally, Sayaka took on a thoughtful expression, "I got it all figured out. You guys knew each other in the past life, and the fate has reached across time and space to bring you back together again."

"Past lives? That's just silly. When you die you just go to Valhalla or Hel, that's all there is to it."

Sayaka laughed as she continued the line of joking, now pointing to Trixie, "And in your past life you didn't go to either, which is why you're here talking about it!"

Trixie couldn't try to speak from her personal knowledge of Sleep Near and Hela, so she silenced herself with a small huff while Hitomi tried to get them back on track, "In your dream, what happened when you met her?

"That's the thing. I can't really remember what happened in it. All I know is that it was really strange and spooky," Madoka explained, again being sparse on the details since she didn't have much to give. This all seemed very odd to Trixie, who was beginning to suspect highly that this Homura was indeed some kind of entity separate from a normal Human being. The fact that she seemed to instantly pick up on how Trixie shouldn't exist there, that she moved in an inhuman fashion, possessed a demeanor different than any Trixie had come across in other Humans, and that she confronted Madoka in such a way, alone and to give her a threatening message seemingly speaking from some kind of knowledge beyond Madoka's comprehension, all added up to the conclusion that something was most certainly off about this other transfer student.

On the one hand, this was a good thing for Trixie since it drew suspicion away from her own weirdness, but on the other it meant she had to deal with someone she still suspected was like herself: a powerful being masquerading as a normal school girl. It would explain how Homura aced everything in class and broke so many records at school during their physical education.

Of course Trixie could be wrong completely in her conclusion, but she had little to lose by suspecting Homura: if anything, joining in on being suspicious of her was a bonding factor to this group of friends. What could she possibly lose by distrusting Homura? Her friendship? The first thing Homura did was basically try to intimidate Trixie, so she wasn't exactly clamoring for whatever affection the creepy girl Homura could lend. She much rather preferred the three she found herself with now: an energetic tomboy who she could follow behind, an ace student who possessed a femininity Trixie wished she could emulate, and a bubblegum haired girl whose hair matched her bubbly and cute personality.

Hitomi continued forward with her theory, "If you want my opinion, I think it's entirely possibly you met Miss Akemi somewhere before."

Met her before? The thought of actually having met Homura before but not remembering such an oddball confused Madoka, "Huh?!"

Hitomi's voice was like a supportive teacher as she explained to Madoka what she was trying to get at, "You might not remember meeting her, but your subconscious certainly took note of it. When you were having that dream, your subconscious simply brought up the image of her."

The one most doubtful of this was Sayaka, who thought the chances of dreaming of someone the day before seeing them again after a hypothetical long absence were too small, "Seriously? That's a heck of a coincidence, don't you think?"

Given her intelligence, Hitomi too could see that her idea was far-fetched, "Hehe, perhaps," right after she admitted as much, she realized that the short time she had that day to spend with her friends was up, "Uh-oh, look how late it's gotten. Excuse me, but I really should be going now."

"Is it piano today or classical dance?" Sayaka inquired, seemingly knowledgeable about where Hitomi was off to. Trixie on the other hand was confused as to why Hitomi was having to anywhere.

"Tea Ceremony lessons today. Even though our exams are coming up, my mother still wants me to continue taking them."

As Hitomi departed, Sayaka gave a wry grin to the others, "Yeah, there's another reason to be glad I wasn't born a rich girl."

"Being rich really isn't as great as some make it sound at times..." Trixie noted softly. She could empathize with having to do all sorts of obligations and learn all sorts of extra skills just because of who she was, which was specifically why she saw this chance at experiencing a 'normal' life as such a boon. She didn't think by any means that her life was terrible, but she still did feel pressures and pains that others might not be privy to, "It's nicer than being poor, but they both bring their own problems."

Sayaka looked over their new friend with curiosity, "You rich too?"

Not wanting to explain the whole 'princess of multiple kingdoms' thing, Trixie just shrugged and tried to downplay it, "Kinda."

"No wonder you could be homeschooled and know all that stuff I didn't!"

Madoka giggled, "Sayaka, maybe you should pay more attention in class..."

"Hey, you're not that much better than me in school Madoka. Imagine if I was actually awake half the time!"

"That's my point..." thinking about how she too ought to go home by a certain hour to meet her curfew, Madoka decided they ought to depart and so she stood up like Hitomi had moments before, "Anyways, we should get going too."

"Madoka, you wanna hit the music store on the way home?"

Music store? They had music stores here on Earth? Equestria and Asgard had musicians, but given their respective technological backwardness compared to Earth Trixie had not actually encountered such a store.

Madoka seemed fine with this idea, "Okay. Something for Kyosuke again?"

Seemingly caught in her intentions, Sayaka rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, maybe."

Trixie tilted her head. What was a Kyousuke? A pet? Did pets like music? Trixie heard plants like music, so she supposed a pet could too.

"Stalking children still, brother?"

"You are too, sister, so don't act so smug. I am not one to judge souls by the age, just their deeds."

"Our sister is going to derail the careful scene you're trying to watch."

"If she does I can always try again. I told mother I'd look after her though and let her have some fun, so I will. I have eternity to fix every little thing, so if Trixie messes things up for my observation I will just go through it all again. It's not as if this world isn't used to do-overs."

"Trixie can die here. You realize that."

"She won't, and even if some tragedy were to befall her, what could actually go wrong with both of us here? We control life and death. You, the Hell of the unworthy, and me the eternal dream of those who have proven themselves."

"It all seems so mundane so far..."

"Patience, sister. If it's blood you seek, just give it a moment more."

Trixie had no prior knowledge of this thing known as "Death metal", but she was finding it entertaining even if she did have to turn its volume down quite a bit for the sake of her sensitive ears. Browsing the music shop Sayaka had brought them too was proving interesting to Trixie, who did not get to experience all this music before with so many different genres. She found herself drawn particularly to this band named "Five Finger Death Punch", though she couldn't fathom why this music so different from the friendly songs she heard in Equestria was appealing to her ears.

While Trixie finished immersing herself in listening to a song named 'Remember Everything', Madoka asked Sayaka a question, "What are you looking for?"

"Hopefully I can find some violin performances on CD," Sayaka explained as she fiddled with various CD cases and the headphones she was going to listen to the songs on.

Repeating her question from before, Madoka smiled up at her blue haired friend, "Something for Kyousuke again?"

"Yeah, he really likes rare CDs, particularly classical music."

Pausing a song she was thinking of recommending for Sayaka named 'Forsaken', Trixie decided to finally pipe up about her lack of knowledge concerning this entity she was unaware of, "What's a Kyousuke?"

The inquiry seemed to both catch Sayaka a bit off-guard, as if it mattered a great deal to her, and also wrought a bittersweet smile on her face as she tapped a hand on the CD's she was looking at, "Oh he's a friend of mine. He's a musician, but he can't play right now so I bring him CD's to listen to."

Ohhhhh, so this was what it looked like when Trixie spoke of Kael to someone and they assumed he was her boyfriend. Not about to inflict the inquisition others did upon her concerning her affections, Trixie let the issue drop, though she felt her opinion of this new friend grow: for whatever reason this Kyousuke couldn't do the music himself anymore, but here Sayaka was taking time out of her day to find music for him to enjoy so that he would feel better about it. She was either a really good friend, or a really good friend who had a crush. Trixie would do the same for Kael if he wasn't able to do magic anymore and do what she could to support him...though she didn't allow herself to consider if she was the former or latter example of a friend.

While listening to a song suggested by Sayaka named 'Decretum', Trixie noticed that Madoka was walking off somewhere. Confused as to where Madoka was going without explanation, Trixie decided to see if she had just missed some parting words from the pink girl.

"Uh, Sayaka, where is Madoka going?"

Now realizing this as well, Sayaka called after their classmate hurriedly, "Wait, Madoka! Where are you going?"

Seemingly not hearing them, Madoka continued to leave and soon was gone from site, having left the shop. Still confused by this, Sayaka nodded for Trixie to follow her.

"Hmmm, something's weird...I have no idea where she's wandering off to. Want to see what she's doing?"

"Okay...she's sure acting weird."

While not yet wholly familiar with Madoka's habits and personality, Trixie doubted Madoka was so bubbly as to just plain wander off from her friends without explanation, so something was probably up.

It took a little while to track her down, but with Sayaka's knowledge of the city's area they followed Madoka over to where a part of the mall was under construction. Madoka had gone past the warning signs and had gone in as if she had some purpose, confusing both Sayaka and Trixie who were tailing her. When they finally caught up with her inside the dark building, Madoka was on the ground holding some small white thing that looked like a stuffed animal while Homura stood over them both in what appeared to be some weird outfit not entirely dissimilar to the school outfit but having a look as if it belonged on some anime heroine.

"Hey, that's the transfer girl!" Sayaka exclaimed as Trixie furrowed her own brow in observation of the scene before them: if need be, she could interrupt the scene and fight Homura if she was threatening Madoka's safety, but she didn't know enough about what was happening yet to interfere on impulse.

Less contemplative though was Sayaka, who grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher.

"This should do!"

Across the darkened area Madoka cowered beneath the looming form of Homura, who seemed intent on harming the thing held by Madoka, "Get away from that creature."

Not willing to let Homura hurt the small white creature that had cried out for help and asked for Madoka to save it, Madoka clung it to her chest as she tried keeping it away from its abuser, "B-But he's really hurt. Leave him alone. Why are you trying to hurt him?!"

"This doesn't concern you."

"But he was calling me! I could hear him calling my name! He was asking me to help him!"

This seemed to surprise Homura slightly, changing her blank expression only the slightest bit, "Really?"

Their little dialogue was cut short by a fire extinguisher dousing Homura and covering the whole area she was in with its contents.

"Over here, Madoka!"

Seeing her friend was a large relief to Madoka, who stood up and rushed over to her savior, "Sayaka!"

With Madoka now with her and Trixie, Sayaka used the last of the fire extinguisher before hurling the heavy object at the menacing transfer student. This done, they began to run away from Homura while she was still distracted.

While they ran through the empty building away from where Homura was Sayaka bombarded Madoka with questions as to what the heck was going on, "Now she's attacking you in cosplay? What's her problem? And what's that thing you're carrying? Looks like a stuffed animal. Is it alive?"

"I don't know. I don't know why this is happening, but we have to save him!"

Less concerned about the white fluffy thing that was bleeding and more concerned with the fact that the space around them was contorting into some magical realm like what her mother could summon, Trixie tried drawing their attention to what had been slowly creeping up and now was center stage as the mall disappeared around them to be replaced by a bizarre area that defied explanation. Things looked like they were only in two dimensions suddenly, with metal fences floating in mid air and with odd decorations such as large 2D floating butterflies flickering about unnaturally, crowns on their head and poles coming out of their lower body as if they were puppets. Windows hung around in the air too, some open and some closed, and there was not even a pattern to their placement. This world seemed to stretch on forever despite these many random obstacles in every direction, with what once were walls fading into a purple void.

Shivers went up Trixie's spine as she pointed to it all, "Uh...is this normal?"

They stopped running when they reached the point they had entered from, with Sayaka realizing that one had been an exit was absent, a sealed structure now in its place, "Where'd the exit go? Where are we?"

"I don't like this place. Everything keeps changing!" Madoka whined as she continued to cling the creature she brought, though the whining was not without cause: all colors under the rainbow were flashing about, odd looking pipes appeared as if from nowhere, the figure of a man with a top hat appeared with a stop sign with a face, the vague outline of a middle aged woman was conjured up without any detail, completely lacking color and just appearing as if a white blob, unrealistic eyes popped up to look around,

"Oh, crap! What the heck's going on?!"

Trixie put herself in front of the other two confidently, her greater size affording them some cover behind her as she stood stoically before the madness now surrounding them. She was preparing to call forth her magic to try and end this when Madoka pointed out something else nearby.

"There's something over there!"

If a cotton ball were given a mustache and a slight body, that would be what was now looking over at them. A few of these odd creatures wiggled and made unnatural noises while the three girls cowered away from them, though their attention was soon caught by indecipherable text floating before them and a kaleidoscope of butterflies swarmed about, scattering as quickly as they had come. Together with the odd cotton ball creatures, the butterflies began a sort of dance, noises one might say came from a child coming from them as they made their movements.

The ground they all stood on became a checkered platform of muted colors, while animated scissors began to fly about in the air while the cotton creatures closed in slowly.

Sayaka and Madoka clutched one another as they stood in fear of this insane scene playing before them, "This is some kind of joke, right? I'm stuck in a bad dream, but I am dreaming, right? Right, Madoka?!"

More familiar with magic, Trixie tried keeping her own cool even as her brain was yelling at her to panic, "Just stay behind me!"

Razor-like chains joined the scissors in floating around, while the cotton creatures grew grotesque green mouths with disgusting teeth. What appeared to be gears twirled in the background while the chains were cut and while the chains and scissors collided.

Then, as if a miracle, the creatures were blasted away in a burst of light.

This confused all of the girls, with Sayaka being the first to speak, "What's happening?"

Madoka whimpered, still confused by this all, "I don't know."

"Magic..." Trixie said to herself, trying to figure out the source of it. Someone had just saved them, but who and why? It wasn't Sleep Near, he didn't fight using explosions like what she just saw, same for Hela...

"That was close, wasn't it?" the three girls spun around to see where the voice of a slightly older girl came from, its source being what they might expect: a girl who did indeed look slightly older than them who had blonde hair and an outfit from their school, "But don't worry, you're safe now."

In her hand was some small gem-like construct shaped like an egg that was glowing, which Trixie quickly ascertained was the source of her power. It continued to glow as she approached them, with this maybe fourteen or fifteen year old girl sounding relieved as she next spoke to the now baffled trio, "Thank goodness. You rescued Kyubey for me. I'm very grateful. He's a dear friend of mine and I was so worried."

Kyubey must be the name of the white little creature that had a red symbol on its back, and weirdly had ears growing out of its ears. It seemed peaceful and not in pain now that it was safe, with its wounds seemingly having faded away in the meantime as if from some magical regenerative property.

"He called out to me. I could hear his voice inside my head," Madoka explained.

"Ahh, I see. I can tell by your uniforms that you all go to Mitakihara Middle School. Are you eighth graders?"

Still having no idea who this other girl was, Sayaka decided it best to actually determine that before blindly trusting her, "W-Who are you?"

"Oh, that's right. Maybe I should introduce myself," looking back she seemed to notice that things were beginning to get crazy again in this distorted realm, and so she paused her would be introduction, "Actually, it's going to have to wait a bit."

With a small dance, the girl brandished the small egg gem in front of herself and it glowed bright yellow once again, "Please excuse me. I have to wrap this up first."

The area around this older student was illuminated by a flash of bright light, with the clothes on her shifting from a school outfit to a custom one that in some ways resembled the one Homura had been wearing before. If Trixie were to liken it to anything, it would be a Magical Girl outfit like from an anime...which suddenly made sense to her since it now seemed that this world was one where such magic was possible rather than one of the alternate Earths without magic she had been told about.

The transformation was done with such power that it actually let out a shockwave that nearly blew Sayaka and Madoka back, while Trixie stood still, completely unfazed by it. She looked and observed this blonde girl's new figure, a hat now resting atop the girl's head as she stood before the monsters in her white and yellow custom outfit. In a flash the girl summoned forth an arsenal of giant rifles that hovered around her, rifles which wasted no time firing down at the monsters helpless against the sudden and powerful bombardment wrought upon them. Explosions ripped throughout the area, and as fast as she had begun her battle this girl had ended it.

"Wow, amazing!" Madoka commented, awed by the sheer magnificence of what she had seen. As she stated this the world around them became normal once again, something which Sayaka noticed and was quite pleased by.

"We're back!"

The only one not giddy with excitement was Trixie, who was familiar with magic. While impressed by the power displayed by this new girl, Trixie had witnessed even more powerful magic by her parents and so it was not enough to make her stand in the same awe as Madoka...but she was still grateful for being saved.

Now in the real world again, the blonde savior turned away from the three girls and looked over with a polite smile to where a lurking Homura stood, "The witch managed to escape. If you wanna finish it off, you'd better go after it. I won't mind if you take it this time."

"But I still have work to do here," came Homura's blunt reply, her intention to harm Kyubey still obvious to them all.

While still smiling, the blonde girl's tone carried a weight to it that turned her polite voice into a threat, "You don't understand, do you? I'm telling you I'm willing to overlook this. Honestly, don't you think it would be best if we didn't do this right now?"

Seeing that she was now outnumbered and things no longer were in her favor, Homura departed without another word. Sayaka resumed a normal position, having taken up standing in front of Madoka, while Trixie too resumed a normal stance from her position protecting them both. Now free from danger, they all let out a sigh of relief together.

The group reconvened on a stray tarp they could sit down on, where this new girl went about using the magic gem to seemingly heal Kyubey from what remained of his wounds. The small creature's friendly telepathic voice spoke inside their heads as it rose from its seeming slumber to thank her, its red eyes looking up at her as it sat like a well trained cat, "Thank you, Mami! You're a lifesaver."

'Mami' passed along the credit for saving him modestly, "I'm not the one you should be thanking. They saved you. I was just passing by."

Now turning its attention to the others, Kyubey spoke in its same cutesy voice to them, "Thank you very much! My name's Kyubey."

"Were you the one who was calling for help?" Madoka asked, recognizing the telepathic voice. Meanwhile, Sayaka was freaking out that this thing could talk at all.

"That's right, Madoka Kaname," it turned slightly to face the next one, "And Sayaka Miki," then it turned again and paused slightly before continuing, "And Trixie Lulamoon."

That was enough for Sayaka to balk, confused as to how some animal could talk as well as know who they were, "Whoa, hang on a sec. How do you know our names?"

"I came here because I have a favor to ask of you all."

"What are you talking about?" Trixie asked, curious as well now too.

Still chipper, Kyubey announced his intentions boldly.

"I want you to make contracts with me and become magical girls!"

Author's Note

Say hello to Mami! For those unfamiliar with her, she has some similarities with Celestia (down to drinking tea and eating cake) in that she is an older, motherly figure who has experience and uses it to aid others. Only, she's a bit more proactive than Celestia in the show, as demonstrated above. For any wondering, the video linked above is her and her theme.

You may also begin to be noticing differences between Sayaka and her friend Madoka: Madoka stood still as she was menaced over, Sayaka shot Homura with a fire extinguisher and then chucked it at her.

If you're in a real anime mood, here's the ending theme to Madoka. (Couldn't find a good youtube version, so excuse the alternate site)

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

We Both Shall Dine In Hell Tonight

A/N: Special thanks to Ally of the Daleks, New Spark, Ketvirtas, gakuseiakira, King Sombrony, ArcaneVisions, Killabyte, Drgnwolf, Zeroinfinity, MoonSparkle The Vampony, KillerCookie123, PhantomPhoenix, A Wandering Wizard, type13, and Fear the Dark for your comments last chapter! It is great comments like those that keep me writing despite! Thank you, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Disturbed's "The Animal"

Next person who goes "OHMAIGOD DA STORAY IS ENDIN" or something along those lines deserves a slap to the face. We ain't even in act 2, people. Stop claiming that and giving people the wrong idea when I keep claiming the contrary. It's seriously annoying, especially when I address the same people about it multiple times.

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

“Loki.”

Even with Thor bothering him, Loki would take the time to respond.

“Loki?”

The complete lack of any emotion radiating from Loki, and the now yellow pendant on Luna’s chest made her body tense up.

“Loki!”

Luna had almost just lost Trixie, and losing Loki all of a sudden would be too much to bear.

Still at the edge of the cottage belonging to Fluttershy, Luna also still had Discord by her. The chimera being was watching her with interest, not able to hear her telepathy but still able to observe her growing worry.

Luna was actually shaking a bit, which made Discord actually grow somewhat concerned. This was the dreaded Nightmare Moon quaking in her blue slippers after all.

Desperate to make sure that everything was fine, “Discord, you said you have visited Loki’s realm before. Bring me there now.”

Discord’s slight worry shifted to indignation, “Wait just one minute, I never said it was easy or that I could take passengers. It takes me a few minutes to just make a one way trip by myself. I’m not sure how long it will take with you in tow.”

“Well then start, and hurry while you do so!”

Discord relented to Luna, not wanting to see just what she would do to him if he resisted, “Fine, fine, I’ll see what I can do. No promises though.”

Luna hoped to see what was wrong before it was too late.

Unfortunately, it was a fool’s errand either way.

“It is commendable that you were able to lay a single scratch on me Allfather, but this fight is over.”

That scratch was one against Thanos’s forearm, where Odin had struck with all of his Asgardian might. The attack had actually cracked the armor there, which in turn cut the purple arm it guarded.

That attack was allowed by Thanos, who had no reason to dodge it. He wanted to see just how powerful the Allfather was after all, and found himself impressed in some ways by the great strength demonstrated.

It did not stop him from evading every follow up strike, or punching straight through Odin’s golden armor into the Allfather’s gut. Thanos made sure not to pierce the skin, only striking him hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

Odin was knocked on the floor by two follow up strikes before he could even move to react.

Thanos had made his point, and with a lazy stretch of his arms walked over to Loki’s unconscious body, “I came here for four things. I have one, and I have three more to obtain before I depart.”

The purple humanoid bent down to sling the prince over his back. Loki had fought too, and it was even more pathetic than his warrior father. He had been caught even more off guard, and had not managed to call upon his magic to either fight or flee.

On the way out of Loki’s room, Thanos stepped on one of Odin’s twitching arms to break the limb in a sickening snap.

“Death is a harsh mistress. Consider yourself lucky you will not be meeting her today.”

Yells and screams echoed down the castle corridors that night. Intelligent enough to not go running out into the mess was Frigga, who instead conjured her illusory self down in the direction the screams were coming from.

She had conjured it right behind one soldier as luck would have it, so Frigga spoke to get his attention.

“What is the matter?”

The soldier was too busy talking to the others in his group to hear her though, “What is that thing!? It’s defeated everyone—”

The wall nearby the soldier erupted and through it came a charging purple figure. It collided with the man and his limp body went flying across the hall, even slamming into one of his fellow guards.

Frigga observed the newcomer causing the ruckus, and to her surprise she could see Loki draped over its shoulder. The being had a very humanoid body and appearance, though its jaw was an elongated rectangle most definitely not of Asgardian or human origin.

The remaining guards, four of the elite and powerful Einherjar guard that protected the castle, found themselves reduced by another two when the massive being continued its fast charge into them. They were trampled underfoot by him as the being prepared to swing a massive arm at one of the other two.

“That’s impossible! How can someone so big move so quickly!?”

By the time Frigga could dissapitate her illusion, the two other guards had fallen. That being had her son, which mostly confirmed who they were for the Queen. A being powerful enough to not only take Loki but barrel through the Einherjar could only be the very one that Loki feared so greatly. The one who had threatened and led him into great misdeeds.

Still, seeing her son harmed in such a way and taken was gripping Frigga’s heart.

“Loki…”

Frigga stood still in her chambers. She was unable to protect Loki once again…

Her eyes shot wide open at the realization that she had just sent her husband to speak with Loki.

Casting another illusion that could grant her sight now in Loki’s room, Frigga was met with the disturbing sight. The room was not in some great disheveled state, but her husband lay on the ground with a hole in his armor and a crushed arm.

“Odin!”

Elsewhere in the castle the main rampage had stopped. There simply were no guards left to throw at the giant who marched through the building at his own pace, a trail of broken bodies in his wake.

It was with no resistance that Thanos found the main vault of Asgard, its regular guards having rushed to help their helpless allies earlier.

However, upon entering the seemingly unguarded armory, a regal broadsword swung down at the monster. Thanos reacted instinctively and caught the blade in his hand.

Wielding the blade was none other than Asgard’s finest warrior and guardian, Heimdall, who had thrown all of his might into the strike only for Thanos’s hand to stop the whole momentum and blade. A gash formed on the intruder’s hand, causing a smile to come to his face.

“Well done. Few could nearly catch me off guard like that.”

Heimdall tried to continue pressing down with the blade to increase the wound given, but it did not budge an inch and the all seeing man grunted, “I saw your battle with the Allfather and anticipated your next movement. I do not know how you entered this realm, but I will make sure you depart.”

Thanos let go of the sword and sidestepped the resulting swing, “The warrior Heimdall. I understand that your power is of equal amount to the Allfather, only you have brought a weapon.”

Thanos stopped moving and held his arms out while tossing Loki off his shoulder with a shrug, “Come at me, strike, Guardian. I desire to see what you can do.”

With Loki no longer at all in the way, Heimdall did not hold back while lunging at Thanos and swinging with his own massive might. The sword crashed into Thanos’s side and cracked the armor there enough to burrow inside and slit the skin there.

Heimdall drew his sword back to increase the damage, but Thanos lowered a hand to it and gripped the blade without blinking. He was even still smiling, more amused by the brief experiences of pain than perturbed by them.

“Impressive. A strong blow for a warrior who cares not for the prince I am abducting.”

Heimdall struggled to free his blade, but it did not budge an inch, “My loyalty to the King and his family is not hampered by my distaste for the prince. You will let him go or be slain.”

“Is that so?”

With a crack and then disgusting squirt of blood, the broadsword shattered in Thanos’s grip. Heimdall reacted quickly and tossed aside the now useless handle, during which Thanos laughed at his now bleeding hand.

“With that weapon?”

Heimdall withdrew two small swords barely larger than daggers to swing at his foe who dare harm the royalty, but he was stopped in his tracks by Thanos grabbing his wrists and swinging him into the nearby door with unnatural speed.

As Heimdall crumpled to the floor Thanos began to look around the room with a delighted splendor. He was looking for two objects in particular, and could not wait until he did come across them.

While Thanos began to talk to himself outloud, Heimdall prepared to throw a sword as a projectile at the super powerful being, “I desire the Tesseract and the Infinity Gauntlet. I could have waited to gain them, but since I was sent on an errand by my lady I thought I may as well make one trip.”

The sword embedded itself in the upper arm of Thanos, who promptly ignored it as he continued to look around the room. The sight of the glowing blue Tesseract had caught his eye, and he maneuvered over to it.

Heimdall could see the fight he was waging was a losing one, but he did not give up. He stood straight up, shrugging off the pain in his back as he gripped his one remaining weapon, “Errand?”

The being cackled with mad laughter as he found the last object he desired. It was a gauntlet with slots on it for objects to be inserted into, and Thanos could not be more pleased, “I would not want you all to spoil her fun, so I will leave things at that.”

With both of the items in tow, Thanos cast a glance back at the approaching Heimdall. A glint grew in his eye as a smile crept onto his face, and Asgard’s guardian found himself having the Tesseract’s container smashed down into his head mid-charge.

“Farewell, sir Heimdall. Your valiant fight may have been futile, but you are a man of your word just as I am.”

Thanos knelt down to both retrieve Loki and to whisper to the fallen warrior.

“I will be back when I am ready to end your lives. There will be no battle that day. Only slaughter.”

After picking Loki and tossing the defeated prince on top of his own body again, Thanos stood up with a smile befitting of one who just learned the love of their life was going to marry them.

“One to go.”

Thanos had expected there to be people helping guards to the medical chambers, but also could see how maybe the members of the castle still able to walk might not want to leave their chambers. After all, that would mean running into him possibly. Not to mention the confusion and chaos all they must be thrown into.

Seeing a woman in silk standing at the front of the medical chamber did surprise him. The sword she held in her hand surprised him further, as the ladies of Asgard were not known for being warriors.

Still, the giant man found himself impressed by her gall.

“Lady Frigga, how good of you to join us. I am Thanos, and I am here for that blue horse I hear is in your care here.”

Frigga stood unflinchingly as Thanos approached her. Her hand was tightly gripped around the sword she took from a fallen warrior on the trip. Thinking that someone there to harm her family might take it the next step and possibly harm more of it, Frigga had rushed to the sleeping Trixie’s side.

“Tell me, monster, what it is you are doing. Why have you not taken a life?”

On her way Frigga tad taken note of the conditions of her soldiers, and found no fatal wounds on any. Many broken limbs, but nothing that would be fatal for them.

Thanos bowed to her, with Loki’s unconscious body swaying while Thanos shifted his loot from the vault in his arms, “I was asked not to. I do keep my word after all, unfortunately.”

He raises to his full large height to let out a hearty bellow, “Unfortunate for your men that is. It meant I had to hurt them enough to rend them incapable of combat but not dead. A simple flick could have done the job to kill them, but I instead had to break their limbs and backs.”

Self-restraint, intelligence, and years of being a lady kept Frigga from striking him after his mockery. Thanos could tell that under her stoic glare at him that she was boiling, and he approached her to see if she would do anything.

Frigga did move, but it was to toss her sword aside. The blood of her men was coated on this monster, and one of Heimdall’s blades stuck out of his upper arms. She knew when to not fight, and this was one such case.

“You have carved through our men and defeated my husband and the guardian of our realm. I would stand in your way if I could, but we both know that to be a fool’s errand.”

Thanos continued his laugh, now walking past Frigga into the medical room, “Correct. Congratulations milady, you are the first to not blindly fight me this day. I do value intelligence. I see where your son received it from.”

As Thanos began to poke around the room, Frigga regretted not arriving sooner. She could have hidden Trixie and possibly prevented him from finding her, but she had only gotten there moments before Thanos himself, “Tell me, did you come through the backdoors Loki knows of?”

Thanos took notice of the only horse in the ward quite quickly and lumbered over to her, “Yes. They were among the first things I pried from his mind. Disappointed in him?”

Frigga dared not look back to see the being she was letting down right then, “If you are to take her and my son, do so already.”

With a purple hand Thanos gripped Trixie by the scruff of her neck and carelessly lifted the comatose equine into the air, “I see that being demanding runs in the family from one generation to the next. Very well. I have no further purpose here and will take my leave.”

As he made to leave, Thanos looked down to the lady who had nearly confronted him, “I would be careful who you confront in the future. Not all foes will be as lenient as me. I have no reason to harm you, but others may one day.”

With that, the purple giant left the medical ward and the castle both, leaving Frigga behind to curse herself for her own weakness.

Loki’s eyes flickered as he was tossed to the cold, damp ground carelessly. His head was splitting with pain, yet that was the least of his problems. The land beneath him was beginning to shift into an icy plain from its previous swamplike state, and laying across from him was the unmoving body of Trixie.

As Loki struggled to get his body up, both from pain and difficulty with the ice, he could hear Thanos’s voice speaking to him as it began to grow farther.

“Now, you two have fun. I have worlds to burn and artifacts to find.”

Loki could not rise from his position with how disorientated he was, but he could gasp out with pain.

“Thanos…”

His captor, who had defeated an army of beings known to be physical gods as if they were mere playthings, turned back with a sinister grin.

“I will not be your jailer. I hear someone else wants to have a conversation with you. My mistress will visit you when she is ready, but for now you can enjoy the company of others.”

The lumbering footsteps of Thanos faded soon enough, which left Loki with no-one to speak to. He had no idea where he was, and a cursory glance around revealed that above the frigid ice beneath him was a hazy mist that shrouded anything more than ten feet away in darkness.

Just as Loki mustered the strength to rise from his position on the ice, a foot caught him on the side of the ribs. He howled in pain as a voice gruffly addressed him.

“Stand, runt. We have business to settle.”

“Lady Frigga! What happened here? Are you okay?”

The only thing that could have made Frigga feel worse as she tended to the wounded that night was Luna’s worried voice, so of course that was just what she encountered.

Frigga turned to see that Luna had appeared in her humanoid form along with some other being, one she assumed transported the princess given their sudden appearance.

Frigga opened her mouth to speak, but found herself pausing when she met Luna’s watering eyes. The queen’s heart broke a second time that night, now having to tell her son’s lover about how he was taken.

“Dear. Sit down. Please.”

The appearance of ice on the ground made sense to Loki after a blue skinned giant dragged him to his feet. It was not any giant though, not even any Frost Giant, but rather an intimately familiar one.

Intimately, as in Loki had killed the man. Disintegrated him with the all powerful Gungnir, Odin’s very own weapon.

“Laufey,” Loki coughed out while his true father lifted him into the air with a tight hand around the wayward son’s throat.

“Odinson,” Laufey snarled before throwing Loki back. His son stumbled back many steps before finding his footing on the ice, with a former grass patch giving him traction even as ice began to form over it.

Loki could not believe what he was seeing, even despite the physical action Laufey had just taken. The Frost Giant father looked upon his son with scorn as the younger Giant tried to make sense of what was happening.

“An apparition?” Loki questioned with a furrowed brow. It was all that could make sense to him, given that Laufey could not have just risen from the dead to assault him. If he could he would have already.

Laufey held out a palm, a frozen dagger forming within it from the moisture in the air around them, “Does it feel like that?”

Loki could sense where this was going, and reached to grab a hidden dagger in his shirt.

Only his hand ran through nothing.

Loki tried to keep the surprise from his face as he realized that Thanos had assaulted him while his shirt was off and he was in bed. He had nothing but his moon pendant and pants, having had his magical pocket raided and emptied when taken into captivity on Asgard.

“How can you be alive?” Loki growled angrily as he realized just how much trouble he was in now. His father was a foe that could keep Odin at bay, who in turn was on the same level of physical combat as Thor. Loki now only had what little energy he could conjure into spells to defend himself.

“I only know that I was approached by a familiar figure after waking here. You seem to know him now as well. He has taught me much,” Laufey pointed his dagger menacingly at his son before dragging it across the front of his own throat symbolically, “Runt.”

With a quick leap Laufey swiped the ice blade at Loki. Loki could only slide to the side to avoid the strike, not having the footing to easily roll one way or block the attack.

This did nothing to deter Laufey, who was much more accustomed to fighting on the slippery surface that coated the ground. He took a quick turn to swing the blade straight at Loki’s throat, only for the younger Frost Giant to duck down beneath the blade’s arc.

Loki may have dodged the deadly strike, but he could not react to the uppercut that followed in time. Loki fell onto his back and felt his spine connect with the ice that was coating the previously earthy surface. Despite his own tolerance for the cold, Loki felt a jolt go up his spine at the sudden contact with the frigid surface again.

Laufey spat down at Loki as the latter tried, and failed, to get back up on his feet.

“You are no Frost Giant. You should have died like you were meant to.”

“You think I have not tried?” Loki shouted in anger, his temper flaring at his own inability to combat in this terrain, his situation itself, and from his burning hatred of his birth father.

His words, however, were no exaggeration or lie. He had tried taking his life when he dropped into the abyss beneath the Bifrost. Instead he had wound up in an unknown world where he was given a reason to live again.

Laufey crouched down to Loki and lowered the ice blue blade to Loki’s gut, “I will fulfill your death wish to avenge our people. The race you would have destroyed if not for the mercy of Odin and his true son.”

Laufey pressed the blade into Loki’s stomach slowly, just barely cutting the skin but bringing forth a reaction in the skin itself. Where normally Loki had pale white skin to contrast with his raven hair, the skin shifted into a blue hue not all too different from Laufey’s own.

As Laufey began to slowly add pressure to the blade and focus on that he lost sight of a hand that soon found its balled fist crashing into his face. Laufey spiraled on the ice to gain distance and growled in condemnation at Loki, who through a burst of adrenaline found the energy to rise to his own feet.

“Why fight death if you desire it so?”

Loki sneered at the father who abandoned him to die as an infant, “I won’t give you the satisfaction.”

The king of the Frost Giants glared at Loki with hatred when he realized Loki had used that moment of respite to form an ice blade of his own. The fact that Loki would dare use one of their racial traits when he tried committing genocide on them made Laufey seethe.

“Like Odin I had first hoped you to be a solution to the feud between our people,” Laufey moved one way to feint, then swiped at Loki from another with a quickly formed dagger, “Your mother was Æsir, and a prince of mixed heritage could be a useful tool.”

Loki parried the blow, but the impact made him slide back and gave him time to question what was just said, “My mother?”

Laufey found himself mirroring Loki’s earlier sneer, “Some nameless wench. She died bearing you, unable to handle the subzero conditions involved.”

“If I was so useful, why leave me to die? Because I-”

His father gave him no time to question further, instead leaping straight at him and attempting to stab Loki. Loki would normally use his magic to form illusions, but he was feeling drained of his energy for some reason he could not fathom. Instead he attempted to avoid it, through it still nicked his side.

Like a skater, Laufey spun around backwards to deliver a roundhouse kick to Loki as the latter stumbled on the ice. This would have sent Loki reeling if he had not raised his arms to block it. The son gave a riposte, though Laufey caught Loki’s dagger between his two own.

Using his greater force and a twist of his own daggers, Laufey disarmed Loki and threw him onto the ground. This time Loki made no move to resist, his will to fight leaving him.

Fortunately Laufey made no move to finish him, instead standing over him with a scowl, “To have a son so small, fragile and weak would be a disgrace to our people. I did the honorable thing and left you to die, instead of subjecting you to a life of hardship you would not survive.”

“What do you want?” Loki gasped as the pain in his side and stomach caught up with him.

Laufey pointed his main dagger at Loki before tossing it down to impale the ground directly to the right of Loki’s head, “I desire you to die, as I made have made clear. But I can wait. I am not the only phantom waiting for you in this place. I only need wait for the right moment.”

With that, Laufey turned to leave without any explanation. Loki shivered in fear on the ice as he watched his father fade into the thick mists of the setting.

After a moment of controlled breathing, Loki coughed and rose to his feet. He had no idea what this place was, but if his father was living and breathing there it might happen to be the afterworld. A place for the passed souls who had not deserved to get into the fabled Valhalla.

The place said to have no souls escape, only endless torment and misery. Hel itself.

Loki laughed at the notion. If that were true then Thanos could not have left him there to meet his father—

Loki’s eyes widened as he realized in the spur of the moment he had completely forgotten Trixie. He had no great personal attachment to the young mare, but Luna was increasingly fond of her. To let anything happen to her would be a doubly damning event.

Loki cast aside whatever thoughts about where his location was to instead focus on locating the blue, comatose mare. Sure enough, even in the thick mist, Loki managed to find her where she had been left by Thanos.

“Come on,” Loki said to her uselessly as he picked her up in his arms. He may be bleeding, but he needed to take her to a safer place where he could actually do something about his own wound.

Loki scoffed as he draped Trixie over both shoulders and used his back to support her, “Good thing you are such a lightweight for a horse. Let’s go, before he changes his mind.”

He did not take one step before another voice entered the fray.

“Leaving so soon?”

Author's Note

You know what? Imma leave ya'll to think for yourselves about what just happened. No hinting input from me.

It's Time Now For A New Change to Come

A/N: Special thanks to ABitterPill, amethyst blade, Scarheart, Drgnwolf, Achivist Nightwatch, ZeroInfinity, GlassFloors, Ketvirtas, Evilhumour, JBGrim, Fear the Dark, Mutie Genic, DestructivePwny, and Killabyte for your comments last chapter...kinda...Anyways, thank you again, and I hope to continue hearing from you all!

Chapter title now brought to you by Celestia's Ballad from MLP.

Also, if you could stop by my recent blog post and leave your ideas/thoughts that would help me a lot with all of my writing!

I'd love to hear what you have to think afterwards in the comments, and remember, comments are :heart: !

“Hold it, thief!”

“Oh crud, it’s Princess Luna!”

“Thou shalt stop or be forcefully brought into custody!”

“Not my fault nopony will hire me since they kicked me out! Catcha later, chump!”

Luna had been busy eradicating threats and capturing criminals all across Equestria when she was bombarded in a rainbow light. From the sky came this fountain of colors, but the sudden change in color did not irritate Luna.

The Bifrost was pulling her in. That meant Asgard needed or wanted her, which in turn meant that Loki might be back or that they might have a lead on his whereabouts.

The Pegasus she was catching could wait for another day. There were too many of these executive tasks for Luna to handle, too many major threats to counter. The idea of possibly having some others helping her brightened Luna’s day, as she was growing tired of having to handle these matters personally when she had so many duties to attend to given Celestia’s gradual weaning of her own.

The Equestria Games were coming. Luna had trouble keeping track of the days given the length of time she had been pouring herself into these tasks. The closer it got the harder it was for Luna, however. The increasing paperwork was irritating, yes, but what the Equestria Games symbolized was what hurt her.

Trixie had been gone what must have been months. In her comatose state, in the company of who took her, Luna had waning hope of her safe return. Loki could pull himself out of a tough scrape, that she was sure of, but Trixie was young and vulnerable.

Celestia’s swelling stomach had not been helping matters either. Luna felt envy creep into her for the first time in ages whenever she saw Celestia enjoying being a future mother. Whenever she would have Discord wrapped around her.

Luna knew that holding darker emotions inside would not do her any favors, so she took it out on each and every one of the threats she took down.

It was with all of this stirring within her that Luna felt herself be transported to Asgard, where she was sure she would have her spirits lifted.

Upon her arrival Luna cast her gaze around the Bifrost’s chamber. Heimdall was standing at his post, where he would insert his intricate sword into a pedestal to activate and control the arcane machine, but no others were in the chamber with him.

Not seeing anyone else instantly worried Luna, who had taken to her Asgardian form for the encounter. If Loki was back he would have greeted her at the gates, she thought. And if Thor or any of the others needed her they would do the same. Why was only Heimdall there?

Heimdall removed his sword and slowly made his way over to where she was standing, with Luna taking this time to address her confusion, “Heimdall, you summoned me? Is there something I am needed for?”

He gave no response. Verbal response, that is, as once he was within reach the loyal and dutiful guardian of Asgard swung his sword at where Luna’s pale white neck had been. Luna felt the blade pass through some of her blue hair, which in turn angered her as she teleported across the Bifrost.

Something was most certainly wrong.

“Heimdall? What in Tartarus are you doing you foal?”

Heimdall did not seem to be perturbed to have missed her, as he took his time to slowly face her and begin approaching her again, “The queen has decreed that you are to be executed. I will obey my master.”

Luna had heard enough. Queen? Master? What about Odin? Had something happened to him? And Frigga would never order such a thing.

What the hell has happened to Asgard these past days? She had visited only a couple weeks prior to check in with Thor and had gotten the feeling that everything was fine, outside of them still not finding Loki. Thor had seem pretty furious about that, that was for sure, but this?

Before Heimdall could continue the conflict, Luna did them both a favor and teleported directly into the castle. Specifically, by the residence quarter, where she might be able to ask someone some questions without running into a guard trying to execute her.

“What was that?” Luna muttered to no one in particular as she gathered herself. Heimdall had felt...off, even outside of the whole murdering thing. Too slow. Too simple.

She had come in a blue dress, fashioned after one of Lady Frigga’s own, with the expectation that maybe she needed to look nice for the return of Loki. With that whole thing out of the picture, Luna had no problem changing into her battle armor that Frigga helped her create.

Luna had made sure it would not take too much out of her dexterity and speed, even if it cost some of the material’s toughness. Frigga had the armor made to protect Luna should she ever be pregnant without knowing, but Luna felt assured that such a thing would be impossible at the moment.

The material was made to shapeshift along with her, a special blend of Equestrian and Asgardian magics that Frigga had assembled. Luna could always rely on her to find a way to make things work with magic, especially given that Lady Frigga was one of a few who could even harness magic in Asgard. More books for her personal use, Luna presumed.

Now armored against any more sudden attacks, Luna started her search by calling out down the hall, “Thor! Fandral! Volstagg!” she paused as no-one responded. The whole area appeared empty, and for good reason. Blood stains marred the walls and Luna could see a couple dead bodies farther down.

This caused her to become even more worried as she continued to call out, “Lady Frigga! Allfather!”

“Kill...usurper…”

Luna spun around to see a wounded guard with a bald head she recognized. One of the jerk-ish guards she had met before in the palace. While no fan of him, Luna could see that he was not in his right mind, as his eyes were spaced out and distant even as he lumbered towards her.

Not about to bring harm to someone obviously out of their mind, Luna sidestepped him as he made a mad grab for her. She jabbed her elbow out to the side to catch him on the side of the ear, her elbow tip going right into his ear and knocking him off balance.

“Get out of my way, cretin. I have something I must attend to.”

She doubted she could ask him anything of importance, what with his regular limited intelligence being dropped by his current mental state. What could be effecting both him and Heimdall though? They were acting like they were mind controlled, but no-one Luna knew of in Asgard could do something along those lines.

A clash of weapons caught Luna’s attention further down the hallway, where some of the bodies lay and where Loki’s quarters were. She rushed off instantly to see what the fuss was, hoping to find an answer to all of this.

Upon reaching it, Luna noticed that there were two groups of about six guards each clashing swords, pikes, and axes against one another. They all wore the same armor, though a few guards wore some that appeared as if it had been patched back together a half dozen times.

Not willing to let these guards slay eachother, Luna teleported between their scuffle so she could let out a gust of magic to knock them all back. They had been so focused on their combat that they were unable to resist it as she swept them all off their feet.

Half the men groaned while the other half made no noise whatsoever. Having drawn their attention gave Luna her opportunity to question this madness, “What is going on here?”

A blinding purple light caught everyone’s eye just outside the combat area. The origin of the light was the area right before what once was Loki’s room, and in it Luna could see a variety of five vaguely defined figures.

“And what is glowing over there?” Luna asked as well, the attention having gone from her to this phenomenon.

The light began to fade, granting the figures there a more defined outline for Luna to study. Three were upright while two were on the ground, one of which Luna could tell had four legs instead of a normal Asgardian body structure like the others in the light.

When the light finally faded, Luna found her jaw dropping at the sight of not only Trixie, but Loki laying beside her. Standing above them was a sickly pale elf who was panting as his eyes glowed a disturbing green, while next to him was a blue man that Luna could recognize as a Frost Giant, and behind him a fully armored woman with a weapon in her hand that was for some reason crescent shaped.

With both Loki and Trixie unconscious for whatever reason, Luna leapt forward with the obvious conclusion that these bastards must have had something to do with it.

“Stay away from them!”

The Frost Giant held his hands up in peace while the elf dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks. The woman made no move, instead staring out of her helmet with her glowing eyes at Luna as the princess approached.

“I have no intention of staying by either, though I must admit I thought we left the runt behind,” the Frost Giant stated with a small prod to Loki’s face with a foot.

The green armored woman standing behind all of the others turned to leave, but not before tapping her weapon on the elf’s bare chest, “I came here to hunt this one, but he will pose no threat like this. Farewell. I have a hell to return to so I can haunt my enemies once again.”

With the only two standing members now leaving, Luna was met with no resistance as she moved to tend to the collapsed Loki and Trixie. She did not care about the other three at the moment given the amazing gift she had just received.

While kneeling down beside them Luna brought her arms around Trixie to pull her into a hug while looking down at Loki, “Loki, Trixie, are you both alright?”

Trixie was the only one to respond, her voice faint as she squirmed weakly against Luna’s armor, “Princess…”

Luna could tell that something was wrong. Trixie was as limp as she was when she was comatose, and her fur seemed to have become a greyer blue somehow. Like she had aged all of a sudden in the time she had been gone. Loki, on the other hand, appeared to not be any worse for the wear except being unconscious.

“What happened to you? You look terrible!”

Trixie’s eyes flickered open before falling shut again, her body displaying a complete lack of energy. It seemed all she could do just to whisper, “Drained...magic…”

From the melee that had broken out again behind her came a voice Luna recognized, though she was not used to hearing the cocky man sound confused.

“Princess Luna?”

Luna turned her head to see the womanizer Fandral parrying the attack of one of the more lethargic guards, “Fandral?”

He seemed to just then realize what she was doing, and the man riposted an attack to free himself to leave the battle.

“Men, take care of this,” he rushed over to Luna’s side, where he knelt down to pick Loki up, “Oh goodness, let me help you milady!”

It took some effort for the slight man to lift the slight form of Loki, whose leather clothes did not help with the whole weight issue, “I see that the prince is back, as well as your student. Lady Frigga and the others are all holed up in the medical station, and I see that these two seem to need it!”

Luna nodded as she went about picking Trixie up in her arms as gently as possible. As Fandral moved to lead them away, Luna decided to finally speak to someone she could trust.

“What is going on here? A damn civil war?”

Fandral was silent at first. His face contorted as he tried to find words to explain what he never thought he would need to say.

“You see...Thor accidently released a witch known as Lorelai, and she has the power to control men. She managed to also get Hogun before Sif, Volstagg, and I could manage to run, but with his help Lorelai managed to enter the throne room.”

The throne...which meant that the king was compromised. Her control obviously went so far as to include Heimdall, so any man could fall victim.

“What is the status of Odin?” Luna desired clarification, just in case there was some great turn of events that he had not mentioned yet.

Fandral’s head hung just like Loki’s own limp head, “He is being controlled by Lorelai, as are half the guards in this castle,” he breathed out another sigh, “Well, about half. We’ve lost so many it’s hard to tell anymore who has what!”

When Luna stepped into the medical center she found herself instantly embraced by Queen Frigga, whose eyes were tearing at the sight of her, Fandral, Loki, and Trixie. Luna felt a bit awkward with Trixie being caught in between them during the embrace, but she smiled to the queen as she continued the hug.

“Luna,” Frigga choked out between tears, “I don’t know how I can thank you. You have brought my son back to me.”

As Frigga let go Luna gave her a small shrug, not really sure what to make of the sudden reappearance. She was just glad it happened, “He appeared here through some kind of teleportation. I had no part in it.”

“All the same, I thank you,” Frigga turned to some of the medical technicians in the room and beckoned them with a finger. They took Trixie and Loki and moved them to the healing tables while Frigga continued to speak to Luna, “He just seems to have been exhausted from whatever trip he had. Not a scratch. Your apprentice on the other hand…”

That brought a grimace to Luna’s face as she thought back to everything that has happened to Trixie, as well as her current situation, “Will she be okay?”

Frigga returned the grimace as she eyeballed the weakened equine now on a table, “Let us examine her.”

Luna could only nod and numbly watch as Frigga went to work with some of the others. The staff seemed to be less populated than it used to be, but guards took up the slack in terms of presence there. This seemed to be the main base of these guards holding out against the witch Lorelai.

During this time the elf was also brought in to be looked after, as the large crystal lodged in his chest and sickly appearance worried those who saw him. They knew not if he was friend or foe, but they would at least keep him alive long enough to find out while keeping him weak enough to make sure he was no threat.

After about five minutes of intense observation, Frigga muttered to herself before turning to face Luna with a sour expression.

“This is not good. She will live, but I am afraid that her energy has been drained from her. Magic and life both.”

That made Luna’s heart falter. Trixie, without magic? She would not only be defenseless, but useless...“She has no more magic?” something else punched Luna right in the heart though, even more than her concern about Trixie’s ability to do anything, “And what do you mean life energy?”

Frigga closed her eyes and took a breath in. What she was about to say was weighing heavily on her mind, “Something has taken her energy, and permanently so. Plucked right out of her.”

Luna had to fight the urge to hit, crush, or just generally destroy something like when Loki and Trixie were first taken, “Is there anything we can do?”

That caused Frigga to pause again before giving a brief nod yes, “Her pool of magic has not disappeared, it is just empty. If one infused her with their own magic she could use it once again,” another pause, “As for her life energy, I am afraid she will simply have a shorter lifespan. That is not something one generally can or will give out.”

It took Luna a moment to realize that she had a perfect solution to this. One that would, yes, take some skin off her proverbial hide, but one that would restore everything Trixie once had and more.

Luna approached the table to get as close to Trixie as she could, “I will grant her both. I have an excess of energy in my own body at the moment, and I can transfer it like my sister did some months ago to her student. Instead of adding to her existing power though, like my sister did, I will just be replacing it.”

Her stomach knotted up as she realized the next piece of this plan. If Celestia could stomach granting some power, Luna could not see why she could not do the same...and more.

“As for my life, I have thousands of years ahead of me. I was going to outlive her already if I didn’t do anything…” Luna smiled sadly, “She has lost what, about twenty years worth of energy? Thirty? Fifty? I can grant her that, as it is nothing compared to my own.”

Seeing that Luna appeared to know what she was doing, Frigga smiled to her and took a step back.

“I will leave the matter to you then. You do know that mixing your energies with hers will cause...changes to her, correct?”

Luna smiled back to her, though it remained wistful, “I do. I won’t mind her taking a little after me though.”

The princess decided that she should be in her original form when she did this or else something might go wrong. She transformed back into an Alicorn with little effort all the while looking at Trixie, who was resting peacefully after lulling into a much needed sleep on the trip.

Like Celestia did for Twilight at the time of her ascension, Luna used a large portion of her power to create a realm where it could just be the two of them. Luna was not going to make Trixie an Alicorn. Not yet, as much as she had earned the privilege by now through sheer adversity.

The medical center and all the others within it faded away as Luna brought Trixie into the special realm. Using her powers, Luna recreated the same shadowy world she once used to frighten Loki when he came to Equestria the first time. This time, however, she added in distant yet bright stars to place some spotlight on where the two ponies stood.

Celestia explained that a transfer of power was easier when in a place without outside influence that might draw the raw power elsewhere. Power transfer could be done in Canterlot’s very throne room if one desired, but if one wished for an efficient and effective transfer they needed to go the extra mile.

Luna sighed while bringing a hoof to Trixie’s cheek so she could stroke it gently, “I was already going to do this, you know? A gift for when you proved yourself at the Equestria Games and showed everyone just how far you’ve come.”

The touch roused Trixie, who still appeared to be nearly dead from exhaustion with how weak she reacted.

“Wha—” Trixie collapsed fully when she tried to move, “Wh...ere...am I?”

Luna lowered herself to Trixie’s level to place her head against her student’s, “Don’t worry, just rest. Everything is going to be okay now, dear.”

Trixie did as she was told and closed her eyes, leaving Luna to look at her adoptive daughter in peace.

When they returned to Equestria Luna would make sure nopony hurt Trixie again. That nopony could hurt any of them again.

After granting Trixie the needed energy, Luna returned them to where they had been. Trixie no longer appeared to be at death’s door, and her fur had returned to it’s normal indigo coloration. Luna felt a bit strained from all the effort, but she did not regret it at all despite what she had lost. It had helped Trixie, and that is what mattered to her.

Free to relax for the moment, Luna decided that maybe learning more about the situation she found herself stuck in would be helpful. She approached Frigga after returning and letting out a yawn.

“How bad are we?”

Frigga shook her head sorrowfully, “Only ten percent of the guard forces are still ours, and we only have that amount because Lorelai has grown complacent. If she truly desired to she could wipe out all who oppose her here in Asgard.”

That made Luna squirm in anger. She hated this witch already without ever having met her, “She is just playing with you then.”

Luna turned to face her sleeping apprentice. The princess supposed she could use some rest as well if she was to go about fixing this matter, “When Trixie wakes up we will handle the issue. Lorelai controls only men, correct?”

Frigga nodded to Luna, who had not noticed from sheer exhaustion she had not resumed an Asgardian form, “Yes, so we are immune.”

That settled things for Luna, who was not about to have an usurper take the throne that Luna one day hoped to snag for herself and her husband, “Very well. I will teleport right into the throne room and engage whatever guards she has there while Trixie disables or kills her.”

“If you take her alive you may be able to get ahold of her sister, known as the Enchantress, who in turn could assist us in tracking and confronting those who took your loved ones,” Frigga advised, though her tone showed that she might be amenable to just outright killing the witch.

“If we render her unconscious, will she lose control of them?” Luna questioned, genuinely curious to see what she could get away with.

Frigga shook her head no, “I know not the specifics of her powers. It would be best to remove her powers entirely, but that is easier said than done. I would recommend you retrieve her so you can bring her back here and we can do something about her terrible power.”

Luna gritted her teeth. She hated going into things blind. Knowing is half the battle, “I’ll see what I can manage.”

No-one touched her people, be it her ponies or Asgardians, and got away with it. Lorelai would be wishing for death by the time Luna finished with her.

Author's Note

Turning All Against The One is An Art That's Hard

A/N: Special thanks to SilentMech, Scarlet Conduit, Cadmium, Ozymandias42, The Last Cold Fang, ChaoticLightning, Ketvirtas, Psycho Kid, Borderline Valley, Magestikus, and Drgnwolf for your comments this past chapter! I hope to hear again from you at the end of this one, as this one will answer a lot of what you guys are wondering I think :twilightsmile:

In other news, my new story "Equestria was Merely a Setback" (<—Link) is released and has the first two chapters up for your enjoyment! It's a spinoff of this story, so it'd mean a lot if you guys could support it with your likes and comments now that it is released, though I hope you also enjoy it thoroughly!

Thanks for all of your support, and I hope to keep hearing from you all! I mean it when I say this chapter will put a lot of perspective on previous ones!

On a seeming whim one day, Trixie visited Asgard instead of remaining at her post in Equestria. She had since taken over many of Luna’s duties due to the latter’s required presence in the vulnerable Asgard and her almost finished pregnancy, and there happened to be little time seemingly when she was not working or visiting the still hospitalized Lulamoon.

She came by Loki’s room as the night just began and his time in the throne room ended. He had chosen to eat alone while Luna worked with Lady Sif and Hogun on finding new guards to replace the ones lost through disloyalty. He was not too surprised to find Trixie in the room, since he had long since granted her access to his personal library in the hope it would mean she would learn everything she could to defeat Thanos. She was reading through a book on architecture when Loki came in, the sight of which was more surprising than her actual presence.

Loki’s confusion was not helped when he thought about how she might be interested in the construction projects going on at the moment: that of her coliseum in Equestria, and that of the Sunwell in Asgard. She did not need to be the one to draft the plans, so why would she be so interested in the details?

“How goes the construction?” Trixie asked Loki as he entered his own room in his full regal gear. Loki set about removing his helmet and cloak as he thought about the reports he had been handed that day.

Things were going well, surprisingly. Well, at least as well as things could go for a project unlike any done by Asgard’s architects, magic users, and other authorities that were being pulled into the project.

Loki carelessly dropped his helmet, only for it to disappear before it hit the ground as he banished it back to the realm he kept his extra clothes in. He did not intend to go around shirtless again if he could help it, even if he required Luna to supply him energy to keep this little pocket dimension open every now and again, “Your companion’s idea seems to be working out so far. Our architects are moving at a steady but slow pace. Since their knowledge of the Bifrost is limited, their knowledge of a structure outside of our own culture is obviously far more lacking.”

“I am sure Kael provided adequate instructions,” Trixie responded, her voice matter-of-fact. Her eyes continued to scan intently across the pages she was reading while she spoke, no eye contact being made with Loki as she sought out whatever knowledge she required.

Loki had to admit that the Elf had been most thorough, even with how uneasy the Asgardians were around him because of his race despite having no relation to the Dark Elves, “That he did, but this is still ground not tread upon before. It will be worth it to receive the benefits this Sunwell is said to grant, but I have my reservations nonetheless.”

That managed to pry Trixie’s eyes from the text. She closed it so she could grant Loki her full attention, “Reservations?

Loki moved over to his bed and took to laying across it lazily, his mind tired from being in charge of so many things for once. Being king was difficult if done thoroughly and with true effort, “Asgard is filled to the brim with warriors who place value on physical strength and capability. The idea of having their powers augmented and increased by magic may unsettle them.”

The fact that the Asgardians might not accept the power granted to them had not occurred to Trixie, and she was not quite pleased about the notion, “They will have to accept the fact that this artifact could very well save their race.”

“Honor and pride before reason I’m afraid…” Loki mumbled as brought an arm to cover his weary eyes. He was beginning to miss his brother, who had become so wrapped up in his Earth life that he was barely a figure on Asgard anymore. He had fallen in love with a world away from his own, and while Loki could sympathize he felt that the eldest son was needed at home too. On Earth he was stopping conspiracies, defeating villains of a much less caliber than those Asgard was accustomed to, and generally wasting his abilities.

Not only that, but Asgard would need Thor if Thanos were to return. While Thor may not be on the same level, having his abilities would be better than letting them squander on Earth with the other so-called “Avengers”.

The plurality of Loki’s previous statement made it’s way to Trixie’s mind, and so she prodded him to continue as he made himself comfortable on the bed, “And your other misgivings?”

Loki waved a hand in the air at her, “His species is addicted to magic because of its long reliance on such a construct. We Asgardians may be strong, but the idea that we too could grow to rely on it is unsettling.”

“We only need it to empower everyone for the immediate time being, not the thousands of years Kael’s species was subjected to its power.”

“We will take things one step at a time I suppose.”

A pause followed as Trixie came to think about the acceptance of the Sunwell in Asgardian culture and Loki tried to forget about his daily tasks if but for a moment.

This lull lasted just long enough for Trixie to think of something she had heard and was curious about, “I hear you are constructing an orphanage. A little standard, is it not?”

She had often wondered what it would have been like if she had lived in an orphanage. At the time she had worried they would return her to her abusive mother, but Trixie’s slimmer frame than other ponies her size showed that perhaps there were drawbacks on an even physical level of her homeless beginnings.

“Sleep Near only revived those lost in the conflict with Malekith, not those lost to Lorelei’s coup. There is still much need for an institution for those who are left without families as a result,” Loki reasoned. He had not expected to get any flak over constructing an orphanage, even if it was joking.

“Of course.”

Thinking more about the orphanage, Loki snorted at how he was unable to accomplish the last real task related to it, “The construction of the facility is done at this point, but I am trouble finding a name for it. I suppose it will come to me with time.”

Another pause fell between them, but this time it caused Trixie to decide to go. She had other things to do that night anyways outside of talking to family.

“Well, I will not bother you any further, father. I have other things to check up on.”

Loki mumbled a goodbye and pulled the covers over himself as he waited for his absolutely massive wife to join him. Their one year anniversary was approaching, and she would no doubt want him to do something to commemorate the event. The question was what though…

Trixie was able to track down the semi-elusive Discord in a minute, finding him in the same place that she had found him before: Fluttershy the former element bearer’s cottage by Ponyville. He had seemingly moved in after befriending the pony, but to get to the topic at hand Trixie ignored the scandalous image of him living with another mare despite fathering a child with Celestia.

Fluttershy had opened the door when Trixie knocked, and the cowardly mare ran away and shoved Discord out the door at the sight of Trixie’s cool eyes.

Trixie gave Discord a blank stare as the latter yawned and pretended to be too sleepy to be paying attention, “I need to ask you a favor.”

Discord shifted to another form of annoyance, dropping his sleeping act in the night light to adopt a grin and float above her, poking at her glistening silver-blue hair playfully as he spoke, “Oh, you are that pony all those others are gossiping about right now. Princess Lunamoon or something. It seems others have taken umbrage with the reforms you have been working on like abolishing the nobility, rooting out corruption in office, remov—”

Trixie fought the strong urge to stomp a hoof, “I did not come to talk about the view insolent whelps have of me or my policies.”

He pretended to be taken aback by this, “You didn’t? But it’s so much more fun, at least I think. Does Luna know that her old reputation has rubbed off on you? That ponies whisper and criticize you, just not as brazenly as they do her?”

It was quite difficult to keep herself from growling at the annoying man, but Trixie forced herself to nonetheless, “No, and I have done well to keep that information from her. Now, I need you to do something for me. It does not matter if you want to or not, you will do this and I will repay you in kind for it.”

Her strong words made Discord land and cross his mismatched arms, “I’m not so sure I want to do this favor. I don’t even know what it is!”

Trixie jabbed him in the gut while also secretly casting a spell that would soundproof them, so that Fluttershy could not possibly overhear them from inside the cottage, “I need you to stop dallying around and find Tirek. Find him, befriend him, and join him in his plotting. Help him slowly acquire power, but make sure that it is not at too fast a pace.”

Discord shook his arms like he was excited, though his voice was nothing but mocking, “Maybe we’ll go and have some fun and eat popcorn together at that event Celestia said you were making…the Equestria Games 2.0, if I may say so.”

“Retract your sarcasm. I have enough insolence to deal with as it is,” Trixie threatened, only for Discord to just laugh right back at her.

“Oh really? I don’t see why I have to do this for you at all, actually. If Celestia was asking the favor, that would be one thing, but I’ve only met you a couple times. What could you possibly do for me?”

Trixie narrowed her eyes at the deadbeat father to Equestria’s youngest royal family member, “Discord, as a former threat to Equestria yourself, you must realize that if Tirek has his way your daughter will be in grave danger.”

That made Discord stop in his tracks. He might not be there every day, but he did visit his daughter on occasion. He would not admit it but he held fatherly affection in him, even if his childish personality had trouble reconciling with it.

Seeing that she had his attention finally, Trixie continued to capitalize on her success, “And Tirek is not the only force that is moving against Equestria right now. There are three efforts against it, all of which I have my hoof in handling, and so your effort will help stop whatever harm may befall your daughter as a result of the coming tides of battle.”

“And what purpose will my befriending him serve? What will me helping him gain his power do?”

“It will serve our interests in the end,” Trixie replied vaguely, not wishing to bestow any of her actual plans with someone that was such a wild card, “Do this for me…no, do this for your daughter. So that she can grow up without ever facing harm.”

Discord placed his bear paw on his hip while turning his head away defiantly, “Fine. But I will have you know that the reason I have not found Tirek is that he is not making it easy to find him. He is not using his powers, or else I could sense him and find him easily.”

“I have faith in the god of chaos to find one dissident soul,” Trixie said, her back already turned to Discord as she began to leave. She knew that playing that card would get Discord to jump to helping her, even if everything else about him was chaotic.

“What is your angle in all of this?”

Trixie did not even look back to him as she began to teleport, “The winning one. Now go. Get to work. Stop wasting your time here.”

By the time he opened his mouth to speak again, Discord was left alone in the cold night air.

Trixie’s next stop was the house the Sirens had taken for their own. She brought Kael with her this time, but she had him occupy one of the guest rooms as she approached one of the three women who, once upon a time, were a threat to all of Euqestria.

“You don’t seem very much like the others. Why are you even helping them?”

Sonata was all by herself in the large house when Trixie found her. Trixie cast her sound proof spell again to prevent anyone from overhearing them, and decided to proceed with the next step of her plan.

Sonata laughed at the question, not seeming to get the traitorous connotations of it due to her own stupidity, “Well, I don’t really know. It’s been such a long time!” she brought a finger to her lips as she thought about the question more while reclining on a luxurious couch, “When we were kids a long time ago we were like total besties I think. They’re all I really remember after so long.”

“Besties?” Trixie questioned, not knowing what the term meant.

“Yeah! Best friends!” Sonata explained to Trixie’s embarrassment. Trixie, only having a couple she could call friends, was not familiar with the term, “I’m not that smart,” Sonata laughed and snorted, “Like at all, but Adagio always looked after me. And because Adagio did, Aria did too!”

Trixie felt her shoulders sink. She had come in her Elf form due to the three seeming to be more comfortable around humanoids, and so her hands softened as did her eyes as she heard that. Sonata seemed to have memories that Trixie doubted Adagio or Aria had anymore after so many years of isolation on a foreign world with a foreign culture. Luna had mentioned before that she only remembered things so well because all she could do on the moon was relive old memories, but to be trapped in a place where things actually were happening…

Sonata continued on as Trixie took a seat across from her, the ditz not really noticing the sad look on the other girl’s face, “When we got our powers I found just how fun it is to make people do what you want!” Sonata cackled as she showed off her necklace with its red gem, “It’s so fun doing whatever you want, though starving all those hundreds of years kind of puts a damper on the fun we did have. At least we got to do fun stuff like manipulate humans and make them crash ships in the meantime!”

Trixie decided to see where this could go, since Sonata seemed to be the most loyal of the three. She may be stupid, but that made her no less evil than the others it seemed. It just made her reliant on the others, “How did you survive?”

“Adagio was really powerful before we got beat by Celestia. Back then Celestia was actually a threat since she still knew how to fight, but now we’re totally better than her,” Sonata sighed for a moment to let her memories flow through her. When her simple mind had processed enough of them, Sonata decided to actually answer what was asked of her, “So, anyways, Adagio started feeding us her power, since we were still besties then. Eventually we found that humans had some magic potential too, though they were like so weak compared to Equestrians. We decided to gobble it all up!”

Trixie could not help but remember Kael’s magic stealing phase, but quickly shook the memory away so she could focus on what Sonata was still saying. The ditz really could talk a lot if you let her gab on without interruption.

“The humans make good food though, which is kind of ironic since they themselves aren’t that tasty,” Sonata finished, a content look on her face as she pat her extremely skinny stomach. Trixie had been a bit hungry before, but lost any trace of that appetite at the blue siren’s comment.

“Did you actually eat them?”

Sonata stuck her tongue out and blanched, “Blegh, of course not!” she reeled her tongue in and brought a finger up to her chin, a more thoughtful look growing on her, “Unless you count absorbing their power until there is nothing left of them. I don’t remember if I did that. Maybe when I was really hungry? That was more of Adagio’s thing…”

With so little magic on Earth, Trixie found it doubtful the three had been fed all that well over their long exile. In fact, she was surprised they lived that long with their near anorexic diet, “No wonder you’re all so thin…”

Sonata brought one hand to her chest and another to her hip, “Haha, we may be thin but we’ve got fat in all of the right spots!” Sonata glanced across the room at Trixie, only to laugh at what she saw, “You’re a little flat though.”

Trixie blushed. She had purposefully reduced her…proportions down to the bare minimum after Luna tricked her into making them obscenely huge, though she kept the alternate size as a backup in case she ever needed to feel her back break under their weight so she could impress some lecherous fool. In contrast, to make herself appear less boyish Trixie increased her overall hip size quite greatly to make up for her less feminine top. She would not be called a man if she could help it.

Trixie turned her head away as she continued to blush, “A personal preference when I’m not trying to impress anyone.”

Sonata winked at Trixie before laughing, “You mean that Elf guy? Oooh, are you two screwing? I bet you two have a lot of fun when you’re studying! Want a third? I bet even I could teach you a thing or two that way!”

“Uh, no thank you, we’re fine—I mean we’re not in that kind of relationship!” Trixie responded with embarrassment at first and then extreme worry as she realized how her original words may have been taken.

Sonata gave a couple hip thrusts and laughed at her ally, “Suuuuuure, I get what you mean. You’re into some really kinky stuff, aren’t you?”

That was enough for Trixie, who stood up and decided to go work on a more useful person, “Ugh, I can see why the others can’t stand to be around you anymore…”

Trixie had a new plan for approaching Sonata, but for the moment she would need to get some space from the crazy, psychotic idiot.

Adagio was outside in a hot tub she had refitted to work for humanoids and not just ponies. Trixie brought Kael with her just as insurance when she approached the leader of the Sirens, who greeted Trixie with a sultry smile.

“Ahhh, my dear, care to join me?”

Trixie glanced into the pool and noticed that Adagio was not, in fact, wearing clothes, though the bubbles and water helped disguise this fact, “No, I am fine.”

“Suit yourself. I suppose you’re satisfied with what you have,” Adagio replied reluctantly while glancing towards Kael, who gave no response. A bit perturbed by his lack of response, she lifted her chest above the waters and flashed him a smile, to which he only blinked.

Adagio lowered herself into the water again as Trixie took off her shoes and moved her robe so she could hang her own legs in, “He’s quite the gentleman, Trixie. Being around such beautiful women like us and keeping himself in check,” Adagio looked Kael over and found herself quite surprised, “Or is he…you know…” she leaned in closer to Trixie to whisper, “Fabulous?”

Trixie reached back to touch Kael’s leg as he continued to stand stoically beside her, “I know for a fact he is attracted to women, but I could not care less either way. He is my partner and nothing more.”

Adagio shifted back to her spot in the tub and smirked, “Don’t worry dear, no-one here will judge you. Except Aria. She’s not too fond of men, or those who lust after them. Likely because of our other companion’s inane prattling about them for so long,” Adagio closed her eyes and leaned her head back as memories flooded her just as they had Sonata, “Aria didn’t mind the bits about women, but Sonata is fond of men as well and I think I remember her constantly talking our ears off about them too. I am having trouble remembering, but she may even have met a stunning example of mankind early in our stay on Earth. He reminded me of one of those Asgardians since he possessed greater strength and magical abilities…”

Trixie found it ironic that the group idiot had the best memory out of the three, but she did not bring this fact up out of tact. She just let Adagio stew in her own memories and the bath as well, fine with taking her time if it would help gain her the trust of the group’s leader.

Adagio began to laugh as she remembered something she had not thought of in hundreds of years, “Yes, it’s coming back a little to me now. The idiot let herself get pregnant, and in the end she let him keep the baby instead of keeping it herself. Laurel…no, Lauriel…”

Trixie smirked as she put pieces together of a puzzle, all the while surprised that one of them was a mother, “Lorelei?”

Adagio nodded her head while snapping her fingers, “That is it, thank you!” she laughed as she thought about how Sonata’s stupidity had lead to such an embarrassing occasion. She could not remember what she thought then, but thinking of it at the moment made her laugh, “It has been a thousand years, forgive me for my memory. You lose some less important details over time, and I could really care less for what Sonata does on the side. Besides, it gave her a bigger bust and a better set of hips, and I sure don’t keep her around for her intellect.”

Her eyes drifted from Trixie to something inside the house which brought a new smile to her face. She snapped her fingers at whoever was walking by in the house, which caused Trixie to look back to what caught Adagio’s attention.

“Hey Aria, be a dear and grab me a drink. Our servant is off socializing right now and spreading our good name, so you will have to be my service wench,” Adagio taunted her second in command and sexual partner. Trixie was not sure the term “lover” was warranted or correct, given that it appeared to be a relationship bore of hatred.

Once upon a time, could it have been something else though? Trixie wondered how different these three were when they were younger. When they were actual friends like Sonata remembered, if her memories were actually true.

It almost made Trixie regret all of this…at least until she remembered how evil they were.

“Fuck you!” Aria yelled back from the house through the open door Trixie had left.

Adagio laughed and formed a microphone with a hand, “You already do, dear, so bring me that alcohol if you don’t want to just be with Sonata tonight!”

Trixie could hear more swearing and grumbling from the house, but Aria gave no more real protest. With the outcry done with, Adagio went back to smirking at Trixie, “Works like a charm every time.”

Having had the necessary bonding time, Trixie smiled at Adagio while retrieving her own legs from the pool.

“I think I will go fetch myself a drink.”

Trixie wiped her legs off on Kael’s robe, who looked down at her with amusement as she prepared to go back inside. When Trixie left, he remained standing by the tub quietly as if in thought.

With Trixie gone, Adagio winked at Kael, “It seems like she has left you in my care. Tell me, how are you so comfortable around such stunning women? There must be some trick.”

The prince shrugged, “My race is much more…hedonistic than any you have come across I am quite sure. It is common for women to walk around in only what you call bras and underwear, not to mention how we do not as a culture use doors that often so much is in plain sight that would be hidden in other places by other people.”

“And?”

“And I was royalty and a leader in a coalition of forces that had an army of consorts. I have quite literally seen enough women naked to satisfy any curiosity I had.”

“Is that so?” Adagio grinned devilishly at the handsome man, “How about I sing you a song to pass the time?”

Inside the house Aria was busy smashing things. Trixie made sure to avoid the broken glass that Aria had smashed on the floor in a fit of rage, the purple siren obviously put off by being ordered around like a servant.

Trixie approached the other member of their little group and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Why do you just listen to whatever she says?”

Aria brushed Trixie’s hand off roughly, “She’s the leader, duh.”

Trixie allowed her hand to be removed, but she moved it to a position where her hands were raised up defensively, “No, I mean, why is she the leader? How is she any better than us?”

Aria snorted at the question, “Well it sure as Hell shouldn’t be Sonata,” she paused as she narrowed her eyes warily at Trixie, the purple siren already having been distrustful of her, “And I’d lead if I felt like it. Too much of a hassle though.”

Trixie shrugged and prepared to defend herself from the punch she was about to receive from the siren who instead of wearing standard girl clothes wore what one might find on a rebellious teenager with ripped sleeves and everything, “Adagio doesn’t seem to be all that great though. Are you only listening to her because you’re her little toy?”

In anger Aria turned and swung a fist at Trixie, “Why you—”

Trixie caught Aria’s risk faster than Aria could even swing it. Trixie shook her head at the sad attempt at causing physical harm, “Tssk, tssk tssk. Remember, we’re on the same side. I know you don’t like listening to her. So why should you?”

That calmed Aria down, and she found herself curious about what the new girl was talking about. New, as in, having been with them just under a year compared to the extreme length of time the others had been together, “What are you thinking?”

Trixie tried to put on the most sincere face she could, “You seem more intelligent than her. I would rather follow someone with a brain than someone who is overconfident like her.”

Adagio was overconfident. She had been unchallenged and undefeated for about a thousand years if the things Trixie read about were true. Their reign of terror was unhalted for so long, their powers unchallenged for such a long period of time, that of course overconfidence would come of it all.

Aria nodded slowly as she began to see what Trixie was saying. A coup within their own group, “I see…” just because she could understand what was being said did not mean that she trusted Trixie though. A schemer was a schemer after all, “But what do you get from this? Why don’t you want to be the boss?”

Trixie was so glad she casted her spell again that made their conversation private, which she decided to dub the cone of silence, “I am already a princess. I can manage to not be the leader of a small group of individuals I am partnered with.”

Aria crossed her arms and glared at Trixie, “Hmmmph. Whatever. I’ll do what I want, but you better not do anything stupid. Unlike Adagio, I get that you’re not the sort that is easily manipulated. Maybe you were once, but I think Adagio’s let the fact we’ve been winning the past millennium get to her.”

Trixie was pleased to see someone corroborate her assessment on Adagio’s contentment and overconfidence.

Trixie gave a defensive posture again, “Oh I have been counting on it. It’s easiest to join a group who will soon rule the world when the leader of it thinks you’re already a groupie.”

Aria jabbed Trixie’s chest with a finger and scowled, “Just remember who should be on top and we won’t have a problem. We’re as strong as you now, so you better not try anything.”

“Of course, of course.”

With that, Aria wandered off towards the exit with two empty glasses and a bottle of whine in tow. Trixie let her go without any further comment, all the while smirking to herself.

Aria might be loyal, at least vocally, but the seeds of doubt were there now.

After Adagio and Aria decided to make up and removed themselves to a bedroom, Trixie took the hot-tub herself along with Kael. She made sure Sonata joined the other two before relaxing herself by entering the pool.

Trixie let out a content sigh as the warm water and the jets massaged her aching body.

“And with this…I win the world. Check.”

Kael smirked at Trixie from across the large hot tub, his precious robes discarded on the side of the pool to keep them from getting wet, “You really believe this will pay off in the end?”

Trixie kept her eyes closed as she let her body relax, “Of course I do. They believe I am not too powerful since my power is currently being used elsewhere, and they think I am just another pawn. Their goal is to gather a large enough group of ponies that they can absorb their magic all in one fell swoop, instead of the gradual leeching they have been doing these past months.”

“And when they gather all of the power in themselves…” Kael trailed off as he waited for Trixie to finish.

The princess contently replied, “I show them that I am far more powerful than they, and take their power for myself.”

“And with that power, you can easily defeat whatever Tirek has gained for himself with Discord’s aid.”

“And with all of their power combined, the Sunwells, the Aether, and mother’s scepter, I will confront Thanos and defeat him.”

“Are you sure it will be enough?”

“No. Which is why I am cultivating these other players so thoroughly. I need every ounce they can offer me,” Trixie opened her eyes and looked up into the star filled night, “The Sirens are already powerful, more so than I originally expected when I learned of them, but how much will that power increase when they have access to an audience of thousands of ponies, Asgardians, and Jotuns?”

Kael felt good being one of the only two who knew of this plan, as well as one of the two pulling the strings of it all, “The real games won’t be between the three races, but between us, the Sirens, and Tirek.”

“Of course. Discord will bring Tirek to the games as a way of amassing power. Not only can I play the Sirens against Tirek then, I can take all of the power for myself,” Trixie laughed, once again glad that no-one could listen in on her due to the spell she learned for such an occasion.

“And this little charade today?”

“Like I said, the Sirens have grown more powerful than I expected originally. If I can continue to isolate them, cause them to turn on one another while gaining their individual trusts, I will have less risk later.”

“The best of schemes is when the puppets of the show do not know they are having their strings pulled, not to mention are actually in someone else’s show entirely. But even the best shows can end in tragedy, should the wrong cards be dealt the protagonists…”

That brought some pause to Trixie, who closed her eyes again as she swore.

“I’ll win. I have to.”

Author's Note

So...yeah, for all those wondering what Trixie's been up to, she's been busy being the biggest manipulative bastard of this entire story with a great cause :rainbowlaugh: It might not answer ALL of your questions, but that's what's been going on behind the scenes.

Anyways, please check out my new story here and help support it: Equestria Was Merely a Setback

Remember, comments are :heart: !

I'm Not Afraid of Tomorrow, I'm Only Scared of Myself, Feels Like My Insides Are All On Fire, And I'm Looking Through The Eyes of Someone Else

A/N: Special thanks to Ketvirtas last chapter for being the only person to comment about the actual chapter itself. Been two weeks and there were only about five commenters, and just about none of it had anything to do with the story. I'm actually extremely disappointed, since it has hundreds of views yet I got essentially nothing from you guys. Please comment this time, and please keep it on topic. People stop commenting after there are a certain amount of comments on a chapter, and you guys going back and forth about nothing related to the story staved off actual commenters. If you want to converse with one another, please PM one another, not go on and on here! So thanks again Ketvirtas, and I'm sorry everyone. I just needed to get this off my chest, and I apologize for the rant.

Chapter title from "Tomorrow" from SR-71. Not that I bet anyone cares.

Please comment, and have it be about the story itself. I am having a really rough time in real life between the loss of a friend and schoolwork, and I don't want to see sprawling, irrelevant conversations taking the place of actual feedback like it did last chapter. Thank you for those who actually read this, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's got something a lot of you have been asking for after all...

Instead of entering the fray once again alongside Thor, Loki found himself dispatched by the hurtling green body of Doctor Banner. The giant carried Loki back with him as the large green figure was flung off of Thanos, whose face no longer showed any sign of amusement as he was forced to tap into a fraction of his true potential. The Hulk had managed to grapple with the miniscule portion being used to overpower Loki, and so he had been dealt with in a swift manner so as to not interfere with the previous fun he had been having.

This was the day Thanos was to become an immortal being with omnipotence: the power of the Infinity Gems brought together would make him the most powerful being to even exist, with powers comparable to that of a living god which put to shame the pseudo gods known as Asgardians and Alicorns. While this was his aspiration for as long as he could remember, this was the last time he would truly be able to enjoy any encounter with such mortal beings. He had decided to save Loki for last to rectify his mistake in trusting him once, and so these others who stood before him were not to be granted the same mercy. While Loki could and would be savored as Thanos’s final mortal kill, what were a transforming scientist, a drunken genius, a superhuman below the power of an Asgardian, and the so called “god of Thunder” to the half-ascended physical god?

All Loki knew about Thanos was his strength and ruthlessness, and the conqueror had no intention to fall into the trap some others had and monologue long enough to grant his opponent a chance to win. He did not mind talking during a battle yet, while this was more of a show than a true fight, Thanos had no purpose to inform Loki as to how every moment was an affront to Thanos’s own being. An affront that would be met with brutality and pain.

Thanos prepared himself to leap into the air, at which point he saw Loki crawling from out under the rubble formed from the collapsed coliseum wall he had collided with along with the green brute. Thor hurled himself forward with his hammer only to find that he would collide with nothing but air.

Stark, on the other hand, was far more unfortunate than Thor. The mechanical genius found his suit grabbed from the air, and in the next moment it was crushed inside of Thanos’s titan grip. While the powerful armor was not instantly flattened there was little chance that the man inside of it was anything but dead or dying, with the bones and organs inside being crushed and impaled by the armor turned into a weapon pointing inward.

The red and golden armor was then thrown at Captain Rogers, who had moved to assist the civilian evacuation which had suddenly become a frenzy after the first of Thanos’s forces arrived in the middle of the coliseum itself during the exodus of ponies, Jotuns, and Asgardians. Many of the Jotuns and Asgardians were resisting the urge to retreat from this battle, and instead they joined in arms against their foes. Under normal circumstances these two races would have an advantage over the metallic, skeletal beings Thanos had brought with him, but after the Sirens and Tirek drained these two empowered races they were left far weaker than they otherwise would be.

Rogers and some of the civilians fleeing into the grassy land outside of the coliseum were mowed down by the projectile that Stark had become, and the sight of this made Thanos regrow his previous look of contentment. These fools were throwing their lives away in an inevitable affair. The only one with the power to confront him was the animal Loki had so brazenly taken as a daughter when he married the brash horse princess.

The normally intelligent man had taken a family onto himself and even expanded it, all the while knowing of his impending execution at the hands of his former master. It made Thanos almost pity all of those he was about to kill because of Loki’s selfish desire, not that it would stay his hand at all.

Thanos had wiped out his own species after all, and sparing another from Lady Death’s embrace would feel wrong. He only kept those he needed to serve his goals and to do tasks too beneath him, and he had no use for a race of backwards warriors, their rival race of savages, or four legged animals so haughty as to think themselves worthy of being on par with truly sapient beings.

Once Thanos finally landed on the grassy field, Thor wildly charged him again in blind fury wishing to avenge his fallen comrade he had fought many battles alongside on Earth and elsewhere. This second attempt at combat was met with just as much failure as the first as the warrior found himself pummeled into the ground with a swift punch to the back of the head by the purple behemoth.

Loki paused as he watched as his powerful brother was defeated in a single strike, with Thor not even twitching after the hit and there being no signs that he was even alive. Loki refused to believe that the blonde haired idiot he had spent centuries with as a brother was dead in such an undignified manner, and it is with this thought pushed out of his mind that he prepared to fight again.

Loki had one condition in which he could actually win and kill Thanos, and it was after that was accomplished that he would allow himself to check on Thor.

Thanos turned to face Loki with a wicked smile, his words offering some insight on his inner thoughts, “When I have the power to impress Lady Death I will no longer be able to savor times such as our little fight. It is all I can do now to restrict my power to destroy this entire planet, a restraint I would hate to have slip should others continue to interrupt.”

The tragedy would truly be in that he would not get this last chance at a fair encounter, as well as have a harder time retrieving the energy of the Aether if it was scattered across what once was a planet. The actual death and destruction was nothing to Thanos, who had learned early in life that death was something everyone faced. Born with an appearance similar to a rival race, he had nearly been killed by his own mother and grown up a pacifist.

That was until he discovered the personification of death itself, with whom he fell in love with as the representation of death and nihilism. For whom he murdered his family, for whom he gathered forces to bring about genocide against his own people in an attempt to impress her and gain her favor.

Decades spent in this pursuit seemed fruitless, that Thanos could not deny, and so for Lady Death to seem so intrigued by Loki this whole time made the man jealous in a manner much like the emotions of neglect Loki himself felt once upon a time and shared with Luna, who in turn shared them with the far younger Trixie. It was a universal feeling that brought pain to all who struggled with it, and it was one Thanos was unused to. He had once respected Loki as a capable agent of chaos and manipulation, but the man had betrayed and failed him. That was enough to deserve death, but to have captured the interest of Lady Death, as much as Thanos hated to admit it, made him furious.

Loki, for his own part, was content in allowing Thanos his brief moment of monologue. The villain may not have meant to allow himself to lapse into it, but the strong man couldn’t bear the heavy feeling in his heart. He loved this woman, and yet she seemed so interested with Loki in ways unfathomable to Thanos given her usual silence. She had ways of communicating, she merely chose not to the majority of the time. While this was of no issue normally to him, it did nothing to help his fears when he came to her and asked her what her intentions concerning Loki were.

The Asgardian prince had a family though, and while that made Thanos less worried, he still was not comfortable with it all.

“After our numerous encounters I have noticed that you have a bond to her, and whatever it is I cannot allow it.”

Loki knew of Thanos’s obsession with death, but he did not have the required information to manipulate the man further. Perhaps the rage Thanos felt could be exploited to drag out this fight long enough for an opening, for Trixie to finish her other encounters, but Loki’s own fatherly attachment to Hela prevented him from seeing things from his opponent’s mindset: that he was a romantic rival. The thought did not occur to Loki, who was more focused on ignoring the limp body of Thor at Thanos’s feet.

Loki tried to enrage Thanos in another manner, one which would backfire on the man so skilled at provoking opponents into fits of rage to rob them of finesse, “Good luck wooing my daughter after killing me. She is insane as it is, so you won’t be doing yourself any favors.”

This changed everything to Thanos. Loki went from someone he wanted to inflict unending pain and torture on as a final battle before ascension to simply a half-dead traitor who was of no further use to him.

Lady Death, or Hela as Loki called her, could likely forgive Thanos for slaying her father, or at least he believed as much.

“So that infant daughter of yours is…”

This would explain everything to Thanos. Hela sought out Loki due to having a disturbed version of “daddy issues”. The reason she tormented Loki and asked for Thanos to deliver him was to spend time with him, and due to her warped mind it was preferable to her just visiting him.

Thanos was grinning fully now, his teeth showing as he found a weight lifted from his chest, “No wonder she has such an interest in you. But she is the goddess of death, and killing you will give your soul to her for eternity. What better gift can I possibly give her?”

Loki realized the shift in his foe, and realized that perhaps he had chosen the wrong words. Still, he was not going to gain anything now that Thanos’s mind had changed, so he might as well continue down this path, “Your own head, preferably on a platter.”

“Very amusing,” Thanos kicked his leg out to slam into Thor’s body and send his armored body sprawling away, removing it from the battlefield so he could have things just be between him and Loki for what he presumed would be a short fight, “But after I ascend to a power far beyond her own, she will realize that I am the most worthy for her. I will have no need of gifting her at that point, so you may as well serve as one final present.”

However, while he now wanted to just end Loki’s existence without reservation, he did want to send him to Hela’s world with one last thought.

Thanos began to laugh madly as he brought his hands out and gestured in the direction of Canterlot, “However, I wonder what will happen with my agent who is currently in the castle you use on this planet. I told him to kill your family their while I handled things here, but will that disrupt Hela’s path in life or cause her to go on to rule the underworld just as the future and possibly alternate version of her does?”

Loki would have been more shocked if he had not already imagined the possibility someone would take advantage of this situation and invade Canterlot in some fashion. He only hoped that Luna would be okay and be able to deal with whoever was to assassinate their family.

Thanos cast aside his doubt about changing reality and time, assuming that it all would not matter soon enough when he was the one who would control the fabric of reality as well as time itself, “No, that is irrelevant. I will remake the world as I see fit, my wish and desire shall become reality.”

“You’re insane. I hope you realize that,” Loki taunted as he bared what little magic he had for what might be his last strike. When Thanos decided to suddenly attack, he would have to retaliate with all of his might and ability.

Even if he fell, he could perhaps leave things better off for Trixie. Luna could lead Asgard, and while Loki knew not how Hela would grow up he had faith that Sleep Near would at least be able to one day replace him.

Thanos seemed nonplussed by the insult, as if he had already weighed the possibility of his own insanity and cast aside any doubt before, “I believe myself to be handling my power quite well.”

With that the giant leapt forward and closed the distance between them in a flash.

“I doubt that animal who is holding the Aether is as lucky though!” Thanos pulled his golden fist back in a blur, “Say hello to Lady Death when you reach the underworld!"

It took some time for the stumbling Trixie to catch up to her fleeing foes, having been slowed down by the mind controlled Celestia and then plagued by problems she refused to relay to Twilight when the latter asked if she needed any help. Kael trailed behind Trixie in silence, seemingly having lost any charm or wit demonstrated prior to the plan he had been privy to finally came together. Trixie had taken to using her Elven form, which allowed Kael to help her along from time to time when she would momentarily stumble.

When Trixie finally caught sight of Adagio, it was in a part of the stadium that had collapsed partially recently and was still in the process of collapsing. Soft purple energy was flowing forth from Adagio as her eyes glowed even brighter than when she was outside sapping the strength from the thousands upon thousands gathered at the event.

It didn’t take Trixie very long to realize that she had only found one, and the fact that so much power was flowing forth from Adagio that it was almost repelling any approach made Trixie partially concerned about why that might be, “Where is the other?”

Adagio turned to face Trixie and revealed a wicked, toothy grin far worse than her previous ones that Trixie had bore witness to. Adagio had sprouted the ethereal wings she had grown outside once again, though this time they seemed less corporeal and more like they were an actual physical transformation born of her increase in power.

Being both parts insane and entertained, Adagio responded to Trixie’s question with a mad cackle, “Oh, don’t worry. Aria’s here too.”

Trixie snarled as she began to realize what she had caused, “What did you do?”

Adagio lowered her hands to her abdomen and let out a pleased breath, “I devoured the entirety of her magic and life force. I’ve never felt so…”

Adagio tilted her head back as a hand moved to her extremely bloated stomach as it rapidly began to return to its usual size. The more magic consumed, the more filling, and Adagio had never had such a large meal before.

The Sirens could feed off of energy, which was half the reason Trixie had invested so much effort in cultivating them for her own needs. She had intended to divide and conquer, but the small pause in her confrontation with them caused by Celestia’s controlled interference gave them the time to consolidate their magic albeit in a manner Trixie had not expected fully. The possibility of them preying on one another had crossed her mind, but she had sensed that the reason they had not done so after so long was that there was a bond between them all. While love may be overselling it, there was certainly some string between them that kept the three monsters from turning on one another despite their seemingly unending hatred for one another.

But Adagio had drained her partner despite that. Had being defeated for the first time in a thousand years sent her off the deep end and brought her to act in such a despicable and unforgivable manner?

Kael attempted to approach Adagio only to be pushed back by the energy forcefully, during which time Adagio finished compressing her “meal” and her body began to spark as it radiated power unlike it had ever possessed before.

Adagio looked down as she removed her hand from her stomach and let out a small chuckle, as if she had no regrets at all about it, “Sadly a non-renewable source of power, or else I would resort to it more often. It has been quite some time since I last tried this…”

Trixie crossed her arms as she coldly looked over the woman with complete contempt. The sacrifice of an ally in such a manner was clearly a sign of madness, of abandoning common standards of right and wrong.

“So nothing’s changed: she’s still going to be inside you tonight,” Trixie commented without any trace of amusement, her sole goal being to emulate Loki’s taunting tactics to infuriate Adagio into making a mistake.

Adagio fell for the bait, no longer caring about tactics of any kind or anything but her trampled pride, “Oh how funny, let’s see you laughing when you’re begging for mercy!”

The increase in power allowed Adagio to literally just throw a wave of pure energy at her two opponents, her anger spilling forth into the red-orange-purple strike.

Trixie threw up her own wave of energy to cancel it out, the result of which was a clash of varying colors which made the entire hallway distorted up until the point where sunshine broke through and illuminated Adagio, “You are welcome to try, you sick monster.”

Previously neither Adagio nor Aria had the power to confront Trixie in any true fashion given how they each were around half as powerful as her, but with their power combined the situation was shifted. While Trixie had no fear previously of actually losing to them, she actually was worried about the possibility of being defeated by this foe. There was a chance, and that was not something Trixie was at all pleased about after all the planning and preparation she put in.

Adagio brought her hands over her head and began to form a ball of energy there, one which grew in size turbulently as she cackled again.

“I am sorry Aria, you were fun while you lasted, but you’re far more useful to me this way!”

Once finished charging her attack sailed straight at Trixie and Kael, though it only hit the former as Trixie failed to teleport in time to avoid it. The immense power behind the hit knocked her off her feet and onto her back, which only served to feed Adagio’s ego even further.

“With this amount of power I don’t even need all of your fancy spells. I can just defeat you through brute strength,” Adagio claimed as she turned to be facing neither Kael, who had previously moved to be behind her, or Trixie. With a shoulder pointing at each of them she lifted a hand up to point at them both.

Trixie started to rise to her feet as Kael jumped into motion and leapt at Adagio, growing far more active and energetic as he attempted to close the distance between them.

Adagio gasped as her energy being shot at the Elf instead disappeared as he began to absorb it with an extended palm, while Trixie teleported to instead be behind Adagio’s new positioning, “Oh, I understand that now we’re on a level playing field in some ways, but you still can’t hope to defeat me. Especially not when that monster Thanos is outside and able to kill us both.”

With the revelation that Kael could just steal her power with enough effort, Adagio stopped feeding him it and instead spin to face him and emit a sonic attack that held the same strength in a different form. The waves of sound disorientated both Kael and Trixie long enough for Adagio to blast Trixie back a few feet and to knock Kael into the nearby wall. For some reason neither appeared as powerful as she expected them to be, though perhaps she was just perceiving things differently because of the spike in her power.

Adagio began to try and siphon the energy hanging around her in the air that she had just expended, not wanting anything lingering to be used by her foes with the revelation that they too could absorb magic with ease, “Let me guess, you want us to team up and fight him? Settle our business later.”

Trixie finished bracing herself as Adagio went from attacking them to fulfilling a different objective. No longer forced to cover her ears and defend herself from a sonic onslaught, Trixie was free to press onto offense. She needed to end this quickly and steal Adagio’s power if she was to continue on with her plan as scheduled.

An eruption of ice beneath Adagio’s feet was just too slow to actually strike her, a wide stalagmite that otherwise may have impaled her instead just continued up to strike the broken ceiling.

Trixie scoffed at how she missed, having underestimated how Adagio’s physical attributes may have increased as her body continued to process her new power more and more, “That would be preferable, but since you are high on magic right now I do not think you will be amenable to this idea, and will instead fight me and try to take mine as well to then confront him on your own.”

“How perceptive of you. You should have been a head doctor instead of a magician,” Adagio dryly stated as she took a glance outside, where the large figure of Tirek could be seen fighting off hordes of skeletal beings who looked to be made of metal. The Siren was pleased that something else had captured his attention, but at the same time she was worried about how completely in the dark she was about these beings Tirek was combatting.

Trixie made another pillar of ice erupt from the ground as Kael made a wall of fire come from the opposite direction to sandwich Adagio. The last Siren alive used her aura of power to try and repel the two powerful attacks, with the ice beginning to pierce the aura directly while the fire began eating away at it all as it moved to encompass all of her.

Trixie took the time Adagio was fighting off the attacks to let loose a barrage of ice shards while also taking a lesson from Loki’s book of combat, “If you are wondering how I knew that you would be so simple minded as to not choose a mutually beneficial truce, it is because I am entirely of the same mind. Amassing our power in one body will do more than splitting it and letting ourselves be defeated one by one. That is the reason for all of this. That is why you and Tirek are here.”

Adagio eventually overpowered the first fire blast and wave of ice, only to then have her body cut into by razor sharp blades of ice. She might be at the same level as Trixie, but their skill level was on wholly different levels in terms of sheer abilities to use. While their attacks might clash, Trixie had a far greater arsenal with which she could defeat the Siren.

As the Siren gasped in pain as one shard pierced a lung, Trixie began to prepare another spell while continuing her verbal plan, “Do you know why I have been using the Elven form so often?”

Adagio ripped the ice shard out of herself while withholding a laugh. The touch of the ice made her shudder as thoughts of Aria came back to her. When she had subsumed the purple Siren’s power, the latter still had some icicles piercing her body which were refusing to melt. She had felt them as she brought Aria into her own being, and the reminder of her action made her hesitate and actually not enjoy her own taunt she threw out at Trixie.

“We all know what you would like to be doing with it, what with your little toy over there,” Adagio growled as she threw a hand towards Kael, who had finished channeling fire magic at her and once again was rushing forward to forcefully take her power.

Trixie did not even care about the implications of the statement, instead wanting to verbally break this monster, and so she took no action as Kael began to reach through Adagio’s aura and towards the woman herself, “Incorrect. Blood Elves have an addiction to magic, and their bodies burn through it at a sickening pace. It keeps my power from overflowing and turning me into a ticking time bomb since I lose my magic about as fast as the Aether tries to expand it.”

Trixie was at her limit for power. The reason she could not just blow Adagio away with the power of the Aether was that she could not actually handle having all of its power inside of her, so she instead shared it with the magic consuming man who she had taken as a companion.

It took all of Adagio’s efforts to repel Kael and keep him from drawing closer to her, the Elf suddenly becoming far more powerful than he had been a moment prior. She grit her teeth as she threw as much energy as she could his way only for him to continually cut through it, it leaving her being and becoming a part of his own as Trixie continued to speak from the sidelines.

“Everyone has their limit, and I am about at mine. If Twilight could be trusted to defeat Thanos I would gladly hand it over to her as I believe her limit to greatly surpass my own, but I am the one who is better in the art of combat. She might throw it all away wastefully, while I can strategically use what I have at my specific level.”

“Is that to say you can grow no stronger?” Adagio said through her teeth as she began to move back one step at a time, since Kael was pushing through the defensive barrier bit by bit. If Adagio had the extra strength to she could have easily turned and killed Trixie right then and there, for the apprentice and daughter of Luna had given Kael her strength. His limit was larger than her own by a huge margin owing to his race’s natural affinity for magic as well as the rate it was expended due to their longstanding addiction to it.

Trixie shook her head as she denied Adagio;’s statement, “Oh no, I can still take in more magic, it simply would not be good for my well being either physically or mentally. A good deal of people are driven insane by excess magic I have read. After all, some poor individuals go insane from just their normal levels so overwhelming amounts can bring quite the toll on someone.”

“Speaking from experience, I presume? Because I feel just fine!” Adagio yelled as she dropped her defenses to instead let out the very same energy as an attack. The multi-colored energy swirling and surrounding her all moved to rush into Kael, who was pushed back by the sudden change but otherwise not seemingly any worse for wear.

Adagio had no way of knowing it, but the Elven race had a resistance to raw magic and as such her attacks were nowhere near as strong against him as physical ones might be. But since Adagio was not physically focused or capable, the magic sponge that was the Elf was an ideal counter to her.

In the split second Adagio lowered her defenses Trixie had taken back some of her power from Kael through their common pool of energy created first when they had left Niflheim while he was absorbing hers. While small at first, the link between their respective energy pools had grown to the point where it was something to be taken and given with ease in marked contrast to the forceful absorption of power between Adagio and Aria.

Adagio gasped and coughed out blood as a blade of ice pierced through her lower abdomen. Behind her Trixie stood with her arm thrust forward, the blade having formed directly around her arm as a natural expansion as she threw it forward for this finishing blow.

Trixie grabbed Adagio by the shoulder and raised a foot onto the woman’s body to kick her forward and off of the blade, “You killed someone and took their magic and life force. Your own limit increased by what she could hold I would imagine. You Sirens are quite the interesting beings, and I have learned a great deal from studying you.”

Adagio fell onto her knees first as the bloodied blade of ice exited her body, at which point raw energy burst from her and propelled her onto the ground. The energies in her body went about healing the wound at a rapid pace, but at this point it did not matter.

Trixie knelt down next to the woman and moved the blade of ice to press up against her neck threateningly, “It’s a shame that there won’t be any more of you. I had always planned to dispose of you three in Tirek’s former prison when you were done with your little plan, but you have already taken care of the other two.”

“You…”

No different from Tirek, Trixie could not help herself but monologue as she let out the emotions and thoughts she had been hiding for so long out, “While I was studying magic in Asgard after obtaining the Aether I came across some references to beings who can enthrall others to do their bidding. I had fought someone of the like in the weeks prior and was curious about the subject. Beings who can enslave others and steal their magic are quite the danger after all, as well as a useful tool.”

Trixie paused to slam Adagio’s face into the cold floor, “The more I looked, the more I realized that the beings were unaccounted for but last seen on Earth. So I spoke to the drunkard Stark and revealed that a portal exists between our worlds, and that perhaps some of the citizens from it crossed over. Reports of you Sirens gave me the impression of Sirens of our own world, so I took a risk and let Stark find a way to draw you here.”

Adagio gasped as she realized how badly she had allowed this seemingly helpful individual to manipulate her. Since even before they met, she had been playing to Trixie’s fiddle, and that idea infuriated the prideful Siren.

Due to the summoned blade fading away Trixie was free to gesture outside with some glee, so pleased to be done with one part of her plan now, “Once here, I allowed you to do your plan. So long as it did not interfere with the defeat of Tirek and Thanos, why not let you siphon the power to yourselves? You would become targets alongside myself, and you would also foil some of what Tirek was planning to do while also providing me possible insulation against Thanos.”

If she had been in the right state of mind at the time, Trixie would have had Kael absorb Adagio’s powers in this time period, but instead he had been left standing as Trixie rubbed defeat in the Siren’s face. The success of a year long plan was too intoxicating for Trixie, who had long waited to defeat this smug enemy of Equestria and all sentient species.

“This whole time you have been…” Adagio growled as she slammed a fist down on the ground, only to then open her palm across it, “You…you bitch!”

The woman let out a shockwave of power which managed to knock Trixie off of her as well as to take Kael’s legs from out under him. She used this time to spring to her feet as fast as possible since her grievous wound had since healed, and with another quick blast she pushed Trixie a good two dozen feet away further down the hallway in the direction she came from.

Trixie was quick to recover as well, and unlike Adagio she was far less flustered. That moment of weakness may have been the end to some others, but for Trixie she was able to rebound and prepare herself for another strike. The attack hit much less strongly than before, like Adagio had not been able to fully put her power into it, and so Trixie laughed as she continued talking.

“I am sorry, but I intend to save Equestria from the likes of you and all others who would lead it to ruin. Your downfall was a necessary piece of that, and it crosses off the list of ancient threats Celestia did not properly handle.”

“No! I have worked too hard for this to just have some young harlot get in my way!” Adagio shouted, preparing to let loose a torrent of energy from her right hand as she pointed it at Trixie. She wanted to focus it all at the woman who had single handedly ruined everything Adagio had planned by engineering these events.

Trixie smiled smugly as no attack came forward from the hand. Adagio realized a moment after it was supposed to surge forward and kill Trixie that no such attack even materialized. In fact, her right hand was numb.

Adagio moved her other hand to grab her right arm as it fell limply to her side, “What the—”

Trixie wagged her finger at Adagio, still amused greatly by the situation, “Having trouble controlling yourself, Adagio?”

Fear gripped Adagio as she realized that she couldn’t use an arm, which would greatly limit her. It also meant that she lost the swing in momentum she had gained, instead now being left at the mercy of her foe, “W-why is this happening? I’ve never…”

The Siren fell to her knees as she continued to try and raise her right arm to no avail. She could try and fight back, but after everything that had happened Adagio was just breaking down. Tears were falling down her face as she realized with each passing moment just how much trouble she was in.

Trixie smiled as Kael crawled to his feet and moved to grab ahold of Adagio, his partner smiling patronizingly at the Siren as she continued to freeze up in abject fear, “Now, from you I can take the stored magic of countless Equestrians and other beings you have stolen from in the past. I have my own thirst and hunger for magic, you see, and I rather take it from a villain than have to steal it from innocents like you so enjoy.”

Trixie approached Adagio and lifted a hand up to enact the same power of magic absorption Kael had. As a Blood Elf she had learned to naturally do it, and with Kael’s knowledge she expanded it to a mastery of sorts. It required some concentration to take in large amounts of it though, so it was difficult to channel in the heat of combat except for the occasional sponging of excess energy here or there.

“I had intended to strip you of your powers, and then imprison you all. Seems only one of you will be receiving that punishment sadly.”

Adagio couldn’t even focus on her swiftly withering powers as tears rolled down her face as she began to undergo a complete breakdown, “Why can’t I…I was…”

Trixie shook her head in an amused fashion, relief washing over her as she accomplished the first of three pieces in her master plan, “It takes a lot of power and will to forcefully overtake someone’s body and mind. Even minor suggestions and altering of thoughts can be difficult I’ve learned, at least it is until you have your proverbial foot in the door. It gets much easier once their will has broken and their mind is left for you to reign free in.”

Adagio finally looked up to Trixie with the same tearful eyes, now no-longer caught up in her own world. She looked behind her quickly before turning back to Trixie, who had taken a hand to cup Adagio’s chin and make their eyes meet.

“I doubt Aria appreciates you killing her to empower yourself. To subsume her power and life for your own gain, even after all you’ve been through together…” Trixie looked down to the obstinate right arm on her opponent, “No wonder she’s helping me instead of you.”

Adagio attempted to fight off Trixie’s grip with her one usable arm, only to then realize how weak she had become as Trixie’s arm did not budge at all, “How are you any better than me, huh?” she began to choke on her tears as she pathetically tried to get Trixie’s hand and arm off of her, “You caused all of this! It’s because of you that Sonata was killed by that monster, that in order to survive I needed to take Aria’s power—”

The shifting of blame made the previously relieved Trixie to grow furious, moving her hand from Adagio’s chin to her neck, “I only manipulate for the good of everyone. That’s why. And I would sacrifice a million villains if it meant saving one innocent soul.”

Trixie lifted the Siren up off the ground and into the air with cold fury, her eyes narrowed as she began to tighten her grip, “When all of you villains are powerless, defeated…” Trixie swung Adagio to slam into the wall, her self control finally slipping as she lost her temper fully, “That’s when this will be all over.”

Trixie drew back a fist and forcefully brought it forward into the now frail Adagio over and over as she began to pummel the murdering sociopath, all the while envisioning someone else, “Because people like you are the reason everything like this happens!”

The choking ended up give way to Trixie grabbing Adagio by the shoulders and toss her aside, making the woman weakly stumble away, “You lie!” in a follow up Trixie swung a haymaker at Adagio’s face, knocking her onto the ground with force, “You manipulate everyone around you, even your loved ones!”

Now on the floor, Adagio could do nothing but cough and cry out in pain as Trixie moved to start kicking her in only partially misdirected fury, “Everything is only for your own personal gratification, your own sense of pride and ego!”

The beating stopped soon after Adagio stopped struggling, the strikes having rendered her unconscious from their sheer brutality. Adagio couldn’t feel it, but tears were falling onto her from above as Trixie’s shoulders began to hang forward along with her head, her face having grown an expression of pain with tears freely running down it.

“You don’t care who gets hurt, you don’t care what damage you do, so long as you are the ones who are on top in the end…” she paused as she fell to her hands and knees, I’ve seen that all too clearly…”

Looking down at the now bleeding and wounded Siren, Trixie looked down at one of her hands to find that it had blood smeared across it from the savage beating. While staring at it she became the one choking on tears, the voice inside her head serving as the ultimate self-consciousness.

“I…I…”

It took her some time to realize it, but Kael had begun to leave the area without a word. Trixie turned to face him as he walked out of the broken section of the structure, her mind racing as she thought about how she hadn’t told him to go anywhere yet.

“Kael?” she called worriedly, her voice weak as she brought a hand out towards him, “Please…come back…”

He continued to leave, either not hearing her or not listening, and instead left Trixie behind to gather herself as he continued on.

The way she was, everything would fall apart, and so she needed time to recover. She had the power to defeat Tirek at this point, but Thanos was still a pressing issue.

Behind him, Trixie brought an arm over her eyes to wipe her tears away, her mind pulling in a million different ways as she began to feel sickened by herself. Even the feeling of the red cloak Kael had left on her did little to help her, though the warmth from it helped to some degree.

“Mother…please…forgive me.”

Loki had managed to defend against Thanos’s first strike by utilizing the same trick he used against Thor in both his fights against him. He had just enough energy to use the simple illusion trick to make Thanos think he was attacking him, only to then realize he was hitting nothing. This was by no means a sustainable solution to the battle, for Thanos would not grow tired while Loki could feel each of the series of illusions becoming weaker and less believable than the last.

It was with the fourth that Thanos instead purposefully attacked directly to the side of where Loki formed the illusion, and the empowered punch collided directly with Loki’s head. It disconnected from the rest of his body much like the time Algrim struck him, and once again it did not end Loki’s life. It made him regret he could not follow up his illusion with teleportation, but he was thankful for the gift Hela had given him. Had she not altered him with her dark magic, he would be joining her once again.

Thanos watched with interest as Loki’s body got back up after being knocked down, only to then go and grab the missing head. The King of Asgard reattached his head with some discomfort, some curses about having to do this again escaping his lips, all to the amusement of Thanos who had not seen something quite like this before.

“Impressive. It will not save you, much like your cowardly running will not, but an impressive feat nonetheless.”

During this time, the motionless body of Thor had begun to get up weakly. The God of Thunder was barely able to stand, but he was not going to stop fighting so long as he could muster the strength to fight.

Thanos noticed this movement just like Loki did, and before Loki could yell out for Thor to stay down Thanos had already moved to finish off the Asgardian. Thor caught a large, booted foot to the gut and his body grew slack as he fell to his knees and once again became limp on the floor.

Loki realized with seizing fear that Thor’s eyes were still open, though they were as lifeless as often witnessed on the battlefield, “Brother!”

He tried to move forward, anger gripping him as he watched Thanos let out a small laugh of sheer sadism, only to find that someone was gripping his shoulder all of a sudden. Loki looked beside him to find that Kael was there, face pensive as he observed the scene before him.

“Will me lending you magic assist you?”

Loki was glad to finally have someone to borrow from, having wanted to take some of Trixie’s rather than Luna’s since the latter might need every ounce to fight back at Canterlot while the former had an abundance, “Yes, it will. How is Trixie doing? Where is she?”

Kael frowned as he began to charge his magic, all the while feeding some of his power to Loki, “She needs…time.”

“I see,” Loki nodded, his voice hollow because of Thanos’s most recent kill although Loki still tried to not let it show in his face. He couldn’t afford to break down in the middle of a climactic battle, not now at least, “I have a way of killing him, but I have no guarantee that I can land the final strike. It can backfire horribly.”

Kael finished his spell he had been working on, light appearing above certain bodies in the nearby area, “I can see about distracting him, but first…”

In a flash of white light, Thor came to life as if he had never been harmed at all. By this time Thanos had begun to approach Kael, not attacking him outright because of an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach and having learned long ago that caution can serve one best when you knew little about your foe.

Elsewhere Stark also managed to get up to his feet, his armor reshaped to no longer be impaling him, while the defeated form of Banner also got up with seething rage.

The fact that these defeated foes rose to life made Thanos begin to realize why he was feeling so off about this particular foe, “How did you do that?”

As an infuriated and newly empowered Hulk and Thor assaulted Thanos, Kael brought his hands onto his hips, his red, masterfully crafted armor from Asgard shining as he stood without his cloak to veil it, “Thanos, have you by chance found the Life Gem yet?”

Thanos narrowed his eyes at Kael briefly before realizing a floating green orb above Kael’s head, which he realized instantly was the mentioned object. He had little more time to pay attention as the suddenly faster and stronger Hulk and Thor began their new assault, each of them not caring about the circumstances of this second chance at battle and instead focused on slaying the fiend before them.

The lack of response made Kael smirk, “No, of course not. It would be difficult for you to when I have it right here. I haven’t been using it yet to keep its power hidden, but I see no reason to restrain myself now.”

Kael looked to the shocked Loki beside him, who remembered when Kael received this particular green orb from Hela months prior, “I lied before. Hela did not grant me my Verdant Sphere, she granted me one of the gems needed to defeat a certain foe. From my private studies on the matter the Life Gem is quite similar to a Verdant Sphere in many ways, so I suppose she thought me a fitting recipient.”

That made two Infinity Gems versus two Infinity Gems and the Infinity Gauntlet…this losing battle just morphed into a contestable one, and Loki found himself grinning at the opportunity of using his finishing weapon on Thanos. All it would take was a moment where the large man’s attention was diverted completely, where he wouldn’t be able to dodge for just a second despite possessing great speed and reflexes.

Kael looked over Loki with some concern, noticing that the King’s neck was only barely connected to the head, “I can combat him on some level, but not forever or for long. I hope you have a plan of your own?”

Loki nodded, glad to have the help now, “I can finish him if given the opportunity. The problem is that he is too fast for me to be sure it will work. I can only try once though.”

“Make your shot count then. I will see about buying you and Trixie the opportunities you need.”

Kael, unlike Trixie, could not finish Thanos with powerful spells. His specialty lay not in directly damaging things, and while he could summon a powerful inferno an enemy who was on the way to becoming a god could survive the flames. The raw, unadulterated power Trixie could release could actually be lethal to Thanos, but she was not in any condition to battle him yet.

Even if he fell, Kael could simply pass his power along to Trixie, so he would stay and fight with it until he no longer could. By then, she would hopefully have recovered and have defeated Tirek.

And if not…

Well, he had died before. If it meant saving lives, he would do it again.

Author's Note

My side story to this fix "Nothing Lasts Forever" is finally updated and has a new chapter for you all! Please give it a look, and I hope you enjoy and that I can hear your thoughts on it after you leave your comments below!

I hope you all enjoyed, and I would love to actually hear from you in the comments this time!

It's a Long and Lonely Road

Know your place, Brother.

You're my son... I wanted only to protect you from the truth...

Loki, this is madness!

You can't kill an entire race!

...

I could have done it, Father! I could have done it! For you! For all of us!

…

No, Loki.

This was a place unfamiliar to even the well-traveled Æsir known for his trickery, lies and mischief. The god had fallen only to find himself in a woods he had not explored before. It was not one he had used to study away from prying, contemptuous eyes, and it was not one journeyed through on some quest his father had assigned he and his brother.

That thought made Loki, the fallen Æsir, to wince as if in pain.

Brother...Father...

In an attempt to shake off the pain associated with those things, Loki moved a hand to his head while he continued to lay uncomfortably stomach down on the ground. The contact on his head would not be what he expected, however. Instead of feeling five fingers massage his temple, he rather felt a rounded and fur covered object make contact with his face.

Surprised by this, the Æsir moved his hand to be in sight of his face.

The fact that it was not indeed a hand took a moment to register. The light green fur took another moment. After some quick thinking, Loki could fully tell that his hand was indeed a horse's hoof, and a quick check revealed the same of the other.

Once realized, Loki the trickster god cast a confused glare upon it. He had seen the same kind of appendage before, and he had even taken the form of a equine before, but his curiosity lay in why he was in such a form at that moment. He had been many animals before, but never had he awoken as one.

That thought too caused Loki some pause; the idea of waking up as something that isn't your true self reopened wounds that had not even stopped bleeding.

He decided to rise, an easy task for the shapeshifter, and look at his surroundings before going about resuming his preferred form of an Æsir, seeing that the woods were as dark as they were deep. Noises were scant and the dark night sky did little to alleviate the mood. Loki was confident in his ability to take care of himself, but even he knew there were beasts not to be confronted, and an unknown forest could contain any amount of said beings.

He had awoken in a small clearing in the area, but the broken branches around him revealed that he had suffered from inertia a bit. A single tree dotted the small clearing in the woods, and the tree itself revealed some minor damage from where a falling god had crashed through it and continued their plummet to the ground.

It took another moment for Loki to realize that the ground directly beneath him had once been a small pond. A now frozen pond, even though the rest of the forest appeared to be of a warmer season. This too caused Loki to wince, and he distanced the happenstance from his mind like the rest of the thoughts that wished to rush to the surface.

Loki took a step forward, not slipping in the slightest on the pond, instead finding that his body would then collapse in pain. It took the younger son of Odin a moment to rise again, his entire body feeling as if it had been hit with Mjolnir...only for him to then remember that it had, in fact, been slammed by one of the strongest weapons in existence.

His fall could not have been kind to his body either, he reasoned as he stood again. He worked his normal sorcery in an attempt to revert back to his Æsir self, a glow appearing above his head and informing him quietly that he was a unicorn of some sort, but after glowing briefly the horn stopped its magic and Loki remained an equine.

The exhaustion he felt because of this attempt at magic was immense, especially given his state of being, and all his bones ached. A feeling of weariness soon set upon him, and Loki's mind spurred him to stumble towards the nearby tree.

When he soon collapsed against it, the prince felt he could not rise right then. His body was too battered, his mind too addled, to care about anything else but sleep. As such it soon found him, for better or worse.

You could have told me what I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?

You're my son...I wanted only to protect you from the truth...

What, because I...I...I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?

No...No...

You know, it all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years, because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!

The memory was painful. Loki winced as he watched his beloved father collapse, his comatose state of being having been brought about by his own tireless work and his younger son's furious diatribe. Loki did not realize it, but he was weeping as it all played out, the tears streaming down his green furred face as he witnessed the moment when his life slipped away from its comfortable place.Around the two Æsir, or rather supposed Æsir, was nothing but darkness, a darkness Loki now found himself in.

He watched as he, in his most used form, called for guards to help. He remembered though the recentness of this event, of how much it pained him to learn of his true heritage. Of how much anger he felt towards his deceitful father, who he believed to have led him on for centuries upon centuries with the belief that Loki truly belonged.

The sound of hooves connecting with the ground brought Loki's attention to a newcomer behind him. As large as he was, and larger than his regular form, the other horse had dark violet fur that covered them and a mane of hair that was not unlike the night sky with its coloration and the stars visible within it. Upon their head lay a large horn, around which sat a blue tiara that had some slight matching apparel across the mare. Around her neck lay a thick blue necklace, and upon her feet lay four shoe-like structures Loki was confused by.

Since when did horses wear clothes?

The newcomer gave Loki a welcoming smile and folded her large wings into their place, having already landed, "Greetings denizen of Equestria. It is I, your Princess of the night. What troubles-?"

It took Loki all of a second to scoff, the scene playing out behind him quickly forgotten at the sight of this creature with the features of both a pegasus and a unicorn, with a laughable way of speaking to add to the pile of oddness, "Denizen of Equestria? What childish nonsense is this, a nation named after horses?"

This 'Luna' quickly changed her smile to a crease, her eyes widening a little and a brow lifted as she questioned the stallion she had come to assist through his nightmare, "Thou...do not know thy nation's name?"

The Asgardian prince let out a scoff, still incredulous that this horse was speaking to him and that it called itself a princess. After all, since when did equines have monarchies? "Why should I bother to know every little everchanging country of every single planet?" he let out a small snort before regaining his outward composure, even if his mind was still taking in the whole situation, "And since when did regular horses speak? You do not appear to be-"

Luna pointed a blue hoof at Loki, her eyes narrowed and face indignant with a tone to match, "We are no regular pony, thou disrespectful wench."

Loki could not help but smirk smugly at her ridiculous speaking pattern, "Pretty sure that word is not applicable to me, horse who butchers language," her response was a huff, but Loki cut her off with a facetious jab before a verbal reprimand could be spoken, "Oh, I'm sorry, I mean Princess Luna. That's your title, isn't it?"

The large blue horse scowled at the stallion she had intended to help, but now could only feel a bit angry at for their complete lack of respect, "Thy rudeness is not becoming of our land. Where dost thou come from?" she inspected the scene of two bipedal beings having an argument, one of which sounded just like the pony she was speaking to, and noticed that this was the dream he was having trouble with. A memory fueled dream, not unlike those she was plagued with herself.

"I suppose you believe that to be your business. Well isn't that nice," the green furred Loki snapped at her, catching Luna off guard because of the change from jovial disrespect to anger. After a moment of silence, Loki glanced behind him to see his father's fall play out again, and something clicked in his mind, "This is a dream, yes? Well, dream-walking horse, why don't you let me rest. I have no time for a pony that looks like it came from the powers of the Bifrost."

Luna's eyes lit up, her mind confused by his words, "You know Bifrost? How dost thou know a citizen if one does not know the land?"

His retort came out slowly and evenly, "An equine named Bifrost. You're kidding me. Who would name-" seeing the odd coloration of the horse in front of him and taking into account his own green fur, Loki sighed as something came to mind, "Let me guess. Rainbow colored mane or fur."

"His mane is the color of a rainbow, yes. His daughter as well. How did thou know?"

He could not believe it. How did these unknown horse creatures know of the Bifrost? If Thor hadn't destroyed it, they would no doubt have used it to grab him and bring him back home despite his fall by now, "Call it a hunch. Now, wilt thou let me rest or wilt thou pester me with thy broken language until I wake in the morning?"

Luna continued to scowl at the green furred pony with a body not unlike her own and her sister's, but she did so silently. She had no idea about how to confront a pony who was so stand-offish and rude, completely refusing to even let her offer her aide in working through his nightmares.

Loki, however, was fond of speaking if it came at someone else's expense, "Seriously, pick a century to speak from," he let out another laugh, amused by this whole situation "Who am I kidding, a horse speaking? Don't see that every day, so I have to give credit where it is due. Not to mention invading someone's dreams. Impressive, equine, impressive."

Luna rolled her eyes and turned around, spreading out her wings so she could take her leave, speaking as she took off, "I will leave thou to thy sleep, but know stranger that we will keep an eye on thy disrespectful self."

Loki noticed that once she reached a certain distance in the sky of his dream that the night blue mare disappeared completely, confirming to him his hypothesis that this was a dream when coupled with his father falling comatose over and over behind him while around him lay only darkness.

The scene played out until he awoke the next day, the lost prince having no respite from the moment he reviled most in his life.

When he awoke the next day it was not a peaceful wakening, but rather a forced one in reaction to a loud howl. Loki scrambled up upon his four legs, confused and still reeling from the night of torment he had just been through.

The forest remained as still as it had the night before, but this time it was not the silence associated with the night but rather an uneasy one. Loki looked around himself, the still frozen pond, and even up the tree to see what had made the howling noise. After half a minute of anxious looking, Loki let his guard down. No animals were in sight, only more wood and brush, and he doubted highly that there were invisible wolves in this strange land. The existence of talking horses did raise an interesting point though that this was no ordinary land...if his vivid dream was any indication.

Could they all dreamwalk? What was their society like? Would they all be as well-meaning as the verbally addled one that spoke with him? Loki had many a question in regards to the creatures, and fully intended to satiate this curiosity the moment he had the chance. To do that, however, he first had to leave these woods and find actual civilization, if he could call animal tribes with the capability of speech that.

He was knocked off of his feet before he could even tell there was an assailant, and Loki soon found himself crashing into the tree he had rested under the night before. After the initial mental realization hit that something was assaulting him, Loki looked to see what it was.

In front of the pony prince was none other than a wolf with a body comprised of wood and branches, currently leaping at him with vicious teeth wide open. Loki reacted by instinct, activating the magical powers that had made him an outcast in Asgard. The wolf did catch its teeth on him, but it soon crashed through his doppelganger and right into the tree.

Having maneuvered himself to be behind the now dazed beast, Loki called upon one of his simpler spells and sent hastily summoned daggers right into the wooden construct. The knives sliced the wood and the wolf fell apart, crumbling as the knives embedded themselves in the tree.

Loki smirked to himself, pleased that even in a body he was not fully accustomed to that he could still draw upon his latent magical abilities. A hoof to the head confirmed that he was indeed a unicorn, and a pain in his side revealed to him that he had green wings as well in this body. The sound of leaves rustling stopped him from further examining himself, and this attentiveness paid off by how he cast another set of knives right in the direction of a leaping second wolf.

This wolf shred too, the pieces from it all crashing into him and the once animated creature falling to the ground. That was not the end though, as Loki could see two other wolves in the area, both circling and watching him carefully. They were using the trees as camouflage he realized, the reason the first two had been so hard to catch in their acts. The small clearing was the only gift the former frost giant had in the situation, for the wolves circling him would have to leave their cover to come assault him.

A sharp pain in his lower leg made Loki howl in pain, quickly glancing down to see what had assaulted him this time. To his surprise the twigs and sticks had comprised one of the 'slain' wolves had rearranged themselves to form the creature once more, and it contained the same instinct as the original: to kill its prey.

A buck of the leg shattered the wolf again, but Loki realized that the other one was reforming too. Whatever sorcery this was, he did not know, but he knew he must put distance between himself and the creatures before they caused him further harm.

His attention diverted from them, the two other wolves decided to rush forth and seize the opportunity to assault the large pony. Loki managed to react and cut down one with a summoned blade, but the other soon bore its fangs into his back. The prince yelled in pain as he dashed forward and tossed his body about, attempting to dislodge the creature. Made up of wood, the wolf was not able to hold on all that well and soon found itself tossed from its prey.

Loki seethed at the creature as it landed semi-gracefully, and in a fit of rage he shot forth a chilling gust. The wolf pounced forward as he did this, but its back legs froze to the ground before it could leap fully and the rest froze soon thereafter.

Realizing his natural affinity for such magic could prevent a wolf from reforming, given that it would be encased in ice, Loki let out another burst of ice magic: this time to the entire surrounding area. A wolf that had rebuilt itself and dashed at him found itself encased in ice and being blown back by the harsh wind and cold as it blasted from the large green pony. The currently broken wolves remained in their broken piles, albeit frozen over in their places, and there they would lay until the warmth of summer would free them from their absolute zero prison.

The situation calmed, Loki let out a breath. He was grateful for having learned of his ice abilities, even if he detested his reason for having them. They were powerful, and could directly confront enemies in ways his trickery related spells could not.

He still would never use them if he could so help it.

Bleeding from his back and his leg, Loki limped on into the forest. He knew now that this was no place to let your guard down, even for a moment.

The thought brought back memories of old journeys and adventures with companions he now thought to be traitors. He doubted he would find any creatures from those journeys however in this place, and especially not the dragons, manticores and hydras that had proven profusely difficult to slay.

Silence met the exhausted Loki in his dreams the following night. Within his mind there was naught but him, a blank void for him to suffer in. Alone.

That is, until he once again gains a visitor to his dreams. Luna had come out of concern, knowing that once more the newcomer in Asgard who dreamed of bipedal creatures faced a troublesome night. Not every night would afflict him the same, not every dream was the same, and Luna had experienced just about every kind of nightmare there was.

There was a pause before either of them spoke, Luna standing behind the standoffish stallion as he stared off into the void his mind had made. There was not a sound until the prince broke the silence, his voice cold and fraught with arrogance.

"Before you irk me a second night, I would like to know if all your compatriots speak in language as bastardized as your own. What malady are you faced with to speak so oddly, changing pretenses and manners of speaking?"

Luna was curious about the newcomer to her land. What was going on in the head of the very rude stallion who was plagued by chronic nightmares? She would bare some verbal ridicule if it would answer her questions, and so she decided to answer his crude question truthfully.

Luna cast her gaze down, not that he could see, and spoke in a voice quiet enough to be slight but loud enough to be heard, "We...were out of touch with any company for quite some time. Our citizens changed their form of speaking, even creating new words, and we are doing our best to adapt to their own manners. It takes much effort."

Loki turned to the 'night princess' with a large smirk on his face, his blue eyes looking the alicorn over and studying her sheepish behavior, "I can imagine, going from Shakespeare to modern 'slang'. Tell me talking horse, what new words have you been made to learn?"

The dark colored pony let out an indignant huff, but with a desire to understand and help this lost pony she decided to bite her tongue. Mostly.

"Thou art quite odd in thy moods, but we will tell thee. We have learned the meaning of 'fun' in recent times, and I have also learned to enjoy the activities associated with it."

Waiting a beat, Loki blinked before saying rather than asking flatly, "You didn't know what fun was."

Luna narrowed her eyes at the green pony, who now turned fully to her and laughed in a most sinister manner. With a snicker, the green stallion added, "I must admit that is quite pathetic."

Her response was quick, not to mention curt. Patience may be a virtue, but the princess of Equestria's night did not believe handling an ill-mannered stallion would be a good idea when he obviously wanted to be left alone. As such, her tone became barbed as she decided to use his own terminology against him, "Goodnight, talking green horse."

As she left once again, Loki stood there in his dark void of a dreamworld, silence falling upon him like in the forest before. He was left alone, and in the darkness of his mind he was left to ponder what it meant to be a traitor, a 'monster', and a fool.

Only, no-one was there to give him the answers that might save him from his internal despair.

Author's Note

A/N: Odd concept, I know, given how different the series are...but I think it has something to it. Luna and Loki have such similar stories it is almost awe-inspiring, and I think there is the possibility that they could become each-others' confidants as a result. But Loki is a difficult bloke, and such a thing would no doubt take some time. That's why they are not BFF's...not yet. There will be more to come for these two, and I hope you've enjoyed this so far.

For those curious about Luna's butchered speech, it was completely deliberate. As this takes place after "Luna Eclipsed", she is on her way to speaking normally...but such a thing is not instant, particularly for a person who is likely secluded and away from other ponies most of the time. Having had a Chinese roommate for three years, I saw firsthand how someone learns language and it is a gradual process that can be helped greatly by interacting with others.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed doing so. If you're interested in more stories related to these two I am very open to writing them, all I ask is that you let me know what you think. Thanks again!

I Only Wish You Weren't My Friend

“Good morning, sister. I see your guest is up.”

Luna had decided to get something to eat before taking to sleeping again, not having a defined time to sleep now that she spent both days and nights in irregular intervals visiting her friend. Loki had tagged along, which she thought nothing of until he animated the food a servant was bringing them.

She would be going to bed hungry.

Now she found herself blushing as they left the dining hall, where Celestia happened to be walking on her way to the throne room. Luna hid her embarrassed blush at the sight of her sister, that split second letting Loki be the first to respond.

His tone was facetious as he bowed once again to Celestia, who did not appear at all to notice his mockery, “Greetings once again your highness. I only wish my visit could be under better circumstances.”

Celestia nodded to him and glanced him once over, attempting to find any noticeable wounds before realizing that by what her sister told her of the events there would be none, “I am only glad Luna found you and was able to bring you here. Please stay and rest until you are feeling better, for I would not feel like a good host if I were to see you off in such a state.”

Loki replied smug, “I am most grateful,” his smirk grew as his eyes caught an irregularity on Celestia’s form.

Not wanting to interrupt Luna’s time with her love interest and also having things to do, Celestia once again bowed out of their conversation, “Excuse me, but I must attend to my duties. I welcome you to join me for tea after I finish working, Loki. A chance to get to know you.”

Luna smiled at the idea. Her sister was too dull for Loki to be any threat, and them getting to know one another would help establish a better relationship with Loki. After all, not everypony could claim to get along with one’s in-laws.

Loki bowed again, his lowered form hiding his giant smug face, “I would be delighted, provided the tea is not subpar.”

Celestia chuckled and shook her head as she turned to leave, “No need to worry about that. Farewell, Loki.”

Luna turned to Loki with a smile, glad about how things were turning out. She could not ask for a better-

“During our last encounter I could have sworn there was a sun there,” Loki stated in a hushed voice as Celestia got out of whispering earshot, his gaze cast upon her flank. More specifically, the Cutie Mark upon it.

Luna did not care for anything past that first part about the flank.

“May I ask just why you were looking at her hindquarters?” Luna whispered back, only in an aggravated tone. She knew he liked to poke fun about her jealousy, but that did not mean she had to like it.

Loki rolled his eyes as he jabbed a hoof in Celestia’s direction, “I apologize for having noticed a different tattoo on her. But seriously, one hundred percent Discord approved? I thought he was turned to stone. Who would have put that there but him?”

Luna blinked, confused about what he meant concerning Discord, “Wait, what?”

On Celestia’s side was not a glowing sun, but rather a circle akin to a stamp of approval. And on it was text saying ‘100% Discord Approved” around an image of the chimera himself, all to Loki’s confusion and amusement.

Luna, however, was not confused. Just highly amused.

“That is hilarious! We will have to commend him when we next see him, even if he is an aggravating jackass! However did he manage to slip that by her?” Luna cackled as she pointed a hoof at Celestia as well, the other princess not noticing in the slightest as she continued to leave and read a document.

Loki was glad that he was out of the frying pan now that Luna was amused as well, “I do wonder how long it will take her to notice?” he stopped his own laughter to clear his throat and turn his glance to his companion, “And I am serious, was Discord not turned to stone? The librarian was very copious in her storytelling details.”

Luna shrugged, realizing that while Loki had a certain knowledge of their history he did not seemingly know much of current events, “He has been freed and redeemed supposedly, but only time will tell.”

So, the mischievous being was free? That made Loki very, very interested.

“I have a feeling I would like meeting this Discord.”

Not having thought of that before, Luna’s eyes widened as much as they could physically. Every alarm in her mind was screaming ‘NO’. To have a god of chaos and a powerful magical trickster both conspire together would mean the end of everything logical and normal in life.

Luna tried to laugh, but it came out as a nervous chuckle, “I will do my best to never leave you two in the same room. I know not what havoc will result.”

Loki held a hoof to where his heart was, his voice containing false hurt, “You wound me. Why I-”

Her hoof shoving him stopped his snark, but Loki quickly caught on to something else in the immediate area: ponies with various tools and ribbons and things all going about their business in the hallway, “What are all of the ponies here doing? Is some event to be occurring soon?”

Luna’s recovering good mood quickly was shot in the head at the mention of the ponies all around them. She had had Celestia claim Loki to be a foreign diplomat to the castle to not cause a panic at the newfound Alicorn, but they would be seeing a new Alicorn soon enough anyways.

Luna snorted and felt her head sink, “Why yes, although you must be silent on the matter. Nopony knows about the huge news yet. We are to have a royal celebration to honor our newest princess in the next few weeks and we are beginning preparations.”

Loki started walking towards the residence halls of the castle he was actually coming to grow accustomed to with its nice architecture and willing servants. As he walked, Luna beside him, he questioned what he was just told, “Newest princess?”

The current princess nodded and spoke in a whisper, a small amount of smugness trickling into her tone, “Her name is Twilight Sparkle, I believe you may have heard of her.”

Now Loki was the one with wide eyes as he tried wrapping his mind around what he was just told, “She is to become a princess.”

“Yes. We were just as keen on the idea.”

Loki scrunched his brow. This made no sense. A semi-anti-social young adult mare whose biggest job title ever had been librarian did not have the qualifications required to run a nation. And what would she do? Rule over the half a second in-between the shifts of the two reigning gods as befitting her name of Twilight?

“She does not even have the wings to pull off the part,” Loki snarked, quite perturbed by this development. Who in their right mind would want this for the nation? That white mare with a chimera on her ass?

Luna shrugged, knowing that Cadance had received her unicorn horn from her sister, “I would not be so sure. Celestia might just pull some strings for her personal student.”

“You do not seem all too supportive of this,” he rightfully noted.

Luna hung her head and groaned, feeling a bit bad about what she was saying and its selfish connotations, “There was a time I thought Equestria only needed one princess, and now we will have four,” the only thing that outweighed her guilt was her feeling that she was right, “Twilight is a good friend, but I do not believe she is ready for this responsibility.”

Loki nodded in agreeance to that, his mind racing to remember more details about the princesses of the land, “At least there is a purpose for that other princess...Cadance was it? Whatever her name is, at least she is contributing something to your society by lording over that Crystal Empire I have been informed of. But what will this mare possibly contribute?”

“I know not. She has been groomed for this purpose her entire life by our sister, so I would not be surprised that this may have been a plan Celestia had in case she could not redeem me and gain my aid in ruling again.”

Loki laughed as he thought to how much Celestia aggravated his companion just like Thor did him, “Family. You can not live with them, and you can not kill them,” he amended what he said, given both of their histories, “Easily, at least.”

Luna pushed him with a hoof playfully again, laughing at his words, “Oh, you are terrible,” after a moment she added something as well, “We only directly tried killing her once.”

“Directly?” that specification caught Loki’s interest, his brow raising as he spoke.

She leant towards him and spoke in a hushed voice, “A long story I would rather not tell in a hallway with so many prying ears,” reverting to her regular walking position, Luna chuckled heartily, “And besides, I have made my peace with Celestia. I envy her status and adoration, but I have come to realize I do not need everypony to love me. Just those that matter to me.”

A yawn threatened to sneak past Loki’s lips, bringing the god of mischief to the realization that he best sleep while he could, “I think I need to rest a bit more. You had best go tell your sister about her unfortunate marking before a scandal arises.”

Luna smiled at him as she turned around, intent on heading to where Celestia went, “Okay, Loki. We will come by and see you later,” she glanced at a guard and beckoned them, “You, bring him to a guest room and assist him in whatever he needs.”

Loki let the yawn overtake him as his horn glowed and a content smirk found its way on him.

Seeing as it was still early morning, Celestia was drinking tea to wake herself after a tiring night when Luna trotted into the throne room. Celestia looked past the scroll she was looking at to look her sister in the eye.

Celestia nodded to the spot before her where a tea kettle rest, “Care to join me, Luna?”

Laughter was the answer given as Luna fell down on the red carpet in the room and started banging a hoof on the ground as she continued to howl in laughter. Celestia looked on at this in a confused way, thinking for a moment that Discord had taken her sister’s form before Luna wiped a tear from her own face and took in a deep breath, finally speaking.

“Okay, I think I have had my fun. Tia, mind looking at your flank?”

More confused now, Celestia did as her sister suggested.

Turning back to Luna, the elder sister let out a breath and shook her head as she realized why Luna had been laughing.

“Discord will be summarily...dealt with,” Celestia stated through a groan. She honestly should have seen it coming, she was convinced, after he had been on good behavior the entire night before.

Luna approached Celestia and conjured up a cup to pour some of the tea into, snickering on the way, “How have you not noticed?”

Celestia quietly drank her tea and closed her eyes as she pictured how she could make Discord pay for this grievance, “I tend not to stare at my flank all day.”

She took another sip before snapping her eyes open and looking to the guards in the room.

“But, seriously, nopony was going to tell me?” her eyes focused on the guard furthest from her, an orange coated and blue maned stallion, “You. What is your name?

“Fl-”

“I hear the Crystal Empire is cold this time of year. Care to be relocated?” Celestia threatened jokingly with a large smile.

“No ma’am!” the guard quivered in place, as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

Celestia hovered the tea kettle over to where the guard stood at attention, her smile not leaving her face, “Then be a dear and fetch us some more tea, would you?”

“Yes ma’am!” the guard yelled as he took the tea kettle and charged out of the room and towards the kitchens.

Turning her attention back to her sister, Celestia noticed something that made her wish to chuckle as her sister had been, “Where is Loki?”

Luna rose a brow at her sibling’s change from an amused to a smug grin, “Asleep in a spare guest room. Why do you ask?”

The elder shrugged, taking another long sip of tea, “Just curious. If he is sleeping, I may just not mention your own cutie mark.”

Luna’s eyes shot open and down at the mention of her own cutie mark, “What?”

Surely enough it was missing, and in its place was a new symbol. It was the same thing as Discord’s, but instead of Discord’s picture and name there was Loki in his pony form.

Luna was very glad that her fur covered her blush at the sight of this.

She spoke in a soft voice, not exactly sure how angry she was, “Discord is a bad influence on him. We will teach them the error of their ways later,” drinking a sip of her drink, Luna tried to calm herself, “For now, I will have tea with you.”

Celestia smirked, “Then we show them their place.”

…

“Luna, it is not a badge of honor. I recommend changing yours back.”

Loki’s door slamming open made the prince of Asgard jump up out of his bed, fear wracking through his mind as somepony entered the room.

“I am not long for this world I realize,” Loki stated to the blue form of Luna, who he was sure would have noticed his little prank by now.

The sight of a positively amused and laughing Luna calmed those fears and also added a piece of confusion to the mix.

“I am pleased that you find our rear end so praise-able, but I would prefer you not do such...public actions in the future. I mean, after all Loki, do things like that and somepony might get the idea that you fancy me.”

Loki let out the breath he had been holding, realizing that Luna was not about to react badly to his prank. She had enjoyed it, for whatever that was worth, “It was just a little fun. Changing one’s appearance for the sake of a prank goes back ages. When I was a child I changed the color of a girl’s hair with dye, so it is something of a stock prank.”

Luna crossed the room and leapt up onto the bed Loki was standing on top of, leaning in towards his face smugly, “You know, I ought to punish you for the embarrassment.”

The proximity made Loki retreat the slightest bit and take a breathe in, his mind reeling for something witty to say. After a moment he came up with something that might deter whatever was on Luna’s mind, “How is your sister punishing her own offender?”

“Likely bondage. She must show him his place.”

Her straight face as she said it made Loki’s pale. Did she know what she just said?

“I take it that her offer of tea requires a rain check then?” another attempt at starting a witty banter.

“Why?”

It went over her head. Luna was confused as to why Loki would not be able to attend his tea meeting with Celestia. Was he not feeling up to it now that she said that Celestia might have Discord turned to stone for a brief period of time?

Loki balked at her ignorance, “Never mind. May I be left to my sleep? I am afraid I have much to catch up on.”

“Of course. But know that I will punish you when I can think of a proper punishment,” Luna pointed her tongue out at him and giggled. The gears in her mind were turning about how to best pay him back.

His eyes rolled as he sat down on the bed, “Fine, whatever gets you through the day.”

Luna leapt off the bed and beamed at him, “Have a good rest, Loki.”

“Goodbye, talking horse,” Loki called to her as she left, laying back down on the bed that had been set aside for him.

He was the one glad that fur covered a blush quite well. He had been sure he was about to be kissed on the lips by the mare whom he spent so much time with.

Loki shook his head and lowered himself fully on the bed as he felt his heart racing. He could not allow for that.

After the rest his body so desperately craved, Loki found himself wandering throughout the castle. He did not care at this point if some random pony was caught off guard by his horn and wings being a set, so he went uninterrupted on his way to the throne room.

Well, uninterrupted if he were to not include a run-in with that despicable unicorn from his previous visit. Loki was unsure if the dolt would be able to get himself out of the rolled up carpet, but he did not particularly care.

A glance around the grand room where Celestia lorded over Equestria actually made Loki envy how well made it was. Asgard had nowhere near as rich colors, although he had to admit that maybe the multitude of them was a bit much.

One thing in the middle of the room felt like a blight to Loki, who thought that the royal sisters ruled together, “Interesting room. Only one throne though, unlike the castle you used to have.”

On top of said throne was Celestia, who only then noticed that she had another visitor, “Oh, hello Loki. Come to take me up on my offer of tea?”

He returned the smile she was giving him as he approached the throne, “If it is still open, then yes I am.”

“Thank you for stopping by then,” her smile faded into a flat face, “Now, I was hoping to get to know more about you. Luna talks much of you, but withholds details quite often. She said, and I will quote, that ‘You should ask him yourself’.”

“So here we are. I must admit I have some questions of my own, but as your guest I will relent to yours first.”

Celestia nodded, “I appreciate that. Now, I know you are no pony, so what are you?”

Loki sat in the place before the throne quite uncomfortably and thought about how he wanted to spin this, “I am also not a Changeling, if you are worried about that. No, I am an Æsir who happens to have magical abilities. The culture I grew up within tends to emphasize physical combat above all other skills, but I daresay I have managed to accrue some magical talent in my centuries of existence.”

The nodding continued, although her brow furrowed, “If you are of another race, why take our form?”

Loki yawned and shrugged both as he conjured up a cup to drink the tea Celestia had nearby her, “I am afraid that when I first appeared here that I was already in an equine form for some particular reason. I have shapeshifted before, horses included, so the change has not been too great for me to survive that dreadful forest you keep nearby. Mind telling me why I have fended off Hydras and other beasts?”

The ruler of the land sighed and closed her eyes, “The forest has been growing more and more corrupted for some unexplained reason ever since the Elements of Harmony were taken from the Tree of Harmony within it. I am afraid the matter still needs to be looked into.”

“They are not too much for me to handle. Nuisances,” Loki was partly telling the truth. He could easily handle the monsters...with his natural powers. His tricks were very effective against the beasts, but it was quite hard to slay a monster by tricking it into attacking an illusion.

“If you have the power to shapeshift, like my sister, why do you remain like this then?”

“Well, I am afraid that if I look like this,” Loki shifted to his normal form and then back in two flashes, “Someone may react quite badly. I do not want anyone to panic at the sight of some new creature, as I have heard your citizens are prone to doing even at a Zebra.”

Celestia agreed sadly to that, “My subjects are sheltered in that regard, I will admit,” The brief look at how Loki truly looked made memories rise in Celestia’s head, “And that form reminds me much of a human’s form. Only they do not live lives as long as you claim to have.”

Loki felt himself completely floored. Celestia knew of Midgard? How could she possibly know of the human’s realm?

“Midgard, a realm mine protects. You know of it?”

Celestia chuckled, realizing that she had surprised the castle’s visitor, “I believe they call it Earth, and yes I do. A portal I discovered long ago and brought to this castle can bring one to this Midgard. It remains unused, as I would not like to bridge my nation with those found there. They subjugate their equines, and from what I witnessed they were prone to warfare of a grand scale.”

Warfare on Midgard was nothing new to Loki, but maybe he could make sense of what she had seen, “Do you remember the year you visited? Their year, not your own.”

Celestia’s head hung as long-forgotten memories crossed her mind, “It must have been somewhere in their 1700’s. Brutal wars over resources and land made the people I encountered quite savage.”

Given the time gap between then and now, Loki decided he pass along the good news, “Things have improved to some degree, but war and conflict is still rampant there. My own realm, Asgard, is suppose to protect them from these things yet they inflict them upon themselves.”

She was partially pleased to hear her suspicions about the other realm were correct, as her little ponies would not have to handle the issues of this faraway place, “An interesting thing happened when I transported there. I was turned into a form not unlike your own, true one. Only I had my access to my magical abilities cut off. I could no longer raise and lower the sun, and without a horn not even telekinesis was possible.”

Loki smirked at the revelation that this issue went both ways, “It is different channeling magic with and without a horn, Luna has taught me.”

Celestia decided to return to her questioning, “Now, if I may ask, what are you doing here? Is this a trip, exile or some odd coincidence?”

Loki thought for a moment about how he could say this without revealing too much, “I fell through a rift in space for quite some time. The memories of what I saw then were blurry and faded when I landed here finally, as if they never happened, but I have begun to recall them as I have recovered under Luna’s care.”

Celestia’s silence pressured him to go on, but Loki decided he best drink some of her tea lest his throat go hoarse, “I fell from grace back home during a family fight and do not care to return just yet. Before I would not even know how to return, but now the portal you mentioned is a possibility should I wish to return home. It would not be hard to get from Midgard to Asgard.”

Her curiosity almost satiated, Celestia decided to go and finish the trivia round with her most serious set, “I will ask you one last thing before I turn the questioning over to you. What do you intend to do during your stay here? What are your intentions, both those regarding Equestria and those regarding Luna?”

Loki took a breath in slowly and let it out just as slowly. She would go for the hard ones, wouldn’t she?

“I hold no ill will of your nation and would do anything in my power to keep it separate from the realms I know of. So you should not fear me, even if my magical ability puts you on edge,” “As for your sister, she is a companion I have grown to be fond of. It is rare to find one who has shared many of your life experiences and your outlook, and I will admit I will miss her when I inevitably leave this place.”

That response seemed to be to her liking, and Celestia smiled at her guest.

“Very well then. Ask what you will of me, to make this fair.”

That blank check of a statement was too much for Loki to resist.

“How was it having Discord on your rear for a day?”

She only rolled her eyes, to which Loki kept talking, “I apologize, but I found the idea to be quite inspired.”

Celestia smiled down at Loki as innocently as she could, “Have you checked your own?”

Had he what? Loki looked down and behind to find that his behind had a picture of Luna hugging him tightly with the text ‘Property of Luna’ beneath.

Loki now knew why the damnable Blueblood had been laughing at him for some odd reason. It also explained why he had called Luna a harlot who had no standards. Loki was really surprised with himself that he hadn’t done more to him.

“I dare say that this means war,” Loki stated to himself with a sigh, knowing Luna had found a way to get him back like she had promised.

Celestia was having a small fit of laughter on her throne to Loki’s chagrin, causing him to pull out his hidden ammunition.

“Oh you wish you had one of these with you and Discord on it, don’t you?” Celestia gasped as Loki went on, “Really unfortunate to have feelings for an enemy of the state, is it not? Yes, I found your diary in the castle ruins. Surprised you left it to be honest.”

Celestia glaring at him made Loki feel satisfied. His snooping around in the ancient castle had paid off it seems, and he had been waiting to use that stored information at some point. He still had to get around to reading all those tomes in the library there, as he was quite fond of reading, but they could wait. They were not going anywhere.

Loki cleared his throat, “Anyways, I have an actually serious question for you. After you fought your sister those many years ago, what were your thoughts? Did you miss her? Did you grieve?”

Celestia was glad that the subject had moved from her love life, even if the new subject was a sad one. Despite her relief the white princess felt a tear threaten her eye, “My mother and I did, yes. It was hard to be hailed as a heroine by our subjects for banishing our own sister.”

She caught herself losing eye contact with Loki and quickly looked back up, her eyes sharp and confident, “That day made me realize just how much I had neglected her throughout the ages, how much my arrogance had led me to overshadow her more modest self. It took much effort, but I have done my absolute best to change from the pony I once was.”

That felt about right to Loki, who had no knowledge of how his family back home was doing. Did they mourn him? Did they grieve for the fallen prince?

“How did your mother fare?” Loki questioned, his thoughts stuck on his kind mother who even after his madness set in was there for him and who supported him.

Celestia cast her gaze aside, glad that she had dismissed her guards earlier so they could not listen in on all of this, “She was distraught over how the subjects she had served so long quickly turned on and vilified Luna, to the point where they began retelling history by excluding or changing what Luna had done. I had defeated Discord alone and banished her after she massacred an entire town of innocents if their stories are to believed.”

She took a breath in before choking out, “Mother...left us from the stress only a half century after the events around Nightmare Moon.”

That made both of them go silent, yet it was Loki’s silence that worried Celestia rather than the other way around.

“Do you worry for your mother?” she questioned as her eyes turned back, the Alicorn sensing that there was a reason for his questioning.

“She was always there to care for me, even when my brother was thrust into the spotlight by our people,” Loki paused as he thought about how his brother and father had wronged him, yet his mother never had, “If anything were to happen to her I know not of what I would do.”

Celestia gave a sad smile to him through the emotional situation, “I am beginning to see why Luna sees you as a confidant.”

Sensing that he best end things there and having something come to his mind, Loki stood up to leave, “Well, I think I best be leaving. I would not want to distract you from your duties.”

Celestia nodded to him and continued to smile, “Thank you for your consideration. It has been a pleasure getting to know you better. I apologize if I was a bit upfront, but I do have my duty to Equestria.”

Loki scoffed at her, “Do not worry, I am used to handling the subtlety of warriors and ruffians.”

As Loki began to retreat from the room a thought cropped up.

“Before I leave, I have one quick question. I hear word of your student’s upcoming coronation and would like to give my congratulations given that I have met her before. When can I expect the festivities to be?”

Celestia was caught off guard by his question, but in a pleased way. Loki seemed to be a good pony in her book, “In three weeks time. I am sure Luna would appreciate the company during the event.”

“Thank you, and I wish you the best of luck with the coming weeks.”

A/N: For those who liked the flank thing, you have this to thank: Flank Comic link

And Sometimes I Think That I'm Not Any Good At All

A/N: Special thanks to ArcaneVisions, Invisible Blade, Mutie Genic, leo0074, hs0003, jjking, King Sombrony, New Spark, Cadmium, Ketvirtas, D48, Killabyte, and MoonSparkle The Vampony for your comments last chapter! Your support means everything to me, and I do so enjoy hearing from you all! It seriously makes my day when I get a comment from you guys, and I could use a few of those given my past week...

Chapter title brought to you by by the great Reliant K's "More Than Useless"

I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please let me know what you thought in the comments below!

It was one night two full weeks later when Luna was interrupted one night by the Royal Guard. The nervous guardsmen had come to report how a pony appeared in a flash of light in the middle of Canterlot and was there to see her on some business regarding a place known as “Asgard”.

Luna made haste to confront the newcomer at once, only to be surprised that there were indeed two new ponies in Canterlot waiting for her. One was the large and stout Volstagg, ever recognizable because of his large ginger beard and girth, while the other had the blonde trimmed facial hair of Fandral, his slighter frame apparently unnoticed by whatever guard was surprised by the large Volstagg.

“Volstagg, are we wearing clothes?”

“No Fandral, no we are not. Not that you normally would at this hour.”

“I apologize, which of us has the brood of children-”

Their little squabble about their transformation halted as Luna embraced them both suddenly, having teleported after seeing where they were. The two masculine men quickly returned the hug joyfully, glad to reunite with their new companion who was recognizable due to her size and her blue hair.

Fandral laughed as the hug ended and they all pulled back, genuinely impressed by how massive Luna was in this form, “It seems Loki prefers thin and tall. How have you been, Princess?”

Luna grinned back at the smarmy man, “I am well. I take it that I will be able to visit Asgard at will now?”

“Of course! We could use a tough lady like yourself around. Maybe give Sif some friendly competition!” Volstagg chortled before falling backwards onto his flank, not knowing how to handle being on all fours.

Fandral, busy chuckling at his friend’s mistake, managed to fall onto his side. Not everyone was used to being in an equine form, Luna realized, and she was thankful she had some practice with Loki as an Asgardian before taking off to their realms. Things would have been much more difficult without knowing how to walk or keep upright.

After sorting out the details of her trip with the two boisterous men, Luna took off to the castle to make preparations for her leave. Canterlot could survive a few days without her now that it was on its feet, and Trixie had been taught the necessary paperwork procedures to make sure there would not be a pile waiting for Luna upon her return.

One thing that Luna made sure to do though was stop by the courtyard where Trixie would be practicing her magic. Not only was it about time her student eat something, but the Princess would be remiss if she did not inform her dear student of the turn of events.

“Trixie?” Luna called out as she approached the courtyard from its adjoining hallway.

The response took a moment, almost long enough for Luna to enter the courtyard, but Trixie did respond with a tired, “Yes, Princess Luna?”

As Luna arrived at the training ground she had a smile force itself on her face. Trixie had moved up in size on the rocks, and the exhausted look on her student’s face gave her all the proof she needed that Trixie was taking this seriously still even after the initial thrill wore off.

Luna placed down the customary plate of food she would bring at this time every day Trixie practiced, but Trixie’s caught sight of other things hovering by Luna’s side. Scrolls of paper to be precise, the moon’s light giving her all the student needed to recognize the objects.

Trixie sluggishly approached the food brought for her while her teacher spoke, “I will be gone for a few days, but when I return we will begin your more advanced training. Be ready and rested by then.”

Instantly inhaled was the roll of buttered bread. After swallowing and clearing her throat Trixie bowed her head to the princess, “Yes, of course.”

Luna placed the variety of scrolls down beside Trixie as she continued to eat. Noticing the bow given, Luna beckoned her to raise her head. She would leave the bowing to other ponies, “I have the details of my journey on this scroll, as well as supplementary scrolls concerning your training to make up for my absence. Read them all, as one of them is quite important for you to have with you at all times.”

Trixie nervously raised her head, still not used to even looking her princess in the eye after weeks of being with her, “Of course. Do you need anything specific for me to do, Princess?”

While hardly unbiased, Luna could only accept this kind of devotion as proof that she had chosen well, “Let my sister know of this trip when you come across her. I do not intend on waking her, and so I will leave after lowering the moon.”

Luna stepped forward and brought a hoof to Trixie’s face. Trixie’s face flushed red from embarrassment at the action, while Luna just kept smiling down at her.

“Good luck, my student. I expect great things from you,” Luna lowered her hoof and nodded to the now empty plate, “Remember to eat and keep your strength up.”

Trixie nodded silently. Nothing else needing be said or done, Luna turned and departed. She had a rebellious boyfriend to tend to.

With her back turned Luna missed the tears being shed by her very appreciative student. While not exploding with praise, Luna was still there to support Trixie.

After all, the bread was delicious.

Loki had no intention of going to sleep the night of the Bifrost’s completion. A feast would be held in the following days to celebrate the occasion, but he was not looking forward to being hailed for his work. He was expecting someone.

“Miss me?”

He yawned from the chair stationed by his now sealed off balcony. If he could not appreciate the outside air, he could at least appreciate the view it lent.

“To some degree,” he tiredly called to the woman who suddenly embraced him from behind, pulling his head to her shoulder and chest. Luna had had to bend over to do so, and her head hung beside his as she whispered to him.

“You do want this to continue…right?” she questioned. A part of her had been afraid for some time that the foreign prince might lose interest in their little relationship now that he was not tied to her world. Not tied to her.

Loki closed his eyes. It was a simple question, one that deserved a simple answer. Not that he truly had one, ever doomed to a mind as chaotic as his morality and allegiances.

Still, only a small whisper came out.

“No.”

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but unbeknownst to her she had the opposite kind of tears grace her face as her student that night. Her voice choked as she tried to think of a way to respond to that, but no rational one came to mind. The Two letter word hurt too much.

Loki could tell, and had anticipated, that she would be hurt by the response. After all, she would not be a good lover if it did not on some level. Like her, however, he did not know how to continue the conversation, “Luna…”

“You feel guilty,” Luna finally managed to state, having cleared her throat and let the first set of tears drip from her eyes onto his garb.

His eyes opened to that last word. Yes, he did. He felt no guilt for letting down his father Odin. Of letting down Asgard, Midgard, or any other realm. He would not feel guilt towards what let him down first.

But the woman who was behind him? His mother who would stop by and try to make him more comfortable with books and food? Even the idiot brother who, even after everything, cared for him like the blood brothers he had always believed them to be? To these he could feel guilt. To these he did.

Having had all the time in the world to think to himself, Loki had grown only more miserable. He wanted to just blame everyone else around him for everything, but he could not. Doing such a thing would be easy if he was still wracked by madness, but Luna had taken him from that edge before.

He knew he was in the wrong, not the others were in the right. Everyone had guilt on their shoulders, and he could not misplace his own sins, however reactionary they had been in all of his life’s recent turmoils.

Not about to let things devolve into plain silence, Luna shifted her hug slightly before bringing her lips to Loki’s cheek, “How can I possibly blame you for what you have been through when I have been where you stand right now?”

Loki’s only response was to raise a hand to her face and cup it gently as she returned to just hanging over his shoulder. She made a good point. Few had walked the same path as he. What it felt like to live this life of disappointment, betrayal and of pain. The pariah’s path.

“Don’t forget that I too gave into darkness,” Luna sighed into him. She had paid a very long penance for her actions, and she would not allow Loki’s lighter sentence get to him, “I would be lying if I claimed it to be truly gone either, my transformation notwithstanding.”

Loki frowned and shook his head, “There is potential in you for good…”

Luna gripped her lover tightly before giving a gentle squeeze, as well as a peck on the cheek, “Listen, Loki. I have waited my entire life for someone who understands me. As mad as I can get at the stupid things you’ve done, it’s because of those mistakes that I love you in the first place. We’re both flawed, and we both need to work on ourselves a bit.”

Luna let go and moved around the chair so that she could instead sit on top of his lap. Now facing him, Luna could see that he was forcing his eyes shut. Was he attempting to hold back tears or just avoid seeing the sight of his tormentor?

“I forgive you.”

Loki wanted to hate her as she pressed her lips to his own. He wanted to be angry at her for turning him into this miserable wreck who was actually ashamed for what he did in some regards. Combined with his own mother, and his brother, he felt more than he cared to.

Luna pulled back from the kiss after a moment of Loki refusing to cooperate. After she did so, he opened his mouth for another reason, “The scepter can only manipulate what is already there. That monster…”

The blue haired woman brought her hands to Loki’s cheeks and gripped his face in the most gentle, yet firm, manner she could, “Was the same Loki who I fell for in the first place. There’s quite a bit of darkness in your heart and mind, of that there is no doubt. But everyone has some. No-one and no-pony is free from that. There is the ability in all to do wrong.”

That got a snarky rise out of him, for Loki could not resist the chance to comment even while emotional, “Tell my hero-complex brother that.”

His comment only served to further Luna’s point as she seized the opportunity to bring up history, “Was he not capable of bringing your nation to war to sate his own bloodlust but a year or so ago? You attempted the same crime with an actually noble purpose.”

Loki had to admit he had not thought of that in that light. Still, it did not change how he was the one who would be recorded in history as the villain in that situation, as well intentioned as he had been, “Good intentions do not vindicate the crime.”

Luna’s fuse reached it’s end. The princess rolled her eyes before lowering her hands to her lover’s shoulders and shaking him softly, “Loki, keep moping and I am going to find a guest bedroom. I am done with this sad face you keep putting on. No more of it until there is a new reason for it.”

Loki opened his eyes and looked up at her. After a moment of silence he lifted his eyebrows and Luna found herself frowning. How dare he call her on her threat.

“I mean it,” Luna whined as she looked down at him, aqua eyes meeting green.

“Really?” Loki smirked. He was the expert liar, not her. Her face was beginning to crack.

A few moments and a sigh later, Luna folded in with a frown.

“I will admit I am bluffing.”

This time it was Loki who kissed her, and Luna felt relief wash over her as she realized he must have changed his earlier answer.

At least she did not have to force him to remain her lover. Because she would.

“Luna?”

Celestia craned her long neck around the now open room to Luna’s office, the last place Luna normally would be before sleeping. To her surprise however, Celestia found a much smaller blue mare than the one she expected atop Luna’s seat.

Trixie looked up to Celestia and quickly bowed herself in the overly large chair she was resting atop, “Princess Celestia. Your sister has left to go visit a place known as Asgard.”

The Princess of the Day rose a skeptical eyebrow, “Really? Does she not have work she could be doing?”

“Apparently it was of some great importance,” Trixie replied with a nervous smile. She did not want to get caught between squabbling royal sisters after all if she could help it.

Celestia rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh, “Of course it is.”

Trixie thought of something that could help support her claim about it being important, then remembered what one of Luna’s scrolls said, “She mentioned it was a health check up related to her transformation.”

That finally earned Celestia’s approval. It was not just a vacation to go sleep with her lover, although Celestia had no doubt that that would occur somewhere along the way as well, “Well I can hardly fault her for that, so long as she does not waste too much time there,” she turned to leave with a drawn out sigh, “Good day, Trixie. Have a good day’s sleep.”

“Thank you, Princess-” was all Trixie could reply before the slightly moody Celestia shut the door to the office. It was her words that brought the time of day to Trixie’s attention, and seeing the light of day peak into the office made her question why she was still awake.

Luna’s chair had a nice cushion on it after all, and it was a long way back to her own bed…

After waking the next afternoon, Luna found herself being escorted to the medical wing by Frigga. Loki only waved as his mother whisked Luna away, a smile on his face at the sight of Luna being so powerless.

For her part, Luna stuck her tongue out at him as she was led away.

Yes, she had come (in part) to do this check up of sorts that she had skipped out on before, but she had hoped to do other things first.

It did not take long for the two women to reach the medical center of the castle and Luna found herself instantly intrigued with the various structures inside. How did they all work? No sign of electricity or machines like there would be in Equestria after all, so what tan structures were just a part of the wall and which were an instrument? Luna supposed she would learn soon enough.

One of the various workers of the room happened to be nearby the entrance, their back turned as they read from a text.

“Hello,” Luna greeted cheerfully, hoping to get her attention.

The worker, a middle aged woman, did not look up from her text due to the lack of urgency in Luna’s voice. If it was anything immediate the requester would have a very different tone, “Is there something I may help you with?”

Frigga was not about to waste any time. She cleared her throat and gestured politely to Luna to actually get the woman’s attention, “This is Princess Luna of Equestria. While transporting between realms a dangerous being that had temporarily fused with her became a more permanent fixture. It has caused a shift in personality from what I have heard, and we would most like her mind to be returned to what it was. Would you mind looking her over?”

The woman’s attention had snapped up at the sound of Frigga’s voice, “Of course, my queen.”

The medical worker gestured towards a table that was quite large for a normally sized Asgardian to rest on, but that was for an Asgardian. Luna was not so sure that was the form she should be in while being medically examined.

Before sitting Luna inquired, “Should I resume my regular form?”

The doctor and the Queen both nodded to one another. Frigga smiled to Luna, anticipating the coming surprise of her doctor, “That would likely be best.”

In a dark flash Luna resumed her equine form in the middle of the medical room. The eyes of all workers there were drawn to her in surprise. First their attention was caught by the flash, but it was especially drawn and kept by the sight of the gigantic blue horse with an ethereal mane floating behind it.

Frigga smiled at her first true glimpse at Luna’s real body, quite impressed by her obsidian coat and even more impressed by her size and sense of regality. Towering over a regular horse in size, Frigga could see how Luna was royalty among those she came from.

The doctor did her best to not show her own shock at the sight of a giant horse being her new patient, “I am not sure we have a table that can fit you like that,” she cleared her throat as she looked around for a moment, “I will see what I can do.”

“Thank you,” both Luna and Frigga said to her as the doctor went off to look for a bigger table. Their shared expression made the elder woman chuckle as she looked over Luna again.

“You are quite massive.”

Luna was pleased that she was not the only one who enjoyed the size of her Nightmare Moon form, “I quite enjoy being larger than others.”

Before Frigga could respond, the doctor returned and brought the two royal women’s attention to another area of the medical wing where Luna could be treated. They both followed the doctor there, though Luna had a thought come up.

“What is your name?” the equine inquired, ignoring the mystified looks of the other doctors in the room.

The doctor gave a small bow as she introduced herself, “Eir, milady,”

Luna gave her a bright smile. She was sure she could use a good doctor in the coming years. Not everything could be healed through magic after all, and doctors had other purposes as well, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Eir.”

Eir may have been shocked by her being a horse, but she didn’t appear to care beyond the initial surprise. Luna would take every loyal and accepting Asgardian she could get.

After having a group of doctors observe her with their arcane technologies and magic, Luna was left sitting atop a very large table. Still there was Frigga, who had stayed with her reassuringly and Eir, who was finishing up the readings they got on Luna.

“Anything of particular note, Eir?” Luna asked with a smile.

Eir returned the smile while giving a shake of the head, “You appear completely healthy outside of the anomaly.”

“As for the ‘anomaly’?” Frigga piped in, quite concerned about what exactly was afflicting one of her family.

“It is a foreign power that is coursing throughout the lady’s body, something I am sure you were already aware of,” Eir turned to Luna with a small frown, “Given how it is bonded to you, extraction would be quite difficult.”

Frigga too grew a small frown, but the Queen was not about to let difficulty get the better of her, “I will look into what texts I have to learn of what I can on this matter.”

Luna brought a hoof out to touch Frigga’s hand while giving her a smile. It meant a good deal to the princess that she cared so much and was willing to help. Frigga was every bit the great mother Loki had described, “Thank you, Lady Frigga.”

Eir sensed that things were wrapping up now that they knew just how little they knew about this, “I would recommend checking in with us again in the future so that we can monitor it and see if there have been any changes.”

“I do not see why I would not,” Luna nodded, “Am I free to go?”

“Yes, milady.”

“Goodbye, Eir. Thank you for your help.”

“How did it go?”

Loki was where Luna expected, his bed, when she returned. Sure he was reading, but subtle it was not. She snickered to herself as she thought of how to answer his question.

“I would say it went well. They have begun their study on the being, and your mother will be assisting them in learning how to extract it. It may take awhile, but I’ll be my regular self before long.”

“It pleases me to hear-”

Luna teleported to the bed and on top of Loki, kneeling over his legs and leaning towards his face so that she could cover his mouth with a hand. Despite having his mouth covered, Loki could have bigger complaints and have worse situations.

“Can I confide something with you?” Luna asked with narrowed eyes.

He nodded, and so she removed her hand so that he could speak.

“Of course.”

Luna closed the door with telekinesis to make sure no-one else could hear what she said next, “I am not entirely sure I want to remove it.”

Loki frowned and narrowed his own eyes. He had a feeling why she did not want to, but it did not change the destructive side to this being, “Despite its drastic change to your regular behavior?”

Luna clenched a hand and looked down to it wistfully, “With it there are few as powerful as me,” she sighed as she opened it and let a few sparks of electricity flare from her palm, “I enjoy having an edge over Celestia.”

Having had his own mind toyed with for quite some time, Loki had enough with this whole distorted judgment and decision making issue. He would not let something distort her like something had him, “I would rather have my own mind and have power than forsake it for what can be gained in other ways.”

Luna lowered her head and let out a long but soft breath. She knew that he had a point, even if it meant subtracting from her own ego a bit.

“I suppose you are right.”

That issue settled, Loki brought a hand to her chin and lifted her face. Once their eyes met he smiled, “Anything else you want to discuss?”

He hoped the answer was no, but of course it would not be.

Luna nodded and laughed at his playfulness, “I have an apprentice now.”

That deflated Loki a bit, “Whatever for?”

“Is it so wrong for me to wish to pass along my knowledge?” Luna laughed as his disappointment showed, not in her having an apprentice but in not being done talking.

Loki sighed as he thought about what this meant. Luna had brought another into the fold. Another who she no doubt cares about or will come to care a great deal for. How much more hurt was Luna going to open herself up to? Had she not just learned but days ago that having too many companions and loved ones would lead to pain in the end?

“Bluntly, yes. You have not expressed prior interest in doing so to my knowledge.”

Luna shrugged, not caring about having everything planned out years ahead like Loki would have it, “I came up with the idea only but recently,” in an obvious attempt to curry favor she leaned forward to kiss him, “I need you to teach her some of your tricks. You see, I will be entering her in a serious competition I intend for her to win.”

“This is sounding more like a pet than a student.”

Luna could not believe how difficult he could be when he wanted to, “Will you help her or not?”

The prince ran a hand through her drifting blue hair all the while rolling his eyes sarcastically, “Fine, it’s not as if I have much else to do around here.”

“Thank you. She is quite the dedicated student, so you should have no worries about that.”

Loki groaned as he realized what he was agreeing to involve himself with, “What have you taught her thus far?”

“Very little. I am having her expand her magical strength and endurance so that she can learn more difficult spells without having issues,” Luna giggled as a thought came to mind about one of the scrolls she left Trixie to look over, “I also taught her a little something before I left about throwing your weight around. She is the student of a princess after all, and I will not have others distracting her from her tasks.”

“Understandable. What of her current skill and power level?” Loki had to know what he was working with before he could begin to expand on her talents. If Luna was serious about this apprentice, he would do everything he could to make sure they were strong enough to not get themselves killed.

Luna lowered herself onto Loki and embraced him through the green silk sheets. His being okay with teaching Trixie made her quite happy, “For a pony she is well above average and in fact was a seasoned magician before coming under my wing. Her strength is her ability to use spells effectively and intelligently, whereas her weakness is the relative lack of power she has behind her spells.”

Loki nodded, “So more like me than you. Weak but skilled.”

Luna brought a finger to his forehead playfully, “Precisely, although I am by no means unskilled.”

“And I am by no means weak, though compared to you I am no powerhouse,” Loki returned as he swatted her hand away.

“Is that why I am the dominant one?”

“Oh hush.”

It was nearing nighttime and Trixie was hard at work improving herself through Luna’s training regimen. It may be simple, but doing it over and over again all day was quite tiring and Trixie could feel herself straining at the end of every session. Sometimes even before, especially as a week dragged on.

If she did not take the weekends off she was sure she would collapse and just regress in her training, but luckily Luna understood the necessity of rest. Befitting of a Princess of the Night.

Trixie savored every moment of respite, and was taking to this nocturnal sleeping pattern quite well. It meant she did not have to deal with the majority of ponies, and she would not be surprised if many did not even know of her residence in the castle yet.

Still, for every moment of rest there was one of work, not that she was complaining. Being able to live in Canterlot’s castle under the tutelage of a princess was not at all something Trixie could complain about, especially with her recent history and near destitution. Having lived in poverty, Trixie appreciated every given thing that she was now graced with.

“And what do we have here?”

Speaking of being graced with, Trixie turned her attention to a new arrival at the courtyard. One she had heard everything she needed about in the papers that had also defamed her own name, semi-rightly.

Prince Blueblood himself had decided to stop by to see what the sounds from the courtyard were coming from.

Trixie flipped her hair and turned back to the boulder she was busy lifting. If even an ounce of what she had heard from tabloids and from Luna was true, this stallion was quite the bastard, “Begone, knave. Trixie has no time for you.”

“What are you even doing in our royal gardens, commoner?” Blueblood scoffed, ignoring her request for him to leave.

Trixie continued to not look at the idiot as she continued her work, a more impish part of her mind contemplating batting him with the boulder to remove him from the premises, “I am Princess Luna’s student now, or has the Great and Powerful Trixie’s presence in the castle not sunk into your thick head these past weeks?”

The prince stamped his hooves down in anger and his horn lit up threateningly, as if he would actually use it, “How dare you insult your prince like that!”

The apprentice of Luna guffawed at his display, “Oh please, you’re no prince. You haven’t earned a thing in your life you overweight fool,” she glanced over at him and gave him a demeaning sneer, “Trixie reads the tabloids, and you only have a title because mommy’s family earned it.”

“Speak of my mother again and I will-”

Trixie continued her sneer as she lowered the boulder to the ground, ignoring her gut feeling of wanting to sigh in relief, “Will what? You have no power, and my teacher is the princess. Trixie will continue insulting you until you leave her presence, dimwit.”

Blueblood thought himself clever as he looked around, “Your princess is not here! What could she possibly do to scare me?”

“Make you tomorrow’s target practice?” Trixie yawned as she retrieved one of the scrolls Luna left her from the ground and levitated it over to Blueblood, unraveling it in front of his face so that he could read it if he even could read.

Blueblood narrowed his eyes and observed the scroll, reading it aloud to himself in a slow manner as if he really was having trouble reading it, “I, Princess Luna, hereby decree that if the pseudo prince known as Blueblood, or any of his malcontent Canterlot friends, attempts to interrupt my student Trixie Lulamoon’s training he or they will be punished in the following manner…”

Trixie was laughing from across the courtyard, enjoying this as much now as when she first read it, “Go on.”

The pseudo prince swallowed his breath as he continued, his face growing more anxious with each word, “…the offender will be shaved completely, coat and mane both, and have a bull’s-eye tattooed permanently on their barrel. They will then be forced to act as the target for the following day’s practice and every day there forth until my return, at which time their punishment will be increased or decreased according to my judgment.”

The mare he had come to mock was too busy cackling from where she stood to give any other verbal response, so Blueblood growled to himself as the scroll rolled back up and returned to where Trixie had it originally.

“This is ridiculous! She can’t possibly have this done!” he complained as loudly as he could, not caring that it was getting late and there would be some who were likely sleeping in the castle.

Trixie narrowed her eyes and grinned smugly, “You want to try her? Word is she hates you in a most wonderful way,” she looked away from the disgrace again so that she could give an insulting yawn, “Though, if you want to stay, the Great and Powerful Trixie could always use a good target.”

“I will not stand for this!”

His new tormentor shrugged, “Then take a seat, Trixie doesn’t care. Go be self important somewhere else. Nopony cares about you, and nopony ever will so long as you act like such a foal.”

Blueblood tried to reverse the tables on Trixie with the little he knew about her, “Says the disgraced magician! Tell me, however did you manage to beat that Ursa Minor?”

Trixie scoffed again, knowing his words to be true but able to ignore them for the moment given their source, “A worthy insult, if it wasn’t being levied by such a fool.”

“Is the gross and pitiful Trixie sad that she was bested by Celestia’s student, Twilight?” he mocked, only for Trixie to roll her eyes and return fire.

“Are you sad that she is actual royalty now, unlike yourself?” Trixie commented pointedly to his chagrin. She brought a hoof to her chin to continue her derisive commentary, “Come to think of it, what happened the last time a princess took a pony under her wing? Taught them magic?”

The idea brought up a painful realization in Blueblood, but he laughed it off all the same to appear as if it did not worry him at all, “Hah! As if you could ever be a princess!”

Trixie could accept that. She did not sign on to do this with that in mind, nor did she expect her stern but caring teacher to be that level of generous. Still, there was the possibility. And the possibility meant everything at that moment as she tried to intimidate this lowlife, “Maybe, but are you really willing to piss me off in case I do?”

Trixie teleported right in front of Blueblood to catch him off guard right as he tried to respond. He leaned close to him with narrow and eyes as threatening as she could manage. She was done putting up with disrespect, especially coming from uptight nobodies here in Canterlot.

“Get out of here. If you return I will have your punishment carried out. If anypony comes here to heckle me they will suffer the same fate. Know this, I am here to stay, and if anypony tries to ruin this for me I will do everything in my power to make them regret the day they crossed me.”

“Understood?” he cowered back and gave a meek nod, allowing Trixie to continue, “Good. I am done with you, wretch.”

Blueblood scurried off, actually fearing the multitude of threats levied at him. Now alone again, Trixie found herself smiling at how he ran off.

“You’re right, princess. This does feel good!”

After a moment of self righteous pride in her success of driving him off, Trixie realized something about what he had said.

She was a failure.

Trixie lowered her head and brought one hoof to rub her other leg, “If only that fool wasn’t right…I’m a washed up magician with nothing else.”

She did not have the selflessness of her rival, nor had she saved Equestria on multiple occasions. She had no great friends whom with she could use powerful artifacts, and she had nopony to rely on at all.

Trixie knew she was not cut out to be a public icon like Twilight, and would never be able to ascend to her level. But that did not mean that she could not be happy being the student of Equestria’s most powerful pony. That she could not find happiness in what she could achieve.

Thinking to her missing teacher, Trixie let out a long breath.

“Please…come back soon.”

Author's Note

You may commence with the Trixie feels below. I mean, the chapter title is useful twofold because of Loki's self worth issues, but Trixie is cuter and deserves her hate less.

Anyways, I hope you all are doing well (unlike me) and enjoyed the chapter, as well as that you'll help a guy out and leave a comment below! And yes, there might be typos, but I'll be getting to those soon. Please don't have that be the entirety of a commend because that will do the opposite of what comments normally do for me!

Thanks for reading!