Chapters Trixie's Redemption: From Cinders and Flame
As the endless void ebb and flowed Trixie's powdered self, she was left with infinite time to herself. The area around the former cyan unicorn was as infinite as her supposed travel would be, drenched in bright light and an eerie green tone. While unable to perform any real magic, her eyes were a subtle background within her flowing form, those tender rose irises shimmering among her equally glittering form. Well Trixie she said to herself, you deserve this, don't you? She idly rolled her eyes, trying to find something to focus on to change her viewing pallet. Dash was never meant to even KNOW you, and yet you unknowingly interfered with the timeline...just for love. Celestia be damned, if you didn't manage to revert everything, you couldn't come back. She huffed, knowing all too well the reality, nay, the severity of her situation. You're fucking traveling through WHO KNOWS WHERE and you have nothing to say...Tartarus, you don't even know where you ARE, do you?!
As she slowly scanned her surroundings, Trixie furrowed her brow, or at least, she tried to furrow what her brow had become. A spec, slowly getting closer, appeared in the distance. Celestia damn it, something else damned to this infernal purgatory! she though, trying to mobilize without knowing if she actually had begun moving at all. The form grew larger and larger until a subtle color was distinguished...blue. Midnight blue. Only one pony Trixie knew had that color...LUNA!!!...LUNA!? Trixie desperately screamed, quickly coming to terms that without a mouth, Trixie could do nothing to communicate. All she could do was emanate a soft glow as she whimpered to herself.
Wait Trixie thought, looking around,Luna has no memory of me...I reversed the timeline...reversed her knowledge of any relationship, or the possible recollection of me. What the heck do I do now? She could only watch as the mare slowly got closer, the unicorn trying fruitlessly to flail and grab the alicorn's attention. Luna merely hummed as she lightly swam in the emptiness. She was completely normal. No demons. No Nightmare Moon. Just normal Luna, backstroking as she breathed easy. Her vision slowly locked onto the blue cloud of magic."Hmm?" she let out, rolling over. There should have been nothing in the void, and that's why Luna would use it to clear her mind."What...how in the land~?" Luna slowly materialized a floor, making her way forward as soft, white tiles connected firmly below the mare's hoof-falls. She sat, leaning in and locking eyes with those rose eyes."Well now, what, in my sister's name, are you?"
Trixie knew this was her chance, and without thinking pushed forward. She could only hope that this Luna wasn't from some weird, third dimension she might have created while erasing her own. She charged her magic and created a memory link. It was all she could do. She couldn't speak, and had only her memory and what little magic her dusted form would allow. Luna's eyes widened as she gasped, rock stiff as she was given memories from her alternate self. She whined, shivering as thoughts and ideas spliced. It wasn't like past experiences, since it was like someone took two ideas and just smeared the details, making her question everything from the past few months.
The princess backpedaled as the link ended, falling onto her flank and panting hard as she felt herself give in to Nightmare Moon in her other timeline."No...nononononono..." she grasped her head, tearing up as she was forced to remember everything, including her possession."I...I tried to kill Celestia...I...I killed Shining Armor, oh gosh!" The alicorn's head pounded."He...his neck..." she flinched as the sound of Armor's neck cracking shot through her ears, making tears fall into nothingness as she sobbed.
"Please stop crying~" a voice rang out in Luna's ear, making her look around."Please don't cry...I...I didn't realize what my spell would do to someone with a different remembrance of history." Trixie's voice rang out in the mare's mind. The princess looked up at the mass, blinking as she sniffed and wiped away her tears.
"T-Trixie?" Luna rang out, getting to her hooves."Is that...you?" she tilted her head. With her own memories, and those of the altered timeline, were her memories of Trixie. Tutoring, love, and even the tender last moments before Trixie reversed it all. She rose slowly, front hooves shaking lightly as she stared at the blur."Oh Trixie...what happened to you?"
Trixie's eyes glinted as she squeaked."Oh, thank Celestia" she hollered, huffing to herself as she could not hug her mentor."You can hear me?"
"I...I believe I have obtained the ability to understand you when your spell rattled my conscious mind..." the alicorn admitted, slowly trotting around the ethereal powder, looking over what little there was to see."Regardless...let us take you from this place, Trixie." She tapped the ground, producing a small jar. It's design was as simplistic as the mind could conjure, with the thinnest of glass and an equally disappointing lid.
"You must be joking" Trixie shot back, irises narrowing as Luna trotting forward. With one swift swipe, all of Trixie shot into the container, her gaseous form filling the cylinder and her eyes sliding around to glare at her captor."I do hope my memory spell has not endowed some satanic God Complex~" the unicorn power huffed, shaking the jar as Luna giggled, making it hover with her magic.
"Oh hush now" Luna ordered casually, setting her down and getting on her level."Now...before we go...is there anything else you should do? Shall I inform you of this timeline's events." The midnight equine crossed her front hooves as she laid down, tilting her head. Trixie's glare barely lightened as Luna spoke, tempting the alicorn to take more drastic measures.
"Listen, i think i know enough to...h-hey, let me go, Luna!" She barked, being lifted until a soft scratching was heard. It was a distinctive scratching that could only come from something sharp sliding along glass. Moments later the jar was lowered, a crude smile etched below the unicorns, now fed-up, pair of eyes."Oh har har" she let out, watching her mentor snicker with satisfaction.
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"So..." Trixie began,"Twilight's brother is getting married to her old babysitter, who is also an alicorn that happens to be destined to lead a civilization to love? Damn. What, did I accidentally step on a lollipop as I was reversing the timeline? This place sounds sugar-coated as shit!" The mare voiced plainly.
"It does seem as though your timeline was much more aggressive than ours, but we have our share of grievances." Luna rose, sighing as she looked out into the blankness of the void."Just today, mere hours before the wedding is set to happen, we were given a threat, saying that our love was finite, and we were not safe from invasion."
"N-No shit? What's going on?"
"We don't know" Luna bounced back, scrunching her muzzle."Celestia doubled guard duty, and odds are, we need to worry about infiltration more than an invasion. I mean really..,who sends a note, then attacks with a force? They obviously are attempting to fool us, or make us nervous, for some reason."
"We should get back...no time to waste." Trixie's voice was that of mild confusion, obviously wanting to leave this realm as soon as possible.
"Agreed. The wedding will be in a few minutes...and my door to this void is in my chambers. Come along..." Luna announced, clicking an invisible key into the entrance, which was also transparent. A door opened slowly, allowing Luna to teleport Trixie into the real world along with herself."Alright...I think keeping you in that jar until you're back to normal would be best...I have no idea what kind of magic could reverse such a transformation.
"So...you believe me then?"
"I don't know what to believe. You were my student, then you had feelings for Twilight, then Dash, then stuff happened and I turned into Nightmare. You went back and changed everything, and since you changed everything back, you were turned to dust because you were a loose end...that it?" Luna put a hoof on her forehead, sighing."I don't know if this is the timeline you fixed, but it's the only thing I can guess. You saw Dash living her life as it is now because you saw that when you watched things revert to normal after you went back and stopped Nightmare from moving that rock in your way, starting this butterfly effect. The way I see it, you're either telling the truth, or a really good lier. Either way..."
Luna stopped her soliloquy as she looked outside, gripping the railing of her balcony with her magic as she panted."Luna?" Trixie called back."Luna, what is it?" The unicorn used all of her might, unscrewing the cap on her glass prison and billowing out. She hastily made her way outside, widening her eyes as as saw the chaos that had been caused."Luna...how in Celestia's name did this..."
"Changelings!" She yelped, leaping from the balcony, using her wings to break her fall and land on the nearest awning. Tearing through, she looked up, seeing Trixie's dust cloud."Trixie...you should stay back...who knows what could happen if you.."
"No time...I can help. Let's just try to...LOOK OUT." She barked in the mare's head, making Luna turn forward and duck, just barely avoiding a changeling barreling toward her. The green energy crackling and fizzing around the insectoid equine made the alicorn's mane frizz momentarily as she spun, watching the creature drop onto all fours and kick a hoof into the ground as it hissed. It's sleek black texture shined and mirrored the sun as it bared it teeth, digging at the cobblestone road as it's irises narrowed.
Luna's stance stiffened as she pressed her back hooves to the ground, potental energy making the mare shake and stiffen as she lowered her front half. Her soft panting echoing in her ears as the world drowned out. Magic buzzed and popped at the tip of her horn as she zeroed in on the creature. The silence seemed as if it would last an eternity, distant explosions and screams making the alicorn's ears swivel. Finally, the silence was broken when a loud screaming of green crashed between them. From the smoke darted the chageling, the second shaking off it's crash-landing before entering the fray as well. They barreled towards the midnight mare, snarling and clicking as it's hollow legs fluted air.
The mare's breath slowed in harmony with her heartbeat as she breathed in, the distance between them lessened and shrunk rapidly. Twenty feet. Fifteen feet. Ten feet. Five feet. The hard grinding of pebbles and chitin grew louder and louder, drowned out by the loud buzz of it's tiny wings and the glow of it's horn. Luna juked left, narrowly avoiding the creature's horn as she barreled forward, knocking the changeling off balance and slamming it to the ground. Hollow limbs meant easy maneuverability, but also stunted strength and power. It swung back hard, a hind leg crashing against the alicorn's muzzle and sent her stumbling back. She shook it off, huffing as blood trickled from her nose. She growled, slamming into the insect's side and sending it careening into a cafe banner.
Luna smiled lightly before her ear turned, making her leap backwards as another lept at her from behind. Her front hooves buckled as they connected with it's muzzle at full-force, cracking and shattering from such a dead-stop. It slumped, dripping green viscera as it's eyes glazed over. She went to finish the beast off before the other bounded infront of it, turning to the alicorn and hissing defensively. Luna stopped, taking a step back and watching the creature whimper, touching horns with it's fallen comrade before closing it's eyes.
Before Luna could react, something beyond power itself shook the ground. She gasped, looking to Trixie's powdered self before eyeing the castle, watching an aura of magic explode outward and cascade in a flowing magical shield. The changelings were catapulted from the grounds, launched outwards and out of sight. She sighed, trotting to Trixie and wiping excess blood from her nose as she made her way to the main hall. She was just in time to watch Shining Armor and Cadance kiss, married at last, as she sat in the garden. Trixie's essence billowed around the alicorn, sighing.
"Well...maybe things aren't going so great, eh?"
"Things are going according to plan...who knows what might have happened if this occurred in your old timeline~"
Trixie let out a snicker as she watched Rainbow Dash performing her sonic rainboom. She would have smiled if she could, seeing the object of her affection doing what she was always meant to do...fly."Beautiful~" she let out, looking to the alicorn."So...what happens now?"
"Well," Luna retorted,"Maybe we can get the Trixie from this world to learn what you know about your old timeline."
"What will that accomplish?"
"Trixie, if we can't make you a pony again, don't you want Dash to love the Trixie you were?"
"O-Of course! So we give them both my memories of our relationship, Dash getting her love for me, and Trixie getting my love for Dash?"
Luna nodded."We just have to get them into the same place at the same time...and one spell can give them your memories."
Trixie hummed as she thought."Let's get going...I have an idea."
Trixie's Redemption: From Cinders and Flame
Luna sighed softly as she enchanted a statue within the courtyard of Stalliongrad. A massive statue of Trixie beamed fifteen feet tall, a living memorial to the mare for saving them against an Ursa Minor. In this timeline, Trixie learned from her mistake in Ponyville, honing her magic and defending those that counted on her.
"Are you sure, Trixie?" Luna let out, turning to the powder floating near her."It's a longshot~"
"It's all we've got to work with" Trixie shot back, looking around."Geez...odds are low, I'll admit."
"Alright...memory spell is in place. When my Trixie and Dash touch this stone, they'll remember what you remember...and maybe things will work out in this universe." The alicorn looked around, gasping as she saw a cyan blur in the sky."Holy~" she let out, amazed that the mare would be dropping in so soon. The alicorn ducked down, watching as Dash undid the bags of apples around her midsection. She momentarily headed into the general store, nodding to the manager and heading back out. Moments before she was to take off, she came to a halt in front of Trixie's impressive statue.
"What the...Trixie? Hah, not likely" she huffed, sitting and reading the epitaph."She...saved Stalliongrad?" Holy crap...what'd I miss?"
"Only greatness, my enthusiastic little admirer" a condescending voice cried out. Both Dash and Luna, who was hidden behind the stone with the cloud of magic that was our Trixie, locked eyes with the cyan mare behind Dash.
"Trixie!?" she barked, her rainbow tail stiffening as she spun to glare at that boastful mare."So...you trick the people to think you fought a real Ursa Minor or what?" Rainbow's teeth gritted at the other carelessly approached the defensive Pegasus, humming as she rested a hoof on the statue.
Trixie merely laughed as she narrowed her eyes at the brightly-colored Element of Loyalty."Hardly...they all knew who the hero was, and without Sparkle to upstage me, I showed my true talents."
"More like 'true tricks', if you ask me!" Dash retorted, snarling as she got closer."You're just a whining child who pretends she's so great!"
"And YOU'RE just a lazy half-wit who deserves none of her fame!" Trixie angrily barked back.
"Well, ya know what!?" Dash began, cut off by a powerful surge of magic as she touched the stone pedestal of he statue. Both were launched backwards, new memories from ethereal Trixie making them writhe lightly. They rose, twitching as their eyes met."T-Trixie?" Dash let out, lower lip quivering as she was given everything. Every moment and memory Trixie had of their love.
"Dashie?" the unicorn whimpered, tears in her eyes as she gulped. They leaped forward, crashing into each other in a mess of hooves and muzzles affectionately rubbing against the other.
Luna and the puff of magic formally known as Trixie watched, smiling. They began towards the castle grounds, Trixie lingering as she watched the Trixie from this realm loving Dash, regretfully and with a heavy heart as she turned tail and flew off with the princess. She knew it wasn't right to meddle with this world's affairs, but what did she do to deserve such harsh treatment? She was a good mare, and had been given an outrageous amount of bad luck. It was unfair, and Trixie knew it.
As the image of Dash and the current world's Trixie intermingling their tongues around each other's muzzle faded, Trixie finally let it all out."I'm sorry you're stuck with me, Luna..."
"Me? I should be sorry..."
"You had nothing to do with my relations with this world, yet you do my bidding since I can't...I think it's time we look for a way to turn me back to pony form...if it's even possible." Trixie's eyes highlighted once more in the magic smoke, locking onto Luna's as she flew infrom of the alicorn."If you'd help me one more time...I'd be forever in your debt."
The mare thought long and hard, finally smiling as she patted the smoke softly."You were my student in your world, my protégée. I could imagine I was much different in that universe than this one, so my status is the same. I'm your teacher, your instructor...and I'll give my entire being to bring you back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you out of your mind!"
"Please, I was just..."
"You were what, idiotic? I agree!"
"If you'll just..."
"You were a fool to do this, sister." Celestia huffed, narrowing her eyes as she trotted towards a guard who had been knocked unconscious from the changelings past excursion. She sighed, shaking her head lightly as she looked towards Luna and the glowing cloud that was Trixie."She was in the ether...the void! Nothing exists there. Are you so naive that you do not see the potential danger?"
Luna' stance was defensive, but the twitches at every other syllable from her sister's agressive tones implied submission."I merely assumed that she could aid us. A being from another dimention has faced trials we hadn't even dreamed of."
"Such as? I fail to believe that even if it was the real Trixie, she would know anything in the six weeks our worlds were splintered that I don't in the centuries I've been alive." She turned away as silence engulfed the room, Celestia's rough gaze sliding along the goo-covered walls and empty cocoons."Well?" She burst, looking towards her sister.
"...She saw her return..." Luna's eyes locked to her sisters, her midnight coat half-drenched in moonlight from a broken window.
Celestia tilted her head, disregarding Luna's serious tone with a light shake of her head."Who, Chrysalis? We just dealt with her...that means noth-"
"NO..." Luna advanced towards the mare, putting a hoof to her heart."HER! She took over...she...I couldn't defeat her."
Celestial bit her lip, sighing as she backed up, trying to rest a hoof on he sister's back before Luna backed away, tears welling in her eyes as she rushed upstairs and to her chambers. The alabaster alicorn stopped at the staircase, one hoof on the railing as she turned to Trixie's form. "The library should be the same here as it was for you...I'll try to get Luna there within the hour...whatever you need will be given to you, so long as you keep my sister's demon away." Celestial gaze faltered lightly as she imagined the worst, letting out a soft whine as she turned away." And ascended the stairs to Luna's room.
It was an agonizing two hours until Luna arrived, ushered in by her sister. Celestia signed as she helped Luna onto a pillow, whispering something incoherent before heading back downstairs."Alright" Luna announced, turning her attention towards the unicorn."From what you've told me, which I believe completely, you were once my protégée. As such...I will not rest until you're back to normal."
Her smile, while weak, made Trixie beam back."T-Thank you, I know there must be a way!" The powdered unicorn announced, floating over to look towards her mentor. There was something comforting about being so close to her former teacher, and it was almost as if things were going back to the way they were supposed to be."Maybe...it won't be so bad after all."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nothing!?" Trixie squeaked, looking from page-to-page on a transformation spell book."Come on, come on...there HAS to be something!" The mare's voice stuttered and cracked lightly as her frantic page-flips became more frantic."How...how could it not be here!"
"Trixie...we've been at this for over three hours. You have to give up."
"This is my body. Without a spell, I'll only have you to talk to, being this cloud of magic forever!" She sighed, watching as the alicorn's frown grew as she turned to look away."Luna...I didn't meant it like that."
"We should take a break" the princess whispered, knowing Trixie could hear her. She rose, turning to leave as she looked to the archway. The violet unicorn Trixie knew quite well stood, blushing as she hasn't even noticed Trixie's gaseous form."Twilight Sparkle, what a surprise."
"Hello princess. I was heading to Celestia to deliver my report on the wedding...is...something going on?" Her gaze shifted to Trixie's cloud, making her squint."Um...are you...trying to summon a sentient cloud of magic?" The I violet mare announced, trotting forward and prodding Trixie's form. Her eyes flashed argrily, making the mare yelp and fall back."Huh!?"
Luna put a hoof to her face, sighing softly."This is going to be a long night~"
Trixie's Redemption: From Cinders and Flame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The first dogma which I came to disbelieve was that of free will. It seemed to me that all notions of matter were determined by the laws of dynamics and could not therefore be influenced by human wills. ~Bertrand Russell
Twilight sighed as she listened to Luna's tale, finally nodding once all was said."So...what, I'm supposed to believe this tale? That the magic right there is actually Trixie from an alternate timeline than I know...and that she died to fix her timeline, which is our timeline that had been splintered by Nightmare Moon's influence?"
Luna's posture slouched some as she nodded."That is correct~"
"So now that you know this, and believe this is really Trixie, she can speak to you because of the mind link...and now you're have problems bringing her to pony form again?" Twilight's face was one of complete uneasiness as she tried to organize the premises the princess had given her.
The midnight alicorn nodded."I'm afraid so..."
Twilight breathed out loudly from her nose once, looking at the spell-book Luna had been reading from."You won't find that spell in a book like that. I'll contact Zecora and see if she can't find something of this caliber." Luna's eyes widened as she watched the unicorn trot forward, shaking her head and effortlessly flipping through page-after-page of incantations."No...no...no...nope. This book is too dated. It only shows concrete spells and methods. If we're going to do something so specific, Trixie has to put her faith in the hands of a shaman like Zecora."
"Shaman? Twilight, I hope you know that contact with the deceased is strictly forbidden in Equestria." Luna slowly looked to the unicorn, meeting her eyes before looking away."I-I know it's our only hope, but I will have to supervise the situation...if it comes to that."
Twilight nodded slowly, scribbling a quick note and wisping it away with her magic."Alright, I hope she's home...because we have an enchantress to speak to."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luna delicately placed her hooves on the cobbles leading to Zecora's hut. Since it was protected by rudimentary incantations, the zebra's home had been safeguarded from and spells that she did not strictly approve of. This caused Twilight to transport them a few meters away from the residence of that dangerous Everyfree Forest environment. They approached softly, Trixie's form keeping within the alicorn's mane. Since her color was so near to Luna's mane, she decided it safe to conserve magic by hitching a ride with the mare."So...will this work?" Trixie let out softly, only able to address Luna at the time.
"It's as good of a chance as we'll get, I'm afraid. Shamans are normally dissuaded from using spells and potions to speak to deceased in fear they'll learn magic beyond myself and Celestia's control. I will, however, allow it, being as Twilight seems to trust this mare. If all is as she says, this mare may have a great advantage from this 'Zecora' character." Luna's words went silent as they fell upon the door to the zebra's abode. Twilight's hoof slowly banged against the course, wooden door, repeating that another two times before it creaked open.
Luna was surprised at the host of this event, rushing forward and looking her over slowly."A zebra? Amazing..."
Twilight blinked, looking at the mare."Luna, you saw Zecora at Nightmare Night...don't you remember?"
"I had assumed she was in costume. This is stupendous, I've never had formal discussions with your race, Ms. Zecora." she extended a hoof, which was slowly responded in kind. Luna turned back to Twilight, filling her in."You see Twilight, Equestria had been in a stalemate since the alicorn wars, becoming isolated in fear of being involved in future conflicts. Celestia informed me that diplomats began reappearing in their name around two hundred years ago. They still feel weary of residing with us, and as such, I'd been on the moon when that occurred."
"She speaks the truth," Zecora added, grinning lightly,"that we had been far from your kind. Though my peaceful Zebra race has always been looking for relations to bind. It is for this reason you see my people not. Another war would surely cost us a lot." While she wore a smile on her face, she quickly dropped it for the task at hoof."Regardless, the time is short and we need not tarry. The mere idea of this potion has me wary. Come and sit, for I must call upon my powers. Lucky I have my plants, lest this take many, many hours." She ushered the mares in, making lingering contact with the added mass trailing behind Luna's mane."And to this Trixie for which we will help, please be calm. Nothing can't be fixed with my potions and balm."
Zecora began speaking once everyone was ready."This spell is tricky and will require skill, and lucky for you my requirements those do fill. For the reincarnation of this mare, is far to dangerous for any of you to bear. It is then good that I have been called, even if dear Luna seems quite appalled. My skill with the dead is surely just, for I am not doing this out of wealth or lust. Now we shan't not tarry, and our spell should begin. A touch of rosemary, and a bit of blue fin." The Zebra smiled as she grasped a few bits of each, making the pot crackle and pop softly.
The Zebra withdrew a blade, looking at Luna, who widened her eyes."What is that for!?"
Zecora blinked, looking at the other's hoof."She is your protégée, am I correct? If that is true, your commitment here that will reflect." She offered the knife, which Luna hesitantly accepted before the mare continued."A drop of alicorn blood is infused with the magic of generations past. The potion will require a little if we could hope for it to last."
Luna's hoof shook softly as she pressed the sharp dagger against her leg. She would do anything for Trixie, but any magic that used blood is destined to lead to trouble. But this was Trixie, and Luna promised she'd do whatever it took. She closed her eyes, whimpering as she dragged the blade along her foreleg quickly, emitting a groan as blood slowly began dripping from the small gash. She winced, giving it back to Zecora and wiping her blood with a rag.
The shaman hummed softly as she leaned the blade in, coating it in the brew which mixed with the blood."Now please Trixie, come to me. This next part I shall not do with glee." Zecora spun the hilt of the blade in her hoof, watching the cloud sheepishly approach. Trixie's eyes winces as they looked around, down at the wound on Luna's leg before turning to face forward and glare at that dagger. She shut her eyes as Zecora roughly jabbed it into the magic mist, making it crackle as the green potion and blood reacted and became a catalyst in the spell."Be it sword or spell, knife or wand. Bring Trixie back from the great beyond!" the mare hollered out, launched backwards by the spell as the cloud exploded. Luna winced as she was sent skidding along the ground, bumping against the back wall as she squinted."Trixie?"
The mare groaned out, rubbing her chin with her hoof as she looked up."Guh...Luna?" Trixie twitched, widening her eyes as she looked around."Luna!" The unicorn rose, scrambling to her hooves and rushing to the alicorn's side."Princess Luna, a-are you alright?" She helped the mare up, feeling the mare yank her into a hug.
"Oh Trixie...you're back. I knew it'd work!" Luna smiled wide, tussling the unicorn's mane. She flinched back abruptly as the cyan unicorn's mane zapped her."Huh...strange~" she let out softly, pushing that doubt away and smiling again at her protegee.
Trixie was normal, every bit of her recreated and back to it's regular self."I-I can't believe it. This is unbelievable" Twilight let out, bounding towards Trixie and prodding her side."I can't believe magic could do this..." she looked to Zecora, who had slid the blood-coated blade back into it's sheath.
The zebra made her way to the silver-maned pony, yanking out a single hair from her head, which evoked a soft yelp."Pain and sensitivity recreated anew. The concoction even made your coat the right shade of blue. You are free to continue on. I shant make you my pawn~" she grinned, diluting any threat she may have posed.
The three slowly made their exit, thanking Zecora for everything and hoping they could make it up to her in time. Luna and Twilight agreed that it would be best to have Trixie stay with Twilight for the next few days. That way, she could keep an eye on Dash and the Trixie from this dimension while Twilight kept watch on her. It was a long trip back, and no matter how hard Twilight tried, Trixie just, couldn't speak. Now that she no longer was forced to focus her magic on staying afloat, she was able to think about everything that had happened.
"So...how long do I have" Trixie asked, finally breaking the silence when Luna flew off to Canterlot.
"T-Trixie?"
"Twilight, I'm not stupid...things like this don't just permanently fix themselves...I'm not going to be here forever...what do you suppose my half-life is?" Trixie's stride slowed lightly as she looked to the violet mare, who's own pace ceased entirely.
"N-Now don't do this to me, Trixie...we don't even know..."
"Guess...I don't know either...but you don't just go from powder to pony without something going wrong...even Zecora isn't perfect!"
They both sat there, looking around at the foliage of the forest before they began trotting again, slowly. Twilight's lip quivered lightly as she retorted "Years? If I had to guess, I'd say a few years. Does it matter?"
"Matter?"
"We could find a permanent solution in that time...it's not a big deal...this buys us time."
"Time?" Trixie scoffed softly, looking at the treeline split lightly and allow them to leave."Time's never been my friend..."
Trixie's Redemption: From Cinders and Flame
Trixie spoke no further as her and Twilight trotted to the library, their soft hoof falls making deliberate, rhythmic clacks along the stone pathway leading from the Everfree Forest's single path to Ponyville. The cyan mare slowed as she looked to the sky. Her sigh was heard by Twilight, who matched Trixie's speed and slid closer."Trixie...you have to relax...we have so much time to find a permanent solution. You can't be so...hopeless about this..."
"I-I don't fear that, Twilight..." Trixie stopped completely, pointing to the sky.
"Huh, what are you...oh." Twilight gazed up, scrunching her muzzle as she watched Dash. She was on her back, snickering as the other Trixie twisted and soared next to her.
Trixie looked on, her breathing distant and heavy, as if holding back tears."I shouldn't be sad...it's not even my Dashie...but she knows....she knows everything my Dash did...does...is my world even real? What happened to my Dash...is she gone?"
Twilight sighed, waving Trixie to continue trotting home."From what I understand...your world was a splintered universe from which reality had been slightly altered. When you fixed everything, Dash's memories of you were erased. She's still your Dash...she just...didn't know it." She went silent as she looked back, ears drooped as they reached the Library."Get some rest...ok?" She cooed, trying to comfort the mare as best she could.
Trixie mindlessly made her way upstairs, slumping against Twilight' soft bed. Her face dug lightly into the pillow case, nuzzling it softly. It wasn't like a cloud, much more tangible, but stiffer. Her mane frayed softly as she rolled onto her back, hooves curled as she sniffed, looking out the window."I-I love you, Dashie..."
She blinked, waking up as a soft knocking came to the door downstairs. Trixie slid down from the covers, horn glowing as she cloaked herself with a weak invisibility spell. Her gaze came over Twilight as she went to answer the door, smiling softly, allowing Luna inside.
"Princess...I'm glad you came. I would have told you to come with us when we left the Forest, but I didn't realizing that she would have fallen asleep so quickly." Twilight gave a soft grin, which quickly morphed into the frown Luna had worn since her arrival."Please...sit."
Luna nodded, smiling faintly as she exposed a book to the violet Unicorn."It may be a stretch...when you sent me that note a mere hour after we separated from Zecora's...I was quite confused. I suppose, however, that any hope is worth trying. This is the book, yes?"
Twilight nodded, looking it over."Yes. Would you be willing to stay here and help me? If Trixie knew...well...then we may not many options." The mare looked quite grim as she looked towards the bedroom that Trixie was, unknowingly to them, watching. Silence fell as they began reading, giving Trixie no use but to withdraw to bed. What could she do, since nothing could help more than allowing them to research uninterrupted. Trixie knew she was too weak to do much other than sleep.
It was a deep, long sleep. The first she'd had in a long while. She wondered if she regretted giving this world's Trixie and Dash their memories. How could she, Dash was happy, that's all that mattered. She touched down within her dreams, looking much like the abyss she had been condemned to after reverting the world to normal. Her eyes squinted as she tried to take everything in, the light blinding her slightly as she slumped onto her flank.
"H-Hello?!" She cried out, trying to find something of substance to latch onto. Nothing...emptiness. She bit her lip, looking down at her hooves as she whimpered."I-I really am alone..."
"Trixie?" A soft, diluted voice echoed out behind the unicorn.
Her breath caught in her throat as she widened her eyes, spinning."D-Dash?" she whimpered, bursting forward and clutching the mare sitting behind her.
"Shh...it's okay." She whispered to the mare, petting along the back of Trixie'a neck as the unicorn sobbed weakly into Dash's chest. The showmare winced lightly as the Pegasus engulfed her in those soft wings."Come on...don't cry in front of your marefriend...you'll break my heart~"
Trixie sniffled, nodding weakly as she smiled through the tears."I wish we could really be together...but you...you think I'm somepony else."
Her hooves shook lightly as Dash gripped them, looking into Trixie's eyes with her own rose irises."Babe...I love you...and I'll know the real Trixie when I see her...hmm?" She hummed lightly, swinging the other's hooves softly as she smiled."Trixie...don't let me get away...wake up..."
"Wake...up?" She smirked, humming with Dash.
"Wake...up..." She pulled a hoof back, cocking it.
"D-Dashie?"
"Wake up!" She slung her hoof forward, socking Trixie in the nose. She jolted up in bed, swatting at the air as she screamed."DASHIE!" The cyan mare huffed, looking around nervously."Huh...wha?" she winced, gripping her nose as it bled.
Twilight roughly gripped the mare by the hoof, dragging her to the ground next to the bed as an explosion shook the library. Bits of tree and timber splintered at them as they flinched."T-Trixie...please...don't talk. I'm sorry, but we don't have time...there are thousands of them!" She whimpered, shivering as Luna tried to make her magic work. She shuttered, her teleportation spell backfiring and making her drop down and ram her head against the floor. She winced, spitting a bit of blood and rushing upstairs to the others.
"My magic isn't working...they must be jamming it somehow." She poked her head out the freshly cracked window. As Twilight and Trixie did the same, their hearts sunk. Hundreds, thousands of changelings destroying everything."W-We should have expected retaliation..." They pulled back as a heavy crash came at the front door.
The three winced, pressing their flanks to the far wall and watching as a changeling trotted in slowly, blinking as it glared at the three. Luna defensively lifted her front hooves, shaking lightly as they just looked at the creature. It got closer, then halted as it glanced at Luna. A vertical scar ran along the creature's face."I-It's the one I fought in Canterlot...I..." She gulped, worried it would hold a grudge after she had killed it's friend.
It hissed before backing up, slowly turning and leaving. They sat in the dark, god rays shining through the cracks and holes left from the initial attack. They tried to block out the scream and groans of ponies, knowing that two magically deprived unicorns and an alicorn couldn't possibly stand against the sheer numbers they had. It was an agonizing hour before everything fell silent. Luna could feel her magic returning to her as she lightly glanced outside. They were gone.
The three rushed outside, hastily trying to find their friends and neighbors. Twilight scampered to Sweet Apple Acres, smiling faintly as she heard the weak groan of a pink mare."Luna...you have wings, fly to Sweet Apple Acres and make sure Applejack is alright!" She huffed, using her magic to move a pylon that had pinned Pinkie's hind legs. She winced, gripping the earth pony's hoof and dragging her free from the rubble.
Trixie began racing towards Rarity's boutique, charging her head into the door and blasting the door in weakly. The side was completely collapsed, but for some reason, the side where Rarity's dresses sat were untouched. The unicorn rounded the corner, yelping and falling back as a burst of magic narrowly missed her head. Rarity was a mess, scratched all along her coat as she snarled, quickly softening as she noticed she was about to attack a pony."Trixie!?" She blinked, tapping a hoof on the ground and removing a force field around her dress station and fabric room.
"Rarity...how did you do that during the attack...Twilight and Luna didn't have any magic!"
She snickered lightly, tapping a necklace she wore around her neck."It stopped magic, darling, not enchantments. Twilight should have tried one of her backup rings...I made one for her a while back." She stomped hard on a panel next to the door, opening the latch and pulling Sweetie Belle to her hooves." You can go check on the others...I have to make sure my kin are alright, dear." She tussled her sister's mane, smiling hesitantly.
Luna skidded to the gate of Sweet Apple Acres, panting weakly as she opened the gate and galloped as hard as she could. Rows of the farm were aflame, broken branches sizzling with a green slime. The front porch was sunken and splintered hard next to a large burn mark that threatened to collapse the front wall. As she went to enter the home, she flinched as the door opened."Changeling!" She gasped, tensing up and bracing herself for an attack.
It stumbled out of the house, hooves shaking as it went to lift itself up. A short hiss was all it let out as a baseball bat roughly whacked it in the side of the head. Chipping a tooth, it sunk to the ground, Applejack heading out from behind and rolling it over."Little bugger is out cold...but alive. Ah reckon you'd wanna speak to it?" She smirked, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she looked over the front of her house."My kin are alright...Big Mac broke a hind leg when the porch collapsed, but we fixed'm up good."
"We will have a crew of unicorns to tend to the wounded within the hour. Please bring him once Canterlot comes to deal with the damage." The princess grinned lightly, jumping into the air and taking off towards town again.
The mane six, AJ, Shy, and Dash excluded, were near the center of town. Twilight had found a medical kit in the town center, which she was using to mend Pinkie's cuts and bruises. Twilight tried to keep a smile, but every time it faltered, Pinkie was there to lighten the mood."T-Twilight?" Pinkie let out weakly.
"Hmm?" Twilight let out as she covered Pinkie's left eyes with gauze.
"Do you think this makes me look like a funky pirate, or a sweet ninja!?" She grinned, wincing as she tried to flex.
"I think you look like a mare that's lucky to survive a building caving in on her!" Twilight tried to frown, but the in bashful smile Pinkie gave her made the unicorn and Trixie snicker.
The cyan unicorn hummed lightly, giving Sweetie Belle a bandage on her nose."Now, Sweetie Belle, don't go running into buildings with your sister, ok? Your magic is still developing!" She patted the mare's head as Sweetie nodded lightly, scrunching her muzzle to look at her 'battle scar' as she rushed to Scootaloo, who began rushing to Sweet Apple Acres in search for Applebloom.
Luna went to smile before a cry went off behind her."W-WHAT HAPPENED!" Rainbow Dash cried out, dropping her Trixie onto the ground next to Fluttershy, who was trotting along side Dash in the air. The Pegasus rushed to the center, looking at all the burning buildings and rubble, as well as the hundred or so ponies tending to their wounded.
"Rainbow..." Twilight let out, looking between the Trixies, then to Dash."The changelings..they attacked this morning. Where were you?"
"Fluttershy, Trixie, and I were at the cottage. Where's AJ?" She went to turn and look towards the farm when she winced. Two Trixies, who were now looking at each other."WHA...C-CHANGELING?!"
Luna approached the three, shaking her head."We have some things to speak of..."
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Trixie's Redemption: From Cinders and Flame
Chapter 0 (Previous, on Trixie's Redemption)
It's come to this, hasn't it? All of Trixie's progress, and it will all end so abruptly? It feels as if almost yesterday that dear Trixie went galloping away from Ponyville, the night everything changed. From the fall, to the recovery. Luna taking her in and mentoring her in hopes that she could do something good, giving the filly a chance to change the cards so harshly dealt to her. Alas, it was not enough. Celestia harshly reprimanded her feeble attempts at reform, ordering Twilight to take the blue unicorn in and train her in magic. Maybe all would have gone well, had Trixie's love for Twilight remained. She fell for another; the blue Pegasus Rainbow Dash stole her heart, and Trixie could do nothing to stop it.
The two became inseparable, taking each other's time and attention for quite some time. None of them expected it to all be the plan of a higher power. Nightmare Moon, a parasitic demon with the power to corrupt the Princess of The Night those thousand years ago, had dear her own cards while trapped in Luna's subconsious, way back before Luna even knew who Trixie was. Causing the unicorn to become injured at the beginning of this tale, Nightmare knew that Celestia would banish the mare to Ponyville, allowing her to be a time bomb. You see, Nightmare, the devious being she was, foresaw Trixie as a wild card in the stability of Equestria's timeline. She changed history when she caused Trixie to come under hard, and in doing so, caused her love to take hold of Rainbow Dash. Being one of the Elements of Harmony, Nightmare knew she only had to disrupt one Element, which happened to be Loyalty.
Trixie and Dash forged an inseparable bond, one that dulled the friendship Dash had with her other friends. Now without the sixth element, Equestria was unknowingly vulnerable. Events that should have happened merely did not. Without the forceful push Rainbow Dash has, the two never silenced the dragon in the mountain, and without Fluttershy to diplomatically convince the dragon to leave his resting spot, Ponyville was attacked. With the added love, Rainbow Dash was unable to concentrate on her Sonic Rainboom in preparation for the Junior Pegasus Event, causing her to crash and lose her wings. Worse still is that this only strengthened Trixie and Dash's bond.
Their bond shut out all but Twilight, who merely interacted with them in her Library, where Trixie now lived. Luna began to weaken, Nightmare now able to fully project her influence, eventually taking the alicorn over and taking over once more. In her last hours, Luna revealed the truth, that Trixie was the bloodline of alicorn hunters, those who led to the savage execution of Luna's parents over one thousand years ago. Her ancestors, the Luna Exmortista, used this to start a war that convinced all other equines to wage war against the alicorns, nearly wiping them out. Since Dash was no longer friends with the other Elements, Nightmare swept onto the scene, defeated Celestia in Ponyville, and killed Shining Armor. Trixie knew this was her fault unintentionally, and in one final, selfless act, the unicorn rushed forward, launching back in time and removing the rock from her path those many months ago. Without the injury, the timeline was saved. Trixie was then forced to watch in knowledgeful agony as the love of her life, Rainbow Dash, no longer had any memory of their love. Nay, this not only removed the memory, but every action she had that. In the normal timeline, Trixie went on to become a powerful Mage, saving Stalliongrad and being named a hero.
We all know what Rainbow Dash's tales brought, and with Trixie gone from the events she was never meant to interfere with, Equestria was safe. nightmare didn't dare take control of Luna again, since the Elements would be united if she ever did. All was well for everyone, but, being a loose end, Trixie was at the end of her lifespan. The universe could not allow two Trixies into the same universe. Since she had done her task, her time was up, and she became dust, destined to float between the borders of time and space indefinitely...
...or, not.
