Rise of the Red Spirit

by Firesong

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Chapter eight
chapter nine
Chapter ten
Chapter eleven
Chapter twelve
Chapter thirteen
Chapter fourteen
Chapter fifteen
Chapter sixteen
Chapter seventeen

Prologue

Rise of the Red Spirit

***

Written by: Anythingcanhappen

***

Prologue: Of wings and bated breath

Long ago, before the events that lead to Nightmare Moon, and the redeeming of Discord, there was an unspoken dream that fell into a dull memory.

The story started off like this: Princess Celestia one day found an orphaned pony. Her coat was a bright, ocean blue, while her mane was the color of fire. Her eyes were silver, filled with intelligence and creativity. She begged the princess to take her in, saying that her mother died the day she was born, and her father abandoned her soon after. She claimed that she’d been living in the Everfree Forest for most of her short life.

Feeling remorse over the filly, Celestia took her in as her own. She named her Ceri, which meant beloved one. Years pass and Ceri grew into a magnificent alicorn loved by all. However, it was around the time of her coronation that Celestia’s happiness faltered.

There was an evil arising; Zoroarkto lived off of the dark thoughts and hatred that the ponies of Equestria locked into the deepest corners of their minds. He was the self-proclaimed King of the Timberwolves, and he wanted revenge on Ceri, for stealing his place between the two princesses.

Princess Celestia knew that there was going to be an attack, and instead of crowning Ceri the Princess, she made her the Guardian of Harmony; which turned out to be a much better suited title. She proved that she had loyalty, kindness, honesty, generosity, laughter, and possessed the most powerful magic anyone has seen in her youth. A Guardian was the highest placing ever to be given.

Days later, leading a massive army of Canterlot’s best, she left to fight. It was a long battle, raging for six days and six nights. Finally Ceri made it to Zoroarkto’s lair. She wasn’t afraid of him—for she faced him with Equestria’s fate on her shoulders. She brought out her full power, her soul radiating with a bright red light. When all victory seemed in her grasp, the King had another trick up his sleeve. He raised his glowing paw and wiped out Ceri’s powers, making her back into the cold, heartless filly she once was before. She didn’t have any support. For once her powers were erased her kingdom fell along with her.

Furious with this outcome, Celestia banished Zoroarkto to the Everfree forest, paying immensely for the crimes he made. She grieved over her lost child for many nights; Princess Luna couldn’t even get through to her. The moment she had she erased the citizens memory’s of Ceri, for it broke her heart if the name was even spoken.

Years soon pass and the scars are healed, including the memory that was forbidden to speak about. And well… like all things, it has yet to surface. The Guardian of Harmony would come back sooner than Celestia would like.

******

Not a soul was around in the depth of night, for they were in their respective homes for the time being. There was an odd feeling to the air, like a dark magic drifting everyone away from it. A bird flew out of its own tree, singing a merry tune just to calm its own nerves. It was about to reach the sky until a huge down pour came out of nowhere, and the bird chirped vehemently. As quickly as it came, a bright aurora shot out of the sky, the color of blood red.

An alicorn’s ear twitched to the sound of pounding rain at her window. She sighed, looking around her small, yet comfy living room as she did so. Her pet owl stood on its perch respectively, peering over a book that was laid out for him. A dragon stationed himself in the kitchen, scrubbing the dirty spots he missed the other day. He’d grown considerably taller throughout the years, losing the baby fat, with newly found muscles to take its place, and a glorious set of wings. Yes, some say he really is a lady- killer now, but he only had eyes for a certain white unicorn.

Giggling at the thought, Twilight turned to a pony a few feet away from her, looking through a pile of books. Comet Tail was a very quiet colt, working by night in his astronomy tower and keeping a low profile during the day. He wasn’t right on his hooves, always tripping over himself whenever he wasn’t looking. Twilight didn’t really know what drew her towards him, maybe it was his everlasting interest to the starry sky, or his clumsy exterior, but she felt at ease with the awkward male. She probably liked him because he didn’t make an effort to try an impress her, like the other males her age did once they found out she was a princess. At the end of the day however, she personally felt that these foreign feelings could easily be solved by science. Rarity begged to differ.

Shaken out of her thoughts, the male cleared his throat. He tied the books he wanted to take home onto his back. “I, um… I guess I should be going back to my home. Thanks for letting me stay late, Twilight.”

She couldn’t hide her blush as she nodded, and looked towards the door. “Not a problem. You’re practically a regular customer now. You know your way out.” Comet Tail smiled, shifting back and forth on his feet. He then glanced up at the window to the pouring rain and frowned.

“Hang on a second. That came out of nowhere.” He didn’t move from his place as his breathing accelerated. “Greaaat. Now I have to walk home in this weather.”

“You’re right… and there’s something off about it. I don’t think it’s the pegasi’s doing, either. Don’t you feel it, the aurora?” She whispered; a tingling sensation shivered down her spine. Comet stared at the floor and closed his eyes, thinking about what his friend had said. He opened his eyes and gasped as a lightning clasped a little too close to the tree house.

“What’s going on?” Comet asked in a tiny voice. He never liked thunderstorms since he was a foal, and one that could possibly involve dark magic didn’t help ease his fears. Spike came in just then; he heard the noise as well and wanted to check if they were okay. He smiled when he saw Twilight’s wing extended, comforting her acquaintance.

“I came to check if everything was all right, but…” he chuckled heartily when the pair blushed at his comment. “I see I am mistaken.” Twilight gave him a bashful smile.

“Hush now, Spike.”

He laughed and flew over to mess her hair with his claws, his own way of showing affection. Now that he can fly his new abilities gave him better ideas to annoy the librarian, something that he had the pleasure of doing so. Comet chuckled at them, sharing a smile with Owlicious. Twilight then made a face and turned to her dragon, “Did you clean everything for the night? I wouldn’t want to have a rat incident again when Pee-wee left his food on the floor.” Spike rolled his eyes at the disgusted look on his mother figure’s face, but assured her that he cleaned every nook and cranny that he missed.

Suddenly, as the dragon was about to wish everypony good night, a bright flash shot past their window, landing in front of them. A timberwolf’s howl could be heard in the distance, getting closer and closer. They all shared a worried glance with each other before rushing outside into the pounding rain. A Pegasus mare, with a messy white coat and silver eyes, collapsed onto the ground beneath a giant timberwolf. Her long blue and brown hair was scattered with blood, hers no doubt. What shocked them the most though, is that she was still picking herself up, and glared at the beast. “So that’s how you wanna play it…”

She spoke clearly, a tone in her voice that she never realized she had. She glared at the opponent in front of her. Its entire body was made out of timber, a foul smell coming from its breath that reeked so bad her nostrils wanted to run away and die. A million questions were going through her head at this moment, but she didn’t bother the time to answer them. She was a little wobbly on her newly formed hooves—as she come to realize that she no longer had fingers, which was awesome and creepy at the same time—and a tad shaky on her first throw, but she made the impression that she was mad. Really mad.

She flew up in the air, dodging an attack that the timberwolf threw at her. From below, Twilight and Comet were still staring at her with opened mouths. How she managed to cover from the fall so quickly, they’ll never know. Spike was the one who snapped out of his trance first, flying up into the sky next to the mare. “Alright; let’s do this!” He exclaimed as he flapped his wings. The timberwolf recovered from the blow then, and growled.

“Fresh meat up in here, dog-breath!” He called out to it, breaking a rock he picked up into tiny pieces and throwing each one at the timberwolf. The beast roared in its attempt to doge each attack. The tortured mare watched the show with growing horror. She couldn’t believe it. In the city she grew up in, she witnessed a robbery, a house fire, murders; anything you can think of. However… a teenage dragon battling a five-foot-something timberwolf, and turning into a Pegasus? She screamed when the timberwolf slashed its claw onto her back, making her crash into the library sign.

Yeah. I’ve had better days, She finally reasoned, groaning the blood that trickled down her neck. The human could barely make out the beast aiming towards a male and a mare unicorn beside her. She didn’t know how she got this sudden wave of energy, but next thing she knew was that same, bright red light engulfed her from before, and she flew head first to the timberwolf. Then everything turned black again within the blink of an eye.

Chapter one

Chapter one: Welcome to the library

“Hey… Twilight, she’s waking up!” A voice murmured in the girl’s—well, now mare’s—subconscious.

“Oh thank goodness. I was getting worried.”

A sharp pain in her back caused the mare to open her eyes sooner, taking notice of the dry blood from the previous night. Her bleary eyes scanned the room she resided in; there was a shelf filled with books on her left, by her bed was a nightstand with a lamp, and on the far side of the room was a mirror. Curious, she leaned over to get a good long look at herself.

She was staring back at a familiar shade of blue eyes. Her fur was a messy shade of white, while her hair was brown, but it had blue streaks after every braid due to a rebellious moment she had a few years previous. The few things that only seemed familiar were the nose ring, and the eyes. Other than that, the body itself was foreign to her.

“Um, is everything alright?” One of the ponies asked, and she matched the voice to the white one with the nurse’s hat. She blinked in response. “I understand it’s a lot to take in. I had to give you around 27 stitches on that scar of yours while you were sleeping. You have a scrape on your cheek too, but I can’t do anything else to it.”

Twilight smiled at her and nodded. “You were very brave out there. I bet even Rainbow Dash would be impressed.”

The mare just stared at the two with her mouth agape, before she spoke up again. “Where… where am I? Is this, some kind of prank?” Her voice squeaked when the last word left her lips, and she gripped the covers with her newly formed hooves.

“Prank?” The nurse pony mumbled, sharing a look with Twilight. “No, no dear I can assure you it isn’t. You’re in Equestria now; the Golden Oaks Library… Books and Branches, to be exact. Twilight here let you sleep in her guest bedroom until you’re well enough.”

Those words fell upon deaf ears however, as she began to shake back and forth in a frantic manner. Her eyes were slightly crossed, making the two other ponies take a couple steps away from her. “I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming.” She chanted. If things couldn’t get any worse, Spike decided that right then would be the perfect time he showed up.

“Hey Twilight, hey Nurse Redheart; how’s the mare doing?” He asked casually, folding his arms behind his head. Twilight was about to usher him out when a piercing scream filled the room, and all tilted their heads up to see the poor mare hugging a pole on the ceiling, her wings shot up in fear.

“…He’s… HE’S A TALKING DRAGON!” She screeched. Spike raised his eyebrows and chuckled, shaking his head.

Nurse Redheart couldn’t hold in her laughter when that happened, even though she cursed herself for it later on. “You just took on a three foot Timberwolf and you’re afraid of a talking dragon.” She spoke in a flat tone, closing her eyes.

“Surprisingly, I’ve gotten a lot worse reception than that when my wings grew in.” He told her, smiling. He then turned to the scared mare trapped on the ceiling. “I may look the type, but I won’t hurt ya.”

Twilight nodded. “Come on, let’s get down from there.” Using her magic, she slowly moved the frightened pony off of the pole and into the bed. She gave her a soft smile. “Now just take deep breaths. You can do it.”

It took a while, but after doing what she was told, she could finally take a good look at her saviors. Her eyes grew wide again. “Whoa… you’re; an alicorn. And that pink light that you used to get me down, that- that was legit magic, wasn’t it!” She grinned and pointed to Nurse Redheart. “You’re an Earth Pony! You guys probably either work on farms or hospitals for the public!” She then finally turned her gaze to Spike, who merely smirked. She nodded in approval. “Cool wings. They’re all backwards.” She simply said, fighting a smile.

Twilight furrowed her eyebrow as she stared at her. “Did you just… figure all of that out within mere speculation?” The mare looked at her oddly before she shyly nodded, a small blush appearing on her face. Twilight giggled as she remembered Fluttershy’s reaction the first time she met Spike. “Ah, well I guess introductions are pointless. But I’ll just tell you anyways. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“The names Spike,” The dragon replied, lifting up off the air a little.

“Nurse Redheart; I’ll be coming over from time to time so I can check on you.” A pause, “What’s your name, dear?”

“I… uh,” She frowned, stopping for a minute. The calm, fascinated looks written on the ponies faces urged her to continue. She hated that she felt so drawn to them. “Trinity.”

“Oh,” Nurse Reheart said in pleasant surprise. “What a beautiful name.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s just a hunch I have… but, do you remember where you were from? Before that Timberwolf attacked you?”

Trinity shrugged at that. “Yeah; my brains a little fuzzy right now though. I guess ‘cause I’m just tired.” She heard Twilight let out a sigh of relief.

“At least she’s not suffering from amnesia.” She told Nurse Redheart.

“You’re not going to believe me but, I used to be a human. Then something happened to me that forced me to change into…erm, this.” She muttered, spreading out her wings for emphasis. “Don’t know how though.” Silence. Nobody spoke after she admitted it. Then it was Spike who broke into a wide grin, lulling his head to one side.

“I knew it. I knew you would say something like that.” Twilight stared at him in disbelief.

“Ah, elaborate.”

“Gladly. Manitcores were said to be myths. Hydra’s were said to be myths. Coctrice’s were said to be myths. Humans? Them too! But now everything’s just a bunch of bullshit!” Spike wasn’t angry by this; in fact, he was elated. He proved a valid point.

“Alright, alright,” Twilight shushed, “I see where you’re getting at.”

Nurse Redheart giggled at the scene and turned to Trinity, tipping her head as a farewell. “I’ll check how you are tomorrow. Hope you have a goodnight.” She nodded and whispered something to Twilight before leaving down the stairs.

Trinity couldn’t respond; she felt the sleepyness drift back. “If you need anything let me know, okay?” Twilight told her with a smile, walking over to nuzzle her. Trinity stiffened at the touch, and just stared back at her with wide, confused eyes. Spike waved a claw as a goodbye before following.

“Y-yeah…sure…” Trinity muttered with a frown, once everyone disappeared from her. She pulled her covers high above her head. She then forced herself to close her eyes, not looking forward to the nightmares that visit her every single night. “Whatever.”

******

Princess Celestia sighed as she read the scroll Twilight had sent her, a wave of mixed feelings aching at her heart. She had seen the bright red light shoot through the sky before anypony else did; it wasn’t hard to deny something like that. She had caught the signs. They were… all too familiar.

“Sis-sister!” Princess Luna cried, running down the castle hall. She didn’t even stop when she knocked down a Royal Guard. “Sister, have you seen—“

“I have, Luna.” She told her, getting up from her place. “I also received a well thought-out letter from my faithful student and fellow princess. These times are dire, I’m sure you’ve known, but I have a feeling they’ll only get worse.”

Luna paused, licking her dry lips as she shifted on her hooves. She looked into her sister’s eyes. “Have you tried to reach her? At all?...”

“Every day, Lu,” Celestia muttered. She carefully placed the letter on the shelf beside her. She then walked over to a window, gazing out into the stars. ”My heart aches to hear her voice, but I know that it will not answer. She is too far gone.”

Luna could only nod at that, feeling remorse over her grieving sister. She followed her and stood next to her, resting her head on her neck. “Focus on the present for now, Celly. That’s all we’ll speak of.” Luna muttered dejectedly, and then she too, lost her eyes to the starry sky.

Chapter two

Chapter two: slowly but surely

Sleep was one of the many things in life that Trinity dreaded. It never calmed her. Even if her days were moderately decent, she still found herself staring at her white ceiling in the middle of the night. And being in this new world… it, made no difference.

“Rise and shine!” A cheery, familiar voice called out to her, causing her to groan loudly. Spike chuckled. “Not a morning pony, huh?”

“What is it?” Trinity merely grumbled, sinking low under her covers.

He held up a plate of food. On it was placed a bowl of oatmeal, next to a blueberry muffin, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Spike walked over and put it on her bedside table. “Hungry?”

“Sure.” She replied, wanting to speak a few words as possible.

“I highly recommend you eat the muffin first. It’s a recipe that our friend Derpy created. She might not know her right hoof from her left, but she’s a beast when it comes to this kind of stuff.” He complemented fondly, nodding over to her. She just shrugged in response and took a bite, her tongue happily adjusting to the new flavors.

Spike fought a smile as he watched her eat, leaning casually against the bed pedestal. “You’re pretty quiet this morning. Everything okay?”

“Besides the pain my back is in. And adjusting to these things.” Trinity answered, and levitated her wings, grunting a bit. She shook her head as she went on to try eating the oatmeal that was served for her.

“Nurse Redheart will come this afternoon to check on you. As for your wings, our other friend Rainbow Dash can help you out once your cuts heal. Or even Twilight.” He suggested, hoping to crack a smile from his new acquaintance. She didn’t look up at him.

“Mr. Popular, are we?” She muttered.

Spike flinched, “Nah. I’m just friendly. Besides, that title honorably goes to Pinkie Pie.”

“’Honorably,’” Trinity mocked, jabbing the oatmeal with her fork. She didn’t even want to take her chances anymore. “Sure, I’ll believe that.”

“Jeez… did you, have a problem with bullies or something? All of our friends would be nice to you, I promise. Ponyville’s a great place.” Spike frowned at her with his snout casted downwards, not liking this sudden attitude change Trinity brought up.

A silence filled the air for the moments that followed and Spike studied her face with sullen curiosity. She finally let out a frustrated sigh, pushing the tray of food away from her. “Finished.”

“Err, alright.” Spike muttered in response, reaching over to grasp it in his claws. Trinity hid under her blankets and watched him go, another wave of sadness washing over her. She tried to convince herself that the selfless dragon was only trying to comfort her, but her heart ached too much to care.

Twilight yawned as she blew out her nightly candle, letting Celestia’s sun fill the room naturally. The rain was still pelting hard against the window sill, but many of the storm clouds passed on by. She shared a knowing smile with her pet owl before she heard Spike’s hello, and turned to face him. “Hey bud. How was she? Thanks for bringing up the food; I had a couple scrolls I needed to sort out.”

“Not a problem Twi.” He shrugged as he tried to hide a smile, bringing the plate of food into the kitchen. The alicorn caught his sour mood, however. Years of raising him taught her that.

“Spike,” She strictly called out, passing him a stern look. “Come on, what did she say to you?”

He frowned at her as he threw his hands up in the air. “I-I don’t know! I mean, shouldn’t a pony be grateful that she survived a Timberwolf attack? She shrugged it off like it was nothing! An-and, I think something really bad happened to her in her past when she was a human, Twilight. She… she wouldn’t even crack a smile.” He said with remorse, hiding his face in his hands.

Twilight smiled sadly at his words; she knew how caring he could be when a pony is in need. It was one of the many traits she was proud that he possessed. “I had a feeling something else was going on when I showed affection to her. D-don’t worry Spike, once her cuts heal it’ll be top priority to make her smile again.”

“You really think we could help?” He asked, sighing when Twilight nuzzled him to calm his nerves.

“Only time will tell, Spike.” She assured him, and with a confident smile, went back to organizing her scrolls.

******

“Darling, is everything alright here? I saw what happened from my boutique.” Ponyville’s fashion protégé asked, giving her friend a knowing frown. She was quickly joined by the other members of the Mane 6 once she left her store; all were concerned for the mysterious Pegasus.

Twilight smiled and nodded upstairs. “She’s asleep. Haven’t heard a word out of her since last night.”

“Well, ah can imagine. Fighting a mighty beast like that Timberwolf sure ain’t pretty.” Applejack muttered, shaking her head in disdain. “She didn’t get too hurt, did she?”

The alicorn frowned at this and her wings descended slowly. “She practically got mauled, Applejack. Nurse Redheart had to stay for hours just stitching up a huge scar on her side. It’s amazing how she just shrugged it off later on.”

Rainbow Dash grinned as her wings began to flap with excitement. “She sounds like a heckuva character. I can’t wait to properly teach her the joys of flying.”

Applejack gave her a flat look. “We have a tortured mare on our hooves, and that’s the only thing ya are worried about?”

“Well, can you blame me? I’m totally ‘siked for this! Nothing new has happened around here since I became a Wonderbolt,” She grinned, rubbing off the annoyed tone in her friend’s voice. “New Pegasus buddy for the win!”

“U-um, just to let you know Twi, she is always welcome at my place if you’re busy at the library.” Fluttershy suggested with a warm smile. “I can’t wait to meet her as well.”

“Oooh! Me too, me too! I’ll even through her the biggest, bestest Pinkie Pie party ever! With balloons, and streamers, and cupcakes, a-and I’ll bring my PARTY CANNON! YEAH!” Pinkie pie exclaimed as she began to hop in her place. Rainbow rolled her eyes at her energetic friend, pulling her back down to the ground with her tail.

The timid Pegasus grinned at them. “J-just, um, what’s her name? Did she remember it?”

Twilight nodded, “Her names Trinity. It sounds so… harmonic. At least that’s what I think.”

Rarity put her hoof to her chin as she furrowed her eyebrow in thought. “But darling, that’s not very Ponish, or Equestrian at all for that matter.” The group of friends muttered amongst themselves, causing the librarian to frown.

“I know. That’s why I’ve come up with a back story, and a new name. Around town she’ll be known as Starlet Dawn, and that she’s a traveling mare from a far-off country.”

Rarity grinned at her smugly. “Been reading those fiction novels again, are we?” Rainbow flung her hooves in the air with mock-horror.

“Twilight Sparkle reading fiction?! This is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING.” She screeched, and crashed onto the floor with a thwump. Spike happened to come by then from the kitchen and see her. He shook his head, making his way back up the stairs, calling Trinity’s name.

“Rainbow, you know I love you like a sister, but if you use my dramatic phrase again I won’t hesitate to buck you to the moon.” Rarity sneered harshly, peering up at her. The cyan Pegasus shrunk under her gaze, but nodded before flying off the ground.

Applejack was in a fit of hysteria as she tilted her Stetson to hide her blushing face. She then shook her head and turned to Twilight. “Ah think that’s a mighty fine idea. But we have to talk ta Trinity if she’s okay with it.”

“Of course Applejack…. What do you girls think?” She asked, turning to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. They smiled and nodded, although the party pony’s nod was more enthusiastic. Twilight giggled and she let out a tired sigh.

“Also, I’d be happy to make an outfit for the darling when she’s able to walk. The poor thing.” Rarity spoke up, lulling her head softly.

“Thank you girls for being so supportive; I’m keeping a positive outlook on this for Spike, but, I’m really starting to get worried about her. Like, that there’s a whole other side to this story that we don’t know about.”

Applejack nodded sympathetically. “Ah hear ya Twilight; this place is sure full of mysteries.” She sighed and looked out the window to see the sun in the middle of the sky. “Welp, guess ah should get goin’, ah have’ta check on Applebloom to see if she didn’t burn down the farm while I was gone.” She let out a short laugh before tipping her hat to her friends, and trotted out the door.

“I think I’m going to head out too, I must open up my boutique before it’s too late.” Rarity waved goodbye, and with a dramatic flip of her mane she left the library. Rainbow Dash shrugged and yawned in response, rubbing her eyes.

“I’m going to find a puffy cloud to sleep on before I leave for the Wonderbolts Academy. Catch you later, Twilight.” She said, and was about to fly away when she turned back to her friend.

Twilight laughed as she waved her off, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walking out seconds after. She then sighed when she realized that she was alone, looking out the window to see them all descending through the streets in different directions. Most of the Ponyfolk were out and about for the morning, as if nothing odd had occurred at all the previous night.

“I really hope Trinity will be alright here.” She whispered to herself, and her ears twitched to the sound of a light snore coming from the upstairs guest bedroom.

Chapter three

Chapter three: meeting the elements

***

That week went by way too slow for Trinity; she felt like she was stuck in some weird Twilight Zone, where everything was so strange and weird to her. She had, although, gotten used to picking up several common items with her hooves. Spike visited her regularly as he assisted her; they learned to cope with one another, given that her survival was much more needed then pointless arguments. Twilight as well, came by to check on her from time to time, asking her how she was feeling. She was grateful for the small-talk.

Another plus: reading took up most of her time, to which the library had an endless supply of novels and documentaries. She learned so much about the history of Ponyville, and was surprised to see that her saviors were a big chunk of it. The events of a trouble maker named Discord, Nightmare Moon, and some weird evil Queen of the changelings –or whatever they were called- named Chrystalis were all connected to the Elements of Harmony, which Twilights and her friends bestowed. It was all very fascinating.

“Morning,” The friendly dragon greeted, and Trinity replied with a small smile. She had just finished breakfast. “How do you feel about going for a walk around town? Twilight wants to introduce you to our friends. Maybe you can even earn a job.”

Trinity blinked, lulling her head against the pillow. “Wait, are you saying I can get out of this bed for reals?”

Spike grinned. “Eeyup,”

“Fucking finally,” She cussed, and stretched her wings. She let him carefully take her hoof into his hand to help her out. He slowly eased away from her, allowing her to maneuver on all four of her hooves. “God, this is so weird.”

Spike laughed at her reactions but stayed close by her side, beaming a confident smile. “Wait till you learn how to fly.”

“I’d probably break a few things… or myself. No wait, I already did that.” She responded slyly, grinning at him. She waited for a snarky remark but her acquaintance said nothing as he led her downstairs. Twilight smiled kindly at the two when they successfully walked into the living room.

“Whenever you feel tired, Trinity, we can always teleport back to here.” She paused for a second. “Oh, and do you remember your backstory?”

Trinity sighed, rolling her eyes a bit. “I’m just your average traveling pony who’s looking for a place to settle down—I can’t remember my hometown since it was so long ago. My name is Starlet Dawn.” She frowned and shook her head. “How the hell did you even come up with this?”

“To be honest, I don’t know. It just… seemed to fit you. Or, do you want to make any changes?” She asked, “That’s alright with me.”

Trinity frowned and didn’t respond to her, stumbling on her hooves as she walked towards the door. Spike shared a knowing look with his mother-figure before following her, and the three walked out into burning daylight. She breathed in the fresh morning air as they strolled farther down the road. She became a little wary however when she thought other ponyfolk was staring, but soon relieved when they didn’t even bother to take a second’s glance. Twilight giggled and gave her a gentle nudge with her wing.

“Ponyville is the crown jewel for new creatures. Somepony like you won’t even perturb them.”

“My wounds aren’t surprising?”

“Trust me, we’ve experienced much... stranger things.” Spike chimed. Trinity just stared at him with a dubious look as she tried to take this new information in. She idly stared at the shops around them, most of the owners passing a wave or a curious smile. She shrugged it all off however, her mind convincing her that they didn’t want anything to do with her.

They had finally reached the boutique that belonged to Twilight’s dear friend, and the Element of Generosity, as Trinity remembered from the books, Rarity Belle. Trinity stared at the store with a grim look on her face, getting a vibe that she wouldn’t enjoy herself here. Or even the pony that resided, for that matter.

She couldn’t make a comment about it however, for the door swung open revealing the unicorn. She smiled warmly at all three of them, especially at Trinity, who had begun to crouch in fear.

“Hey Rarity,” Spike said in a suave tone, waving his claw. “’Sup?”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Rarity giggled, kissing her coltfriend’s cheek. “Good morning. Oh! And hello, Trinity. –Or aaah, I should probably call you Starlet, now- It’s good to see you up and about finally.”

Trinity could only mumble something in return, as she shyly averted her gaze. “Yeah I… I guess it’s a relief to be able to walk again.” Barely,

“I can imagine,” Rarity smiled, and opened the door wider to let them in. “What are you standing out here for? Come in, come in!” When Trinity wouldn’t move, Twilight nudged her to get her moving. She groaned softly and made her way into the spacious studio, gazing at the unique designs in the room.

“I guess I should’ve known she would pull a Fluttershy,” Rarity mumbled towards the princess, shaking her head sadly. “Okay, well I’ll see what I can do.”

“You’ll like her, Rare.” Twilight assured her.

“Yes. Um,” Rarity cleared her throat and nodded to the wondering Pegasus, who snapped her head up to listen. “Now darling, I’ve been working on an outfit that’ll be just perfect for you. Twilight here ordered me to make it.”

Trinity eyed Twilight with a frown. “Why would I need to wear a frilly dress?”

“New life, a new outfit,” She suggested, shrugging. Rarity nodded in approval.

“It’s just a simple vest, dear. I figured that purple would look absolutely stunning with your dark brown coat. What do you think?” An easel floated nearby them, and Trinity peered up to get a better look. She fought a smile at the detailed work of art; it indeed was a vest, with purple colored denim for the material and darker color gems on the brim of it. Trinity had to admit the outfit suited her fancy.

“Fine,” She muttered, fighting a smile. “Do I have to pay or anything?”

Rarity laughed and shook her head, “N-no dear, not at all. Think of this as a ‘welcome to Ponyville’ gift. Besides, you fought off that timberwolf like he was just a silly night mare—you deserve a thank you of some kind.”

“Oh… that, w-wasn’t me.” Trinity tried to sound to sound convincing, but the fashonista wouldn’t hear any of it.

“Now, now, forget the modesty,” She assured her, and nodded over to her a stage that rose a few feet above the floor.

“Climb up there for a moment dear. I have to start measuring you.”

Trinity did what she was told without question. Spike nodded to urge her on as well, trying to make her feel welcome in the boutique. He swore he would do whatever it took to have her warm up to them. Twilight gave her son an affectionate nudge, letting him know that she would help out.

“Oh yes. Now that I look at this closer it will suit you, very much.” Rarity giggled, taking out some measuring tape from the closet nearby. She then jotted down notes onto her scrapbook she levitated towards her, and began looking for strings that she could work with for the outfit. She sighed in content.

Trinity on the other hoof, didn’t take too kindly at the wait. She could remember back when she was younger going shopping with a group of girlfriends, and just resented waiting for her turn to try on stuff. She always had a bad experience whenever she went to a mall, or any shopping center, and never regretted listening to her mother’s reassuring tone that everything would be alright. It never was.

After an hour of fidgeting, and glancing over helplessly to Twilight, Trinity’s designer finally took two steps back. She radiated a smile that could only mean pride. “I knew you would look wonderful. See, what did I tell you? That vest is simply gorgeous.”

Trinity gasped as she stared at her new outfit in the mirror. She felt a slimy, hot liquid suddenly cascade down her cheeks that caused her to blink a few times in confusion. “O-oh… oh shit,” She rubbed her hoof on her muzzle. “Damn it all. Rarity, this is amazing. Thank you.”

“Aw. Why thank you darling, there’s no need to cry over this. I’m just performing a friendly gesture.” She sighed and nuzzled her. Twilight and Spike glanced at each other warily, fearing the worst.

“I-I know you guys are really concerned ab-about me, but I’m not up for talking out it. I… don’t think I’ll ever be.” Trinity sighed, pawing at the floor.

“Whenever you want to talk, Trinity, we’re here, okay? Whoever harmed you in your past… forget about it for now. On behalf of the town of Ponyville, I can assure you we’re different than that.”

She nodded and smiled at her new friends before turning back to Rarity. “Really, thanks for this. It looks great.”

“Anytime darling; oh it was such a pleasure meeting you. Surely you’ll stop by again?” Rarity asked hopefully and they all walked towards the door. Trinity said nothing and she just nodded, giving her a small smile.

“Thanks Rarity. You've helped a great deal.” Twilight spoke, nodding towards the dragon and Pegasus to keep going. They grinned, idly breaking into conversation as they walked out the door.

Spike chuckled and put his hands behind his back in a comfortable position. He looked at his acquaintance, who glared. “Don’t say ‘I told you so’ because I won’t regard your existence.”

“Geez,” He mumbled, “Somepony has a rain cloud over their head.”

“Fine; keep it there.”

“You just regarded my existence.”

“Well you didn’t say I told you so!” She exclaimed, pointing an exasperated hoof at him. He doubled over in laughter as she looked at him frantically, her eyes going almost crazed again. God, she was getting so depressed.

“Will you quit yelling at me?”

“…Sorry…” She finally sighed, hanging her head low. “Forget it.”

Spike mentally facepalmed and shook his head at her before turning his gaze towards the sky. Rainbow Dash should be on her break now from the Weather Patrol Team, so she could be anywhere. He wanted to see if the cyan daredevil could get her to crack. That, in all probability, would he a welcoming sight.

“Anyway, I want to see where Rainbow Dash is. You know, the Pegasus I’ve been telling you about? I swear she’ll make you feel 20% cooler.”

“Whoo-hoo,” She said sarcastically, giving him a flat look.

“You know, your attitude is really starting to—“

“Hey mah ponies! What goes on?” A figure swooped down, landing in front of Trinity and Spike. Rainbow Dash gave her a friendly smile. “I was just practicing for the Wonderbolts competition next month. Sorry if I’m late to meet you.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem, Dash.” Spike waved a claw, letting a sigh of relief escape his lips. He nodded over to Trinity. “So Trinity, meet Rainbow Dash. She’s one of the most awesome flyers –and my best friend- in Ponyville.”

“Aw, quit it with the flattery. Only I can boast, remember?” She playfully chastised, slapping her hoof on Spike’s shoulder. He laughed and levitated a off the ground to be next to her. “And hey,” She turned to face Trinity. “Glad to finally meet you—Twilight’s been telling us some pretty promising things. I think it was something about taking on a timberwolf?”

Trinity rolled her eyes as she blushed, “What’s it to you?”

Rainbow eyed her carefully and glanced over at Spike, who facepalmed. “I like the attitude ya got. But what I really want to judge is how well you can fly. You’re getting those stitches off in a week or so, right?” Trinity nodded, “You. Me. Downtown. Race. Are you up for it?”

“S-so,” She gulped, pawing at the ground nervously, “Will this be a yes or no question?”

“Actually I was aiming it to be a rhetorical one. ‘Cause from what I can tell, you need some roughing up… uh, everywhere.” Rainbow Dash grinned, and she made a circle around Trinity’s figure for emphasis. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. I swear.”

“Sure, okay.” She muttered with a sigh, not really up for it. She just wanted to get the Pegasus off her back for the time being. It wasn’t like she had someplace to be, but… you know. She just had issues.

“Aaaalright then. See ya on Weather Patrol, Spike-dude?” Rainbow finally spoke, turning to her long term friend. He grinned and nodded. “Cool; and look out for me Trin, I’ll be up in the clouds somewhere if you wanna stop by.” With that, she took off, leaving the duo in a smoke of dust.

Twilight’s right, Rainbow thought as she made a loop in the air. There IS something off about her. But I just can’t put my hoof on WHAT. She frowned, staring curiously at Trinity and Spike as they strolled over to Applejack’s barn. She then shook her head and sighed, deciding to fly in the opposite direction for the rest of the day. Sorry, Twilight, I couldn’t do it. It’s either up to Applejack or Flutters now…

A certain, pink colored earth pony was bouncing through the streets of Ponyville, her muzzle tilted downwards in a curious gaze. Her eyebrows were furrowed in thought as she searched for a mysterious Pegasus. She too, had felt the same, odd sensation about the issue when Twilight pointed it out the other day, but she never had the chance to discuss it with any of her friends.

“Uh, Pinks, what are you doing?” Lyra Heartstrings asked, looking up from her lyre. She would always set up by the Florist in the morning, playing for her own entertainment. Ponies would stop by from time to time and give her bits, even though she refused. The only odd thing about her situation was Pinkie Pie hiding within one of the haystacks. That, she knew, wouldn’t have a simple answer.

“Where is the chosen one…” was her only response. The unicorn just rolled her eyes as she sighed, and began to play her lyre again. Its best not to over think things when it came to Pinkie Pie.

“…So then she’s like, ‘Oatmeal, are you crazy—ooof!” Spike landed on the ground with a thud, knocked down by the said pony. Pinkie Pie grinned widely at Trinity, making her feel a little uncomfortable. She took a couple steps back.

“Why is she smiling at me?” She warily asked Spike, only to get a shaking head for an answer. He held up his claw, breaking into a grin as recent memories came back to his mind. To break the oncoming silence, Pinkie let out a large, excited gasp that alerted everypony around them, including the Princesses far away in Canterlot. And after sharing a beaming smile with the terrified victim, she dashed off towards Sugar Cube corner only a few seconds later.

Trinity slowly turned to Spike, her eyes bulging out of her head. “That was… considered normal, right? There’s nothing out of the ordinary here?”

“Expect a party in the center of town by the end of the week. I think that was her original motive.” Spike simply replied to her, hiding a grin that tugged at the edges of his lips.

Chapter four

Chapter four:

“The bold are helpless without the cleverness.” ~Euripides

“Spike! Starlet!” Twilight called, trotting over to them with a smile. “Sorry I’m late. Did you meet up with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie?”

“K-kinda…” Trinity mumbled, her ears going flat at the memory. Spike let out a chuckle.

“Eh? What do you mean by that?” She asked, falling into step as they made their way farther up the trail to Applejack’s farmhouse. She smiled at the pleasant breeze flowing through her hair, with Spike grinning as he began to gently glide next to her.

“Well, Rainbow Dash threatened me to a race while Pinkie Pie just… I don’t know what the hell happened there. Is gasping for breath a sign of happiness?” Trinity pondered, frowning slightly. Twilight didn’t catch this however, as she just answered her with a giggle.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, she means well.”

“Okay,” She sighed, and remained silent for the rest of the walk up. Twilight was the first to notice the farm pony, bucking a tree on the far side of the farm. A caramel colored coat was close by her, carrying two crates full on his back. It’s obvious that he was in pain from lifting the weight, but he surprisingly kept his face in a thin line for the mare in front of him.

“Hello, Applejack!” Twilight grinned, turning her trot into a small gallop. She tipped her Stetson in reply as a clump of apples fell safely into another crate.

“Well howdy ya’ll. Glad to see you up and out of bed already Miss. Starlet.” Applejack greeted. She flicked her hair off of her face and winked. “We was mighty worried about yew here.”

“Th-thanks,” Trinity mumbled, looking down at the floor as she blushed.

“A-ah… I’m going to take these up to the barn, is that okay Applejack?” The caramel pony asked, wincing. He then forced a smile to greet the newcomer. “Oh, and good evening Starlet.”

"Um... hi."

Applejack chuckled as Trinity repeated her action from before, itching closer to Twilight for comfort. Spike shook his pityingly head at her. “Don’t see why not. Go on ahead, sugar.” She instructed him, and he broke into a wide smile before trotting back over to the barn.

“Who is that?” Trinity asked.

“He’s Caramel: jus’ an old friend of mine. Got himself into a heap o’ trouble this past year –family matters and all of that- so I let him live on the barn, as long as he works hard and pays lifts his own weight. Ah… ah git frustrated towards him sometimes, but we learned to work things out.”

Twilight thought for a moment, putting her hoof to her chin. “He’s the pony that forgot the hayseeds a few Winter Wrap Up’s ago, wasn’t he?”

“Eeyup… an’ every year now tis something’ new,” A voice from afar chuckled, and Trinity turned around to stare at a massive red colt. Applejack blew a raspberry as she shooed him away, hiding her face with her Stetson. She didn’t want to show anypony that she was blushing.

“Ah try not ta dwell on it.”

Spike grinned and was about to make a comment, when three, blurry figures crashed through the barn’s fence. Trinity gasped as she took a few steps closer to see what they were. The first pony, lying in an uncomfortable position on the ground was a unicorn, with big adorable eyes and curly purple/pink hair. The other was more of a cream colored Earth pony that fell on top of her, and tied up her hair in a bun. And the last, was a rebellious-looking Pegasus with orange fur; she got herself caught in the rubble of her skateboard. The only thing that these three fillies had in common, Trinity realized with a giggle, that they were covered in tree sap.

“What the hay is it this time?” Applejack drawled, storming over to them.

“We were just coming home from Fluttershy’s, is all. Scootaloo’s scooter had a malfunction.” The filly with the bow spoke up, plastering a fake smile. Trinity tilted her head at this.

“A ‘malfunction’,” Scootaloo scoffed, and pointed an accusing hoof at the gate. “More like it was sabotaged! All it took was for us to stop at Pinkie Pie’s, get a dozen cupcakes for us to share, Sweetie Belle to belt out a song for some random stranger, for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to mess with it!” She screeched.

Sweetie Belle, upon hearing this, frowned and took a box of cupcakes out from under her, “Yeah… they, kinda got squished in the fall. Sorry.”

“It’s okay girls,” Twilight smiled, levitating the box away from them with her magic.

Applebloom sighed and shook her head at her friends. “How can two ponies like tha’ stoop so low? Ah swear, Scoot’s, ya just hit a rock and it broke. None of us saw ‘em come by anyways.”

Applejack broke into a grin as she let out an annoyed sigh, going over to help the fillies. “And even after all of this, ya still managed to get covered in tree sap?” They only responded to her with a mere shrug, and got back up on all fours.

“Well… how ‘bout you girls go to the hose by the barn an’ wash yerselves off. Then Big Mac’ll help ya restore the scooter.”

Only three dejected ‘yays’ came as a reply, and the three walked past Trinity without even looking up at her. She was stunned a little by this, but didn’t even bother to make a complaint. She knew she’ll see them around town later on. Twilight sighed as she looked up at the sunset that was already low in the sky, and turned her gaze apologetically to Applejack.

“We better get going to visit Fluttershy before it’s too late. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Jack.”

“’Tis no problem… One day ya’ll visit the farm, right? That way ah can properly introduce ya to mah family, an’ Ah can’t wait ta hear more about ya.” Trinity blinked when she realized the question was directed towards her. She smiled and nodded,

“Y-yeah, hopefully when I get better; these apple trees look beautiful.”

“Why thank ya kindly. Oh… and sorry about mah little sis and her friends, they’re young, so they git out of hoof sometimes. Fluttershy can’t always watch them ‘cause she has her animals to take care of, so it’s been difficult keepin’ those girls in line,” Applejack shook her head at the thought, “’Side from that, it was nice for a chat. Ah hope you grow to like an’ enjoy yerself in Ponyville, Starlet. Ah really do.”

Trinity let out a happy sigh as they began to leave, looking back once at the family she just met. I try to enjoy myself, Applejack. She thought with a frown. B-but every time I do… karma bites me in the flank. Don’t take it personally.

The animal smell reached Trinity’s nose even before the small group made it too the cottage. Birds, squirrels, bunnies, the list when on as she caught sight of all the creatures, making her stop in her tracks.

“What’s the matter, Trin- I mean, Starlet?” Twilight muttered, eyeing her curiously.

“Does, she own every single one of them? This… this might as well be a petting zoo!”

Spike shushed her by putting his claw up to her mouth, casting a wary look by the cottage. Luckily, the kind mare was nowhere in sight. “The buck is your problem? This is what Fluttershy does for a living; it’s her destiny, her talent. The animals come here to thrive in her garden by choice. If you call it a petting zoo, you’re better off bringing Photo Finish in the picture.”

“I… I’m… jeez, sorry, I didn’t know…”

“What Spike is saying,” Twilight sighed, “Is that, Fluttershy’s a sweetheart. She doesn’t have her animals here for the public, or abuse. Heck… she wouldn’t even hurt a parasprite if she had the choice. On top of that, she’s not the type of pony to handle crowds very well.”

“Who’s Photo Finish.?” Trinity asked, taking her gaze away from Spike.

“Don’t ask.”

She resulted in staring at the ground as they continued to walk. Something caught her eye however and she gasped, taking a couple steps away from Twilight. A unicorn pony was coming straight towards her! It all happened too quickly for either of them. He rammed into Twilight head-on, knocking his books from his saddlebag in the process. Spike chuckled as the clumsy colt stuttered over his words, while Twilight remained oddly calm. Trinity glanced back at the teenaged dragon, confused as to why he wasn’t moving over to help them.

“I won’t interfere with love,” He merely replied, grinning, “Just watch.”

“S-sorry Twilight, I couldn’t see where I was going.” The colt muttered, moving a couple books into his saddlebag with magic. Twilight smiled and shook her head, picking up the rest of the reading material to help him out. She didn’t notice the blush appearing on his face.

“Th-that’s, no problem Comet. Accidents happen all the time.” She said. Comet Tail let out a sigh of relief when the road between them was cleared, and regarded Spike and Trinity behind her with a confident smile.

“Hey Spike, and hey… Starlet, was it?” He asked, to which Trinity nodded in reply. “I’m glad I’m finally meeting you in person; I couldn’t stay long the night you arrived, because I had to get back to my astronomy tower and see if it was still standing. But… thankfully you still are, too.”

“Oh,” Trinity blinked. “Well, thanks.”

“Comet often comes to the library to pick out a book, so there’s another friend you can hang out with. It sounds great, huh, Starlet?” Twilight smiled, nudging the Pegasus in an effort to make her smile. She only shrugged however, looking back at the ground. Spike slapped his head in frustration.

Comet didn’t take any note of this for he was staring at his object of affection, not ready to leave the unicorn so soon. However, the town clock struck six p.m, jolting him out of his daydream. He had to get back to the astronomy tower. “I-I, uh, better get going.”

“Us too,” Twilight nodded, “We have to visit Fluttershy. See you tomorrow night for stargazing, Comet. I hear Orion’s going to show. It’s Luna’s favorite.”

“I’ll be there.” He replied with a smile and a firm nod, looking down at the floor as he hid his blush. “Bye Spike, Starlet.”

The two nodded and waved him off, then turned to see Twilight’s expression. She too, had somewhat of a love-struck look on her face, but she was doing an awfully good job at hiding it. That was good enough for Spike. He patted Twilight on the shoulder in praise as they made their way closer to Fluttershy’s cottage. “Y’know Twilight, I’m surprised. I thought Comet would be the one to ask you out first.”

“Spike!” She gasped, almost bumping into Trinity. “How many times do I have to tell you? We’re not having an affair! It’s just scientific research!”

“Whatever you say,” He drawled. He even got Trinity to smile with him much to his surprise. She then decided to frown again and stare at the ground, watching as the pebbles got kicked out of the way. Spike gave up on all hope for the mysterious mare right then—he prayed to Celestia Fluttershy’s kindness would melt her stone wall heart.

“Fluttershy? You in there?” Twilight called out, knocking on the door.

“G-give me a minute Twi, I’ll answer.” The timid pony replied. She and Spike shared a knowing glance as they waited, making room for Trinity to walk up the stairs. As promised, a cream colored pegaus opened the door, greeting the three of them with a warm smile. “Twilght, Spike, Trinity! Oh I’m so glad you could make it. I was getting worried.”

“What took you so long, Flutters?” Spike asked, gliding into the small cottage. Twilight passed him a glare because she thought he was being rude to her old friend, but Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind. Trinity closed the door as she followed the group. She liked this mare’s house: it was warm and cozy; something that could be written in some sort of fairytale. The kitchen was just off to the side of the room, and the bedrooms were probably upstairs. The only thing that made the house different from the others, was that it was right next to the Everfree Forest. Who would want to live in a house next to a forest?

“Sorry Spike; after the Crusaders left for the barn, I was going out to feed my animals for the night. But then I heard a whimper not too far away, and found this little guy trapped in the foliage. Poor baby was traumatized by something.” She clicked her tongue sadly, moving out of the way to show a small brown coyote, curled up in a ball sleeping. Trinity felt her heart break at the sight of him; she didn’t even realize that she streaked across the room towards the male, leaning down on all fours. Spike and Twilight stared at their friend with opened-mouthed.

“Wh-who, would ever do such a thing?” She mumbled.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but these scars look like yours, Starlet. Do you think that… a timberwolf got to him?” Twilight asked curiously, once she regained her voice.

Trinity shook her head in disbelief. “That’s my guess. U-uhm, sorry I had to barge in like that, Fluttershy.” She sighed, looking up at the cream-colored pony.

Fluttershy just smiled at her, nuzzling her cheek. “It’s not a problem sweetie. What I need to ask of you, though, is that I can check on your wounds? I have some medicine that nurse Redheart told me to give to you. That is, if you don’t mind.”

Trinity smiled down at the coyote one more time before nodding, and stared at Twilight for assistance. “C-can you help me take off my vest? I’m, afraid I’ll take out the stitches if I do it myself.”

“Don’t worry Starlet, I gotcha.” She said. It wasn’t long before the pretty vest was placed on the couch, next to a tiny white rabbit. He curiously sniffed it and casts his eyes towards Trinity who gave him a small smile. He shrugged, hopping onto the floor.

“These are coming along quite well. You haven’t been itching at them, have you?” Fluttershy asked, placing a disinfectant cloth on the stitches. Trinity winced.

“S-sometimes,”

“Calm down, honey, I won’t hurt you.” She soothed in a quiet tone, and Trinity tried to let her shoulders slump to the floor.

“Please don’t scratch.” Soft humming filled the room as Fluttershy inspected her wounds, calming even the animal’s nerves. The coyote yawned and he blinked, staring at the new Pegasus with wide, curious eyes.

“H-hey little guy.” Trinity grinned, “Glad to see you up.”

Spike and Twilight shared a knowing glance with each other, but they refused to comment on this new development.

“When did you say you found him, again?”

“I didn’t. I found him trapped under the foliage about a week ago. Almost around the time you came here, Starlet.” She answered, putting the medicine in her first-aid kit. “I think of it as fate.”

“Fate? You believe in that?” Trinity mumbled as she stood up, a little shaky on her hooves.

“Why, of course. Everything happens for a reason. There are many lessons to learn and overcome in life; what’s the point in living if there’s no adventure every now and then?” Fluttershy stared at her fully then, giving her a motherly, stern look, “Some events aren’t meant to be dwelt upon forever. Years from now, you’ll suffer even greater tragedies and you’ll wonder, why was I worrying so badly?”

Silence passed between them for a few moments, before Trinity spoke up in a scratchy voice. “S-so you’re saying that, getting bullied ever since I was able to walk and talk on my planet is something that I should move on from? That, just because I think differently from everyone else, just because I like sitting alone, just because people accused me of a back-stabbing bitch for something I didn't even do is something that I can learn from? What moral could possibly be thrown in there?” She sobbed, falling flat onto the floor. The small coyote glanced at her in worry. “There's gotta be something wrong with me! Everything I do completely backfires!”

“I-it means,” Fluttershy sighed, becoming eye-level with her, “That those people who bullied you missed out on a very brave, special, and caring young mare. There’s nothing wrong with you, Starlet. Please listen.”

Trinity didn’t say anything as she just cried her feelings out right then and there, refusing to look up at her. She felt the coyote rub his face on her neck in an effort to sooth her, and she returned the favor. Spike and Twilight too, joined in the hug.

“Trinity…” She spoke up, using her true name for the first time. She wiped away her tears. “Will you promise me something?”

“W-what?”

“Promise me that you’ll forgive those mean, cruel bullies, move on, and live your new life here with a smile? I’m sure it’ll make your day so much better.”

“Pinkie Pie promise it, Flutters.” Spike suggested, folding his arms with a confident smile. Trinity gave him a weird look before turning her attention back to Fluttershy.

“O-oh, yes, Spike. Trinity, say this: Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She smiled, making her giggle.

“Tha-that’s dumb.” She muttered. Nevertheless, she sighed, and began to say it. She knew it’d be difficult to keep the resolution, but, hey, it’s worth a try. And now that you have new friends to help you out… She sighed as she repeated the pledge.

Twilight beamed with pride when the deed was finished, nuzzling her once. “Now was that so hard?”

“N-no,” Trinity breathed out an annoyed chuckle, “I guess it wasn’t.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy.” Spike smiles and wraps his arms around Trinity, not letting go of her even though she pushed him aside.

“Hehe. You’re welcome Spike.” She replied. She quickly glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh my, it’s almost nightfall. You guys better get going home before it’s too dark.”

Twilight yawned as she stood up, nodding over at Trinity to follow her. She passed Fluttershy a grateful smile. “You’re right. Thanks again for everything, ‘Shy.”

“I’d do anything to help a friend.” Trinity felt a warm, budding feeling fill up her heart right then. A smile forced its way onto her lips as she walked over to the couch to put on her vest. The small coyote followed her every move, as if a silent bond took place during the time she was visiting. She stared at him for a while as Twilight put on the vest for her. She gasped.

“Kovu!” She muttered, testing out how it sounded. “That’ll be a good name for ya.” The small coyote tilted its head to one side before it smiled, and started to jump around her happily. “I like him… ‘cause he’s just like me; all alone in the world, lost, and yet… found at the same time.”

Fluttershy stayed quiet for a few moments before nodding, and nuzzled the coyote. “You know what, why don’t you take care of him? I can’t think of a better pony to love the little guy than you. I have my hoofs filled with my other animals—a-and it’ll give you something to do during the day.”

Trinity gasped and jerked her head towards Twilight, as if to get her approval on this. The alicorn simply laughed and shook her head. “Listen, I’m just glad we got you to smile. You deserve every ounce of happiness in the world, Trinity.”

“Did I tell you she’d smile or did I tell you?” Spike muttered with a snarky grin, leaning against Twilight. She shook him off.

“You said eventually, Spike.”

“Only in the beginning!”

The mare laughed and shook her head at them, nuzzling her Kovu on the nose, who happily returned it. She gave a thankful smile to Fluttershy. “I-I can’t believe you’re willing to part with him.”

“You need Kovu more than I do, Trinity. It’s okay.” She assured her, and nodded to the door. “Now go on you three—Mayor Mare said you couldn’t go out anytime during the dark. It’s best not to get in trouble.”

Twilight nodded, “Right. Guess it’s time to hit the hay-*yawns*- I’m a little tired after all of the craziness.” She admitted, and Trinity, Kovu, and Spike started to leave. The dragon chuckled at a thought he remembered.

“Wow—first an owl, then a phoenix, and now a coyote! Next thing you know we’ll have a lion visit us!”

“Oh please no. I don’t think the Library could handle them.” Twilight let out an exasperated laugh, and they finally walked out of the cottage. Fluttershy giggled at her friends and closed the door behind them, a thankful sigh escaping her lips. She praised Celestia that everything went as she hoped it would… an almost prideful thought came to her then: she was the Element of Kindness after all. The toughest of dragons cried in mercy—compared to a soulless mare, looking back on it, she realized they weren’t as challenging.

Chapter five

Chapter five: the harmony of chaos and laughter

“A little to the left,” Pinkie Pie instructed, bouncing around in a happy circle, “No, no not my left, your left!”

An annoyed dragonquus groaned as he snapped his fingers, revealing a pretty, heart-shaped décor hung on the wall. When he was able to come back to Ponyville fully reformed, not many ponies stood up and accepted him right away. It was a great surprise however, that the Element of Laughter had an extra room for him to stay. He had half expected to be living off the streets; not showered with friendship and a loving marefriend. Soon after he came a meeting was held by Mayor Mare, papers were signed, and Discord became an official resident of Ponyville.

It’s funny, really; the timid Pegasus showed him kindness, and the eccentric party planner proved to him that he had a heart—life was good. If you minus the fact that he was being currently treated as a slaved Diamond Dog.

“Why can’t we use the party cannon, sugarplum? Wouldn’t that make life… oh, I don’t know…. less difficult?”

“Diz, it’s sitting right over there,” She giggled, “I just like doing things the old fashioned way with you! It’s funner!”

Well, that was the answer to his question. “But… the party cannon makes things more… chaotic.” He almost whined. Good Luna, he’s nearly lost his pride with this crazy mare.

Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re just being a lazy-bo-bazy-pants. Now come on, we still have the balloons to blow up! Everything has to be done until tomorrow morning so we could surprise Trinity! Mush, my mighty steed!”

“’Mighty steed’,” Discord smirked, “How flattering.”

******

Trinity yawned as Celestia’s sun shone through the clouds the next morning. She couldn’t help but admit to herself that last night’s sleep had been okay; it was a dreamless one, but that was improvement nonetheless. Kovu stretched his tired limbs and smiled up at his new owner.

“Good morning, Kovu. Are you ready to head downstairs?” He nodded and waited for her to get out of bed first before following. Spike was setting up the table by the time the two arrived, along with Twilight.

“Wow… never thought I’d see you wake up this early.” Spike whistled with a proud look on his face.

“R-really? What time is it?” She mumbled.

Twilight filled in for her, “Just before seven. But we’re not mad at you, Trinity. Surprised is the better term.”

She shrugged as she pulled up a chair in front of a plate of eggs, while Kovu went over to check out the phoenix. “For some reason I just… I don’t know; I didn’t feel like sleeping in.” The three friends chatted as they ate their breakfast, not caring at all about the other ponies that were just beginning to open up their shops. Kovu had thankfully gotten along well with Pee-wee and Owlowlicious, causing Trinity to let out a relieved sigh.

Twilight had just put up the ‘We’re open’ sign when she spotted a pink cloud floating above her. A wide grin spread across her face.

“The heck—since when are there pink clouds in the sky?” Trinity asked aloud, tilting her head in confusion. The alicorn shook her head.

“…I think I might know who it is.”

Only a giggle was her response, followed by a huge burst of confetti. An envelope suddenly appeared in the mist, hitting Twilight’s face. She huffed and caught it with her mouth. When Trinity looked back up at the sky the pink cloud was gone, leaving a trail of, oddly enough, rainbows at its wake. Trinity peeked over her shoulder and began to read out loud.

Dear Twilight and friends,

You are cordially invited to Starlet’s ‘welcome-to-Ponyville/get-well-soon-party’! She had arrived here a little over a week ago from out of town, and is hoping to start over, so show her some kindness! She’s a very brave mare and deserves to be noticed. If you see her, make sure to give her a HUMUNGOUS hug and smile! The party will be held at Sugar Cube corner, around twelve o’clock. Be there or be squared!

Lots of love, from

Pinkie Pie and your reformed Discord.

She just stood there, staring opened mouthed at the letter. All negative thoughts she had about the rambunctious mare slipped away, and was replaced with regret. How can she be so judgmental? Obviously this mare means well, if she’s willing to throw a party for someone she doesn’t even know. Trinity wondered for a few moments. She blinked a couple times to clear her head.

“Pinkie Pie does this all the time,” Twilight said, taking her out of her daydream. “She loves meeting new ponies—it’s her way of saying hello. At first… I felt the same way you did, when I met her. But you learn to love her.”

“Discord too?” She asked, and the two walk back into the library. Spike flew past them, into the blue sky. He let Twilight know that he was heading over to the Weather Patrol Team, and will be back by lunch break.

“He didn’t come until later on. You’ll be in the same boat as him.” She assured her, and a soft smile spread across her face. “These Ponyville mares are crazy, sure, but they’ll be the best friends you can ever have.”

Trinity nodded. “I know, Twilight."

They stood in silence for a while, until the princess nudged her shoulder. "Alright then. Since you know, you're going to make a deal with me."

"Wh-what? A deal?"

She grinned. "You've had your moments of self pity, and even though you fully haven't told me the reason why, I won't push it. In return, all ask from you is that you write down every day five good things that happened to you each day." She narrowed her eyes at her.

Trinity glared back. "I get out of fucking school, and in this new land I still have to do homework." She closed her eyes for a few moments before sighing, and shook her head. "Fine. At least it'll get me out of your mane."

"Trinity, for the last time, you're not a--" She was cut off when the pegasus stumbled back into the library, not saying another word on the matter. "....what am I going to do with you?" She sighed, and after saying one silent prayer to her Princess, closed the door behind her.

Chapter six

Chapter six: that unwarranted party animal

“Girls! Girls, girls, girls, girls!” A shouting cry could be heard from above, and Trinity perked her ears up to see a blurry figure of rainbow colored hair. Comet Tail, who had stopped by for a visit, glanced at her oddly. Today marked a full official week when Trinity first came to Ponyvile—more timberwolf attacks were noticed since then, but Twilight made sure her new friend heard nothing of it. She had too much to worry about.

“Rainbow Dash! I just set those books up a few moments ago!” She scolded her, shaking her head. Trinity let out a barrel of laughter while Kovu hid his face in his paw. Twilight scrunched up her muzzle in anticipation. “How many times do I have to tell you, don’t crash into here?!”

“Uh… you didn’t.” Rainbow Dash brushed her comment off with a snort, and beamed brightly at Trinity. She took off into the air. “Say, are you bored with nothing to do? Is Twilight being a Royal Pain?" She grinned, “Then Pinkie Pie’s party is now ready! Get your flank out of this tree and get moving!” She then placed her hoof on her forehead. “This message is brought to you by Sugar Cube Corner.”

“It’s Friday already, huh?” Comet Tail asked, sitting up from where he was. “Goddess, the week went by so fast. It was bad enough those timberwo—“ Twilight shot him a glare and nodded towards Trinity, who was giggling at something Rainbow Dash said. His eyes grew wide and blushed slightly, but he obeyed her nonetheless.

“Wellll, what do you think, Trinity? Are you up for it?” She asked, baring a wide smile.

The Pegasus turned to her and gave her a lopsided grin, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not like I have a choice, anyhow. You ponies never give me a yes or no question.”

“It’s only because we look out for you,” Comet chimed, lulling his head. “Think of it that way.”

Trinity looked in-between Twilight, Rainbow, and Comet, before rolling her eyes. She finally nodded. “Alright. Fine. Take me before I change my mind.”

“That’s the spirit!” The cyan pegaus cheered, grabbing Trinity by the hoof. Both of them disappeared out the door, quickly followed by Spike and Kovu. “C’mon!”

Comet Tail shared a knowing look with his crush. He furrowed his eyebrows curiously. “What was that all about, Twi? Before,” He asked, putting on his saddlebag to get ready to go. Twilight shook her head at him.

“For the past few days Trinity has been opening up. She doesn’t… she doesn’t need to worry about her attacker’s whereabouts. Make sure to remind her about the list she has to compose."

“She’s going to find out eventually. Those beasts come about every night. You realize that, don't you?"

Twilight let out a tired sigh, messaging her forehead with her hooves. She frowned. “It’s the least of my worries, as of now.” She murmured, and the two finally made their way outside.

******

“Trinity! Oh, darling, so you did result in going! Am I glad,” Rarity politely greeted, trotting over to the group.

“We thought you weren’t going to show.” Fluttershy murmured, and gave her a small smile. She then nodded over to her stitches, inspecting them like a mother would to her child. “You haven’t been scratching these, have you?”

“Fl-fluttershy.” Trinity groaned, turning pink. The group of friends giggled as she swatted away her hoof.

Applejack shook her head at them. “What are we waitin’ for, then? Rainbow Dash here won’t stop talking about DJ-PON 3. ‘Guess Pinkie Pie sure outdone herself this time.” She commented, and the group began to walk through the already-crowded streets of Ponyvile. Trinity gulped mentally, letting Kovu hop on her back while she stood close to Twilight.

“Dude, DJ-PON 3’s music is the best! You just don’t understand.” Rainbow shook her head pityingly, flying above them. She passed a smile in Trinity’s direction. “Aw, lighten up Trin. This’ll be fun! Maybe you’ll even meet your special somepony.”

Trinity furrowed her brow as she moved aside a brown colored colt with an hour glass, and a crazy-eyed Pegasus that rushed past them. She snorted, blinking a few times. “A special what?”

Rarity decided to fill in for her. “A special somepony, darling, is the term for when a mare and a colt –or, in some cases, a mare and a mare, realizes that they have affection towards each other and they begin to date. Like me and Spike, for example.” She explained and grinned at the dragon. “But… don’t worry about that now, dear. Rainbow was only teasing.”

“O-oh. Right,” She murmured and turned around to look at the odd pair from before, frowning a bit. She only caught a familiar shade of brown eyes staring back at her until they disappeared into the ally.

I have got stop reading those fantasy novels and drink coffee at the same time, Trinity scolded herself, forcing her hooves to move forward. It’s either that, or this town gets crazier each passing day…

“You alright there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, bringing Trinity out of her thoughts. She shook her head and noticed that two more additions were added to the group—Caramel, the colt she met who worked at her farm, and a much larger, very fit red colt; he stood close, almost protectively close, to Fluttershy. She remembered his comment from the day before.

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah.” She murmured, pawing at the ground.

Twilight frowned and sighed internally. She wondered what the heck was she going to do with this mare, her frown vanishing when Comet placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. He simply gave her a reassuring nod, and that was the end of that. The rest of the walk went on with no complications, since there was nothing –in Trinity’s eyes- to take notice suspiciously.

She was the first to open the door when they all arrived safely to Sugar Cube Corner, and resulted in taking a step back the second time that night. A pair of furious neon green eyes was glaring back at her, his face masked underneath a coating of anger and misery. His horn had a half-eaten cupcake placed on top of it, almost as if someone threw it blindly and was aiming to hit a different part of his body. The main thing that threw her off though, was his eyes. Oh, goddess his eyes...

“Yeah, you better run freakoid!” A mean-spirited colt, with a yellow coat and a golden grape for his cutie mark to match his name, snickered. “Don’t even think about coming back here!”

“Well, buck you then,” He muttered in response, glaring back at the bully. He then took off down the street, ignoring Trinity and the rest of her friends.

“Who- wh-what—” Trinity managed to gasp out, only to be interrupted again, by a familiar pink party pony.

“HI! Ohmigosh, you guys really came! I’m super excited. Well, this isn’t the first time I was this excited—when you finally were able to walk I was just like GAAAASP! And now I’m— C’mon, c’mon, don’t wait outside! Oh Celestia this’ll be so much fun!”

She shook her head, more worried about the mysterious colt that brushed past them while the gang either chuckled or laughed at her antics. She lingered for a few moments to turn look back towards the street, but he was already gone.

Chapter seven

Chapter seven: My false sins

Trinity jolted awake and rubbed her bleary eyes, taking a few moments to regain her composure from the nightmare she had. The party after that incident had gone off without another hitch: she met the lord of chaos, befriended most of the villagers –avoiding Goldengrape and his gang, after Twilight warned her of their antics- and learned to tolerate Pinkie Pie’s stranger-than-normal behavior. She couldn’t help but admit that maybe she did have… fun, during her time there, even though her mind kept flashing back to those mysterious neon green eyes. She didn’t know if it was affliction, curiosity, or… something, given the circumstances that caused her mind to go into a frenzy over them.

She breathed out a shaky sigh and stared up at the ceiling, No, it wasn’t a JUST nightmare. Can't deny that for a second… She thought bitterly, blinking back her tears. Her nightmare started out where she was back in her old classroom, ready to walk out. A figure approached her, blocking her way, baring a glare on her face. Compared by height, her so-called friend was ridiculously shorter than her, but she made up for it in attitude. That girl lived off of bossing her around, and calling her immature names without even realizing it. What’s worse, she even got the click to start doing the same thing. She wasn’t the only girl who was rude to her, taking advantage over the fact that they knew she couldn’t stand up for herself; anybody found a reason to spite her, acting terrified as if she were some sort of rare disease. She wouldn’t dare tell a teacher about them. They even blackmailed her once. However, that was a story for another time.

“You know, you really are an idiot,” She’d say, folding her arms apprehensively. “And a jerk. Ignoring me like that for a whole week? What do you have to say for yourself? I’d like to see you try and come up with an excuse this time.” Someone nearby did something to make the girl laugh, causing Trinity to flinch and look down at her fingers nervously.

“D-don’t laugh at her.”

Her ex-friend glared at her even more, if that was possible. “I’m sorry, are you manipulating me now, Trinity? I can’t do what I want anymore?”

“I-I-if you have anything else to say then tell me. Seriously.” She growled, forcing whatever strength –or even dignity, for that matter- she had left to furrow her eyebrows.

“Alright then. You’re a backstabbing bitch.”

“F-fuck you!” She sneered back at her, tears in her eyes, and bolted out of the room as quickly as she can. She was done. Physically, and mentally, done.

Ever since then she was nothing more than a soulless body. Her parents couldn’t do anything about it for they were always at work –both of them were lawyers- and her councilor didn’t even solve the issue. The girl ended up freaking denying what she had said, claiming that Trinity had been the enemy all along. With false proof, and nobody to vouch for her, the principle got her expelled before she had a say.

The only thing she could remember what happened next, was storming out into the driveway that following afternoon, only to be blinded by a blinding screech of light. Then everything turned to black, just as her soul was.

Trinity was sobbing quietly by now for she was too deep in her memory, and blindly walked down the steps to get out of the tree house. She collapsed onto the ground a few blocks away, her hoof kicking a sharp rock on her way down. She cried out as the blood escaped her skin, attacking the scent of a familiar beast. She wasn’t the same mare that had arrived in Ponyville over a week ago—she felt like she was the human who couldn’t face up to a common bully all over again.

The timberwolf sniffed and roared in excitement, sneakily moving closer to the almost-lifeless body. Blood, it thought, a sinister grin growing on its face. Must feed. Praise my lord..

Trinity moaned as she didn’t notice it, not bothering to get up from where she was. The seconds ticked by and she closed her eyes. She might as well be dead. What happened next didn’t make her all the more happier, however, when a giant shadow swooped down and shot a beam at the timberwolf, making it screech, and burst into a thousand pieces.

“We must tell sister to send the Royal Guard to this section of Equestria.” Luna muttered mainly to herself, glaring at the gruesome sight. “Surely, it’ll be wise.” She frowned as Trinity groaned in mid-sleep, walking towards her. “Poor soul… I apologize for not saving you sooner. I have many subjects, and there are many nightmares.”

Trinity didn’t take too kindly to that answer. “D-don’t care… about me… leave me like she did. L-like they all do. I can’t… there’s something… there’s something wrong… with me… please…” She whimpered as Luna lifted her carefully with her magic, and placed her on her back. The light in the library went on just then, blinding Luna for a few moments, but she managed to take a step forward. Biting her lip to not cry in front of her fellow princess, she recited a poem her mother had repeatedly taught her when she was younger, in an effort to calm the tortured mare. Really, it was herself that needed the calming.

“No one looks the way I do.

I have noticed that it’s true.

No one walks the way I walk.

No one talks the way I talk.

No one plays the games I play.

No one says the things I say.

I am special.

I am me.

There is no one else I’d rather be.”

She heaved in a sob as Twilight slammed the door open, a rather shocked expression on her face. The alicorn traced her dewy eyes to her friend, placing her hoof in her mouth.

“Help her… h-help my Ceri.” Luna whispered, bowing her head.

“You have a lot of explaining to do.” Twilight glowered, but she opened the door wider for the princess of the night.

******

Twilight frowned as she made a cup of coffee ready for Luna, while looking at Trinity from the corner of her eye every now and then. Spike laid next to her, his expression emotionless while he placed a damp cloth on her face. He couldn’t hold back a few tears of his own.

She cleared her throat and poured the coffee into a mug on the counter, sending over to the princess. She took it and sipped it readily, tears pouring down her cheeks the entire time. What she had witnessed was something that would’ve never crossed her mind. She had heard what bullies do to act superior, but this… this was something worse. This was manipulation.

“What did you see, Lu?” Twilight asked calmly, sitting down beside her.

“It was horrible. Worse than I ever imagined,” She sighed, shaking her head.

“She… Trinity was treated differently because people thought it would be funny to pick on a mare with no confidence. She was a late bloomer, on many things, and that was easy to see. They would… leave her out in group activities, Twilight. It was complete idiocy. They would push her around wherever she walked. At first it was only one girl, who claimed to be her friend, but then that one girl started telling rumors about her and got everybody else to do the same thing. She lost her trust in anyone who was trying to help her, console her, but nobody would get through. Her soul was just too far gone.”

Twilight’s heart ached as she listened to Trinity’s story, and she sniffled every now and then. “So… so that’s why… whenever my friends or I show her affection, she pushes us away.”

“Yes. But there’s more, Twilight.” She murmured, sending a napkin her way.

“What more could there possibly be?” Twilight almost shouted, slamming her hooves onto the table. Spike glanced over at her, his eyes flickering with worry.

“There was false proof to a crime she never did. Her principal believed her, since there was no one to vouch –her parents had too much time on their hands- she… was kicked out.” She sighed. “Oh, my dear, why are you crying?”

Twilight shook her head as she choked on a sob. “Why would… why would anypony want to treat her like that?

Th-there’s nothing wrong with her! She’s perfectly fine!” Using her magic, she sent her coffee flying towards the wall, making it smash into little pieces onto the floor. This made Trinity stir, but only slightly, for she closed her eyes once again. “Those girls have no excuse for their behavior.”

“What you say is all correct, Twilight. Which is why this’ll be your next challenge. Teaching Trinity the true magic of friendship… while she, in turn, will learn many lessons of her own… and later her destiny.”

“D-do,” The alicorn murmured after a few moments, “Do you really think we can handle her?”

“Handle, is an inappropriate term,” Luna glared, wiping her eyes with a napkin. “Befriend.”

Twilight bowed her head in shame, “Yes, Princess Luna.”

A slight moan escaped Trinity’s lips as she struggled to open her eyes, blinking in bewilderment to get used to her new surroundings. Spike let out a gasp of excitement and waved his claw towards his mother figure in alarm. “Twi- Twilight!”

“I must go. Mark my words, Twilight Sparkle. She will be the savior to us all.” Princess Luna commanded, standing up as she easily lulled her head to one side. She gave her a small smile.

“Wait!” She cried out, stumbling in her step. “Before, when you came in, who’s Ceri? Why did you call Trinity that?”

A pained look spread across her face for a mere second until she looked at the floor, not meeting Twilight’s eyes. She shook her head. “She just reminded me of someone I once loved. But that, my dear, is a story for another time.”

“L-luna…” Twilight whimpered… but she was met with no response, for the princess of the night had vanished.

Chapter eight

Chapter eight: I guess I can live with this.

Spike walked out of the tree the following morning, ready to stretch his wings for the day. Once Princess Luna left all eyes were focused on Trinity, comforting her, begging her to get out of her nightmare-ish vision. Twilight and Kovu fell asleep beside her. The dragon didn’t have the heart to wake the group up—they deserved a nice long rest. We've been through too much already, He thought with a sigh.

Spike shook his head as he took flight, fighting back a yawn while the wind hit his cheeks. He had always been a simple soul; his routine was the same every morning. When he was a young dragon he took it all for granted, thinking that nothing would ever change. As the years passed, however, he began to notice different things. His body changed, his thought process changed… he was no longer the young, sarcastic dragon that was Twilight’s trusted assistant. He became a rebellious teenager, someone who had a lust for adventure, and a conquest for love. He even managed to get a part time job at the Weather Patrol Team while Rainbow was out at the Wonderbolts; they needed an extra hoof. His love for Rarity never changed, though. As time passed on, she too, gained feelings, and with the help of his mother they began a relationship that he’d always dreamed of.

A small smile traced the edges of his lips at the thought of her, and he did a loop in the air. Rarity was no longer a childhood crush—she was his lover, somepony to hold, rely on, when the time was needed.

The famous boutique came into view then, and he landed safely on the ground, his feet creating a soft thud.

“Spike?” Rarity asked, opening the door. She gave him a dubious look. “What are you doing here at 3 in the morning? Not that I… n-not that I’m offended, of course.”

It’s funny how I can just stand there and still make her blush like a schoolfilly… He ran his claws through the scales on his head, fighting a sigh. “Sorry love. I just really need to talk to you.”

Rarity nodded with a small blush, “Always, darling. Come on in.”

Spike grinned as he trudged into the boutique, looking around at all the new clothing on display. His marefriend had definitely gotten better over the years, branching out to different styles and different fabric. Long hours had defiantly paid off, and she hadn’t let fame get to her head after the incident long ago. Sweetie Belle had fallen fast asleep on her school project that was due the following day, drool falling from her mouth.

“How’s Trinity?” The unicorn murmured, taking his claw into her hoof.

“She’s... Oh Rarity…” He sniffed, and within the hour, relayed the full story from what he’d witnessed to her. The two went through an entire box of tissues, ultimately waking Sweetie Belle up from her slumber, and had to get another just for her.

Rarity wiped her eyes with her hoof and rubbed his arm gently, baring a tiny smile on her face. “Th-then if that’s what the Princess of the Night wishes, I will happily obey her command.”

“She’s officially a member of the CMC in my book. I don’t care what anypony else thinks.” Sweetie Belle spoke up proudly, and her sister nuzzled her.

“How… how did you feel about her, Rarity? When you first met?” Spike asked then, leaning over the table.

Rarity thought for a moment. “If I’m honest with myself, Spike, I could easily tell that there was just something about her… something that she possesses that’ll design her for greatness. She has willpower, my darling, for withstanding those girls for so long. If she hasn’t given up, if she hasn’t ended her life then, then there’s no way she’ll give up now. The least we can do is show her that she has friends that care for her the entire journey.”

A wide grin spread across Spike’s face. “Thank you, Rare. I knew you would share the same feelings as me.”

“Let us hope that one day so will she.” Was his only response, and Sweetie Belle nodded, shivering only slightly when a timberwolf’s howl could be heard in the distance, with a curdling scream right afterwards.

“Yeah…”

******

Trinity woke up the next morning in a daze, slowly getting used to her surroundings. For a mere second she imagined herself back in her bed in the human world, dreading over the fact that she would have to leave for school. But when Kovu nuzzled her with affection to wake her out of her trance, she felt a sense of relief wash over her.

This is… the lesser of two evils, I guess. She thought with a yawn, If these ponies are willingly showing me hospitality… then they must be serious… right? Trinity shook her head.

“Morning, Kovu.” She murmured sleepily, and the coyote frowned, nuzzling her again. He gave her a sympathetic look as if he could read her thoughts. “Hey, I’m alright. Honest.” He lulled his head to one side, almost as if he knew she was lying to him. “Okay…” She sighed. “I’m not. But I just don’t know how to feel better, alright? E-everything I try to do…” She paused for a moment. “I was a mess last night, huh?”

His ears flattened as he made no sound, hopping off the bed and onto the floor.

I thought so… She shook her head and followed her pet, the two silently making their way down to the kitchen. Twilight was there with breakfast already made. She forced a smile at her friend. Spike rubbed his eyes from lack of sleep.

“Good morning, Trinity.”

She frowned, narrowing her eyes. “Cut the crap. You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”

Twilight gave up her smile and put her hoof to her face, rubbing her temples. “I’m only mad ‘cause you can’t accept yourself, Trinity. Look, I know what happened. Luna saved you from your nightmare and told me all about it—you did nothing wrong, Trinity. That girl manipulated you into thinking so.”

“I’m a bitch, Twilight. Why would you want to be friends with a bitch?”

Spike shot up from his seat angrily, pointing a finger at her. “Because you have a right and a will to live!” He seethed— the corners of his eyes prickled with tears. “She doesn’t. She can go rot in a dungeon for all I care. You’re absolutely amazing, Trinity, for the things you’ve been through. You’re not a freak. You’re not a mistake, and you’re most certainly not. A. Bitch.” He fell to the floor on his butt, defeated. “Why can’t you see that anymore?”

Trinity stared at him with a fixed gaze, before closing her eyes, memories flashing through her mind once more. She didn’t cry. She didn’t move. It was as if she were frozen in time. Twilight shared a knowing look with Spike. Then, finally, when she spoke, it was chaos.

“Everybody I thought loved me told me the opposite.”

The group had gotten out of the library around twelve in the afternoon, letting Trinity cry out her fury. Spike held her hoof the entire time, like an older brother would, while Twilight handed her the tissues with her magic. Today was the day Trinity would get her stitches out, after two whole weeks of being suspended in her bed. She was relieved for the most part, since she thought that she would never get them off. Twilight had to smile when she saw the mare bounce in her step for the first time.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the notorious Starlet,” A voice came from one of the clouds, and a toad fell onto Twilight’s face. She glared up at Discord.

“Really? Toads?”

The dragonquus completely ignored her, though, and passed a smile towards Trinity’s way. He bowed slightly. “Pleasure to finally meet you; Pinkie Pie wouldn’t stop her blabbing about that incident. I guess she had every reason to.”

Trinity humbly smiled, remembering this creature from the history books she read. He truly was, in a sense, his own example of harmony. “I-it’s nice to hear I’m talked about with good meaning.”

Discord shared a look with Twilight, for he too, heard about her nightmare from Luna. He then shook his head at her. “My dear, what’s there not to talk about? You’re practically a hero, around these parts.” He patted her head as if she were a dog. “Don’t think of yourself so lowly.”

“I-I’m trying, Discord.”

He threw his head back with a laugh, “Well then whatever you’re doing stop it, obviously it isn’t working,” He then turned his head around to somepony calling his name, and blushed. “That’s my love—I better get going. Where are you guys off to?”

Spike slapped his claw on her shoulder. “Trinity here is going to get her stitches out, finally. She’s had them in for longer than she needed.”

“Oh!” Discord’s eyes lit up in happiness, “Well, I can get you there no problem, if you don’t mind.”

“Uh… Discord, you really don’t have…” Twilight murmured, but he didn’t listen, teleporting them in front of the hospital. “…to.” The dragonquus let out a jolly laugh before sipping on his cup of chocolate milk –that had just appeared out of nowhere- and disappeared back into Sugar Cube Corner.

“That’s Discord for you.” Spike said nonchalantly, folding his arms. “C’mon girls, let’s go in.”

Trinity shook her head as a smile plastered on her face, following the two with Kovu close behind. He grinned up at her, beaming. Nurse Redheart looked up from her book to see a familiar face, and smiled, happy to realize that she came in early.

“Starlet! Oh, how good to see you. Ready for your exam today?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She answered back with a cheesy grin, letting her brown hair fall into her eyes. Her confidence faltered, however, when she caught sight of the tools around the workplace. “Um, will it… be painful?”

Nurse Redheart shook her head. “You’ll be asleep the whole time, dear, like when I put the stitches on you when you first got here. It’ll be like nothing ever happened.”

“O…okay then.” Twilight put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, while Spike gave her a confident smile. She couldn’t say or hear anything afterwards, for as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was greeted by darkness.

chapter nine