Nightmare Free Equestria

"Trixie?" Princess Luna called out from the doorway. "May I speak with you?"

Trixie lifted up a hoof and waved it. She continued to lay on her cot, facing the wall. Luna looked around the room as she entered. There were a small pile of books beside the bed. On top of them sat a stuffed Ursa Minor. In a corner was a stand holding a purple wizard's hat and a cape. There was also a small table with a framed photograph in it. Luna moved to get a better look.

The photo had two ponies in it. One looked to be Princess Luna, but older. The figure was slightly taller with a longer horn and mane. Standing next to her was a filly that looked like Trixie. She was standing next to the princess, grinning as wide as she could with the hat falling down over her eyes.

"Perhaps, this was a mistake," Princess Luna said as she put the photograph back. "I shall leave you be."

"Wait," Trixie said, finally turning to look at the princess. "Why did you come to see me?"

"We have come up with a potential plan to stop Discord," Luna explained as she turned to walk toward the bed. "Twilight Sparkle will be leading a team into the Everfree in order to seek The Elements, while I shall lead another that will be tasked with distracting Discord until The Elements are retrieved. Both Twilight Sparkle and myself wish for you to be on our respective teams."

"Princess?" Trixie moved to sit up, looking at Luna directly. "You said you were banished for a thousand years, right?"

"That is correct."

"So you have never had a student of your own?"

"..No. I have not."

"Do..." Trixie looked up at Luna, tears filling the edges of her eyes. "Do you even know me there?"

Princess Luna looked at the mare a moment, then looked away. Her tail gave a flick as she shifted one hoof across the floor.

"I am sorry, Trixie, but I do not."

"So," Trixie flopped onto her bed, "Twilight is still the student of Princess Celestia, and I am not even known." She stared up at the ceiling. "You know, I always thought that, if I hadn't been a student, I would have became a famous magician. Ponies all across Equestria would know of me and be in awe of my amazing powers."

"You must be quite an impressive spell-caster," Luna said. "After all, my counterpart did take you on as her pupil."

"It... it was Princess Celestia's idea," Trixie admitted, blushing. "Celestia felt that Luna needed to be more social and interact with ponies. I was actually Princess Luna's first student."

Princess Luna stared at the pale blue unicorn, letting the information sink in. In this reality, she had never been banished to the moon. Yet, here she had never had a student prior to Trixie, meaning this Luna had her first student about... ten years ago? Probably closer to twelve?

What has this world's version of me been doing all these years?

"I have decided," Trixie said. "I shall assist you and your team in distracting Discord."

"Are you certain?" Luna asked. "Would you not prefer to assist Twilight Sparkle?"

"Twilight doesn't need me," the unicorn replied. "She never has." She shifted. "Don't get me wrong. Twilight has been like a sister too me, and I love her like one." Turning her head, she looked past Luna to the photograph. "But she is the more fortunate of the two of us. More powerful, more skilled, and smarter. Whenever the two of us were compared... I always came up short."

"...I can sympathize with such a feeling," Luna said, moving closer.

"As could the Princess Luna who taught me," Trixie continued. "She also tried to encourage me to try and find my own path. If there is one thing I know how to do, it is to be the center of attention."

"I will appreciate your assistance," Luna stated with a smile. "Now, I must seek some answers. So if you will excuse me."

'Why didn't you ask Twilight?"

"The subject is one that I believe would be sensitive to her. I do not wish to cause any more distress for anypony."

"Well perhaps I could help."

"I do not wish to intrude any further."

"You're not." Trixie moved and stood beside Princess Luna.

"Very well," Luna said. "I wish to know what happened to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor."

"That...is a sensitive subject to Twilight," Trixie said. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Please follow me. I'll explain on the way."

The two of them left the room and started walking through the halls of the underground many ponies seemed to be calling home.

"After the princesses disappeared," Trixie explained as they walked, "Prince Blueblood was supposed to be next in line. Instead he fled, nopony knows to where."

"Disappointing," Luna said, "but not surprising."

"That was the feeling here as well," Trixie said with a nod. "Anyway, That sort of left Twilight and me in charge until Princess Cadenza arrived. For the most part, we sort of just let things run themselves and occasionally went to Shining Armor for help. It was a relief when Cadence arrived. At least for me. I honestly felt like I was in over my head. A filly playing at being a mare.

"Not long after, reports of a new threat to Canterlot began to arrive. Shining Armor placed the entire city in a shield. Ponies were able to pass through, so we were able to get refugees from Ponyville, but other creatures were unable to get through. Unfortunately it did no good."

Trixie stopped and turned to face Luna.

"It turned out that the danger was an attack by changelings, and their queen, Chrysalis, was already in the city. In fact, she was disguised as Princess Cadence." She let out a sigh, looking down at the floor.

"By the time we realized, it was too late. She had been feeding on Shining Armor for so long. He... he didn't survive. When the shield collapsed, we were forced to flee. Some of the guards knew of this underground area and led us here. We have been set up here and have been trying to come up with a way to reclaim Canterlot ever since."

Princess Luna stared down at Trixie. Chrysalis had used the same method in this reality as hers. It seems that the differences were that there was no scheduled wedding and here, the changeling queen had been successful. She had actually managed to feed off Shining Armor for far too long, and neither the princesses nor The Elements of Harmony were there to try and stop her.

"What of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?" Luna asked.

Trixie moved to a door way and pushed a curtain aside. Luna turned to look, and her eyes went wide at what she saw. Slowly, she stepped into the room, her mind refusing to believe what was before her.

In the room was a large bed. Lying in it was the familiar form of an Alicorn. An aura of magic encompassed her, alternating in color between pale blue and rose. The form looked similar to the one Luna knew as Cadence, but also very different. Most of the color had faded, especially from the mane. Instead of the pink, purple, and yellow colors, the entire mass looked to be a white-grey. The body was thin, so much so it could be called emaciated. Luna could make out the bones in the legs and even individual ribs that were not hidden beneath the blanket. The flesh around the face was sagging and sunken in.

"We found her in a cavern beneath the castle," Trixie finally said. "None of us know how long she had been down there before we arrived." The unicorn moved to stand beside Princess Luna. "She was already in a coma when we found her, glowing like this. Twilight thinks that the magic is protecting her, keeping her alive, but also keeping us from trying to help her. Not even she has been able to undo the spell."

Princess Luna looked at the unconscious princess lying before her. Anger started to flare up in her chest, burning through her body as it built. In her world, she may have barely known Cadence, but they were family. Now, Princess Luna was feeling rage that someone would dare to harm a member of her family. She had hurt her family long ago, and regretted it. Now, she found herself swearing that she would not let anypony else she cared for suffer.

"Princess?" a voice squeaked.

Princess Luna turned toward the sound baring her teeth. She stopped as she caught sight of Trixie. The unicorn was staring at her with wide eyes, stepping back and pulling her body close.

Luna caught sight of her reflection in Trixie's eyes. Without realizing it, the princess had flared out her wings and her eyes were glowing white with energy. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. As her anger faded, she relaxed her wings and curled them back to her side. Once under control, she looked at Trixie once again.

"My apologies," Luna said. "Seeing her in this conditioned angered me more than I would have anticipated. If you will excuse me, I must collect myself and contemplate what you have shared with me."

"Are you going to be okay?" Trixie asked.

"No," Luna stated as she walked toward the door. "However, I shall be. For once we have dealt with Discord," she looked back at Trixie with narrowed eyes, "I shall personally hunt down Chrysalis and kill her." She looked away, walking through the door to leave a gaping Trixie beside a comatose Cadence.