Lulamoon

In the Everfree Forest during the heavy rains of April, a blue unicorn with a ragged, muddy silver mane crouched by a small pond. She was soaked to the bone, but didn't seem to care. The unicorn was focused on her reflection, which rippled and splashed from the raindrops that broke its surface. The unicorn saw a broken, jagged picture of herself: The Great and Powerful Beatrix Lulamoon.

No longer, Trixie thought to herself. Trixie had marched into Ponyville twice and boasted of her abilities, and both visits had caused utter mayhem. The first time, she had been unable to defeat an Ursa Minor that had rampaged through the town and Twilight Sparkle had to banish it back to the Everfree Forest. The second time, Trixie was in possession of the Alicorn Amulet and had enough power to defeat even Twilight. But Twilight had tricked her, and Trixie was banished once again. Now, no town, city, or capital would accept her.

Trixie closed her eyes and rested her head gently on the slippery mud in front of the pool. The rain had eased off, and it was growing dark. She had long since lost her starry hat, but rags of Trixie's cape still remained, and she pulled that around her for what little warmth she could find.

Trixie didn't remember closing her eyes, but when she opened them, it was pitch black except for the reflection of the full moon in the pool. The unicorn stood up to stretch out her legs, but the mud was still slippery from the rainfall the day before, and Trixie fell in the pond. The water made a tremendous crash, and Trixie reached up frantically to grab hold of something, anything, to save her.

No, she thought. Let me just die here, in the water. Her eyes were closing, and the breath left her lungs. Trixie was mere seconds from death, when a resounding yet incomprehensible voice boomed above the surface of the water. With a splash, Trixie found herself gasping for breath, up on the bank. Her brows wrinkled in confusion; it was a different place that the puddle she had fallen asleep by. And yet the moon was still reflected in the water. Trixie looked up at the real moon above her and saw the shadow of a unicorn's head with glowing eyes.

"Beatrix Lulamoon." A dark blue alicorn with a flowing, starry mane appeared wearing a black crown that confirmed Trixie's worst fears: the Princess of the Night had found her. It wasn't just the towns and ponies Trixie had wanted to avoid: she was terrified the Princesses would punish her for her wrongdoings. And now they had finally caught up with her. Trixie nervously stood up and bowed her head. Princess Luna spoke again.

"What is it that rests on your heart, Beatrix? You have had very unsettling dreams of late." When Trixie dared to look up, she was mortified to find that Princess Luna had a concerned look on her face. Trixie coughed lightly and spoke, her clear voice betraying none of the snobbishness it once had: "You know what I have done?"

"Yes, Beatrix."

"So you're here to take me back to Canterlot, to arrest me."

Princess Luna looked confused for a second. "No, nothing of the sort. I have been concerned about you. Not many ponies have dreams quite like yours."

"You're...not going to arrest me?"

"No. You see, Beatrix, you have made quite a reputation for yourself, and it is not necessarily favorable. However, I can see potential in you. There are few unicorns who have a special talent for magic, and most truly are great and powerful. I believe if you are taught how to use magic to control more than flashes of light, you will become a very powerful unicorn. I see you becoming as magical as Twilight Sparkle, or Sunset Shimmer."

"P-Princess...you cannot seriously mean..."

"Yes, Beatrix Lulamoon. I want to make you my own personal protege in the arts of magic." Princess Luna tilted her head calmly, awaiting Trixie's response. Trixie was speechless. That the second most powerful pony in all of Equestria, and one of the most well known, would want her, a disgraced, weak unicorn, to become her protege? Surely this was just another taunting dream. It couldn't be real.

But then again, couldn't it?

Trixie raised her head to make eye contact with the Princess of the Night for the first time. "Princess Luna," Trixie said, with more strength in her voice, "I accept."

Princess Luna looked pleased. "When you awaken, it will be just before the crack of dawn. I will then find you and take you to Canterlot." Her horn glowed blue, and Trixie's eyes drooped once again. She could feel her body slumping to the ground, and in less than a minute, she was asleep once again.