Trixie had become a bit of an eccentric mare since the incident in Canterlot had taken place. She was constantly talking to herself and staring off into the mirrors that now adorned her Treehouse. The Golden Oaks Library was barely used a source of learning for the town. She had made the basement her home and stayed away from almost any other pony that had come to check out what was left in the store. Spike took care of most of their needs, but there were times that he felt like shutting himself off from the rest of the world was well. None of them knew that a Purple coated mare would come back into their lives.
Albeit from an alternate timeline. But it still took some of them by surprise to say the least. Celestia had stepped down from the thrown and given the title of Regent to her sister so that she could reflect on everything that had gone wrong that night. It was still fresh in her mind.
"Twilight,Im sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me," she lamented. She was so distraught that she hadn't noticed Luna coming in to check on her. The Princess of the Night hated the term Regent, it felt as bad as calling herself Queen like she used to as Nightmare Moon.
"Sister," Luna spoke," Are thoust alright?" She knew she wasn't , but she still wanted to ask. Just from the look on Celestia's face alone she could tell what the answer was.
"I don't blame you for whatever happened that night Luna," Celestia paused to wipe the tears from her eyes,"I just miss her so much. As I'm sure you and Ms. Lulamoon must as well." Luna trotted over to Celestia and hugged her older sister as hard as she could.
"You don't need to be sorry of course I miss Twilight," She was the best Student Celestia could have asked for, and the best friend anypony could have had. Almost as if on que, they both turned a see a bright light coming from the hallway to Celestia's chambers.
Both of them exited the room to see what appeared to be a time portal opening up. They knew that time travel was strictly monitored, and almost nearly forbidden to be used in any manner whatsoever. That something like that was occurring in front of them made the two alicorns take pause.
"Sister, how is this possible," Luna turned to Celestia as the words had just left her mouth. She knew it shouldn't be, but then again it was happening in front of her all the same.
"It shouldn't be, but we must see what comes through and if need be deal with it." As Celestia said this an average-sized mare appeared with a baby dragon. A mare that they both knew well. Celestia was the first to approach her.
"Twilight," she was clearly stammering the name, but she finally managed to compose herself enough to ask if it was really Twilight and not some prank that Discord might be pulling.
"Celestia?" Twilight said, she could tell that something was bothering her former mentor. " What's wrong Celestia?" To which the Princess of the Sun asked her how she could still be alive after all this time.
"Ive been chasing after a mare named Starlight Glimmer,"Twilight hugged both of them before continuing," She stole the time scroll from the Canterlot archives and is trying to stop me and my friends from ever meeting. There was something more to this meeting though. Luna was the one to explain that in this timeline Twilight and Trixie, as well as Luna, had found something that belonged to an ancestor of Twilight's and that it also involved Nightmare Moon in some form.
The result was Twilight's death and Trixie's descent into madness. Luna explained that she had been keeping an eye on the mare and that she had taken to cutting off ties with the rest of their friends. Twilight fell on her rump as she processed all of this information. She couldn't just let Starlight get away with this. This timeline was her fault as well. Twilight decided that the best course of action was to find Starlight and then return here when she was done and let them know that everything would be ok. She also wanted to see what Trixie was like in this timeline since it was evident the two of them had formed a romantic relationship. It broke her heart that Trixie had become a recluse because of what had happened.
Luna made the decision to keep an eye on Trixie ever since that fateful night. She knew the mare still cared for Twilight, and that what she herself felt was nothing more than a magical resonance of that. She cared about Trixie, the same way she had cared about Twilight. But even now she knew she had to let the mare move on.
The time portal opened, and Celestia and Luna bayed this Twilight good luck on her journey. Twilight told them that if needed she'd return here to explain what happened in more detail. Luna told her that she'd be waiting for her if they meet again. For a moment the Princess of the Night felt something stir in her heart. Before Twilight entered the portal she rushed forward and kissed her.
It took Celestia by surprise at first, but then realized that Luna had just gotten to see her friend again, alive and well. She hugged Twilight as well and wished her luck.
"I look forward to that friendship report,"Celestia snickered as Twilight entered the portal. She couldn't hide the smile that was on her face as she walked into it. Even here Celestia still had her sense of humor.
How long had it been exactly since the Nightmare incident in Canterlot? A month, a year, a decade? It still remained fresh to the lost soul, and to the shadow being next to it. It had promised to make it whole again, hadn't it? The soul could only watch helplessly from where it was. It was so cold and lonely there.
I have to get out of here, it thought to itself. I have to get back to them. I have to get back to Trixie.
'How long has it been,' It thought to itself. It felt like an eternity really. That was the only way to describe it.
'Trixie, why cant you hear me?', it muttered to itself.
It lingered there for the longest time. It was so cold despite looking as though it still had a coat of fur. The soul could still bits of memory that played in front of it like a story being told through the ages and the passage of time. It was so lonely despite the fact that there was another there standing next to it on projected limbs. The being next to it had promised to make things better for it. But the only thing that would make it better was if it was still alive and with those that loved,cared, and cherished it when it was still flesh and blood.
It was so hard for this lost soul to move on, especially when it had been cut down in its prime, and through the most unorthodox means available. What the soul didn't know though was that one that held it close, refused to let go of it. A pony that felt bound by their presumed love, refused to see it's passing at all. This pony desperately sought for a way to return it to the world of living. After the recent event that had sought to spread a nightmare over the lands of Equestria. After all that had transpired, this pony still sought to do the impossible.
The soul had been promised sometime after it's assumed death that it would be released and allowed to either move on to the next plane, or to stay and linger in the netherworld in an off chance that death could be usurped and it given new life once again. And it seemed that the later would be in order.
But there was a warning that it and the being next to it knew all to familiar, Stare into the Abyss for too long and it will consume you. It was a risk to which both were willing to see through to the end. The soul was willing to bid its time to see if the one pony that it loved at one point while it was alive, was willing to dare it all to return it's affection. The void echoed with the sounds of silence. The words that she heard her beloved speaking went unaswered, as of the fact that she couldn't respond anymore with the mirror. It was frustrating to say the least.
"Hello Darkness, my old friend,"the pony spoke in front of a cloth draped mirror. She had been trying to speak again to the pony that she swore was on the other side of it. A pony that was not her reflection. The others had tried to tell her to move on, that Twilight was gone forever and never coming back. But she refused to listen to them.
She, Trixie Lulamoon, could still see Twilight on the other side of the mirror. She knew it was her, even though the magic that had allowed them to communicate had mostly fade within the last year, mostly because of the final destruction of the Nightmare that tried to consume both her and Equestria, she could still Twilight's soul on the other end of the mirror. She looked so lonely there on the other side.
Trixie would of gladly traded places with her if it meant she could still be here laughing and experiencing life with her friends. Trixie couldn't just abandon her, not now. She had to find a way to bring her back. If it meant going to Tartarus itself, she'd of done it. Their friends knew it, even Princess Luna knew it. The others had accepted Twilight's passing afterwards and moved on accordingly. But they didn't see what Trixie was seeing, and she was still seeing Twilight every time she dared to look into a mirror. Whether it was here in Ponyville or in the Capitol, she was still seeing Twilight's lost soul staring hopelessly back at her. It really was unnerving to say the least. There were times it looked as if she could hear Trixie's words reaching her. She'd look up from where ever she was, right up into Trixie's azure tinted eyes, begging for her to come and get her away from this place. It nearly broke her heart everytime having to see that look in Twilight's eyes.
"I have to find a way to bring her back,", Trixie told herself while in her house in Ponyville. As a silent debt she had moved into the Golden Oaks Library. It felt like the right thing to do afterall. Spike had followed in Trixie's hoofsteps and stayed with her out of regards for Twilight. He couldn't believe she was never coming back despite it still being a year since everything that had happened. He had taken it alot harder then the others, for Twilight had been like a mother to him. There were times he had found Trixie in Twilight's old bed, crying herself to sleep until he climbed in bed with her and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.
"I miss her too much, Spike," She had told him one night, to which the small dragon replied," I know Trixie, I miss her too."
That didn't make it any easier for the both of them. But it did help some nights. Both of them knew that unless reversed, Twilight's soul was still lost to them for the time being. The silence of the night didn't help either. The vision had been planted in her mind everytime she looked into a mirror, and saw Twilight's face staring back at her instead of her own. If she tried to tell the others, they'd just repeat what they had told her before. That it was time to let her go, and to move on.
"I know there's a way to bring her back to me, to them, I just have to find it,"the azure blue coated unicorn muttered to herself, there was a way she could do it, but it required a book that was deemed forbidden and off limits. The Royal sister's had deemed it a very dangerous artifact that could be used for absolute good, or outright evil. That and the very thought of breaking the veil of death just to restored a loved one was one of the most dangerous things to toy with.
Was she so willing to throw away the comfort of her own sanity in an attempt to go through with an action like this? What was to prevent something from returning with Twilight that could put all of Equestria in peril. Or allow something to come back impersonating Twilight again and trick her again?
Once again she found herself curled up in bed with thoughts weighing on her mind, and Spike curled up right next to her again. Trixie pulled the covers over the both of them, and kissed him good night.
"Thanks Spike,"she said as she closed her eyes. She found she nearly sounded like Twilight when doing so.
"Night Trixie,", he said back as he drifted off. In his mind he found the same love and mother's instinct in Trixie that he had found in Twilight. It was like having her back, even if it wasnt really the same. As far as he was concerned, it was like Twilight had never left their side.
The former showmare didnt want to admit it to herself, but she realized that Twilight might never come back. She was where she belonged Trixie thought. Yes, she could still think of her and remember the few moments of joy they had and the rivalry they once shared. But a lot of time had progressed since that horrible event. Time that hadnt stopped for Trixie to play catch up with finding a way to get Twilight out of the mirror.
She had a difficult decision to make in the morning. Does she keep up this charade of trying to bring Twilight back from beyond the veil of the dead, or does she move on with her life and cherish what came before. She knew it wasnt going to be easy for her, or her friends.
Trixie could feel a pain in her side. It was the same spot where she had been stabbed back during the incident in Hoofington. She never told anypony about it, least of all, not Luna or Twilight. She had always felt useless back then. Like she wasn't good enough, it wasn't until meeting Twilight that she felt a small spark of reassurance in herself. She never did get to thank the mare. It was the next day that they found Twilight's body in the courtyard. Trixie had blamed herself for so long that she didn't want to go back to normal. She had convinced herself that Twilight was still in front of her laughing and talking to her like nothing had taken place.
Luna didn't want to harm her feelings that it was just a mirage or a hallucination that the show mare was actually talking to. Her mind was so broken that she had made an imaginary version of Twilight to comfort her. She was going to have to move on at some point. No pony knew when she would be ready to do so. They all worried about her. Luna was going through a similar deal. She was the sole ruler of Equestria now.
For everything action, there is an equal reaction. Every choice ever made exists in what's known as the Multiverse. Trixie was going to learn this from the most unlikely source. Twilight Sparkle. But not her Twilight though. This one came from a divergent timeline where they became friends and nothing more.
Fate is a fickle thing. Something that shouldn't be crossed at times. The same can be said for time as well. Some see it as a predator stalking its prey, gaining on them in years until its time to make its move. Most see it as something to be prized and cherished for the moments that you make with it. It wouldn't become relevant till later, but Trixie was about to get a second chance at love with Twilight. All it would take was a little time.
It's been said that love is blind. For all times that she had held a grudge against Twilight, Trixie realized that it wasn't mainly jealousy that she had been feeling all this time, but love. She couldn't do anything to shake that feeling all those years ago. And then to be tricked by that monstrosity called Midnight, that had sent her cascading into a downward spiral. After that Nightmarish thing had been defeated, Trixie could still feel that tugging at her heartstrings.
She could still feel Twilight, just beyond the touch of that cursed mirror. She could still feel her reaching out in a vain attempt to get back the life that was stolen from her during the incident in Dappleshore, just outside of Hoofington. Trixie let her shoulders go lax as she began to bawl. She had never cried this much in her entire life.
Trixie decided to put off her initial plan. As much as she wanted to move on, another part of her was telling to stand firm and pray that Twilight could be brought back to life. She felt she was going insane most of the time. Like her own mind was playing some sick and twisted game on her. She couldnt tell what was real at times. Every mirror she passed in their home stared back at her with Twilight's sorrowful eyes staring back, pleading for her not to let go.
She told Rarity and Applejack about what she was feeling and both of them had worried looks on their faces.
"I know you both said to let go, but it's like i cant, like some force is binding me to this idea that i can bring Twilight back to all of us,"she lamented," I just dont know what's real and what isnt anymore,"she said before breaking down and sobbing. Rarity put a hoof over to console her.
"Have you tried talking to the princesses again?", Rarity spoke,"I'm sure they'll understand now more then before."
"I may try later, for right now maybe i should just go back to the Library and rest,", Trixie did feel a bit better talking to them, but felt drained all the same. Maybe a nap would help her out. Something peculiar happened at that moment that stunned the three of them. A portal opened and a purple alicorn and a small dragon appeared from it.
It cant be, Trixie stammered to herself. The Alicorn turned to see Trixie and two other familiar ponies. She ran over and hugged them.
"Applejack! Rarity!" the mare called out, " have you seen Starlight?" They looked at her for a moment confused, before it dawned on Rarity.
"Twilight, darling, when did you get wings?" she asked a bit stunned.
"What do you mean, I've had wings since i finished Starswirl's spell," That was when it dawned on her that this was another alternate timeline and not the prime timeline that her and Spike had come from after chasing Starlight through the time portal.
"Why is Trixie looking at me that way," She continued.
"because Twilight, you and i are lovers.", Trixie said bruskly. Twilight had to blink twice for it to sink in. So in this reality, Trixie and her were marefriends. the Princess of Friendship blushed a deep crimson. So how she felt the first time she had seen Trixie years ago during the Ursa Minor incident actually went somewhere in this timeline.
Before she could say anything else, the time portal opened up again. She wanted to stay here, her friends were safe, her and Trixie actually had a good relationship. it was at that moment that Trixie hugged her and kissed her on the lips.
"Whatever you decide Twilight, it's good to know that you're safe.", Trixie spoke in a soft tone before walking back towards the Library. Twilight turned to Rarity and Applejack , who explained what had happened. At that moment Twilight used her magic to make an exact clone of herself with all her memories intact and sent her and Spike back through the portal to continue the search. She decided to stay in this timeline. She had a spell that she could use to conceal her wings if needed.
She caught up to Trixie and told her that she was staying put. The tears in Trixie's eyes were enough for Twilight. They walked in to the Library to this realities Spike that they had a new guest.
"Spike!," Trixie yelled," We have a visitor,", Spike came around the corner just in time to see an ALicorn version of Twilight standing in front of him.
The tears starting welling up in his eyes," Twilight?!? How!?," the little dragon said in between sobs.
"It's me Spike,", she said after a pause," it's good to be home."