The Lunar War

There was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to face the new pony who had arrived. The most surprised of all was Twilight. Trixie had been the last pony she would have imagined to turn up. So why had she? Surely it wasn't to just save them from an impending death. Last time they'd met, Trixie had been running from town after being made a fool of for not having any power what so ever. So what was the catch?

"And just who the buck are you?" The second in charge yelled, running out to face Trixie.

"Did you not hear me? I am The Great and Powerful Trixie." She replied in a tone that sounded to belittle the stallion.

"Well no shit, but who do you think you are coming in here and attacking us? We are on an important mission from Luna herself! You have no right." He roared back.

"Ummm....Sir...I don't think we need to tell her....Why don't we just...uhh...Oh I don't know, KILL HER and be done with her?!" Another from the side said to him.

"Oh shut up and let me handle this." He growled back."Now, if you would answer my question, then we can fast forward to the part where I kill you and screw your corpse." He said, returning his dark glare to Trixie.

"Trixie is not amused, and is growing quite bored from your weak comebacks. In fact, it's time to show you who you are messing with." Her horn began to glow, creating a blue ethereal light in the immediate area. She started to walk towards him after a moment, a smirk on her face. The stallion started to back away slowly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!? Don't give her any ground!" Yelled the same pony from a moment before.

"I said shut up!" The new commander yelled, shooting a black beam at the pony. The beam caught him in the shoulder, taking his left leg out. Suddenly the entire area was in chaos. All the dark Unicorns began to fire off beams. Most aimed for Trixie and the leader, but as their luck continued to fall, they realized Trixie was not really there as their beams shot straight through her, leaving her untouched. The beams instead carried through and towards the others across from them. Before anypony knew it, they were shooting at each other, each magic blast a different energy and spell. The Stallion in charge growled as he brought a shield up around him, negating any attack on him. "ENOUGH!" he bellowed, releasing a shockwave of black energy with red lightning coursing around it. The shockwave struck everypony within a 30 foot radius, sending them backwards, which was bad news for Twilight and Rainbow Dash who were already injured and knocked around.

As they, and the other 5 were knocked backwards, they all expected a painful landing, and braced, but it never came. They instead found themselves levitating in the air, suspended by the same blue magic. It carried them out of sight before the others could notice.

"Just what do you jackasses are doing?!! We came here for those ponies and instead you start screwing around and killing each other over a damned illusion?! Now! Even though I attacked him, you had NO RIGHT in attacking me! I am the commander here! And I punished him for questioning my motives! So if we can get back to the fucking point!" He lowered his shield and looked back towards where he had sent Rainbow Dash, but saw nothing. "Luna DAMNIT!!! Where the hell are they!??!" As he shouted, the 7 who had been before him were being hidden away by a spell, and would not be seen again any time soon.

Twilight and the others were set down gently in the ash a few hundred yards away, hidden behind a small hill that once used to be home to a few hundred tree's. As they were relocated, Twilight instantly started to look around for the source of the spell: Trixie. She hadn't been over with them, obviously, but had been conjuring her illusions from a safe place. It didn't take long for her to find the small glowing patch of light surrounding a horn. "Trixie...?" She whispered after finally being placed. She stood slowly, and shakily, still in pain from being thrown around, and hobbled over to the source of the magic.

"Yes...it is I...Trixie....." She said quietly. It was nearly impossible to see her.

"I can't see you....." Twilight responded.

"You may illuminate the area....Trixie has placed wards...." was the reply. Twilight nodded in the darkness and brought forth a small blue orb of light. A small gasp escaped her lips, and the spell vanished briefly. She took a moment before bringing the orb back. Trixie, as she sat in the dirt on the ground, seemed almost completely changed. She wasn't different in the means that she had a new manestyle, or had matured, but she looked beaten. Her blue fur was burned all over, she had massive cuts which were poorly sutured, her horn was cracked down the middle. Her hooves were black, both from walking in the ashes, and from walking across the scorched land when it had still been hot.

"Wh....what happened to you?" Twilight asked, a small tear falling from her face for the pony who now sat before her.

"Trixie....has not had good luck since this all started....when the Batwinged Pegasi came to the town Trixie was in...Trixie only just escaped with her life. They chased Trixie....and shot her with magic meant to hurt...not kill....When Trixie retaliated....they shot more....Then as Trixie ran for hours being chased....The flames came.....They burned all around....But Trixie did not....could not stop. They stopped chasing...but Trixie never gave in....She kept running....even when her hooves started to burn and hurt....When her cloak caught fire and burned her....And even when she ran headlong into a stone wall, cracking her horn, and chipping the tip off...Trixie kept running....She stood from nearly being knocked out...and ran and ran....until ending up here and seeing those Ponies fly overhead towards you....Trixie....scryed them with her magic, and saw you...So she decided to help the ones who hurt her....All...in a hopes of being helped herself..." She seemed to have difficulty speaking, her breathing was torn, and ragged. And from the way she told the story, Twilight could tell....Every word....From running from a town...To running into a wall....All of it...was True. But then there was a question that popped into her head.

"Haven't you tried healing spells?" Twilight asked her.

"Trixie cannot heal." Was the reply. Twilight couldn't really believe it....and yet she could. After all, the last time they had met, all Trixie had done was a bunch of 'tricks' and nothing more. Nothing major or serious.

"Well this is all good and fun, but I too, have a question. Why, after all this time did you pick now to actually do somepony any good besides yourself, dear?" Rarity chimed in suddenly.

"Trixie.....does not know...." Trixie looked down to the ground, looking slightly confused, and even sad. She had never been known to help anypony but herself, then suddenly the apocalypse happens and she became helpful? "Maybe it is because...Trixie wanted to feel like she had done something other than trick ponies, even if it was going to be the last thing she could do...." Twilight watched her for a moment, and although she had never ever felt one bit of remorse or empathy for the pony before her, she felt she had to do something other than vocally thank her. Twilight hugged her.

"I can never thank you enough....WE can never thank you enough for helping us get out of there. We would have been taken prisoner if not for you, Trixie." Twilight said to her, smiling a little. Trixie was shocked, as were the others. But once Twilight had finished speaking, a small, slim smile appeared on Trixie's face. She had a feeling of accomplishment growing inside her. But it was only to last a few seconds. Her expression fell grim, and she started to cry, heavily. Twilight pulled away and looked at her. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Trixie is sorry!" Trixie pushed Twilight away, crying harder. Twilight had no clue what was wrong, she started to look around, something she felt she should have done in the first place. She could barely make out the area, so she made her light spell brighter.

"Oh no.....Why.....Why Trixie! Why?!" She turned to the blue Unicorn, terror in her face. Trixie had led them away from danger alright. But she'd put them in an even worse position. Trixie, as well as the seven from Ponyville, were sitting in a ponymade hole, dug out with magic, and then lined with a spell that would keep them from even attempting to climb or fly out. Trixie had been bait, as well as a puppet to bring them all in. "How could you do this to us Trixie?!?! I believed you!"

"And that is what made it so perfect, Twilight Sparkle." A voice spoke from above. Not the stallion from earlier. But it wasn't anypony she knew. She looked up into the face of a pale white Unicorn. No wings. Was this pony with the others?

"Who are you!?" Twilight yelled up to her, backing into a corner farthest away, charging a defensive spell.

"Me? I'm nopony important, at least, not yet. And I wouldn't shoot off that spell if I were you, Trixie may have told you that she put the shield up, but in fact, I put it up. It's a magical cage. One only I can produce. It deflects all magic inside of it back. So, if you fire...well....Let's just say that I wouldn't become famous for bringing you to Luna. After all, she want's you alive and kicking." She replied with a tone of delight. She had captured the most wanted, and thought to be dead, ponies in all of Equestria, at least, aside from Celestia herself.

"Why would you do this? Don't you know Luna will just kill you anyways?" Twilight continued on, trying to somehow change the mysterious white mare's mind.

"Oh? And you know this how? Is that why you had to defeat her before because you tried to help her, and she tried to kill you? And then when ponies asked you just told them you did it to save Equestria? I think not. The only way to know is to bring you to Luna, and if she does kill me, then there will still be an eternal night. At least I helped with that." she replied to Twilight, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare to bring you to the castle." She finished, turning away.

"You know what you are? Yer a good fer nothin' rat!" Apple Jack suddenly hissed up at the Unicorn. She stopped, listening in. "An' that's what you'll always be. A rat. Ya ain't got no backbone. Ya ain't got no heart or soul. I hope Luna does kill ya. Or better yet, I hope she just imprisons ya an' tortures ya til ya ain't nothin' but a little blabbering baby who can only beg for death."

"Is that it?" The white mare said, her back turned to them still.

"No! I tell you what, if I was up there I'd make yer head spin from the beatin' I'd give ya." Apple Jack continued on.

"Umm...Apple Jack...maybe you should--"

"Now just wait a sec, Fluttershy, I ain't done. I bet if Twi here weren't hurt and tired, she'd whoop yer flank even worse than I could!" She went on, interrupting Fluttershy.

"Then why don't you show me just how well you can 'beat' me." The white mare replied, whipping around. A white rope of pure energy lashed out, grabbing Apple Jack by the throat. It slowly lifted her out, choking her as it did. Once out of the magical cage, it held onto her. "Well? Aren't you going to give me a beating? I was so sure I was going to be dragging myself away from you as you kicked me all over Equestria." She sneered, lifting Apple Jack higher into the air. The caramel pony was unable to breath. The magic around her neck continued to tighten the higher she was lifted. She pressed against it with her forehooves, but accomplished nothing, from the corner of her eye, she could barely make out the hole beneath her, she reached out towards it with one hoof. Her mind was racing. Why hadn't she just listened to Fluttershy?

Twilight and the others watched in horror as their friend was lifted higher and higher into the air. Rarity turned her face away. Fluttershy began to bawl. Rainbow Dash could only watch as she couldn't even find the strength to tear her eyes away. Pinkie, for the first time in her life, was also speechless. She was laying in the dirt, covering her head. "Please make it stop! Let her go!" She cried out. Twilight immediately knew all too well how much the white mare would listen.

"Oh Pinkie..." She whispered. She couldn't say anything bad as it was what they all wanted. They didn't want to lose their friend, they wanted her to be set back down safely...

"Alright, have her back." The white mare's magic suddenly twisted violently. Apple Jack continued to reach for them as the magic around her throat suddenly tightened and spun her. All her thoughts raced through her head, then a peaceful feeling fell over her. She saw Big Mac running towards her in a flash of light, followed by Apple Bloom and Granny Smith.

"Y'all came to help me...." She thought quietly. A tear fell from her face as a second passed and all went dark forever more. The sickening crack sounded all the way down to where Twilight and the others sat helplessly. A feeling of deep sadness fell over her, and a feeling of emptiness suddenly overcame her. The white magic holding up Apple Jack suddenly vanished. As the body of their friend fell towards them, Fluttershy let out a scream that pierced the night air. Rainbow Dash dove forward in the path of Apple Jack, and caught her. The feeling of emptiness spread among all but Trixie, as they all finally brought the attention to their friend. Rainbow Dash sat there, holding her in her hooves, an expression of complete and utter loss and sadness on her face. The feeling of losing something had never been so great. Sure, she had lost races and things like that, but this was different....It was her friend. Her family.....The pony in her arms was her sister practically....and now she was gone forever....

"No.....No! please no!!! You're alright! Please! Wake up! WAKE UP!!!" Dash started to cry out, shaking Apple Jack. The earth pony in her grasp was limp, and did not respond. "Apple Jack! Come on! Please!!!"

"Rainbow dash...." Twilight barely whispered. Her own heart hurt. The others were unable to do anything other than sit there watching Rainbow Dash try to wake a pony they all knew to be dead.

"NO! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! SHE JUST CAN'T!" Dash screamed at Twilight. "WAKE UP!!!" She dropped her friend and started to hit her chest, hitting harder and harder.....then softer and softer before she was just leaning against Apple Jack, crying heavily. She couldn't believe it. But she had no choice. Apple Jack was dead. The next to join in was Fluttershy who hugged Dash from the side, crying into her feathers. Then Rarity, Pinkie, and even Scootaloo. Although she had nowhere near the connection to Apple Jack, she still felt sorrow. Twilight was the last, before she gave in to the sorrow, she looked up to the white mare who looked down to them, an evil grin on her face. In her mind, Twilight vowed that she herself, would be the one to kill this mare, for Apple Jack. She would prove her friend's last words correct, for her.