Trixie Is Not Amused With Your Shenanigans

That came as a shock to Twilight. Earthquakes were a rare thing and even if they did happen, they didn't give the ponies much trouble. Under normal circumstance, so she had heard, the damage was only minor. Two earthquakes in two days and now... half the city. That was a size she couldn't even hope to grasp. Neither seemed Lyra, although there were hints of it in her face. Something was off, incredibly off.

Twilight was a smart filly but she didn't understand. Still, she reassured the other fillies that at least she was fine and that they didn't need to worry about her. She didn't tell them that she had collapsed because she had used magic. It wasn't often you get to tell somepony that you'd broken the laws by which reality worked and she was quite sure none of them would quite understand it. She herself had little to no idea about it and she was a smart filly.

This was when Twilight got her first glimpse at the life in this house. From her bed she observed Raindrops hovering above the ground, her tiny wings flapping like those of a bee, with Derpy trying to catch up, throwing various things to the ground with that dangerous technique of hers. The two pegasi were really bad at flying and it didn't surprise Twilight that even if they were only a few centimeters above ground, they still only landed face first. Octavia had taken her giant cello to the kitchen and plucked it there, while Lyra seemed to be in an endless talk with Madame Hooves. Hugh was still out. Twilight had heard that he had left immediately after the earthquake and hadn't come back ever since.

Trixie sat by the side of the bed while the pegasi played around, looking to the ground. She and Twilight both felt that this would probably a good time to talk.

"So...,“ Trixie started. "Has that 'wise goat' thing talked to you again?“ she asked.

"Yeah,“ she answered.

"He said that you could do magic.“ Twilight noted how hollow Trixie's voice sounded.

"Y-yeah,“ she said, with a bit of hesitation but also pride. She had to be the first unicorn since forever to be able to do magic.

"Trixie was born in a tower by the cliffs. There were fields of grass all around us and a small town if you followed the road for half an hour,“ Trixie suddenly said. "Trixie's parents were called Great Stars and Powerful Echo. They gave Trixie the cloak and hat and told her that she would become the greatestest wizard in the world if she tried. They were stage magicians, you see, but nopony had liked their show, so they had bought the tower and lived their remaining days out by the cliffs, until they went to sleep and ponies came to take Trixie to Canterlot. The cloak and hat were taken from Trixie and she had to get them back. They're all that's left from them, that and that she's going to become a great and powerful unicorn. Just, I can't really do any magic.“

Trixie looked to the ground. She seemed a truly downtrodden and broken thing at that very moment. Twilight Sparkle didn't know how to respond, other than a: "I'm sorry.“

Trixie didn't cry, Trixie didn't show any emotion on her face. Trixie simply left the room and left Twilight there.

The third earthquake shook the foundations of Canterlot even more than the last two. The power of it all caused the walls and the ceiling of Madame's house to crack and five fillies huddled up around Twilight Sparkle. Afterwards Madame Hooves wrote them that she had to see if Hugh was alright and they would need to wait here. She intended to go out and followed up on her promise by storming out of the house, even leaving the front door open, or so Lyra told her. Twilight only laid there and wondered how Canterlot looked after three earthquakes. Probably not good.

She spent the following time in the bed, shivering all by herself. The cold wasn't going away and she felt herself growing weaker by the hour, as if something was draining her energy, more and more. The filly couldn't help but be a bit scared.

You know, I couldn't help but notice a small thing. Tiny, really. You know. . . It is actually quite a bit funny, so I thought I'd tell you. You see, I have actually noticed that you haven't really moved towards the gardens. Why?

She looked at the ceiling when the voice said that. "You talk too much and I don't understand what you're saying.“

It's simple, really: Go to the gardens, get to the Lunarium, save the world.

"But the magic nearly-“

That's not because of the magic but rather because other than a talent you've got no connection. It's complicated, all you need to know is this: Get Magic back, you get better.

There was a pause, Twilight said nothing.

That's not what you want, though, right?

The others were by the front door, waiting, she knew. "Even if I get better, Shining's gone and papa...“ She couldn't finish that sentence.

So, you don't think going to where I tell you to isn't going to help? Even if I'd tell you that you'd revive the princesses there and get harmony back to the land?

There was a pause. "What?“

Go to the gardens, the old castle plaza. Twilight Sparkle, take a dive and change the fate of the world. You are the pony to do it. You'll get stronger as the journey will continue and in the end, I'm sure, you might even become a bearer of an Element of Harmony. Trust me on that, Twilight Sparkle.

The voice was reassuring to her. She sat there, looking at the ceiling and the mobile above her, still no idea why Raindrops had one above her bed as she seemed way too old for one. But now those stars told her something. Revive the princesses, bring back harmony. She had read stories, she had heard so much about the old world, how wonderful it had been, how Equestria had flourished and peace had been there. Most important: How family had mattered. Twilight decided to do it. With a stern expression on her face she stood up, standing even more shaky on her hooves than usual. She threw off all blankets but the most colorful, that one she'd wear like a cape, for it was also the warmest and snuggliest of them all. She needed something to snuggle.

Then she moved, step by step, slowly stumbling towards the first door. She reached it and then went to the floor, setting her sights on the front door. Six ponies sat there, looking away, hoping for a mare to return that wouldn't do that. Twilight somehow knew it. Somehow she felt like she knew this entire scene. Every step felt familiar, every time she blinked everything felt like she had seen it before. Deja-vu that feeling was called, or so she had memorized. That didn't matter however. It was time to play hero!

Reaching the door, Lyra was the first to react to her: "What are you doing?“

"Going on an adventure!“ The declaration came easy to Twilight, she felt good, even though she felt weak and cold.

The other ponies looked at her for a moment, mouths agape.

"Trixie is not amused with your shenanigans. You should rest,“ Trixie said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Anypony want to go with me on an adventure? We might even see Madame and Hugh on our way,“ Twilight asked.

A few seconds later Derpy declared herself with a "Woohoo,“ and Raindrops followed, Octavia looked at Lyra who lifted her hoof to the air and made some kind of battlecry and Trixie seemed to have found new resolve, how or when, Twilight didn't know.

"We're going to follow that voice?“ she still asked.

"Yeah. We're going to revive the princesses and save Canterlot!“ That declaration got the group even more excited and Twilight knew that, even now, as her heart was smashing against her chest and her legs were trembling under the weight of her own body a good ending was in sight for her.