Author's Note

TLDR for Team STAR if you want to read it, it is the prequel for this story! If you don’t want to read it… well now you don’t need to. Please enjoy :)

Team Star (Recap)

The school was meant to train the defenders of Equestria: the hunters and huntresses. Ponies and creatures traveled from across the globe to attend the only school run by Princess Celestia herself. It was the most highly-esteemed vessel for learning there had ever been.

Though, Celestia’s was far from the only school in Equestria. There were four, as a matter of fact. One taught by Celestia, one by Starswirl the Bearded, one by Spitfire, and one by a pony known as Dr. Hooves.

Princess Luna, acting as a learning ambassador, traveled across Equestria overseeing (some of) what goes on at each school. On one of her visits to Starswirl’s school, she discovers some strange misgivings. Soon suspecting him of conspiring with Him: An age old warlock known to bring chaos and disorder to their nation.

Upon hearing this, Celestia aims to weed them out. Using the aged Winter Maiden as bait, she invites him to offer one of his students as her replacement.

Unbeknownst to him, Celestia has already given the power to one of her own students. Trixie Lulamoon, a pony so unskilled, no one would ever expect her to possess such a power. And unbeknownst to Celestia, Starswirl had already planned to take the power with or without her offering.

So, Celestia proposes that his student spar against her own (knowing full well that her student is secretly both and Alicorn and the Spring Maiden… and absolutely has no chance of losing).

Upon a humiliating draw, Starswirl’s student, Cossette vows revenge. She is no longer interested in sparring or taking a diplomatic approach. It is then that Cossette reveals her true identity, Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling hive. And in vowing revenge, she vowed war against Celestia and her school.

As the Winter Maiden, Trixie is sent to hide before the invasion. Her skills are not honed enough and no pony wants the power to fall to Chrysalis. But, as the invasion persists, it becomes clear that Trixie is their last line of defense. In an act of literal self-preservation, Trixie turns herself to stone, sealing the power within her.

Unfortunately, the Changlings hade done irreparable damage to the school structure, and as Celestia broke through the skylight to rescue the Elements of Harmony, she took the rest of the building with her.