Home Reversalby cloudedguardianChaptersMare in The Moon (Part 1)Mare in The Moon (Part 2)Mare in The Moon (Part 3)Mare in the Moon (Part 4)Mare in The Moon (Part 5)Mare in The Moon (Part 1)“That was the best party ever! I am so glad you invited me Moondancer!” Trixie said sweetly, a smile plastered on her face as she walked back to her room with her two friends. “I’m so glad you could come Trixie! I know it’s not very often that you have time to go to these little things.” “Yeah, being Princess Celestia’s personal protege makes one pretty busy!” Trixie chuckled proudly, her calm stride becoming more of a strut. “Wow, I’d imagine so!” Colgate agreed quickly, grinning at the pale blue unicorn. “I guess we’d better let you get back to your studies huh?” Trixie gave a dramatic sigh. “Yes, yes, you are quite right. I have a lot ahead of me today. I’ll talk to you girls later, bye-bye!” She called back at them sweetly as she began to climb the stairs to her study. “Bye Trixie!” “See ya Trixie!” She gave them one last wave goodbye halfway up the stairs, before speeding up and quickly stepping through the door and shutting it behind her. The second the door clicked shut, the smile disappeared for a disgusted and bored look to take its place. “Ugh, bye-bye? How much more cutesy and stupid could I act?” Trixie muttered mockingly to herself, dropping the party favours to scatter across the floor. I’ll play nice just like Celestia wants, wave and smile and act like a little darling… That’s simply the rule of politics and nobles. Celestia does it herself. She remembered with a bit of a cruel smile. “Why helllooo~ Sir Darkfrost, so wonderful to see you again!” Trixie strutted over to a black statue, as she imitated Celestia’s voice and pose that the Princess always held when greeting a noble. “Oh, and Lady Tiara! Beautiful as always! How are the children?” She continued her act as she addressed a bust of a famous unicorn. “Ha! You strut and stride dear Sir and Madam,” Trixie laughed, her tone now her own once again, prideful and mocking, “but I, as the Princess’s private pupil, can tell by the emptiness in her eyes that she would like nothing more than to knock you both down a notch or two! And I would like nothing more than to do it myself, now that I think about it. Hmph.” With a small grumble she walked over to where her textbooks had been neatly stacked. Despite being on a break, she had fallen rather sorely behind in her studies of certain subjects. Even as she began to sort through the work, she was still muttering to herself about the nobles that irked her so. “Not that I’m allowed to… Instead, I play nice, and smile pretty, and act soooo cute. But, I suppose if the Princess can do it, so can I…” As she spoke, a flash of soft magic lifted the topmost textbook to float down to eye level. “What I’m not sure I can do is plow through this crap. Predictions and Prophecies. Who cares about this stuff, really? I just don’t get why Celestia thinks it’s so important that I read all this mythology junk… Let alone make it a required course for me…” Trixie gave a loud groan as she carried the book over to her favorite bean-bag chair. “But I suppose if she cares about this so stinking much… I’ll… try and… read the stupid thing…” She grumbled, flipping the old tome open. She soon discovered how behind in her studies she really was, because she very quickly was in need of more and more books, as references to other legends and myths went flying over her head. Within the hour, she was surrounded by almost all of the books that used to be on her desk, as she darted from one to the other trying to figure out the various tales. Knowing Celestia I will be tested on all this… Urghh~ None of this crap makes any sense! My brain hurts! I wanna quit! I wa- The soft flutter of fiery wings and cheerful chirrup of Sapphira broke Trixie out of her mental whining. Trixie stared at her bird for a stunned second, before a mixture of hope and worry filled her eyes and voice. “Is that a letter for me, Sapphira?” Another chirrup answered her positively, and Trixie quickly trotted over to take the scroll that was clutched tightly in her phoenix’s talons. “Please don’t be an exam alert, please don’t be an exam alert, please be literally anything else.” Trixie pleaded under her breath, before gently unrolling the scroll and reading it aloud out of habit. “My Dearest Student Trixie. I am so glad that you took my advice and went to Moondancer’s party. I hope you had an enjoyable time, but you aren’t too tired to help me with the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration…” Trixie suddenly beamed. “YES! Goodbye dusty books, hello Road Trip! Where is it this year? Let’s see…” Her eyes scanned through the letter again to find the answer to her question. “Ponyville? Never heard of it… Oops, better not say that too loud, eh Sapphira? I might get more Geography lessons if I do.” Trixie chuckled, and her bird cocked its head at her in bemusement. Turning back to the letter, Trixie read aloud the last paragraph. “I also have one extra-special assignment for you…” Confusion and a hint of irritation was visible on her face as her eyes reached the last three words on the page. “Make some friends.” Even as the golden chariot winged through the sky to Ponyville, and amazing scenery passed her by, Trixie’s thoughts were still solely on the last three words of the scroll in the bag at her feet. ‘Make some friends.’ I don’t know what Celestia is going on about this time, I simply don’t. I have friends, she knows that! There’s Moondancer, and Sparkler, and… Even as she tried to convince herself otherwise, Trixie knew that Celestia was correct in her unspoken statement. What she had with those girls was not a friendship, but rather a fragile, artificial thing that was little more than the friendly exchange of greetings and praises as each acted out the manners and smiles of a noblemare’s role. Well I don’t need friends. I’ve got Sapphira, and… Celestia, right? She always listens to me, and cheers me up when I’m scared and depressed, and when I’m so frustrated that I just end up crying, she always makes me laugh… That’s a friend too, right? That’s good enough for me then. I don’t need some dumb hick filly following me around and being all… I don’t know. I’ll help Celestia with this just as she asked me, and then I’ll go home and if Celestia’s all done with her duties as well, maybe we can even play a game together… Trixie snickered a little to herself. After a long day, that usually doesn’t take much leg pulling. With a gentle thump the carriage landed and drew to a slow stop. Trixie took a deep breath, and grabbed her saddlebag, before hopping out. Her eyes slowly looked around Ponyville, and she began to realize that just because this was indeed a small town in comparison to Canterlot, there was still going to be plenty of walking involved today. Oh well. Trixie decided with a shrug. I guess I’ll be working off that Birthday Cake I had this morning. “Thank you for a smooth trip, sirs.” Trixie said sweetly, to the two pegasi that had brought her. It wouldn’t do to forget her manners now, and it was obviously appreciated as the two straightened and grinned with a proud snort. Now first things first. According to the “Official Overseer’s Checklist” that was sent with the scroll, I need to check up on the banquet preparations ASAP, which is being catered by “Sweet Apple Acres.” I have no idea where the hay that is, so I’m going to have to ask for directions. So let’s see who I can ask… Trixie looked around at the few ponies that were wandering about, trying to guess at who would be the most helpful. As the scent of baked goods caught her nose, her eyes landed on a bright pink pony that was coming towards her. If she had to guess, this pony might very well even be working at “Sweet Apple Acres”, or at least somewhere that had to work in tandem with them. Yes, she’ll probably do nicely. Trixie decided with a nod to herself, before putting on a smile and walking over to greet the young mare. “Hello, my name is Trixie and I was wond-“ *GASP!* With a deafening inhale the brilliant pink pony literally lifted a foot in the air before shooting off at top speed to Faust knows where. “Well. That was… Strange. Not to mention completely useless…” Trixie grumbled. After a minute of standing there looking off in the direction in which the pony had shot, and feeling irritated, Trixie finally chuckled to herself and shrugged off the strange encounter with a wry smile. “Well, let’s try again shall we? Hmm. That red stallion over there is kinda cute. Can’t go too wrong with him now can we?” Her second try was certainly successful, as not only did the red stallion know where Sweet Apple Acres was, he worked there! He was certainly a boy of few words, instead offering to personally take her there, and Trixie took him up on it. It quickly became apparent that he was just being neighborly so to speak, but that was alright. He had still saved her a good hour of wandering around, and wasn’t one of those irritating stallions that simply droned on and on about things she couldn’t give two kicks about. Far from it, he barely said ten words to her, past a polite introduction and pleasantries. As the two stepped onto the farm, an orange blur of a cowgirl shot by them with a proud and joyful shout, before skidding to a half-stop to slam her hooves into an apple tree, perfectly shaking every ripe apple into awaiting baskets below. “Impressive.” Trixie muttered to herself with a grin, and Big Macintosh beside her gave a small chuckle. She grinned at her escort before walking over to the cowpony. “Good afternoon, my name is Trixie, and-“ She was quickly cut off by getting her hoof scooped up in a exuberant hoof-shake as the orange mare before her quickly introduced herself. “Well howdy do Miss Trixie! A pleasure making your acquaintance, I’m Applejack, and we here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like making new friends!” Friends? I don’t think so… Trixie grimaced a little, trying to regain her balance as the exuberant hoofshake continued despite Applejack having already let go. Big Macintosh placed a hoof atop of Trixie’s, settling it down back to normal. He gave a pointed and amused look at what Trixie was now guessing was his younger sister before resuming his walk back to the barn. “Sorry.” AJ apologized quickly, looking a little embarrassed. “So what can I do ya for?” “Ahem. It’s, uh… Quite alright.” Manners, remember your manners. You are here as Celestia’s student. It will not do to make a fool of yourself. Trixie cleared her throat again before speaking formally. “As I was trying to say earlier, I am here to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration this year... And according to my list, you are in charge of the food.” “We sure as sugar are! Would you care to sample some?” “I think that would be a lovely idea, thank… you?” Applejack had already shot off. What is with Ponyville citizens and rocketing off while one is in the middle of speaking?! “SOUP’S ON EVERYPONY!” Trixie’s eyes widened and her ears swiveled back as the ground began to shake beneath the charge of at least twenty ponies, most likely more. Oh… Crap. Please don’t let me get run ove- “Eegh, woah… Oh my.” Trixie had gotten swept up in the charge and placed at a table in a single heart-beat, which had left her head spinning and her mood dropping. With a zip from nowhere, Applejack was suddenly standing beside her. “Now why don’t I introduce ya to the Apple family?” “No, that won’t be necessa-“ “This here’s Apple Fritter,” You aren’t even listening to me are you? “Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart,” With each ponies name, another dish would be added to the table, and Applejack would speed up in her role call until dishes were almost flying onto the table and Trixie could no longer even keep track of all the food and names that were being thrown to her. Finally, Applejack took a huge breath and introduced the last three of her family. “Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, annnd~!” Trixie was not pleased in the least when Applejack suddenly shoved an apple in her mouth. “Granny Smith… Up and at’em Granny, we got guests.” Their grandmother rather sleepily got to her hooves and walked over to join everypony at the very heaped table. Trixie could hear her muttering something half-asleep, but wasn’t really paying attention to it. Applejack suddenly pulled Trixie into a half-hug. “Why, I’d say you were already part of the family!” Perhaps it is strange that it was those words, so friendly and good-hearted in nature that made Trixie lose her temper as she spat the apple out. “You have got to be joking. And don’t touch me.” Trixie swatted off AJ’s foreleg, to turn and glare at both her and the table heaped full of apple sweets. “And look at all this crap! It’s nothing but apples and apples and more apples!” “Well, we are an apple farm-“ “Yes, I am aware that you are an Apple farm, but just because you received the food order does not mean that you have to, or for that matter should, handle the whole thing yourselves! This is positively ridiculous! What if a pony at the banquet doesn’t like apples? Or what if they're allergic? Did you think of that?” “No, uh, I guess we didn’t-“ “Of course you didn’t! I doubt you think at all! I do believe I’ll be advising Celestia to change caterers and ask somepony else to handle the banquet this year! Honestly!” With that final fume Trixie turned and stormed off the farm, leaving a somewhat hurt Applejack behind. Mare in The Moon (Part 2)“Maybe I shouldn’t have snapped at them like that.” Trixie muttered to herself, as she quietly walked towards City Hall. She had been walking at this slow, quiet pace for almost an hour, and her temper and irritation had long faded away. Instead, in its place, was the hollow feeling of guilt. She knew with that dark creeping feeling that would settle in one’s gut the day after a failed exam, that she had overreacted. Applejack was probably just trying to be polite in her own, strange, rude, hillbilly way… And I should have taken that into consideration… But, oh for crying out loud, the whole thing was just so ridiculous! Trixie whined to herself. All the same though, she knew whatever she thought of now was nothing but an excuse for her own unladylike behavior. If Celestia had seen her outburst, she would be on the receiving end of a spectacular scolding right now… As well as one of those heartrending disappointed looks that only the Princess could give. “Well, I may as be useful in my misery.” Trixie muttered, pulling out the checklist once again. “As much as I may dislike it, and disagree with their choice of menu, the food is taken care of.” There was simply no way she was going to fire Sweet Apple Acres after throwing such a temper-tantrum. It would be almost hypocritical in her eyes. Perhaps it was a little late at this point, but she would hold her tongue. “So, next is weather. According to this, there should be a pegasus named Rainbow Dash keeping the skies clear… But apparently she isn’t doing her job.” Trixie grumbled, looking up at the many white clouds dotting the sky. No, keep in mind, she may have other duties, I can’t just keep jumping to conclusions! I have to take other ponies life styles and jobs into consideration… She may have a very good reason why she hasn’t- *CRASH* Started yet. Trixie groaned from her new spot in the mud. Another pony had crashed into her, and as they had not yet gotten off, she couldn’t even pick herself up out of the foul stuff quite yet. With a rustle of feathers, the other pony finally slid off with a slightly embarrassed, but hardly apologetic, chuckle. “Uh, ‘scuse me?” It’s a little late for that now, don’t you think? Trixie hissed mentally as she started to get to her hooves again. With another chuckle, the pegasus flew off with a “Here, let me help you…” “A hoof up would be sufficient…” Trixie grumbled, as she looked about for where the pony had gone off to. She spotted her a second later, coming back with a slightly darkened cloud. What in Equestria is she doing with a cloud? Trixie wondered with more than a little confusion, as her gaze followed the two until they were directly above her. Then, with a series of quick hop from the pegasus pony, she found out with a rather cold splash that did nothing for her bad mood. Then what did that "idiotic" pony do, but laugh AGAIN. “Eh heh, I guess I over did it.” “No! You think?!” Trixie snapped, trying to shake her wet mane out of her eyes. “Uhmm, I know, how about this?” Before Trixie had a chance to answer, she found herself surrounded by brilliant rainbow and caught in a choking wind. “My very own patented Rain-BLOW-dry!” As the wind dissolved, the pegasus landed a few feet away sounding far too proud. “No no no, don’t thank me, you’re quite welcome.” “Trust me, I wasn’t about to thank you.” Trixie snarled under her breath, before giving out a whimper and nearly crying as she looked up at her once perfectly groomed mane and tail, now very frizzy and dusty. The pegasus before her was also looking at her mane, and crying, but for quite another reason. “BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Trixie so desperately wanted to smack that cocky blue pegasus’s mouth shut. She with-held herself however, on a dark and creeping suspicion. “Let me guess.” Trixie sighed darkly. “You’re Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash quickly regained her composure to stand in perfect and proud posture. “The one and only! Why, ya heard of me?” She asked eagerly, getting a little too much in Trixie’s face. That desire to smack her was returning. “No.” Trixie said bluntly, and for a second Rainbow wilted. Just as she started to realize that she must have heard of her somehow, Trixie quickly expanded on her statement. “Not until this morning, anyway. And even then, all I heard was “Rainbow Dash is the pegasus pony that has the responsibility of keeping the sky clear.” Which I see you aren’t doing.” “Yeah yeah, I’ll get to it. Right after I finish practicing.” Rainbow Dash said breezily, brushing the irritated unicorn off as she lounged on a nearby cloud. “Practicing? For what?” “The Wonderbolts!” Rainbow was suddenly, and very obviously, a dreaming fan-girl. “They’re performing at the Celebration tomorrow! And I’m gonna show them my stuff!” “THE Wonderbolts?” “Yup!” “The most talented flyers in all of Equestria?” ‘That’s them!” “Pfft.” Trixie finally snorted, catching Rainbow Dash off guard as she suddenly burst into laughter. “Oh puh-lease!” Trixie choked out between gasps. “A drop-out like you couldn’t get into the Wonderbolts if you made a deal with the devil.” That seemed to hit a chord. “HEY! Who are you to say any of that anyway?! Why I bet-“ “I don’t care what you bet. And as for who I am, that would be Princess Celestia’s private student… I was personally sent here to make sure the Celebration doesn’t get ruined by idiots like you.” “Urk… That may be so, but that has nothing to do with The Wonderbolts so you can just shut your trap!” “Quite the opposite. I’ve been to countless Wonderbolts shows as a VIP guest. And I’ve seen the clowns do better than this. At least they can keep the sky clear for one measly day.” “Hey, clearing the sky would be a snap for me! I could do it in ten seconds flat!” “Prove it.” Sparks flew between the two mare’s glares. Then determination settled in on Rainbow Dash’s visage, and she launched off the cloud she was sitting on with enough force to dispel it into mist. Despite her dislike of the obnoxious pegasus, Trixie had to admit she did have talent as she shot across the sky in a brilliant blue blur, forcing the very wind to echo her movements out of sheer speed. Sure enough, in exactly ten seconds, Rainbow landed with a hint of pride on the bridge. “See? Ten. Seconds. Flat.” “Hmm. So I see. I guess you aren’t completely useless. Perhaps with that deal with the devil you could make it. Now, if you don’t mind, I have my own job to tend to.” “I do mind! You said a lot of crap and-PPTH” A simple water whip spell cut Rainbow Dash off in mid-retort. Trixie’s horn was still glowing as the left-over water hit the ground. “Oh please, do keep going. I need to improve on my aim.” She snarled. She may not be allowed (or even then, able) to smack Rainbow’s mouth shut physically, but she had yet to meet a pegasus or earth pony willing to tangle with magic under the use of an angered unicorn. This time was no different. “Tch. You’re not worth it.” Rainbow snapped, before flying off towards City Hall. Trixie let the strings of magic drop, before turning away and storming off in a huff, her hooves clacking loudly against the cobblestone path. In hindsight, Rainbow probably hadn’t been worth it either. Once she had managed to cool her head enough to think clearly again, Trixie pulled out her checklist once again. There were only two things left on the list. The decorations at City Hall, where she didn’t want to return to quite yet, and the music. Perhaps some music would improve my mood. She sighed with a hint of a grimace. She was starting to think that perhaps being buried in books back in Canterlot wouldn’t of been so bad. As it was, she was relatively close-by to where the list said that the “Avian Choir” would be practicing, so at least she wouldn’t have much farther to walk. When she arrived, she didn’t so much see that she had, but rather heard so. The soft twittering of birds of different pitches and tunes united in the perfect melody of a royal trumpet, but a thousand times more delicate and beautiful… Trixie winced as a single twittering grew louder than the others and threw out the melody that had only begun. She rounded the corner in time to see that the “Avian Choir” was rather aptly named, as well as to see its quiet conductor in action. “Oh my. Oh, stop please everyone, um… Excuse me sir, I mean no offense, but, your rhythm is just a teeny tiny bit off.” The bird nodded as if in perfect understanding, and the butter colored pegasus flew back to her original position. “Okay follow me please, a one, a two, a one two three~” Trixie knew she had to double-check on the preparations, but she wasn’t quite willing to interrupt and scare the birds, or startle the soft-spoken conductor… At least not yet. She wanted to hear this little sneak peek. So she stayed where she was, eyes closed and enjoying the soft music that began to unfold under the gentle guidance of the pegasus before her. She had the voice of an angel, and it was no wonder that the birds listened to her perfectly. Finally, it seemed that things could go right for Trixie… And then some idiotic rabbit that was hanging around for some unknown reason decided that he didn’t like her standing there, and bit her rather hard on the back of her hoof. “YEOUCH! WHY YOU IMPUDENT LITTLE-“ Trixie bit her tongue deliberately as she caught the terrified look on the conductor’s face. Trixie’s gaze slid from the frightened blue eyes before her up to the empty tree ahead. “Oh dear. I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten your birds, or you! I didn’t mean to shout at all really… But then this thing came along and bit me, and-“ “Angel, come here please.” Trixie was more than a little surprised when the white rabbit glaring at her immediately darted forward to stand behind the mare’s forelegs. “Oh, it’s yours?” She asked bluntly, trying to keep her voice friendly despite her growing irritation and the throbbing pain in her back hoof. She was expecting an apology of some sort for the rabbit’s behavior, but none came. Only a dead silence hung in the air as she got darting glances from Fluttershy and a continual glare from Angel. She could feel her temper starting to rise again as it became quite apparent that there was going to be no apology what-so-ever. “Ahem.” Trixie cleared her throat, determined to just mull through this as formally as possible and then move on. “My name is Trixie. I was sent here to check on preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and so I came here to check on the music. May I have your name please?” “Oh. Uh… I’m Fluttershy.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Can you speak up please?” “Uhm. My name is Fluttershy.” “A little louder, if you don’t mind.” Her irritation was probably beginning to bleed through at this point. “imfluttershy.” “You know what, forget it, I’ll get it from the city records. Your birds are back so I’ll let you finish.” Trixie grumbled as she turned to leave… Just in time to have an acorn somewhat painfully bounce off the back of her head. “OW! Could you at least control your animals?!” Trixie snapped, turning to glare at the offending white rabbit. “A-angel’s just being-“ “I don’t care what he’s being! Don’t tell me you don’t even have enough of a spine to stand up to a rabbit?” She snarled, and Fluttershy staggered back, her eyes quickly filling up with tears. “Oh. So that’s it exactly huh? Lovely.” Trixie’s voice was pure ice, and the glare she directed at Angel was almost murderous. He, most likely wisely at that point, decided to leave his attacks at a dark glare that lasted until she was far out of sight. Today just doesn’t want to go well, does it? Trixie grumbled, her ears folded back against her head as she sulkily walked back to City Hall to get the last thing on her list done and over with so she could just go to the library in which she would be staying in until tomorrow. Once she had everything done, she could just climb into bed and hide away from the world with a comic book until Celestia came. Then, she could snuggle safe and sound away from all worries under her mentors wing. The thought was comforting, and lifted her spirits a little. Alright. City Hall decorations. Let’s get it over with. Trixie pushed open the door and stepped inside, expecting the same run of the mill decorations she seen every year. They were always beautiful, with images of the sun and summer flowers, but that was not what she seen this year. City Hall was gorgeously decorated with banners that echoed stain glass in their vibrancy and simple stories, streamers in the soft pale blues and pinks in Celestia’s mane, and flowers as golden as the sun. As Trixie walked under them, her jaw slid open an inch in amazement as the sheer skill of the decorator became more and more apparent. “Positively stunning.” Trixie said aloud, as she admired the silk banners that adorned each balcony, with a large silken cream rose embellishing each banner upon it’s centre point. “I’m very glad you like it.” A posh voice replied with a proud chuckle. Trixie turned towards its source, to spot a white unicorn mare fussing over a large bouquet of hanging flowers. “So you’re our talented decorator for the Summer Sun Celebration? Rarity, is it?” She asked carefully, taking another look at her checklist as she asked. “Yes, that would be me.” The mare chuckled, sounding rather flattered. “I’ll be right with you, just let me finish- Aha! Perfect!” With a last flourish of magic each flower held a soft glow as they bloomed from the perfect spot that they had been assigned in the bouquet. “So how can I help you-wa-ha-ha- Oh my stars, Darling, what ever happened to your coiffure?” It had been a while since Trixie had last heard French, so it took her a moment to recognize the word. “Oh, my mane? A certain pegasus named Rainbow Dash.” “Ah. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not.” Rarity sighed. “Well, I can’t leave your beautiful silver mane like that.” Even without the note of finality in Rarity’s voice, or the fact that she was already pushing Trixie out the door and towards her boutique, Trixie would have happily gone along for the makeover ahead of her. ~~~ “So do go on dear! You were telling me where you’re from.” Rarity said cheerfully as she fixed the ribbons on the black corset vest that she found for Trixie after throwing out at least ten other outfits. “Easy on the lacing there, I do need to breathe.” Trixie chuckled, having worn similar (but not nearly as gorgeous) pieces before, and Rarity muttered an apology as she eased on the pulling. “I’m from Canterlot, Princess Celestia sent me to-“ “Canterlot?” Rarity had only waited to run around to be face to face with Trixie to interrupt her with a dreamy and wondrous look in her eyes. “Oh I am so envious! The glamour, the sophistication! I have always dreamed of living there! I can’t wait to hear all about it! “We are going to be the best of friends you and I!” Rarity added dreamily, running up to stand beside Trixie. There was that word again. This time, however, Trixie didn’t mind it so much. Her mane was back to its normal beauty, and she had just spent the last half-hour talking about fashion to a talented designer who was simply giving her this beautiful vest, and therefore she was in a very good mood. “Rubies?” Rarity was giving the outfit an appraising look again, before shaking her head at herself. “What was I thinking. Let me get you some diamonds!” As Rarity ran off to get the supplies she needed to perfect her design, Trixie gave herself another look in the mirror. Friends, huh? I don’t know about that… But, I’m certainly used to playing along nicely with ladies like her, and at least she’d be somewhat interesting to talk to… “Friends” could work… I could even say I completed my special “assignment” then. I bet Celestia would be happy to hear that. “Here we are! The perfect addition!” Rarity said proudly as she held up a diamond identical in cut and size to the ruby already in the collar of the vest, before using her magic to switch out the two. “It looks spectacular, Rarity. Thank you. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.” Trixie sighed, looking in the mirror again with a honest smile. “Nothing like shopping to lift one’s spirits, hmm?” Trixie laughed. “Absolutely nothing.” Trixie spent the whole afternoon having tea with Rarity and talking about Canterlot and her studies and acquaintances back home. Rarity really did want to hear “all” about it, no matter what rabbit trail Trixie ended up going off on, she listened and chatted along eagerly. So now as she walked back to the library, a gorgeous sunset lighting her path ahead, and the pleasantly cool evening wind playing in her mane, Trixie was finally feeling content and satisfied with today’s work. She had ensured everything was going to be perfect for the Celebration, and had enough time to read one of her favourite graphic novels before catching up on sleep before the festival. Read a couple chapters, have a seven hour snooze, Trixie gave a bit of a yawn as she thought of the warm bed waiting for her, and then up before dawn to help Celestia with the last few things for the Summer Sun Celebration. Maybe afterwards I’ll introduce Rarity to her. That should make both of them positively ecstatic. Yes, things are finally going right. Trixie decided with a happy and tired smile, as she stepped into the dark library. Then, before she even had a chance to look for the lights, they flipped on with a deafening shout. “SURPRISE!” “…Oh, pony feathers.” Mare in The Moon (Part 3)“SURPRISE!” Here we go again. Trixie sighed desolately, as a vibrant pink pony stood hyper and bouncing a little too far into her personal space. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you? Huh?” What… Is wrong with this pony? No-one, absolutely no-one, can be this hyper- Or bouncy. Trixie added as Pinkie literally bounced right over her head with a continuation of her questioning of whether or not Trixie was surprised with several more irritating ‘Huh?’s. “Very surprised. Libraries are supposed to be quiet.” Trixie drawled coldly, her ears flattening against her head in a desperate attempt to escape from the racket. “Well that’s silly!” Pinkie laughed, once again getting a little too much in Trixie’s face for her liking. “What kinda Welcome Party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, DUH! BOOOOORRIINNGG!” Maybe if I just walk away she’ll get the hint. Trixie hoped desperately as she walked towards a series of bookshelves that held several of her favorite graphic novels. Unfortunately, her hope was very much in vain, as Pinkie followed her along in a series of bounces and continuous chatter. “You see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all “Hello!” and I was all “GASP!” Remember?” Unlike Big Macintosh, Pinkie was being the exact kind of pony that Trixie positively despised. The ones that just talk and talk as if they are in love with the sound of their own voice, and pay no attention to how much they are irritating their conversation partner. “You see I never saw you before, and if I never say you before, that must mean you’re new! ‘Cause I know every pony, and I mean every pony, in Ponyville! And if you’re new, that meant you hadn’t meant anyone yet, and if you hadn’t met anyone yet, you must not have any friends, and if you don’t have any friends, then you must be lonely! And that made me so sad, but then I had an idea! That’s why I went “GASP!” I just had to throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular Welcome Party and invite everyone in Ponyville!” (Note, all punctuation in the spiel above is to notify changes in tone and inflection, not actual pauses.) Does this pony breathe? Trixie wondered irritably as Pinkie rattled on, Trixie herself trying to figure out where five of her novels had gone. “See? So now you have lots and lots of friends!” Pinkie finished, and presumably finally taking a breath as well. There was that “F” word again. Merely hearing it again was like another hammer-blow to her worsening mood and irritation. Finally, Trixie spotted her novels, strewn on the ground, bumped off their shelves by a hovering gray pegasus mare. It was likely of no pony’s deliberate fault, but one of her favorites had landed near the punch table, and was positively soaked in grape soda. “Get out.” Trixie hissed, much to Pinkie’s confusion. “I’m sorry, what was that?” She asked cheerfully, sure she had misheard her new ‘friend’. “All of you. Get out now. Please.” Trixie said very slowly and calmly, just loud enough for everypony to hear, while using all her willpower to keep her tone polite. “But what about your super-duper extra-special really awesome We-“ “GET! OUT!” Pinkie had broken the last of Trixie’s willpower, and with a deafening shout, and a flash of pastel pink magic, the doors to the library burst open as every pony inside was literally thrown out forcefully with magic. They landed surprisingly gently in a wide scattering across the grass outside, the doors slamming behind them with a deafening thud. A vibrant blue-haired unicorn mare was the first to get to her hooves, and shake the dust off her pale fur. “Whoa… Okay, Pinks, I’m just taking a shot in the dark here, but, uh… You forgot to ask for permission before using someone’s venue again, didn’t you?” “Heh heh, uhm… Oopsie?” Inside the library, Trixie slumped in the middle of the room. Hopefully me tossing everyone out like that offended less ponies than losing my temper and throwing another fit like I did at the farm would have. I’m sure the pink dolt meant well, that much was clear, but I just can’t deal with her today. Now atop of her exhaustion, she had a pounding headache from using such a large spell without proper preparation. With another flash of magic the music was turned off and the foreign speakers gently dropped outside for their owners to fetch. The sudden silence eased her irritation, but the mess before her did not. I guess I better start cleaning this all up. She sighed, getting to her hooves with a weary wobble. On her way over to a knocked over bookshelf, Trixie caught her reflection, the sight of it causing her to remember that she was still wearing the beautiful vest that Rarity had given her. Seeing it again eased her bad mood, and she quickly decided to take it off and set it aside before beginning her cleaning spree. It had been the first good thing to happen for her today, and she wasn’t about to ruin it. Three hours later, the library was back to what Trixie imagined was its proper and pristine condition. The books were back on their shelves, and only one book had been damaged beyond repair. There was simply no saving a graphic novel that had been dyed dark purple until its pages stuck together. Yes, it had been her favorite, but it hopefully wouldn’t be too hard to replace. Trixie set away the cleaning supplies in their appropriate cupboards, before looking up at one of the many clocks that adorned the kitchen. Just past midnight. Trixie sighed yet again, this time in exhaustion, and a tiny part of her laughed at its random guess at how many sighs had passed her lips today. Oh well, I should be able to catch at least a couple hours sleep before having to head out. A/N Shorter chapter this time- Came about by me planning to make this the longest one, and the last chapter of "Mare in the Moon" and then me realizing that I can't get around this natural break and I should just put the last bit as two seperate much-better-flowing chapters.... I bet you guys don't mind too much, it just means you'll get two updates in relatively quick succession.... Or maybe you're just happy about getting an update at all after all this time. *Derp* Shutting up now- Hope you enjoyed this tidbit of what's to come. ;) Mare in the Moon (Part 4)Although the sky had lightened in anticipation for its soon to rise sun, the moon was still, oddly enough, high in the sky as Trixie trotted to City Hall to do her last minute check on preparations. She barely paid it any attention, tired as she was, even as it glimmered eerily in the city’s fountains that she passed along the way. Trixie blinked as she futilely tried to fight back a yawn that reminded her how much she wanted her bed over duty, as she pushed against City Hall’s great double doors. They swung upon on recently-oiled hinges, revealing everypony’s hard work to her critiquing eye. In the daylight, Rarity’s decorations had brought a majestic air to the celebrations, befitting to a divine Princess like Celestia… But in the moonlight and dimming starlight, they brought a fairytale air to a stage that seemed like it was set for the greatest story of all times. Trixie’s eyes widened, and her face split into a grin as she stepped into the middle of the room. She knew that the banners, now glittering icily like a winter’s night, would glow beautifully in fiery oranges and reds once the sun was up by Celestia’s call. The whole room will change... Oh Rarity, you really are a talent! Trixie beamed, her gaze unwilling to settle in any one area. As it swept over a pale yellow pegasus, it hesitated before turning back to her in mild confusion. At first, she wondered if the pegasus was one of those early bird ponies that always seemed to show up to these things ridiculously early. Then, she spotted the small multitude birds that were obediently following the butter yellow mare around. Oh. I see the music is right on time… Good, I won’t have to worry about that then… Trixie noted quietly, turning her back to Fluttershy’s assembling choir. She quickly trotted around the room, mentally noting the amount of floor space to make sure that there would be enough standing room for all the earth ponies and unicorns. She came up a little short, so she quickly re-routed to double check all the balcony staircase to ensure that they were clear and easily accessed. Rarity had seemed to have kept them in mind however, (Unlike the last dolt, Trixie could remember Celestia herself having to clear out the staircases so that the rest of her subjects could come in the building she was in. It was rather sad really.) and they were perfectly decorated as well, with nothing to stumble over, or trip on, with each balcony delicately embellished. Perfect. Now I just need to check on the food. Hopefully my little, err, outburst didn’t ruin things. The food table in question was thankfully heaped to the top as it should be, but that wasn’t what caught Trixie’s attention as she approached it. Yes, there were all the apple confectionaries that she had seen the day before, but there was also four beautiful platters that were completely free of any trace of apples. Oatmeal cookies, vanilla cupcakes decorated with little suns, blueberry jelly the color of the summer sky, and a chocolate cake that made Trixie’s mouth water at the sight of it. It was quite clear by the differing garnishes on the apple toffee cake and the chocolate one that these sweets had obviously been made by somepony else. Trixie smiled proudly. They called in some extra help, I see. Oh and they made an amazing choice as well. Now, I should have just asked them to do this instead of… Well, throwing a tantrum, but at least everything worked out to the better. “Uh, Miss Trixie?” The blue unicorn in question quickly turned around to be face to face with Applejack, who was fidgeting with her hat as if she had something to say. “Y-yes, can I help you?” She asked quickly, absolutely determined to stay professional this time around. “Ah just wanted to say thank you for not firing us from catering the Celebration… Faust knows our family needs the business it racks up…” “Oh… It’s… Quite alright. I didn’t have the right to do so after my behavior yesterday afternoon, so I’d like to apologize for that as well,” Trixie began, before shooting a look over her shoulder at the table. Applejack seemed to be somepony who took pride in her work, so maybe she could make her feel better if she stroked that a little… “And I see that you called in a little help with the order. I can see that you made a wise choice. The table looks absolutely perfect.” Applejack looked up at her with a hint of shocked surprise. “Yeah, we asked Sugarcube Corner if they would provide us a few extra platters, and Pinkie gave us those free of charge.” Pinkie? As in that hyper pink pony? She works at a confectionery? …Well that explains everything. “Oh? Well, you know what they say, good contacts and knowing when to call them in is a sign of a promising business.” Trixie smiled sweetly, and Applejack finally returned it. She nodded her goodbye and put her hat back on as she walked back to her family, and Trixie breathed a sigh of relief. I think I managed to mend things Princess… Just like how you taught me. She added mentally, and gave one last proud smile before turning and trotting up the staircase that led to the balcony from which Celestia would appear. She reached it in moments, but something felt very much off. Her lilac eyes searched the balcony, confusion and fear growing in her heart. Where is Celestia? She should be here by now. She always comes early so we can talk about ancient magic before she has to raise the sun… So where is she? Fluttershy’s birds echoed out the royal song from the podium as Trixie resumed her anxious search, her frazzled mind trying hopelessly to figure out what was going on. “Fillies and Gentlecolts! As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Trixie’s ears laid flat against her head as the Mayor’s voice called out to the gathered crowd. Celestia still wasn’t here. “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this; The longest day of the year!” Mayor Mare announced cheerfully. “And now, it is my great honor, to introduce to you, the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon every single day… The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria; Princess Celestia!” The birds began their song again, drawing nothing but dread from the pale unicorn behind the curtain. Trixie shot behind a pillar as the curtains began to open. Oh no oh no oh no- OH NOOO… She clenched her eyes tightly shut as frantic whispers echoed out from the entire crowd. “Remain calm, everypony… There must be a reasonable explanation…” Mayor Mare offered gently, although her voice betrayed her own growing panic. “Trixie?” Trixie opened her eyes to look up at Rarity’s anxious expression. “Trixie, where’s Princess Celestia? What’s going on?” “I don’t know! She’s always here by now, but she isn’t. I-I…” Trixie trailed off as tears filled her eyes. “I want her to be alright…” She whispered, and she heard Rarity’s quick trot back to the balcony a heart-beat later. Rarity’s simple reply of “She’s gone.” drew a dramatic gasp from the crowd… A second later though, they grew louder and were coupled with screams as a bubble of strong magic appeared on the balcony, which shattered in a heart-beat to reveal a black Alicorn. Trixie felt as if she could hardly breath as the black Alicorn smiled cruelly at the crowd below as draconic eyes searched their faces. “Oh my precious subjects… It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces,” She sneered darkly. A bold pegasus that Trixie easily recognized as Rainbow Dash interrupted the dark Alicorn before her. “What did you do with our Princess?!” She yelled, her tone every bit the rude and brash fool that Trixie knew. To her surprise though, the Alicorn just laughed. “What, am I not royal enough for you?” Relief was cut short by the Alicorn’s visage twisting slightly in anger. “Don’t you know who I am?!” “Ooh ooh, more guessing games!” Oh no… Pinkie. For Celestia’s sake, shut up! “Uhm, Hokey Smokes! How about Queen Meanie? No, Black Snooty! Black Snooty-” Going by the muffled noises that ended her ramble, somepony had wisely shut her up. The Alicorn paid her no attention however, and instead continued her angry tirade. “Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” Trixie watched with a hint of horror as the black Alicorn walked up to Rarity. “Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?” Trixie breathed a sigh of relief as the Alicorn did nothing but flick Rarity’s nose with her mane before turning back to the crowd. “No? I have been forgotten? Hmph… Fair enough I suppose…” Thunder began to roll as the Alicorn’s face split into a wide and cruel grin. “For you will soon forget the day, because from this moment forth, the night shall last FOREVER!” Somehow, it was her terrifying and maniacal laughter that brought back Trixie’s courage. Perhaps it was because it was only now that the threat had become wholly real. Perhaps it was because now everypony was in danger and probably only Trixie had the knowledge to stop her… Or perhaps it was simply because she sounded far too much like all those girls that used to mock Trixie so. Whichever it was, as everypony fled from the building with cries of terror, Trixie was among them, determined to get to the library once more as her mind wheeling to put the pieces together. Subjects, crown, royal- she’s a Princess. A thousand years imprisoned… The night shall last forever… The thoughts became a mantra as her hooves pounded against the cobblestones. Moonlight shone down on her mockingly as she made her futile charge towards her goal. Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night. Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night, Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night… Then, a tickle of a memory as the Alicorn’s voice came back to her. “Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?” Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night, a legend… A legend. Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria… Princess. There were two regal sisters, who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the elder sister used her powers to raise the sun at dawn, the younger brought out the moon to begin the night… Everlasting night. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The little ponies relished and played in the day her sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn… She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night… For the bitterness in the young ones heart and turned into a wicked mare of darkness- “The Legend of Nightmare Moon!” Trixie gasped aloud. Determination settled in even stronger as she increased her speed. “I should have known there was a reason why Celestia wanted me to read all those dusty old books!” The library doors burst open to allow Trixie to skid in. “C’mon, where is it, Equestrian myths…” Trixie muttered as her magic tore through the bookshelves. In a minute that felt like an hour, she held the brown and gold book that held the tale. “Here it is… ‘Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponykind, the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon.’” “So that’s it! The Elements of Harmony… I think I’ve read about those before…” Trixie dropped the tome to search the bookshelves again. “Wait! Celestia wanted me to read that stupid book, what was it called…” She charged over to her book bag and tossed the items out haphazardly until she found the dark teal volume in question. “Let’s see… Elements of Harmony… Aha!” Trixie stared at the page hopefully for a second before her face fell. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me. ‘See Mare in the Moon.’ GAH!” The book was tossed aside irritably as Trixie began her search for the old book on Equestrian Myths. Sapphira landed with a gentle squawk on her windowsill as books flew across the room in Trixie’s panicked search. “You… Have really lousy timing, you know that Sapph?” Trixie muttered as she flipped through three different books before dropping them to the ground as well. Sapphira gave another small squawk before flying over and tipping over a bright turquoise tome on the top of a bookshelf to splay open a few feet away from her unicorn. Trixie raised an eyebrow before looking down at the book. “Mare in the Moon… Oh this is it! ‘Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times… A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring night-time eternal.’ Well that explains the “Thousand years” bit… Not a lot of help though… Don’t I have anything on the Elements directly?!” Sapphira gave her an encouraging chirrup and gestured down at the bookshelf she was perched on. Trixie trotted over questioningly before giving in and searching the books below. It wasn’t long before a brilliant red book caught her eye. “Elements of Harmony, a Reference guide…” Trixie gave a desolate sigh at her own stupidity before pulling it out. “Let’s see… ‘There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known.’ Don’t need to know the what, just the where… Bla bla bla, aha! ‘It is said that the last known location of the five Elements was in the ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It is located in what is now… The Everfree Forest.’” “…Lovely.” A/N: Now I could whip off maybe three to five paragraphs and call "Mare in the Moon" done, but somehow i think that you guys would like, and deserve, something better than that, so there will be one more chapter to this before I move onto the second set of chapters. Mare in The Moon (Part 5)Unknown to Trixie, her loud gasp of revelation earlier had caught the attention of a certain pride-bruised alicorn who had stuck around long enough to see if she truly had been forgotten. It was much to her delight to hear that not only had Celestia immortalized their fight as a well-beloved fairytale, but that somehow, Destiny had written a way for Nightmare Moon to discover a precious student of Celestia’s… Who was about to run head first into the Everfree. This was going to be dreadfully fun. Trixie stared into the darkened depths of the trees before her. Her heart pounded out a panicked tune that sung about the many different reasons why she should just go home and wait for Celestia to sort everything out, and that this was a very stupid idea in every sense of the word. Trixie knew, however, that this time Celestia could very well be unable to do anything, could very well be in trouble herself. Otherwise, why would she have waited this long? No, the Celestia Trixie knew would have stepped in the second that Nightmare Moon had returned. Something was wrong with this whole situation, and Trixie was positive that stopping Nightmare Moon would make things right once more. That didn’t stop her knees from knocking. “Don’t be ridiculous,” She muttered to herself, shooting a look over her shoulder to the empty streets behind. “Trixie is not this much of a coward. I can do this. I have to do this.” With a final gulp, Trixie took one shaky step after another, and slowly her soft blue figure disappeared into the gloom of the trees. Several minutes passed as she stepped quickly through the forest, her ears flat against her head as her hooves cracked the old wood and bark that coated the forest floor underneath the thick layers of moss. There was only a few small paths that still remained from the olden days, and they were often hard to find among the rubble and where nature had reclaimed its land. She had only been at this for a little while, and already Trixie felt as if her nerves had been run through a wood chipper. Every time she snapped another twig, hidden by moss or shadows, it took all her being not to jump, and every hoot or hiss from the nearby animals brought her fur to end. “I-I wonder if any ponies have ever come in here before?” Trixie muttered to herself, trying to think of anything other than what those two glowing orange eyes ahead could belong to. As she passed it, it turned out to be two large fragments of amber in a rather strange and fierce necklace that was tangled in nearby vines. Although there was no sign of hide or hair of its previous owner, a new question still arose. “Perhaps I should be worrying about whether anypony has ever come out…” Trixie suppressed a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the trees and onto a clearing in the form of a mountainous path. Despite the strange purple mist that was drifting about, the area felt far safer than the thick trees behind, as the light of the moon eased her fear with its gentle glow. Unfortunately for Trixie, nothing is as it seems, and she would have most likely been safer back in the trees with the beasts. She had only moved a few feet forward, to the widest part of the mountains path, when a deafening crack echoed through the air, the dust that suddenly arose from around her as the rocks split into fragments and dust, her only warning before the whole side of the mountain she was on broke away. A scream escaped her lips as the path under foot broke into pieces and left her tumbling down the rocky side of the mountains along with several small boulders. Her horn lit in time to raise a shield to protect her from the shattering stones around her that almost seemed to be actively seeking to kill her. Adrenaline pumping, Trixie struggled to gain any amount of footing. After what felt like forever as well as a single heartbeat, she managed to hook her front hoof around a stone that was embedded deep into the mountain, forcing herself to a stop. She winced heavily as a sharp pain shot up her foreleg, her rear legs scrambling to get her to her hooves. Although she wasn’t quite successful, she was able to pull herself forward enough to grab a thick tree root that was nearby, giving herself a somewhat more stable place to rest. “That… Was far too close.” Trixie breathed, still shaking as her heartbeat continued to pound almost painfully away. It was a long time before she had regained enough composure to think straight, at which point a rather important question arose. “How am I going to get down?” The “How” was of course needlessly complicated, but perhaps one cannot blame her for that, as ruffled and confused as she was… All the same, after a series of teleportation and stabilization spells that left Trixie feeling light-headed and tired, her hooves were safely on the ground once more, the path ahead leading towards the castle once again. Trixie shook her head rapidly as she tried to clear the fog that settled about it. Trying to take a step forward dispelled it with ease as pain shot up her leg and brought tears to her eyes. It was now quite obvious that she had sprained her fetlock during the fall. “There’s nothing I can do about you, is there…” She muttered, her leg reflexively pulling the sore hoof off the ground, just to be glared at by the flustered mare. Trixie grimaced slightly, before resolutely putting her injury out of her mind. I can tend to it once this is all over. She huffed, forcing herself forward towards the ancient castle again, a pronounced limp now in her gait. She didn’t get farther than a hundred feet at best when a thundering roar echoed out around her. “Oh. Pony feathers.” Trixie whimpered, as a hulking shadow rose up before her. The manticore gave a terrifying snarl as it lunged forward to pin the blue pony beneath it’s massive paws… Just to discover she was no longer there. She was no longer anywhere. The manticore’s angry growl did not diminish in volume nor strength as it looked about for the pony it though was the source of its pain. It sniffed deeply, trying to find where the pony had gone off too, just as she snuck by it, tears welling in her eyes as she suppressed her limp to sneak as quietly as possible. She had never expected that the invisibility spell she had learned years ago for a prank would ever truly come into use. For that matter, she never would have expected that the studies she did on ancient monsters would ever come into play either. Manticores were primarily reliant on their spectacular eyesight, with which they could see even in pitch-black darkness, so hopefully she could get far enough way with this spell to escape before he caught her scent. A second, slightly triumphant snarl caught her ears, declaring that she had better hope that the fifty feet she had gained was enough. The manticore’s wings unfolded, slamming the air like a drum as they came down in a lunge that slammed the lion-like creature only a few feet away from the now full-out fleeing unicorn. Trixie was galloping like her life depended on it, which, really, it probably was. Her horn started to glow once more as she began to draw upon her magic, not yet even having a spell in mind. It was a foolish thing to do, but such things as common sense and logic often take a back seat to fear and desperation in situations such as this one. Trixie’s mind whirled even as pain shot up her leg repeatedly as she landed heavily again and again on her injured hoof. I need a spell, any spell, come on Trixie! THINK! She pleaded with herself, her horn growing hot as the magic began to build up in it. Brambles caught her fur as she stumbled once more into the clinging darkness of the trees, the manticore still hot on her tail. She turned and swerved, diving in among strange willows in a desperate hope to lose the angry beast behind her. On and on, hooves slamming against the ground with all their might, all in what felt like a futile effort to lose the monster behind her, whose every step almost seemed to shake the ground below. As she continued to flee, the trees themselves began to block her path, growing dark and terrifying in their own right. At first Trixie was sure it was her imagination, panic and adrenaline twisting reality… But as the shadows grew thicker, and branches turned to talons, eyes began to glow, and fangs beginning to show, she realized that perhaps she had somehow run straight into a nightmare. As the world twisted itself darker and darker, fear grew until she could only think of one thing. She wanted light. Anything to dispel the darkness, and give her but a whisper of safety. In her desperate desire, she reached for her illumination spell, not realizing that it would react violently with all the magic she had already called up. The forest grew blindingly bright with a slamming bang as the basic spell and built-up magic combined in an effect much like a flash-bang grenade. The manticore gave a half strangled mew as it slammed on the brakes and turned away from the dazzling magical blaze, before turning tail and fleeing from the noise and painful light. In the following silence that trailed her magical outburst, Trixie collapsed to gasp for her air, a now pounding headache adding to her already vast collection of aches and pains. I’m only half-way there at this point. Perhaps this really was a dumb idea. She thought feebly, just about ready to give-up altogether. Then, a single memory came to mind, forcing her resolution and determination back with an almost choking strength; That one night, when a storm blotted out all light from star and moon, bringing the fear of darkness to add to the already clinging panic that a foal’s nightmare had created… That one night where Celestia held her close and reassured her, as even her own mother wouldn’t. Lulamoon had always said that Trixie had to face her own fears to be a proper lady, and would send her unceremoniously back to bed… Celestia didn’t though. In all her foalish fears, Celestia had just wrapped her in the soft white wings of her and hummed. All she said was, “It’s alright… I’m here…” And that in turn, was all Trixie had needed. Lilac eyes flared open as Trixie struggled to her hooves once more. If this one time, Celestia needed her, then whether it was in success or failure, she would be there for Celestia. A/N: Really I had intended this to be the last chapter for "Mare in The Moon" but after being unable to write it for so long, it seems that inspiration has OTHER ideas. I'm sure you guys don't mind a little extra reading material, eh?
Mare in The Moon (Part 1)“That was the best party ever! I am so glad you invited me Moondancer!” Trixie said sweetly, a smile plastered on her face as she walked back to her room with her two friends. “I’m so glad you could come Trixie! I know it’s not very often that you have time to go to these little things.” “Yeah, being Princess Celestia’s personal protege makes one pretty busy!” Trixie chuckled proudly, her calm stride becoming more of a strut. “Wow, I’d imagine so!” Colgate agreed quickly, grinning at the pale blue unicorn. “I guess we’d better let you get back to your studies huh?” Trixie gave a dramatic sigh. “Yes, yes, you are quite right. I have a lot ahead of me today. I’ll talk to you girls later, bye-bye!” She called back at them sweetly as she began to climb the stairs to her study. “Bye Trixie!” “See ya Trixie!” She gave them one last wave goodbye halfway up the stairs, before speeding up and quickly stepping through the door and shutting it behind her. The second the door clicked shut, the smile disappeared for a disgusted and bored look to take its place. “Ugh, bye-bye? How much more cutesy and stupid could I act?” Trixie muttered mockingly to herself, dropping the party favours to scatter across the floor. I’ll play nice just like Celestia wants, wave and smile and act like a little darling… That’s simply the rule of politics and nobles. Celestia does it herself. She remembered with a bit of a cruel smile. “Why helllooo~ Sir Darkfrost, so wonderful to see you again!” Trixie strutted over to a black statue, as she imitated Celestia’s voice and pose that the Princess always held when greeting a noble. “Oh, and Lady Tiara! Beautiful as always! How are the children?” She continued her act as she addressed a bust of a famous unicorn. “Ha! You strut and stride dear Sir and Madam,” Trixie laughed, her tone now her own once again, prideful and mocking, “but I, as the Princess’s private pupil, can tell by the emptiness in her eyes that she would like nothing more than to knock you both down a notch or two! And I would like nothing more than to do it myself, now that I think about it. Hmph.” With a small grumble she walked over to where her textbooks had been neatly stacked. Despite being on a break, she had fallen rather sorely behind in her studies of certain subjects. Even as she began to sort through the work, she was still muttering to herself about the nobles that irked her so. “Not that I’m allowed to… Instead, I play nice, and smile pretty, and act soooo cute. But, I suppose if the Princess can do it, so can I…” As she spoke, a flash of soft magic lifted the topmost textbook to float down to eye level. “What I’m not sure I can do is plow through this crap. Predictions and Prophecies. Who cares about this stuff, really? I just don’t get why Celestia thinks it’s so important that I read all this mythology junk… Let alone make it a required course for me…” Trixie gave a loud groan as she carried the book over to her favorite bean-bag chair. “But I suppose if she cares about this so stinking much… I’ll… try and… read the stupid thing…” She grumbled, flipping the old tome open. She soon discovered how behind in her studies she really was, because she very quickly was in need of more and more books, as references to other legends and myths went flying over her head. Within the hour, she was surrounded by almost all of the books that used to be on her desk, as she darted from one to the other trying to figure out the various tales. Knowing Celestia I will be tested on all this… Urghh~ None of this crap makes any sense! My brain hurts! I wanna quit! I wa- The soft flutter of fiery wings and cheerful chirrup of Sapphira broke Trixie out of her mental whining. Trixie stared at her bird for a stunned second, before a mixture of hope and worry filled her eyes and voice. “Is that a letter for me, Sapphira?” Another chirrup answered her positively, and Trixie quickly trotted over to take the scroll that was clutched tightly in her phoenix’s talons. “Please don’t be an exam alert, please don’t be an exam alert, please be literally anything else.” Trixie pleaded under her breath, before gently unrolling the scroll and reading it aloud out of habit. “My Dearest Student Trixie. I am so glad that you took my advice and went to Moondancer’s party. I hope you had an enjoyable time, but you aren’t too tired to help me with the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration…” Trixie suddenly beamed. “YES! Goodbye dusty books, hello Road Trip! Where is it this year? Let’s see…” Her eyes scanned through the letter again to find the answer to her question. “Ponyville? Never heard of it… Oops, better not say that too loud, eh Sapphira? I might get more Geography lessons if I do.” Trixie chuckled, and her bird cocked its head at her in bemusement. Turning back to the letter, Trixie read aloud the last paragraph. “I also have one extra-special assignment for you…” Confusion and a hint of irritation was visible on her face as her eyes reached the last three words on the page. “Make some friends.” Even as the golden chariot winged through the sky to Ponyville, and amazing scenery passed her by, Trixie’s thoughts were still solely on the last three words of the scroll in the bag at her feet. ‘Make some friends.’ I don’t know what Celestia is going on about this time, I simply don’t. I have friends, she knows that! There’s Moondancer, and Sparkler, and… Even as she tried to convince herself otherwise, Trixie knew that Celestia was correct in her unspoken statement. What she had with those girls was not a friendship, but rather a fragile, artificial thing that was little more than the friendly exchange of greetings and praises as each acted out the manners and smiles of a noblemare’s role. Well I don’t need friends. I’ve got Sapphira, and… Celestia, right? She always listens to me, and cheers me up when I’m scared and depressed, and when I’m so frustrated that I just end up crying, she always makes me laugh… That’s a friend too, right? That’s good enough for me then. I don’t need some dumb hick filly following me around and being all… I don’t know. I’ll help Celestia with this just as she asked me, and then I’ll go home and if Celestia’s all done with her duties as well, maybe we can even play a game together… Trixie snickered a little to herself. After a long day, that usually doesn’t take much leg pulling. With a gentle thump the carriage landed and drew to a slow stop. Trixie took a deep breath, and grabbed her saddlebag, before hopping out. Her eyes slowly looked around Ponyville, and she began to realize that just because this was indeed a small town in comparison to Canterlot, there was still going to be plenty of walking involved today. Oh well. Trixie decided with a shrug. I guess I’ll be working off that Birthday Cake I had this morning. “Thank you for a smooth trip, sirs.” Trixie said sweetly, to the two pegasi that had brought her. It wouldn’t do to forget her manners now, and it was obviously appreciated as the two straightened and grinned with a proud snort. Now first things first. According to the “Official Overseer’s Checklist” that was sent with the scroll, I need to check up on the banquet preparations ASAP, which is being catered by “Sweet Apple Acres.” I have no idea where the hay that is, so I’m going to have to ask for directions. So let’s see who I can ask… Trixie looked around at the few ponies that were wandering about, trying to guess at who would be the most helpful. As the scent of baked goods caught her nose, her eyes landed on a bright pink pony that was coming towards her. If she had to guess, this pony might very well even be working at “Sweet Apple Acres”, or at least somewhere that had to work in tandem with them. Yes, she’ll probably do nicely. Trixie decided with a nod to herself, before putting on a smile and walking over to greet the young mare. “Hello, my name is Trixie and I was wond-“ *GASP!* With a deafening inhale the brilliant pink pony literally lifted a foot in the air before shooting off at top speed to Faust knows where. “Well. That was… Strange. Not to mention completely useless…” Trixie grumbled. After a minute of standing there looking off in the direction in which the pony had shot, and feeling irritated, Trixie finally chuckled to herself and shrugged off the strange encounter with a wry smile. “Well, let’s try again shall we? Hmm. That red stallion over there is kinda cute. Can’t go too wrong with him now can we?” Her second try was certainly successful, as not only did the red stallion know where Sweet Apple Acres was, he worked there! He was certainly a boy of few words, instead offering to personally take her there, and Trixie took him up on it. It quickly became apparent that he was just being neighborly so to speak, but that was alright. He had still saved her a good hour of wandering around, and wasn’t one of those irritating stallions that simply droned on and on about things she couldn’t give two kicks about. Far from it, he barely said ten words to her, past a polite introduction and pleasantries. As the two stepped onto the farm, an orange blur of a cowgirl shot by them with a proud and joyful shout, before skidding to a half-stop to slam her hooves into an apple tree, perfectly shaking every ripe apple into awaiting baskets below. “Impressive.” Trixie muttered to herself with a grin, and Big Macintosh beside her gave a small chuckle. She grinned at her escort before walking over to the cowpony. “Good afternoon, my name is Trixie, and-“ She was quickly cut off by getting her hoof scooped up in a exuberant hoof-shake as the orange mare before her quickly introduced herself. “Well howdy do Miss Trixie! A pleasure making your acquaintance, I’m Applejack, and we here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like making new friends!” Friends? I don’t think so… Trixie grimaced a little, trying to regain her balance as the exuberant hoofshake continued despite Applejack having already let go. Big Macintosh placed a hoof atop of Trixie’s, settling it down back to normal. He gave a pointed and amused look at what Trixie was now guessing was his younger sister before resuming his walk back to the barn. “Sorry.” AJ apologized quickly, looking a little embarrassed. “So what can I do ya for?” “Ahem. It’s, uh… Quite alright.” Manners, remember your manners. You are here as Celestia’s student. It will not do to make a fool of yourself. Trixie cleared her throat again before speaking formally. “As I was trying to say earlier, I am here to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration this year... And according to my list, you are in charge of the food.” “We sure as sugar are! Would you care to sample some?” “I think that would be a lovely idea, thank… you?” Applejack had already shot off. What is with Ponyville citizens and rocketing off while one is in the middle of speaking?! “SOUP’S ON EVERYPONY!” Trixie’s eyes widened and her ears swiveled back as the ground began to shake beneath the charge of at least twenty ponies, most likely more. Oh… Crap. Please don’t let me get run ove- “Eegh, woah… Oh my.” Trixie had gotten swept up in the charge and placed at a table in a single heart-beat, which had left her head spinning and her mood dropping. With a zip from nowhere, Applejack was suddenly standing beside her. “Now why don’t I introduce ya to the Apple family?” “No, that won’t be necessa-“ “This here’s Apple Fritter,” You aren’t even listening to me are you? “Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart,” With each ponies name, another dish would be added to the table, and Applejack would speed up in her role call until dishes were almost flying onto the table and Trixie could no longer even keep track of all the food and names that were being thrown to her. Finally, Applejack took a huge breath and introduced the last three of her family. “Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, annnd~!” Trixie was not pleased in the least when Applejack suddenly shoved an apple in her mouth. “Granny Smith… Up and at’em Granny, we got guests.” Their grandmother rather sleepily got to her hooves and walked over to join everypony at the very heaped table. Trixie could hear her muttering something half-asleep, but wasn’t really paying attention to it. Applejack suddenly pulled Trixie into a half-hug. “Why, I’d say you were already part of the family!” Perhaps it is strange that it was those words, so friendly and good-hearted in nature that made Trixie lose her temper as she spat the apple out. “You have got to be joking. And don’t touch me.” Trixie swatted off AJ’s foreleg, to turn and glare at both her and the table heaped full of apple sweets. “And look at all this crap! It’s nothing but apples and apples and more apples!” “Well, we are an apple farm-“ “Yes, I am aware that you are an Apple farm, but just because you received the food order does not mean that you have to, or for that matter should, handle the whole thing yourselves! This is positively ridiculous! What if a pony at the banquet doesn’t like apples? Or what if they're allergic? Did you think of that?” “No, uh, I guess we didn’t-“ “Of course you didn’t! I doubt you think at all! I do believe I’ll be advising Celestia to change caterers and ask somepony else to handle the banquet this year! Honestly!” With that final fume Trixie turned and stormed off the farm, leaving a somewhat hurt Applejack behind.
Mare in The Moon (Part 2)“Maybe I shouldn’t have snapped at them like that.” Trixie muttered to herself, as she quietly walked towards City Hall. She had been walking at this slow, quiet pace for almost an hour, and her temper and irritation had long faded away. Instead, in its place, was the hollow feeling of guilt. She knew with that dark creeping feeling that would settle in one’s gut the day after a failed exam, that she had overreacted. Applejack was probably just trying to be polite in her own, strange, rude, hillbilly way… And I should have taken that into consideration… But, oh for crying out loud, the whole thing was just so ridiculous! Trixie whined to herself. All the same though, she knew whatever she thought of now was nothing but an excuse for her own unladylike behavior. If Celestia had seen her outburst, she would be on the receiving end of a spectacular scolding right now… As well as one of those heartrending disappointed looks that only the Princess could give. “Well, I may as be useful in my misery.” Trixie muttered, pulling out the checklist once again. “As much as I may dislike it, and disagree with their choice of menu, the food is taken care of.” There was simply no way she was going to fire Sweet Apple Acres after throwing such a temper-tantrum. It would be almost hypocritical in her eyes. Perhaps it was a little late at this point, but she would hold her tongue. “So, next is weather. According to this, there should be a pegasus named Rainbow Dash keeping the skies clear… But apparently she isn’t doing her job.” Trixie grumbled, looking up at the many white clouds dotting the sky. No, keep in mind, she may have other duties, I can’t just keep jumping to conclusions! I have to take other ponies life styles and jobs into consideration… She may have a very good reason why she hasn’t- *CRASH* Started yet. Trixie groaned from her new spot in the mud. Another pony had crashed into her, and as they had not yet gotten off, she couldn’t even pick herself up out of the foul stuff quite yet. With a rustle of feathers, the other pony finally slid off with a slightly embarrassed, but hardly apologetic, chuckle. “Uh, ‘scuse me?” It’s a little late for that now, don’t you think? Trixie hissed mentally as she started to get to her hooves again. With another chuckle, the pegasus flew off with a “Here, let me help you…” “A hoof up would be sufficient…” Trixie grumbled, as she looked about for where the pony had gone off to. She spotted her a second later, coming back with a slightly darkened cloud. What in Equestria is she doing with a cloud? Trixie wondered with more than a little confusion, as her gaze followed the two until they were directly above her. Then, with a series of quick hop from the pegasus pony, she found out with a rather cold splash that did nothing for her bad mood. Then what did that "idiotic" pony do, but laugh AGAIN. “Eh heh, I guess I over did it.” “No! You think?!” Trixie snapped, trying to shake her wet mane out of her eyes. “Uhmm, I know, how about this?” Before Trixie had a chance to answer, she found herself surrounded by brilliant rainbow and caught in a choking wind. “My very own patented Rain-BLOW-dry!” As the wind dissolved, the pegasus landed a few feet away sounding far too proud. “No no no, don’t thank me, you’re quite welcome.” “Trust me, I wasn’t about to thank you.” Trixie snarled under her breath, before giving out a whimper and nearly crying as she looked up at her once perfectly groomed mane and tail, now very frizzy and dusty. The pegasus before her was also looking at her mane, and crying, but for quite another reason. “BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Trixie so desperately wanted to smack that cocky blue pegasus’s mouth shut. She with-held herself however, on a dark and creeping suspicion. “Let me guess.” Trixie sighed darkly. “You’re Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash quickly regained her composure to stand in perfect and proud posture. “The one and only! Why, ya heard of me?” She asked eagerly, getting a little too much in Trixie’s face. That desire to smack her was returning. “No.” Trixie said bluntly, and for a second Rainbow wilted. Just as she started to realize that she must have heard of her somehow, Trixie quickly expanded on her statement. “Not until this morning, anyway. And even then, all I heard was “Rainbow Dash is the pegasus pony that has the responsibility of keeping the sky clear.” Which I see you aren’t doing.” “Yeah yeah, I’ll get to it. Right after I finish practicing.” Rainbow Dash said breezily, brushing the irritated unicorn off as she lounged on a nearby cloud. “Practicing? For what?” “The Wonderbolts!” Rainbow was suddenly, and very obviously, a dreaming fan-girl. “They’re performing at the Celebration tomorrow! And I’m gonna show them my stuff!” “THE Wonderbolts?” “Yup!” “The most talented flyers in all of Equestria?” ‘That’s them!” “Pfft.” Trixie finally snorted, catching Rainbow Dash off guard as she suddenly burst into laughter. “Oh puh-lease!” Trixie choked out between gasps. “A drop-out like you couldn’t get into the Wonderbolts if you made a deal with the devil.” That seemed to hit a chord. “HEY! Who are you to say any of that anyway?! Why I bet-“ “I don’t care what you bet. And as for who I am, that would be Princess Celestia’s private student… I was personally sent here to make sure the Celebration doesn’t get ruined by idiots like you.” “Urk… That may be so, but that has nothing to do with The Wonderbolts so you can just shut your trap!” “Quite the opposite. I’ve been to countless Wonderbolts shows as a VIP guest. And I’ve seen the clowns do better than this. At least they can keep the sky clear for one measly day.” “Hey, clearing the sky would be a snap for me! I could do it in ten seconds flat!” “Prove it.” Sparks flew between the two mare’s glares. Then determination settled in on Rainbow Dash’s visage, and she launched off the cloud she was sitting on with enough force to dispel it into mist. Despite her dislike of the obnoxious pegasus, Trixie had to admit she did have talent as she shot across the sky in a brilliant blue blur, forcing the very wind to echo her movements out of sheer speed. Sure enough, in exactly ten seconds, Rainbow landed with a hint of pride on the bridge. “See? Ten. Seconds. Flat.” “Hmm. So I see. I guess you aren’t completely useless. Perhaps with that deal with the devil you could make it. Now, if you don’t mind, I have my own job to tend to.” “I do mind! You said a lot of crap and-PPTH” A simple water whip spell cut Rainbow Dash off in mid-retort. Trixie’s horn was still glowing as the left-over water hit the ground. “Oh please, do keep going. I need to improve on my aim.” She snarled. She may not be allowed (or even then, able) to smack Rainbow’s mouth shut physically, but she had yet to meet a pegasus or earth pony willing to tangle with magic under the use of an angered unicorn. This time was no different. “Tch. You’re not worth it.” Rainbow snapped, before flying off towards City Hall. Trixie let the strings of magic drop, before turning away and storming off in a huff, her hooves clacking loudly against the cobblestone path. In hindsight, Rainbow probably hadn’t been worth it either. Once she had managed to cool her head enough to think clearly again, Trixie pulled out her checklist once again. There were only two things left on the list. The decorations at City Hall, where she didn’t want to return to quite yet, and the music. Perhaps some music would improve my mood. She sighed with a hint of a grimace. She was starting to think that perhaps being buried in books back in Canterlot wouldn’t of been so bad. As it was, she was relatively close-by to where the list said that the “Avian Choir” would be practicing, so at least she wouldn’t have much farther to walk. When she arrived, she didn’t so much see that she had, but rather heard so. The soft twittering of birds of different pitches and tunes united in the perfect melody of a royal trumpet, but a thousand times more delicate and beautiful… Trixie winced as a single twittering grew louder than the others and threw out the melody that had only begun. She rounded the corner in time to see that the “Avian Choir” was rather aptly named, as well as to see its quiet conductor in action. “Oh my. Oh, stop please everyone, um… Excuse me sir, I mean no offense, but, your rhythm is just a teeny tiny bit off.” The bird nodded as if in perfect understanding, and the butter colored pegasus flew back to her original position. “Okay follow me please, a one, a two, a one two three~” Trixie knew she had to double-check on the preparations, but she wasn’t quite willing to interrupt and scare the birds, or startle the soft-spoken conductor… At least not yet. She wanted to hear this little sneak peek. So she stayed where she was, eyes closed and enjoying the soft music that began to unfold under the gentle guidance of the pegasus before her. She had the voice of an angel, and it was no wonder that the birds listened to her perfectly. Finally, it seemed that things could go right for Trixie… And then some idiotic rabbit that was hanging around for some unknown reason decided that he didn’t like her standing there, and bit her rather hard on the back of her hoof. “YEOUCH! WHY YOU IMPUDENT LITTLE-“ Trixie bit her tongue deliberately as she caught the terrified look on the conductor’s face. Trixie’s gaze slid from the frightened blue eyes before her up to the empty tree ahead. “Oh dear. I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten your birds, or you! I didn’t mean to shout at all really… But then this thing came along and bit me, and-“ “Angel, come here please.” Trixie was more than a little surprised when the white rabbit glaring at her immediately darted forward to stand behind the mare’s forelegs. “Oh, it’s yours?” She asked bluntly, trying to keep her voice friendly despite her growing irritation and the throbbing pain in her back hoof. She was expecting an apology of some sort for the rabbit’s behavior, but none came. Only a dead silence hung in the air as she got darting glances from Fluttershy and a continual glare from Angel. She could feel her temper starting to rise again as it became quite apparent that there was going to be no apology what-so-ever. “Ahem.” Trixie cleared her throat, determined to just mull through this as formally as possible and then move on. “My name is Trixie. I was sent here to check on preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and so I came here to check on the music. May I have your name please?” “Oh. Uh… I’m Fluttershy.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Can you speak up please?” “Uhm. My name is Fluttershy.” “A little louder, if you don’t mind.” Her irritation was probably beginning to bleed through at this point. “imfluttershy.” “You know what, forget it, I’ll get it from the city records. Your birds are back so I’ll let you finish.” Trixie grumbled as she turned to leave… Just in time to have an acorn somewhat painfully bounce off the back of her head. “OW! Could you at least control your animals?!” Trixie snapped, turning to glare at the offending white rabbit. “A-angel’s just being-“ “I don’t care what he’s being! Don’t tell me you don’t even have enough of a spine to stand up to a rabbit?” She snarled, and Fluttershy staggered back, her eyes quickly filling up with tears. “Oh. So that’s it exactly huh? Lovely.” Trixie’s voice was pure ice, and the glare she directed at Angel was almost murderous. He, most likely wisely at that point, decided to leave his attacks at a dark glare that lasted until she was far out of sight. Today just doesn’t want to go well, does it? Trixie grumbled, her ears folded back against her head as she sulkily walked back to City Hall to get the last thing on her list done and over with so she could just go to the library in which she would be staying in until tomorrow. Once she had everything done, she could just climb into bed and hide away from the world with a comic book until Celestia came. Then, she could snuggle safe and sound away from all worries under her mentors wing. The thought was comforting, and lifted her spirits a little. Alright. City Hall decorations. Let’s get it over with. Trixie pushed open the door and stepped inside, expecting the same run of the mill decorations she seen every year. They were always beautiful, with images of the sun and summer flowers, but that was not what she seen this year. City Hall was gorgeously decorated with banners that echoed stain glass in their vibrancy and simple stories, streamers in the soft pale blues and pinks in Celestia’s mane, and flowers as golden as the sun. As Trixie walked under them, her jaw slid open an inch in amazement as the sheer skill of the decorator became more and more apparent. “Positively stunning.” Trixie said aloud, as she admired the silk banners that adorned each balcony, with a large silken cream rose embellishing each banner upon it’s centre point. “I’m very glad you like it.” A posh voice replied with a proud chuckle. Trixie turned towards its source, to spot a white unicorn mare fussing over a large bouquet of hanging flowers. “So you’re our talented decorator for the Summer Sun Celebration? Rarity, is it?” She asked carefully, taking another look at her checklist as she asked. “Yes, that would be me.” The mare chuckled, sounding rather flattered. “I’ll be right with you, just let me finish- Aha! Perfect!” With a last flourish of magic each flower held a soft glow as they bloomed from the perfect spot that they had been assigned in the bouquet. “So how can I help you-wa-ha-ha- Oh my stars, Darling, what ever happened to your coiffure?” It had been a while since Trixie had last heard French, so it took her a moment to recognize the word. “Oh, my mane? A certain pegasus named Rainbow Dash.” “Ah. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not.” Rarity sighed. “Well, I can’t leave your beautiful silver mane like that.” Even without the note of finality in Rarity’s voice, or the fact that she was already pushing Trixie out the door and towards her boutique, Trixie would have happily gone along for the makeover ahead of her. ~~~ “So do go on dear! You were telling me where you’re from.” Rarity said cheerfully as she fixed the ribbons on the black corset vest that she found for Trixie after throwing out at least ten other outfits. “Easy on the lacing there, I do need to breathe.” Trixie chuckled, having worn similar (but not nearly as gorgeous) pieces before, and Rarity muttered an apology as she eased on the pulling. “I’m from Canterlot, Princess Celestia sent me to-“ “Canterlot?” Rarity had only waited to run around to be face to face with Trixie to interrupt her with a dreamy and wondrous look in her eyes. “Oh I am so envious! The glamour, the sophistication! I have always dreamed of living there! I can’t wait to hear all about it! “We are going to be the best of friends you and I!” Rarity added dreamily, running up to stand beside Trixie. There was that word again. This time, however, Trixie didn’t mind it so much. Her mane was back to its normal beauty, and she had just spent the last half-hour talking about fashion to a talented designer who was simply giving her this beautiful vest, and therefore she was in a very good mood. “Rubies?” Rarity was giving the outfit an appraising look again, before shaking her head at herself. “What was I thinking. Let me get you some diamonds!” As Rarity ran off to get the supplies she needed to perfect her design, Trixie gave herself another look in the mirror. Friends, huh? I don’t know about that… But, I’m certainly used to playing along nicely with ladies like her, and at least she’d be somewhat interesting to talk to… “Friends” could work… I could even say I completed my special “assignment” then. I bet Celestia would be happy to hear that. “Here we are! The perfect addition!” Rarity said proudly as she held up a diamond identical in cut and size to the ruby already in the collar of the vest, before using her magic to switch out the two. “It looks spectacular, Rarity. Thank you. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.” Trixie sighed, looking in the mirror again with a honest smile. “Nothing like shopping to lift one’s spirits, hmm?” Trixie laughed. “Absolutely nothing.” Trixie spent the whole afternoon having tea with Rarity and talking about Canterlot and her studies and acquaintances back home. Rarity really did want to hear “all” about it, no matter what rabbit trail Trixie ended up going off on, she listened and chatted along eagerly. So now as she walked back to the library, a gorgeous sunset lighting her path ahead, and the pleasantly cool evening wind playing in her mane, Trixie was finally feeling content and satisfied with today’s work. She had ensured everything was going to be perfect for the Celebration, and had enough time to read one of her favourite graphic novels before catching up on sleep before the festival. Read a couple chapters, have a seven hour snooze, Trixie gave a bit of a yawn as she thought of the warm bed waiting for her, and then up before dawn to help Celestia with the last few things for the Summer Sun Celebration. Maybe afterwards I’ll introduce Rarity to her. That should make both of them positively ecstatic. Yes, things are finally going right. Trixie decided with a happy and tired smile, as she stepped into the dark library. Then, before she even had a chance to look for the lights, they flipped on with a deafening shout. “SURPRISE!” “…Oh, pony feathers.”
Mare in The Moon (Part 3)“SURPRISE!” Here we go again. Trixie sighed desolately, as a vibrant pink pony stood hyper and bouncing a little too far into her personal space. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you? Huh?” What… Is wrong with this pony? No-one, absolutely no-one, can be this hyper- Or bouncy. Trixie added as Pinkie literally bounced right over her head with a continuation of her questioning of whether or not Trixie was surprised with several more irritating ‘Huh?’s. “Very surprised. Libraries are supposed to be quiet.” Trixie drawled coldly, her ears flattening against her head in a desperate attempt to escape from the racket. “Well that’s silly!” Pinkie laughed, once again getting a little too much in Trixie’s face for her liking. “What kinda Welcome Party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, DUH! BOOOOORRIINNGG!” Maybe if I just walk away she’ll get the hint. Trixie hoped desperately as she walked towards a series of bookshelves that held several of her favorite graphic novels. Unfortunately, her hope was very much in vain, as Pinkie followed her along in a series of bounces and continuous chatter. “You see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all “Hello!” and I was all “GASP!” Remember?” Unlike Big Macintosh, Pinkie was being the exact kind of pony that Trixie positively despised. The ones that just talk and talk as if they are in love with the sound of their own voice, and pay no attention to how much they are irritating their conversation partner. “You see I never saw you before, and if I never say you before, that must mean you’re new! ‘Cause I know every pony, and I mean every pony, in Ponyville! And if you’re new, that meant you hadn’t meant anyone yet, and if you hadn’t met anyone yet, you must not have any friends, and if you don’t have any friends, then you must be lonely! And that made me so sad, but then I had an idea! That’s why I went “GASP!” I just had to throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular Welcome Party and invite everyone in Ponyville!” (Note, all punctuation in the spiel above is to notify changes in tone and inflection, not actual pauses.) Does this pony breathe? Trixie wondered irritably as Pinkie rattled on, Trixie herself trying to figure out where five of her novels had gone. “See? So now you have lots and lots of friends!” Pinkie finished, and presumably finally taking a breath as well. There was that “F” word again. Merely hearing it again was like another hammer-blow to her worsening mood and irritation. Finally, Trixie spotted her novels, strewn on the ground, bumped off their shelves by a hovering gray pegasus mare. It was likely of no pony’s deliberate fault, but one of her favorites had landed near the punch table, and was positively soaked in grape soda. “Get out.” Trixie hissed, much to Pinkie’s confusion. “I’m sorry, what was that?” She asked cheerfully, sure she had misheard her new ‘friend’. “All of you. Get out now. Please.” Trixie said very slowly and calmly, just loud enough for everypony to hear, while using all her willpower to keep her tone polite. “But what about your super-duper extra-special really awesome We-“ “GET! OUT!” Pinkie had broken the last of Trixie’s willpower, and with a deafening shout, and a flash of pastel pink magic, the doors to the library burst open as every pony inside was literally thrown out forcefully with magic. They landed surprisingly gently in a wide scattering across the grass outside, the doors slamming behind them with a deafening thud. A vibrant blue-haired unicorn mare was the first to get to her hooves, and shake the dust off her pale fur. “Whoa… Okay, Pinks, I’m just taking a shot in the dark here, but, uh… You forgot to ask for permission before using someone’s venue again, didn’t you?” “Heh heh, uhm… Oopsie?” Inside the library, Trixie slumped in the middle of the room. Hopefully me tossing everyone out like that offended less ponies than losing my temper and throwing another fit like I did at the farm would have. I’m sure the pink dolt meant well, that much was clear, but I just can’t deal with her today. Now atop of her exhaustion, she had a pounding headache from using such a large spell without proper preparation. With another flash of magic the music was turned off and the foreign speakers gently dropped outside for their owners to fetch. The sudden silence eased her irritation, but the mess before her did not. I guess I better start cleaning this all up. She sighed, getting to her hooves with a weary wobble. On her way over to a knocked over bookshelf, Trixie caught her reflection, the sight of it causing her to remember that she was still wearing the beautiful vest that Rarity had given her. Seeing it again eased her bad mood, and she quickly decided to take it off and set it aside before beginning her cleaning spree. It had been the first good thing to happen for her today, and she wasn’t about to ruin it. Three hours later, the library was back to what Trixie imagined was its proper and pristine condition. The books were back on their shelves, and only one book had been damaged beyond repair. There was simply no saving a graphic novel that had been dyed dark purple until its pages stuck together. Yes, it had been her favorite, but it hopefully wouldn’t be too hard to replace. Trixie set away the cleaning supplies in their appropriate cupboards, before looking up at one of the many clocks that adorned the kitchen. Just past midnight. Trixie sighed yet again, this time in exhaustion, and a tiny part of her laughed at its random guess at how many sighs had passed her lips today. Oh well, I should be able to catch at least a couple hours sleep before having to head out. A/N Shorter chapter this time- Came about by me planning to make this the longest one, and the last chapter of "Mare in the Moon" and then me realizing that I can't get around this natural break and I should just put the last bit as two seperate much-better-flowing chapters.... I bet you guys don't mind too much, it just means you'll get two updates in relatively quick succession.... Or maybe you're just happy about getting an update at all after all this time. *Derp* Shutting up now- Hope you enjoyed this tidbit of what's to come. ;)
Mare in the Moon (Part 4)Although the sky had lightened in anticipation for its soon to rise sun, the moon was still, oddly enough, high in the sky as Trixie trotted to City Hall to do her last minute check on preparations. She barely paid it any attention, tired as she was, even as it glimmered eerily in the city’s fountains that she passed along the way. Trixie blinked as she futilely tried to fight back a yawn that reminded her how much she wanted her bed over duty, as she pushed against City Hall’s great double doors. They swung upon on recently-oiled hinges, revealing everypony’s hard work to her critiquing eye. In the daylight, Rarity’s decorations had brought a majestic air to the celebrations, befitting to a divine Princess like Celestia… But in the moonlight and dimming starlight, they brought a fairytale air to a stage that seemed like it was set for the greatest story of all times. Trixie’s eyes widened, and her face split into a grin as she stepped into the middle of the room. She knew that the banners, now glittering icily like a winter’s night, would glow beautifully in fiery oranges and reds once the sun was up by Celestia’s call. The whole room will change... Oh Rarity, you really are a talent! Trixie beamed, her gaze unwilling to settle in any one area. As it swept over a pale yellow pegasus, it hesitated before turning back to her in mild confusion. At first, she wondered if the pegasus was one of those early bird ponies that always seemed to show up to these things ridiculously early. Then, she spotted the small multitude birds that were obediently following the butter yellow mare around. Oh. I see the music is right on time… Good, I won’t have to worry about that then… Trixie noted quietly, turning her back to Fluttershy’s assembling choir. She quickly trotted around the room, mentally noting the amount of floor space to make sure that there would be enough standing room for all the earth ponies and unicorns. She came up a little short, so she quickly re-routed to double check all the balcony staircase to ensure that they were clear and easily accessed. Rarity had seemed to have kept them in mind however, (Unlike the last dolt, Trixie could remember Celestia herself having to clear out the staircases so that the rest of her subjects could come in the building she was in. It was rather sad really.) and they were perfectly decorated as well, with nothing to stumble over, or trip on, with each balcony delicately embellished. Perfect. Now I just need to check on the food. Hopefully my little, err, outburst didn’t ruin things. The food table in question was thankfully heaped to the top as it should be, but that wasn’t what caught Trixie’s attention as she approached it. Yes, there were all the apple confectionaries that she had seen the day before, but there was also four beautiful platters that were completely free of any trace of apples. Oatmeal cookies, vanilla cupcakes decorated with little suns, blueberry jelly the color of the summer sky, and a chocolate cake that made Trixie’s mouth water at the sight of it. It was quite clear by the differing garnishes on the apple toffee cake and the chocolate one that these sweets had obviously been made by somepony else. Trixie smiled proudly. They called in some extra help, I see. Oh and they made an amazing choice as well. Now, I should have just asked them to do this instead of… Well, throwing a tantrum, but at least everything worked out to the better. “Uh, Miss Trixie?” The blue unicorn in question quickly turned around to be face to face with Applejack, who was fidgeting with her hat as if she had something to say. “Y-yes, can I help you?” She asked quickly, absolutely determined to stay professional this time around. “Ah just wanted to say thank you for not firing us from catering the Celebration… Faust knows our family needs the business it racks up…” “Oh… It’s… Quite alright. I didn’t have the right to do so after my behavior yesterday afternoon, so I’d like to apologize for that as well,” Trixie began, before shooting a look over her shoulder at the table. Applejack seemed to be somepony who took pride in her work, so maybe she could make her feel better if she stroked that a little… “And I see that you called in a little help with the order. I can see that you made a wise choice. The table looks absolutely perfect.” Applejack looked up at her with a hint of shocked surprise. “Yeah, we asked Sugarcube Corner if they would provide us a few extra platters, and Pinkie gave us those free of charge.” Pinkie? As in that hyper pink pony? She works at a confectionery? …Well that explains everything. “Oh? Well, you know what they say, good contacts and knowing when to call them in is a sign of a promising business.” Trixie smiled sweetly, and Applejack finally returned it. She nodded her goodbye and put her hat back on as she walked back to her family, and Trixie breathed a sigh of relief. I think I managed to mend things Princess… Just like how you taught me. She added mentally, and gave one last proud smile before turning and trotting up the staircase that led to the balcony from which Celestia would appear. She reached it in moments, but something felt very much off. Her lilac eyes searched the balcony, confusion and fear growing in her heart. Where is Celestia? She should be here by now. She always comes early so we can talk about ancient magic before she has to raise the sun… So where is she? Fluttershy’s birds echoed out the royal song from the podium as Trixie resumed her anxious search, her frazzled mind trying hopelessly to figure out what was going on. “Fillies and Gentlecolts! As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Trixie’s ears laid flat against her head as the Mayor’s voice called out to the gathered crowd. Celestia still wasn’t here. “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this; The longest day of the year!” Mayor Mare announced cheerfully. “And now, it is my great honor, to introduce to you, the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon every single day… The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria; Princess Celestia!” The birds began their song again, drawing nothing but dread from the pale unicorn behind the curtain. Trixie shot behind a pillar as the curtains began to open. Oh no oh no oh no- OH NOOO… She clenched her eyes tightly shut as frantic whispers echoed out from the entire crowd. “Remain calm, everypony… There must be a reasonable explanation…” Mayor Mare offered gently, although her voice betrayed her own growing panic. “Trixie?” Trixie opened her eyes to look up at Rarity’s anxious expression. “Trixie, where’s Princess Celestia? What’s going on?” “I don’t know! She’s always here by now, but she isn’t. I-I…” Trixie trailed off as tears filled her eyes. “I want her to be alright…” She whispered, and she heard Rarity’s quick trot back to the balcony a heart-beat later. Rarity’s simple reply of “She’s gone.” drew a dramatic gasp from the crowd… A second later though, they grew louder and were coupled with screams as a bubble of strong magic appeared on the balcony, which shattered in a heart-beat to reveal a black Alicorn. Trixie felt as if she could hardly breath as the black Alicorn smiled cruelly at the crowd below as draconic eyes searched their faces. “Oh my precious subjects… It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces,” She sneered darkly. A bold pegasus that Trixie easily recognized as Rainbow Dash interrupted the dark Alicorn before her. “What did you do with our Princess?!” She yelled, her tone every bit the rude and brash fool that Trixie knew. To her surprise though, the Alicorn just laughed. “What, am I not royal enough for you?” Relief was cut short by the Alicorn’s visage twisting slightly in anger. “Don’t you know who I am?!” “Ooh ooh, more guessing games!” Oh no… Pinkie. For Celestia’s sake, shut up! “Uhm, Hokey Smokes! How about Queen Meanie? No, Black Snooty! Black Snooty-” Going by the muffled noises that ended her ramble, somepony had wisely shut her up. The Alicorn paid her no attention however, and instead continued her angry tirade. “Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” Trixie watched with a hint of horror as the black Alicorn walked up to Rarity. “Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?” Trixie breathed a sigh of relief as the Alicorn did nothing but flick Rarity’s nose with her mane before turning back to the crowd. “No? I have been forgotten? Hmph… Fair enough I suppose…” Thunder began to roll as the Alicorn’s face split into a wide and cruel grin. “For you will soon forget the day, because from this moment forth, the night shall last FOREVER!” Somehow, it was her terrifying and maniacal laughter that brought back Trixie’s courage. Perhaps it was because it was only now that the threat had become wholly real. Perhaps it was because now everypony was in danger and probably only Trixie had the knowledge to stop her… Or perhaps it was simply because she sounded far too much like all those girls that used to mock Trixie so. Whichever it was, as everypony fled from the building with cries of terror, Trixie was among them, determined to get to the library once more as her mind wheeling to put the pieces together. Subjects, crown, royal- she’s a Princess. A thousand years imprisoned… The night shall last forever… The thoughts became a mantra as her hooves pounded against the cobblestones. Moonlight shone down on her mockingly as she made her futile charge towards her goal. Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night. Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night, Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night… Then, a tickle of a memory as the Alicorn’s voice came back to her. “Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?” Princess, a thousand years, everlasting night, a legend… A legend. Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria… Princess. There were two regal sisters, who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the elder sister used her powers to raise the sun at dawn, the younger brought out the moon to begin the night… Everlasting night. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The little ponies relished and played in the day her sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn… She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night… For the bitterness in the young ones heart and turned into a wicked mare of darkness- “The Legend of Nightmare Moon!” Trixie gasped aloud. Determination settled in even stronger as she increased her speed. “I should have known there was a reason why Celestia wanted me to read all those dusty old books!” The library doors burst open to allow Trixie to skid in. “C’mon, where is it, Equestrian myths…” Trixie muttered as her magic tore through the bookshelves. In a minute that felt like an hour, she held the brown and gold book that held the tale. “Here it is… ‘Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponykind, the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon.’” “So that’s it! The Elements of Harmony… I think I’ve read about those before…” Trixie dropped the tome to search the bookshelves again. “Wait! Celestia wanted me to read that stupid book, what was it called…” She charged over to her book bag and tossed the items out haphazardly until she found the dark teal volume in question. “Let’s see… Elements of Harmony… Aha!” Trixie stared at the page hopefully for a second before her face fell. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me. ‘See Mare in the Moon.’ GAH!” The book was tossed aside irritably as Trixie began her search for the old book on Equestrian Myths. Sapphira landed with a gentle squawk on her windowsill as books flew across the room in Trixie’s panicked search. “You… Have really lousy timing, you know that Sapph?” Trixie muttered as she flipped through three different books before dropping them to the ground as well. Sapphira gave another small squawk before flying over and tipping over a bright turquoise tome on the top of a bookshelf to splay open a few feet away from her unicorn. Trixie raised an eyebrow before looking down at the book. “Mare in the Moon… Oh this is it! ‘Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times… A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring night-time eternal.’ Well that explains the “Thousand years” bit… Not a lot of help though… Don’t I have anything on the Elements directly?!” Sapphira gave her an encouraging chirrup and gestured down at the bookshelf she was perched on. Trixie trotted over questioningly before giving in and searching the books below. It wasn’t long before a brilliant red book caught her eye. “Elements of Harmony, a Reference guide…” Trixie gave a desolate sigh at her own stupidity before pulling it out. “Let’s see… ‘There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known.’ Don’t need to know the what, just the where… Bla bla bla, aha! ‘It is said that the last known location of the five Elements was in the ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It is located in what is now… The Everfree Forest.’” “…Lovely.” A/N: Now I could whip off maybe three to five paragraphs and call "Mare in the Moon" done, but somehow i think that you guys would like, and deserve, something better than that, so there will be one more chapter to this before I move onto the second set of chapters.
Mare in The Moon (Part 5)Unknown to Trixie, her loud gasp of revelation earlier had caught the attention of a certain pride-bruised alicorn who had stuck around long enough to see if she truly had been forgotten. It was much to her delight to hear that not only had Celestia immortalized their fight as a well-beloved fairytale, but that somehow, Destiny had written a way for Nightmare Moon to discover a precious student of Celestia’s… Who was about to run head first into the Everfree. This was going to be dreadfully fun. Trixie stared into the darkened depths of the trees before her. Her heart pounded out a panicked tune that sung about the many different reasons why she should just go home and wait for Celestia to sort everything out, and that this was a very stupid idea in every sense of the word. Trixie knew, however, that this time Celestia could very well be unable to do anything, could very well be in trouble herself. Otherwise, why would she have waited this long? No, the Celestia Trixie knew would have stepped in the second that Nightmare Moon had returned. Something was wrong with this whole situation, and Trixie was positive that stopping Nightmare Moon would make things right once more. That didn’t stop her knees from knocking. “Don’t be ridiculous,” She muttered to herself, shooting a look over her shoulder to the empty streets behind. “Trixie is not this much of a coward. I can do this. I have to do this.” With a final gulp, Trixie took one shaky step after another, and slowly her soft blue figure disappeared into the gloom of the trees. Several minutes passed as she stepped quickly through the forest, her ears flat against her head as her hooves cracked the old wood and bark that coated the forest floor underneath the thick layers of moss. There was only a few small paths that still remained from the olden days, and they were often hard to find among the rubble and where nature had reclaimed its land. She had only been at this for a little while, and already Trixie felt as if her nerves had been run through a wood chipper. Every time she snapped another twig, hidden by moss or shadows, it took all her being not to jump, and every hoot or hiss from the nearby animals brought her fur to end. “I-I wonder if any ponies have ever come in here before?” Trixie muttered to herself, trying to think of anything other than what those two glowing orange eyes ahead could belong to. As she passed it, it turned out to be two large fragments of amber in a rather strange and fierce necklace that was tangled in nearby vines. Although there was no sign of hide or hair of its previous owner, a new question still arose. “Perhaps I should be worrying about whether anypony has ever come out…” Trixie suppressed a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the trees and onto a clearing in the form of a mountainous path. Despite the strange purple mist that was drifting about, the area felt far safer than the thick trees behind, as the light of the moon eased her fear with its gentle glow. Unfortunately for Trixie, nothing is as it seems, and she would have most likely been safer back in the trees with the beasts. She had only moved a few feet forward, to the widest part of the mountains path, when a deafening crack echoed through the air, the dust that suddenly arose from around her as the rocks split into fragments and dust, her only warning before the whole side of the mountain she was on broke away. A scream escaped her lips as the path under foot broke into pieces and left her tumbling down the rocky side of the mountains along with several small boulders. Her horn lit in time to raise a shield to protect her from the shattering stones around her that almost seemed to be actively seeking to kill her. Adrenaline pumping, Trixie struggled to gain any amount of footing. After what felt like forever as well as a single heartbeat, she managed to hook her front hoof around a stone that was embedded deep into the mountain, forcing herself to a stop. She winced heavily as a sharp pain shot up her foreleg, her rear legs scrambling to get her to her hooves. Although she wasn’t quite successful, she was able to pull herself forward enough to grab a thick tree root that was nearby, giving herself a somewhat more stable place to rest. “That… Was far too close.” Trixie breathed, still shaking as her heartbeat continued to pound almost painfully away. It was a long time before she had regained enough composure to think straight, at which point a rather important question arose. “How am I going to get down?” The “How” was of course needlessly complicated, but perhaps one cannot blame her for that, as ruffled and confused as she was… All the same, after a series of teleportation and stabilization spells that left Trixie feeling light-headed and tired, her hooves were safely on the ground once more, the path ahead leading towards the castle once again. Trixie shook her head rapidly as she tried to clear the fog that settled about it. Trying to take a step forward dispelled it with ease as pain shot up her leg and brought tears to her eyes. It was now quite obvious that she had sprained her fetlock during the fall. “There’s nothing I can do about you, is there…” She muttered, her leg reflexively pulling the sore hoof off the ground, just to be glared at by the flustered mare. Trixie grimaced slightly, before resolutely putting her injury out of her mind. I can tend to it once this is all over. She huffed, forcing herself forward towards the ancient castle again, a pronounced limp now in her gait. She didn’t get farther than a hundred feet at best when a thundering roar echoed out around her. “Oh. Pony feathers.” Trixie whimpered, as a hulking shadow rose up before her. The manticore gave a terrifying snarl as it lunged forward to pin the blue pony beneath it’s massive paws… Just to discover she was no longer there. She was no longer anywhere. The manticore’s angry growl did not diminish in volume nor strength as it looked about for the pony it though was the source of its pain. It sniffed deeply, trying to find where the pony had gone off too, just as she snuck by it, tears welling in her eyes as she suppressed her limp to sneak as quietly as possible. She had never expected that the invisibility spell she had learned years ago for a prank would ever truly come into use. For that matter, she never would have expected that the studies she did on ancient monsters would ever come into play either. Manticores were primarily reliant on their spectacular eyesight, with which they could see even in pitch-black darkness, so hopefully she could get far enough way with this spell to escape before he caught her scent. A second, slightly triumphant snarl caught her ears, declaring that she had better hope that the fifty feet she had gained was enough. The manticore’s wings unfolded, slamming the air like a drum as they came down in a lunge that slammed the lion-like creature only a few feet away from the now full-out fleeing unicorn. Trixie was galloping like her life depended on it, which, really, it probably was. Her horn started to glow once more as she began to draw upon her magic, not yet even having a spell in mind. It was a foolish thing to do, but such things as common sense and logic often take a back seat to fear and desperation in situations such as this one. Trixie’s mind whirled even as pain shot up her leg repeatedly as she landed heavily again and again on her injured hoof. I need a spell, any spell, come on Trixie! THINK! She pleaded with herself, her horn growing hot as the magic began to build up in it. Brambles caught her fur as she stumbled once more into the clinging darkness of the trees, the manticore still hot on her tail. She turned and swerved, diving in among strange willows in a desperate hope to lose the angry beast behind her. On and on, hooves slamming against the ground with all their might, all in what felt like a futile effort to lose the monster behind her, whose every step almost seemed to shake the ground below. As she continued to flee, the trees themselves began to block her path, growing dark and terrifying in their own right. At first Trixie was sure it was her imagination, panic and adrenaline twisting reality… But as the shadows grew thicker, and branches turned to talons, eyes began to glow, and fangs beginning to show, she realized that perhaps she had somehow run straight into a nightmare. As the world twisted itself darker and darker, fear grew until she could only think of one thing. She wanted light. Anything to dispel the darkness, and give her but a whisper of safety. In her desperate desire, she reached for her illumination spell, not realizing that it would react violently with all the magic she had already called up. The forest grew blindingly bright with a slamming bang as the basic spell and built-up magic combined in an effect much like a flash-bang grenade. The manticore gave a half strangled mew as it slammed on the brakes and turned away from the dazzling magical blaze, before turning tail and fleeing from the noise and painful light. In the following silence that trailed her magical outburst, Trixie collapsed to gasp for her air, a now pounding headache adding to her already vast collection of aches and pains. I’m only half-way there at this point. Perhaps this really was a dumb idea. She thought feebly, just about ready to give-up altogether. Then, a single memory came to mind, forcing her resolution and determination back with an almost choking strength; That one night, when a storm blotted out all light from star and moon, bringing the fear of darkness to add to the already clinging panic that a foal’s nightmare had created… That one night where Celestia held her close and reassured her, as even her own mother wouldn’t. Lulamoon had always said that Trixie had to face her own fears to be a proper lady, and would send her unceremoniously back to bed… Celestia didn’t though. In all her foalish fears, Celestia had just wrapped her in the soft white wings of her and hummed. All she said was, “It’s alright… I’m here…” And that in turn, was all Trixie had needed. Lilac eyes flared open as Trixie struggled to her hooves once more. If this one time, Celestia needed her, then whether it was in success or failure, she would be there for Celestia. A/N: Really I had intended this to be the last chapter for "Mare in The Moon" but after being unable to write it for so long, it seems that inspiration has OTHER ideas. I'm sure you guys don't mind a little extra reading material, eh?
