Chapter 21: Eye of the Storm

Chapter 21: Eye of the Storm

— — —

"Welcome, one and all," cackled Nightmare Storm, a wild grin on her face, "to what promises to be the greatest show on earth!" She pointed at the two unicorns at the edge of the ring, staring up in fear at the beast towering above them. "In this corner we have poor little Twilight Sparkle, led to her doom by her treacherous own heart, and the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie— the sad little unicorn at the center of all of this!" Above her, the Ursa Minor growled and glared at the two unicorns in front of it. "Can they defeat the beast that haunts Trixie's every step? Let's find out!"

Twilight Sparkle looked up at the looming Ursa with a grimace. "The beast that haunts your every step?"

Trixie furrowed her brow. "Well, why wouldn't it?"

"You still haven't forgiven for me that?"

"How could I?!" Trixie cried. "How could you expect me to just get over something like that?!"

"But— it wasn't even my fault!" Twilight wailed.

"That's not the point!" Trixie shot back. "That thing took everything from me! Even my cape and my hat! My talents revealed to be a sham, my belongings destroyed...what was I supposed to think after that?! How was I supposed to just get over that?!"

The Ursa, not to be forgotten, interrupted them with a bone-rattling growl.

"I-I don't know," squeaked Twilight, "but this would be a good time to start!"

Howling with rage, the Ursa charged forward and brought down its paw; Twilight and Trixie bolted in opposite directions. Twilight thought back to how she'd turned back the Ursa last time— milk and cattail lullabies and telekinesis— but none of that was available here, and—

She went flying as something smacked into her side, and slammed hard into a post at the edge of the ring. Twilight picked herself back up with a painful grunt— and looked up in surprise at the sight of Nightmare Storm, horn sparking, a wicked smirk on her face.

"Now now, Miss Sparkle," she taunted, "that's Trixie's demon to fight."

Twilight scowled back. "So are you."

"Yes, well, if there's anything left of her after that Ursa gets done, we'll see, won't we?" She lunged forward and launched a blast of blue magic at Twilight; the purple unicorn deflected it with a pink translucent shield and ducked out of the way as the larger mare barreled past. She whipped around to face the Ursa as it chased Trixie across the ring— but Nightmare Storm reclaimed her attention with another blast. "You'd do well to keep your eyes on your real opponent, Miss Sparkle!"

Twilight growled back as she locked horns with Nightmare Storm. Over the black unicorn's shoulder, she saw Trixie dive away from the Ursa Minor's claws and scramble away from its reach— but the huge monster would not be so easily denied and followed with a roar. Twilight flicked her head to the side and then blasted Nightmare Storm head-on with a rapid-fire burst of magic— and then bounded after the Ursa Minor and hit it in the side with another magical bolt. The Ursa whirled around with a furious scream and swiped at Twilight with its paw; she slid under the blow, under its legs, and then whipped around to face it with Trixie at her side.

"Well, if ever there was a good time to actually defeat an Ursa Minor, this would be it," Trixie panted.

"No," Twilight said, "the Nightmare's right. This isn't my demon to slay. It's yours."

Trixie blanched. "You want me to kill an Ursa Minor, without any magic? Did you get hit in the head or something?"

Twilight shook her head. "Everything in here is a symbol, remember? And if you have to fight an Ursa— "

"Yes, fine, I get it, move!" Trixie shouldered Twilight to the side as the Ursa attacked again. It swung its paw after them; they avoided the claws, but the blow sent them both flying across the ring— and then the Nightmare was there to spike them both into the ground with a hard punch.

"Ow," groaned Twilight— and the Nightmare's victorious laughter filled her ears.

"Now," cried Nightmare Storm, "finish them!"

The Ursa brought its paw down—

...and nothing was there beneath it. With a flash of pink light, Twilight and Trixie disappeared— and reappeared at the other end of the ring, gasping for breath.

"Okay," Twilight said, "if that thing is a symbol, then you have to take away its power."

"Meaning...?"

"Well, getting over the whole Ursa Minor thing is a good start."

Trixie scowled. "Oh, yes, just get over it."

The Ursa charged at them with a roar; Twilight teleported them out of the way, and then threw up a barrier as Nightmare Storm rained down blue bolts of magic on them. "Trixie, I know how painful that was for you, and I understand why it's such a sore subject for you, but I really wasn't trying to make you look bad!"

"That's a lie!" snarled Nightmare Storm, and the black unicorn came down between them both and knocked them apart. She kicked Twilight Sparkle back towards the edge of the ring and whipped around to face Trixie, eyes wide and glittering with hatred. "Who revealed your talents to be a sham?! Who humiliated you in front of the entire town?!" She stalked forward and sent Trixie scooting back in fright. "Who held you prisoner for weeks on end?! Who stands as your superior in every way?! Who is it that represents everything you wanted to be but couldn't?!" She swung her hoof towards Twilight. "It's her! And you hate her!"

"No I don't!" Trixie cried.

"Of course you do!" Nightmare Storm roared— and the Ursa stomped its feet behind her and trapped her between itself and the simmering shade. "She's just poisoned your mind with this web of lies!"

"Trixie, you know that's not true!" Twilight shouted.

"Yes," Trixie said, as she got back to her feet, "I do."

Nightmare Storm's eyes flashed with rage. "You embraced my power, little Trixie, and as long as I'm here, you know you haven't truly let me go!"

"Oh, shut up!" Trixie smacked a hoof across Nightmare Storm's face and sent the black unicorn reeling in shock. "You've overstayed your welcome, you sorry little storybook villain!" She whipped around to glare up at the Ursa. "And you have been making a mess of things in my psyche for far too long!" The Ursa stared in astonishment. "I have had it with being this helpless little doll! No more! I am moving on— and the first thing to go is you!"
The Ursa reared up in surprise— and then, in a puff of blue smoke, it was gone.

Nightmare Storm's eyes bulged. "What?!"

Twilight blinked. "T-Trixie..."

"I'll never move on if that thing keeps haunting my every step," the blue unicorn snarled— and then she turned around to face Nightmare Storm. "And the same goes for you!"

Nightmare Storm backed up, eyes wide. "You fool! Don't forget who gave you this power— "

"You didn't give me power, you took my power hostage!" Trixie screamed back— and Twilight's jaw dropped as the telltale pink sparks of magic began to form around Trixie's horn. "And now you think you're going to turn me against the one pony who really is on my side? Don't make me laugh, you pathetic little worm!"

"W-Who do you think you are?!" Nightmare Storm roared, and her horn flashed to life with flickering blue sparks— but Twilight saw her trembling legs as she backed away. "Without me, you're nothing! Without me you couldn't do anything against that Ursa!"

Trixie advanced with a scowl. "Without you, I have my magic," she hissed. "Without you, I have my freedom." Her horn glowed, a spell growing at its tip, and Twilight tensed with anticipation as she felt the air crackle with magic. "Without you, I have my identity!" Trixie lowered her head; Nightmare Storm reared up in fear. "Without you, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Trixie's horn blazed to life and launched a shimmering bolt of pink magic straight into Nightmare Storm's chest. The black unicorn threw back her head and screamed— and then her body fractured, light flooded out from every opening, and Nightmare Storm vanished with a shriek.

And then the rotting big top went dark and Twilight and Trixie stood alone in a silent, abandoned ring.

"Wow," Twilight said, "that was a heck of a finish."

Trixie tossed her mane. "You can always trust a showmare to close out a show properly."

The tent fluttered open— and from outside came a shimmering ring of light, rising off the ground out at the corroded gates of the circus.

Twilight and Trixie shared a look. "Well that's nice and obvious," Trixie snorted. Twilight shrugged and started forward— but before she could get far, Trixie put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. "Um, before we go back," she said, and she smiled hesitantly, "I just wanted to say thank you, Twilight, for coming with me."

Twilight smiled back, and together they walked off into the light.

— — —

Everything came back in a rush and Twilight had to blink until her vision refocused— and there, stretched before her with tension hanging in the air, was Canterlot's throne room...and all of her friends.

Princess Celestia broke the silence. "Welcome back, you two," she said with a smile.

"TWILIGHT!"

Everything almost went dark again as Twilight bore the brunt of a full-force bone-crushing bear hug from Pinkie Pie. Trixie immediately took refuge behind the purple unicorn as Twilight's friends rushed in.

"Oh my gosh it was so scary you and Trixie were like completely asleep it was crazy it was like you were dead and the princess was all like 'don't worry' and we were all like 'but we're gonna worry anyway' and Rainbow Dash had to go outside for a little bit and— "

"Hey!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "I thought you said we weren't going to talk about that!"

"— and then Princess Cadence was all 'I have faith in Twilight' and Princess Luna was all 'shut up, we're trying to concentrate,' and— "

"I did not!" Luna cried.

Twilight promptly corked Pinkie's mouth with her hoof. "I get it, Pinkie, thanks."

"Did you accomplish your mission?" Celestia asked pointedly.

Everyone went silent, before Trixie hesitantly stepped forward. Her horn lit up and one of the pillows followed her command, drifting through the air. The blue unicorn smiled over at Twilight.

"Mission accomplished," she said.

The relief was palpable— but before anyone could say anything else, Twilight held up a hoof to stop them.

"I really appreciate that everypony was so worried about us," she said, and her smile began to fade as she looked over at Trixie again, "but I think Trixie and I need to have a very long chat. Alone."

Applejack's ears flattened. "B-But ah thought you two got rid of the Nightmare..."

"We did," Twilight answered, "but," she glanced back at Trixie again, "I...I'm really not at liberty to say."

Celestia spread her wings to gain everyone's attention. "I understand," she said with a solemn nod. Twilight and Trixie nodded back, and slowly made their way out of the room, picking their way through the heavy silence. The doors swung shut behind them.

"Um," started Rarity, "this...is a good thing, right?"

Luna looked over inquiringly towards Celestia. "Sister...?"

The solar princess closed her eyes. "It seems my faithful student has learned another lesson."

— — —

It was well past midnight when the chariot brought Twilight and her friends back to Ponyville. All of them exhausted, it didn't take long for them all to head back home for bed. Spike fell asleep practically before his head hit the pillow. Luna's moon watched over it all— and to Twilight Sparkle, it was a little comforting to see that tangible symbol of the princess in the sky above them, lending them strength.

She would need it.

Twilight and Trixie silently made their way out the library's front door, with Trixie decked out in her starry hat and cape, and two saddlebags underneath. Twilight closed the door as quietly as she could behind them and paused for a moment to look up towards the moon— and prayed for the strength she would need.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until morning?" she asked, and looked back down at Trixie. "So my friends can see you off?"

Trixie shrugged. "I need all the head start I can get if I'm going to avoid Rainbow Dash killing me for this."

"She is not going to kill you," Twilight said. "We both decided." She looked away. "It's just...more painful than I thought it was going to be."

Trixie looked towards the ground. "I'm sorry."

"I-It's okay," Twilight said, even as the lump in her throat screamed at her that it wasn't. "I understand."

"I have to leave," Trixie said. "I haven't been me, for...months. I spent so long in the forest honing Nightmare Storm's powers, and I spent a long time here too, and," she shook her head, "I have to be out there again. I have to be." She shook her head. "And...I really can't ask you to go with me. Abandon all your friends, not study...I can't ask you to do that, can I?"

Twilight smiled sadly. "You could," she said, "and I would."

"And you'd be miserable."

"Yes, well, being in love makes you do stupid things, I guess."

Trixie looked down again. "I...guess I owe you an answer to your question, then," she said. "When you asked me if I love you. And now that you've gone rooting around inside my mind, I guess you can figure out the answer yourself."

Twilight shook her head. "I saw what makes you who you are," she said, "but you're more than the sum of your parts."

Trixie sniffled. "Well...I...just don't know," she said. "I guess you already know. You have these crazy, intense feelings for me and I don't know what to do." She smiled sadly. "I guess I have to figure that out."

Silence fell over them both as they stared awkwardly at the ground. Twilight finally offered Trixie a sad, teary smile. "I understand, Trixie," she said. "I know. You have to go where you'll be happy," the tears brimmed in her eyes, "even if that's not with me." She wiped them away. "Are you going to come back?"

"I...don't know." Twilight felt another piece of her heart fracture. "I have to decide. But, well...whatever I decide, you'll know."

"I'll know?"

"Somehow. I promise." She gave Twilight another resigned smile. "I told you on the train to Canterlot that I'd never forget what you've done for me. And I won't. But...I just have to go."

Twilight scrubbed away the tears. "I know."

They met for one last hug, and Twilight threw all her effort into trying not to cry as Trixie pulled away with a smile, and then turned around and marched off into the night.

And to her credit, she made it back inside, and all the way back up to her bed, before she broke down and cried.

— — —

Applejack expected Twilight and Trixie to want to spend a lot of time together after they got back from Canterlot. It was only fair, after all. They'd gone through this crazy magic mind-reading spell or whatever and they probably had all kinds of issues to work through and, really, maybe all they wanted to do was just cuddle. Whatever. Applejack wasn't going to judge.

But three days was kind of unreasonable. Even so, at least it made some sense...but they'd seen Spike out and about the past few days and he'd made an obvious effort to avoid Twilight and her friends, and that was just plain weird. And so Applejack had Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity gathered at the gate to Sweet Apple Acres for a rescue mission.

"I think they need a party," Pinkie Pie declared.

"Darling, please, they've just gone through a very rough emotional event," Rarity scoffed, "we simply must give them some space."

"Then how come Spike's avoidin' us?" grumbled Applejack.

"I-I vote for space," Fluttershy squeaked.

Off to the side, Rainbow Dash said nothing. All eyes turned towards her. "What?" she asked.

"Don't you have any thoughts on this?" Rarity pressed. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"For all I know, we don't wanna go in there right now," the blue pegasus said.

Everyone else cringed. "Well, we gotta do somethin'," Applejack said. "'cuz ah dunno about y'all but ah'm startin' to miss our Twi."

"Why Applejack, I never knew you cared."

Immediately everyone jumped in shock at Twilight Sparkle, standing behind them with a satisfied smirk. But as Applejack landed, she noticed the tired look, the rings under her eyes. "Holy cow, Twi, you look like death warmed over."

Twilight arched an eyebrow. "Thanks."

"Wait a minute," Rainbow added, "where's Trixie?"

Twilight smiled as she looked down at the ground— and the sadness in her eyes made Applejack cringe at the feeling of dread creeping up her throat. "Trixie's gone," said Twilight.

Five jaws dropped open. "Gone?!" Rarity cried.

"What— why?!" Rainbow yelled. "Why on earth would she leave?! Oh, she had better have a good explanation for this, even if I have to beat it out of her!" She took to the skies— but Twilight yanked her back down by the tail with a tendril of magic.

"Don't," she said. "We both decided."

"W-Wait," Fluttershy said, "you saved the world and then you broke up?"

Twilight winced at the sound of Fluttershy's words. "Yeah, I guess we did. Sounds like a real bummer when you put it that way."

Pinkie almost seemed to deflate like a balloon. "Wow, this is the exact opposite of an occasion for throwing a party."

"W-Why would she leave?!" Applejack exclaimed. "What the hay happened?! Ah thought you two had things worked out!"

"We did," Twilight said, and she looked back up at her friends with a look of resignation, "and I really can't tell you what happened. It's not my place to tell you those things."

Twilight's friends shared an awkward, guilty look. "Of course, darling," Rarity said, "but things seemed to be going so well, and..." She sighed sadly. "Oh, Twilight, you must be so lonely now."

The purple unicorn smiled again— but this time there was no sadness. "I was," she said, "which is why I came to find you girls. And," she looked back up at them, "I think I owe you all an apology. Because I've been so caught up with all this being-in-love and gotta-save-Trixie stuff that I forgot that my own friends were there for me. Even if they couldn't go with me into the biggest challenges."

Pinkie Pie immediately bounced over and threw her arms around Twilight. "Don't be silly!" she chirped. "You fell in love! That entitles anypony to be crazy and silly."

Twilight grinned as her friends descended around her for a much-needed group hug. "Well, broken heart or not," Rarity said soothingly, "we will always be here for you, Twilight."

"And I guess I won't go kill Trixie," Rainbow added reluctantly.

"Wait," Pinkie added, "okay, so Twilight and Trixie breaking up is a pretty lousy reason to throw a party, but we're all still friends, and that is like the super duper awesomest bestest reason to throw a party ever!" She rocketed out of the group hug, every limb flailing in midair. "OMIGOSH everypony wait here and I will get the best cake ever!" And with an indescribable blur of pink, she rocketed off towards Sugarcube Corner.

Applejack looked back towards Twilight. The sadness was still in her eyes, but it was fading— and so did the dread in Applejack's heart. She had no idea what happened between Twilight and Trixie, and maybe she never would. But if her friend could still find happiness, then that would be worth it.

— — —