NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Trixie's Nightmare
It had been more than ten minutes since Starlight left Trixie's trailer, leaving her friend deeply asleep and comfortably tucked in bed... or so she had thought.
Suddenly, Trixie, who had seemed to be in a deep sleep from exhaustion and sweet cider, sprang up. Nimble as a rabbit, she threw off the sheets and tossed her stuffed animal aside. Without wasting a second, she checked the peephole in the door amidst an urgent feeling of insecurity.
There was no one outside. Starlight had left for home without any trouble. It was safe.
"Ahhh hu," Trixie groaned wearily, collapsing heavily against the door, making the whole trailer creak.
She didn't feel well.
Trixie had returned a few days ago from her trip to Babyloponi. Since then, she hadn't heard much about the crisis that had occurred at the school a few weeks prior. It wasn't until that very night, during the party, that she learned fully about the great disaster that had struck Ponyville and its surroundings during her absence.
Terror and chaos. Swarms of Brain-Eating Octopus Orchids crawling freely through the town's gardens and streets. Pony citizens under the mental control of the cephalopods, students cornered at the school, buildings destroyed, crops burned, direct intervention from a princess...
It was too much. Trixie could only drink cider and nod at everything the other teachers and friends were telling her. The crisis had been barely contained with the effort of the Young Six led by Starlight and ended with the very timely intervention of Princess Cadance, who was visiting the School of Friendship during those dark days.
In the end, there were no irreparable losses to mourn, aside from the material damage and traumatized ponies.
The investigation was still ongoing, and as always, the Everfree Forest was the main suspect for the origin of the plague. Even so, there were many questions in the air, all accompanied by rumors...
("Days earlier, they said they saw those monsters lurking in the swamp.")
("Oh my... I heard the school's greenhouse was full of those pests! How awful!")
("Some foreigner must have brought them; those creatures aren't from around here.")
Leaving behind the exhausting facade of naivety she had maintained during the party and until just recently, Trixie sank further into the floor of the trailer. She, unfortunately, knew all too well the truth of what had happened.
"Starlight, I'm sorry... I really am... it's all the fault of those deceitful camel eucalyptus oil sellers!" Trixie exclaimed, both regretful and furious. There, at the lowest point of her pride, she covered her face with her hooves, imagining the disappointed look on her friend's face if she were there to hear her.
Several months ago...
(Trixie was happily strolling on the outskirts of Ponyville when she accidentally came across a fair of incredible tools and objects for shows. Run by an eloquent group of camels, the innocent Trixie was fascinated by their exotic products. Trusting in the noble words of the sellers, she spent a good part of her savings as a student counselor on buying such accessories that would undoubtedly make her own circus shows greater and more amazing. Confident in her actions and with the blessing of the fair's owners, Trixie left with a big smile, imagining how happy she would make her friends when she shared her new wonders with them.)
Yes, this was the imaginary explanation Trixie repeated to herself and would tell anyone who discovered the truth. Of course, she would never mention that she was at that fair at midnight. Nor would she mention that the supposed fair took place every moon in a dark, unknown cave within the Everfree Forest. Much less would she say that it wasn't the first time she had done business with those suspicious-looking camels.
Trixie had only been a victim of a vile scam. That was all.
Among the many clandestine products she had acquired, there was one quite unusual: a cluster of Octopus Rose seeds.
The Octopus Rose is an exotic creature that lives in the remote tropical forests far south of Equestria. More than just a beautiful and unique pet, they are extremely sensitive and fragile creatures with a very specific diet, making them extremely expensive to raise in captivity. However, such an investment of resources could well be compensated by the enormous profits that could be obtained from these creatures. The white ink of the Octopus Rose is one of the most expensive and sought-after in the market. With multiple uses, both scientific and magical, any product that contains any derivative of this ink would multiply its price up to ten times its original value. It could be said that having a nest of Octopus Roses was akin to having a living gold mine.
Therefore, Trixie hadn't bought the Octopus Roses out of mere greed. These creatures were also known to produce a very special resin that, if used in fireworks, could increase their durability and brightness and even make them susceptible to enchantments.
Thinking of the infinite possibilities, Trixie had not hesitated to acquire them despite their exorbitant price. That very night, she secretly planted them in the greenhouse of the School of Friendship, as it was the only place where she could keep these creatures in good condition. In secret, she cared for and fed them with the hope that Starlight would forgive her once they matured and shared the profits with her.
However, misfortune did not take long to open her eyes.
The creatures that sprouted from Trixie's secret garden of hopes were not the harmless Octopus Roses, but fierce Octopus Orchids, dangerous monsters known for parasitizing their prey with mind control, then slowly consuming their brains.
Furious at the deception and even more terrified by the monstrous truth, Trixie uprooted the garden of Octopus Orchids and transported it to Froggy Bottom Bog to dispose of it. Throwing the monsters into the swamps, she left the problem solved. Trixie departed extremely disappointed, not thinking much about how nature would handle those dangerous creatures. In the following days of her trip, the only thing that troubled her was how she could recover all the savings she had lost.
What happened next was well-known history.
"Why do these things happen to me?! Why?!" Trixie cried, rolling on the floor while guilt gnawed at her insides...
The sound of a thud came from the window. Immediately, Trixie stood up and looked around fearfully.
There was nothing but a branch hitting the window due to the wind.
Once again, Trixie sighed in relief. Then, distracted, she saw her reflection in one of the mirrors beside her bed.
Her appearance was pathetic. Her entire white mane was disheveled and full of bits of her stuff. Her face, which always showed a confident and intriguing expression, now had a tired and fearful look. Her coat, which used to have a magnetic blue shine, now looked sickly gray.
There was no trace of the Great and Powerful Trixie that everyone knew.
"ENOUGH!" Trixie shouted, regaining the sparkle in her eyes. Using her magic, she grabbed a bottle of water and poured its entire contents over her head. She wiped a towel over her coat, a fan and a large comb danced over her mane, then special makeup powders on her face. Under a flash of light from her own horn, Trixie, who had kept her eyes closed until that moment, opened them.
The dazzling reflection of the Great and Powerful Trixie returned a proud look.
"Alright, dear Trixie. What happened, happened. It's time to think about tomorrow," she told herself as she picked up a notebook. "There is no time to lose. Our friendship with Starlight could be in danger. It's time to focus and think about how to fix it."
After giving herself that order, Trixie elegantly sat on a tiny stool, lit some candles, and began jotting down her ideas. She didn't care if it took her all night and she didn't sleep. She wouldn't heed fatigue or sleep. Once the Great and Powerful Trixie decided to do something, there was nothing in this world that could stop her.
//-------------------
Was there anything that could stop the Great and Powerful Trixie in this world?
The list of options was long, but among them, there were some answers that would hardly cross anyone's mind.
One of those options was being attacked by a horde of zombie ponies in the middle of the night, and that was precisely what was happening.
Under the light of a grim moon...
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaa hauuuuuu!" Trixie screamed as she galloped desperately through the forest. Behind the unicorn, hordes of zombie ponies possessed by Octopus Orchids were chasing her.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Trixie exclaimed between sobs as she galloped at full speed.
"TRIXIEE! BRAIN! TRIXIE! BRAIN!" the zombies clamored, getting closer quickly.
Soon, Trixie's path began to sink, and she reached a hollow where it was no longer possible to continue.
"It wasn't my intention! It was an accident! You have to believe me!" Trixie pleaded, now cornered by the zombies that had her surrounded.
"ALWAYS TRIXIE! ALWAYS WITHOUT A BRAIN!" a familiar voice echoed among the rows of zombies. They made way, and a known face emerged from among them.
Starlight advanced toward Trixie, but there was no need to guess her state. A massive cephalopod writhed on her head, while the pony's body moved forward in spasms. Her foamy drool splattered in all directions, and only her eyes, now swollen and about to pop out of their sockets, were firmly fixed on her friend.
It was a horrifying sight. Trixie trembled, terrified and unable to look away.
"Starlight... I..."
"RAASHTTGDFFGFG!" zombified Starlight shouted at her in what was an evident order for silence.
Trixie closed her eyes with tears streaming down, resigned to her fate. She preferred to be devoured by the remains of her friend than by any other pony. She thought it was a fitting punishment as the foul breath of her zombie friend spread across her face and her drool already splattered on her.
But something else happened.
Trixie then felt a strange warmth behind her, as if the rays of dawn were hitting her back. She opened her eyes, and all the zombie ponies, including zombie Starlight, were retreating, frightened by the blinding light enveloping them from the front. Trixie turned around and saw an impressive scene.
There was a mare rising above everything, wrapped in a light similar to a golden sun, her body a flat silhouette of shadows with a flowing mane, her bright eyes revealing the unique magic within her. There was no trace of evil or threat coming from her, but rather an aura of holiness.
Trixie squinted and saw her more clearly. The mare had a horn and wings, it was clear, she was a dignified alicorn princess.
The mysterious alicorn began to advance towards Trixie with calm and majestic steps, behind her was an enigmatic triangular portal of light.
"Do not be afraid, Trixie Lulamoon. Come with me," said a soft and familiar voice.
"Huh? Huh? Who, me? Wait, who are you? What is...?" Trixie couldn't finish her words. At that moment, the light from the triangular portal extended towards them, and both disappeared in a rainbow beam.
//-------------------
Trixie opened her eyes, hadn't she done this before?
Confused, she looked around. The place where she was... was strange. Everything was nebulous. Starlit lights surrounded her, as if she were in a transparent crystal corridor and outside of it, the cosmos spread out into the immensity of darkness. In front of her, the great figure of the alicorn with bright eyes watched her without blinking.
"Where am I? What is this place?" Trixie asked, bewildered.
"It is a safe place, Trixie. Please, follow me," said the mysterious alicorn. Without saying more, she turned and began to walk down the strange hallway.
"Wait..." said Trixie, trying to catch up with her, but when she stood up... she felt dizzy. As if she had just woken up from a heavy sleep.
A dream.
"THAT'S IT! THIS IS A DREAM! OF COURSE! HAHAHA!" Trixie hit her forehead with a hoof and burst into laughter, finally understanding where she was. She was dreaming, and the alicorn who had brought her here was Princess Luna who had rescued her from a terrible nightmare.
However.
She didn't remember Princess Luna being so tall... or having that voice...
More importantly... Wasn't Princess Luna retired?
Trixie's thoughts continued to wander as her laughter was replaced by her bewilderment. Meanwhile, the mysterious alicorn continued to advance without turning around, soon her silhouette vanished into the bright mist that flooded the hallway.
Silence surrounded her.
"Wait! WAIT! PRINCESS LUNA!" Trixie shouted, startled as she realized she had been left behind. She ran down the corridor trying to catch up with her savior. She went through the mist and suddenly found herself in a slightly different place.
An endless hallway stretched out as far as the eye could see. On both sides of the blurry walls of the hallway, large white doors opened wide, in brilliant crystal arches.
Amazed, Trixie advanced cautiously. But pushed by a curiosity difficult to control, she peeked her head through one of the doors...
"Let every pony eye see and admire the most magical and exceptional unicorn in all Equestria, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie!" A young Trixie adorably waved her hooves in the middle of a huge stage. Her audience, a large crowd of adult ponies and foals, watched the talent show with much amusement. At the far end of the crowd was her father, admiring his daughter's first performance.
From the door out of time, the adult Trixie watched in awe as her past self impressed the audience with the infallible rabbit-in-the-hat trick.
"What is happening? Am I here but also there...?" Trixie exclaimed, trying to understand what she was seeing. Suddenly, guided by a strong premonition, she began to check the other doors.
Just as her instincts had hinted, the entire hallway was filled with doors that showed her a moment from her past.
Her grandiose first performance.
Her memorable first live accident.
Her first solo trip.
Her first encounter with Twilight. (She passed by that one and the others that had to do with her)
Her first encounter with Starlight.
"Well... this is very strange," Trixie said aloud without losing her trot.
That hallway of nostalgia was bewildering and gave her no clues, nor was there any trace of Princess Luna or whoever that mysterious alicorn was. Had she taken the wrong path?
Or not?
Trixie stopped abruptly. In her mental effort to understand what was happening, a memory came to her along with an absurd but hopeful idea.
"Is it possible? Really? Could I be wrong? REALLY?!" Trixie exclaimed nervously, her little heart began to beat faster as she hurried back to the beginning of that passage.
Trixie galloped back down the hallway, checking each door and excitedly recalling each special moment of her life. With each door she checked, with each good memory she relived, the small idea that had illuminated her grew stronger, filling her with immense anxiety and excitement.
A long time ago, Starlight had told her about a similar magical situation, about how a humble pony could become something more...
COULD IT BE THAT DESTINY WAS FINALLY CATCHING UP WITH HER?!
Trixie had never spoken very highly of the alicorn princesses, especially Twilight. Whenever someone mentioned the topic, she would say things like: "It's no big deal," "It's just a pony with wings and a horn," "Any pony can do the same with enough magic," etc.
But deep down, she also wanted to be an alicorn. Maybe she was being a bit petty, as there were other ponies who could well claim that title with more right, even Starlight, in her eyes, deserved the title of princess more than Twilight herself. She also didn't feel worthy, but if the opportunity arose, she wouldn't hesitate to take it.
Soon she spotted the large silhouette of the mysterious alicorn. Forgetting she was in a dream, without wasting a second, she pounced on her and gave her a big hug.
"I'M READY!" Trixie exclaimed excitedly with bright eyes full of excitement caused by her deepest and most honest desire.
The mysterious alicorn did not respond. In fact, she did not pay her the slightest attention. She just attentively watched the inside of one of the doors.
A strange reaction. Startled, Trixie immediately stepped back. The warmth of the mysterious alicorn's coat felt very familiar and... unpleasant? Now that she saw her up close, she did not resemble Princess Luna, yet it felt as if she had someone in front of her whom she already knew but was unable to recognize.
Observing her carefully, she noticed a great nostalgia in the lost gaze of that alicorn.
Confused, Trixie looked in the same direction...
//-------------------
"Are you sure about your decision?" Chancellor Neighsay asked.
"Yes," Starlight replied.
This was the main office of the School of Friendship's principal. And in the principal's chair behind the desk indeed sat Principal Starlight with a very severe look appropriate to the conversation taking place.
On the other side was Chancellor Neighsay with a similar expression.
"I can understand that the recent unfortunate events have changed your previous response to my proposal; however, I do not want any misunderstandings with Princess Twilight. A private meeting between the three of us would be very timely."
"I can schedule an appointment for next week. Clearing up this matter as soon as possible will be very beneficial for everyone."
"I agree," replied the Chancellor with an intriguing smile. Starlight responded in kind.
Trixie, who was watching the scene, didn't understand what was going on. Starlight looked different. Trixie had accompanied her to numerous school meetings in the past and knew how nervous she sometimes got. However, there was something in her current demeanor that made her think something was not right.
She didn't look like the confident pony she knew.
"If I may ask, how do you plan to handle the matter of your 'friend'?" the Chancellor suddenly asked.
"Ahem. Leave it to me. She won't be an obstacle in the next stage of the transition," Starlight replied with unusual initial clumsiness.
"I understand. I trust that the ongoing investigation at the school will not find her as a suspect. But if that happens..."
"She wouldn't dare," Starlight replied, frowning for the first time.
"One cannot hide criminal acts of this magnitude, Principal Starlight, and although I admire your loyalty to your companion, the law is the law," the Chancellor responded in a cold tone.
Starlight sighed, looking up at the ceiling, and after a few seconds...
"Alright... what do you propose?" she finally responded, resigned.
"Don't worry, it's nothing significant," Chancellor Neighsay replied with a wider smile. "Just a few slight adjustments to next year's curriculum..."
Starlight, who seemed to have guessed the Chancellor's next words, closed her eyes and lowered her head.
//-------------------
"HEEEEE!" Trixie exclaimed, watching as the door turned black and disappeared from her view. She turned around and discovered that the mysterious alicorn had been the one to conceal that room with her magic.
"HEY! WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT IS GOING ON? ANSWER ME!" Trixie demanded indignantly. Having seen her friend evidently blackmailed by Chancellor Neighsay had put her in a very bad mood.
"IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT IN THE HOOF IS GOING ON, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Trixie exclaimed furiously, sitting firmly on the ground. She had had enough of this spectacle of mystery.
The mysterious alicorn waved her horn, and one of the doors further down the hallway lit up. After a brief purple and lilac glow resembling a light bulb exploding, everything began to darken.
Trixie soon found herself surrounded by darkness, with only the light from her horn illuminating her.
"THIS KIND OF TRICK DOESN'T SCARE ME!" Trixie shouted arrogantly, but unease was beginning to spread within her due to the notable silence around her.
A dripping sound was suddenly heard in the hallway. Trixie turned her gaze. The dripping was approaching... no, it was something different, it was... a trot.
//-------------------
From the shadows that flooded the black stone corridor, the mature figures of Starlight and Trixie emerged with torches in a calm and confident trot.
"Seriously, the traps earlier were very silly. Who places a glass of milk and bread in the middle of a pedestal?" Trixie exclaimed, bored.
"I don't know, but it's clear that someone lives here. Shouldn't we go back?"
"Are you scared? Daring Do said this pyramid was safe. The big one is the really dangerous one. Oooohhh!" Trixie replied nonchalantly, trying to scare Starlight in a childish tone.
"I'm being cautious; we're not as young as we used to be, and what she said was that all the pyramids were dangerous," Starlight reprimanded.
"Well, that's true... but we're not here for that reason. Reliving our youth by living on the edge and defying danger," Trixie said with a smile.
Starlight rolled her eyes but also smiled. Those were Starlight's words before entering that place, and the excitement she felt was the same as Trixie's.
After taking a few more steps, they reached a crossroads. The stone tunnel split into two paths. A large black statue of a stylized dog stood as a dividing point between the two paths. Raising a golden scale with one of its paws, the canine effigy seemed an ominous sign of impending judgment.
The upper part of the entrance to each path was decorated with a symbol. The one on the left was a feather, and the one on the right a heart.
Starlight's danger instincts kicked in. This was a turning point they couldn't ignore.
"Trixie, it would be better not to continue; this place is..." Starlight said with overwhelming seriousness.
"I CHOOSE THE FEATHER!" Trixie exclaimed cheerfully and, with reckless gallop, ventured into the darkness of the left hallway.
"NO! WAIT! TRIXIE!" Starlight shouted, dismayed, as she began to run after her friend.
Both disappeared into the darkness.
//-------------------
Trixie, the out-of-time version of herself, stayed behind. She had a bitter taste in her mouth, as if she had already experienced this situation before, but when?
"Shouldn't I have done that?" she asked aloud, with a doubtful expression.
A voice resonated behind her, breaking the silence of the mysterious place. "You should have chosen the heart," the voice said.
Trixie turned around, and there was the mysterious alicorn again, wrapped in a lilac halo of light.
"Friendship allows us to push our friends toward success, but sometimes also toward failure..." murmured the mysterious alicorn, her words weighing heavily in the air.
A dripping sound began to echo in the tunnel, gradually intensifying. Confused, Trixie sharpened her senses to locate the source of the sound, but it didn't seem to come from any specific point in the tunnel.
She took a few steps and finally realized where the sound was coming from.
Tears were falling to the ground, one after another.
Trixie was crying. The echoes of her tears resonated throughout the tunnel. Why was she crying? She didn't know.
Then, a sudden understanding illuminated her mind.
The raw memory of what had happened in that dark tunnel suddenly hit her consciousness. The knowledge of the ominous future painfully poured into her carefree present, a truth she never would have wished to discover.
Trixie realized that once again, she had made a grave mistake, and this time, Starlight would pay the price for her actions.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" A diabolical laugh rumbled throughout the tunnel, as if emerging from the depths of the earth.
Trixie stood paralyzed, feeling a sulfuric smell fill the air as the darkness took on sinister shapes.
"WHAT A WONDERFUL OFFERING FOR THE DARKNESS!" continued the volcanic voice that seemed to come from everywhere. Suddenly, the walls of the tunnel lit up with a greenish light, similar to the glow of embers in a bonfire.
An evil being appeared at the entrance to the tunnel on the left. It was a figure full of terrifying malice, a horrifying being that Trixie knew all too well...
"Trixie, don't let fear dominate you! He has no power here! You mustn't allow..." the mysterious alicorn tried to advise with a firm voice.
But she wasn't heard.
Trixie struggled in the grip of fear, an overwhelming guilt choking her.
Her only option was to flee.
//-------------------
With tears in her eyes, Trixie galloped desperately through the eerie tunnel, her heart pounding with the fury of a locomotive about to crash. The cursed pyramid seemed to trap her in its endless nightmare, while malevolent shadows stretched behind her like tentacles of a repugnant greenish glow. The sinister laughter continued to rumble in every corner, and the ground shook under the weight of its malignant voice. The walls of the tunnel, like ancient specters, began to crack, and shadows burst through the cracks like an unhealthy torrent, relentlessly pursuing her.
Desperation filled Trixie, and her strength waned with every gallop. But then, like a ray of hope in the middle of the darkness, she spotted a faint light in the distance. It was the exit.
With her last reserve of energy, she lunged toward the saving door. Finally, she emerged outside and, with an agile jump, moved away from the main path of the door. A viscous torrent shot out like a broken pipe, taking on terrifying forms in its advance. As it progressed, the liquid seemed to come to life, spreading across the exterior ground like hungry leeches.
Trixie, barely able to breathe, looked up. The midday sky was as black as midnight, adorned with unknown stars and celestial bodies she had never seen before. Looking down, she beheld the desert, now illuminated by fires stretching in long rows.
Then, the nauseating liquid that had flooded the place stopped, but it was followed by an even more terrifying omen.
Guided by an unknown will, the black liquid began to gather at a point on the ground, taking the shape of a gigantic egg of shadows.
The immense shadowy egg levitated and slowly approached Trixie, who trembled uncontrollably with fear.
"NO ONE CAN ESCAPE THE DARKNESS!" roared the evil being emerging from the newly formed egg of shadows. In his left claw, he held a long scimitar, and in his right, he held the unconscious body of Starlight. "FOR YOUR GREAT KINDNESS, I WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE HOW I CONSUME THIS OFFERING. FEEL FORTUNATE FOR MY MERCY, LITTLE PONY, HAHAHAHAHA."
"NO, NOT HER!" cried Trixie, pleading through her tears.
But those futile pleas only made the evil being's smile grow wider as he held Starlight. In a shocking move, he raised his left claw, pointing his scimitar towards the sky.
"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY" he screamed in a shriek of joy.
Trixie, paralyzed with terror, watched in slow motion as the scimitar descended, nearing her friend's neck with deadly precision.
It was the end.
Then, an explosion of light. A beam of magic struck the evil being's claw, injuring him and forcing him to drop the scimitar. In mere seconds, it would have reached Starlight's neck.
The mysterious alicorn appeared above Trixie, her horn glowing intensely, ready to face the evil being.
"YOU! BLASPHEMER!" roared the evil being. "YOU CANNOT CHANGE DESTINY! IT IS USELESS!"
Throwing Starlight's body aside, the ambassador of darkness began firing green beams from his claws at the mysterious alicorn, who responded with beams from her own horn. Both rose into the sky, engulfed in a fierce battle of magic.
Ignoring the explosions of light erupting around her, Trixie ran to her fallen friend.
Holding Starlight in her hooves, a heartbroken Trixie cradled her unconscious body. Starlight lay pale and cold, with a serene expression on her face.
A burst of even brighter light tore through the sky. An object fell near Trixie, raising a great cloud of dust. From the dust, a silhouette rose, revealing the figure of the mysterious alicorn.
The veil of mystery that had hidden her until that moment was gone.
"HAAAAAAAA," Trixie gasped, her eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and fear at the revelation.
The alicorn limped towards Trixie, her recognizable purple coat and mane adorned with traits Trixie had never seen before. The flowing mane, her large size, and her golden attire... she was definitely not the same pony she knew.
The tall Princess Twilight Sparkle approached Trixie. She looked visibly injured.
"Even in a dream, you are so strong..." murmured Twilight, exhausted and staggering, her gaze lost in the horizon.
"Twilight? Wait, what? How?!" exclaimed Trixie, confused and shocked, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Twilight turned her gaze to Trixie, closed her eyes, and reopened them. This time, her expression was extremely serious. With a grave and solemn voice, she spoke her next words: "In 41 moons from now, everyone must prepare for the arrival of the Dark Lord Pit Prompt. When the time comes, remember my words and convey them to the others."
"Hooooooooooooooooooooooooo," a chilling howl echoed across the desert. The great egg of shadows floating in the sky had grown larger and started to crack, with appendages resembling giant claws and antennae emerging. A large inverted triangle of orange light dazzled from within, a suffocating light.
"HAHAHAHAJA, YES! YES!" up in the sky, the evil being rejoiced at the emergence of the new monstrous entity.
Waves of black light began to pulse from the cracking egg. The pyramids trembled in a dazzling green light with each wave.
Twilight, deeply distressed, lit her horn and opened a triangular portal of light, the same one through which Trixie had entered at the beginning.
"You must return NOW!" ordered Twilight to Trixie, taking her body with her magic. However, Trixie resisted, clinging to Starlight's lifeless body, refusing to abandon her friend.
"NOOO, wait, Starlight is..." whimpered Trixie.
A more intense wave of black light burst from the egg. The pyramids cracked, and their blocks were hurled into the dark sky. Twilight raised a powerful magic shield and with great effort withstood the impact of the burst, keeping Trixie by her side. The triangular portal of light began to crack. Everything around them started to spin as if they were trapped in a vortex of destruction and darkness. At the center of it all, the colossal monster writhed.
A gigantic shadow claw, like a whip, shot from the eye of the catastrophe towards Twilight and Trixie.
Facing the imminent impact, Twilight, without saying a word, lowered her barrier, took Trixie with a strong magical grip, and threw her into the portal.
"AUUUUUU AUUUUUU," Trixie was sucked into the rainbow portal amidst cries of dismay and a world exploding. Behind, the last image of Twilight facing the darkness disappeared in an explosion of brilliant light.
"Be brave, be brave..."
The echoes of the last words of the alicorn princess faded into chaos.
Trixie's consciousness traversed the dream world. The before and after intermingled and clashed in her mind. The previous cracks in the triangular portal of light widened and separated.
The portal collapsed.
Trixie was lost, just a breath away from reaching her destination. Diverted, she ended up falling into a time that should not be.
//-------------------
"THUD," the sound suddenly echoed.
"Ouch," whimpered Trixie on the floor. She had fallen off the bench where she had fallen asleep all night.
As she opened her eyes, it was already morning, probably quite late given the angle of the sun filtering through the window of her trailer.
Still groggy, she stood up. Had she had a dream?
She couldn't remember anything, except... octopuses and doors...
"Oh, my head. I shouldn't have drunk so much cider last night," exclaimed Trixie, with a pounding headache. She could stay in bed—it was a holiday, and there really wasn't anything urgent to do...
Except the meeting with Starlight in the afternoon.
Trixie, about to pour herself a glass of water, froze, letting all the liquid from the jug spill onto the floor. The sudden memory of her dream, the only complete fragment still in her mind, where Starlight and Chancellor Neighsay met, hit her thoughts hard.
Had she had a premonition? Had she been visited in her dreams by someone else?
Trixie struggled to remember her dream. There were scattered images of shadows and stars in her memory, but she couldn't piece them together into a larger framework. Soon, her head began to ache from the effort. Frustrated, she sat down as she tried to make sense of the only memories she still had. However, the more she thought about it, the more she was overwhelmed by an inexplicable feeling of doom and sorrow.
Then, suddenly, an idea came to her like an explosion.
"Is Starlight in danger?" she asked herself in a weak voice.
With a doubt growing like a supernova inside her, Trixie, grabbing her hat and cape, rushed out of her trailer driven by the same force as a distressed young mother searching for her child in danger.
Trixie had only one thought.
To find Starlight and make sure everything was okay...