//------------------------------// // 3. Chapter: Twilight's Legacy // Story: Resparked // by JPHyperX //------------------------------// 3. Chapter: Twilight’s Legacy The friends couldn't believe their eyes. Trixie, who described herself as all-powerful, was the new resident of the library. They no longer understood the world. This unicorn hadn't been seen for ages. “Well, well, well! The great, all-powerful Trixie could have guessed she would meet you again," she laughed. Even with these words, the blue unicorn became unsympathetic. Fluttershy looked confused. “Uhm... You know us?” "She’s been in Ponyville once, showin' off her cheap magic tricks,” Applejack replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Trixie walked towards them and started to explain, “About that. Everypony knows my tales were just made-up stories. That's why I took a break from showbiz. Now I'm focusing on my studies to become the most powerful and magnificent magician there ever was!” Rainbow Dash and Spike couldn't help giggling. Trixie looked at them angrily. “Mark my words! I've picked up a thing or two in Canterlot. If it weren't for that Ursa Major incident, I'd be onto my second level by now.” Trixie glanced around. “And where's your other friend? That oh so talented unicorn?” The other ponies fell silent, as their expressions turned dark. “So you're not aware?” Applejack's voice grew heavy as she gazed at Trixie. “What am I supposed to know?” “Well, the Ursa Major in Canterlot! Everypony knows about it…” As Trixie continued to stare questioningly, Applejack decided to break the news, “Twilight Sparkle defeated the Ursa Major!” “With a single shot to the head!” Pinkie Pie added proudly. Trixie's expression was priceless. Applejack had anticipated that dumbfounded look, and it delighted her to see Trixie looking utterly clueless. And we’re the witnesses of her heroic deed! She stood up in the name of Princess Celestia, fer her friends an' fer all o' Equestria! She made a mighty sacrifice! Yes, she died as a hero! Thanks to her, Canterlot still exists!” Applejack fought back a tear, but the effect on her friends was much greater. Trixie raised her eyebrows. “So, she's..." Suddenly she turned, gritting her teeth. “That annoying mare!” “Heh! Seems like somepony got ahead of you!” Rainbow Dash chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eye as she faced her. “Yes, but unfortunately she's dead,” Trixie hissed back. Rainbow Dash gave her a piercing look and the unicorn continued to speak in the same tone. “What's the point of having fame if you can't bask in it because you're buried six hooves under? This is just perfect for me! That means my time to shine has come!” Rainbow Dash seized her by the neck and pinned her against the bookshelf. “Rainbow! Knock it off!” shouted Applejack, but she wasn't listening. “Don't you dare talk about my friend like that!” Rainbow yelled. “Enough!” Applejack shouted a little louder, but that's when the fight started. Trixie unleashed a forceful magic wave, knocking Rainbow Dash off balance. Before Rainbow could recover, she lunged forward, ready to retaliate. As things started to escalate, Applejack intervened. “Cut it out, both of ya!!!” Her voice boomed, surprising the others. Rainbow Dash's nostrils flared, her eyes burning with a level of hatred they had never seen before. “You got Twilight's blood on your hooves! Bringing that Ursa Major into town was your doing!” “That's absurd!” said Trixie indignantly, “I've been looking for ways to stop him! Why should I have a reason to endanger Canterlot just to get a pony out of the way?” Tension hung heavy in the air, casting a pall over the group. Without a word, Applejack guided Rainbow Dash out of the library, her expression grave. The others trailed behind, their gazes alternating between Trixie and their departing friends, a mix of emotions swirling within them. Outside, Rainbow was on the verge of a mental breakdown. “That phony hag!” she wailed. “Hehey! Calm down, sugar cube! How about I treat ya to an apple cider? I reckon that'll perk ya right up!” Rainbow Dash grinned briefly. Applejack knew just how to lift her friends' spirits. The two ponies reclined in the meadow near Sweet Apple Acres, sipping on apple cider. Rainbow Dash stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. “Trixie sure wasn't nice, no doubt about that!” Applejack remarked, breaking the silence. Rainbow Dash merely grumbled in response and she continued, “But yer outburst back there... That ain't like ya at all! I've never seen ya so riled up before!” She grumbled again, but seemed to reckon with the point. They sat there quiet-like for a spell, gazing over the sprawling apple orchard, jointly run by Applejack’s family. Rainbow Dash broke the silence, her gaze fixed on the drifting clouds above, “Do you know how much we owe to Twilight? She was the one who brought us together. I mean, we knew each other before, but we weren't really close friends. As she moved in here, we became an amazing team!” Applejack nodded, her mind drifting back to all those wild adventures they'd shared. Memories of adventures flooded her thoughts, each one tinged with a touch of sadness. She realized, with a pang in her heart, that she hadn't even had the chance to properly thank Twilight for all this. After the brief scuffle, Trixie needed to comb her hair again. She cursed Twilight and her friends inwardly as she used her magic to remove some splinters and heal small wounds. Then she left the bathroom to look around the library. There was much to do, but above all, Trixie yearned to uncover one thing: How had Twilight managed to defeat a fully grown male Ursa Major with a single shot? Despite her disdain for reading books, Trixie begrudgingly acknowledged the necessity of delving into more advanced studies. With a resigned sigh, she made her way to the study area to commence her homework. When she arrived, she was eyed curiously by an owl perched on the back of her chair. “Who are you?” "Hoo?" the owl cooed, signaling that she was asking the same thing. “Well, you! Trixie doesn’t have time for this silliness!” “Hoo?” made the owl again. “Come on! Go! Shoo! I've got work to do!” Trixie approached the desk, and the owl reluctantly made space for her. On the desk lay a small book bearing Twilight's handwriting, labeled “Notes.” Trixie had never laid eyes on the book before. As she perused its contents, a chuckle escaped her lips. “By the stars, that unicorn was a total oddball!” The next morning, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, finding them still moist from the night before. Twilight had visited her again, silently observing from the corner of the bedroom. Rainbow Dash shook her head. Anger simmered within her at Trixie's callous remarks about Twilight. Today, she wanted to steer clear of that pony. Rainbow Dash rose from her bed, perplexed by the recurring visits of her departed friend. Was there a hidden message? A lingering sentiment Twilight couldn't express in her final moments? As she pondered, Rainbow decided to get up and make her way to the bathroom. But before she could take another step, the ground beneath her feet gave way, and she tumbled through the floor. “What the…?!” She fell through her living room and further. Her house was mostly made of clouds. Only pegasi could walk on them. Earth ponies and unicorns would simply fall through them, as was the case with Rainbow Dash now. She flapped her wings desperately, but the air just wouldn't carry her. She tumbled out of her house screaming, not a single cloud would stop her fall. "That's impossible! What's going on?" she screamed in confusion. A sturdy branch briefly halted her descent before it snapped. Rainbow Dash plummeted to the ground like a lead weight, her face meeting the dirt upon impact. Gritting her teeth, she swiftly rose to her hooves, her wings flapping frantically in a futile attempt to regain altitude. Yet, it seemed as though an unseen force held her to the earth below. With each effort to ascend, she found herself drawn back down. She fell on her face, again and again. After the twentieth attempt, she gave up. Her wings hung limp and sad, as if they no longer wanted to belong to her body. But it was even worse. “I can't feel them anymore!” Her gasps grew louder, a hot wave of panic surging through her veins. “I can't feel my wings anymore!” She lay there with a dirty, sweaty face and simply couldn't comprehend the situation. Fallen from the sky, like a chick from the nest. As the wind blew through her mane, she decided to scream for help. The cries for help were heard by three foals. “Do you hear that too, Applebloom?” asked Rarity's sister, Sweetie Belle, as she was about to enter the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse. Applejack's sister leaned against the railing. “Looks like someone's in serious trouble! What do ya think, Scootaloo?” The third member of the group listened carefully and became worried. “I don't know! But I think it sounds like Rainbow Dash.” The other two looked at each other. Knowing Rainbow Dash, had rarely needed help. Rainbow Dash was on the verge to cry again, when she felt the trampling of small hooves on the ground. She turned her head and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo! Thank Celestia! Please get Applejack or someone else quick! Something's wrong with me!” With Fluttershy's help, the Cutie Mark Crussaders took the distressed pegasus to the nearest hospital. After the check-up, the doctor, a brown unicorn, strode into the waiting room where Rainbow Dash anxiously sat with her friend. With a wide grin, the doctor brandished the x-rays triumphantly. “Both wings are in tip-top shape!” Fluttershy sat up. “Well, you see, Rainbow! Everything's fine!” “Nothing’s fine, Fluttershy!” she complained. “They are numb, I can’t fly and the worst thing is, I can no longer touch a cloud anymore! My life is ruined!” She threw herself onto an armchair. The doctor took another close look at her wings. “That's quite strange! Perhaps you should see a specialist doctor for pegasi, but there are plenty of other options!” “Umm... What exactly?” asked Fluttershy quietly. “Magic! Then it probably won't be so bad, because it'll go away!”, the doctor said. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed into angry slits. Suddenly, the fury surged within her once more. “She'll pay for this!!!” she roared, bolting towards the exit. Fluttershy and the doctor watched her in bewilderment. “I hope she's not planning what I think she is!” he muttered and left the waiting room. Rainbow Dash rushed to the library. With a thunderous crash, she burst through the door, her voice echoing in the empty room, “Trixie! You've crossed the line this time!!!” The unicorn had a notebook with her when she was caught off guard by the raging pegasus. Rainbow Dash stormed towards her like a furious bull. Trixie quickly flipped through the notes until she - poof! - disappeared and reappeared half a meter away. Rainbow Dash missed her and fell, but the notebook lay right in front of her nose. “But that's...” She picked it up. “...Twilight's notebook!” She scorned at Trixie, who was slumped over in exhaustion. The spell had been too much for her. “What did you do with that? Stop imitating my friend! You're nothing like her and you'll never be as good!” Rainbow Dash scolded, stomping towards her. “And before I crumple you up like a hoof cloth, undo the spell you cast on me! Now!” “What... spell?” asked Trixie, her face beaded with sweat. “Don't play innocent!” Rainbow Dash roared. Trixie met her gaze, seemingly clueless, and the longer Rainbow stared, the more her anger dissipated. Eventually, the pegasus mare collapsed to the ground, overcome with tears. “I miss Twilight!” “You’re such a mood! Best to take it easy in a situation like this!” Trixie advised. “Oh, just shut up! You have no idea!” Rainbow whimpered and clutched the book. “That Twilight sure made a mess of you!” Trixie giggled, turning to the shelves where Owloysius was sleeping. “She's got some interesting stuff written down! Check out her latest pages.” Rainbow Dash eyed Trixie suspiciously before opening the notebook. The date was marked as one day before the attack on Canterlot. Among all the strange pentagrams, runes, and formulas, she spotted a note in the margin: Souls. “I don't get it!” replied Rainbow Dash. “Only a unicorn could understand that! Twilight had been working on a new spell, a very complicated one to be precise. Unfortunately, I don't understand much either. I was going to give it to Celestia in hope she would have an answer.” Rainbow Dash stared at the runes while Trixie continued, “I can't stand Twilight, you have to understand that! But you're her friend! Do you know anything about that?” Rainbow Dash closed the book. “Even if I knew something, I'd never tell you, Trixie! You're the last pony I'd trust with anything!” “That's what I thought! You have to know, I'm Celestia's new student! It's important that she knows about this, but I see. You know nothing and I know nothing, so the book is useless to both of us, you can keep it and cuddle it like a teddy bear!” Rainbow Dash fell silent, but then those dreams came back to her. “Wait...!” She told Trixie about last night's experience and the loss of her pegasus abilities. Trixie became curious and looked at her wings. “Total loss of abilities, you say? You must be insanely powerful to accomplish something like that.” “But what is it then? Flying is my life!” Rainbow complained with a tight throat. Trixie pondered for a moment, a rare sight for Rainbow Dash. Finally, the unicorn lifted her head and closed her eyes. “Let me try something!” Suddenly, the room spun around Rainbow, morphing into a scene etched in her memory: The fight against the Ursa Major. Wild, pain-wracked screams echoed from somewhere as a biting wind whipped against her face. She found herself perched on a shattered house, helplessly watching as Twilight was crushed by the massive bear. A sharp pain shot through her back, the screams growing louder and more agonizing until a swift slap to her face jolted her back to reality. “Sorry! I had to do it!” huffed Trixie. Apparently, she had seen and felt the same thing when Rainbow had plunged into her memories. "What was that?" gasped Rainbow Dash. Trixie wiped the sweat from her forehead and cleared her throat. “Whatever it was! I think it’s a severe trauma!” “That doesn't explain why I dream about Twilight and lost my abilities. What am I supposed to do? By all the clouds, what am I supposed to do?” Rainbow Dash paced back and forth. She was at a loss, she had to find an answer to all this. The notebook in her hooves could be a final clue. In the lofty towers of Canterlot Palace, Princess Celestia surveyed the city below. The majestic capital was now encircled by towering scaffolds, bustling with the activity of ongoing repairs. The clamor of machinery shattered the city's usual tranquility, causing many ponies to hesitate before venturing outside, still deeply shaken by recent tumultuous events. Celestia herself bore the weight of sorrow. The Ursa Major's attack and the tragic loss of her most cherished student had struck her to the core. Though she maintained a façade of steadfastness, her shoulders felt heavy with grief. The focus shifted to Trixie, a far less talented but obstinate unicorn who persistently shirked her responsibilities. The princess returned to her living room and read through her sister's letter again. Celestia had sent her on a field trip to study the behavior of the Changelings, but the situation had changed. “So, this is what has come upon us,” Celestia thought aloud. Luna had sent the letter with haste. She had been deeply shocked when she had heard about Twilight and her tower. Suddenly a servant came in. Trixie asked to speak to her. What did she want this time? When Celestia received them in the throne room, she was surprised to see Rainbow Dash in attendance. Trixie regarded the audience with the princess as a solemn affair. Unlike the rapport she had shared with Twilight, there existed no friendship between her and Celestia. What one shouted into the woods, echoed back. Celestia treated Trixie with the same cool authority. “What news do you bring, my student?” she inquired, a hint of irritation in her voice. Trixie recounted Rainbow Dash's troubles. When she mentioned Twilight, the princess grew attentive. Rising from her throne, she approached the pegasus. “I understand the ordeal you must be enduring. Perhaps Twilight has left something behind that could help us. Follow me! Trixie, you will remain here!” commanded Celestia. Trixie grumbled softly to herself as Rainbow Dash followed the princess. Celestia led Rainbow Dash into a darkened room. The ceiling was a large dome with an artificial starry sky. In the center of the circular room was a round table with several star charts and a control panel. “This is Luna's favorite place!” Celestia said before Rainbow Dash could ask anything. “We call it the planetarium! Twilight also visited it when she was studying in Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash found the place very mystical. Twilight had a feeling for such things and often talked about the stars. Rainbow Dash was bored by such topics and had often waved them off. Now she regretted that she had never listened to her. “Cheer up, Rainbow! It's a nice, quiet place, and helps to think,” Celestia said kindly. Rainbow Dash slumped into the chair; her gaze heavy as she faced Celestia. “I... I couldn't bear it!” Her voice quivered with emotion. “I was right there, but I couldn't save her. All I could do was watch... watch her slip away.” Rainbow's hooves pressed against the table and turned white with tension. Her voice cracked with sorrow; the weight of her grief palpable in the air. “But I tried! I tried my best! I was there with her till the end! She... she wasn't alone!” Celestia must have adjusted something on the control panel, because the planetarium's sky began to move. “I’m sure Twilight was very happy about that!” she said. “But now she's supposed to have left something behind that I don't understand! I often dream about her, what's wrong with me? I'm completely crazy and not even my friends can help me.” As Celestia gazed up at the stars, she seemed to seek an answer from the artificial firmament. "Pass me the book, please,” she requested. Rainbow complied, watching anxiously as Celestia pored over each page of Twilight's notes. The princess's expressions ranged from thoughtful to amused, occasionally punctuated by a smile or a nod of approval. As dawn approached, Celestia finally spoke, her voice carrying a mix of intrigue and revelation. “This is quite fascinating indeed. It seems that Twilight's soul fragmented in her final moments, with one part becoming intertwined with you. The loss of your abilities may be an unforeseen consequence of this connection.” Rainbow Dash opened her mouth in horror. “But why did she do that?” “She was in agony. When a pony nears its physical end, its living, breathing spirit escapes and embarks on a long journey to paradise. It is not easy to kill a unicorn, they are extremely tough and there are ways to keep them alive a little longer. Twilight knew that and wanted to spend her last moments with you.” As the sun slowly ascended in the sky, Celestia's mane caught the morning light, shimmering with ethereal brilliance. Rainbow's ears perked up as a stirring sensation tugged at her heart. “Are there any spells that can bring somepony back?” Rainbow asked hopefully. Celestia closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as the light shone across the faces of both ponies. “There is something! But no one in history has ever done it! A ritual that can give ponies who have died too soon a second chance,” the princess replied. “Wow, that sounds awesome!” Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, resembling melons in size. Celestia smiled warmly as her mane danced in the golden sunlight streaming through the planetarium.