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Heal Pony POV Teacher Teacher

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My little Ponies Friendship is Magic
Reharmonized Ponies POV Series "Teacher, Teacher"

Oh you found me! That's wonderful! I was worried that you wouldn't be able to. It's so nice of you to want to talk to me again. It really is wonderful to know others care about what you have to say isn't it?

Make yourselves at home. Cookies? Tea? No? Okay, that's fine.

I know this isn't my cottage, but I feel this is the best place for me. I know Angel will be able to handle things for a little while, and everything will have worked itself out before he overworks himself. Heheh! It funny how he's the one always making sure I don't overwork myself helping my little friends! And here I am, making sure he doesn't overwork himself while I'm away.

I know that you want to know -why- I'm doing all this for everyone. I'm sure you think I'm just trying to help more people than I actually can. Or that I'm not thinking about other people's feelings. But I'm confident I can do this. I'm finally being assertive without scaring away my little friends!

So why am I doing this? I'd rather wait until my friends arrive so I don't have to repeat myself. I'm sure you understand. But I guess I can share a few things. I guess I grew up. I finally understand how unfair the world is, and it would be black-hearted of me to -not- do my best to fix everything and everypony if I can. Did you know Ditzy Doo almost lost custody of Dinky? It's true. When they brought all those doctor-ponies to help everyone with that big dumb meanie Discord did to everyone. They thought because of her language problems that she was retarded! Dinky had to stay with a mare from her father's family, the paper work said she was her big sister. But we never did find out if Ditzy was actually a lot older than she looked, or if someone was shuffling paperwork for her sake.

Thankfully the other doctors were able to prove that Ditzy is fully rational, intelligent, can hold a job, and is attentive to Dinky and her development as a foal. The hardest part was proving that Ditzy wasn't damaging Dinky's ability to communicate. She came very close to losing her because of that part. It was all so unfair. So horribly, horribly unfair.

And that of course is just for starters. Ponies scared of what other ponies think. Ponies not able to return other ponies' feelings. Some ponies having to go while others stay. Ponies who want to fly but are Earth Ponies. Ponies who want to do magic but are pegasi. And ponies who … who just want to feel what nature feels, but aren't earth ponies.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna did a good job of cleaning up after that big dumb meanie Discord, but they weren't able to finish. There are ponies still hurting.

But I've been given a gift and I'm going to save Equestria. Everypony will get to be healthy, happy, be loved, and never ever have to hurt each other to have what they need or find what they want.

I helped Cheerilee understand this, since she loves each of her students like her own child, and now she understands better than anypony.

Oh don't go. There's no need. You have everything you love right here. Isn't it wonderful? Just relax. Be happy. Be peaceful. Listen to mommy's voice, listen to mommy's song. Feel mommy's hug. Feel mommy's love. There's no need to leave. There is no need for anything. Let the fog protect you from the cruel harsh light that has no heart.

That's it, just forget it all, just let it all go, all those silly regrets, all that silly sadness, loss, mistakes, and memories that only weight you down. Yes my little foals, yes, listen to mommy, listen to mommy's love, listen to mommy's song.

Who's a cute foal? Who's a cute foal? Tickle tickle! That's nice dear. Mommy loves hearing you laugh. Snuggle with mommy! Yes, mommy loves you too dear! Mommy loves you all. Mommy will provide and protect you. You'll never be lonely with mommy here.

Mommy was very happy for this talk dearies, very happy. Mama is very proud. Now mama wants you to go to all the friends you've been sharing these wonderful talks with and tell them about mommy and share her song and her love with them. All your friends and family, dearies. Send it to as many as you can ... so all can join mommy in paradise.

Now sit here on Mama's lap, and let's watch my Knight Cheerilee teach my friends that forcing others to not be happy is wrong.

-- intar-view with tha suber-duper prince-cez Gai-ah who's also mama! All luv to prince-cez Gai-ah!

+++

Rarity Belle made a headlong charge straight for the delusional Sweetie. Cheerilee spun like a drill and dive-bombed the unicorn, knocking her off of her hooves.

Rarity jumped back to her feet and tried to gallop around the pseudo-flutter-pony's flight path but Cheerilee kept an eye on her.

Rarity struck a Horse-Fu pose and challenged, "GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MARE!"

"Not even you have the right to steal these foals from paradise!"

"SHUT-UP-SHUT-UP! Give me back Sweetie!" Rarity floated several tiny rock and pebbles off the grass field around her, and telekinetically shot them at Cheerilee at the speed of a crossbow bolt."

Cheerilee ferociously dodged the attacks, one went through her wings and another through an unarmored part of her left foreleg leaving two tiny bloody holes.

Cheerilee fluttered back several paces, a few pieces of wings began to break off and for a moment Rarity hoped she had grounded her. But the broken off pieces healed up, and the original pieces turned into stained glass butterflies that floated around their master before quickly folding themselves into glass daggers that shot down at Rarity, one cutting along her cutie mark leaving a red streak. Rarity sent another set of stone projectiles at sundering speeds at the unprotected parts of Cheerilee's skull, who gracefully spun out of the line of fire and sent more glass butterflies flying, which pierced air where Rarity's spine had been a heartbeat before.

The other five plus one bearers were knocked out of their shock. No pony had harm another with intent to kill in over a hundred years!

"Twili', can yer magic grab Cheeri'?!"

"She's moving around too much, I can't get a grip on her!"

The two ponies continued to exchange fire, proving nimble enough to dodge fatal attacks.

"PLANTS!" Cheerilee shouts and large spiked plants forced their way out of the ground under Rarity's belly which she dodge rolled along with a trail of glass daggers that impacted in her wake. Another wall of spiked plants formed directly in Rarity's escape path trying to box her in. But not missing a beat, Rarity jumped from one wall to another, jumping at Cheerilee who had made the mistake of getting in close. With the kick that had clapped the jaw of a manticore she gave Cheerilee a spinning hoof to the jaw, almost breaking it.

Cheerilee was sent spinning as Rarity landed neatly on all fours sending more projectiles, most bouncing off Cheerilee's armor.

"She's kicking ass!" Rainbow Dash cheered.

For the first time in her entire life, Twilight hurt a friend and tail slapped RD. "She's being reckless! RAGE EQUALS STUPID! We've got to end this now before one of them is dead!"

"WHERE IS DIAMOND TIARA!" Rarity snarled.

"What?!"

"Don't play dumb! She's been missing since yesterday!"

"I don't know where she is! If I knew she'd be here!" Cheerilee snapped back having gotten her equilibrium.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER?!"

"I did nothing! Princess Gaia does not know where she is! If she did she'd be here with the others!"

Twilight took this chance as they stopped attacking. "THINK Cheerilee! You've always said your cutie mark was your desire to see your students 'bloom!' They can't bloom in this fog!"

Cheerilee's attention was taken off of Rarity. "Wild flowers are always at the mercy of wild animals. Only in a garden protected can they ever hope to bloom. How about YOU -think-?! Weren't you all HAPPY with what you experienced? Why walk away from that-?! These foals are happy! They're content! I won't let you take that away from them!"

A razor sharp piece of stone went clean for Cheerilee's eye and the brain behind it. But Cheerilee, with cat like reflexes, dodged it just enough so instead the stone smacked into her forehead leaving a bleeding mark.

"RARITY YOU GONE PLUM LOCO!?" AJ shouted.

"MISSSED!" Rarity hissed.

"Rarity, stop!" Pinkie Diane shouted. The bandages on Rarity's flank from her days old stab wound were staining red with a reopened wound.

"Okay, this might not be so cool after all." RD said seeing the savage look in the unicorn's eyes.

"Okay, that's it." Twilight said, "Rarity, she's brainwashed! You can't attack her like she's a mad animal!"

Rarity seemed to look like she was coming out of a fog herself at Twilight's words. Then Cheerilee was hit by a bolt of lightning that conducted very well with the metal armor she was wearing. This tore her gossamer wings to shreds and she hit the ground with a clang.

"TRIXIE!" Twilight shouted.

"Will you look you idiot!" Trixie pointed.

Everyone did look and saw another glass butterfly dagger that landed right next to Rarity's head that had nearly gone into the back of her neck. Only Trixie's surprise lightning bolt had disrupted Cheerilee's aim. "I'm a show pony. To distract, notice a distraction, and taking advantage of one is what I do!"

Instead of saying 'Guess you're good for more than humiliating others,' RD shouted, "AJ, help me hold her! Twilight, you're on! Trixie, get the fillies!"

The ponies charged at the fallen false-flutter-pony. Wind exploded from her, followed by spiked plants pointing outward from her as wings restored themselves and she was air-born again. "You've all been baaad students. Now, as Princess Gaia's knight and as a teacher, I'll teach you that there are some lessons you can only learn the hard way!"

"It, is, on!" Rarity snapped.

"Not on yer own, it isn't!"

"Applejack-"

"Come off it girlfriend! You think you're the only here with a little sister to save?"

And Rarity felt small.

"At least we know she can't make the foals attack us or she would have done so by now." Trixie said.

"Bite your tongue scum! Princess Gaia would NEVER use foals as weapons! I am here as their protector and I'll protect them from you! 'Teacher-teacher' that is what you'll call me."

The heroes rushed her all at once. But for just having grown her wings Cheerilee moved agilely enough to dodge RD's  melee attacks; and the foals and others nearby made a Sonic Rainboom too risky.

"Why? Cause this is the lesson you shall learn!"

Rarity and AJ tried to use projectile attacks but Cheerilee was simply moving too fast and too erratically.

"Hear me sing and go back to sleep!"

Trixie tried to end things with another lightning bolt from above but without the element of surprise Cheerilee wasn't about to let that quick win happen again.

"You think what you're doing makes you noble ponies! Is that a fact? Well you're~ all~ hypocrites~!"

Cheerilee now flew like mad on her given wings, moving and unleashing her glass butterflies at the same time sacrificing accuracy for suppressive fire.

"Hay the 'amena' in my name is Spanish teach,
it means pleasant in an amusing way!"
Someone else sang.

Cheerilee started as Pinkie Diane appeared out of nowhere and got her armored neck in a choke-hold with her rear legs, the sudden weight throwing her off almost making them crash, but she twisted around at the last moment and dragged Pinkie along the ground. .   "You cannot crack this armor, so go ahead and kick those hooves like you're in the right, it's such a bore. You think you're the heroes? Oh~ Please!~"

Pinkie Diane refused to let go using her forelegs to grip her in a double vice grip. The extra weight slowed her down. This backfired when she used Pinkie Pie as a shield as AJ and Rarity accidentally peppered their friend with fast moving rocks.

"The dream shall be eternal.~ Fair thee well to all things external. Gifts of the princess to help me. Teacher's got~ your~ name.~"   Cheerilee back headed Pinkie Diane, finally knocking her loose at last right at AJ and Rarity and used the chance to ram AJ and Rarity, knocking them down.

"The Dream shall be eternal
Teacher has come, fillies~!"


Cheerilee took in several deep breaths as she hovered over the battered lot, keeping an eye on Rainbow Dash and Twilight.

"And this is how the story ends. Everyone in their own private joys, happy forever. No one to ruin it for them, no one to judge them, no one to criticize them, none to hurt them, only the happiness and love of their ideal life. Let the butterflies continue to dream rather than make them suffering their unfair world."

"The One And Only Trixie would like your attention teacher!"

The armored pony turned to look at Trixie and gasped. Trixie's horn crackled with electricity, just above the shoulder of Ruby Pinch who was busy playing patty-cake with an imaginary version of her mother Berry Punch. "Wha-wha-"

The others looked in horror at Trixie's gambit.

"I believe you said we're the villains here. So I shall do as a villain does and taken a perfectly innocent random filly as a hostage. Looks like the winds of change are here eh Twilight? "

"You ARE filth! Using a filly?! I think a lobotomization is the only way to help monsters like you!" Cheerilee snarled.

"Oh please. I'd say of the times I've done this, this is number sixteen ."

The wind suddenly blew on the now stationary target unevenly, forcing one wing to go painfully the opposite way of the other. In an instant, the lightning from Trixie's horn vanished, and a tiny storm cloud appeared above Cheerilee, striking her and her metal covered body with lightning again.

Dash wasted no time and rammed her into the ground, hard, leaving a dust cloud. It would have broken her ribs if she wasn't wearing armor. RD didn't let go.

Both mage unicorns rushed at once, but Twilight reached her first and touched the horn to Cheerilee's exposed forehead. And the sheering light burned away the fog in her mind.

"Oh dear!" Cheerilee gasped as her eyes became her own again.

Like a shadow cast by someone else leaving her, the gossamer wings and armor broke apart and dissolved, almost fleeing her. A mare making an intelligible sound of anger was distantly heard.

Cheerilee gasped as she looked up at the six ponies as they gathered around her. "I ...  all of you, I'm just, I didn't mean, she was just so, and what she said just made so much, hearing her voice, she was simply so … I'm so so sorry!"

Pinkie Pie smiled and hugged her. "Don't be silly, you were brainwashed, you didn't really make those choices, they were made for you and you were made to think you made them. So you don't have anything to apologize for. And even when your brain was tapioca you thought about your students first! So you should be proud you held into what made you -you- even when brain zapped! That's more than any of us can say."

Cheerilee seemed somewhat mollified with Pinkie Pie's words.

"Cheerilee what happened?" Twilight asked.

"Class was about to get started, Applebloom and her friends came in with Silverspoon and a flock of birds flew into the classroom and began singing … I swear they sounded like Fluttershy! … Then things became weird. WE HAD to come here. It was IMPORTANT we come here no matter what. We NEEDED to come here. Because it was HERE that we needed to be!

"Then all the foals fell into their own fantasies, and … I met this beautiful pony … it's, it's hard to describe her now, almost like she was a dream herself. But she said she was going to save all the foals of the world and all of Equestria and wanted my help. I wasn't able to think about saying no. When she talked about helping the foals Discord hurt it was like music to my ears. Then she kissed me on the forehead … it was like she put a tiny piece of herself inside me. It felt wonderful. And I could use MAGIC outside of what an earth pony is supposed to. And everything she said made perfect absolute sense. Just to see all my students happy again … I'm sorry. I couldn't think clearly in this fog." She hung her head.

"Nothing to forgive." AJ said helping her up.

"I myself apologize. I ... I was foalish and the embodiment of unlady-like." Rarity said hesitantly.

"If I had a little sister I'd have done the same." Cheerilee said.

RD and AJ said nothing.

"A pity Scootaloo doesn't seem to be your sister in this iteration of the universe." Pinkie Pie said. "Personally I think that was cruel on Hasbro's part. But at least you have her in your class now."

Cheerilee stared at Pinkie Pie with pin prick eyes.

"Oh. Sorry." Pinkie apologized sadly, "I shouldn't have told you that."

Cheerilee desperately looked for anything to distract her from what she had just heard and spotted a face she didn't quite recognize. Wait a minute.

"And you are … oh my, are you the unicorn Snips and Snails are always going on about?" Cheerilee said looking at the blue unicorn.

"The one and only," Trixie said flatly.

"Let me just say thank you, you're the ONLY thing that's ever managed to get those two little colts to -do- something with themselves."

"Told you," Twilight said simply to Trixie with no trace of ego.

Trixie blinked, why did she feel like she was blushing? Since when did Trixie feel embarrassed by praise? By thanks? She lived for that. Didn't she? "You're welcome." Trixie said in a surprisingly small voice.

"Don't be modest," Cheerilee said to Trixie in total honesty. And the girls hesitated, waiting for time and space to implode into themselves. When they failed to, the ponies moved on.

"Can we just get on with snapping Scoots and the rest back to reality now?" RD asked impatiently having had enough.

The mage unicorns split up and with some hesitation began to make the fillies relive the memories that contradicted the fantasies they were living.

Archer looked around remembering she hadn't stopped super villains left and right with her archery skills or stopped invaders from outside Equestria. "Hey! No fair! I was about to slay Tiamat!" Archer whined.

"Sorry." Twilight sighed.

"Aw nuts." "Dang." Said Snips and Snails. "Hey look!" "Cool! Hey Miss Great and Powerful Trixie uh, we know you're angry and everything but ... you forgive us right and want to us on as students, right?"

"The Great And Powerful Trixie will not be taking on students now or ever." Trixie said flatly.

"Aaaaaahhhh." The two said sadly together.

"And The One and Only Trixie at this time is not able to take on apprentices." Trixie said with a microscopic hint of regret.

The two colts looked at each other confused.

Twist looked around, remembering empty rooms and empty afternoons as she found new friends to hang out with and being perfectly happy with them, but still wishing Applebloom would find her Cutie mark already. "That's not fair."

"I know," Twilight said apologetically.

Ruby Pinch remembered her mom beginning to enjoy fine wine and hard booze again after getting over the damage Discord had done to her. Remembering the jokes said by adults that the only time her mother was ever sober was when she had been pregnant with Ruby. "But I was happy …"

"Then hurry up and make your dreams reality," Trixie said in a somewhat unkind tone.

"Big sister?" Sweetie Belle asked seeing Rarity as she lost the swirl eyes.

"I'm sorry dear." Rarity nuzzled her.

"But ... but it, I just wanted, I finally had-"

"Now you make it come true for real Sweetie." Rarity whisper continue to nuzzle her.

"OF ALL THE ROTTEN LOW DOWN DIRTY APPLE STEALIN' BUCKING HAY HORSE-APPLES DIRTY TRICKS--"

"Applebloom! Watch yer language!" AJ shouted, hugging her at the same time.

"But I finally got my cutie mark! And it was so big, and pretty, so so RIGHT!"

Trixie had fallen on her flanks and held her head her ears ringing from Applebloom's swear storm.

"I'm sorry Applebloom, I'm just so sorry." AJ said.

"Hey Scoots … " RD said as Twilight cured her.

Scootaloo just looked at the grass, and sniffled. RD covered her with her big blue wings so no one had to see her cry.

"GIVE IT BACK!" Silver Spoon wailed, "PLEASE GIVE IT BACK! JUST GIVE IT BACK PLEASE!" The gray colored filly sob. "It's not fair! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR! Just give it back to me! Give Diamond back! Give me back mama who's happy with how she looks! Give me back a papa who I know I don't need to be scared of! Give back this cutie mark being a mistake and a give me the new one back! Give it all back!" Silver Spoon almost screamed.

Cheerilee hugged the rich filly. The CMC, Twist, and the other foals looked confused and unsure.

Twilight could swear she could see the fog swirl thicker around Silver Spoon.

Twilight considered using her 'fail-safe spell.' And decided to use it.

The magical waves push back against the fog, dissolving it, but no matter how far the waves spread, there was more fog beyond even as landmarks became obvious. Finally a breach in the fog appeared northward.

Nearly everyone gasped in awe at Twilight's display of power. Trixie gritted her teeth. Silver Spoon made a noise of dismay and longing. Scootaloo buried her head deeper in Rainbow's wings.

"Cheerilee, take Silver Spoon and the other foals and go north. Don't go back to Ponyville until the fog clears. If you can, go to Canterlot. I'm sorry but Trixie has never used teleportation by herself before and I've never teleported more than one passenger at once that far before and I don't know if I have the reserves for twenty long range teleportations. And I don't know how long it's going to take for the fog to reassert itself."

"I understand." Cheerilee nodded.

Trixie said, "I vote we teleport to Canterlot just a few of us, and tell Princess Celestia that an evil, delusion-inducing magical fog has sweeping across the landscape that may or may not be caused by the most sweet pure and innocent mare this side of Nyxie. Let the goddess of the sun who you're best friends with save the world. One time out of three shouldn't be that troublesome for her."

Twilight processed Trixie's perfectly rational, if tactless logic.

"Who's Nyxie?" AJ asked.

"Never mind." Trixie's family was private.

"NO ONE IS BANISHING FLUTTERSHY TO THE MOON!" RD DARED give Scootaloo a hug IN PUBLIC and then flew straight for the source of the fog, Everfree Forest.

"IDIOT!" Trixie screamed. No one told her to shut up. "Should you at least go to Canterlot to get the weapons of the gods so you can actually DO something when you find your friend who may or may not now be as powerful as a Princess?"

"Without 'Kindness' the other Elements are just jewelry." Rarity said.

"That ain't -precisely- 'true' sugarcube."

"Then how about the teacher?! She sure seems to fit the bill!" Trixie gestured at Cheerilee who startled at the idea of herself holding an Element.

"She doesn't know how ta fight!"

"Didn't really stop us with Nightmare Moon."

"Pinkie Pie, ya ain't helpin'!"

"She sure put all of us through the wringer!" Trixie said looking at Cheerilee.

"That was due mostly to the geass removing her inhibitions I think." Twilight said.

"AGH!" Trixie let a noise in frustration.

Cheerilee asked, "Does anyone care what I think?"

"No." The mares said together.

Twilight noticed the fog was beginning to crawl back. "The Elements would do us even less good if Rainbow gets herself killed in the meantime! Cheerilee just go! Guys! Follow that rainbow!" Twilight didn't wait to see if the others would follow her.

"Be brave and look out for everyone." AJ said to Applebloom before follow Twilight's instructions.

Rarity kissed Sweetie and trotted at the best pace she could manage. She tried her hardest not to favor her rear leg.

"Hurry up before you get squashed by the plot hammer!" Pinkie Pie shouted as hopped along.

Trixie grunted and followed, she was stronger than she looked, she had pulled her entire home along on a regular basis before after all.

"What is she thinking anyway?!" Trixie said to the other as they galloped. "If you need all six for them to work, then how do you plan to saving your friend?"

"-Our-friend." Twilight said bluntly.

"I figured she figured she'll figure out something." Pinkie Pie said.

Trixie shook her head. "That is COMPLETELY RECKLESS AND FOOLHARDY!"

"That's Rainbow Dash." AJ said.

"But how can she DO THAT?"

"Because we know Fluttershy would do the same for us!" Twilight explained.

Pinkie Diane said, "I really hope this turns out to be some imposter or maybe some split personality of Fluttershy left over from her time cursed by Discord, or maybe she's brainwashed again as a smokescreen by some evil cultists of Nightmare Moon or Discord to resurrect their dark master. Or this turns out to be a dream by one of us."

"Please don't get started down that road sugarcube." AJ said forcefully.

Trixie growled in a way ponies weren't supposed to. "-IF- this was my dream, I wouldn't be surrounded by a gang of irrational ponies! Especially ones who... who... who... who are a bunch of … "

Rarity felt herself bristle.

"Trixie." Twilight asked. "You weren't really going to hurt that filly were you?"

"What difference does it make? We won. No one was killed. End of story."

"I think that filly's mother would care." Pinkie Pie said.

"What difference does it make? It's not like I know her."

'Oh no you don't Trixie,' Twilight thought. 'You don't get to slip back.'

"Girls, go on just a bit ahead. And whatever happens, just let me and Trixie talk." Twilight slowed down. The other silently allowed this.

They didn't stop of course. They couldn't afford to.

"Huh?" Trixie looked confused and looked at Twilight. "Oh come on! After we all get brainwashed and one of us splits off we're going to split up MORE?"

"Trixie." Twilight did manage a smile. "You said 'one of us.'"

Trixie startled and took a few trots away from her. How many times were these ponies going to have her do that-?! Was life but repetition?! "Pst! So what if I did?! It's not like I LIKE any of you."

"You took the name I called you when I pulled you out of the darkness."

"That was just the name I was GOING to use originally before my master suggested 'Great and Powerful.' I chose it simply for that!"

"Yes I saw your memories Trixie remember? I know that. But I know something else. You're a good liar Trixie, the best I know, but even you aren't that good. You can't hide an emotion you barely understand and that is 'gratitude.'"

"Trixie simply does not wish to be in the debt of anypony!"

"Stop lying Trixie! Especially to yourself! Haven't you damaged yourself enough with them?"

"Lying … is merely one of my, I mean Trixie's talents! The ones that place her above the common pony!"

Twilight wondered. Even if Trixie had learned -how- to be friends, even freed of Discord's taint, even if she was learning how to relate to the bearers, was Trixie in her heart of hearts still just a selfish pony who thought she was better than everything else? Had Twilight been thinking all this time that just because she freed the leopard from the bear trap that she could also change its spots? In the end, was Trixie really the only pony Trixie cared about at all?

"OH YES! So much greater! Discord tried to drive every pony alive insane! That really put him above the 'common pony!' Nightmare Moon wanted to kill the day and had the power to do it, that so put her above the 'common pony!' Prince Blueblood was born into a position of power and privilege: AND IS A SMALL MINDED CHILDISH DONKEY! That puts him so above the 'common pony!' Your lies cost you your reputation, your home, and you felt you needed to make others small to make yourself feel big! Oh yes! You're SO ABOVE the common Pony Trixie!"

'Where are they?' Trixie wondered in absolute astonishment. Where were the fiery retorts building up inside her? Where was her vindictive wrath? Where was the thunder cracking down to express her rage at this impudence? Why couldn't she even find it?

But what Trixie was having the hardest time understanding, was WHY DID HEARING THIS HURT SO MUCH-?! She had brushed off hecklers who had called her a selfish-self-serving-egotistical-self-important-nag without a second thought. And the ones who called her a liar didn't even blip on the radar! Why was it hurting-?!

Trixie knew she had lost the 'Great And Powerful' in that ghastly barren broken wasteland that she learned was the embodiment of her heart. But now a question screamed through her mind. 'AM I EVEN TRIXIE-?!' What WAS this emotion she was feeling? It felt greatly like when she had been laughed off of stage, but that was general crushing feeling, this one felt condensed, powerful. The laughter of the crowd had been like a great wave that hit her. This felt like she had looked into the mirror and seen something truly ugly where her face was supposed to be.  

It had been so long, Trixie didn't even recognize what it felt like to be ashamed.


"You know what that's called Trixie?! It's called PREJUDICE! Or have you never experienced that Half-Dirt-Unicorn?"

And a switch was pulled.

The ground shook slightly but steadily, tiny bits of rock began to rise from the ground.

Trixie's head and shoulders moved in a lazy, almost liquid way as she turned to look at Twilight with one eye, her bangs covering the other. The rest of her body relaxed as she lay on her flanks and all fours.

Trixie's voice that should never have had as much passive calm as now absolutely dominated it. The melodramatic booming voice was now like an Arctic wind. "You will take that word back Twilight Sparkle. Or I shall break everyone bone in your body. One. By. One."

Twilight realized to her own shock she suddenly felt scared of -Trixie-! The unicorn proven time and again to be below her level. And now Twilight knew fear. But she knew she couldn't back down, from even from this army.

"--WAKE UP-- Trixie! How is thinking your natural talents make you naturally superior as a -person- any different from someone who'd think your father would make you naturally -inferior- as one?"

"You say anything negative about my father Twilight Sparkle and I swear I'll KILL YOU! "

"Trixie, I MET your parents! They are wonderful ponies! And so are your sisters! And Trixie … please Trixie, I asked in your heart of hearts Trixie: those unicorns full of themselves that you humiliated when you first began your act? In your memories, how did Blue Flames act? And how have you acted? Do you think you have a right to act better than anyone around you when everyone cheered you when you toppled hers?"

Blue Flames. The same unicorn who was now the offensive magic instructor of Hoofington's mage school. Who had given Trixie her first challenge in Trixie's beloved declaration 'anything you can do, I can do better' that had been Trixe's loving companion for most of her life by challenging her to catch a fireball to the face before she could say yes. And had so enjoyed the flavor of seeing her squirm and so many unicorns and so many pegasi and earth ponies to follow.

Where was the yes? Where was the resounding yes to Twilight's question? Where was the yes? Trixie violently tore through her soul for it. Where was the yes? Where was the resounding thundering YES?! Where had it gone? And why … why were the beautifully crafted gears in her skull, that had enable her to so flawlessly lie before, locking up as she tried to simply bluff the answer?

Trixie took the only escape rout left, she answered the question with question. But the question that flew out of her mouth wasn't the one she expected.

The power stopped flowing, the bits of rock and dirt hit the ground hard. Trixie turned her body to face Twilight directly but lowered her head to look at the ground, unable to look her in the face.

She asked in a tone that was anything but great and powerful, "Twilight? Who am I?"

'Or maybe,' Twilight thought. 'What I need to accept is that Trixie has a lifetime of making wrong decisions to relearn for. You were right Zecora. If I was going to be the one to pull Trixie out of the darkness, then it's my responsibility to teach her how to see in the light too. Trixie has a lot to learn. And I promised I'll be there to help her learn.'

"You're Trixie. The One and Only, no better or worse than any pony. But that DOESN'T make you expendable, that DOESN'T make you disposable, that DOESN'T make you interchangeable. 'ALL unique' -doesn't- make nopony unique. I told you before Trixie, that pedestal you put yourself on? It did nothing but distance you from others. Your magic only gets -weaker- by thinking you're better than everyone else Trixie. Your talents are wonderful, they're something to be -proud- of. But no amount of -power- makes you better than others. No amount of -skill- or knowledge makes you -superior- as a -person-. BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOUR TALENTS MEAN NOTHING! They're art."

Trixie slowly rose her had to look Twilight. The pony who had saved her life twice. The first time Trixie considered being eaten by the Ursa Minor would have been a kinder fate. The second time, Trixie hadn't a clue what she felt.

"You're right," Trixie said she stood up taking just look enough to look Twilight in the eye before moving foreword. "I was lying. I didn't remember until later that was my first choice for a stage name. How could I? I've done my hardest to bury everything that wasn't the 'Great and Powerful Trixie.' I did chose it because I heard you call me that."

"And I can help you unbury all those things. And I'm sure your family is more than ready to help you too."

"Thank you," Trixie said, and she didn't feel ashamed to say it. "And I'm sorry. I've dragged us down. If anything happens to Dash while you were helping me: it's my fault." And the words only tasted half as awful as Trixie thought they would.

"It was my idea to slow down. And we needed trust more than anything."

"Trixie is no one's dead weight. And here I am. I'm not being Trixie."

"Then maybe it's time Trixie stopped being a role and started being just you."

Trixie looked at Twilight Sparkle, an indignant look in her eyes. "Everyone plays a role Twilight Sparkle. You just help me see there are no insignificant ones.

All Equestria's a stage,
And all the stallions and mares merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one pony in her time plays many parts.
"

"Except ponies play more than seven roles Trixie. We play many roles to many ponies. And to those we trust more than life itself, our true friends, we play no roles, we show our heart of hearts to."

"No Twilight, I think that's when we play our most important role. And it's one I'm still learning the nuances of."

'And I promise to be a good teacher until you have the ins and outs.' Twilight thought to herself. "You taught me one important lesson Trixie."

"Eh?"

"Just because you see a pony playing one role, doesn't mean they can't play others."

Trixie seemed comforted by that.

- Most Decidedly NOT the End!
I didn't WANT the next episode to contain only this. But the chapter is getting so long that I need to divide things up!

Previous Episode: [link]
Next Episode: [link]

The Reharmonized/Recovery Pony POV series is here!
[link]

Episode Description:
~BATTLE! The Bearers of Harmony Plus One Verses the Knight of Princess Gaia: -Cheerilee!- Will they be able to save her? Or have to sacrifice her or someone else to save their loved ones?

Series Description:
Discord is beaten. The world is restored to it's proper balance and sanity and Celestia rule the day once again. But it's the scars ponies bear that you can't see that take the longest to heal. What was going on in those three weeks between episodes two and three of the second season? How did they recovery and heal from this ordeal that we didn't see?

AND ANOTHER NEW PIECE OF FANFICTION OF MY FANFICTION!!
[link]

AND OUR TV TROPES PAGE! [link]

Yep. Twilight's making sure Trixie doesn't go taking the Character Development Regression pill.

AND NOW I HAVE FREAKIN FANART! [link]
[link]

I also have freakin' fan song! [link]

Princess Gaia's Interview
[link]


Cheerilee's battle beat is the same as Margareta Moonlight Rank No. 4 from No More Heroes 2. [link]

Cutting room floor:

RD retorting. "Leave the musical numbers to Pinkie Pie Lady!"


Recovery POVs In order:
Fluttershy and Flutter Cruel: [link]
Rainbow Dash: [link]
Rarity: [link]
Applejack: [link]
Pinkamina: [link]
Twilight Sparkles: [link]
Rainbow Dash True Healing: [link]
Trixie: [link]
Second Family: [link]
The Alicorn And the Steed: [link]
Black Pearl: [link]
Links: [link]
Teacher Teacher: Here
The Fog: [link]

POV SIDE STORY CANTERLOT CHAOS: (Consider canon of your own free will!)
[link]

MLP FiM Copyright Hasbro

First round of EDITS DONE BY Santafer [link]

EDIT: Edited Ditzy Doo part of Princess Gaia's interview to better mix with episode Sisterhooves Social!

Edit: 201112 6th. Added just a couple sentence. But an important ones. Regarding Rarity's stab wound from earlier in the story. One showing Pinkie noticing the bandages bleeding, and another with Rarity trying not to favor her leg.

EDIT 20120605 Edits by DracoDei.
© 2011 - 2024 alexwarlorn
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ItsfromPeople's avatar
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Overall
:star::star::star::star::star: Vision
:star::star::star::star::star: Originality
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Technique
:star::star::star::star::star: Impact

The interviewers have finally found Fluttershy. They will regret that very soon. Just like the last time when she talked with Applejack she tends to repeat herself, stressing how wonderful it is that they are there and how she thinks that Angel will overwork himself. When asked why she is doing all of this she begins to switch topics to talk around the issue: She goes from emphasising that she can do all of this, to talking about how unfair the world was, to talking about Ditzy Doo almost losing custody of Dinky. The last part is interesting because she has extremely detailed knowledge about facts that she had no idea before. In the last chapter we also saw that she knows a lot of things about ponies, she shouldn’t know like Applejack’s visions in Truth. Without these facts she could never have crafted all these convincing illusions. The shy Pegasus knows a lot about other ponies suffering: Some are scared what others think about them, are unable to express their feelings or wish to be born as a different kind of pony. The stuttering at the last part hints that she also had second thoughts about her own existence as a Pegasus. Just like Applejack she knows that countless ponies are still suffering from Discord’s Chaos. Now she will build her own utopia of happiness on the ruins of the broken world. Fluttershy will make others see her point of view like Cheerilee.

At this point the interviewers try to escape but it is too late. She uses her power and voice to trap them in the fog. She takes all their regrets, sadness, loss and memories of mistakes and turns their minds into clean slates. They regress to foals who listen only to their “mommy” and she orders them to share this state with as many beings as possible. ALL shall join in her paradise. But for now they sit back and watch knight Cheerilee use her newfound power to punish those who dare to disturb this utopia. What does it matter that they are her friends?

Rarity is charging directly to her younger sister but Cheerilee violently blocks off all her attempts. The white unicorn uses her telekinesis in a murderous rage to launch several projectiles at the abductor. This is very similar to the attack that almost hit Sweetie Belle in Rarity’s own Reharmonized Ponies chapter. Sweetie Belle was missed by pure luck but this time Rarity is firing several projectiles at her target. She wants to hurt Cheerilee, no she wants to go even further. Only thanks to the teacher’s newfound strength does she only suffer two minor wounds. Then Cheerilee strikes back and summons glass daggers out of her own wings and spikes plants out of the ground and both start to aim their attacks so that the victim would suffer a deadly wound. The others deny what they are seeing; they deny that both try to kill each other. Rainbow Dash is impressed by the raw power the normally well-mannered pony shows but Twilight reminds her that both aren’t thinking and one or both could die in the end. But there is more than one reason that Rarity is so furious, she also suspects Cheerilee to have abducted Diamond Tiara. A short discussion interrupts the battle as neither the teacher nor Princess Gaia know where Diamond Tiara is. Twilight tries to reason with the knight and remind her that her students can’t bloom in the fog but she is too far under Princess Gaia’s spell and she saw how much her foals suffered under Discord, while she could do nothing to help them. Rarity tries to use this pause to land a deadly attack but the teacher manages to dodge it. By now the old wound the white unicorn got from Diamond is reopened from this battle. Rainbow Dash begins to realize what is going on but this time Twilight manages to reach Rarity by reminding her that Cheerilee is a victim as well and is not acting under her own free will. This finally manages to break the fury of the white unicorn. This time the teacher tries to use the confusion to kill Rarity but she is forced to the ground by lightning fired from Trixie. The showpony knows how to work with distractions and saw this attack coming. She just saved Rarity’s life.

Now the shock of the heroes is broken and they all make their moves. But the teacher’s power restores her wings and soon she is airborne again. Rarity almost falls back into her fury but this time Applejack reminds her that she isn’t the only one whose little sister is trapped in the fog. The white unicorn feels ashamed of herself and this is understandable since the farmer, she in the past often looked down at, did keep a cool head while she let her anger control herself. Trixie’s remark that Cheerilee is not able to make the foals attack them causes a very angry reaction from the teacher and considering that Trixie and Rarity did block Applejack’s efforts to free them, when they were in the fog, shows that Cheerilee and Princess Gaia could use the foals as weapons if they wanted. But they clearly don’t want to harm the children physically. The teacher is still moving too fast for normal attacks to hit her and even begins to sing to the heroes. The song is a variation of the boss theme of Margareta Moonlight from No More Heroes 2, better known as “Philistine”. Now Cheerilee begins to spray her butterfly knifes all over the place but Pinkie Pie manages to interrupt her and her song with a surprise grab attack. But instead of leading to her defeat, the teacher uses the pink pony as a shield and then as a weapon to knock both Applejack and Rarity out. Only Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Trixie are left able to fight but the showpony has a plan. She did notice that the teacher still cared for the foals and is threatening to use her lightning against one of them. Unlike Cheerilee they are not protected by Princess Gaia’s magic. As the teacher is ranting Trixie calms talks back and gives Twilight hints which spells she should use right now. Twilight throws her off balance with a well aimed wind spell, Trixie paralyses her with another lightning, Rainbow Dash rams her into the ground and finally Twilight casts a memory spell to free the teacher out of the fog. Immediately the new powers she gained leave Cheerilee and for a short time we hear Fluttershy’s anger.

The teacher is ashamed about what she did to others and especially her students but Pinkie Pie reminds her that she was under mind control and still thought about her foals first, unlike the mostly egoistical dreams the others had. Cheerilee tells them that the CMC plus Silver Spoon brought the birds into class were they quickly hypnotised everybody and they all followed them. She met Princess Gaia herself who asked her for her assistance and to save all the foals of Equestria. We also get our first hint that Princess Gaia herself wields an even more powerful mind control than her fog does and nobody is able to object to her. Then, just like Celestia and Luna are able to, she shared a tiny part of her own power with the teacher and gave her all these abilities the heroes had to experience themselves. Rarity is also ashamed of her own actions but Cheerilee says that she would reacted the same if she had a younger sister. Applejack and Rainbow Dash know that she is lying, both had a little sister/someone like a little sister in the fog and neither of them went as mad. But Rarity also thought that the teacher had abducted Diamond Tiara, which she had almost adopted. The teacher does not react kindly to Pinkie Pie’s comment that Scootaloo is her sister in another generation. She quickly wants to change topics and congratulates Trixie for inspiring Snips and Snails to actually do something with themselves. The showpony reacts uncharacteristically modest; she never got this kind of praise. Cheerilee doesn’t tell her how amazing her magic is but that she managed to teach the two colts something. When they awaken from the fog, the first thing they do is to ask Trixie to make them her students. Her answer is really interesting. “The Great And Powerful Trixie” would have never taken students but the “The One and Only Trixie” would accept them but can’t do this right now. The others suffer more from the sudden removal of their perfect worlds. In a touching scene Rainbow hides Scootaloo under her wings, so nobody sees her crying. Silver Spoon has the worst reaction to being forced back into reality; she really would have preferred the illusion over the truth. The fog seems to be attracted to her wish and Twilight has to use her fail-safe spell to drive it back. They decide that Cheerilee should evacuate the children to Canterlot, where they likely will be safe for now. Then Trixie makes some very logical suggestions: Inform Celestia and let her handle the rest or at least get the Elements of Harmony. Unfortunately this causes Rainbow Dash to immediately rush into the source of the fog and the others have to hurry after her. Trixie gets more and more frustrated on the way, from ranting about that Fluttershy is only the friend of the heroes (and not of the showpony), that they have no plan, that Rainbow is acting completely reckless, that everyone around her is irrational to acting like she didn’t care if the foal she did take hostage was hurt or not.

Twilight has enough of it and orders the others to walk ahead. Trixie is annoyed and lies about not liking any of them. Twilight points out that the showpony took the stage name the purple unicorn suggested in the battle against her Loneliness. Trixie lies again and claims that it was her first idea, before choosing the “Great and Powerful”. The purple unicorn says that she can’t lie about an emotion she hardly understands and that is honest gratitude. The showpony claims that lying is one of her many talents, part of what makes her a unique individual. Twilight briefly wonders if Trixie will always be selfish but then decides to not let her fall back into her own darkness. She points out that the constant lies are flaws just like the characteristics that completely devoured Discord, Nightmare Moon and Prince Blueblood. They were all different from the normal beings: Discord was pure evil and enjoyed the suffering of others, Nightmare Moon was insane and powerful enough to make her insanity come true and Prince Blueblood was arrogant and childish. Trixie needed to put others down to feel great and powerful herself and her constant lies caused her to loose her reputation and mobile home. Trixie isn’t able to strike back and is truly hurt by this accusation. For the first time since years, the showpony is ashamed of herself. Twilight tries to show her that Trixie is herself feeling prejudice to others, despite being a victim of it before. But she makes the mistake of calling her “Half-Dirt-Unicorn” to make her understand this fact. Trixie almost snaps and tells her with an eerie calmness that she will kill her very slowly if she doesn’t take this back. Twilight is actually afraid of her but still tries to get her to see that no one is naturally superior to anyone else. The purple unicorn does have the advantage of knowing a lot about the other unicorn and Trixie is unable to lie her way out of it. Instead the showpony almost desperately asks who she is. Now Twilight is convinced that Trixie can change and wants to change but she doesn’t know how. She needs a teacher, someone to guide her. Twilight’s answer is that the showpony is “The One and Only Trixie” a mortal being worth no more but also no less than anybody else and an unique individual that wields a wonderful talent. Now Trixie is able to tell the truth. She did chose this stage name because of Twilight and if anything happens to Rainbow Dash it is her own fault for delaying the others with her own problems. But Twilight shares this responsibility, since it was her idea to separate. In the end both talk about the roles they have to play and that they both have learned something. The teacher did learn a lot by teaching the student.

Overall this is a great chapter with a very disturbing first look at Princess Gaia, a fierce battle against her knight and finally more character development for Trixie and Twilight. There is more than one teacher in this story. After effortlessly brainwashing her opponents, we see how powerful those controlled by Fluttershy are, if she feels she has to fight. Only thanks to deception and cooperation the six heroes are able to defeat their opponent and Cheerilee just had a tiny fraction of Princess Gaia’s true power. They haven’t seen anything.

Keep up the great work.