Silently she cursed her luck. Of all places to get stuck, why did it half to be in the thrice damned Everfree of all places? Try as she might, her magic was no match for the mud that had swallowed up the rear axle of her caravan. The thick mud covering her blue coat and silvery mane, made freeing her caravan from the mud all the more difficult. As night approached she began to worry, the Everfree was no place for respectable ponies to be after all. Deciding to make a camp for the night, her preparations were halted when she heard all around her the howls of timber wolves echoing through the dark forest. Frightened for her safety, the mare abandoned her stranded caravan as she ran in search of a more defensible position.

Running in fear for her life, she could hear the cracks of branches and the sounds of many heavy footpads chasing after her. Thinking that maybe her magic might be of some use, the unicorn attempted channeling some of her magical reserves into her horn. But unfortunately, found they were exhausted from her previous unsuccessful efforts rescuing her caravan from the muck. Her heart raced in terror as she heard the great beasts getting closer. By now she was exhausted and was ready to give up. Lying down against the cold earth, she covered her face with her hat and hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much.

Suddenly a rustling to her right made her tentatively open her purple eyes. In front of her she saw the moonlight overhead illuminating a large and thorny thicket. She could scarcely believe her good fortune. The key to her salvation was before her. Hearing a menacing growl emanating from behind her, she charged head first into the bramble without bothering to look, and prayed to Celestia that the timber wolves would be unable to follow after her.

Ignoring the pain of the bramble’s sharp thorns scratching her skin, she stopped when she felt something tugging on her performer’s cloak. She held her breath as she turned to look back at the monstrous beast that would pull her out of the safety of the bramble and devour her. She exhaled in relief when she saw that her cloak had only gotten caught on some thorns. Using her meager magical reserves, she managed to extricate herself from the thicket and looked at her surroundings. The thick bramble seemed to surround a large clearing. Deciding it was a safe enough place, she dusted off her torn cape and straightened the peaked hat on her head. Haughtily shaking her mane, she raised her muzzle into the air wearing an undeserved smug look of satisfaction.

“Ha!” the mare boasted. “You foolish timber wolves were no match for the superior intellect of the Great and Powerful Trixie! Fortunately for you, the Great and Powerful Trixie will allow you to leave before she teaches you a lesson for deigning to think you could devour her.”

From the other side of the thick brambles, a low growl was heard followed by a menacing howl that tore through the forest and into Trixie’s soul making her heart stop. Feeling terror overwhelm her, she slowly backed away from the bramble into the relative safety of the clearing. Now that her immediate survival was assured, she could feel the sharp stabs of hunger emanating from her empty belly.

Realizing she hadn’t yet eaten today, Trixie looked around hoping to find something edible. After less than five minutes, she looked up at the moon high in the night sky and raised her hooves towards the heavens in despair. “Trixie shall soon starve!” she moaned, having given up any hope of finding some food to eat.

Feeling the chill night air blowing against her sweat soaked coat, Trixie shivered involuntarily. She needed to find shelter soon, or hunger would be the least of her worries. As she wandered through the large clearing, she heard a sharp crack. Tilting her ears towards the sound, the aroma of hickory being burned filled her nostrils.

“Fire!” she inwardly cheered. And where there’s fire there’s ponies, and where there’s ponies that’s where the Great and Powerful Trixie can awe and inspire them with tales of adventure in exchange for a hot meal and some bits. But as tired as she was, the showmare would settle for just a meal and a warm place to sleep by their fire.

Following her nose and ears towards the source of the smoke and crackling flames, Trixie soon discovered the clearing where a large fire was burning brightly. Cautiously looking for the ponies tending to the fire, she discovered that whoever had set the fire was currently missing. Seeing that nopony was there, she boldly approached the roaring fire and sighed in pleasure as she felt herself bathed in its radiant heat. Warming her chilled body in front of the flames, she looked about the seemingly abandoned campsite in hopes of finding a bite to eat.

“Hello,” a young filly’s voice said from behind her.

“Aiieee!” Trixie screeched in terror.

“I’m sorry if I frightened you,” the young filly apologized. She smiled as she looked up at the much larger unicorn.

Seeing that she had nothing to fear from the foal, Trixie caught her breath and examined her. From the firelight, she could see that the filly was a blue unicorn with lavender eyes and a light blue mane. Slightly annoyed at having nearly been frightened out of her wits, she looked down at the filly and shook her mane once before introducing herself.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie never gets scared,” she boasted, incensed at the thought that a mere foal could have possibly frightened her. “Trixie was um… just stretching out her lungs, yes that’s it. She was stretching out her lungs. But Trixie wonders who you are?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, my name is Little Bleu,” the filly said with a small courtesy.

“Well Little Bleu, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie,” the showmare replied, taking great care to heavily emphasize both the great and powerful but not too much, lest the name Trixie be overshadowed by mere adjectives. “But Trixie wonders why you are all alone in the Everfree at night?”

“Oh I’m not alone!” Little Bleu happily squeaked, pointing her hoof over Trixie’s shoulder. “My daddy’s standing right behind you.”

Turning around, Trixie prepared herself to awe what must surely be a simpleton of a pony, for who could ever compare to the wonder that is the Great and Powerful Trixie? Opening her eyes to size up the plebeian who she would allow to bask in her glory, she was taken aback at what she saw. Towering over her like a colossus was a creature she could only assume was a human wayfarer. Atop his head he wore a heavy iron crown, and draped across his shoulders was the pelt of some great beast. Where his right arm should have been, she saw the dull gleam of metal reflecting the light of the fire. Looking into the man’s burning green eyes, she learned how weak and powerless she truly was.

“Who are you?” the man asked in a raspy voice that spoke volumes about its owner. Trixie was certain that if he didn’t like her answer he would kill her without a thought.

As his eyes seemed to bore deep into her soul searching for her secrets, Trixie did the only thing she could think of, boast and bluster. Hoping that the filly’s father would believe her, she assumed an air of confidence and took a deep breath. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie,” she said, much more mutedly than before, taking care not to emphasize the great and powerful as heavily this time.

“Why have you come to this place?” the man asked, in a flat tone.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie saw your camp and wished to share the fire,” she said, hoping that he wouldn’t get offended by her trespass.

“Very well, you may share my fire,” he replied, turning away from Trixie as if she was some nuisance beneath his notice.

Sitting down in front of the fire, Trixie’s strange benefactor stared into the flames intently as he sat in silence. Little Bleu, spying her chance climbed onto her father’s lap and snuggled up affectionately against him. Sighing once, he ran his fingers through his daughter’s mane as she looked up at him expectantly. Absentmindedly, he opened up a satchel attached to his belt, reached inside, and pulled out a beautiful golden apple which he gave to her.

“Thank you daddy,” Little Bleu said, before she happily bit into the flesh of the delicious looking fruit.

Trixie felt her stomach rumbling with hunger when she saw the filly eating the apple. Longingly she gazed as the human reached into the bag and pulled out several more of beautiful golden fruits. When she heard the crisp snap of her host biting down into the succulent flesh of the apple, she greedily eyed the third apple sitting on his lap next to his daughter. As the fruit’s fragrance entered her nostrils, she began unconsciously licking her lips while her mouth watered in anticipation of having an opportunity to taste the last one.

Deciding that her host was obligated to share with her, Trixie gathered up her courage and boldly approached him. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wants an apple as well,” she said, looking up at the creature expectantly. She sweated as she waited for his response, hoping that he didn’t find her demand too egregious.

From beneath his iron crown, Little Bleu’s father looked down at the showmare with his burning eyes. As the terrifying eyes searched her, Trixie felt an involuntary shudder of fear run down her spine. After a moment, he picked up the apple and held it aloft. “What will you give me for it?” he asked, as the light from the fire reflected brilliantly from its skin, making Trixie desire it all the more.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie, tells tales of adventure and intrigue,” she boasted, puffing out her chest in pride. “Why Trixie has even defeated the dreaded Ursa Major!”

The man said nothing. Returning his gaze to the flames, he placed the apple back on his lap. “Are you a harper then?” he asked, poking at the coals with a stick.

“A harper? Ha!” Trixie said, dismissively waving her hoof. “So great and powerful is Trixie, the Harper’s Guild could not hope to contain her.”

The human said nothing, instead looked up at the full moon. The shape of a mare’s head looked down upon them, as it bathed them with its soft and gentle light. With longing, Trixie looked hungrily at the apple that was so close yet so far out of her reach.

Yawning softly, Little Bleu looked pleadingly up at her father. “Daddy, tell me a story,” she said, rubbing her head lovingly against his stomach.

The man looked down at Trixie and started thrumming his fingers against his leg, while the scent of the succulent apple assaulted her senses. Recognizing this was her chance, she desperately racked her mind for a story that would please her host. As she desperately tried to think of something, anything to tell, she heard the gentle hoot of an owl. Looking up, she saw a silvery owl and saw the silhouette of the mare on the moon looking down on her from behind it. Suddenly inspiration struck her, determined to get the apple the showmare stood up on all four of her legs and began speaking in even tones.

“This is an ancient legend,” Trixie said, looking up at the moon overhead. “This is the story of the mare on the moon.”

Long ago in the beginning of the third age of ponies, the night was ruled by a princess as dark and as beautiful as the night itself. She controlled the moon in conjunction with her elder sister who controlled the sun. Together they maintained balance for all Equestria, ruling over their subjects with both wisdom and benevolence.

Every night the princess lovingly crafted the nighttime sky to dazzle and bring wonder to her subjects. So that when that whenever they gazed up at her sky, they would know she loved them and would protect them as they slept. But as the years passed by, few bothered to look up and appreciate the beauty she offered them. Eventually, she became bitter and jealous of her sister, who seemed beloved by everypony. Unhappy and tired of being unappreciated, she decided that until the ponies loved her night as much as her sister’s day, she would refuse to allow the sun to rise again.

Pleading with her younger sister to reconsider, her elder sister begged her to see reason. But with a hardened heart and wounded pride, the princess of the night refused to listen. Knowing that without the sun all Equestria would end, the princess of the day reluctantly banished her own sister to the moon using a powerful magical artifact called the Elements of Harmony. As the Sun rose and the moon set once again, the princess of the day looked up at her sister trapped on the moon before hanging her head down in sorrow, knowing she was doomed to remain there forever.

Little Bleu rested silently on her father’s lap, spellbound as Trixie wove the tale aided of course with a bit of her magic. “Well?” she said, looking at her host expectantly.

“Well what?” he replied, lost in his thoughts while his hand rested atop the apple.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie told your daughter a story,” she said, holding out her hoof expectantly. “Trixie expects to be paid for her stories. Trixie does not entertain for free.”

After a moment he placed the apple onto Trixie’s outstretched hoof. Immediately, the famished unicorn began devouring it. Biting down hard into the apple, she hardly cared as its sweet juices ran freely down her muzzle as she feasted on its succulent flesh. Feeding on the sweet fruit, she noticed it was like nothing she had ever tasted before. As she ate it, she felt her body become invigorated and renewed, as if she had just awoken from an ageless slumber.

“Where did you hear that story?” he asked Trixie in curiosity, while gazing up at the moon.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not remember,” she said, unsure of where she had heard the story. Truthfully, she had no idea. Trixie was somepony who specialized in the tales of the late third age, and of her own exploits of course. Snorting at the ridiculous notion that somepony other than Princess Celestia could control the heavens, she was sure the story was balderdash. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is sure that it’s just a myth anyways, everypony knows only Princess Celestia can control the heavens.”

“Is that so?” he replied, never removing his gaze from the full moon overhead.

“What do you mean?” Trixie asked, confused by his response. “Trixie does not understand.”

Reaching down into his satchel, he pulled out a handful of beautiful gems. Leaning down to show them to the unicorn, he spread them on the ground before her.

Looking down at the gems and then back up into his burning eyes, Trixie suddenly felt small and insignificant. Sitting down on her haunches, she looked up at him and became enraptured by the light of the fire that reflected from his arm and crown. While the light of the full moon illuminated the night sky behind him, and seemed to form a halo around his head.

“She was kind,” he said, picking up a lovely pink gem from the pile and placing it back in his bag. “She was so kind, yet in the end she became twisted and cruel.”

“Who was?” Trixie asked, curious as to who he might be speaking of.

“Her laughter…” he continued, not paying attention to Trixie as he picked up a gem as blue as a summer sky. “Her laughter was like the gentle peal of bells. It made everyone she met smile, but in the end her laughter chilled them to the bone.”

“She?” Trixie said, furrowing her brow in confusion. “Who was she?”

“She was a loyal and true friend,” he replied, picking up a blood red gem and adding it to the others in his bag. “She aided me in my time of need. Alas, I couldn’t do the same for her when she needed my help.”

“How did you know her?” Trixie asked, her curiosity piqued by what he was saying.

“She was a person of integrity,” he replied, placing an orange gem that flickered with power in the bag. “In the end I think that’s what got her, she refused to back down and demanded to get what she was rightfully owed.”

“She sounds like she was quite remarkable,” Trixie said. “Is that how you came to be Little Bleu’s father?”

“She gave me such a precious gift,” he said, picking up a vibrant purple gem and staring at it before placing it back in his bag. “My one regret is that I couldn’t reciprocate.”

“What was her name?” Trixie asked, curious as to who could have made such an impact on him.

Picking up the last lavender gem in his hand before placing it in his bag, he looked up at the moon wistfully and gently stroked his sleeping daughter’s mane. Sighing deeply, either with regret or longing Trixie couldn’t tell, she looked up at him spellbound as he looked down at the unicorn sharing his fire. “Let me tell you the true story of the mare on the moon. Her name was Nightmare Moon…”

Author's Notes:

Thank you gentlereader for reading, as always comments are appreciated. I would like to say thank you for your patience in waiting for the second entry in the saga of the Great Slave King. Please forgive me for reusing the epilogue of The Book of Earth: The Great Slave King for the prologue, but I felt it was an appropriate place to start the story. If this is your first time reading about the Great Slave King I invite you to read the first book found here The Great Slave King if you would like to know more about the Slave King's background and Equestria as I envision it. Reading the first book isn't required to enjoy the story, as I'm writing each as separate from one another, but it's something to read between releases. I currently have up to chapter six written, and plan on releasing a chapter a week, so hopefully I'll have enough breathing room to keep ahead.

Once again gentlereader thank you for reading, until next time!