Strange Days: Amelioration

by Nomad_Sigma

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Alternate Universe
Length: 9677

Sent to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, Trixie finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar position. Can Trixie learn to deal with five very strange mares, and still find a way to overcome the darkness that seems to follow her?

Sent to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, Trixie finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar position. A great responsibility rests on her shoulders… and apparently the shoulders of five very different and occasionally strange ponies. Hounded by a mysterious entity with an unknown agenda, can Trixie learn to deal with these mares, and still find a way to overcome the darkness that seems to follow her?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-05-17 09:05:17 UTC

The Shadow

The warm light of a midday sun lit the throne room in a comforting glow, complementing the silence that hung over the room nicely. Guards and visitors alike had been dismissed and the day court brought to an early close, and a very short list had been given for those allowed back in until Celestia said otherwise. Those that had not outright voiced their objections had left in hushed whispers, undoubtedly gossiping about the possible reasons behind the abrupt and unexplained end. Celestia had no doubts that she would likely need to run damage control by the day’s end, but for the time being she had the peace and quiet she desired.

Slouching over until she was laid out on the dais, Celestia levitated her crown aside and rubbed the spot between her ears, letting out a sigh that echoed in the cavernous room as she attempted to relax. It wasn’t quite noon yet, and she was already in need of a drink with a little more kick than coffee. A small headache had set in during the last hour or so, progressively growing worse thanks to a meeting with a particularly frustrating group of nobles and the city council, who were doing their best to keep the city running despite what seemed like constant attempts to undermine their efforts at every turn.

She couldn't believe that they had scheduled an audience just to argue over the rights to access a public park. Well, no, she could. These were the kind of nobles with old money and a prestigious name, and believe it entitles them to whatever they desire. They would schedule an audience just to complain that the sun was too bright and demand she fixed it. So the real question was how such a petty issue had made it past the system of secretarial delegates, whose jobs were to filter out and deal with such things.

Shaking her head to clear the nonsense, Celestia took a long, slow breath and pushed the matter aside. She could find out who was being bribed later. With a little magic to soothe the drums playing in her skull, Celestia sighed again as the pain began to ebb away and leave her in peace… until she became distinctly aware of that she was being watched.

Pushing herself back up into a sitting position, Celestia replaced her crown with exaggerated care, taking the time to look the room over for signs of an intruder. This wasn’t the first time she had experienced the feeling. Over the past two weeks it had become an increasingly common occurrence, sometimes even following her through the castle. Yet each time she had tried to locate the source the feeling would vanish. She had nearly dismissed it as her own worries playing tricks on her mind, until she had overheard a conversation amongst the staff about similar sensations throughout the castle.

As always, there were no visual signs of an intruder, but this had come to be something she expected, and even used to ensure it wasn’t simply a guard or somepony else watching from around a corner. Faking a dainty yawn, Celestia closed her eyes and focused. After confirming it was not a figment of her imagination, she had begun testing, using different spells in attempt to locate her unseen visitor. Unfortunately it had only revealed a fact even more disturbing than knowing she was being watched: whoever it was spying on her, it was unusually familiar with her magic. As long as she only cast common spells, ones that did not serve to locate the source, it would remain. But the moment she tried anything that could conceivably locate it, it would somehow flee, leaving behind nothing more than an eerie feeling and a memory. This time, however, she had a plan. An old and obscure trick that might just be vague enough to reveal her intruder’s location without alerting it.

Masking the glow of her horn with a simple illusion—a trick she knew did little to prevent her attempts from being discovered, but would still buy her a little time—Celestia cast a second spell on herself, feeling a faint tingle that let her know it had taken effect. Slowly opening her eyes, she took note of the numerous glowing auras in a desaturated world, and was pleased to see her magic detection spell was working properly. So far all of her spells had been probe-like in function. They reached out and touched all around her, and she suspected that that had been the cause of her previous failures. This spell was different, and was nothing if not discrete.

The room itself was alight with magic thanks to the many pyres that lined the sides and kept the room lit at night, but aside from their glow, the only other auras she found laid beyond the walls and doors. Outside the main entrance she could see five distinct auras, all clearly identifiable as guards thanks to the enchantments of their armor. By their position, two of them were the normal guards positioned outside the doors, pegasi, judging by the way their magic gathered at their sides. The remaining three were unicorns, two of them the ponies who opened the massive doors, and the last was likely her Captain of the Guard, who had been very vocal in his opposition of the guards being dismissed as well. The Captain was pacing back and forth before the door, an object held in front of him in his magic, and his distress visible in the way his magic swirled like a contained storm. Celestia frowned for a moment as she considered this. When he left the room he had been frustrated with her, but not to this extent. She would have to look into that later.

Other auras came and went from her field of detection, all ponies going about their business throughout the castle, but aside from the Captain, none of them were lingering long enough nor using enough magic to be the source. As she began to lose heart in her attempt, Celestia moved towards the window nearest her, ready to resign herself to another failure and simply scare off the intruder for some privacy. Then she saw it; on the edge of her peripheral vision, something moved just a bit too far. Catching herself from snapping her head towards it, Celestia continued on her path, positioning herself next to the window to appear as if she were looking out it, while keeping an angle where she could discretely but clearly view her intruder.

On the far side of the room, near the entrance doors, an unusually dim aura was cleverly hidden behind one of the pyres. Although it had shifted itself to position the pyre between itself and Celestia once more, Celestia could still make it out, sitting a little too far to one side of the object that concealed it. Although she was loath to admit it, she had to credit the ingenuity of her intruder. Despite the flame being extinguished at the moment, the enchantment that kept the fires lit at night had done well to hide the intruder’s aura. Whoever, or perhaps whatever it was, it was smart.

Seemingly unaware that its cover had been blown, Celestia took the opportunity to try and study the entity. Its ethereal form suggested a ghost at first, but a distinct lack of presence made her doubt the possibility. All of her encounters suggested a keen intellect, but no ghost of such cognizance had such a vague, fleeting form. An astral projection of some form was the likely case here.

Absentmindedly reaching out with her magic, Celestia made contact with the entity for a brief moment before she recoiled in shock. It had lasted only a second before the intruder fled, but the feedback was like a tidal wave crashing down upon her. Her senses had been flooded with a fierce, overwhelming determination, fueled by an emotional maelstrom of immense sorrow and what she could only describe as an unsettling, collected rage.

Recovering from the initial shock she received, Celestia searched the place where the intruder had been, but found nothing by an eerily familiar distortion that brought a chilling thought to mind. It can’t be… it’s too soon. Could she have—

Noticing a surge in magic near the doors, Celestia glanced up and found that another pony was standing outside. With only two ponies currently allowed in on casual business, and only one of them in Canterlot at the moment, Celestia returned to the dais, putting on neutral smile as she took her seat.

As the doors opened and the pony stepped inside, Celestia’s smile quickly became an honest one, happy to find it was indeed her student, and not a messenger bearing bad news. “Trixie, my faithful student, so wonderful to see you this morning!” Glancing at the windows, Celestia grinned playfully and added, “What is left of it, at least.”

Seeing no further use for it, Celestia made to cancel the detection spell as Trixie began to cross the room, only to catch something that made her pause. Trixie’s aura had shuddered as she neared the pyre, and the mare herself hesitated before making a subtle but decidedly evasive change to her path. How curious….

Reaching the base of the dais, Trixie curtsied and returned the smile. “It’s good to see you too, Princess.”

“Is there something bothering you, Trixie?”

Catching the young mare off guard, Celestia watched as Trixie’s composure faulted momentarily before it was cleverly masked as confusion. “I’m sorry? I don’t understand.”

“You seemed troubled when you entered.” Celestia nodded towards the entrance with a gentle smile. “Was I mistaken?”

“Oh! Oh no, it was nothing—”

“Trixie.” It was neither encouragement or a command, but the authoritative tone and firm look Celestia had fixed Trixie with made the small mare squirm uncomfortably. She didn’t like resorting to the “authority card” with Trixie, but sometimes it was the only way to quickly deal with her student’s pride.

Celestia only had to wait a moment before Trixie’s resolve crumbled, and with a defeated sigh the mare gave in. “Right. I had a really strange dream last night, and when I was walking up here, something brought back the creepy feeling I had when waking up from that dream.”

“A strange dream, you say?” Moving to one side, Celestia patted the spot next to her as she gave Trixie a telling look. “What kind of dream was it? If I may ask.”

Taking the indicated spot, Trixie stared at her hooves in silence, seemingly lost in thought before she finally spoke. “I can only describe it as weird. A pony around my size had appeared before me, wearing a cloak with the hood drawn over its head. It kept asking if I knew a name, or the pony it belonged to. It seemed… disappointed, upset even that I did not.”

“They say our dreams occasionally try to tell us something. Perhaps this one was trying to remind you of somepony you’ve forgotten.” Celestia tried to give her a supportive smile. She had tried in the past to learn and understand them, but dreams and their meaning had never been her domain.

Trixie seemed to consider her words for a moment. “I guess so,” she started slowly. But there was something off about the pony. I could feel its presence in the dream; a powerful, magical presence. It reminds me of when I’m with you.”

A pony with a powerful presence; one like my own. Could it be? No, no. It could very well just be someone of significant meaning from her past. Age alters perception; perhaps this “powerful presence” is simply returning memory from a foal’s perspective. “You haven’t told me the name that this mysterious pony was asking you about. What was it?”

“I can’t remember; at least, not clearly. I want to say a part of it sounded like knight or bright, or something to that effect.”

Celestia shifted anxiously as the voice in the back of her mind once again suggested an unpleasant answer. It wasn’t so much the thought of her having returned that disturbed her; the time was upon them. But the idea that she had already returned, and was sneaking about contacting ponies in their dreams was highly unsettling. “How about the pony that was asking you? You said this pony was cloaked, do you remember any other details? The voice, perhaps?” She knew she was grasping at straws, but she needed a more definitive answer to her fears.

“That I remember. It had a creepy, hollow echo and was very distorted. I couldn’t tell if it was a mare or a stallion because of it.” Trixie shivered visibly, likely from the memory of the voice, so Celestia offered a warm smile in hopes of countering it.

“How curious. Do you remember anything else about the dream?”

Trixie shifted her weight around, settling down more as her expression grew more distant. “We were standing on clouds, far up in the night sky. I could see the lights of Canterlot below, as small as the stars above. The moon was full and large—very large: I felt as if I could have reached out and touched it.” Trixie stopped as her brows furrowed, then her eyes suddenly lit up. “I remember! At one point the pony had looked away, and I could see the end of its muzzle from under the hood. Its figure was blurry, but I distinctly remember it being dark in color, even in the moonlight.”

Celestia’s smile had quickly faded away as she listened to Trixie describe more of her dream. “Night… Trixie, did this pony say anything else to you? Anything at all?” For a moment her voice slipped, rising into a serious, almost demanding tone before she caught herself. Seeing Trixie flinch away a little, Celestia cringed mentally.

“N-no, Princess Celestia. It just kept asking if I knew the name, or if I was sure I didn’t. I guess after it realized I really didn’t know anything it decided to leave. Once it was gone the dream grew hazy, and I woke up suddenly.” As Celestia mulled over Trixie’s words, the small mare looked away and added softly, “The pony also kissed me before it left.”

Celestia just nodded. It all fit. Dreamwalking, astral projection and the “shadow” magic. But why would—then it clicked. “wait… what? The pony kissed you?”

“Y-yes,” Trixie answered cautiously.

Closing her eyes and taking a few long, deep breaths, Celestia tried to make heads or tails of the information. The magic, the description, the timing, it all fit. But not the kiss. A part of her prayed to the stars that it was all some poorly timed coincidence, and Trixie’s dream was nothing to worry about. But the logical side of her mind refused to believe it. But why kiss Trixie? Was she trying to actually seduce the mare? Or was it all some kind of mind game?

“Princess Celestia?” As her eyes snapped open to the interruption of her thoughts, Celestia found Trixie watching her apprehensively, even leaning away some. “Princess, is everything alright? Are you upset with me?”

Celestia’s thoughts and concerns began to calm as it started to register just how she probably appeared to Trixie. From her student’s point of view, it probably looked like she was preparing to cast divine judgement on her. “My apologies, Trixie, I am not angry with you at all. I have just been… distracted as of late. I am unsure of the meaning of your dream, but I suspect it may be trying to remind you of someone special from your past. Even I have recently been reminded of a pony dear to me from long ago.” Although Trixie relaxed a little, Celestia could still see the unease in her student’s body language. Continuing the subject was likely a bad idea. “Either way, should you experience any more dreams like this one, please tell me about them, understood?”

Trixie nodded slowly. “Yes, Princess.”

“Good. Now. Is there something you needed to talk to me about? You seemed to be on a mission when you first arrived.”

The change in Trixie’s demeanor was almost instant, and the young mare smiled brightly as she said, “Actually, there is something. You remember Ivy, my new friend, right?”

Thinking back, it took a minute before the name clicked. “Ah, yes. Isn’t she the young mare that wanted you to tutor her in magic? I have not had the pleasure of meeting her personally yet, I’m afraid. What of her?”

Trixie smiled sheepishly, giving Celestia a look that the Princess knew all too well. “Well, she wants to come with me when I go help with the Summer Sun Celebration in a few days. I told her I’d have to ask you first, though…”

“Of course she can go. I’m glad to see you are making new friends,” Celestia said with a gentle laugh. “Now, I do apologize for cutting our visit short, but there are some things I must attend to. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Mmm, no, that’s all.”

“Alright. Have a wonderful day, and I shall see you later.”

Celestia maintained her smile as she watched Trixie get up and leave, but as the mare reached the door, she paused and turned around. “Princess?”

“Yes, Trixie?”

“Was that pony your friend?”

It took a second for Celestia to realize what Trixie had meant, but when she did a soft, sad smile spread across her lips. “Yes, you could say that. She and I were nearly inseparable.”

“Had you forgotten about her?”

Shaking her head slowly, Celestia’s tone grew more somber. “No. She may have faded from history, but I think of her every day. I will never forget her.”

“Ah.” Trixie stood silent, her gaze unfocused before she smiled, curtsied once more, and pulled the door open with her magic. Watching and waiting as the door closed, Celestia sighed as it shut and a grave-like silence fell upon the room. Letting her thoughts wander back to their conversation, she considered the details once more. With the oddity of the kiss aside, all of the signs were there: dreamwalking, a strong theme of the moon and stars, a presence like her own, it even explained the intruder and its uncanny familiarity with her magic. But it was still too soon; there were still nearly three days before the Summer Sun Celebration. Reluctantly, Celestia made her decision. Even if the timing was off, she needed to take precautions and move up her plans.

A golden glow shone from her horn, and in a brilliant flash two books appeared next to her, held aloft by her magic. The first one was an old storybook, its cover adorned with a golden unicorn figure, while the second was predictions and Prophecies. Both taken from her personal collection, the two were often disregarded for their historical value. Turning her focus to the first book, the aura around it glowed brighter for a second, then she allowed it to drop to the floor and fall open. Lifting it back into the air, Celestia repeated the process a few more times before nodding.

Satisfied that it would open to the correct page whenever dropped, another surge of magic sent the book on its way, deposited on Trixie’s bed, where it would lay opened to the correct page and catch the mare’s attention when she found it. The second book required no such preparations, and and burst of magic later it laid atop Spike’s comic collection, where the young dragon would surely find it.

Taking a slow, calming breath, Celestia reached out with her magic and pinged the guards. As the doors opened once more, Captain Shining Armor and two unicorns guards stepped in. Approaching the dais swiftly, Shining Armor came to a stop with a rigid salute. “Your Majesty.”

Remembering what she had seen earlier, Celestia recognized the haunted, downtrodden look in Shining’s eyes. “Are you okay, Shining Armor? You appear troubled.”

Shining seemed to hesitate at first, but finally sighed, exhaustion taking his features. “Yes, Princess. I am fine, but I got a message concerning my sister earlier.”

“Twilight Sparkle, yes? Has she awoken yet?”

Shining Armor gritted his teeth, staring hard at the polished marble. “No, Your Majesty; she’s still comatose." His voice took on a bitter tone, "The doctors say her mind has been more active lately, and we had hoped it meant she would wake up soon, but it seems that her dreams are simply more active than before.”

Celestia's heart ached for the young stallion. The bond he held with his sister was deep, and she knew his pain all too well. “I see. If there is anything I can do, please let me know," she spoke softly. Clearing her throat, she continued in a more business like tone, "But for now, I have something I need you to do. Are you up to the task?”

Reaffirming his stance, Shining saluted again. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Looking as if he was considering something, Shining smiled softly as he added, “And thank you, for the offer, and everything you’ve done for my family.”

Smiling, Celestia nodded then continued. “Now, this will sound unusual, but I want you to conduct interviews with the castle staff and royal guard. Find out if any of them have experienced any strange dreams lately, especially ones were an unknown entity has appeared or contacted them. It’ll most likely have taken the form of a cloaked pony, but take notes on anything strange nonetheless.”

Shining’s jaw dropped just a fraction before he regain his composure. “The entire staff, Your Majesty?”

“I understand that the scale of this task is may be daunting, but it is imperative that you complete this quickly. Start with the royal guard—the night guard, specifically. Recruit as many as you feel are needed to assist you, and report back to me with your findings as soon as possible. If you have no more questions, then please begin immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Giving one final salute, Shining turned on the spot and left quickly, his gait of a pony in a hurry while trying to remain dignified and not run.

Finding herself alone once more, Celestia’s gaze drifted across the room, coming to a rest on one of the tapestries hanging from the ceiling. This one, like many others, depicted her guiding the sun and the moon across the sky, but her focus was solely on the moon. I’ve missed you, Sister…

The Missing

Trixie stood atop a dark cloud in the vast expanse of the night sky, her mane billowing and whipping behind her in a wind she could not feel. Far below the landscape passed by at dizzying speeds, illuminated by a full moon that dominated the star-strewn heavens. Looking back, she could see Canterlot quickly shrink into the distance—she was alone, and getting further away from everyone she knew and could rely on.

An unsettling chill crept down Trixie’s spine and drew her attention forward, to a pitch-black spot that looked as if someone had spilled a bottle of ink on parchment. It grew slowly, the surface of the cloud vanishing without a trace wherever it spread, until it was large enough to swallow a pony whole. She could feel the presence of something inside it, like looking through a doorway into a room with no light, and something stood just beyond the threshold, staring right back. Voices in the back of her head screamed to run, but Trixie refused to back away and show weakness. Instead she held her ground, glaring defiantly into the depths. “I know you’re there. Show yourself.”

The lighting changed, and cast the world into an ethereal glow that made her skin crawl, like a thousand tiny insects beneath the surface. She knew that she shouldn’t look away from the void before her, but her gaze was inexplicably drawn towards the moon, and gasped in fear at what she found.

The moon loomed directly overhead like a massive pendulum, far closer than she remembered it being just moments ago. It had taken on a purplish-blue hue as an unnatural light shone from its surface, as if it drew in all the light around and glowed itself, creating an eerie, suffocating feeling as it bore down upon her. A daunting feeling of insignificance crept into her mind and took hold, threatening to bring her to her knees and break her without hesitation. The moon was going to crush her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

“Trixie Lulamoon.”

Trixie took an involuntary step back as she recognized the same hollow, echoing voice from her dream. A dream… this is another dream, isn’t it? It seemed to emanate from all around, but she knew the source was in front of her, hiding within the darkness. “I-I’m not afraid of you. Come out and face me already,” Trixie demanded uneasily, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“Bold words, but you’re a terrible liar.” Trixie’s breath hitched in her throat as she watched a figure began to rise from the darkness, like the silhouette of a pony stretching out onto the sky itself, only becoming visible where it was no longer backed by the void.

Trixie swallowed hard, her senses screaming for her to run, to flee from the thing that stood in front of her, that even the light of the moon did nothing to illuminate its form. “Who are you?” Trixie asked, noting in a moment of lucidity that the figure was of a mare, no larger than herself. A pair of white lines formed on its otherwise featureless face, opening slowly into blank white eyes that stared lazily back at her. The lack of pupils or irises caused Trixie to take another step back in discomfort.

“You will learn that soon enough. Or… maybe you won’t. Time is relative, but rest assured: you will know my name one day.” The mare’s words still echoed, disconnected from her body, and as Trixie listened she could not help notice something. Despite there being no change in its voice, she now heard it as a distinctly female tone.

The oppressive feeling from the moon had faded away, and with the initial shock of the mare’s appearance fading as well, Trixie’s confidence returned in full. With a curt laugh, she asked, “Then what do you want?”

“I suppose that is simple enough.” The mare turned, looking off in the distance towards where they were moving. “I want what is rightfully mine. What was taken away by the pony closest to me.” Her tone quickly turned bitter, almost spitting the word ‘pony’ like a curse. Trixie rolled her eyes at the theatrical display, reminded of the mares she had once seen acting in a romantic play. She hadn’t liked it.

“Cut the cryptic babbling and answer my question properly. What do you, want with me?” Trixie demanded, slowly enunciating each word with a tap of her hoof.

The mare laughed, a hollow booming sound with a disturbing hint of mania behind it. “You are in no position to order me around, let alone in such a condescending way. You have no idea who you are dealing with, Trixie. Keep that in mind before you do something foolish.”

She’d had enough. Spinning about and dropping low, Trixie bucked the mare square in the chest, knocking it from the shadows. “Clearly it’s you who doesn’t know who she’s dealing with,” Trixie mocked in triumph as she turned back to admire her work. “What’s the matter, can’t take—”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” The mare rose to her feet in a slow but fluid motion, unfazed by what Trixie thought to be her best kick yet. She chewed her lip as fear began to set in again, having not planned beyond the action itself and what to do should it fail. I really should have thought that through more.

The mare’s eyes remained passive, but Trixie had feeling it concealed a dangerous glare. As the mare stepped closer all Trixie could think to do was grin defiantly, hoping to mask her worry and dissuade the mare’s approach. “This is just a dream: I know that. I may not be an expert on dreamwalking, but I know that you can’t hurt me, just like I couldn’t hurt you—not for real.”

The mare paused, cocking her head to the side in an inquisitive look that felt out of place. “Is that so? Then how about we test your theory?”

Without warning, a narrow black spike burst from the cloud, scarcely missing Trixie’s side. Eying it nervously as her racing heart began to calm back down, Trixie took a slow breath and faced the mare. With a false smile, Trixie held her ground. “You missed.”

“You stopped.”

Another series of spikes shot up, forcing Trixie to backpedal quickly to avoid them. Tripping over her own hooves, she fell back on her rump and yelped in fear as one passed through her mane. “I thought you said I couldn't harm you here, Trixie. So why do you bother running from me?” Her words were almost sing-song, now, like a gleeful filly playing a twisted game. Trixie tried to shrink back as the mare moved to stand over her, flinching as a hoof pressed against her chest, pinning her to the ground while the mare laid down on  top of her. “Besides…” the mare nuzzled Trixie’s cheek affectionately, whispering into her ear. “You’ve run out of cloud.”

The mare was gone. As Trixie shakily scrambled back to her hooves, she found that it stood once more in the darkened void on the cloud. The feeling of the mare’s cheek rubbing against her own made Trixie’s skin crawl, and what she could only describe as a loving voice still rang in her ears. “W-why did you do that?”

“Hmm… think of it as a parting gift; a reminder of our time together. You of all ponies ought to know that no-one likes to be forgotten.”

“It’s not too hard to forget someone that you don’t even know to begin with.” Trixie regretted her words the moment they left her mouth. The mare was upon her instantly, eyes narrowed into a wild, dangerous glare.

“Don’t know me? It’s because of her than no-one knows who I am! Because of her, and you! But you can trust that I am going to change that. I will reclaim what was taken from me, and I won’t let anyone stand in my way. Not even you.” Without warning the mare shoved her from the cloud, and just before she passed from sight, Trixie heard her last words. “I have to. Whatever it takes.”

The land and sky began to blur together as Trixie tumbled through the air, like a nauseating slide-show of images that she didn’t want to see. Unable to stop the fall or even her tumble, Trixie closed her eyes and did the only thing she could. She screamed.

Trixie woke with a start, jolting from her seat and flailing blindly in a disoriented panic, before gravity reminded her which way was down. Her heart raced as she laid there in a tangled heap, her senses still trying to sort dream from reality. Her shoulder stung a little, no doubt caused by falling from her seat, but she wasn’t falling. That… felt way too real. With a shake of her head she pulled herself up, pressing a hoof to her chest to calm her heart. I wonder what would have happened if I hit the ground… no, I don’t need to go there. Just be thankful it was only a dream. But… who was that? Could it have just been a nightmare of my own creation?

As her thoughts wandered, Trixie let loose a deep yawn and stretched like a cat, pushing out her front legs to the point where her chest was resting on the floor. Then someone whispered softly, “Wow…” Caught off-guard and now very aware of the pose she was in, Trixie froze, eyes wide and mouth still hanging open in mid-yawn. Slowly closing her mouth, Trixie sat back up and faced the mare she had previously forgotten about, silently praying that no-one else had witnessed it. Across from her, Ivory continued to stare for a moment longer, before her seemed to dawn on her what she had said. “Oh, n-no! I mean, uh… are—are you okay? You’re bleeding,” Ivory quickly said, pointing to Trixie’s shoulder as she stared at her own seat.

Choosing to ignore the faint blush on Ivory’s face and the snickering from Spike’s seat behind her, Trixie checked where Ivory was still pointing and froze. There was a small cut up high on her shoulder,  slowly seeping blood and staining her coat crimson. She immediately recognized it as the same place where the spike had grazed her in the dream.  “That's…” I was physically hurt in a dream? How is that possible?

“Trixie? Trixie, are you okay?”

Chuckling weakly, Trixie pressed a hoof to the cut and gave a sheepish smile. “It’s… nothing. This morning I tripped and grazed myself on a corner. I guess it opened back up when I fell; nothing to worry about.”

Ivory continued to stare, making Trixie feel more and more uncomfortable. Her expression looked skeptical; did she doubt the excuse? Trixie was about to resign herself to telling the truth, but didn’t get her chance as Ivory finally sighed with a pained look. “Alright. Just… be more careful, please? I don’t like to see you hurt.”

“Yeah, I’ll do my best.” With a sigh of relief Trixie pulled her hoof away and watched to see if the bleeding had stopped. She was thankful that she didn’t need to explain that somehow an injury from inside her dream had carried over to the real world. Whether or not Ivory believed the story, it would still draw a lot of unwanted attention.

Celestia was often unusually concerned with her mental well-being, and Trixie had caught her on multiple occasions using obscure methods to analyze her. As far as she could tell she had always passed, but there was something about Celestia’s demeanor during those times that made her dread the thought of failing one. But if she wasn’t losing her mind, then someone was targeting her, and the last thing she wanted was a stoic door stop following her around.

Digging into her saddlebag for some medical salve, Trixie sighed as another question came to mind. But why would somepony want to harass me, even go as far as attack me, in my dreams? Is it because I’m Celestia’s student? Using her magic to levitate the jar, Trixie rubbed a small dab of the salve into her skin, groaning contently at the cooling effect it had. “Stop making out with your ointment jar, Trixie. It’s creepy and gross. Besides, we already know it wouldn’t work out between you two.”

“Spike! Not funny! And you promised to never say anything about that!” If she could have caught fire from embarrassment, Trixie’s face would have burned like the sun. Twisting the lid back on tight, Trixie shoved the jar backing into her bag as she humored thoughts of maiming a certain young dragon. Unfortunately, even if she did chuck him out of the carriage, Celestia would probably know about it before she even reached Ponyville. Ivory looked at her curiously.

“Am I missing something here? No, wait, do I even want to know?”

Climbing up onto the back of Ivory’s seat, Spike grin mischievously at Trixie, who went pale as she realized what was coming. “Trixie first found out about that ointment a few years back. Well, some ponies use it to keep their skin soft and looking young, so she got the bright idea of filling a tub and bathing in it. I wasn’t in the tower when it happened, but I still heard the scream. She spent a few days in the infirmary, and nearly two weeks walking funny afterwards.”

Trixie wanted to hide. To crawl under a rock and out of Ivory’s incredulous stare, but all she could do was cringe and stare at the floor. “Lesson learned: there are places that you do not want to get that stuff into…”

Ivory shook violently in silence for a moment longer, before finally breaking down into peals of laughter. In between ragged gasps for air and the laughs she tried to apologize, barely getting out the repeated line of ‘I’m sorry’ only to begin giggling once more.

The sound of a train whistle brought a much appreciated distraction, and as the train began to slow, Trixie looked out the window and was thankful to see they were approaching the station. Magicking her bag off the top rack, Trixie launched it forwards, cutting off Ivory’s dying giggles with a terrified squeak as it sailed past her head to the seat behind her, forcing Spike to duck as it landed in the seat across from him. “We’re here. Spike, carry that bag. I don’t know how much I have to do, but it’s getting late. We need to hurry just in case.”

“Oh come on, really? Can’t you carry your own bag?” Spike groaned as he climbed back up into view. “You’ve got magic and everything. Why don’t you just carry it with that?”

Stepping out into the aisle, Ivory magicked her own suitcase down, setting it on the floor with an audible thud that drew a surprised look from Trixie. Looking back at Spike, she smiled kindly. “Surely a strong, young dragon such as yourself can handle a simple bag?”

“It’s not that I can’t handle it, I could easily carry several bags. I just don’t see why I have to carry around her bag,” he grumbled bitterly, jabbing a claw towards Trixie.

Part way down the aisle with her saddlebag on her back, Trixie stopped and looked back with a confident smile that Spike hated dearly. “That’s because I am here on official business on behalf of Princess Celestia, whereas you are just here to assist me. Besides, levitating a bag can tire anypony out fast. It’s much easier to carry it normally instead.”

“Heh, yeah I'll 'assist' you alright. Right over a cliff.” Although he had muttered the line, it was clear that everyone had heard it. Feeling the building tension between the two, Ivory stepped back to clear the line between Trixie and Spike, trying her best to not get involved.

Trixie’s eyes darted to Ivory’s suitcase and back to Spike again, her smile turning into a grin that made his stomach turn. “In fact… why don’t you be a gentleman, and carry Ivory’s suitcase as well? You said yourself that you could handle it.”

“Oh no, that’s fine. I’ll carry my own suitcase. It’s a bit heavier than you might think,” Ivory said as she pulled the bag close to her chest, her smile straining as she was pulled into the fray.

Spike climbed from his seat and walked over next to her, staring pointedly at Trixie as he held out a claw. “That’s okay, Ivory. I insist you allow me. We wouldn’t want anyone thinking that I am the rude one.”

Ivory looked between Spike and Trixie and sighed, finally giving up her suitcase to Spike, who took it and returned to his seat for the other bag. With a victorious curt laugh, Trixie continued on her way to the exit. Give him a chance, she said. He'll warm up to you, she said. The only warm thing that lizard directs towards me is fire. I’ll never understand what she was thinking when she decided that a baby dragon of all things would make a good assistant for me.

As she stepped from the carriage, however, Trixie’s frustration was swept away and forgotten. A thin veil of steam rolled across the platform, giving the station what she could only describe as a magical atmosphere, like a stage during the opening act of a magician’s show. For a moment she humored the idea of acting the part, to strike a dramatic pose and greet her adoring fans, but a less-than-subtle grumble and the sound of footsteps from behind reminded her that she was far from being alone.

Taking a closer look at the station, Trixie realized that there were ponies everywhere, and she found herself glad that she had refrained from such an outburst. That would have been bad. The last thing I want is the public image of 'fool' when I'm here to represent Celestia. “Right! Let’s get this show on the road, shall we? First up is…”

Trixie paused as she tried to remember what Celestia had told her earlier. She knew she was there to check on the preparations, that much was clear. But there was a pony she needed to find first. Someone who knew exactly what Trixie was there to check on. Spinning about, Trixie pointed a hoof at Spike. “Spike! First up is?”

Spike scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief as he nudged Ivory’s shoulder. “See what I mean? Completely helpless.” Ignoring the pointed glare boring into his skull, Spike dug into Trixie’s bag, shifting about the contents for a moment before finally pulling out a small roll of parchment. “We need to find the mayor, she has the checklist and is going to set us up with a place for the night. Her name is… huh, Mayor Mare. Guess someone knew what their daughter was going to be when she grew up.”

“Right!” Turning back around, Trixie made to continue her path when she realized she had forgotten an important detail. And I have no idea where to find her. Right. Sighing to herself, Trixie looked back at Spike, who was grinning at her expectantly. Oh, blow it out your ears, lizard boy. “Okay, how or where do we find her?”

Unable to watch Trixie make a fool out of herself any longer, Ivory looked away while Spike’s smirk grew wider. “Town hall. Or at least, that’s where she’s supposed to meet us at. It’s a tall, circular building in the middle of town, and looks something like a tower. I’ve got the directions right here,” he answered, waggling the paper like a taunt. A sudden urge to set the paper on fire struck Trixie, but it would only give Spike more ammunition against her if she did. Instead she bit her tongue as he added, “But by all means, blindly lead the way, oh glorious leader of mine. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

With a final anguished groan, Trixie snatched the paper from Spike with her magic and continued on, ignoring his chuckles as she followed the directions to what she hoped would be an evening of company less obnoxious than a certain reptilian thorn in her flank.

“I’m sorry about this, but I haven’t been able to find the spare key to the library yet. It’s been so long since anypony needed it that it kinda got lost in the shuffle.” Mayor Mare scratched the back of her neck with an uncomfortable chuckle, the four of them standing in the in the middle of a busy town hall.

Behind her Trixie heard Spike sigh, and Ivory consoling him sweetly. She was beginning to regret her decision with the luggage, as Spike was all to happy to have Ivory constantly checking on him and offering to lend a hoof. She doubted she could take much more of the two of them at this rate.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re locked out without options!” the Mayor continued, breathing a sigh of relief at the sudden visible improvement in Trixie’s mood. “Cheerilee is around here somewhere, and she’s got a key as well. I’m not exactly sure where she is, but I saw her right before you three got here. She’s a—”

“Look out!” A thunderous crash shook the room as something smashed into the floor nearby, sending up a cloud of dust that obscured everyone’s vision and caused several coughing fits throughout the room. “Is everyone okay down there?”

Fanning the dust away with a hoof, Trixie squinted at the object and paled as she recognized the splintered remains of a large wooden desk. “That depends, what does a near-death experience with a desk count as?” She snapped as she scanned the above balconies for the culprit, finding several ponies looking down in shock.

“What were you two even doing? You could have hurt someone… or worse!” Following the sound of the voice, Trixie found a pair of pegasi hovering just behind the railing on the floor above, both staring at their hooves remorsefully as a mare scolded them from beyond a doorway. “Both of you, get your tails down there and apologize, right now!”

Nodding like two foals having just been scolded by a parent, the pair of them hovered down slowly, giving Trixie a chance to take a good look at the two of them. If it weren’t for their starkly different coat and mane colors, the two of them could have easily been twins. As they came to a stop in front of her, Trixie eyed them curiously as the pale yellow mare spoke. “Sorry about that. Ditzy and I were trying to move it across the gap when we lost it. We’re really, really sorry.”

“I’m sorry… I thought I had more clearance than that,” the gray one, Ditzy, added solemnly as she looked at the desk and cringed. “I’m glad nopony got hurt…” Trixie questioned why anypony in their right mind would name their daughter Ditzy, but when the mare looked her in the eyes Trixie understood. While one eye was making proper contact, the other was looking up and out, like she was trying to stare at her own ear. The thought of some pony naming their daughter based on such a trait didn’t settle well with her at all.

“It’s… okay. Nopony got hurt, and that’s what matters, right? Just be more careful next time. I’d hate to have something like that fall on me.” Ditzy smile weakly and nodded at Trixie’s attempt to lighten the mood, then walked away with her head down low. As she stopped near the wreckage the other mare sighed again and stepped forwards.

“Again, sorry about that. My name is Raindrops, and she’s Ditzy. She’s a good mare, but her depth perception can be a little off at times.” Noticing a large splinter near her hoofs, Raindrops nudged it with a hoof and laughed weakly. “Would you believe that we’re actually moving ponies? Yeah… we’re… kinda infamous. I’m a bit of a butterhooves, so when we get together things tend to go… wrong. So, what’s your name?”

“Trixie,” she answered tentatively, eyeing the remains of the desk again. Moving ponies? From the sound of it, these two mares need to go into demolition. “And really, it’s okay. I was more startled than anything. Things like that don’t happen very often where I’m from.” Trixie nodded to the desk, eliciting a nervous grin. “Anyway, I think your friend might need a hoof,” Trixie said as she nodded towards Ditzy, who had located a dustbin and was cleaning up the mess.

Raindrops started for Ditzy, then turned back and waved. “It was nice meeting you, Trixie. Hope you enjoy the celebration!” Hurrying off to join her friend, Trixie watched for a moment longer as the two worked together on the remains of the desk, other ponies pitching in as they passed by.

“Did those two apologize properly?” Trixie jumped at the unexpected voice behind her. She hadn’t heard anypony walk up, but this new mare was nearly standing over Mayor Mare’s shoulder, whose unamused stare suggested that she hadn’t heard the mare’s approach either. “They’re good to a fault, but sometimes they can be more difficult to handle than the kids in my class. Hi, by the way, I’m Cheerilee.”

Trixie shook her hoof as Mayor Mare sidestepped, putting a little space between herself and Cheerilee. Giving the new mare one last flat look before shaking her head, Mayor Mare spoke. “Cheerilee, this is Trixie, she’s the representative here to check on the preparations for tomorrow. She and her friends are in need of a place to stay for the night, and I was going to put them up in the library. Unfortunately, I may have misplaced my copy of the key. Do you happen to have yours on you?”

“Et tu, Mayor?” Chuckling to herself, she gestured towards the door. “It’s in my bag; I’ll be right back.”

“Oh we’ll join you. Her young friend here has been carrying their bags around since the station, and I’m sure he’d like to get them squared away soon. And Trixie has her rounds to begin as well. The hall is right on schedule and should be finished soon, but there’s still the catering, music, and weather to check on.” Stopping next to the door, Cheerilee fished through her bag and pulled out an old key and offered it to Trixie.

“Here, this key works on all the locks in the library. Normally I only lock the front door when I’m not around, but you can also lock the door to the upstairs and restroom as well, so you have have some privacy while you’re there.”

“I’ll take that!” Spike said as he jumped up and grabbed the key. “You go ahead and do your thing, Trixie. I’m going to take this stuff to the library. I gave Ivory the directions to find the ponies handling the other things, so you should be able to find it all easily. I’ll be at the library if you need me.” As the door closed behind him, Trixie was positive she heard him say, “finally.”

Parting ways with Cheerilee who returned upstairs, Mayor Mare led Trixie and Ivory outside, talking as they went. “Sweet Apple Acres is doing the catering, which will probably take you the longest to reach. Their farm is on the edge of town, but those directions will get you there, no problem. There’s a shy little pegasus named Fluttershy who is taking care of the music. She’s a kind soul, but very skittish, so you might want to be careful when you find her. If she clams up on you, it could take a while to get her to start talking again. She also lives outside of town, on the edge of the forest, but her cottage is actually closer than the Apple’s farm. As for the weather, well… Rainbow Dash is supposed to be taking care of it, but I haven’t seen her in a few hours. She’s good at her job, I’ll give her that, but she doesn’t always have her priorities straight. Look for a light blue pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane. She moves fast and talks loud, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble noticing her if she’s nearby.

“I think that about covers it. There’s a rough map on the back of those directions as well, so you shouldn’t have to worry about getting lost. Just look for the landmarks and—”

“Mayor Mare!” Something colorful whizzed past Trixie head and ground to a halt nearby, kicking up a trail of dirt as it went. As Trixie noticed the rainbow-colored mane and tail, she heard Mayor Mare mutter something under her breath.

“Rainbow Dash, where have you been? You’re supposed to be clearing clouds.” Gesturing to the cloud strewn sky above, she asked, “Do those look like clear skies to you?”

“Hey, no worries, I got it covered. I was just practicing for tomorrow.” Trixie found the colorful mare’s voice and attitude to be instantly annoying.

Clenching her teeth in a grimace, Trixie stepped forward. “‘Practicing’? What exactly is so important that you need to practice for it instead of doing your job?”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “The Wonderbolts, duh! They’re going to perform tomorrow during the celebration, and I’m going to show them my amazing flying skills. They’ll be begging me to join them.”

Trixie had enough. Pulling herself up straight, she looked down her nose as the mare and laughed. “The Wonderbolts? You? Ha! The Wonderbolts would never accept you, I mean, you can’t even clear the sky like you’re supposed to. What makes you think they’ll take you seriously if you can’t even do something simple like that? But no, it’s a nice dream, even if it’ll never happen.”

Ivory and Mayor Mare stared at Trixie in disbelief as she continued to look smugly at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, however, looked murderous. “Excuse me? I don’t know who you think you are, but you don’t know anything about me. I could clear these skies in ten seconds flat if I wanted. You need to get off your high horse before someone takes you off it the hard way.”

“Girls, please don’t—”

“Oh really? You think you have what it takes to take me on? I’ll have you know that I’m not just some city unicorn. I grew up in a town like this, and I know how to use my talents.”

“Girls, please!”

“Yeah, yeah, big deal. That—”

“Excuse me, but could you please help me?” The strained, panicked voice brought a sudden end to the argument and Trixie back to her senses. Rainbow Dash was now hovering right in front of her, having been using her wings to gain the high ground in attempt to stare her down. Standing nearby was a new pony, a white unicorn mare with a mane that looked like it belonged in a fashion magazine.

As all eyes turned to her, the mare said, “Please, you simply must help me! My little sister has disappeared, and I can’t find her anywhere. Oh, mom and dad would die if they learned I lost her only a few hours after she got here.”

Dash dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, forcing Trixie to backpedal so she didn’t get hit by the pegasus’ tail. “Rarity? You have a sister?”

Rarity nodded quickly. “She’s lived in Fillydelphia with my parents since she was a foal. They’re moving back to Ponyville, so they sent her ahead to stay with me while they handle everything else. She’s never been here by herself! There’s no telling what could happen to her!”

Trixie rolled her eyes with a tut. If the filly was old enough to stay by herself for any period of time, then she was old enough to take care of herself and wander about town. As she did though, Dash’s tail caught her across the face, not with enough force to sting, but the gesture had clearly been intentional. The mare glared back at her for a moment before saying, “Actually, that reminds me. I was just out at Sweet Apple Acres talking to A.J., and Fluttershy showed up asking if Apple Bloom was around. Apparently she saw a filly wander into the Everfree Forest near her cottage.”

“What! No, no, no! Sweetie Belle doesn’t know anything about the Everfree! If she wandered into there…”

“It’s okay, Rarity. I’m sure you sister is fine.” Mayor Mare wrapped a comforting hoof around Rarity’s shoulder as she spoke. “We’ll get together a search party and find her, I promise you.” Rarity nodded weakly, looking on the verge of tears as she mumbled to herself.

With one last sigh Trixie turned to walk away. She didn’t have time for the melodrama of the locals, especially since Celestia was counting on her to do something. As she looked at Ivory to call her along, she found the mare staring at her imploringly. “Trixie… we should help them. It’s her sister.” Oh no, not you as well.

“We don’t have time, Ivory. Or at least I don’t. If you want to help search for the missing filly, then be my guest, but I have something I have to do.” Ivory’s expression shifted drastically, catching Trixie off-guard as she stepped closer.

“There’s a filly missing; a filly,” she hissed in a quiet but venomous tone, low enough that only Trixie could hear. “But you’re rather do some superficial task than help with something that actually matters? It’s a celebration, things don’t always go as planned, that’s life. But we’re talking about a filly who may be in need of help, but you don’t want to. Celestia would be disappointed in you.” The words stung, and Trixie could see that Ivory knew it.

“Alright, fine. I’ll help with the search. But if it turns out that she’s not in trouble, and something goes wrong with the celebration, then it’s on you.” Trixie sat down, pointedly ignoring how pleased Ivory looked with herself. “Seriously, why are you so worked up about this? Foals wander around and get into things, that’s what they do. I can’t even count the number of times I wandered off and caused trouble around the castle.”

“I have a little sister,” Ivory answered bluntly. “I know how I’d feel if she were missing. That, and I’ve seen what it’s like to think you’ve lost your sister forever.” You’ve ‘seen’? Before Trixie could ask, the Mayor motioned for their attention.

“If you two don’t mind helping, would you join Rarity and Rainbow’s group? Apparently Applejack and Fluttershy went back to the cottage to keep an eye out for the filly, and Rarity wants to join them and start searching the forest. It’s not the safest place in Equestria, so having more numbers in the group would be best, especially unicorns.” As Trixie went to roll her eyes, Ivory stepped in front of her, nodding vigorously as she kicked Trixie in the knee. “Wonderful! Rainbow Dash and Rarity will lead the way. Thank you very much for your help, we really appreciate it.”