Trixie was in her own private little heaven. She stood beside Cadance, moving with her, even as Twilight and all her friends panicked over the Games inspector being early—an island of calm as the six best friends from Ponyville panicked around her. But she didn't smile, didn't gloat; that would have ruined her whole appearance, even if it was how the "old Trixie" worked. She was better because she was better and didn't need to show it.

The room was buzzing with activity, Twilight and her friends were in an advanced state of panic—something Twilight seemed to have taught them well. Pinkie was practically vibrating so much in the mud-pool that it was turning into a giant thick-shake. Fluttershy was alternating between nibbling her wing-feathers in worry, and trying to hide. Applejack tried to maintain a disapproving stare at Trixie herself, while adding her own twang to the raised voices. Rarity was the worst, she was holding the giant list of instructions on mane care, reading out loud, and over everypony else. Twilight was attempting to wear a line into the crystal floor, while coming up with all kinds of cooky magic solutions. Rainbow Dash, like Applejack, was glaring at Trixie between lamentations that there was going to be another failed Games bid.

The spa ponies themselves were all in a panic, rushing around and making it look like they were doing important things. The mares positively gleamed, but right then were nothing but a set of flashy ornaments in the room.

The courier looked a mix of terrified and panic, in equal measure. She still had vague memories of who ruled the Crystal Empire before Princess Cadance, bringing him bad news used to be a poor life choice.

"Your Highness, Trixie must insist you eat more, or Captain Gilt will make her day a lot worse." She held up the tray that had been forgotten in all the panic. "Trixie believes, Your Highness, that if Rarity cannot solve this problem, there is another way this could be handled."

Cadance and Rarity both spun around and paid full attention to Trixie, but it was the Princess who addressed her. "Trixie, please don't leave us hanging. How do we fix this as easily as possible?" Cadance looked to her guard, then levitated a little sandwich off the tray to appease her.

"The Brave and Duty-Bound Trixie will, of course, explain her plan; she thinks it might be best being a little more secret." Trixie's eyes roved over the spa attendants. Of course, being in their particular line of work, the mares all knew what the "drill" was, and vacated the room. "Right, now that there is privacy… Rarity, you may stop trying to do Princess Cadance's mane. Is there a picture of how your mane needs to look?" Her focus was on Cadance.

"Here!" Rarity felt relief flood her, a moment before she realized that this was Trixie Lulamoon, the most flaky and… almost bad, unicorn in Equestria. "You aren't going to try just magicking her mane, are you?"

"Trixie would not be so inclined as to try, given that Her Royal Highness Princess Cadance," it felt oddly good to Trixie, to lord that name, "could do it herself. What Trixie was going to suggest was simply having a changeling impersonate her, with that mane-do." Trixie was fighting not to smile, particularly when Princess Cadance smiled very widely indeed.

"Good thinking. Rarity, could you head back to the castle and fetch…" Cadance pondered a moment. Shiny does me so well he could be princess for a week and nopony would notice, but it would be best if we are "seen together," so… "Fetch Careful Steps, please."

The moment Rarity was out of the room Trixie finally let her smile out, it was very much "great" and quite a "powerful" grin. "Please, Your Highness. Finish your breakfast."

Cadance levitated a pillow over and bopped Trixie on the head with it. "You are not my mother; and if Gilt tries to punish you for this tell them 'Princess Cadance will talk to you about it.' " It was a get-out-of-chores-free card, Cadance knew, and she was probably going to get yelled at by Gilt instead of—or more likely as well as—Trixie, but she really didn't feel hungry.

Trixie squinted a moment, reading Princess Cadance like an audience. Slowly, she set the tray down and levitated a little sandwich up from the pile, and started eating it. "Fwen the Gwate and Wowerfuw Wixie wiw welp."

Laughing, Cadance nonetheless levitated up another little sandwich for herself. "Careful mentioned you were doing very good work for him." She took a dainty nibble of the bread, the taste making her squirm a little, all the way to her stomach. Whatever my stylist has, I fear I already have it too. She looked down at the little sandwich, but kept nibbling at it. "Consider yourself working under him, but you will continue to be part of the Guard. I won't lie, I have heard of you, Trixie. Twilight Sparkle, my sister-in-law," she put stress on the word sister, "writes Princess Celestia letters about everything. I was frequently present to hear them being read."

"Trixie can expla—"

"No, no you won't." Cadance cut in on the mare. "I only see a mare who is working her hardest to fly right… do the right thing. I am just very happy that it was the Crystal Empire you chose to settle down in."

Flabbergasted, Trixie looked at the Princess. "Your—" The doors of the spa opened and Trixie immediately cut her words off. Trixie is a dolt! She almost told Princess Cadance everything. They are nice, and good ponies here, but Trixie has to do this for them, she has to report everything so Princess Luna knows that they are safe.

Rarity, with a sky-blue pegasus at her side, walked into the spa as if she owned it. No sooner were they both inside than she closed the door carefully, and locked it. No sooner had the click sounded than she sighed. "All this excitement is simply too much, there is a reason I moved to Ponyville, you know?" A small fan floated over to her, wrapped in her own magic, and began fanning her face. "Oh, uh… thank you, Trixie." She was shocked to have the mare they had all considered a "bad pony," wearing armor of Rarity's own design, offering her a tray of sandwiches.

"My Queen." Careful dropped his disguise and advanced, bowing to Cadance. "What do you need of me? Lady Rarity said it was both urgent and covert."

Queen? Trixie watched the interaction closely, holding the tray steady for Rarity. "It is no problem, ma'am." She almost lost her calm face to the shock the honorific caused Rarity. "Trixie was meant to bring them to Princess Cadance, and make sure she ate some, but she seems fussy about her food."

"Fussy?" Rarity mulled the word over. "Oh dear, she must have caught what her stylist has. Oh darling, I am… I never thought I would say this, I am so glad you were here, Trixie." A flash of green fire caught her attention away from Trixie, and she looked to Cadance—both of them.

Cadance examined Careful. "That is perfect, now, can you add the mane on?" She floated the monstrous scroll over, showing the picture that was the "should look like this when complete" mane-style.

Trixie still got a little shocked, seeing a changeling change in front of her. It just seems a very personal thing. If Trixie were a changeling, she would only change in her wagon. She gave a little nod, agreeing with herself.

Careful made the adjustments needed, even making the tiny gems sparkle. "How is this?" She looked to her Queen. "I think I got it right."

Rarity trotted forward, leaving Trixie by the door. "Hrmm." She looked at the picture, then back to the changeling. "Might I suggest changing this gem here to blue sapphire, and this one citrine?" Little puffs of green fire rolled over the gems, changing them. "I really need to hire a changeling to help me to make dresses," the fashionista pondered. "I could literally save hours testing patterns."

"That, might be a very good idea." Careful's eyes flickered over the ponies present, noting Rarity and Trixie, considering them both trustworthy. "Princess Cadance, that could be a way to keep an eye on the changelings moving to Ponyville. Move one of ours in openly."

If Trixie's ears could have perked further forward, they would have detached from her head. Interesting…

"We cannot put Rarity at risk." Cadance, the real one, gave a sigh. "But there might be something even better. Trixie is known to visit Ponyville regularly, perhaps she could visit, put on shows, look like she is settling down there too."

"I am not sure, Your Highness, that she is quite ready for that." Careful turned and looked over her perfectly pink shoulder at the spy in question. "For starters, what would Princess Celestia and Princess Luna think of us sending a trained spy into their lands, undercover?"

It was basically a "game over" for Trixie's mission, the showmare realized. If she got sent to Ponyville, she certainly couldn't be spying on Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. "Your Highness, Trixie thinks—"

"I understand, Trixie." Cadance smiled to the mare, cutting her off. "Careful, I think she is ready, she thinks she is ready. It isn't like we would be sending a changeling into Canterlot." Cadance loved the effect rolling her eyes had on Careful, the poor changeling's head nearly popping at the casual dismissal of the other spy they sent off. "Trixie Lulamoon."

"Your Highness?" The replies that had been drummed into her terrified Trixie, sometimes; just finding herself responding to power automatically seemed… strange, and comforting. If this is what ponies mean when they say "humble," well, Trixie hates it.

"The next train, Trixie. Your things will be kept safe, but I want you in Ponyville. Send reports as soon as you can. Find these changelings, report everything about them, bury us in reports." Cadance gave her most winning smile.

Careful cut in before Trixie could respond. "Your Highness, I handle all that—"

"I know, Careful. The royal plural, that was not." Cadance grinned at her body-double, then laughed at the expression of bewilderment. "Oh you are going to want some kind of code. Match it to her name." she looked to Trixie. "You do know how Careful does cyphers, right?"

Trixie nodded, realizing she had lost her battle before it started. "Trixie just needs to fetch a few personal things and she will be at the train station." She paused a moment. "Your Highness?"

"Go." Cadance leaned back and sprawled on the massage couch. "Careful, have Rarity lead you to her friends, greet and show the Equestria Games representative around, I will, of course, stay here."

Gait stiff, Trixie trotted from the spa, forgetting that she had left the tray behind. Trixie failed, this is terrible… wait, there is more to this. Her hooves worked automatically, her armor promising she wouldn't be stopped as she trotted all the way into the barracks. Pulling out her things, she stole a glance at the big, black book.

"Corporal Trixie!" The yell could only be one pony, none other had lungs quite that powerful.

"Yes, Captain Gilt?" Trixie spun on the spot, leaving her things sitting back on her bunk. Her hoof was at the side of her head, already sketching a salute.

"At ease. What has Careful got you doing now? Something crazy, or is it truly off the wall?" Gilt smiled. "Because it looks like one of my promising future officers is grabbing her things and about to leave."

"Trixie is. She has a mission, and if it is any consolation, both she and Careful think she is not ready for it. She is reporting for field work, in Ponyville." Trixie picked her things back up. "Princess Cadance insisted…"

"Buck up, if the Princess ordered it herself, it is important." Gilt squinted. "Is this something covert? Do you need to be "replaced," while you are gone? I could probably find somepony to—"

"Sir." Trixie cut in. "No, sir!"

"Good luck then, recruit. Do the Empire proud!" Gilt saluted the mare, sending Trixie on her way. Now if only I could get half the rest of the troops to have a fraction of that mare's self-confidence. By the queen, she could be a lieutenant in just a few months…

Trixie was crashing along toward the train station, feeling her gallop eating up the distance quickly. Only slowing as she neared the station, she spotted a pony who looked very severely dressed, with a very distinctive mane-cut. A shiver of destine ran through Trixie, she wasn't even sure why she stopped and turned to the mare. "Hello there, can Trixie help you?" What is Trixie doing? She was ordered to be on the train!

"Ah, finally!" Ms. Harshwhinny thrust her bag forward. "Do take this, and take me to see the Princess immediately. You are nearly five minutes late, you know." She looked at the unicorn guard, suddenly realizing that the armor was very different from the Equestrian Royal Guard. Then their gender became more apparent. "What is your name?"

"Corporal Trixie Lulamoon, ma'am." The tone was the same her instructors used, Trixie was intrigued suddenly. "And you are…?"

"Ms. Harshwhinny, from the Equestria Games committee?" Harshwhinny narrowed her eyes at the dawning comprehension. "You weren't sent to collect me, were you?" The quick change from shock to panic answered her question. "Forget about it, regaining any marks on greeting is impossible now. Take me to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and we shall get things moving."

Ponyville can wait. Where is Twilight and her friends, this is their job, not Trixie's! "Of course, ma'am. Right this way." Trixie struggled to lift the bag, but got it up and balanced on her back, using her magic to keep it centered. "Trixie was just seeing to Her Highness, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's instructions. She had sent Trixie to the station with all haste."

That wasn't even a lie. Interesting, maybe things can be salvaged. I really did want to have the Games here... Cloudsdale… ugh. It was a slightly uncharitable thought, but a sky-city really wasn't the place to expect earth ponies and unicorns to compete. Then there was the altitude problems. "Well, it is heartening to see the level of reform in the Royal Guard, were you trained in Canterlot?"

"No ma'am. Captain Gilt oversees training of the Royal Crystal Guard in the Crystal Empire." Trixie pranced, even with the heavy armor on, and the bag on her back, showing off was literally her special talent.

Author's Note

THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!!!!!!: How excited are you about all of the fantastic and new opportunities the Crystal Empire brings for your glorious and magnificent Showmareship?

"Please," Trixie tilted her head just so, "only one question at a time, for the... GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie!" She stood tall, striking a pose that showed off just how comfortable she was with a little extra muscle. "Trixie is a little conflicted. Princess Luna is... she has talked with Trixie about many things that she needed to hear; Princess Cadance is something else. Princess Cadance and Prince Shining run their Empire well indeed, where anypony can have a place, even changelings. Trixie has reported on this to Princess Luna, and has gotten no further instructions but 'keep digging.' " Trixie gave a deep sigh. "Trixie isn't sure if she wants to keep digging, or start building. It might not be obvious, but Trixie is not universally adored, and there are many ponies here that treat her well."

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and ~~I~~ they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, ~~I~~ they will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! ~~I~~ They will pick one question per chapter.

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