Alicorn Princessby Bad DragonChapters0 - Prologue1 - Who Am I?2 - Destroying the Past3 - Settling in4 - The Former Wings of a Dragon5 - Just You and Me6 - The Book I Spy7 - Escape Artist0 - Prologue--- More than a thousand years ago. --- King Sombra leaned forward from his black crystal throne and sighed. “Why is it taking so long?” He glanced at the royal enchanter at his side. Sweat broke over the subordinate unicorn. “There is always a possibility that, er, our prisoner just doesn’t possess the information we seek.” With raised eyebrows, the enchanter met King Sombra’s eyes then quickly lowered his head and clenched his teeth. “What are you babbling about? She’s confirmed to be the leader of the rebellion. If she doesn’t know the location of the last resistance terrorist cell, then nopony does!” The enchanter swallowed audibly. “Perhaps, your interrogator just needs more time with her. The new method of interrogation might be faster, in principle, but nothing is instantaneous. If nothing went awry, you should have the information you seek.” “Argh! The underground movement has surely caught wind of her capture by now. If we don’t get that information soon, they’ll clear their sanctuary and new terrorist cells will spawn by the next full moon.” Sombra struck a hoof against the armrest of the throne. The enchanter instinctively took a step back. “The old methods would probably take even longer. The defiant mare is a stubborn one. Trying the new method was a reasonable risk.” “There are no risks. My army is countless and ready to invade on the moment’s notice. My rule cannot be challenged. I just need the location.” Sombra repeatedly tapped his forehooves together then looked at the enchanter with just one eye. “The only reason I agreed to your methods, was because I was led to believe they would be prompt! Yet, it seems to me that you lack understanding of what ‘prompt’ means. The word ‘prompt’ does not involve me waiting!” The enchanter’s ears flopped. “I’m sure there is a valid reason for the delay—” “Excuses are never valid, and I shall suffer them not!” “My—” the subordinate's voice broke “—my King...” “Enough! I tire of lingering. While you make me sit on my royal plot, the resistance could be dispersing from their holes, digging new ones.” King Sombra hit a hoof against the armrest. “I shall investigate this failure myself!” He abruptly stood up from the throne and walked toward the crystal hallway. The enchanter held his breath as the dark figure walked past him. No matter how many years of servitude, he would never get used to King Sombra’s intimidating presence. “I assure you, master. My interrogation method is 100% reliable when it works.” “Come with me, enchanter! I swear, if my interrogator requires your lesson on activating a simple crystal, he’s in for a serious demotion of rank.” “The activation process was never a problem...” the enchanter whispered as he dragged himself to the hallway after King Sombra. “You did fix the amulet, right?” The enchanter gasped. “But of course, my lord. It is much more stable than the earlier version...” King Sombra stopped in his tracks and stared down his enchanter who struggled to keep up the pace. “Are you telling me there are still stability issues with the amulet? Your instructions were to stabilize the effects! Have you failed me?” King Sombra struck a hoof on the crystal floor. “Ugh! We don’t have time for this!” He turned to the stairs and walked down toward the dungeons. The enchanter wheezily caught his breath before explaining, “The inherent features of the crystal are not static in nature. It’s that very property that allows the spell to work. I managed to successfully counter the majority of the detrimental effects, but the spell itself can not be made more stable...” “I allowed you a decade of research, countless test subjects and all the equipment you asked for. You claimed you’d make it work, yet the amulet still isn’t working properly, is it?” “Well, the thing is—” “The ponies who use it can still go bat-shit insane, is that what you’re trying to say? For your sake, it better not be!” Sombra kicked open the door to the holding cell. “Interrogator, report!” When the door to the cell opened, the pony inside dropped on all four hooves. “I’m fine. Hi-hi” He looked at the bloody mess beside him. “More than fine. Tehee. As fine as a butterfly! But she’s so quiet...” He poked at the motionless, red hurdle on the floor. “Well...” The enchanter swallowed aloud. “Obviously, there is still some chance of permanent mental disfiguration, but, perhaps, with some more research, I could, to some extent, counter the—” Sombra turned his head to him. “If you can’t honor your word to me, why should I honor your life?” The enchanter gasped. “My king...” “Guards!” King Sombra yelled. “Master, I beg of you...” He fell on his haunches. “Have mercy...” Two armored stallions burst in the holding cell. “Mercy is wasted on the pathetic weaklings.” King Sombra uttered through gritted teeth. “There is no room for imbeciles in My Crystal Kingdom.” The enchanter looked up at his king. “Please, no...” “Show this failure to the lower cells,” Sombra spoke firmly. “We’ll make an example of him at dawn.” He telekinetically ripped the amulet off the interrogator's neck. “Uuu, pretty!” the interrogator responded as he hoofed in the air at the floating object flying away from him. Sombra sighed and accelerated the necklace at the guard closest to him. “Dispose of this useless piece of trash.” “My life’s work!” the enchanter cried out. The guard stopped the flying necklace with his face then caught the piece of jewelry with a hoof just before it hit the floor. “Yes, master,” he stammered and shoved the necklace under his armor. “Your highness shall never lay thine eyes on it again.” A grin snuck onto his face. “I shall take care of it.” King Sombra nodded to himself. “My old methods of interrogation worked far better. To Tartarus with ‘progress’.” He thumped out of the cell, leaving the guards to poke freely at the crying mess on the floor. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 1 - Who Am I?I gasped. My heart pumped like crazy despite standing completely still. All four legs were spread out and strained as if I was in the midst of a tense situation. I opened my eyes. Before me stood a lavender alicorn. My presence didn’t seem to be worthy of her attention. All I got from her was a passing glance. Her wings, on the other hoof, were getting a full tending treatment. I relaxed my body a little but still kept my mind observant. The corridor of the big building was made of crystals. It didn’t look like a bad place. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a castle. A bit hollow, maybe, but that was nothing life-threatening. If there was an imminent danger, I didn’t see it. Something felt off, though. My teeth were still clenched. Yet, I just couldn’t point a hoof at the incorrectness. I felt uneasy in my own skin as if I was in a wrong spot, somehow. In contrast, the alicorn before me was relaxed—enthusiastic actually. Her wings were an endless source of joy for her since she uttered a high pitched squeak at their every flap. She hardly appeared hostile, seeming even less so when I watched her munch on the feathers. I relaxed my body a little, but the tension persisted. I felt as if I was being violated somehow. Yet, I could detect nothing menacing around me. The only thing that stood out was a necklace that lay on the floor, but it was static; not much of a threat. Yet, despite the insignificant size of the talisman, a preternatural glow was cast around the pendant. The alicorn wasn’t disturbed by the object or its glow; she was still engaged in the wing pruning session, and it didn’t seem appropriate to disrupt her euphoria just to sate my curiosity. The closest thing to violation was the pointy hat clenching on my horn. When I touched the bony spike with my blue hoof, I determined that it was, indeed, a part of me. I turned my head around and slid a foreleg under my starry cape. There were no wings hiding under there. Apparently, I wasn’t an alicorn like her but a mere unicorn. I sat down and looked between my hind legs—it seemed that I was a mare. The door behind the alicorn suddenly opened, making me twitch; a dragon peeked out. “What’s the ruckus?” His eyes spread wide as he looked at me. “You! Why are you here? What did you do this time?” He didn’t seem pleased at all to see me. “Um, hi there.” I tried to alleviate the tension. The dragon turned to the alicorn, ignoring my greeting. “Twi, what happened? I heard the door bang against the wall, and then you screamed like a little filly.” He stepped in front of the alicorn to get her attention. “Are you okay, Twi?” I deduced that they must have known each other well. Her name was apparently Twi. “Tri—” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath “I am fine, indeed.” A grin snuck on her face. “Tell me, what happened?” the dragon persisted “It sounded like you were in agony. Did you bump a hoof in your eye again?” “Everything is perfect!” Twi curtly exclaimed. “What’s that necklace doing on the floor?” He reached out to it with a claw. “Don’t touch that!” Her horn glowed. “It’s mine!” The necklace levitated up and sprang around her neck. “Any of you ponies care to explain what this necklace does?” Spike looked at Twi then at me. “It’s glowing, so it clearly has some magic to it.” Twi ignored the dragon. Her necklace swayed as she turned to her wings again. I had no idea what its effect was, if any. Not even knowing who I was, I decided to gather more information before attempting an in-depth interaction with the surrounding system. The dragon put a claw under his chin. “I think I’ve seen it somewhere before.” He stepped back in the room he’d come from. I could tell it was a library from the smell alone. The archaic, stale, heavy scent of tomes. I whiffed at the air and swallowed the excess saliva that gathered in my mouth. I instinctively followed, then abruptly stopped when the content of the library came into my view. My whole body shuddered at the sight as my eyes gulped at the bountiful books. All my nervousness from before vanished and was replaced by a relentless drive to absorb the sweet knowledge that was waiting there. Spike walked to a shelf and reached out for the old looking book. “Hey!” Twi peeked in from the hallway. “Forget about it. It’s just a necklace! Nothing special about it. Trixie just brought it as a gift. Nothing more!” The locomotion woke me up from the trance. It seemed, my name was Trixie. The dragon turned back to her. “You seem to be very protective of an ordinary necklace you just got.” He glanced at me. “And since when does Trixie bring gifts? Disasters yes, but gifts…?” “Trixie can bring gifts, too! She’s just misunderstood and labeled an enemy. She didn’t want to be hated by everypony anymore, so she brought me a necklace to make things right.” “Is that so?” the dragon looked at me. “Did you bring a gift for me as well, Trixie?” I looked over my body again. The cape was too big to fit a little dragon, so too was the hat. Either of them would cover him whole. I had nothing practical to give him. “I don’t think I did—” “Don’t believe her, dragon!” She pointed a hoof at me, accusingly. ”She’s lying because she’s Trixie, and we all hate her for some reason.” “You didn’t even let her say anything, Twi. And did you just call me ‘dragon’?” I turned to her and leaned my head to the side. “You hate me?” She looked at the dragon. “Well, she wanted to lie. And you are a dragon, are you not?.” “I do have a name, you know? Would it hurt to call me Spike?” He looked away and murmured. “Maybe I’ll start calling you ‘pony’ from now on.” I still didn’t understand the situation I’d found myself in, but at least I knew all of our names if nothing else. Twi turned to me. “You were about to accuse me of something so ridiculous that nopony would believe you, weren’t you, Trixie?” Her accusation wasn’t true. I half-closed my eyes. “Why would you think I would accuse you of something? And if I did, what would I charge you with?” Twi tilted her head and approached me. “Why are you asking Twilight Sparkle, the renown and praised Princess of Friendship all these questions?” Spike face-clawed. “Twi, I think Trixie can understand you just fine even if you don’t sink to her level.” She gasped at that. ”One does not sink to Trixie’s level!” “I just want to deduce what’s going on, that’s all.” I lifted up my tail and sat on my plot. She turned back to me. “You do?” Twilight rotated her eyes sideways then jerked back at me. “What’s your name?” she asked. Spike turned toward her with eyes wide open. “Twilight, why would you ask her such a redundant question? You know who she is.” “I am—Trixie?” I answered. “You don’t even remember, do you?” She grinned. “Tell me, what’s your earliest memory?” “I recall opening my eyes. You stood in front of me, looking at the necklace on the floor. Then you spread your wings and gasped.” “They are fabulous, are they not?” She spread them wide, knocking books from the shelves on both sides. “This is so great! It’s like a scene from one of my wet dreams.” “Um, Twilight...” Spike lifted a claw in the air. “I know that sharing is important to you, but, perhaps, you could make an exception and keep this one to yourself. Neither of us wants to hear about your sexual fantasies...” She took a deep breath through her nostrils and looked down on me. "Behold mortal, you are in the presence of the great alicorn princess." She closed her eyes and raised her head in the air while she knocked down a few more books with her flapping primaries. Spike face-clawed. "What was that all about?" "Shush, dragon, you're ruining the moment.” Twilight banged a hoof against the floor. “What’s your problem, pony?” Spike clenched his claws. I stood up and walked between them to ease the tension. Their friendship was in danger, and I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. Something compelled me to help them. “The mere unicorn pony and this alicorn princess"—she struck her pose again—"shall go for a walk outside now. The princess desires it!" She folded her wings and pushed me toward the door with a hoof. He sighed. “You’re in heat again, aren’t you...” She didn’t even throw him a glance as she replied, “When this princess returns to her very own castle, she will indulge in—” she put a hoof under the chin and looked to the ceiling“—peaches! Yes!” He just stood there with a gaping mouth. Twilight turned to me. “Outside, now!” She pushed against my buttocks. I glanced at the dragon. “Later, Spike!” When a hoof pushed me from behind again, I stepped forward to catch my balance. She ran to the hallway, ruffling my mane with a wing as she passed by me. “Um...” I caught up to her. She jumped up and down as she made her way toward the exit, flapping her wings along the way. “I’m an alicorn princess. I’m an alicorn princess.” She spread her wings. “Everypony will deify me now.” She raised her head and spoke into the air. “Bow down and worship me, mortals!” “Do you do that often?” I asked. She glanced at me. “Do what?” “Jump around, screaming you’re a princess...” “No.” She shielded her eyes from the sun with a hoof when I opened the front door for her. “But when I do, I flap my wings like this.” She stepped to the stairs and flapped her wings but couldn’t keep up with the acceleration. Her head connected with the first stair. “Aau!” Her plot followed along, tumbling over as she rolled down the stairs. I trotted to her. “Are you okay, Princess?” She got up almost as fast as she had fallen. “Stupid stairs! They’re even worse than wheels. Who, in Equestria, invents such health hazards?” “Are you sure it’s not your proficiency at flying that is to blame here?” “I’ve succumbed to your evil distraction ploy!” She pointed a hoof at me, accusingly. “I deem you guilty of an assassination attempt.” I sighed. “If my question really was the cause of your fall, I can assure you that it was not intentional.” “Apologize or be judged by royalty before you!” Twilight yelled at me. “I’m sorry,” I said, simply. “Good.” She got her grin back. “Apology received.” “So, did you bring me here to tell me something?” I asked. “Trixie…” She cocked her head as she looked at me. “Do you know how you lost your memory?” “No.” I shook my head. “Do you?” “Will you believe unquestionably what I tell you?” She looked at me with just one eye. “Um, okay...” I hesitantly said as I perked my ears. “Here’s what happened, Trixie.“ She poked me with a hoof. “You attacked me.” “I did?” I asked. “I don’t remember...” “You tried to use foul magic on me, but it ended up erasing your memory.” I sat down. “Is it permanent?” She smirked. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. All I want to know is; are you going to try to make things difficult for me again?” “No. I don’t want to make things difficult for anypony. I would, however, really like to know what happened to me on the psychological level, and if it can be reversed. Maybe I could learn a thing or two in the castle’s library. Surely there are some books that deal with thought spells, right?” “They’re my books, now!” “Would you mind if I took a peek at some of them?” I asked. “Yes. I would mind, indeed.” She half-closed her eyes. “You have no right to those books anymore.” “Please. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t even know who I am! Do you know of anypony who could help me remember?” “Pf!” she puffed. “You won’t find a decent pony in this whole town. They all hate you and won’t even talk to you, much less help you.” “Am I really that bad?” “No. It’s the ponies. They say they’d give a pony another chance, but then they don’t.” “Are you like that, as well?” “No! I’m nothing like that!” She clenched her teeth. “You say that I attacked you, and I’m sorry if I did.” I shuffled a hoof on the ground. “But I really don’t remember anything. Can I, maybe, make it up to you somehow? If you let me read your books, I promise I’ll take really good care of them.” “Ugh!” She snorted “I guess I really can’t let you just stroll around Ponyville and bring attention to yourself. If you’re not going to be a burden, you may stay in the castle… but you’re forbidden from the library!” “Why can’t I use the library?” I asked. “Because I don’t trust you, that’s why.” She lifted my chin with a hoof. “If you suck up to me, maybe, in time, I’ll let you read a book or two.” “Well, if I did something wrong, I want to fix it.” “It’s settled then! You stay out of my mane and I’ll try to tolerate your presence.” She turned around and trotted to the castle. “And now it’s time to roll in my bed and eat my peaches!” Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 2 - Destroying the PastI followed Twilight into the castle, glad that she didn’t just leave me outside. Our relationship was shaky, at best, so I tried to get on her good side by not provoking her in any way. I restrained myself from commenting when she peeked in every room along the way, even though I was very curious about that behavioral pattern. It was as if she was inspecting her own home. After ‘discovering’ the kitchen, she grabbed a bowl of peaches from the table and made me carry it to her bedroom. She trotted in the middle of the room and looked around. “Wow!” I put down the bowl of peaches from my mouth onto the table near the bed. “What is it?” I asked. “Each of these items... I recognize them. The memories of how they got here—I can access them.” “What’s so odd about that?” “Oh, um… nothing. They’re just useless memories.” Twilight trotted to the picture with many ponies in it. Her image was right in the center with wings spread wide apart. With a hoof she knocked it off the table; it crashed on the ground, shattering the glass casing. My heart sank when I saw the calamity. “I don’t need any of this stuff,” she said. “It doesn’t represent the real me. I’m getting rid of it all.” “It looks to me like these were gifts to you.” I intervened. ”Don’t you feel anything for these personal items?” “Nope, but you seemed to be quite attached to them. Interesting...” She half-closed her eyes as she stared me down. “Maybe you’re just an evil crook and wanted to steal everything.” I pondered on the thought. “You think?” “Yes, most definitely. You’re evil.” “I’m evil?” “Everypony hates you. Nobody appreciates you.” “Why is that?” I looked up at her. “What did I do to them?” “Nothing, everypony was just jealous of you.” “Are you jealous of me, too?” “No, of course I’m not. I’m nothing like those ignorant ponies.” She pointed a hoof at me. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t just come into my house—” she smiled as her eyes traversed all around “—and move yourself in.” She looked at me, and her smile got even bigger. “But perhaps you could earn your living here, after all.” Twilight turned to Spike when he peeked from behind the door frame. “Hey, dragon baby!” “Spike! My name is Spike!” He stepped in, his claws clenched at his sides. “Well, um, Spike… how would you like to have an assistant?” she asked. “Please tell me you’re not seriously considering letting Trixie stay. Besides, can assistants even have assistants?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t see why not.” “I’ve seen many universes, and in none would Trixie agree to that.” He looked at me. I sat down. “If I did something wrong, I want to make up for it.” Spike gasped. “I think this universe is the most broken one of them all.” Twilight ruffled my mane with a hoof. “You may stay, but you have to do everything we tell you to do. Actually, you can start pulling your weight right now. Here’s some trash for you to take out, Trixie.” She threw a book at me. It hit me and landed on the floor. I picked it up and dusted it out. There were engraved letters on the covers: Journal. “Twi, I gave you that journal for your birthday.” Spike thumped forward. “Why would you throw it away? I thought you liked my gift.” “You keep it then, scales.” She tore the book out of my hooves with her magic and dropped it before him as her eyes shifted up. “If this memory serves me right, we seem to have a joined journal now, anyway.” She trotted to the nearby shelf. “Aha! I remembered correctly!” Engulfing the book with magic, she telekinetically threw it at Spike. “Keep that one, too!” “That’s not even yours to throw away...” murmured Spike. “You!” She gazed at me. “Throw this in a trash bin!” A picture album flew at me. It hit me in the head and fell to the floor, opening at its last page. Before me, I saw pictures of Twilight and her friends. I shuffled the pages toward the beginning and from some point back she lacked her wings, but her friends remained at her side at all times. A warm feeling engulfed me. I could just stare at those happy pictures for the rest of the day and be content. At the very beginning of the album, there were pictures of her fillyhood. Spike raised his voice. “Twilight, how come you’re throwing your things away? Why are you acting like this?” “I need space—especially if Trixie is going to live with us. We need to make room for her; therefore, it’s her fault. Take it out with the newcomer.” His green eyes pierced me. “Whenever I see you, bad things happen.” “And that’s exactly why we’re letting her stay here, Spike. She’s up to no good and we have to keep an eye on her.” “I’m up to no good?” I asked. “Aren’t you?” She grinned at me. “I don’t think so, no.” “Oh, good.” Her horn charged up. “Then off on the road with you, tramp.” A magic field encased me and I drifted toward the door. I turned back, raising a leg toward her. “Please don’t throw me out. I don’t know where to go.” “We don’t care,” Twilight said. “We’re not a shelter for homeless ponies.” “Please let me stay,” I yelped. She waved a hoof at me. “Bye.” “Wait…” I swallowed my saliva, but I still felt a clog in my throat. “Perhaps, my intentions aren’t perfectly stellar. I might be up to no good…” Twilight trotted toward me. “Really?” The magic forcefield dissipated, making me fall to the floor. She towered above me. “You of all ponies? Do tell!” “Maybe,” I glanced at Spike then bowed my head. “I came to Twilight to ask her to stay out of my way while I do bad things.” “Yes, and I said that I’d never let you, right?” Twilight persisted. “You might have said something or other…” I looked down at my forehooves. “Is that what happened, Trixie?” Spike asked. “Yes, that’s exactly what happened.” Twilight intervened. “Then she promised to earn her living and not be evil if we let her stay here.” “Trixie, you, actually said that? No, something like that couldn’t possibly have happened. Damn! I really am in the wrong universe again, aren’t I?” “I do really want to stay.” I looked up at him. “My wish is to stay here. At least for a little while.” “You see, Spike?” Twilight chuckled. “We have her to thank for throwing all of the stuff away.” “No, please.” I rose a hoof in the air. “You don’t have to do that. I won’t take up any room.” “Why do you want to stay here so badly, Trixie?” Spike half-closed his eyes. “This doesn’t make any sense.” “I just do; I don’t know. I can’t explain it. The thought of leaving just terrifies me.” I stood up and turned to Twilight. “Please don’t throw out these things because of me. I won’t use much space. There’s no need to fret about me. I can sleep outside. Honestly, I really don’t mind.” “Nonsense. We can’t let a bum sleep in front of the princess’s home. We’re ponies, not some filthy diamond dogs. Now help me throw my useless stuff away.” “Can I take this?” I pointed at her album. “No, it’s my stuff, and I don’t want to give it to you. I want to throw it away. And this junk here, too.” She shuffled a hoof along the shelf, throwing books and pictures off it. My eyes fixed themselves at the beautiful things that gathered on the floor. I wanted to hold on to everything in the pile. Despite seeing the items for the first time, I felt a strong connection to them. “You really like all these things, don’t you, Trixie?” Twilight smirked. “It’s odd, but yes. I seem to really like them. Do they need to be thrown away? It feels like a waste.” Spike stepped forward. “Yeah, Twilight, what has gotten into you?” She gasped. “Why are you siding with her, assistant? I’m the one in charge here, and you are supposed to assist me.” “I thought this was my home, too,” Spike growled. “Fine!” She sighed. “Tell you what, Spike. I’ll throw what I don’t want on the floor and you can take whatever you want out of the pile. Trixie will throw out the rest.” “Um, can I take the rest of the things instead of throwing them out?” I asked and quickly bowed my head as her eyes pierced me. “And where will you stash your loot, servant?” “Twilight, I’m sure you can spare her a room somewhere in the whole castle.” “Ugh! Fine.” She trotted to the hallway and pointed a hoof at a small door. “That’ll be your room, Trixie.” “Twilight, that’s where I keep my brooms.” Spike protested. “I’m sure we can also fit a pony inside. Either way, you’ve wasted enough of my time, assistants. I wish to roll in my bed now and enjoy every moment of it!” “You’re going to bed?” Spike raised his eyebrows. “It’s the middle of the day. I thought you hated wasting reading light.” “I’ll just roll in it. There’s nothing suspicious about rolling in my own bed! Now, shush!” She waved a dismissive hoof in his direction. “Go show Trixie to her room, or something.” “You were always kind of weird, Twilight, but I thought I was getting the hang of you. It feels like I’m at square one again, though. It’s like you’re not even yourself.” “Whatever. Just go away!” She threw a pillow at him. “Ugh!” He crossed his claws on his chest and thumped to the exit where I was perched. He closed the door of Twilight’s room behind him. “Come, Trixie. Let me show you to your ‘room’.” “Thank you.” I smiled at him and followed his lead along the crystal corridor. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 3 - Settling in“Well, here’s the room Twilight designated for you, Trixie.” Spike opened the door. I jumped to the side to avoid getting hit by various brooms that fell in the hallway. “This room looks to be taken.” “Don’t worry, I’ll relocate my cleaning equipment.” “You don’t have to move the stuff on my account. I can adjust.” “Half of the rooms in this castle are completely empty, anyway.” “Can I at least help you out?” “Wow, you’re really taking this new role of yours seriously, aren’t you?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Here, you take the brooms, and I’ll grab the buckets.” I picked up one in my mouth and tried to grab the rest with a foreleg. “What’s this now? Did The Great and Powerful Trixie forget how to use magic?” I puckered my forehead and focused on the horn, but nothing happened. The broom fell down when I opened my mouth to speak, “Apparently, I did. Along with everything else...” “That spell you, supposedly, used in the morning must have really done a number on your mind.” He picked up a broom in his free claw and dragged it on the floor along with the buckets. “Stop the ruckus!” A voice came from Twilight’s room. “Some of us are trying to gloat here!” “Maybe I should take the buckets.” I leaned down and grabbed the handle of the bottom one to lift all of them. He grabbed the brooms with both claws. “I don’t know what’s with Twilight. Do you think your spell might have affected her, as well?” My mouth was full of bucket handle, so I just shrugged my shoulders. Spike dragged the brooms on the floor behind him. “I’ve seen her in her crazy state, but this is a whole new level. It’s like she isn’t even herself anymore.” Across the corridor, he opened the door to a small, empty cabinet. “Just throw them anywhere. Twilight never looks at these rooms. They are the only safe havens from her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” I put the buckets down and slid them in the corner with a hoof then shuffled the items so that the round handles would face the entrance for easy access. “I guess that ends today...” Spike commented. “Hm?” I turned to him. “I didn’t take you for the orderly type, Trixie.” “I just want to make things right, that’s all.” Spike threw the brooms in the middle of the room. “Let’s go get the rest.” He turned around. I was already done with the buckets, so there was no reason to delay. Still, the placement of brooms seemed wrong. They were just asking for somepony to trip over them. The vacant perpendicular layers remained unused and the horizontal component unviable for trafficking because it was hindered by material clogs. I quickly grabbed them and placed them vertically beside the buckets. That way they would take very little space while being readily available for anypony in a hurry to clean. When I turned around I noticed that Spike watched me from behind my plot. “What?” “That’s OCD if I ever saw it,” he said. I bowed my head and shuffled a hoof on the floor. He put a claw on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. If anything, Twilight will appreciate you more for it.” “I really hope she comes around in time. She forbade me from going to the library, but maybe she’ll let me borrow some books if I pick up my act and become more friendly. I want to read as much on the subject of memory loss as possible and get to the bottom of my induced amnesia.” Spike whispered to himself, “And you also love books… Trixie, what happened to you? You seem even more Twilightish than Twilight today.” He snickered. “Um, Spike...” I whispered as I slung my useless hat on the top shelf. I wasn’t sure why I even wore it. It looked silly and served no function. “Yeah?” “If Twilight really throws her things away, and if there are some left that you won’t want to take... Well, um, could I, perhaps, take the rest?” I bit my lip. “Why do you care about Twilight’s stuff? I knew you were obsessed with her, but I had no idea you were an actual stalker.” “No, no!” I shook my head. “It’s not like that! I just… I don’t want the things to get thrown away for no reason. It’s not right. Maybe in the future, she’ll regret throwing them out, and I’ll be able to return the items back to her. From then on, she might take good care of them. I don’t know who the ponies in the pictures are, but they look really happy together. What they represent is special. Friendships shouldn’t be taken for granted, and the items she has are a reminder of that.” “Tell that to the Princess of Friendship. It’s as if she forgot her own calling.” “I’m not sure she’d listen to me.” “Don’t worry, Trixie. I’ll take whatever she decides to throw away. She still asks me now and then if I found her Smarty Pants toy doll she had since her childhood.” He walked along the hallway. I followed behind him. “He-he, Smarty Pants...” Hearing that name made me giggle. “She gave it away once, and she’ll regret that for the rest of her life. I won’t let the same happen with the other things in her possession.” “That’s a funny name, Smarty Pants. I love it.” He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Trixie, do you remember when I followed the migrating dragons?” His eyebrows rose as he looked up at me. I shook my head. “Was I there?” He sighed and bowed his head. “Well, no, you weren’t...” “How could I remember it then?” I leaned my head to the side. “Yes, you’re right…” He awkwardly rose a claw behind his head. “Never mind! Forget I asked.” He walked on. “I would very much like to hear about it, Spike. It sounds like an eventful adventure. Also... I really like talking to you, in general. Just being around you makes me feel less alone. Can you tell me about your journey?” He sighed. “Maybe later... Let’s get the rest of the cleaning equipment moved from your ‘room’” Spike said. A moment later, my ears shot up as something shattered. I wiggled them around and pinpointed the sound to Twilight’s room. We looked at each other. “Or better yet”—Spike pointed a claw in the direction of the kerfuffle—“let’s take away Twilight’s stuff before she breaks it all.” I nodded and we both ran toward her room. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 4 - The Former Wings of a DragonSpike opened the door to Twilight’s bedroom and peeked inside. “I heard something break.” I put my head between the doorway over Spike’s mohawk scales. “Oopsy...” Twilight smiled over the shattered remains of the bowl. Half-eaten peaches were scattered all over the room. “What happened?” Spike asked. Twilight pointed a hoof at me, accusingly. “It’s Trixie’s fault. She put the peaches too close to the bed and I knocked over the bowl when I bounced up and down on the mattress.” Spike walked inside. “Why were you jumping on the bed?” “It’s my bed and I do what I want to.” Spike turned to me. “Trixie, get a broom before somepony gets a shard stuck in her hoof.” “On it!” I said and ran to the cabinet with orderly placed brooms. With one in my mouth, I raced back, but stopped in my tracks when I sensed the seriousness in Spike’s tone, “Twilight, do you remember when I went on a dragon migration?” It was the same question he had asked me. Was it a test of sorts? I crouched by the door on the other side of the wall to avoid getting seen. “Yes, I do seem to remember,” she answered. “A dragon going on migration by foot. That was a very stupid thing to do.” It was wrong to eavesdrop without their knowledge, but the conversation could prove very informative for all sides involved. I needed more information to have at least some chance of helping them. It was for that reason that I didn’t want to miss out. “But, you supported me then.” I stayed quiet so I wouldn’t interrupt the conversation by letting them know of my presence. “Yes, You were told that you need to sate your aspirations. That advice was stupid. I should have just told you right there and then how bad your idea was.” She shook her head and looked at him. “Why are you even asking me this?” Their friendship was shaky, and they were clearly expressing it. “I don’t know. I’m actually sorry I did.” With appropriate communication, they could mend it, but not if I interrupted them. She just needed to reach out to him. “It’s okay, wings regrowing dragon.” I silently gasped upon hearing the rough expression she used. “Why—why did you just call me that?” “Don’t you find it odd that all dragons have wings, and yet, you didn’t have them most of your life?” “What made you bring this up all of a sudden, Twilight? The wings come with the molting. You know this.” “Hey, if you want to stay in the closet that’s fine by me.” She squinted her shoulders. “No!” He raised his voice. “If you want to say something, say it!” “The molting isn’t a metamorphosis. It’s just a regeneration process. You used to have wings even before that, but you forgot about that because you were too young at that time.” “No, I never had wings before molding... did I?” “They were big and spikey. The ones you have now vane in comparison.” I couldn’t resist peeking inside the room. “I had wings bigger than this?” He reached back with a claw and caressed the small wings on his back. “Mhm, but then we cut them off.” Grinning, she focused her eyes on his face. He gasped. “Please, tell me this is just some kind of a sick joke.” “Everything I’m telling you comes directly from the memories I have. I guess even princesses have a hidden past, ey? Surprise!” “So you’re not lying, after all.” His voice broke. “It’s all true.” “You better believe it. You were flying all over the place, making a mess of everything. Wings had to go.” “No way!” Spike hyperventilated. “Yup, that’s what happened. Memories don’t lie. Oh, and then they let me keep you, wasn’t that nice?” He tensed up. “I always thought I was born without wings. I never brought up this issue with you before because I was afraid you’d get curious and would do tests on me.” He looked up at her with teary eyes. “What if you found out that I’m some degenerate freak of nature? I didn’t want you to look at me that way. I liked what we had between us and didn’t want to risk it.” His claws clenched into fists. “But you knew about it, all along. You were a part of it.” She smiled at him. “Twilight, I want you to know that I’m not okay with this. I’m not okay with any of this by a long shot!” His body tensed. “It will take me some time to process what you told me. I'll need some alone time, away from this place. For both our sakes.” I gasped and retracted my head just when he turned to the exit. “You’re free to do whatever it is that you want to do, wingless dragon. Good luck on your new migration.” Spike gasped then sighed. “Right… We’ll be having this discussion again in a few days.” His voice broke as he shut the door behind him. “Maybe.” He noticed me. I hugged both hind legs and bit on my lip. My body shook. I looked up at him and reached out with a hoof toward one of the tensed shoulders. Spike swatted it away with a claw. “Your sympathy is the last thing I need right now.” He faced away from me and thumped down the hallway. I wanted to pursue him, but I was afraid I’d only make things worse. Maybe I was the one responsible for everything bad. If I could learn about the spell that I had used and find a way to undo it, perhaps I could make things right again. Getting myself to the library was my best bet for that. If I stayed stuck in the amnesic condition, I might even make a bigger mess of everything. Spike’s departure was a testimony to my ineptitude. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 5 - Just You and MeI brought a broom into Twilight’s room. She lay on the bed, facing the ceiling. A floating peach spun around in a magic field above her. She glanced at me. “You still here?” “I thought you were okay with me staying in your castle,” I said. “I just want to help you.” “Whatever. At least make yourself useful and throw all this trash away. Now go and let me eat my peaches in peace.” The pile of her possessions on the floor accumulated to a dreadful height. I turned to her. “I’ll take it to my room.” “Trixie, how dare you disobey me. I ought to—” she raised her head and brought a hoof to her chin. “banish you and put you in a dungeon at a place I banished you to.” She laughed. “Oh, these memories crack me up. Your friends are so stupid.” My ears perked up. “I have friends?” “No.” She dismissively waved a hoof at me. “Forget I said that. I have friends. Stupid friends, but they’re mine! You’re the despised one now.” I stepped closer to her. “Twilight, can I ask you a question?” “Ugh!” She snorted. “What is it?” “If I ever got back my memories, do you think I’d turn back into the evil Trixie I was before?” She twitched. “Don’t say that! Trixie wasn’t evil, she was just misunderstood.” “I was?” “Forget about your memories, Trixie. As you can see,” she pointed to her starry cutie mark, “I’m the princess of magic. Believe me when I tell you that you shall never get them back.” She caressed the necklace that she wore around her neck. “It’s best you get used to your new reality—as my servant.” “Can I still take a peek at some of the books in your library? It never hurts to double-check, you know?” “Do you think you earned that right yet?” Her eyes pierced me. “No...” I whispered and proceeded with sweeping the glass shards. “I guess not.” “You know what, Trixie. If that’s your motivation to serve me, I’ll let you earn worthiness points. When you get enough of them, I’ll lend you a book from my library. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, bookworm?” I nodded. “Well, you’re in luck, servant. Here’s an opportunity for you to earn some points. Come with me!” She leaped over the shards on the floor onto the pile she’d accumulated in the middle of the room. I shook when I heard a crack under her hooves. “It just so happens that I’m yearning for a warm bath.” She descended from the pile of fragile things and walked past me. “I haven’t had one in, like, ages. Just cold lakes to keep me clean.” “Why did you use lakes? Don’t you have a bath in the castle?” I followed her down the hallway. “Hm...” Her eyes shifted up. “If these memories serve me right, there’s actually a really big barrel in the basement. That’s where I’ll get the luxury I deserve. I saw a hose and a bucket in front of the castle in the morning. Fill it up with water, pour it in here and repeat until you fill it up to the edge.” “Won’t the water spill over if I fill the barrel to the top before you get in?” A smile grew on my lips. I had felt inadequate for not having any memories, but I found something that I was apparently good at: logic. Well, at least I was more adept at it than Twilight. “Don’t question me, smartass!” She raised her voice as we got to the basement entrance. She leaned a hoof on the wall while she gazed down the stairs. Her ears stood flat against her head. I stepped to her. “What’s wrong?” “Whaa?” She looked at me with eyes wide open. “Oh, nothing. Just do what you’re told! There’s nothing wrong with me!” I nodded and trotted toward the castle’s exit. As I made my way down the stairs of the castle’s entrance, I set my sights on the hose connected to the faucet. Its vast length was retained in a few dozen curls. There were flowers planted to the side of the castle, so that’s probably why they had to install such a long hose. There was also a rusty bucket beside the wall, but I wouldn’t need it for my plan. When I put my head through the center, I felt the full weight of the hose. It was heavy. I knew it would get easier with time, so I persisted. Walking backward toward the castle, I let it untangle over my head. I made my way up the stairs, to the entrance, leaving a trail of hose behind me. By the time I reached the stairs to the basement, I already untangled half of the hose, so it was much easier to carry the burden. I caught up to Twilight just when she stepped off the last step into the crystal cellar. When I bowed my head, the coiled weight slid down my neck and fell to the floor. “I left the bucket outside. The hose was long enough.” “Um, okay...” she said, disengaged. ”I’ll go open the flow now. With this method the barrel will fill much faster than it would if I carried water in the bucket.” “Whatever, just stop wasting my time. I want to feel the freedom of floating on the water. Bathing always relaxes me.” Her eyes darted around as she peeked into the barrel. “Wait!, there’s junk in here. This whole basement is littered with junk. As if it wasn’t confining enough.” I looked over the edge of the barrel. There were 15 different pieces, 11 metal bars and 4 plates interconnected with wiring. “These parts still look usable.” “It’s junk!” She proceeded to throw the intriguing parts out of the barrel. I felt a squeeze in my chest as the plates hit the floor and broke apart. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. I needed to get out of there. “I’ll go open the flow.” She seemed wary of the basement. It struck me as odd since it was supposedly a part of her home. My feelings were on the opposite spectrum of hers. What I experienced was enthusiasm at the site of the potential that the room offered. There was enough space to build a whole laboratory there, and it was already built. How amazing was that? When I made it back to the flower garden outside of the castle, I clenched at the valve of the faucet with my mouth. When it was fully opened, and I heard water flowing through the tap, I trotted back up the stairs in the castle. Another one of my features that I seemed to have was that I wasn’t as dismissive as Twilight. At least as the person I was at the time. How she managed to gain the title of Princess of Friendship was beyond my comprehension. She may have not realized it, but she needed me even more than I needed her. I was poised to demonstrate to her a better way to connect to fellow ponies. Gaining her trust was the first hurdle I’d have to surmount before I could show her anything. As soon as I stepped down the last stair into the cellar, I was greeted with yelling, “You opened the cold water. And it dared to spray me! This is no different than bathing in a pond and I’m above that now. I want hot steamy water!” “The plumbing I observed outside only supports one flow: the cold one. However, I’m sure that we could find a heater in the whole castle. Worst case scenario, we could probably make one with all these fine instruments.” “You bathe in cold water, see how it feels! Yes, you be the bottomfeeder for a change. I want you to actually do it, and warm it up for me with your body temperature while you’re at it.” “I’m sure there are more optimal ways for heating water than—” “—You go in the barrel or you go out of my home!” “Fine…” I put a hoof in it. “Wait! You’ll get it dirty.” I was determined to keep my cool despite losing my patience. “Make up your mind! What do you want from me?” Her eyes shifted up. A moment later, she jerked a hoof at me. “I’ve got it! I know I’ll never use that bodysuit, so I may as well make you wear it.” She grinned and ran up the stairs. “Stay here and keep the water going.” I sighed at that statement. “It’s flowing by itself…” She turned and walked up the stairs. I was left alone. Just standing there felt like a waste of time. I had so many ideas of the things I could improve upon. There was also the whole castle for me to map out, if Twilight would give me permission to do it, that is. If nothing else, the basement was right there for me to explore. I walked around. There were large closets at the walls. Some intriguing machines in the corner and a big platform in the center. A metallic arch was spread over it. In the middle of a wide corridor between the many tables was an iron construction. It was the size of a pony and had iron bars as if it served as a cage. There were straps welded in the sides. When I heard hoofsteps on the stairs, I assumed my designated position near the barrel. Twilight burst down. She carried something in the magic field above her. With both forelegs, she leaned on the edge of the barrel and looked inside. “Haven’t you filled it yet?” I used all my willpower to stop myself from facehoofing “It’s filling itself and the flow is at maximum.” “Well, hurry up with it, will you?” she snorted and focused upon her magic bubble. When her horn light faded, a black fabric fell before me. “With this clingy bodysuit, you can keep my water clean while warming it with your body temperature. It obviously wasn’t made for me.” Her body shook. “It was made before you—I got my wings. And even if it was sewn for me, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this hazard to personal space. You wear it!” I didn’t know what her problem was. It was just clothes, same as my cape and that certainly wasn’t hurting me in any way. It was a stupid thing she wanted me to do, but I did need to gain her trust, so I decided to go along with it. “If you really want me to, I will do it for you, Twilight.” “Yes, do it. How do you put that thing on, anyway?” She cocked her head. “It has a zipper.” I showed it to her. “Go on, dress up for me, plebeian. I want to see it touch you all over, like a hundred hooves molesting you all at once. Every movement you make will find resistance. Your body will be trapped. Bound all over. Captured. It will crumple your coat and you’ll feel it with every hair on your body. Like an ever-present all-encompassing itch that you won’t be able to scratch. A touchy hoof may be swatted away, but the enclosing fabric clings on relentlessly, unmindful of the concept of consent. No safe word can get the body out of the bind. The will of the wearer is all but disregarded. The freedom of the body is perpetually denied by the tightness of the wrapping togs.” I picked up the cloth with a hoof. The fabric felt smooth to the touch. “It’s just clothes...” I spread it on the floor under me. After stepping in with both hind legs I slowly pulled it up. The sleeves were narrow, so I had to use some force to stretch them enough for my legs to fit inside. Before pulling the tight fabric over my plot, I bent back and wiggled my tail through the hole. “Is it tight? Do you feel trapped?” Twilight pointed a hoof at my flank. “It is a bit encroaching in the crotch area, but the material stretches, so it’s not that bad,” I explained. “The fabric is tight, but it’s not restricting my movements in any way. If I ignore the clinginess all over my body, it feels as if I’m wearing nothing at all.” “You look silly in these tight clothes,” Twilight commented. I didn’t say anything. “My bath still isn’t ready! Jump in the barrel and warm up the water. Meanwhile, I’ll go upstairs, roll in my bed and half-eat the rest of my peaches.“ “Okay,” I said obediently and slipped in the barrel. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 6 - The Book I SpyThe prospect of me warming water with body temperature was ludicrous at best. Especially because I wore waterproof clothing that hindered temperature exchange further. I was fighting against cooling from evaporating water, radiation from the surface and convection at the same time. There was no point to it. I perked up my ears as I looked toward the exit. It was quiet. I stepped to the stairs and listened again. Nothing. I crawled up the stairs and peeked in the library. The coast seemed clear. But there was something in the air. I could hardly detect the smell, but the presence of a heavy odor was undeniable. I couldn’t identify it. There weren’t many sensory memories to go on. A puff of smoke rising from a side room gave me a clue about what the smell could be. I figured that Twilight’s pyromania would keep her occupied and hoped that the castle wouldn’t burn down. With each step I slowed my hooves just before they hit the floor, making almost no sound in my gait to the library. When I reached my destination undetected, I slowly moved toward the lower shelf I had my sights on. With my mouth, I grabbed the book that Spike’d been reaching for earlier that day. “Hey!” The sound behind me echoed through the hallway. I twitched and turned around. The loud complaint came from another room. “Wow, a picture of the Princess of the Night! I’m definitely keeping you. Everypony hating on you for a thousand years. You know what it’s like to not belong, don’t you, Luna?” From that point on, it was obvious to me what the smell was. She was burning something. Pictures, no doubt. I slid back to the basement with the book in my mouth. The anticipation made my skin crawl. The evidence for her transgression accumulated, but I needed a final confirmation to be sure. When I came to the barrel in the basement, I put the book on the floor beside it and slid myself into the water. I kept my ears pinned toward the stairs in case my resentful host came to check on me. I leaned over the edge and looked at the book: Legendary Artifacts. I opened it and hoofed through the pages. Each one had a picture and text description below it. I visualized Twilight’s artifact around her neck and compared it with images as I shuffled through the book. There! A perfect match. Crystal based energy capacitors were designed to resonate with brainwaves, displacing them in the process. The needed potential can only be achieved when no conductor is present within its bounds. All the talismans were disposed of soon after being invented. They were supposed to be used to invade the memories of those who opposed the tyranny in the Crystal Empire. The prototypes were deemed unreliable. Because failure was illegal in the Crystal Empire at the time, the inventor met his end. He was burned alive on the pyre of his life’s research. By unknown means, some talismans did survive the purge. They changed many owners via the black market through the ages. They are deemed dangerous to the health and wellbeing of ponies and are to be confiscated by the highest authority upon being found. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter. 7 - Escape ArtistWhen I heard hoofsteps on the stairs to the basement, I quickly closed the book and lay it behind the barrel in which I resided. To hide it from Twilight’s prying eyes, I jerked the nearby metal connector over it. The time for her to learn of my treachery would come, but it was still too soon. “Is my bath warm enough yet, servant?” She yelled down. “Almost,” I lied. I couldn’t warm it up with her method even if I sat in it for eternity. “Hurry up, will you? Ugh.” She looked around. “I’ll just tidy up this place in the meantime. Everything needs to go.” I gasped as she walked in the middle and charged her horn. “It’s all trash and it’s making this basement cramped. I want space; lots of space!” She had to be stopped, and it just so happened that I had a plan to do just that. I initialized the first phase. “Excuse me, Alicorn Princess?” She glanced at me. “Huh?” “May I pose a question? I couldn’t figure it out myself, but I’m sure you could tell me. What does that do?” I pointed to the construction in the middle of the basement. “That’s, em—” Her eyes shot up. “—oh dear!” “What is it?” I raised my eyebrows. She ran to the nearby bucket. “blech!” she puked in it. I put both forehooves on the edge of the barrel. “Are you okay?” “Oh, Twi, what has Celestia been making you do… ” “Did you remember something?” “Yes. I really need to stop accessing these memories in my head. They’re horrible.” “So, what is it used for then?” “Trust me, you don’t want to know. I wish I didn’t.” I needed an advantage over her and that device would get me that. The composition of the parts gave a clear indication of what purpose the construction was meant to fulfill. Getting myself strapped onto it was my way to freedom. Her earlier attack left my mind in ruins. For all I knew, she could wield powers beyond my comprehension. With the extent of her powers being a variable, I had no way of calculating the probability of my success in opposing her. However, the odds of me winning against her would increase if I gave myself a head-start by overcoming her beforehoof. Every advantage I could get might prove to be the difference between victory and defeat. There wouldn’t be another chance after my attempt at rebellion. She had made her first move and won, taking most of what I was away from me. Without some kind of a boon on my side, I had little chance of turning the tide. I initiated the next step of my scheme. “I could escape from that with no problem.” “Yeah, right… ” “I think you just don’t want me to show my ingenuity because it would prove that I’m more adept at it than you are.” “What did you say?” “You know that I could get out of it with no problem, and that’s why you won’t give me a chance to prove it to you.” She laughed. “You wish!” “It’s okay, I’m already a moral winner in my mind and you not giving me the opportunity to show my capabilities just solidifies my greatness. I won’t shove it in your face, though. Your safe box of ignorance that you’re in is perfectly safe. I’ll just be quiet from now on so you can keep on ignoring the facts.” I clenched my lips together. Her lowered jaw finally managed to move. “You’re, actually, serious... Well, you’re dead wrong thinking you could escape it. This frame was designed to withstand changelings. It passed the most rigorous testing with flying colors. Many copies of it are used constantly in Canterlot dungeons and none had ever failed.” She looked at me with a grin. “But you know what? I want to see you try. Go on, I’ll strap you in.” I climbed out of the barrel of water and moved into the frame. Things were going as I hoped. She played along like a pawn on my chessboard. There wasn’t much else for me to do anymore. I wiggled my tongue around my mouth, but only within the boundaries of my teeth. I didn’t want to give out any indication of what I was doing. She charged her horn. “I’ll fix you up real good.” She tightened the first strap over my body. “And then I’ll watch you struggle as I bathe.” It hurt. If it wasn’t for the stretchy body clothing I wore, it would have bruised my skin. Even though I wasn’t fond of the pain, sustaining any wounds was of no concern to me. I was complacent with the bodily damage she might cause. At that point I cared little about what could happen to the temporary shell I resided in. “Is this too tight for you!?” She pulled the leg strip with her magic. “Nnn!” I almost opened my mouth due to the intense pain. The strap clenched through my clothes and gripped at my skin. I worked through it because there was no other alternative. The future was riding on my plan. It all rested on me keeping my mouth shut until just the right moment. I may have gone a bit overboard with provoking her. “I bet you even like it, freak!” She pulled the straps on my other foreleg. The pain rushed through me, but I was ready for it at that time. I slowly exhaled through my nostrils and breathed in again. “I just thought of something.” She stopped and looked to the ceiling. “I don’t like you. I don’t like having you around. But I can’t really throw you out, either. Without your memories, you’d be even worse off than I was, and everypony hated me. I also don’t want ponies to suspect anything out of the ordinary.” As I tried to move my last free hind leg from the frame, she tightened it against the pole with her magic. I didn’t like where she was going with her monologue. I widened my eyes as I looked at her. “I want to see you as a bottom feeder for a change. I’ll just keep you down here. Forever! I’ll eat the food in front of you. I’ll make you say nice things to me and make up reasons why I’m as great as I am. After that, depending on how pleasing your praise of me will be, I may give you some of the leftovers.” My muscles tensed when she tightened the last strap around my neck. “There. All done. You’re trapped. There’s no way you can escape, but I do really want to see you struggle. Go on, twirl about, my little captive! He-he! I want to see your futile attempts.“ I tried to move, but my body remained fixed in place. I was utterly secured. It was time for the last phase. She stood in front of me. “What do you think about my plan, bottomfeeder?” She leaned in and smiled. The amulet dangled back and forth on her neck. I smiled back at her. It had taken some time to gather enough saliva in my mouth. Fortunately for me, she was too obsessed with gloating to grow suspicious of my silence. It mattered little, for it was time. The preparation was complete. She raised an eyebrow. “What are you smiling about, captive?” I puckered my lips and aimed. “Hmm?” “Ptooey” I spit a mouthful of saliva at the amulet, betting everything on the information I gathered from the book. Sparks projected out of the amulet around her neck. The light in the crystal faded out. “What the—” she exclaimed Darkness. I was drenched in it. When I opened my eyes I saw a blue unicorn in a tight bodysuit, strapped to the contraption in front of me. She was helpless to resist me in any way. I caressed her head with a wing. “Hello, Trixie!” Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigame when you're done reading this chapter.
0 - Prologue--- More than a thousand years ago. --- King Sombra leaned forward from his black crystal throne and sighed. “Why is it taking so long?” He glanced at the royal enchanter at his side. Sweat broke over the subordinate unicorn. “There is always a possibility that, er, our prisoner just doesn’t possess the information we seek.” With raised eyebrows, the enchanter met King Sombra’s eyes then quickly lowered his head and clenched his teeth. “What are you babbling about? She’s confirmed to be the leader of the rebellion. If she doesn’t know the location of the last resistance terrorist cell, then nopony does!” The enchanter swallowed audibly. “Perhaps, your interrogator just needs more time with her. The new method of interrogation might be faster, in principle, but nothing is instantaneous. If nothing went awry, you should have the information you seek.” “Argh! The underground movement has surely caught wind of her capture by now. If we don’t get that information soon, they’ll clear their sanctuary and new terrorist cells will spawn by the next full moon.” Sombra struck a hoof against the armrest of the throne. The enchanter instinctively took a step back. “The old methods would probably take even longer. The defiant mare is a stubborn one. Trying the new method was a reasonable risk.” “There are no risks. My army is countless and ready to invade on the moment’s notice. My rule cannot be challenged. I just need the location.” Sombra repeatedly tapped his forehooves together then looked at the enchanter with just one eye. “The only reason I agreed to your methods, was because I was led to believe they would be prompt! Yet, it seems to me that you lack understanding of what ‘prompt’ means. The word ‘prompt’ does not involve me waiting!” The enchanter’s ears flopped. “I’m sure there is a valid reason for the delay—” “Excuses are never valid, and I shall suffer them not!” “My—” the subordinate's voice broke “—my King...” “Enough! I tire of lingering. While you make me sit on my royal plot, the resistance could be dispersing from their holes, digging new ones.” King Sombra hit a hoof against the armrest. “I shall investigate this failure myself!” He abruptly stood up from the throne and walked toward the crystal hallway. The enchanter held his breath as the dark figure walked past him. No matter how many years of servitude, he would never get used to King Sombra’s intimidating presence. “I assure you, master. My interrogation method is 100% reliable when it works.” “Come with me, enchanter! I swear, if my interrogator requires your lesson on activating a simple crystal, he’s in for a serious demotion of rank.” “The activation process was never a problem...” the enchanter whispered as he dragged himself to the hallway after King Sombra. “You did fix the amulet, right?” The enchanter gasped. “But of course, my lord. It is much more stable than the earlier version...” King Sombra stopped in his tracks and stared down his enchanter who struggled to keep up the pace. “Are you telling me there are still stability issues with the amulet? Your instructions were to stabilize the effects! Have you failed me?” King Sombra struck a hoof on the crystal floor. “Ugh! We don’t have time for this!” He turned to the stairs and walked down toward the dungeons. The enchanter wheezily caught his breath before explaining, “The inherent features of the crystal are not static in nature. It’s that very property that allows the spell to work. I managed to successfully counter the majority of the detrimental effects, but the spell itself can not be made more stable...” “I allowed you a decade of research, countless test subjects and all the equipment you asked for. You claimed you’d make it work, yet the amulet still isn’t working properly, is it?” “Well, the thing is—” “The ponies who use it can still go bat-shit insane, is that what you’re trying to say? For your sake, it better not be!” Sombra kicked open the door to the holding cell. “Interrogator, report!” When the door to the cell opened, the pony inside dropped on all four hooves. “I’m fine. Hi-hi” He looked at the bloody mess beside him. “More than fine. Tehee. As fine as a butterfly! But she’s so quiet...” He poked at the motionless, red hurdle on the floor. “Well...” The enchanter swallowed aloud. “Obviously, there is still some chance of permanent mental disfiguration, but, perhaps, with some more research, I could, to some extent, counter the—” Sombra turned his head to him. “If you can’t honor your word to me, why should I honor your life?” The enchanter gasped. “My king...” “Guards!” King Sombra yelled. “Master, I beg of you...” He fell on his haunches. “Have mercy...” Two armored stallions burst in the holding cell. “Mercy is wasted on the pathetic weaklings.” King Sombra uttered through gritted teeth. “There is no room for imbeciles in My Crystal Kingdom.” The enchanter looked up at his king. “Please, no...” “Show this failure to the lower cells,” Sombra spoke firmly. “We’ll make an example of him at dawn.” He telekinetically ripped the amulet off the interrogator's neck. “Uuu, pretty!” the interrogator responded as he hoofed in the air at the floating object flying away from him. Sombra sighed and accelerated the necklace at the guard closest to him. “Dispose of this useless piece of trash.” “My life’s work!” the enchanter cried out. The guard stopped the flying necklace with his face then caught the piece of jewelry with a hoof just before it hit the floor. “Yes, master,” he stammered and shoved the necklace under his armor. “Your highness shall never lay thine eyes on it again.” A grin snuck onto his face. “I shall take care of it.” King Sombra nodded to himself. “My old methods of interrogation worked far better. To Tartarus with ‘progress’.” He thumped out of the cell, leaving the guards to poke freely at the crying mess on the floor. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
1 - Who Am I?I gasped. My heart pumped like crazy despite standing completely still. All four legs were spread out and strained as if I was in the midst of a tense situation. I opened my eyes. Before me stood a lavender alicorn. My presence didn’t seem to be worthy of her attention. All I got from her was a passing glance. Her wings, on the other hoof, were getting a full tending treatment. I relaxed my body a little but still kept my mind observant. The corridor of the big building was made of crystals. It didn’t look like a bad place. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a castle. A bit hollow, maybe, but that was nothing life-threatening. If there was an imminent danger, I didn’t see it. Something felt off, though. My teeth were still clenched. Yet, I just couldn’t point a hoof at the incorrectness. I felt uneasy in my own skin as if I was in a wrong spot, somehow. In contrast, the alicorn before me was relaxed—enthusiastic actually. Her wings were an endless source of joy for her since she uttered a high pitched squeak at their every flap. She hardly appeared hostile, seeming even less so when I watched her munch on the feathers. I relaxed my body a little, but the tension persisted. I felt as if I was being violated somehow. Yet, I could detect nothing menacing around me. The only thing that stood out was a necklace that lay on the floor, but it was static; not much of a threat. Yet, despite the insignificant size of the talisman, a preternatural glow was cast around the pendant. The alicorn wasn’t disturbed by the object or its glow; she was still engaged in the wing pruning session, and it didn’t seem appropriate to disrupt her euphoria just to sate my curiosity. The closest thing to violation was the pointy hat clenching on my horn. When I touched the bony spike with my blue hoof, I determined that it was, indeed, a part of me. I turned my head around and slid a foreleg under my starry cape. There were no wings hiding under there. Apparently, I wasn’t an alicorn like her but a mere unicorn. I sat down and looked between my hind legs—it seemed that I was a mare. The door behind the alicorn suddenly opened, making me twitch; a dragon peeked out. “What’s the ruckus?” His eyes spread wide as he looked at me. “You! Why are you here? What did you do this time?” He didn’t seem pleased at all to see me. “Um, hi there.” I tried to alleviate the tension. The dragon turned to the alicorn, ignoring my greeting. “Twi, what happened? I heard the door bang against the wall, and then you screamed like a little filly.” He stepped in front of the alicorn to get her attention. “Are you okay, Twi?” I deduced that they must have known each other well. Her name was apparently Twi. “Tri—” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath “I am fine, indeed.” A grin snuck on her face. “Tell me, what happened?” the dragon persisted “It sounded like you were in agony. Did you bump a hoof in your eye again?” “Everything is perfect!” Twi curtly exclaimed. “What’s that necklace doing on the floor?” He reached out to it with a claw. “Don’t touch that!” Her horn glowed. “It’s mine!” The necklace levitated up and sprang around her neck. “Any of you ponies care to explain what this necklace does?” Spike looked at Twi then at me. “It’s glowing, so it clearly has some magic to it.” Twi ignored the dragon. Her necklace swayed as she turned to her wings again. I had no idea what its effect was, if any. Not even knowing who I was, I decided to gather more information before attempting an in-depth interaction with the surrounding system. The dragon put a claw under his chin. “I think I’ve seen it somewhere before.” He stepped back in the room he’d come from. I could tell it was a library from the smell alone. The archaic, stale, heavy scent of tomes. I whiffed at the air and swallowed the excess saliva that gathered in my mouth. I instinctively followed, then abruptly stopped when the content of the library came into my view. My whole body shuddered at the sight as my eyes gulped at the bountiful books. All my nervousness from before vanished and was replaced by a relentless drive to absorb the sweet knowledge that was waiting there. Spike walked to a shelf and reached out for the old looking book. “Hey!” Twi peeked in from the hallway. “Forget about it. It’s just a necklace! Nothing special about it. Trixie just brought it as a gift. Nothing more!” The locomotion woke me up from the trance. It seemed, my name was Trixie. The dragon turned back to her. “You seem to be very protective of an ordinary necklace you just got.” He glanced at me. “And since when does Trixie bring gifts? Disasters yes, but gifts…?” “Trixie can bring gifts, too! She’s just misunderstood and labeled an enemy. She didn’t want to be hated by everypony anymore, so she brought me a necklace to make things right.” “Is that so?” the dragon looked at me. “Did you bring a gift for me as well, Trixie?” I looked over my body again. The cape was too big to fit a little dragon, so too was the hat. Either of them would cover him whole. I had nothing practical to give him. “I don’t think I did—” “Don’t believe her, dragon!” She pointed a hoof at me, accusingly. ”She’s lying because she’s Trixie, and we all hate her for some reason.” “You didn’t even let her say anything, Twi. And did you just call me ‘dragon’?” I turned to her and leaned my head to the side. “You hate me?” She looked at the dragon. “Well, she wanted to lie. And you are a dragon, are you not?.” “I do have a name, you know? Would it hurt to call me Spike?” He looked away and murmured. “Maybe I’ll start calling you ‘pony’ from now on.” I still didn’t understand the situation I’d found myself in, but at least I knew all of our names if nothing else. Twi turned to me. “You were about to accuse me of something so ridiculous that nopony would believe you, weren’t you, Trixie?” Her accusation wasn’t true. I half-closed my eyes. “Why would you think I would accuse you of something? And if I did, what would I charge you with?” Twi tilted her head and approached me. “Why are you asking Twilight Sparkle, the renown and praised Princess of Friendship all these questions?” Spike face-clawed. “Twi, I think Trixie can understand you just fine even if you don’t sink to her level.” She gasped at that. ”One does not sink to Trixie’s level!” “I just want to deduce what’s going on, that’s all.” I lifted up my tail and sat on my plot. She turned back to me. “You do?” Twilight rotated her eyes sideways then jerked back at me. “What’s your name?” she asked. Spike turned toward her with eyes wide open. “Twilight, why would you ask her such a redundant question? You know who she is.” “I am—Trixie?” I answered. “You don’t even remember, do you?” She grinned. “Tell me, what’s your earliest memory?” “I recall opening my eyes. You stood in front of me, looking at the necklace on the floor. Then you spread your wings and gasped.” “They are fabulous, are they not?” She spread them wide, knocking books from the shelves on both sides. “This is so great! It’s like a scene from one of my wet dreams.” “Um, Twilight...” Spike lifted a claw in the air. “I know that sharing is important to you, but, perhaps, you could make an exception and keep this one to yourself. Neither of us wants to hear about your sexual fantasies...” She took a deep breath through her nostrils and looked down on me. "Behold mortal, you are in the presence of the great alicorn princess." She closed her eyes and raised her head in the air while she knocked down a few more books with her flapping primaries. Spike face-clawed. "What was that all about?" "Shush, dragon, you're ruining the moment.” Twilight banged a hoof against the floor. “What’s your problem, pony?” Spike clenched his claws. I stood up and walked between them to ease the tension. Their friendship was in danger, and I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. Something compelled me to help them. “The mere unicorn pony and this alicorn princess"—she struck her pose again—"shall go for a walk outside now. The princess desires it!" She folded her wings and pushed me toward the door with a hoof. He sighed. “You’re in heat again, aren’t you...” She didn’t even throw him a glance as she replied, “When this princess returns to her very own castle, she will indulge in—” she put a hoof under the chin and looked to the ceiling“—peaches! Yes!” He just stood there with a gaping mouth. Twilight turned to me. “Outside, now!” She pushed against my buttocks. I glanced at the dragon. “Later, Spike!” When a hoof pushed me from behind again, I stepped forward to catch my balance. She ran to the hallway, ruffling my mane with a wing as she passed by me. “Um...” I caught up to her. She jumped up and down as she made her way toward the exit, flapping her wings along the way. “I’m an alicorn princess. I’m an alicorn princess.” She spread her wings. “Everypony will deify me now.” She raised her head and spoke into the air. “Bow down and worship me, mortals!” “Do you do that often?” I asked. She glanced at me. “Do what?” “Jump around, screaming you’re a princess...” “No.” She shielded her eyes from the sun with a hoof when I opened the front door for her. “But when I do, I flap my wings like this.” She stepped to the stairs and flapped her wings but couldn’t keep up with the acceleration. Her head connected with the first stair. “Aau!” Her plot followed along, tumbling over as she rolled down the stairs. I trotted to her. “Are you okay, Princess?” She got up almost as fast as she had fallen. “Stupid stairs! They’re even worse than wheels. Who, in Equestria, invents such health hazards?” “Are you sure it’s not your proficiency at flying that is to blame here?” “I’ve succumbed to your evil distraction ploy!” She pointed a hoof at me, accusingly. “I deem you guilty of an assassination attempt.” I sighed. “If my question really was the cause of your fall, I can assure you that it was not intentional.” “Apologize or be judged by royalty before you!” Twilight yelled at me. “I’m sorry,” I said, simply. “Good.” She got her grin back. “Apology received.” “So, did you bring me here to tell me something?” I asked. “Trixie…” She cocked her head as she looked at me. “Do you know how you lost your memory?” “No.” I shook my head. “Do you?” “Will you believe unquestionably what I tell you?” She looked at me with just one eye. “Um, okay...” I hesitantly said as I perked my ears. “Here’s what happened, Trixie.“ She poked me with a hoof. “You attacked me.” “I did?” I asked. “I don’t remember...” “You tried to use foul magic on me, but it ended up erasing your memory.” I sat down. “Is it permanent?” She smirked. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. All I want to know is; are you going to try to make things difficult for me again?” “No. I don’t want to make things difficult for anypony. I would, however, really like to know what happened to me on the psychological level, and if it can be reversed. Maybe I could learn a thing or two in the castle’s library. Surely there are some books that deal with thought spells, right?” “They’re my books, now!” “Would you mind if I took a peek at some of them?” I asked. “Yes. I would mind, indeed.” She half-closed her eyes. “You have no right to those books anymore.” “Please. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t even know who I am! Do you know of anypony who could help me remember?” “Pf!” she puffed. “You won’t find a decent pony in this whole town. They all hate you and won’t even talk to you, much less help you.” “Am I really that bad?” “No. It’s the ponies. They say they’d give a pony another chance, but then they don’t.” “Are you like that, as well?” “No! I’m nothing like that!” She clenched her teeth. “You say that I attacked you, and I’m sorry if I did.” I shuffled a hoof on the ground. “But I really don’t remember anything. Can I, maybe, make it up to you somehow? If you let me read your books, I promise I’ll take really good care of them.” “Ugh!” She snorted “I guess I really can’t let you just stroll around Ponyville and bring attention to yourself. If you’re not going to be a burden, you may stay in the castle… but you’re forbidden from the library!” “Why can’t I use the library?” I asked. “Because I don’t trust you, that’s why.” She lifted my chin with a hoof. “If you suck up to me, maybe, in time, I’ll let you read a book or two.” “Well, if I did something wrong, I want to fix it.” “It’s settled then! You stay out of my mane and I’ll try to tolerate your presence.” She turned around and trotted to the castle. “And now it’s time to roll in my bed and eat my peaches!” Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
2 - Destroying the PastI followed Twilight into the castle, glad that she didn’t just leave me outside. Our relationship was shaky, at best, so I tried to get on her good side by not provoking her in any way. I restrained myself from commenting when she peeked in every room along the way, even though I was very curious about that behavioral pattern. It was as if she was inspecting her own home. After ‘discovering’ the kitchen, she grabbed a bowl of peaches from the table and made me carry it to her bedroom. She trotted in the middle of the room and looked around. “Wow!” I put down the bowl of peaches from my mouth onto the table near the bed. “What is it?” I asked. “Each of these items... I recognize them. The memories of how they got here—I can access them.” “What’s so odd about that?” “Oh, um… nothing. They’re just useless memories.” Twilight trotted to the picture with many ponies in it. Her image was right in the center with wings spread wide apart. With a hoof she knocked it off the table; it crashed on the ground, shattering the glass casing. My heart sank when I saw the calamity. “I don’t need any of this stuff,” she said. “It doesn’t represent the real me. I’m getting rid of it all.” “It looks to me like these were gifts to you.” I intervened. ”Don’t you feel anything for these personal items?” “Nope, but you seemed to be quite attached to them. Interesting...” She half-closed her eyes as she stared me down. “Maybe you’re just an evil crook and wanted to steal everything.” I pondered on the thought. “You think?” “Yes, most definitely. You’re evil.” “I’m evil?” “Everypony hates you. Nobody appreciates you.” “Why is that?” I looked up at her. “What did I do to them?” “Nothing, everypony was just jealous of you.” “Are you jealous of me, too?” “No, of course I’m not. I’m nothing like those ignorant ponies.” She pointed a hoof at me. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t just come into my house—” she smiled as her eyes traversed all around “—and move yourself in.” She looked at me, and her smile got even bigger. “But perhaps you could earn your living here, after all.” Twilight turned to Spike when he peeked from behind the door frame. “Hey, dragon baby!” “Spike! My name is Spike!” He stepped in, his claws clenched at his sides. “Well, um, Spike… how would you like to have an assistant?” she asked. “Please tell me you’re not seriously considering letting Trixie stay. Besides, can assistants even have assistants?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t see why not.” “I’ve seen many universes, and in none would Trixie agree to that.” He looked at me. I sat down. “If I did something wrong, I want to make up for it.” Spike gasped. “I think this universe is the most broken one of them all.” Twilight ruffled my mane with a hoof. “You may stay, but you have to do everything we tell you to do. Actually, you can start pulling your weight right now. Here’s some trash for you to take out, Trixie.” She threw a book at me. It hit me and landed on the floor. I picked it up and dusted it out. There were engraved letters on the covers: Journal. “Twi, I gave you that journal for your birthday.” Spike thumped forward. “Why would you throw it away? I thought you liked my gift.” “You keep it then, scales.” She tore the book out of my hooves with her magic and dropped it before him as her eyes shifted up. “If this memory serves me right, we seem to have a joined journal now, anyway.” She trotted to the nearby shelf. “Aha! I remembered correctly!” Engulfing the book with magic, she telekinetically threw it at Spike. “Keep that one, too!” “That’s not even yours to throw away...” murmured Spike. “You!” She gazed at me. “Throw this in a trash bin!” A picture album flew at me. It hit me in the head and fell to the floor, opening at its last page. Before me, I saw pictures of Twilight and her friends. I shuffled the pages toward the beginning and from some point back she lacked her wings, but her friends remained at her side at all times. A warm feeling engulfed me. I could just stare at those happy pictures for the rest of the day and be content. At the very beginning of the album, there were pictures of her fillyhood. Spike raised his voice. “Twilight, how come you’re throwing your things away? Why are you acting like this?” “I need space—especially if Trixie is going to live with us. We need to make room for her; therefore, it’s her fault. Take it out with the newcomer.” His green eyes pierced me. “Whenever I see you, bad things happen.” “And that’s exactly why we’re letting her stay here, Spike. She’s up to no good and we have to keep an eye on her.” “I’m up to no good?” I asked. “Aren’t you?” She grinned at me. “I don’t think so, no.” “Oh, good.” Her horn charged up. “Then off on the road with you, tramp.” A magic field encased me and I drifted toward the door. I turned back, raising a leg toward her. “Please don’t throw me out. I don’t know where to go.” “We don’t care,” Twilight said. “We’re not a shelter for homeless ponies.” “Please let me stay,” I yelped. She waved a hoof at me. “Bye.” “Wait…” I swallowed my saliva, but I still felt a clog in my throat. “Perhaps, my intentions aren’t perfectly stellar. I might be up to no good…” Twilight trotted toward me. “Really?” The magic forcefield dissipated, making me fall to the floor. She towered above me. “You of all ponies? Do tell!” “Maybe,” I glanced at Spike then bowed my head. “I came to Twilight to ask her to stay out of my way while I do bad things.” “Yes, and I said that I’d never let you, right?” Twilight persisted. “You might have said something or other…” I looked down at my forehooves. “Is that what happened, Trixie?” Spike asked. “Yes, that’s exactly what happened.” Twilight intervened. “Then she promised to earn her living and not be evil if we let her stay here.” “Trixie, you, actually said that? No, something like that couldn’t possibly have happened. Damn! I really am in the wrong universe again, aren’t I?” “I do really want to stay.” I looked up at him. “My wish is to stay here. At least for a little while.” “You see, Spike?” Twilight chuckled. “We have her to thank for throwing all of the stuff away.” “No, please.” I rose a hoof in the air. “You don’t have to do that. I won’t take up any room.” “Why do you want to stay here so badly, Trixie?” Spike half-closed his eyes. “This doesn’t make any sense.” “I just do; I don’t know. I can’t explain it. The thought of leaving just terrifies me.” I stood up and turned to Twilight. “Please don’t throw out these things because of me. I won’t use much space. There’s no need to fret about me. I can sleep outside. Honestly, I really don’t mind.” “Nonsense. We can’t let a bum sleep in front of the princess’s home. We’re ponies, not some filthy diamond dogs. Now help me throw my useless stuff away.” “Can I take this?” I pointed at her album. “No, it’s my stuff, and I don’t want to give it to you. I want to throw it away. And this junk here, too.” She shuffled a hoof along the shelf, throwing books and pictures off it. My eyes fixed themselves at the beautiful things that gathered on the floor. I wanted to hold on to everything in the pile. Despite seeing the items for the first time, I felt a strong connection to them. “You really like all these things, don’t you, Trixie?” Twilight smirked. “It’s odd, but yes. I seem to really like them. Do they need to be thrown away? It feels like a waste.” Spike stepped forward. “Yeah, Twilight, what has gotten into you?” She gasped. “Why are you siding with her, assistant? I’m the one in charge here, and you are supposed to assist me.” “I thought this was my home, too,” Spike growled. “Fine!” She sighed. “Tell you what, Spike. I’ll throw what I don’t want on the floor and you can take whatever you want out of the pile. Trixie will throw out the rest.” “Um, can I take the rest of the things instead of throwing them out?” I asked and quickly bowed my head as her eyes pierced me. “And where will you stash your loot, servant?” “Twilight, I’m sure you can spare her a room somewhere in the whole castle.” “Ugh! Fine.” She trotted to the hallway and pointed a hoof at a small door. “That’ll be your room, Trixie.” “Twilight, that’s where I keep my brooms.” Spike protested. “I’m sure we can also fit a pony inside. Either way, you’ve wasted enough of my time, assistants. I wish to roll in my bed now and enjoy every moment of it!” “You’re going to bed?” Spike raised his eyebrows. “It’s the middle of the day. I thought you hated wasting reading light.” “I’ll just roll in it. There’s nothing suspicious about rolling in my own bed! Now, shush!” She waved a dismissive hoof in his direction. “Go show Trixie to her room, or something.” “You were always kind of weird, Twilight, but I thought I was getting the hang of you. It feels like I’m at square one again, though. It’s like you’re not even yourself.” “Whatever. Just go away!” She threw a pillow at him. “Ugh!” He crossed his claws on his chest and thumped to the exit where I was perched. He closed the door of Twilight’s room behind him. “Come, Trixie. Let me show you to your ‘room’.” “Thank you.” I smiled at him and followed his lead along the crystal corridor. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
3 - Settling in“Well, here’s the room Twilight designated for you, Trixie.” Spike opened the door. I jumped to the side to avoid getting hit by various brooms that fell in the hallway. “This room looks to be taken.” “Don’t worry, I’ll relocate my cleaning equipment.” “You don’t have to move the stuff on my account. I can adjust.” “Half of the rooms in this castle are completely empty, anyway.” “Can I at least help you out?” “Wow, you’re really taking this new role of yours seriously, aren’t you?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Here, you take the brooms, and I’ll grab the buckets.” I picked up one in my mouth and tried to grab the rest with a foreleg. “What’s this now? Did The Great and Powerful Trixie forget how to use magic?” I puckered my forehead and focused on the horn, but nothing happened. The broom fell down when I opened my mouth to speak, “Apparently, I did. Along with everything else...” “That spell you, supposedly, used in the morning must have really done a number on your mind.” He picked up a broom in his free claw and dragged it on the floor along with the buckets. “Stop the ruckus!” A voice came from Twilight’s room. “Some of us are trying to gloat here!” “Maybe I should take the buckets.” I leaned down and grabbed the handle of the bottom one to lift all of them. He grabbed the brooms with both claws. “I don’t know what’s with Twilight. Do you think your spell might have affected her, as well?” My mouth was full of bucket handle, so I just shrugged my shoulders. Spike dragged the brooms on the floor behind him. “I’ve seen her in her crazy state, but this is a whole new level. It’s like she isn’t even herself anymore.” Across the corridor, he opened the door to a small, empty cabinet. “Just throw them anywhere. Twilight never looks at these rooms. They are the only safe havens from her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” I put the buckets down and slid them in the corner with a hoof then shuffled the items so that the round handles would face the entrance for easy access. “I guess that ends today...” Spike commented. “Hm?” I turned to him. “I didn’t take you for the orderly type, Trixie.” “I just want to make things right, that’s all.” Spike threw the brooms in the middle of the room. “Let’s go get the rest.” He turned around. I was already done with the buckets, so there was no reason to delay. Still, the placement of brooms seemed wrong. They were just asking for somepony to trip over them. The vacant perpendicular layers remained unused and the horizontal component unviable for trafficking because it was hindered by material clogs. I quickly grabbed them and placed them vertically beside the buckets. That way they would take very little space while being readily available for anypony in a hurry to clean. When I turned around I noticed that Spike watched me from behind my plot. “What?” “That’s OCD if I ever saw it,” he said. I bowed my head and shuffled a hoof on the floor. He put a claw on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. If anything, Twilight will appreciate you more for it.” “I really hope she comes around in time. She forbade me from going to the library, but maybe she’ll let me borrow some books if I pick up my act and become more friendly. I want to read as much on the subject of memory loss as possible and get to the bottom of my induced amnesia.” Spike whispered to himself, “And you also love books… Trixie, what happened to you? You seem even more Twilightish than Twilight today.” He snickered. “Um, Spike...” I whispered as I slung my useless hat on the top shelf. I wasn’t sure why I even wore it. It looked silly and served no function. “Yeah?” “If Twilight really throws her things away, and if there are some left that you won’t want to take... Well, um, could I, perhaps, take the rest?” I bit my lip. “Why do you care about Twilight’s stuff? I knew you were obsessed with her, but I had no idea you were an actual stalker.” “No, no!” I shook my head. “It’s not like that! I just… I don’t want the things to get thrown away for no reason. It’s not right. Maybe in the future, she’ll regret throwing them out, and I’ll be able to return the items back to her. From then on, she might take good care of them. I don’t know who the ponies in the pictures are, but they look really happy together. What they represent is special. Friendships shouldn’t be taken for granted, and the items she has are a reminder of that.” “Tell that to the Princess of Friendship. It’s as if she forgot her own calling.” “I’m not sure she’d listen to me.” “Don’t worry, Trixie. I’ll take whatever she decides to throw away. She still asks me now and then if I found her Smarty Pants toy doll she had since her childhood.” He walked along the hallway. I followed behind him. “He-he, Smarty Pants...” Hearing that name made me giggle. “She gave it away once, and she’ll regret that for the rest of her life. I won’t let the same happen with the other things in her possession.” “That’s a funny name, Smarty Pants. I love it.” He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Trixie, do you remember when I followed the migrating dragons?” His eyebrows rose as he looked up at me. I shook my head. “Was I there?” He sighed and bowed his head. “Well, no, you weren’t...” “How could I remember it then?” I leaned my head to the side. “Yes, you’re right…” He awkwardly rose a claw behind his head. “Never mind! Forget I asked.” He walked on. “I would very much like to hear about it, Spike. It sounds like an eventful adventure. Also... I really like talking to you, in general. Just being around you makes me feel less alone. Can you tell me about your journey?” He sighed. “Maybe later... Let’s get the rest of the cleaning equipment moved from your ‘room’” Spike said. A moment later, my ears shot up as something shattered. I wiggled them around and pinpointed the sound to Twilight’s room. We looked at each other. “Or better yet”—Spike pointed a claw in the direction of the kerfuffle—“let’s take away Twilight’s stuff before she breaks it all.” I nodded and we both ran toward her room. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
4 - The Former Wings of a DragonSpike opened the door to Twilight’s bedroom and peeked inside. “I heard something break.” I put my head between the doorway over Spike’s mohawk scales. “Oopsy...” Twilight smiled over the shattered remains of the bowl. Half-eaten peaches were scattered all over the room. “What happened?” Spike asked. Twilight pointed a hoof at me, accusingly. “It’s Trixie’s fault. She put the peaches too close to the bed and I knocked over the bowl when I bounced up and down on the mattress.” Spike walked inside. “Why were you jumping on the bed?” “It’s my bed and I do what I want to.” Spike turned to me. “Trixie, get a broom before somepony gets a shard stuck in her hoof.” “On it!” I said and ran to the cabinet with orderly placed brooms. With one in my mouth, I raced back, but stopped in my tracks when I sensed the seriousness in Spike’s tone, “Twilight, do you remember when I went on a dragon migration?” It was the same question he had asked me. Was it a test of sorts? I crouched by the door on the other side of the wall to avoid getting seen. “Yes, I do seem to remember,” she answered. “A dragon going on migration by foot. That was a very stupid thing to do.” It was wrong to eavesdrop without their knowledge, but the conversation could prove very informative for all sides involved. I needed more information to have at least some chance of helping them. It was for that reason that I didn’t want to miss out. “But, you supported me then.” I stayed quiet so I wouldn’t interrupt the conversation by letting them know of my presence. “Yes, You were told that you need to sate your aspirations. That advice was stupid. I should have just told you right there and then how bad your idea was.” She shook her head and looked at him. “Why are you even asking me this?” Their friendship was shaky, and they were clearly expressing it. “I don’t know. I’m actually sorry I did.” With appropriate communication, they could mend it, but not if I interrupted them. She just needed to reach out to him. “It’s okay, wings regrowing dragon.” I silently gasped upon hearing the rough expression she used. “Why—why did you just call me that?” “Don’t you find it odd that all dragons have wings, and yet, you didn’t have them most of your life?” “What made you bring this up all of a sudden, Twilight? The wings come with the molting. You know this.” “Hey, if you want to stay in the closet that’s fine by me.” She squinted her shoulders. “No!” He raised his voice. “If you want to say something, say it!” “The molting isn’t a metamorphosis. It’s just a regeneration process. You used to have wings even before that, but you forgot about that because you were too young at that time.” “No, I never had wings before molding... did I?” “They were big and spikey. The ones you have now vane in comparison.” I couldn’t resist peeking inside the room. “I had wings bigger than this?” He reached back with a claw and caressed the small wings on his back. “Mhm, but then we cut them off.” Grinning, she focused her eyes on his face. He gasped. “Please, tell me this is just some kind of a sick joke.” “Everything I’m telling you comes directly from the memories I have. I guess even princesses have a hidden past, ey? Surprise!” “So you’re not lying, after all.” His voice broke. “It’s all true.” “You better believe it. You were flying all over the place, making a mess of everything. Wings had to go.” “No way!” Spike hyperventilated. “Yup, that’s what happened. Memories don’t lie. Oh, and then they let me keep you, wasn’t that nice?” He tensed up. “I always thought I was born without wings. I never brought up this issue with you before because I was afraid you’d get curious and would do tests on me.” He looked up at her with teary eyes. “What if you found out that I’m some degenerate freak of nature? I didn’t want you to look at me that way. I liked what we had between us and didn’t want to risk it.” His claws clenched into fists. “But you knew about it, all along. You were a part of it.” She smiled at him. “Twilight, I want you to know that I’m not okay with this. I’m not okay with any of this by a long shot!” His body tensed. “It will take me some time to process what you told me. I'll need some alone time, away from this place. For both our sakes.” I gasped and retracted my head just when he turned to the exit. “You’re free to do whatever it is that you want to do, wingless dragon. Good luck on your new migration.” Spike gasped then sighed. “Right… We’ll be having this discussion again in a few days.” His voice broke as he shut the door behind him. “Maybe.” He noticed me. I hugged both hind legs and bit on my lip. My body shook. I looked up at him and reached out with a hoof toward one of the tensed shoulders. Spike swatted it away with a claw. “Your sympathy is the last thing I need right now.” He faced away from me and thumped down the hallway. I wanted to pursue him, but I was afraid I’d only make things worse. Maybe I was the one responsible for everything bad. If I could learn about the spell that I had used and find a way to undo it, perhaps I could make things right again. Getting myself to the library was my best bet for that. If I stayed stuck in the amnesic condition, I might even make a bigger mess of everything. Spike’s departure was a testimony to my ineptitude. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
5 - Just You and MeI brought a broom into Twilight’s room. She lay on the bed, facing the ceiling. A floating peach spun around in a magic field above her. She glanced at me. “You still here?” “I thought you were okay with me staying in your castle,” I said. “I just want to help you.” “Whatever. At least make yourself useful and throw all this trash away. Now go and let me eat my peaches in peace.” The pile of her possessions on the floor accumulated to a dreadful height. I turned to her. “I’ll take it to my room.” “Trixie, how dare you disobey me. I ought to—” she raised her head and brought a hoof to her chin. “banish you and put you in a dungeon at a place I banished you to.” She laughed. “Oh, these memories crack me up. Your friends are so stupid.” My ears perked up. “I have friends?” “No.” She dismissively waved a hoof at me. “Forget I said that. I have friends. Stupid friends, but they’re mine! You’re the despised one now.” I stepped closer to her. “Twilight, can I ask you a question?” “Ugh!” She snorted. “What is it?” “If I ever got back my memories, do you think I’d turn back into the evil Trixie I was before?” She twitched. “Don’t say that! Trixie wasn’t evil, she was just misunderstood.” “I was?” “Forget about your memories, Trixie. As you can see,” she pointed to her starry cutie mark, “I’m the princess of magic. Believe me when I tell you that you shall never get them back.” She caressed the necklace that she wore around her neck. “It’s best you get used to your new reality—as my servant.” “Can I still take a peek at some of the books in your library? It never hurts to double-check, you know?” “Do you think you earned that right yet?” Her eyes pierced me. “No...” I whispered and proceeded with sweeping the glass shards. “I guess not.” “You know what, Trixie. If that’s your motivation to serve me, I’ll let you earn worthiness points. When you get enough of them, I’ll lend you a book from my library. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, bookworm?” I nodded. “Well, you’re in luck, servant. Here’s an opportunity for you to earn some points. Come with me!” She leaped over the shards on the floor onto the pile she’d accumulated in the middle of the room. I shook when I heard a crack under her hooves. “It just so happens that I’m yearning for a warm bath.” She descended from the pile of fragile things and walked past me. “I haven’t had one in, like, ages. Just cold lakes to keep me clean.” “Why did you use lakes? Don’t you have a bath in the castle?” I followed her down the hallway. “Hm...” Her eyes shifted up. “If these memories serve me right, there’s actually a really big barrel in the basement. That’s where I’ll get the luxury I deserve. I saw a hose and a bucket in front of the castle in the morning. Fill it up with water, pour it in here and repeat until you fill it up to the edge.” “Won’t the water spill over if I fill the barrel to the top before you get in?” A smile grew on my lips. I had felt inadequate for not having any memories, but I found something that I was apparently good at: logic. Well, at least I was more adept at it than Twilight. “Don’t question me, smartass!” She raised her voice as we got to the basement entrance. She leaned a hoof on the wall while she gazed down the stairs. Her ears stood flat against her head. I stepped to her. “What’s wrong?” “Whaa?” She looked at me with eyes wide open. “Oh, nothing. Just do what you’re told! There’s nothing wrong with me!” I nodded and trotted toward the castle’s exit. As I made my way down the stairs of the castle’s entrance, I set my sights on the hose connected to the faucet. Its vast length was retained in a few dozen curls. There were flowers planted to the side of the castle, so that’s probably why they had to install such a long hose. There was also a rusty bucket beside the wall, but I wouldn’t need it for my plan. When I put my head through the center, I felt the full weight of the hose. It was heavy. I knew it would get easier with time, so I persisted. Walking backward toward the castle, I let it untangle over my head. I made my way up the stairs, to the entrance, leaving a trail of hose behind me. By the time I reached the stairs to the basement, I already untangled half of the hose, so it was much easier to carry the burden. I caught up to Twilight just when she stepped off the last step into the crystal cellar. When I bowed my head, the coiled weight slid down my neck and fell to the floor. “I left the bucket outside. The hose was long enough.” “Um, okay...” she said, disengaged. ”I’ll go open the flow now. With this method the barrel will fill much faster than it would if I carried water in the bucket.” “Whatever, just stop wasting my time. I want to feel the freedom of floating on the water. Bathing always relaxes me.” Her eyes darted around as she peeked into the barrel. “Wait!, there’s junk in here. This whole basement is littered with junk. As if it wasn’t confining enough.” I looked over the edge of the barrel. There were 15 different pieces, 11 metal bars and 4 plates interconnected with wiring. “These parts still look usable.” “It’s junk!” She proceeded to throw the intriguing parts out of the barrel. I felt a squeeze in my chest as the plates hit the floor and broke apart. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. I needed to get out of there. “I’ll go open the flow.” She seemed wary of the basement. It struck me as odd since it was supposedly a part of her home. My feelings were on the opposite spectrum of hers. What I experienced was enthusiasm at the site of the potential that the room offered. There was enough space to build a whole laboratory there, and it was already built. How amazing was that? When I made it back to the flower garden outside of the castle, I clenched at the valve of the faucet with my mouth. When it was fully opened, and I heard water flowing through the tap, I trotted back up the stairs in the castle. Another one of my features that I seemed to have was that I wasn’t as dismissive as Twilight. At least as the person I was at the time. How she managed to gain the title of Princess of Friendship was beyond my comprehension. She may have not realized it, but she needed me even more than I needed her. I was poised to demonstrate to her a better way to connect to fellow ponies. Gaining her trust was the first hurdle I’d have to surmount before I could show her anything. As soon as I stepped down the last stair into the cellar, I was greeted with yelling, “You opened the cold water. And it dared to spray me! This is no different than bathing in a pond and I’m above that now. I want hot steamy water!” “The plumbing I observed outside only supports one flow: the cold one. However, I’m sure that we could find a heater in the whole castle. Worst case scenario, we could probably make one with all these fine instruments.” “You bathe in cold water, see how it feels! Yes, you be the bottomfeeder for a change. I want you to actually do it, and warm it up for me with your body temperature while you’re at it.” “I’m sure there are more optimal ways for heating water than—” “—You go in the barrel or you go out of my home!” “Fine…” I put a hoof in it. “Wait! You’ll get it dirty.” I was determined to keep my cool despite losing my patience. “Make up your mind! What do you want from me?” Her eyes shifted up. A moment later, she jerked a hoof at me. “I’ve got it! I know I’ll never use that bodysuit, so I may as well make you wear it.” She grinned and ran up the stairs. “Stay here and keep the water going.” I sighed at that statement. “It’s flowing by itself…” She turned and walked up the stairs. I was left alone. Just standing there felt like a waste of time. I had so many ideas of the things I could improve upon. There was also the whole castle for me to map out, if Twilight would give me permission to do it, that is. If nothing else, the basement was right there for me to explore. I walked around. There were large closets at the walls. Some intriguing machines in the corner and a big platform in the center. A metallic arch was spread over it. In the middle of a wide corridor between the many tables was an iron construction. It was the size of a pony and had iron bars as if it served as a cage. There were straps welded in the sides. When I heard hoofsteps on the stairs, I assumed my designated position near the barrel. Twilight burst down. She carried something in the magic field above her. With both forelegs, she leaned on the edge of the barrel and looked inside. “Haven’t you filled it yet?” I used all my willpower to stop myself from facehoofing “It’s filling itself and the flow is at maximum.” “Well, hurry up with it, will you?” she snorted and focused upon her magic bubble. When her horn light faded, a black fabric fell before me. “With this clingy bodysuit, you can keep my water clean while warming it with your body temperature. It obviously wasn’t made for me.” Her body shook. “It was made before you—I got my wings. And even if it was sewn for me, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this hazard to personal space. You wear it!” I didn’t know what her problem was. It was just clothes, same as my cape and that certainly wasn’t hurting me in any way. It was a stupid thing she wanted me to do, but I did need to gain her trust, so I decided to go along with it. “If you really want me to, I will do it for you, Twilight.” “Yes, do it. How do you put that thing on, anyway?” She cocked her head. “It has a zipper.” I showed it to her. “Go on, dress up for me, plebeian. I want to see it touch you all over, like a hundred hooves molesting you all at once. Every movement you make will find resistance. Your body will be trapped. Bound all over. Captured. It will crumple your coat and you’ll feel it with every hair on your body. Like an ever-present all-encompassing itch that you won’t be able to scratch. A touchy hoof may be swatted away, but the enclosing fabric clings on relentlessly, unmindful of the concept of consent. No safe word can get the body out of the bind. The will of the wearer is all but disregarded. The freedom of the body is perpetually denied by the tightness of the wrapping togs.” I picked up the cloth with a hoof. The fabric felt smooth to the touch. “It’s just clothes...” I spread it on the floor under me. After stepping in with both hind legs I slowly pulled it up. The sleeves were narrow, so I had to use some force to stretch them enough for my legs to fit inside. Before pulling the tight fabric over my plot, I bent back and wiggled my tail through the hole. “Is it tight? Do you feel trapped?” Twilight pointed a hoof at my flank. “It is a bit encroaching in the crotch area, but the material stretches, so it’s not that bad,” I explained. “The fabric is tight, but it’s not restricting my movements in any way. If I ignore the clinginess all over my body, it feels as if I’m wearing nothing at all.” “You look silly in these tight clothes,” Twilight commented. I didn’t say anything. “My bath still isn’t ready! Jump in the barrel and warm up the water. Meanwhile, I’ll go upstairs, roll in my bed and half-eat the rest of my peaches.“ “Okay,” I said obediently and slipped in the barrel. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
6 - The Book I SpyThe prospect of me warming water with body temperature was ludicrous at best. Especially because I wore waterproof clothing that hindered temperature exchange further. I was fighting against cooling from evaporating water, radiation from the surface and convection at the same time. There was no point to it. I perked up my ears as I looked toward the exit. It was quiet. I stepped to the stairs and listened again. Nothing. I crawled up the stairs and peeked in the library. The coast seemed clear. But there was something in the air. I could hardly detect the smell, but the presence of a heavy odor was undeniable. I couldn’t identify it. There weren’t many sensory memories to go on. A puff of smoke rising from a side room gave me a clue about what the smell could be. I figured that Twilight’s pyromania would keep her occupied and hoped that the castle wouldn’t burn down. With each step I slowed my hooves just before they hit the floor, making almost no sound in my gait to the library. When I reached my destination undetected, I slowly moved toward the lower shelf I had my sights on. With my mouth, I grabbed the book that Spike’d been reaching for earlier that day. “Hey!” The sound behind me echoed through the hallway. I twitched and turned around. The loud complaint came from another room. “Wow, a picture of the Princess of the Night! I’m definitely keeping you. Everypony hating on you for a thousand years. You know what it’s like to not belong, don’t you, Luna?” From that point on, it was obvious to me what the smell was. She was burning something. Pictures, no doubt. I slid back to the basement with the book in my mouth. The anticipation made my skin crawl. The evidence for her transgression accumulated, but I needed a final confirmation to be sure. When I came to the barrel in the basement, I put the book on the floor beside it and slid myself into the water. I kept my ears pinned toward the stairs in case my resentful host came to check on me. I leaned over the edge and looked at the book: Legendary Artifacts. I opened it and hoofed through the pages. Each one had a picture and text description below it. I visualized Twilight’s artifact around her neck and compared it with images as I shuffled through the book. There! A perfect match. Crystal based energy capacitors were designed to resonate with brainwaves, displacing them in the process. The needed potential can only be achieved when no conductor is present within its bounds. All the talismans were disposed of soon after being invented. They were supposed to be used to invade the memories of those who opposed the tyranny in the Crystal Empire. The prototypes were deemed unreliable. Because failure was illegal in the Crystal Empire at the time, the inventor met his end. He was burned alive on the pyre of his life’s research. By unknown means, some talismans did survive the purge. They changed many owners via the black market through the ages. They are deemed dangerous to the health and wellbeing of ponies and are to be confiscated by the highest authority upon being found. Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
7 - Escape ArtistWhen I heard hoofsteps on the stairs to the basement, I quickly closed the book and lay it behind the barrel in which I resided. To hide it from Twilight’s prying eyes, I jerked the nearby metal connector over it. The time for her to learn of my treachery would come, but it was still too soon. “Is my bath warm enough yet, servant?” She yelled down. “Almost,” I lied. I couldn’t warm it up with her method even if I sat in it for eternity. “Hurry up, will you? Ugh.” She looked around. “I’ll just tidy up this place in the meantime. Everything needs to go.” I gasped as she walked in the middle and charged her horn. “It’s all trash and it’s making this basement cramped. I want space; lots of space!” She had to be stopped, and it just so happened that I had a plan to do just that. I initialized the first phase. “Excuse me, Alicorn Princess?” She glanced at me. “Huh?” “May I pose a question? I couldn’t figure it out myself, but I’m sure you could tell me. What does that do?” I pointed to the construction in the middle of the basement. “That’s, em—” Her eyes shot up. “—oh dear!” “What is it?” I raised my eyebrows. She ran to the nearby bucket. “blech!” she puked in it. I put both forehooves on the edge of the barrel. “Are you okay?” “Oh, Twi, what has Celestia been making you do… ” “Did you remember something?” “Yes. I really need to stop accessing these memories in my head. They’re horrible.” “So, what is it used for then?” “Trust me, you don’t want to know. I wish I didn’t.” I needed an advantage over her and that device would get me that. The composition of the parts gave a clear indication of what purpose the construction was meant to fulfill. Getting myself strapped onto it was my way to freedom. Her earlier attack left my mind in ruins. For all I knew, she could wield powers beyond my comprehension. With the extent of her powers being a variable, I had no way of calculating the probability of my success in opposing her. However, the odds of me winning against her would increase if I gave myself a head-start by overcoming her beforehoof. Every advantage I could get might prove to be the difference between victory and defeat. There wouldn’t be another chance after my attempt at rebellion. She had made her first move and won, taking most of what I was away from me. Without some kind of a boon on my side, I had little chance of turning the tide. I initiated the next step of my scheme. “I could escape from that with no problem.” “Yeah, right… ” “I think you just don’t want me to show my ingenuity because it would prove that I’m more adept at it than you are.” “What did you say?” “You know that I could get out of it with no problem, and that’s why you won’t give me a chance to prove it to you.” She laughed. “You wish!” “It’s okay, I’m already a moral winner in my mind and you not giving me the opportunity to show my capabilities just solidifies my greatness. I won’t shove it in your face, though. Your safe box of ignorance that you’re in is perfectly safe. I’ll just be quiet from now on so you can keep on ignoring the facts.” I clenched my lips together. Her lowered jaw finally managed to move. “You’re, actually, serious... Well, you’re dead wrong thinking you could escape it. This frame was designed to withstand changelings. It passed the most rigorous testing with flying colors. Many copies of it are used constantly in Canterlot dungeons and none had ever failed.” She looked at me with a grin. “But you know what? I want to see you try. Go on, I’ll strap you in.” I climbed out of the barrel of water and moved into the frame. Things were going as I hoped. She played along like a pawn on my chessboard. There wasn’t much else for me to do anymore. I wiggled my tongue around my mouth, but only within the boundaries of my teeth. I didn’t want to give out any indication of what I was doing. She charged her horn. “I’ll fix you up real good.” She tightened the first strap over my body. “And then I’ll watch you struggle as I bathe.” It hurt. If it wasn’t for the stretchy body clothing I wore, it would have bruised my skin. Even though I wasn’t fond of the pain, sustaining any wounds was of no concern to me. I was complacent with the bodily damage she might cause. At that point I cared little about what could happen to the temporary shell I resided in. “Is this too tight for you!?” She pulled the leg strip with her magic. “Nnn!” I almost opened my mouth due to the intense pain. The strap clenched through my clothes and gripped at my skin. I worked through it because there was no other alternative. The future was riding on my plan. It all rested on me keeping my mouth shut until just the right moment. I may have gone a bit overboard with provoking her. “I bet you even like it, freak!” She pulled the straps on my other foreleg. The pain rushed through me, but I was ready for it at that time. I slowly exhaled through my nostrils and breathed in again. “I just thought of something.” She stopped and looked to the ceiling. “I don’t like you. I don’t like having you around. But I can’t really throw you out, either. Without your memories, you’d be even worse off than I was, and everypony hated me. I also don’t want ponies to suspect anything out of the ordinary.” As I tried to move my last free hind leg from the frame, she tightened it against the pole with her magic. I didn’t like where she was going with her monologue. I widened my eyes as I looked at her. “I want to see you as a bottom feeder for a change. I’ll just keep you down here. Forever! I’ll eat the food in front of you. I’ll make you say nice things to me and make up reasons why I’m as great as I am. After that, depending on how pleasing your praise of me will be, I may give you some of the leftovers.” My muscles tensed when she tightened the last strap around my neck. “There. All done. You’re trapped. There’s no way you can escape, but I do really want to see you struggle. Go on, twirl about, my little captive! He-he! I want to see your futile attempts.“ I tried to move, but my body remained fixed in place. I was utterly secured. It was time for the last phase. She stood in front of me. “What do you think about my plan, bottomfeeder?” She leaned in and smiled. The amulet dangled back and forth on her neck. I smiled back at her. It had taken some time to gather enough saliva in my mouth. Fortunately for me, she was too obsessed with gloating to grow suspicious of my silence. It mattered little, for it was time. The preparation was complete. She raised an eyebrow. “What are you smiling about, captive?” I puckered my lips and aimed. “Hmm?” “Ptooey” I spit a mouthful of saliva at the amulet, betting everything on the information I gathered from the book. Sparks projected out of the amulet around her neck. The light in the crystal faded out. “What the—” she exclaimed Darkness. I was drenched in it. When I opened my eyes I saw a blue unicorn in a tight bodysuit, strapped to the contraption in front of me. She was helpless to resist me in any way. I caressed her head with a wing. “Hello, Trixie!” Author's Note Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigame when you're done reading this chapter.
