We're Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Lunar Line

Twilight woke up at precisely 04:37. Yawning, she sat up, then reached over to hit her alarm clock. However, her hoof hit a wall. She opened her eyes and looked around. "Oh yeah," she whispered as her eyes fell on Starlight and Trixie. She got out of bed and slowly made her way to her room.

She turned into her bathroom and brought her toothbrush up with her magic. She put on a dot of toothpaste; no more, no less. She put it in her mouth and brushed, for precisely two minutes; afterwards, she spat out the toothpaste, rinsed the brush, and put it back. She hopped into the shower for three minutes and seven seconds; no more, no less. When she got out, she used the fifth towel, as it was Thursday; she made sure to rub off every part of her body. Mane gleaming and teeth shining, she went into her main room and glanced at the clock. 04:50. Perfect.

She walked out into the hall, a new bounce in her stride. It took her sixty five steps to reach the officers room; it always did.

For once, she stopped before entering the Officer's room.

I should check on them... Twilight walked over to Starlight's room, her hooves slowly clacking on the tiled floor in stark contrast to her quiet entrance. Just to make sure...

As she got to the dark room, she poked her head in. Starlight appeared to be comfortably asleep, but Trixie was sat up, looking at the door. "H-hey Trix,"

"Lemme come with you," Trixie said quietly.

"I... ok," Twilight shrugged and waited outside for Trixie to get out.

---Trixie---

Trixie gave Starlight a quick kiss on the forehead, then slid off the bed and onto the floor. She shook her mane to make it look somewhat presentable, then walked outside to meet Twi. "Ok,"

The two set off for the Officer's room. "Hey Trix?"

"Yes Twi?"

"That stallion Starlight said committed the ultimate crime... that means he raped someone, right?" Twilight asked, voice full of curiosity.

"I... yeah..." Watch your mouth, Twilight Spar

"Was it you?"

Trixie froze midstep. Although Twilight was just curious, she wasn't able to answer it without

"Oh, is that something I'm not supposed to ask?" Twilight asked from her seat. "I'm sorry," Her frown seemed genuine, and her voice was full of sincerity.

"I... it's ok..." Trixie walked in and slid into her seat, shaking a little. "Just... don't ask again please..."

"You got it,"

"O-or mention it to any other pony..."

"No problem," Twilight gave her a little smile. "Your secret's safe with me,"

Trixie buried her face in her hooves. "I... it's not... hngh..."

"Are you okay?" Trixie heard Twilight get up and felt her kneel down next to her. "I can get Starlight, or you can go back..."

"Th-thanks for the offer, but..."

"But...?"

"I'll pass..." Trixie looked up at the table. "Let's just do this, ok?"

"Alright. I'll let you be,"

"Somethin wrong sugarcube?" The two unicorns looked up to see Applejack walk into the room and take a seat.

Trixie began with "Not that you need to wo"

Pinkie Pie leaned into the room and said "Just that Trixie got raped a bunch of times!" She then happily skipped her way down the hallway.

"Oh... tha's..."

Trixie buried her face in her hooves. Fuck. "Just..."

"I..." Another voice, very posh, said from the doorway. "I'm so sorry to..."

Trixie could tell that the mares were still talking, but she tuned them out. Just focus on being calm. It doesn't matter that all your friends know that you were assaulted... right?

---Twilight---

"Just shut up you fools!" Twilight seethed at the two newcomers. "Shut the fuck up and"

Twilight paused as she heard a single sob from the cyan mare. "Ah..." Applejack began, silencing when Twilight gave her a deadly glare.

"Trixie..." Twilight focused her magic and teleported the two of them to Starlight's room.

---Starlight---

Starlight awoke with a stretch. "Hngh... morning Tri..." Her voice died off as she found herself alone in bed. She sat up, creaky forelegs barely holding her up. That's odd, where is she?

At that instant the room was filled with a purple flash. Trixie stumbled onto the floor as another flash signaled Twilight's departure. "Trix?!"

Rather than respond, Trixie just lay there. Starlight looked down at her; she wasn't even breathing. "Not this again..." She levitated the mare up onto the bed, rolled Trixie onto her lap, and began to gently massage the mare. "That any better...?"

Trixie began to breathe again. "They... they kn-know about it..."

Starlight sighed. "You'll be ok Trix... trust me,"

Trixie whimpered.

---Trixie---

I'm such a fucking failure. Can't even keep my own secrets... Trixie looked up at Starlight and quietly asked "You s-sure?"

"Of course," Starlight stopped massaging and sat Trixie up, pulling the mare against her chest. "You'll be perfectly fine,"

Trixie sniffed. "B-but"

"Shhhh," Starlight put a hoof on Trixie's lips. "Quiet..."

Trixie quieted.

"Now, I have to go help the girls. Do you wanna come with...?"

"I... in a b-bit..."

"Ok. I'll check in shortly, mk?"

"O-ok," And just like that, Starlight set Trixie to the side and disappeared. Great, just me and my thoughts...

She pulled open her desk drawer with her magic and floated her pen over to her. She put the writing end against her foreleg and slowly pushed on the little clicker on the top to get the actually inked part to come out. Come on, just do it! Trixie gasped as she pushed the tip all the way out and it buried itself in her flesh.

...why did I do that? She quickly took the pen out and put it to the side, staring at the small puncture mark it left in her foreleg. That fucking stings...

Trixie took a deep breath. Calm down Trixie, deep breaths... in... out... in... Her hyperventilation slowed into a panicked breathing, noticably better if still worse. There you go...

Trixie's routine was interrupted as the door was slowly pushed open, surrounded in a pink haze. "Hey Trix..."

Trixie quickly scrambled to cover her self-inflicted wounds just a moment before Starlight's head poked into the room. "Uh, h-hey Starry!"

"Starry, eh?" Starlight chuckled as she she waved Trixie out. "Keep it out of the Officer's room though, mk?"

"Wh-whatever you say!" Trixie galloped out of the room. Very discreet...

---Twilight---

Twilight was giving a presentation to her fellow officers; the map was gone, and in it's place was a large sheet with numbers, words, and every other imaginable character. It was a production sheet of the last week. "So, as you can see, we went up by about... 17.295 rifles produced, with similar gains across the board. Any questions?"

"Well, not on this, but on something similar," Applejack said. Twilight still wasn't good with ponies, but she assumed it was... hostility in her voice? That couldn't be right...

"Yes AJ?"

"Well, I was thinkin' bout what's gonna happen after... after we win this," Applejack pointed at the table. "How this nation o' ours is gonna be run,"

"Well, I assumed the same as always, right? A monarchy?"

Before Twilight could continue, the room broke out into a chorus of shouting. "So did I darling!" "You're joking, right egghead?" "What's a monrachy?"

"Ladies, quiet!" Twilight slammed a hoof on the desk, quieting the room. "I don't know, and I don't plan on thinking about it. We've got a war to win, ok girls?"

After a few seconds of deliberation, each of the girls said "ok" in order.

Trixie burst through the door, face covered in a sheet of sweat. She quickly slammed the door behind her and dashed under the table. "Uhhhhh..."

"Oh!" Trixie backpedaled out from under the table, smiling from ear to ear. "H-hi girls! You, uh..." Trixie hung her head low and trudged to her seat, sliding into it. Her smile was replaced with trembling lips and watery eyes.

Uh, what'd the books say? Oh! "Trixie... mind telling us what that was...?"

"What what was?" Starlight's head poked through the door before she pulled herself through.

"N-nothing!" Trixie shouted, smile plastered on her face.

"She dove under the table, realized we were here, and then..." Starlight pointed to Trixie. "This..."

Starlight groaned. "Trixie, what's wrong,"

"N-nothing!"

"Trixie, I will travel back in time an-"

"Fine!" Trixie dashed next to Starlight and whispered something to her. Starlight's face fell a little, causing Trixie to take a step back, before she said "I'm sorry, shouldn't have left you alone..."

"No, it's my fault! I'm the one who did... it..."

Twilight cleared her throat. "Ladies, this is still a military planning room. Can you save that for later...?"

Starlight sighed. "You're right Twi. C'mon Trix, sit down," The two mares sat across the table from each other, eyes shifted towards some random speck of the wall.

Applejack's eyes suddenly light up. "Say, Starlight. What's in store fer the ponies once we win this war?"

"Well, obviously a monarchy," Starlight's voice held no hint of sarcasm.

That's what I'm talking about!

---Trixie---

What?!

Trixie stood up and slammed the table. "Starlight! We talked about this!"

Starlight sighed. "I know, bu-"

"But what?! You're just gonna throw out everything like that?! Again?!"

Trixie could feel everypony's eyes on her. She knew her eye was twitching. She didn't care.

Starlight had betrayed her.

"Now T-trix-"

"Well, if that's what you want, I'll just start burning this place to the ground!" Trixie aimed her horn at Starlight, charging it with all her power. "And I'll start with you!"

---Starlight---

The last thing Starlight saw was a bright flash of cyan, and a snarl full of hatred.