“We can’t do this anymore, Bayou,” Fleur cried, tears in her eyes. “Am I supposed to forget everything? Do you know what rumors I’ve been hearing?”

“It’s all a mistake, dear,” Bayou Runner said, trying to calm his frantic wife. Inwardly, he cursed the Daily Bugle and Spider-Mare.

Somehow, the raggedy paper had gotten their hooves on pictures of him fighting Spider-Mare in that warehouse. Some photos showed him fighting alongside the infamous villain Doctor Octopus, making it seem like he was giving orders. Worse, a certain blue unicorn had leaked whatever she had on him to the press. While not anything concrete or provable, together with everything else, it painted a damnable picture. While Bayou Runner doubted he’d face serious charges, this debacle had damaged his near-spotless reputation. Some whispered he might be the infamous Kingpin.

“No, you have been lying to me.” His wife paused, trying to compose herself. “I’ve always suspected you had some secret side. Call it a mare’s intuition. But I ignored it. Told myself it didn’t matter. But that you might be a criminal? It’s too much, Bayou.”

“Please, I’m telling you, it’s all a mistake,” Bayou Runner pleaded.

But his wife only shook her head. “I can’t, not anymore. No more lies. Tell me to my face that you aren’t a criminal.”

But, somehow, Bayou Runner couldn’t look his Fleur in the eyes. Shame made his ears droop.

“That’s what I thought,” Fleur said, her voice hard. “I’m taking Cinnamon Tea, and we’re staying at Mother’s for a while.”

“Fleur,” Bayou Runner said, his voice pleading. “I love you, you know I do!” And he meant every word. His family was his life, his everything. He couldn’t live a breath without them.

“It’s best if we spend some time apart. After that, I don’t know,” Fleur replied. “Goodbye, Bayou.” With that, she left their bedroom to get their son. He didn’t stop her.

Tears threatened to burst, but he fought them back. He couldn’t bear showing any weakness, even alone. Damn that Spider-Mare. Damn that Trixie. Both would pay for this. He’d kill them with his bare hooves. He stiffened, sensing a presence. His mouth twisted in an ugly scowl. Whoever was bothering him would pay.

To Kingpin’s astonishment, a glowing blue orb faced him as he turned around. A face appeared within, covered with a mask. A mechanical voice spoke, the orb flashing blue as it spoke.

“Apologies for interrupting you, but we have much to discuss,” the orb said.

“Proto,” Bayou Runner uttered the name like a curse. Nopony saw the Kingpin when he was vulnerable and lived to tell the tale. But curiosity abated his fury. Not calming it, but stoking it. The time for retribution would come later.

“Have you come to admonish me for losing your toy?” the Kingpin asked, not hiding his sarcasm.

“Don’t worry about that. It was a minor trinket,” Proto replied. “A mere test for other projects.”

Bayou Runner fought back his irritation at being used as a guinea pig. He moved forward anyway, wanting to get to this unexpected meeting’s point. “What do you want?”

“I want to expand our partnership. I am seeking allies to destroy Trixie once and for all. Your intelligence and ruthlessness give you credit.”

“I see.” He didn’t, sensing some other hidden agenda at work. But he wouldn’t reject a possibly lucrative business opportunity. Besides, it offered another chance to destroy his universe’s meddlesome Trixie. And the technology he gained from Proto would help him squash the irritating Spider-Mare for good. All in all, it was an excellent opportunity that he wouldn’t waste.

A slight smile quirked the Kingpin’s lips. The first since the hateable Spider-Mare ruined his life. “Tell me more, partner.”

“Booby-trapped, as I suspected,” Jade said as the computer analyzed the crown, a light flashing red on the monitor. This had likely been the true trap all along. Proto wanted a Trixie to steal the crown and try to use it. The backlash of cosmic power would then leave that Trixie brain-dead.

“Clever trick. What now?” the zebra asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. She swiveled around in her captain’s chair playfully like a young filly.

While it possessed technology far beyond Jade’s understanding, the ship, the Ranger, had seen better days. Heck, she’d seen uglies less cobbled together. But it was functional, even if it wasn’t pretty. The Ranger flew through the void, the windows showing a void of nothingness that unnerved even a hardened explorer like Jade. Nothing existed outside the thin metal shell that protected them—time, space, or even the Force. It was hard to wrap your head around.

“No matter. The device might have other uses. It might serve as a potential power source for a weapon,” Jade replied.

“Possible, possible. I’ll look into it,” Mtwana said, her grin all teeth. “Jade, you’ve found the right place. I’ll make all your dreams come true, that I guarantee!”

Jade. The alias suited her. She’d rather not have people call her First Sister. That name had only been temporary, given by Lord Vader when she’d taken the role of the Empire’s hunter. Her birth name wouldn’t do either, that word that died when Fuchsia did. With the lack of anything better to call her, Jade would suffice.

She listened as Mtwana jabbered on about workable ideas on how they might harness the crown's cosmic power. Even without the Force, Jade sensed the zebra’s greed and blatant self-interest. Still, both would suit her purposes.

Their unexpected meeting had been the Dark Side’s will. While Jade explored the multiverse with the Sextant of Worlds, they’d crossed paths. Mtwana was an interdimensional scavenger, using her technology to harness advanced technology from various worlds for profit and power. Apparently, she was a freelancer who occasionally worked with other roaming zebras with bigger dreams. They hoped to restore an empire that had long since crumbled. None of that mattered to Jade.

“Good. There’s much to do. I leave the crown with you.” Jade was a hunter, not a scientist. It was best to let the professional handle this part. “I’ll work on probing Proto’s defenses. And I’ll see if I can procure one of his robots.”

“Sweet!” Mtwana said, beaming. “Won’t Proto be surprised when we turn his army against him! Then we’ll crack his defenses, kill him, and all his tech will be ours for the picking!”

Jade nodded, pleased. With that enemy gone, she could focus on her true goal—destroying Darth Vader and the Emperor. To them, she’d only been a convenient tool. It wasn’t hard to guess the Sith lords were hiding the deeper secrets of the Dark Side from her. But they wouldn’t be laughing when she used Proto’s overwhelming power against them. Then, she’d be the true master of the Dark Side. After that, who knew? This vision pleased her, but Jade would be patient.

“Drop me off at this universe, Mtwana. It’s being invaded by Proto’s forces,” Jade would show them the strength of a Dark Jedi.

“What a disaster!” Mounty said, fretting. They watched as the remaining staff attended to the bodies that Jade had left in her wake, twelve in total. It was gruesome work.

Razzle stared at the ground, horrifying somepony she knew was capable of such evil. But her agony was nothing compared to what Shade as suffering. Guilt was tearing her friend apart from the inside. She’d been the one to introduce Jade to A.R.M.O.R. In her mind, these dead ponies were her fault.

“She’s going to pay for this! Can we chase after her?” Laughter asked.

“No,” Mounty replied, his tone hopeless. “The damage is too severe. It might take months to fix.”

“What?!” Razzle said, her voice edging on panic.

This delay would be agony. She already feared the worst. What if Honey Bee thought her dead after her mysterious disappearance? She had other professional responsibilities too, but they paled in comparison to her daughter assuming she’d lost her mother forever. Since she’d separated with her ex-husband, she’d felt like a terrible mother for abandoning her daughter for her acting career. A few phone calls and weekly visits weren’t an adequate replacement for a real mother. Guilt ate away at Razzle’s heart.

“This is all experimental technology,” Mounty said. “And Jade damaged the power unit. It took months to find the proper crystal to power it. It won’t be easy to replace.”

“So we can’t follow?” Laughter said, sagging.

“Not any time soon,” Mounty said, his tone forlorn.

“No, we can!” Razzle said, her eyes alighting with an idea. It blossomed fully formed, brilliant in its simplicity. They needed her help. She’d fix everything.

“Um, what do you mean?” Shade said, suddenly getting a bad feeling as Razzle dashed off. In a flash, Shade seemed to realize her counterpart’s plan. Razzle’s legs seemed to move of their own according, heading into an area labeled off limits.

“Is she insane?!” Shade said, rushing after her. Mounty and Laughter chased after her, curious about what the fuss was about.

“No!” Shade paled as she saw Razzle playing with the controls that kept Trixcord contained.

“It’s our only chance!” Razzle said, tapping at the controls with frantic energy. “I’m not waiting months to see my daughter again. Heck, she might already think I’m dead after I disappeared!” Her knew she was being irrational and reckless, but Honey Bee needed her.

“I understand that,” Shade said, trying to be reasonable. “But we can’t trust her! She’s part Discord!”

Much to Shade’s relief, the controls turned red, denying Razzle access to turn off the field. But she turned pale as the actress used a different, more effective method to switch it off.

“I don’t care!” With a kick, Razzle smashed the controls. With a dull whine, the field around Trixcord collapsed. It was done. The die had been cast. Razzle only hoped she hadn’t made a terrible mistake.

“Finally! After ten thousand years, I’m free!” the mismatched Trixie said. “Okay, more like two months, but who’s counting?”

“What have you done?!” Shade said, horrified.

“You foal!” Mounty said, turning deathly pale.

“And there you are, my captors,” Trixcord said, turning her attention to the director of A.R.M.O.R. “It was rather rude of you to do that. Sure, I caused a little havoc. But that’s the spice of life!”

“Enough. You…” Mounty said, regaining his authority. But Trixcord snapped with her clawed fingers, and a banana flopped to the floor.

“Have fun as a fruit. This’ll teach you what it’s like to be locked up for no reason!” Trixcord said, pleased with herself. When she caught the scandalized looks she was getting, Trixcord only sighed. “It’s fine. It’ll wear off in a couple of days. Just make sure nobody eats him.”

Shade’s visage turned white as Trixcord turned her attention to her, wondering what horrible fate awaited her.

“No, what I have done?” Razzle thought, horrified. Why had she been so convinced that Tricord would save them? What had driven her to doing something so stupid? Even without the ability to travel into other dimensions, she would have been safe in A.R.M.O.R. headquarters. But Razzle realized that wouldn’t have been enough for her. Her daughter was worth more than any danger. Now she had to make things right!

“Wait, we need your help!” Razzle said, her tone pleading.

“Ah, some proper respect at last!” Trixcord said, pleased. “Ask. What do you wish of the Almighty and Wise Trixcord?”

“We need your help stopping Proto. He’s trying to kill all Trixies across the multiverse!” Razzle said. “We can’t fight him without you!”

“You can’t be serious!” Shade said, scandelized.

Much to Shade’s shock, Laughter joined Razzle in her pleas, playing to the distorted Trixie’s ego. “Yeah, only one as mighty as you can perform this task. We bask in your wisdom, Trixcord.”

Trixcord preened, pleased. A number of signs materialized around her, noting her as being Number 1, the greatest Trixie in existence and the like. “If you put it like that... Sure!”

“Hey, it’s a good idea,” Laughter said defensively when Shade glared at her.

“I don’t believe this.” Shade rubbed her aching temple. “In case you’ve forgotten, Trixcord is the embodiment of chaos! Her help might turn to harm on a literal bit!” She glared at Laughter and Razzle, but they only stared back, completely guiltless.

“I’m seeing my daughter again. I’ll make a deal with the literal devil if necessary!”

“Please don’t say stuff like that,” Shade replied in despair. She tensed as Trixcord turned in her direction.

“I hadn’t forgotten what you did, either.” For a moment a halo of fire played over the mis-shaped being and the shadows seemed to length. But then the twisted Trixie smiled and the effects were gone. “But holding grudges is boring! Forget about that, let’s get going! No doubt Proto has sent his countless, near invincible robots after us.”

“Oh shoot.” Without Trixcord powering the facility’s barrier, they were helpless against Proto’s attacks. Razzle had completely forgotten that little detail in her rush. She’d pushed their hoof into this path.

Still, what’s done was done. They couldn’t wait around for Proto to make his next move. Heck, he might have even found away around their barrier they were so relying on eventually.

“Fine. Let’s go,” Shade said begrudgingly. She picked up banana Mounty Max and placed it into a pouch. Guilt stabbed into Razzle’s heart, hoping he’d be okay until he returned to normal.

“Let the adventure begin!” Trixcord said, her voice echoing, arms extended wide, a sudden wind blowing her hair dramatically.

Author's Note

Crisis of Infinite Trixies will return. I've already written a couple of chapters of part 3. Hopefully, it won't take too long to release.

Next time in Crisis of Infinite Trixies:

Lunaverse Trixie finds herself trapped in a temporal prison, but gains unexpected allies who help her uncover hidden truths about Proto and his mysterious identity. However, she remains wary of a new, scarred version of herself with strange and unusual powers. Her motives seem less than pure hearted.