Team Star

Chrysalis’s crew assumed identities of students. Though, it took them quite some time to find enough students to copy the mugs of, posing as Celestia’s pupils they would likely not be turned away by the guards. This, was, of course only ‘Plan A’. For she was still not opposed to taking the school and the Winter Maiden’s power by force. Though, it was incredibly unfortunate that Celestia has opted to put one of her own students in the line of fire.

If Chrysalis had a set of morals, surely the death of an old mare, well on her way to the Ever After any day, was less cruel than ripping away the life of a pony who’d only just reached maturity.

The key word, however, being ‘if’. For Chrysalis was not at all opposed to the latter option either.

Her disciples would either be allowed in disguised as students, or break in with threats, and subsequent follow-through of violence. The choice would be made entirely by Celestia’s guard.

Trixie stood at the entrance to the room, counting four more bodies than usually occupied it. “Hey… I’m back!” She said awkwardly. Her shoulders seemed heavy and the smile she’d worn seemed to be plastered onto her face.

“They know.” Starlight started. “They know everything.”

Trixie’s shoulder’s dropped, as did the corners of her mouth. Using her hind leg, she slammed the door shut. “What?!” She snapped. “You told them?” She said in an accusatory tone.

Sunset rose, not appreciative of her aggression. “Look, we know you’re going through a lot right now-“

“No!” Trixie snapped. “You don’t know what I’m going through!”

Apple Jack stepped between Trixie and Sunset. “Look they ain’t told us nothing. We sort of… put two and two together.”

Trixie’s eyes filled with fire, both figuratively and literally. “That’s impossible!” She growled. “I trusted you to keep this secret, Celestia trusted you!” The turmoil and stress reeled inside of her, creating a flurry of snow and emotion around her. The unnatural wind pushed the furniture toward the center of the room, away from a rampaging Maiden. The swirl of snow and magic created a strange spectacle, but also a terrible indoor environment… In an instant, Starlight wrapped everypony within a small force field, shielding them from the cold, but there was only so much she could do, Trixie’s newfound powers were too strong. Sunset blasted-in creating a strange melding of color swirling around STAR and PARTY. Still, Trixie’s emotional storm hailed down on them. “Starlight! I thought you were my friend!”

“They just want to help!” Starlight shouted back.

Trixie looked on, the seven ponies crammed into the two single beds and crowded together inside the bubble of presumed safety. She watched as her teammates looked at her with shock and terror. How they tried with all their might to protect themselves and everypony else… from her. She realized how they were clearly cut-out to be huntresses from the get-go… unlike her.

And that was what Trixie had wanted to be. A protector, not this. Not to torment her friends… not a Maiden. The tears stung her face, as they crystallized from the cold. Her frozen tears began sticking to her cheeks. She slowly lowered her body to the floor, collapsing under the pressure, both literal and figurative.

The idea was: Trixie was a joke, some pony no one would ever in a million years have an inkling about… nothing special… a pawn. Celestia the Queen… her seniors the knights… Trixie a pawn and her friends? Well, some other chess analogy surely fit them… Rooks… Bishops? They were special enough to not be special. And Trixie wasn’t sure what was worse.

Celestia sat up in her office, Luna at her side. Luna had never been opposed to running a school, necessarily, though the defining factor of her never having had one of her own was that she preferred not to stay in one place for too long. Traveling kept her on her toes, she could see what Celestia could not… if only she were able to see this coming. “Starswirl is public enemy number one.” Celestia insisted. Though they had once been students of the stallion, his jealousy soon led him against them.

It was slow, at first. Bickering was first, then constant discomfort with their stature as Alicorns. The fact that he had seemed to age, while they only gained wisdom. It drove him to grow disconnected from them. Once his pupils, now outranking him. For ages he had relied on magic to sustain his age, getting more powerful magic from here or there. It became evident that will all the take, and very little give. The creatures of this world had grown tired of feeding his need for everlasting life.

All but one… a newly freed creature. One so vile, he’d not been seen in thousands of moons. One, nopony dared utter the name of. “We forget about his minion. The changeling?” The silent third Alicorn spoke.

“We need not worry ourselves with her now… you have overpowered her on your own, she poses no immediate threat.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, Celestia was a confident and competent fighter. Always believing herself capable of beating any creature. Cadence, though able to overpower one changeling, had no such confidence.

As a number of Chrysalis’s lackeys made it into the school and past the guards, heads had begun to turn. With the influx of students… it soon became evident that some ‘ponies’ may not be who they claimed.

The yellow Pegasus and white unicorn stallion rolled the metal gate shut. “The School for Gifted Unicorns is on full lock down effective immediately. No pony will be allowed in or out.”

This was expected, in fact, it was perfect for Chrysalis. While the ponies worried and whined, her changelings needn’t do much at all.

The remaining changelings toddled away, back to their queen. “Worry not, my bugs.” She said with a softly sinister smile. “Our victory is not thwarted yet.”

“I’m sorry…” Trixie whimpered. “Please- forgive me.”

The shaking group of mares was in terrified awe of her display. “Trixie-“ Starlight started. Her hoof shaking as she seemed to reach out to her old friend. The pony she’d come to this school with and for. “We just want to help.”

Trixie weakly looked up. “I know… it’s just so… hard.”

The cold settled, and despite their coats and blankets the girls all shivered. “You don’t have to do this alone.” Apple Jack interjected. “We wants’ta help.”

“You guys are too kind.” Trixie mumbled. Her pride was still there… even if it was teetering. “This is my burden to bear.”

“Knock it off!” Starlight shouted, her eyes welling with tears. All her life she’d known a confident and headstrong Trixie. In the past weeks, she’d become some pony she couldn’t recognize and she could no longer sit idly by. “It’s our job to help you, but more than that.”

“We want to help you!” Sunset shouted over her. “They want to help you, so just talk to us and let’s work out a plan.”

“If some creature is after your power… and Starswirl is on the loose, we’re going to need every pony we can get on our side.” Rainbow Dash reminded.

Trixie looked them over, flakes of snow glimmering in her similarly-colored mane. “Alright.”

“Alright?” Pinkie Pie asked, twitching her tail as she sensed a feeling of slight relief.

“Alright, we can’t just give in.” Trixie repeated.

“That’s my girl!” Starlight replied enthusiastically.