Chapter 10: Powerful

Triage was not the most sociable of ponies.

She had her moments, and she certainly knew the importance of establishing the right connections, but in general she preferred solitude to friendship, and a good book to conversation. She devoured books on anatomy and medicine, and it was that knowledge, compared with the unusual precision of her unicorn telekinesis, which had won her fame as Equestria’s greatest surgeon. Time and again, she had beaten the odds, successfully performing operations no other pony had thought possible. She had performed the first successful horn transplant in Equestrian history, and developed breakthroughs in muscle therapy that had allowed ponies who had been born paralyzed to walk for the first time. She was brilliant, famous, successful, and above all, intensely private.

Triage had never been shy, a trait she had noticed in many other ponies who preferred isolation. Her social skills were more than adequate, and this combined well with her natural good looks: her coat was an especially lovely shade of autumn gold, which was complimented by her brown mane, always cut short, and her cutie mark, a red Caduceus. These traits made her social life, what little of it there was, relatively painless. She did not find the company of others uncomfortable; she simply did not care for it. No matter how interesting another pony was, she had never met anyone whose thoughts could compare with her own. Whenever she chose to listen to someone else, she always came away disappointed. Why lower herself to speak to others, she reasoned, when she was already in possession of the most brilliant mind in Equestria? Her own thoughts were the best company of all.

Triage had always loved children. Their youth meant she didn’t find herself looking down on them for their obvious lack of intelligence. It wasn’t their fault that they were such dull creatures. An adult pony had no excuse, but a child could be forgiven. When she was around them, she didn’t feel the annoyance she felt around grownups.

Most ponies took it as a sign of her good character when the news broke that Triage had transferred to Canterlot’s largest pediatric hospital, in order to work exclusively with sick foals. The newspapers sang her praises, especially when it became known that she had taken a huge pay cut for the opportunity to work with children.

Though she disliked public accolades, at the hospital’s insistence Triage consented to making a rare public appearance, accepting an honorary degree from Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns. The degree was presented to her by the school’s top student, a filly by the name of Twilight Sparkle.

Despite herself, Triage forced some banter with the girl. “So, I’m told you’re going to enter the Royal University in the fall. Is it too late for me to convince you to drop out and go to med school?” The crowd laughed.

The purple filly had blushed, and replied that she had her heart set on entering Royal U. When she proclaimed her intention to become the Princess’ personal student – an honor given to only one pony in each generation – the crowd returned polite applause.

Bless her naïve little heart, Triage thought. Her surname isn’t Dream, but she still thinks she has a chance.

Triage didn’t like the attention, but she understood that it came with the territory. To the average observer, Triage’s decision to turn her back on millions of bits to focus on treating foals was nothing short of heroic.

Triage had her reasons.

She liked children, yes. But she especially loved them when they were silent. And even more when they were motionless.

Triage was nervous the first time she did it. The filly had a rare blood disorder. To outward appearances, she looked perfectly healthy. She suspected nothing when Triage had locked the door to her office after she had entered. She did not complain during Triage’s examination, either. Her mother had told her that it was alright when the doctor asked to look at those parts of her body. It was even alright if she touched them. She was just doing her job. It was normal.

The filly didn’t even complain when Triage had begun to cast the anesthesia spell and told her to count backwards from ten. She never made it past seven.

Triage loved silent children. And now she had the means to ensure their silence.

For the next hour, she left no part of the filly’s body unexplored. Triage marveled at how utterly helpless the unconscious foal was: nothing more than a little breathing doll, unable to fight off her advances, or scream when Triage violated her, or cry when she took her virginity. Triage had finally found the perfect sexual partner: one who could not interrupt her brilliant thoughts. Triage experienced the most intense orgasm of her life while molesting the filly’s limp body.

“I guess what I told the hospital director was true after all,” she said to herself. “Pediatrics really is my calling.”

When the hour was over, she took special care to wipe away any trace of blood near the foal’s nether regions, and waited for her to wake up.

“The anesthesia has some side effects. You might feel some soreness in certain parts of your body,” she had told her patient. “That’s normal.”

Over the next year, Triage sedated and abused hundreds of foals in the same manner. She quickly developed a preference for colts: a certain medicine, injected after the sedation, could bring them to full arousal within minutes, and she loved the sensation of riding an unconscious foal to climax, feeling his seed fill her and knowing that he would forever remain oblivious of the circumstances of his first orgasm.

But the fillies were not without their charms: their bodies were so soft, and somehow she always felt a special thrill at the prospect of ruining the virtue of a trusting young lady. And as far as Triage could tell, no one at the hospital had any idea what she was doing.

And then one day, she made a mistake.

It was a well-known fact that Earth Ponies were more resistant to magic than the other two races. Any unicorn physician worth her salt knew that to achieve the same effect when casting medical spells on an Earth Pony, a different, slightly stronger incantation was needed. When used on a Pegasus or Unicorn, these spells might cause harm, but on an Earth Pony, they worked exactly as intended.

Canterlot hospitals did not get many Earth Pony patients. It was an honest mistake.

The foal was told to count backwards, as always. Triage cast the spell to sedate her for one hour, as always. But she forgot to cast the Earth Pony variant.

The filly woke up after twenty minutes, and screamed. She was loud enough to be heard down the hallway.

The hospital decided to keep the incident quiet until a full inquiry could be made. The media was told that the brilliant surgeon Triage had “elected to take a brief sabbatical.”

For the first time in her life, Triage didn’t want to be alone.

It was a cold winter evening, a week after the incident. Triage was in her study, trying to read. It was no use. She couldn’t concentrate enough to internalize a word. There was nothing that could drown out her thoughts, which repeated the same refrain over and over again:

Everyone will know. Everyone. No one will care what you’ve accomplished. The lives you’ve saved, the discoveries you’ve made, will all be forgotten. You’ll be thrown in jail, branded a pervert and a rapist. That’s how you’ll be remembered.

“Such a waste,” she said aloud. “Such a damn waste.”

“It hardly seems fair, does it?”

Triage spun around. There was someone in her study.

Before her stood two unicorns: one was grey, and he wore round glasses and an utterly neutral expression. The other was a white stallion with a blue mane, who Triage knew by reputation.

“I know you. You’re Fancypants,” she said. “I didn’t think a pony as rich as you needed to bother with breaking and entering. How the hell did you get in my house?”

“You can thank Gaze here for that,” he said. The grey stallion nodded slightly.

“He’s recently come into my employ. Quite the stealthy fellow. But please don’t be alarmed. I’m here to help.”

“Why would I need your help?” Triage said, with a smirk. “Hospital’s got plenty of nurses already.”

“So I’m told,” Fancy said. “Though I hear they’re about to be short one doctor. And for the most peculiar reason, at that. Some sort of…indiscretion with a young foal, I believe?”

Though she knew it was medically impossible, Triage swore she could feel her heart come to a dead stop.

“I don’t know what you’re ta-talking about…” she said, tripping over her words.

“Oh, you mean you didn’t rape that little filly in your office?” Fancy said. “Fair enough. Perhaps you were worn out from all the other children you’ve molested over the past year. What were their names again? Let’s see, there was Cotton Blossom, Evening Star, Peach Fuzz…oh, my, I do like that last name…hmm, I’m sure there were more, but the names escape me. Perhaps Gaze could jet back to my place and bring us a copy of the file?”

Triage’s eyes went wide with horror. “There’s a file?”

“Oh my, yes! Kept by your own hospital, in fact. The higher-ups have been aware of your little hobby for some time, but they looked the other way. After all, you’re the best there is. As long as you kept things quiet, your bosses figured it was a fair price to pay for your genius.

“But that last filly wasn’t very quiet at all, was she? So I’m afraid your masters at the hospital are seriously considering terminating your employment. And informing the authorities of your little fetish, of course.”

“But…how do you know about all this?” Triage asked.

“My dear, please. Do you have any idea how much I’ve donated to that hospital over the years? I have an entire wing named after me. They owe me greater loyalty than they could ever owe you.

“Tomorrow there is a meeting of the board of trustees. You shall be the primary topic at hoof. There will be debate and discussion, all of it quite pointless. And when they’ve finished their little spectacle, they shall do what Canterlot’s elite always do in time of need: they shall look to me for guidance. All I need to do is say one word, and they’ll forget about this little incident, quietly pay off the filly’s parents, and reinstate you as if nothing ever happened.

“Or,” Fancy said, stifling a chuckle. “I could tell them to throw you to the wolves.”

Triage hung her head. “What do you want?”

“You’re an astute girl. I’ve chosen well,” Fancy said. “You see, I run a private club for ponies who, let’s say, appreciate the juvenile body. Only Canterlot’s best and brightest need apply, of course. I wouldn’t consort with anyone else. If you join, you’ll get to indulge your perversions all you like. You’ll get the full support and protection of the richest, most well-connected ponies alive. And all I ask in return is one little thing.”

Fancypants walked toward Triage, and leaned down toward the shorter pony, until his face was centimeters from hers.

“Obedience,” he said. “And unwavering loyalty. From time to time you will be asked to perform a task for me. You will do so, and you will never ask questions. In return, you get to remain in my good graces, and I’ll even have the hospital install soundproof walls in your office. Just in case.”

He winked, then straightened himself up.

“The other members of your little club,” Triage said, “Do they have similar arrangements with you?”

“Miss Triage, please,” Fancy said with a smirk. “You make this sound so unsavory. I’m merely helping a few friends of mine who happen to share a common interest. And if I happen to have similar files on all of them, well, where’s the harm? Isn’t it normal to keep tabs on one’s friends?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Triage said. “I don’t have any friends.”

“Well, allow me to be the first,” Fancy said. “That is, if we have a deal.”

Triage sighed. “Fine,” she said. “I’m not thrilled about hanging out with a bunch of rich pervs, but it beats prison.

“Guess I’m lucky you guys were taking applicants,” she said, chuckling nervously.

“More lucky than you know,” Fancy said. “Until last week, we had no openings. Fortunately for you, a certain stallion was dropped from the ranks. I’m afraid he’s currently awaiting trial for some truly depraved and terrible crimes.”

“Oh yeah?” Triage said. “I thought you said this club protected its members. What’d he do?”

“He said ‘no’ to me,” Fancy replied. “Do keep that in mind, won’t you?”

*******

It had been five years since that evening, and once again, Triage sat in her study, feeling utterly exasperated.

At the moment, she was reexamining one of her most cherished beliefs: the old axiom which claimed that “Hell is other ponies.”

After spending a day with Trixie as her houseguest, she had amended it to say, “Hell is two narcissists sharing a living space.”

Triage was comfortable with her self-absorption. She bothered no one, and in return, they left her alone with her brilliant self. Trixie, on the other hand, felt the need to constantly remind everyone in earshot just how great she was.

“…And to this day, the ponies of Hoofkaido hold a festival every year in Trixie’s honor,” she said, concluding a story which she had started three hours earlier. “To commemorate the time I rescued them from the terrible Kraken which plagued their lovely island.”

“Riveting,” Triage deadpanned. “You know, geography was always one of my best subjects, and I don’t recall ever hearing about an island by that name. Where did you say it was?”

“Um…well…the Great and Powerful Trixie has sworn never to reveal its location,” Trixie replied. “The, er, natives prefer to remain isolated! Yes, and Trixie respects their traditions.”

“How very noble of you,” Triage said, rolling her eyes. She then glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s past noon. The others should have been here by now.”

“Hopefully they’ve recovered from yesterday,” Trixie said. “It’s not surprising that they had to leave early. Many ponies are easily overwhelmed when they first enter the peerless presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“I think their leaving had more to do with your smoke bomb almost choking them to death,” Triage said.

“Can we not mention that goddamn bomb again?” Sapphire Shores said as she walked into the room. “My throat’s still scratchy, and I’ve got a show tomorrow!”

“And the fabulous burgundy suit I was wearing is soot-damaged now!” Hoity Toity said, following close behind. “Your unicorn had better be as good as she claims, Triage.”

“Hmph!” Trixie said as the two latecomers took their seats. “Trixie is not ‘her unicorn.’ Trixie belongs to the world! And the world, in turn, is grateful for the gift that is Trixie! Why, the good citizens of Papua New Whinny spend every summer carving a giant wooden idol of Trixie’s likeness, which is then burned at the end of each year, to symbolize the fact that no work of art can ever come CLOSE to capturing the radiance of the Great and…”

“Papua New whatnow?” Sapphire said to the others as Trixie droned on. “Have you guys ever heard of that place?” Her two companions shook their heads.

“Listen, Trixie,” Triage said, and to her surprise the blue unicorn complied. “Now that we’re all here, and not in danger of dying from smoke inhalation, I can finally tell you why I hired you. See, I need a high level unicorn with a magic-based special talent.”

“You chose wisely,” Trixie said. “There is no feat of magic which Trixie cannot perform!”

“Good to hear,” said Triage. “Now, then, the plan calls for a teleport spell.”

“Oh!” Trixie said, suddenly looking a bit flustered. “Well, of course, Trixie could perform a teleport easily, if Trixie had ever bothered to learn such a dull, pedestrian spell. But Trixie prefers to make a more…unorthodox entrance.”

“We know,” Sapphire said.

“Triage!” Hoity Toity cried out. “Didn’t you think to ask her if she could teleport before you hired her?”

“It doesn’t matter if she can or not,” Triage said. “All we need is a unicorn with large amounts of magical energy. I’d do it myself, but I’m a bit on the low end of the spectrum. The artifact will feed off her magic and do the rest. Besides, even if she could teleport, there's no way she could warp from Canterlot to Ponyville and back on her own power. That's alicorn-level magic. I doubt any mortal pony could do it.”

“Wait a minute,” Trixie said. “What artifact?”

Triage’s horn lit up, and a bronze amulet which had been sitting on a nearby shelf began hovering toward them. In its center was a bright blue gem, which glowed with a light that pulsated like a heartbeat. The gem had been cut in the shape of a star.

“This is the Seeker’s Amulet,” Triage said. “It was not easy to find. It allows the wearer to teleport to the location of any specific pony, no matter where they are in Equestria. The catch is, you’re only there for one minute, then you’re automatically pulled back to your starting location. You, and anyone touching you.”

“We’re going to show you a photograph,” Hoity Toity said. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a newspaper clipping. “You’re to concentrate on the mare in this picture. The amulet will do the rest. You will bring her back here.”

Trixie looked at the photo. “I know her!” she said. “She’s one of Sparkle’s friends. She was there, laughing at Trixie, when the Ursa...um, that is to say, Trixie isn’t quite sure she cares for this unicorn.”

“We’re not paying you to like her,” Sapphire said. “We’re paying you to save her. We’ve got some big plans for that girl. So just play your role and keep your damn opinions to yourself, got it?”

“Trixie isn’t sure she appreciates your tone. In fact, Trixie is starting to think this entire deal was a mistake! Imagine, the greatest unicorn alive, lowering herself to helping a group of philistines who have no appreciation for a good entr-”

“OH, FOR SUN’S SAKE!” Triage yelled. “I am SICK of you and your bragging and your made-up stories and your stupid third-person speaking! It’s bad enough that I have to have put up with having other ponies in my home in the first place, but you? You’re the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever met!”

Triage took a moment to center herself, then continued speaking. Her tone was noticeably calmer, but no less harsh.
“We are Circle members. We are the elite of the elite. There is more money and influence concentrated in this room than you will ever possess in a dozen lifetimes,” Triage said. “So put on the damn amulet, look at the photo, and do as you’re told.”

If Trixie had been fazed by Triage’s outburst, she did not show it. She maintained the same superior expression as always. But she did not offer any further resistance.

“Fine, your terms are acceptable,” she said. “But let’s get this over with quickly, alright? Trixie has had nothing but bad luck with amulets.”

*******

“After yesterday’s little show, you’re lucky we’re even allowing you visitors anymore,” the guard told Rarity as she sat down at the table in the Visitor’s Room. “Come to think of it, you’re also lucky you didn’t break both your forelegs when you decided to start hitting the barrier like that.”

Rarity looked down at her front hooves, each of which was heavily bandaged.

“Oh yes,” she said flatly. “I feel quite lucky.”

“Almost forgot,” the guard said. He produced an envelope and tossed it unto Rarity’s side of the table. “Warden said you could have this back.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said. There was an emptiness in her voice.

She levitated the white envelope, which still read “TO MY FRIEND” in Pinkie Pie’s unmistakably clumsy hoofwriting. She noticed that the letter was no longer sealed.

“Even after all this, she still calls me ‘friend’…” Rarity said quietly. “May Celestia bless her.”

“That’s from Pinkie, right? She’s a sweet girl,” the guard said. “Not sure why she’d want to hang around with someone like you.”

“Hang around?” Rarity said. “Guard, is Pinkie my visitor today?”

“All I know is the mare at the gate said a pink Earth Pony was being cleared to enter. You know anyone else who fits that description?”

“No one would who would care enough to visit,” Rarity said. “In that case, I shall refrain from opening the letter until I’m in her presence. Knowing her, she’ll probably want to read it to me.”

“Whatever,” the guard said. “As long as you don’t go berserk on us like last time, I could care less what you do.”

Before Rarity could respond, the door on the other side of the room began to creak as it slowly opened.

“Pinkie?”

The pink Earth Pony who entered the room could not have carried herself more differently than Pinkie Pie. Diamond Tiara wore a look of grim determination as she walked toward Rarity.

“…Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me,” Rarity said.

The guard burst out laughing.

“WHAT exactly is so funny?” Diamond asked the guard, in such a sharp tone that he stopped laughing immediately. “You do know what this mare did, don’t you? Is murder funny to you?”

The guard, embarrassed, let out an awkward cough and walked out of the room.

“I’m not in the mood for this,” Rarity said. She got up from her chair just as Diamond sat down in hers.

“Sit down,” Diamond said. “I came a long way to talk to you.”

“I’m under no obligation to speak to you, little girl,” Rarity said. “This visit is over.”

Rarity turned away from Diamond and walked to the door on her end of the room, only to find it was locked from the other side.

“Guard!” she yelled. “Guard!”

“My daddy’s friends with the warden here,” Diamond said. “He asked him for a favor. That door won’t open until after I leave. And I won’t leave until I’ve said what I came here to say!”

Rarity turned back toward Diamond Tiara. She let out just the tiniest hint of a chuckle.

“Really, darling?” she said as she walked back to her seat. “Are you that desperate to relive our little encounter from all those months ago?”

Diamond Tiara stared Rarity down with the most intense expression she could muster.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she said.

“Is that a fact?” Rarity said. “Well, that’s certainly a change from the last time we met. I recall a great deal of fear in your voice that day. All that crying and pleading…I must say, it was immensely satisfying.”

“Sh…shut up…” Diamond said.

“Do you know what was interesting about what I did to you that day?” Rarity said, as a smile slowly formed on her face. “I didn’t even enjoy it. The sexual aspect, I mean. You utterly failed to arouse me. I’d taken notice of you long ago, of course, but you were never up to my standard. After all, there’s no innocence in you, is there? Nothing beautiful to crush. Just a selfish, spoiled little brat.”

Diamond lowered her head slightly. “I know…” she said. “I know, okay? I know I’m an awful pony. Whatever point you were trying to make that day, I got it.”

“Point? Oh, darling, did you honestly think I gave a damn about you learning anything from the experience?” Rarity said. “What I did that day was never about you. It was about Sweetie Belle. You made my sister cry, so I made you suffer. And I must say, that’s one aspect of our encounter I DID enjoy. Your tears, your screams, the way you begged…”

Rarity let out a soft moan, mostly for show.

Diamond looked away for a moment, and shuddered. Then she turned back to Rarity.

“You’re right,” she said. “This isn’t about me. This is about her.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Who, exactly?”

“Silver Spoon,” Diamond said. “I want to talk to you about her. I want to…”

Diamond had to stop for a moment. Rarity decided not to interrupt.

“…I just want to know why you killed her.”

Rarity found herself feeling slightly surprised. Since her talk with Indigo, her thoughts had been focused so totally on Sweetie Belle that she had forgotten that most of the world thought Silver Spoon was dead.

“You probably saw her making fun of Sweetie,” Diamond said. “Well, you should know that she only did that sort of thing because I asked her to. That’s what she was like: she did whatever I said. I know it sounds weird, but being bossed around made her really happy. It’s like she was-“

“A spineless little follower, terrified to make any decisions for herself?” Rarity said. “Oh believe me, dear, I know all about Silver Spoon.”

“Don’t you talk about her like that!” Diamond said. “Can’t you at least respect her now that she’s gone? Can’t you even give me that much?”

“I don’t see why I should give you anything,” Rarity said, leaning back in her chair.

“Then I was right…” Diamond said. “You already knew that Silver was just following my orders. You didn’t do it to get back at her, did you? It was me…”

Diamond’s voice was shaking.

“You killed her to punish me.”

The filly closed her eyes. Tears began to fall unto the wooden table.

“It’s my fault..it’s my fault she’s gone…

“She never hurt anyone. Not without me asking her to, anyway,” Diamond said, trying her best to keep her composure. “She was sweet, and she was kind, and she was the only filly in the world who ever wanted to be around me! She’d come to my house sometimes, and just lie next to me, and I could just tell that doing that was all she needed to be happy. And she’d buy me little gifts, for no reason at all, and if I was sad she’d never, ever leave until I was happy again, and I could talk to her about anything, and she, she was, she was…”

Diamond Tiara found she couldn’t speak anymore. Her capacity for words had vanished. The only thing in her mind was the image of her lost friend.

She folded her forelegs together on the table, buried her head in them, and screamed.

After a moment, the scream turned into a series of loud, choking sobs. Rarity looked on aghast as the proud filly’s facade imploded in front of her.

Rarity found that her contempt for Diamond Tiara had utterly evaporated. Much to her own surprise, she felt only pity.

“Diamond…” Rarity said. But the foal did not appear to be listening.

After several minutes, the sobs died down, until at last, Diamond Tiara fell silent.

Then she looked up at Rarity, and spoke again.

“I’m the one you should have killed,” she said. “Silver was a better pony than I’ll ever be.”

“She was…is…a very fine pony indeed,” Rarity said. “She may have been weak, but her loyalty was without peer. Perhaps I never quite appreciated that before…”

“You barely knew her,” Diamond said. “You never had the chance to find out how wonderful she was. And now no one else will, either.”

Diamond got up off the chair.

“I just wanted to tell you how much she meant to me,” Diamond said. “That’s why I came here. So maybe you’d understand how special she was…that’s all.”

Diamond turned, and began to walk toward the door.

“She’s alive,” Rarity said.

Diamond stopped dead in her tracks.

“No,” Diamond said. “Don’t you dare…”

“I didn’t kill your friend, Diamond,” Rarity said. “The truth is, she lived with m-“'

“NO!” Diamond said, running back to the table. “STOP IT! Haven’t you hurt me enough?”

“I’m not lying,” Rarity said.

“Do you know what I’ve been doing since I lost her? Nothing! Because all I did was sit up alone in my room, for months, pretending she was there! I convinced myself she wasn’t dead! I swear sometimes I even thought I heard her voice! Do you know how long it took me to face the truth? To accept that she was gone?”

“But she’s not gone. The day after I hurt you-“

“You win, okay? You win!” Diamond shouted. “I’m miserable, and I hate myself, and I know I’ll never have another friend like her, because I don’t deserve one! Okay? So stop! Please, please, just stop!”

The filly collapsed on the floor.

“Because if you keep telling me she’s alive, I’ll start to believe it…” she said. “Please, I know you hate me, but do it for her, okay? Just let her rest in peace…"

"Diamond..."

“I'm begging you!" Diamond cried.

“I…” Rarity said, unsure of what to say next. “I don’t…”

Rarity closed her eyes, giving herself a moment to figure out what to say. It was then that she felt it. A slight shift in the atmosphere in the room. It was tiny, but to a unicorn, it was unmistakable.

She opened her eyes, and saw Pinkie Pie’s letter hovering in midair.

The letter was not alone. Lightweight objects throughout the room were following suit. A pen which had been left on the floor was floating several inches above the ground. So was a notepad placed next to it.

Diamond did not notice until her tiara began to float off her head.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Diamond said. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not doing this,” Rarity said. “But I can feel something. There’s a very powerful magical force exerting itself on this room.”

“Well, make it stop!” Diamond said. “You’re a unicorn, aren’t you?”

“I’m afraid my magic is ability is fairly low-level,” Rarity said. “Something like this is quite beyond me.”

“NOT JUST YOU!” said a booming voice from nowhere. “No unicorn in Equestria is a match for the Great and Powerful…”

There was a blinding flash of light, and a blue unicorn was suddenly standing next to Diamond Tiara.

“Trixie!” Rarity gasped.

“Yes, yes, hello,” Trixie said. The gem she wore around her neck was glowing so brightly that it was hard to look directly at her. “Trixie is disappointed to see that you colored your mane blue again. You looked much nicer in green.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Rarity said.

“Easy, now. Trixie has come to get you out of here,” the intruder replied. She reached toward Rarity, only to be blocked by the invisible barrier.

“Hmph! These things are mere child’s play before the brilliance of Trixie!” the blue unicorn said. She fired a bolt of light from her horn, which collided with the barrier. There was a sound like breaking glass, and a moment later, Rarity could sense that it was gone.

“Alright, we don’t have much time left,” Trixie said, grabbing Rarity in a crude headlock. “Maybe ten seconds at most, then we’re out of here. Don’t let go of Trixie, got it?”

Almost reflexively, Rarity picked up Pinkie’s letter.

“GUARD! She’s trying to escape!” shouted Diamond Tiara. It was only then that Trixie had noticed her.

“Oh!” Trixie said. “They let you keep a foal in here? Trixie had no idea Ponyville’s prisons were so permissive!”

“Stop it!” Diamond said, running up to Trixie and grabbing her leg. “She’s not going anywhere!”

“Let go, child!” Trixie said. “The amulet isn’t designed to transport more than two ponies! There’s no telling what might-“

Random bolts of energy began to erupt from the amulet.

“See?” Trixie said. “The gem is unstable now! You’re ruining everything! LET GO!”

“NO!” Diamond said. “Rarity took my friend away from me! She’s never getting out of here! Not ever!”

There was a flash of bright light.

“It’s been more than one minute,” Hoity Toity said. “I told you we couldn’t trust her. I bet she took off the amulet, left Rarity in jail, and is looking for a pawn shop even as we speak.”

“It wouldn’t matter,” Triage said. “The amulet would still teleport back here after a minute, with or without her. Trust me, any second now, we’ll-“

She was cut off by the force of the explosion.

“Rarity? Are you alright?”

Rarity opened her eyes. She could make out a blurry figure standing before her.

“Wh…who…?” she said groggily.

“It's alright. You’re among friends,” said the figure. “Something overloaded Trixie’s amulet. Damn near blew up half the room. All three of you came in unconscious. That was hours ago.”

Rarity awkwardly got to her hooves. Her vision was beginning to come into focus.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“In a house in Canterlot,” said the figure. “The same place you’ve been sending letters to for the last two months. I told you I’d honor our agreement. Hell, I even left the little pink one untouched in case you wanted her first.”

Rarity looked around. Her vision was almost restored now. In one corner of the room, she saw Diamond Tiara lying on the ground.

“Let me tell you, that one was awfully tempting,” said the figure. “It’s not every day an unconscious little filly is delivered right to my doorstep.”

“Triage…” Rarity said. “This was not our agreement. You were supposed to help Sweetie Belle. Now thanks to your negligence, she’s in the clutches of that Indigo bitch.”

“The agreement has changed, honey,” said Sapphire Shores, walking into Rarity’s field of vision and taking her place at Triage’s right. “We’ve got a new plan, and it all depends on you.”

“But there’s no need to worry,” Hoity Toity added, as he walked up to Triage’s left. “If it works, saving your sister will be simplicity itself.”

“And how exactly does the plan depend on me?” Rarity asked. She took a step back, lost her balance, and fell to the ground.

Triage smiled, and extended a hoof to help her up.

“Rarity, my dear,” Triage said. “How would you like to be the new leader of the Circle?”

[NEXT: awaken/rebellion/Twilight’s mistake]

Author's Note

Author's notes for this chapter can be found here.