Act I: Path of Fomalhaut.

Chapters

Chapter One: Betrayal.
Chapter Two: Negotiation.
Chapter Three: Introductions.
Chapter Four: Lucidity.
Chapter Five: Control.

Chapter One: Betrayal.

“How are you doing this fine morning?” the doctor asked with a polite smile. Sunlight flashed off his glasses as he regarded the bundle at the far end of the room, which remained still.

Tick-Tock. He blinked, feeling a light thudding against his barrel. The stallion lifted a forehoof to his simple grey vest and quietly inspected his golden pocket watch, which idly ticked as the seconds passed. The Earth Pony frowned as he flicked the watch off, carefully returning it to his pocket. Could've sworn I already turned it off... A quick glance, however, told him the other individual in the room hadn’t heard the ticks. He allowed himself a sigh of relief before settling down to business.

“Ahem. While you do wake slower than average, I know for a fact that it doesn’t take you this long.” A faint smile tugged at his mouth. “Stop pretending to be asleep.”

Sunlight peeked into the small room through the barred, lone window, throwing long shadows across the cold, gray floor. The stallion’s metal chair creaked as he shifted, the largest ray of light disrupted by his silhouette. The seat’s occupant focused on the huddled mass at the end of the cell. A muffled sigh drifted across the room as the mass shifted, worn blankets peeling away like a shed skin as a bleary-eyed Unicorn moved into a sitting position. The Unicorn pressed its back against the wall, moving away from the light that snaked through the dimly-lit prison cell.

“Ah, ah, ah... Now don’t think I wouldn’t notice!” the stallion remarked cheerily, glancing at a tray of untouched soup and bread sitting next to the bed. “You still aren’t eating... You really should take care of your body. Is there something wrong with the food?”

The stallion’s inquiry was met by the shallow breathing of the Unicorn. He licked his lips and leaned back as the prison door opened. Two Pegasi, clad in the uniform of the Royal Guard marched into the room, expressions neutral as the stallion was presented with a small wooden table and clipboard. “Ah, thank you...” he chirped, smiling at the stoic guards as they retreated from the room without so much as a second glance, closing the door behind them.

“So!” He rubbed his forehooves together, glasses glinting in the sunlight. “I suppose it’s time to start session...” The doctor paused and picked up the clipboard before flipping through the papers attached to it as he idly twirled a quill with his free hoof, “Seven.”

The Unicorn blinked as the sun slowly shifted, the faint shadows it shielded itself with dissipated like the morning fog. She winced at the light, shading her eyes with a bony forearm.

The stallion held his polite demeanor as he watched her over his glasses. “Now that you’ve had some time to think things over, maybe you’ll reconsider your position?” he inquired, leading forward and tapping a hoof against his clipboard.

The Unicorn stared blankly for several moments. She then lowered her forearm, gave a small shrug, and closed her eyes against the light.

“I see. As I've stated before--if you can't remember just say so--we just want to help you. But in order to do that, you need to tell us what's wrong.” The doctor licked his lips. “We just want to know how you ended up...” His voice trailed off as he took in her skeletal, dirt-caked form, eyes searching futilely for the answers that the mare refused to give.

One eye opened, dark velvet iris dilating as it took in the doctor. “I remember,” she mumbled, her words barely escaping from her parched throat. “It just doesn’t matter. Nothing does.”

The doctor inhaled lightly as his eyes narrowed. “Well, even if it doesn't---which I doubt--I’m still interested in hearing what happened.” He tapped his quill against the clipboard. “Now, just like last time, I’m going to go over things from the beginning. First what we have on record, then I will ask you to clarify the information. Are you ready to start?”

“It’s a waste of my time”, she croaked as her eye slid closed once more.

The doctor clicked his tongue. “If that’s true, then answer my questions and you’ll never have to deal with me again.” He paused, waiting for a response. When the only thing he heard was her soft breathing, he let out a sigh of exasperation and stared glumly at his clipboard. “Alright, how about this then,” he stated as he rolled his quill around a hoof, staring at the mare intently. “I’ll tell you what we have written, and you can answer yes or no to each bit of information. And once we’ve gone through, I’ll be out of your mane for good. Is that satisfactory?”

“... Yes,” the mare quietly replied, not bothering to open her eyes.

The doctor’s shoulders slumped in relief as he tapped the top of the paper. “Right then, you were born in... the village Hollow Shades?”

“Yes,” she replied flatly, her tail twitching limply beside her.

“Your name is... Trixie, correct?” The stallion looked up from his clipboard, quill tapping inquisitively at the second half of the ‘name’ section.

There was a short pause before the Unicorn responded. “Yes.”

“Just Trixie?” he countered, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” she replied curtly.

He began to raise an accusatory hoof in protest which, when met with Trixie's indifferent stare, he slowly retracted.

“Your mother wa--is,” he corrected himself hurriedly, “a miss Amor Fati, correct?”

Trixie’s head cocked to the side, frowning, her gaze growing distant.

“Trixie?” His chair creaked as he adjusted his weight on it, awaiting a response. When none came he sighed and moved on, quill tapping the next line. “And your father was a... Silver Dream?”

Trixie’s gaze drifted back towards the Doctor, frown holding. “No,” she growled, grinding her hooves into the mattress.

He raised an eyebrow at that, scribbling a note onto the clipboard. “Do you know the name of your father?”

Trixie rolled her eyes and made a dismissive gesture towards the clipboard.

“Right, of course... You had social issues growing up? No friends?”

At this Trixie’s gaze turned to the window, her eyes unblinking as she stared at a blank portion of the sky through the bars of her cell.

“... No.”

“Ahem.” The doctor’s eyes darted from one guard to the next, both of which stood in front of him with impassive expressions chiseled into their muzzles.

He adjusted his glasses with one hoof, a slight frown tugging at his mouth. “I’m Doctor Soothing Word? I was assigned to the Trixie case? I have an appointment with the Princess, so if you two will just...” As he finished he attempted to take a step forward and was immediately blocked by the the guards’ raised wings. He stumbled back, then sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Ah, doctor, do come in," a regal voice chimed through the doorway.

The heavy oak doors seemed to slide open of their own accord as the two guards stepped to the side, allowing the doctor passage to the Princess’ private chambers. As the doors slid shut behind him he took in her room: dim candles and a crackling fireplace threw shadows and orange light around the room, as if trapped in eternal twilight; the sparse-yet-extravagant furnishings gave the room a lived-in, homey feel. So transfixed on the decor and atmosphere was he that he forgot to bow until his gaze locked onto Princess Celestia’s. “Ah, sorry, Princess Celestia!” He broke his gaze and lowered his head to the floor as the monarch stared at him from behind her wooden desk.

“Please rise, doctor. I was just finishing up some paperwork. You have my apologies for planning around this meeting so poorly.”

“Oh, oh no! Really, if I came at a poor time I can always return later!” The stallion looked up. His black tail flapped in agitation as he turned to leave, apologizing profusely with such gusto that it took the Princess several attempts to get a word in. By that time the doctor already had one hoof on the door.

“Doctor!” Celestia interrupted as she set her quill down, her own tiny reading glasses sliding down her face.

His ears flattened as he cautiously turned around, lifting his hoof hesitantly from door handle, greatly resembling a young colt caught with a hoof in the cookie jar.

“Y-Yes?” he replied, gulping audibly.

Celestia took advantage of the momentary silence to take her reading glasses off and place them next to her quill. She looked into the doctor’s eyes, offering a kind smile. “It’s fine. Now please, the report?”

“Yes, yes, of course! The report, it’s right here...” With a nervous chuckle he reached into his vest, pulled out several pieces of paper, and offered them to the Princess. To his surprise she shook her head, gently guiding his hoof away from her desk.

“I’ll take the report orally please. I’ve had quite enough reading for one day,” Celestia stated softly, her voice just barely audible over the cheerful crackling of the fire.

“Ah... Well, unfortunately I wasn’t actually able to get anything new...” he grumbled, flattening his ears and rubbing his withers.

Celestia merely offered a reassuring smile in return. “Your opinion as her therapist then?”

Soothing Word adjusted his glasses as he sat down. “Well, in my professional opinion... That there is, in fact, nothing wrong with Miss Trixie.”

Celestia blinked. Her horn gave off a light glow as the doctor’s papers levitated to her desk. She nodded for him to continue.

“She was obviously traumatized. From what, I still can’t say, as she refuses to cooperate. Though I am led to believe it is a family matter. She is surprisingly docile despite her criminal history. However she does possess an incredibly nihilistic viewpoint, which has so far rendered any attempt at negotiation or therapy completely ineffective.” With the topic on familiar territory, the doctor stood up. His movements became more animated as he started to pace to and fro before Celestia’s desk.

Celestia’s gaze followed the stallion as a somewhat wry grin painted itself onto her muzzle. “I was not aware that traumatized nihilists were counted as healthy these days by the medical community.”

The doctor waved his forearm dismissively. “They aren’t generally considered healthy. Nihilism is a philosophy which just can’t fit in our society. But there is a very important distinction between a negative viewpoint and legitimate insanity.” The doctor’s black tail swished from side to side as he continued pacing. “She isn’t bipolar, depressed or suffering from psychosis. Medication quite simply isn’t needed here. There’s nothing technically wrong with her.”

“Most healthy ponies don’t obsessively attempt to overthrow Equestria,” Celestia pointed out. “Natural philosophy is a young study. It’s entirely possible this is something new.”

“Science,” The doctor muttered distractedly. “And I don’t think it was obsessive.”

Celestia became quiet for a moment, as if listening for something. “Pardon?”

Soothing Word blinked. His pacing came to a halt as he turned his gaze to the silent Princess. “It wasn’t obsessive, it was hysterical. Her beha--”

“I was referring to the former, not the latter,” Celestia interrupted, her tone missing its usual motherly tone.

The doctor blinked as confusion etched itself onto his muzzle and tone, “Natural philosophy was outdated almost a thousand years ago in favor of what was eventually dubbed ‘science’. It marked a change in the development, from being reliant on literature and philosophy associated with magical research to a more mundane, yet analytic tactic. Is there... something wrong, Princess?”

“No, nothing. It just must have slipped my mind is all.” Celestia’s motherly smile and tone returned as the fire crackled and popped cheerily in the background, blanketing half of her face in soft shadows.

The room gradually fell silent save for the muted crackle of the fire. As the two stared at each other, tension took root in the air between them. “W-Well, in any case then...” Soothing started, shifting from side to side.

Celestia softly interrupted, “Sorry doctor, but I feel the need to rest. Another time perhaps.”

“A-Ah, yes. Of course, princess.” His ears lowered as he stood and turned halfway to the door. He paused. “Princess Celestia, before I go... May I make a suggestion?” Celestia’s head cocked slightly to the side in response. A bead of sweat rolled down Soothing Word’s forehead. He licked his lips, eyes locked on the ground between his hooves. “I don’t think it will be possible for any professional in the field to get anything out of her.” As he spoke his gaze slowly turned from the floor to Celestia’s chest. “It is my recommendation that your sister, Princess Luna, be put in charge of her case. She would be able to empathize with and assist her far better than anyone else available.”

The air felt heavy and thick with heat as Celestia took in his words. “My sister is sick and recovering from severe emotional trauma. She needs to be cared for and monitored, not laden with responsibilities she isn’t ready for.” As she spoke she leaned forward, her tone growing intense. “On the other hoof, my student, Twilight Sparkle has come far in her study of the magic of friendship. She will be able to offer the assistance that Trixie needs. If what you say is true, then care of Trixie shall be transferred to her instead.”

Soothing Word drew quiet as his ears flattened, silent dissent flashing through his eyes. His gaze fell to the ground in part of a submissive bow. “Of course. My apologies for contradicting your wisdom, Princess Celestia. I will take my leave and allow you your rest.” Turning slowly, the doctor made his way to the door. His hoof was nearly on the knob when Celestia’s sigh wavered through the room.

“My apologies. I overreacted... I will speak to Princess Luna about some limited assistance for Trixie. They could both use another friend.” Her tone was as soft and motherly as her gaze, now devoid of all traces of hostility.

A faint smile flitted across Soothing Word’s lips as he nodded, his hoof pushing the door open. “It is good to hear that, Princess. Enjoy your rest,” he replied as he slipped out of the room. The door clicked shut behind him and the guards resumed their stance as he trotted down the hall at a leisurely pace.

The clip-clop of his hooves against the marble floors rang through the corridor, just managing to drown out the sound of his increasingly strained panting. Every step he took towards the second set of double doors at the end of the corridor filled him with a mounting desire to sprint for his freedom. His eyes shifted from side to side, muscles tense as he licked his lips. His ears swiveled, searching for sounds of alarm: a shouting guard, the righteous fury of the Princess...

Save for the sound of his own breathing and the striking of his hooves against the floor there was nothing. He dropped his guard only after he had made his way across the corridor. He let out a sigh of relief as he began pushing the door open. His tense muscles relaxed as he paused on the other side of the doorway, breathing deeply. He stayed there for several moments, his body seemingly locked in place as he stared at the ground. Forgive me, Celestia, he thought to himself as his hind leg pushed the door closed behind him.

His gaze lowered to his chest as he pressed a hoof against the side of his vest. The hidden papers rustled quietly under his light touch, and with a sigh he begun to trot off to Princess Luna’s quarters.

Trixie’s eyes glimmered as they took in the bright stars. Her hooves wrapped around the bars of her cell window as she pressed her muzzle against the cool metal. The silvery light of the full moon shone through her dark cell, forming a blanket of soft, silvery light around the mare’s thin dirt-caked frame against the darkness of her cell. The tip of her muzzle poked out through the bars, wriggling in the cold midnight winds.

The rattling of keys rang through her cell as Trixie’s right ear twitched back, listening to the sound of the jail warden on the other side of the dungeon. Moments later the sounds of the warden were forgotten as she returned her focus to the night sky. Her eyes danced over the familiar shapes of the constellations, looking for something that didn’t belong. Something new.

Trixie’s tail swished against the ground behind her. As always, she saw nothing new hidden in the stars. As always, she continued to search regardless with an expression of grim determination on her muzzle. So focused was she on her task that she didn’t notice the jingle of keys as her cell door opened. The soft, golden torchlight made a valiant yet futile attempt to pierce through Trixie’s cell as an intruder quietly made her way inside.

“Leave us, please.”

“As you wish, Princess Luna.”

Trixie’s hooves tightened around the bars of her window at the sound of the familiar voice. Her horn glowed fiercely as she shot a glare over her shoulder. As the cell door slid shut and the warden trotted away, Trixie’s tray of cold food levitated into the air, held by a pale magenta glow. Luna made no move to stop the tray as it was propelled directly into her face. A loud clang rang through the cell as it fell to the ground. Cold soup dribbled down the side of Luna’s face as she met Trixie’s furious gaze.

“Traitor!” Trixie growled. “It’s all your fault!”

“We know... and would like to apologize,” Luna replied weakly, her ears and gaze lowering towards the floor where the remains of Trixie’s spoiled dinner lay.

Trixie snorted and looked back out the window. “I don’t care. It’s too late for apologies.” Trixie blinked, staring at the moon before mumbling, “That line was crossed when you cursed and abandoned me.”

“Trixie, we didn’t inte--”

“Shut up and leave me alone. That shouldn’t be too hard for you. It’s what you’ve been doing for the last decade, after all!” Trixie interrupted with a snarl, refusing to look at the sullen mare.

Luna winced at the comment, but made no movement to leave. Instead she sat down, finding herself unable to break the heavy wall of silence between them.

If Trixie had any further objections, she didn’t bother to voice them. Instead she sat on the opposite end of the cell from Luna, staring at the night sky while blanketed by the rays of moonlight that barely managed to land on Trixie’s form. Her eyes continued to cycle through each constellation as the uneasy silence continued to grow, filling and stretching the rift between them.

Chapter Two: Negotiation.

One-thousand, three hundred and forty-two, Trixie idly thought to herself as she lowered her forehoof back to the bed. She blinked at the ceiling, realizing she was out of dots to count. Her parched mouth seemed to grow even drier as her head throbbed, blurry images and faint whispers began forming within her mind, slowly thudding to life as Trixie closed her eyes, cutting off the weak light of the setting sun.

A muffled screech rang out from down the hall, a sound Trixie recognized as the heavy, metal door being slid open, marking the arrival of a visitor. Trixie’s eyes reluctantly took in the world around her as she sighed, banishing the arising images and letting her mind focus on the approaching hoofbeats.

Here for me again, no doubt. Trixie thought idly as she pulled her blankets over her body, ignoring the stench of the old fabric. What is it this time? Another so called ‘therapist’? I wish these idiots would just leave me alone...

As predicted, the sound of hoofbeats grew louder as they drew closer, stopping just outside her door. Trixie blinked in the darkness, waiting to hear the sound of the door being unlocked. It never came. Frowning slightly, Trixie lowered the blanket from over her head and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light.

“Welcome to the world of the living, your highness. Have you finally decided to grace us lesser beings with your presence?” Trixie felt her eye twitch at the mocking voice that echoed from the other side of her room. A gray-coated mare stood there, wearing an arrogant smirk, her golden, slitted eyes twinkling with confidence.

Trixie growled, horn glowing as her untouched meal tray flew across the room, straight into the face of the intruder. Despite the speed of the metal projectile however, the mare simply leaned to the side, smoothly dodging it. “I’ll take that as a yes, then,” she chirped, baring her fangs as her smile widened. She shook her black-and-purple mane, inspecting it for bits of food while humming to herself.

Trixie sighed. Congratulations Princess. You’ve found a way to harass me even further... A quick glance told Trixie everything she needed to know. The coat color, fangs, bat wings, golden eyes. She was dealing with one of Luna’s Night Guard, and judging by her lack of armor, likely the commander.

Now what are you here for? Blackmail me into being Luna’s pawn? Or maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll try to kill me... Trixie merely fixed the guard with a blank stare as she slowly slipped into a sitting position. Her form was completely still save for her beating heart and heaving chest.

“I take it I have your attention then? Lovely.” The guard winked as she stood on her hind legs, leaning her back against the door and crossing her forearms in a fairly alien resting position. “My name is Summer Fields. Night Guard Commander for Princess Luna and, apparently of late, a messenger.”

Correct on both counts. Why in Tartarus can’t that infernal mare just leave me out of her damned games and mess with someone else’s life? Trixie idly blinked and simply stared at nothing in particular.

Summer Fields glanced at the window on the far side of the cell, watching the sun slip over the horizon before looking back at Trixie. “Princess Luna sent me to give you a message, for obvious reasons, Mrs. Stick-up-her-plot.” Summer rubbed her throat with one forearm before crossing it back over her barrel. “Princess Celestia is trying to have your sentence changed up. If you accept, you’ll get to go to Ponyville. Lucky you. But that’s not what I’m here to tell you.” Summer Fields’ smirk fell and her tone hardened.

“Princess Celestia isn’t to be trusted. You may have issues with Princess Luna, but there's far worse things in this world than death, hat-rack, as I’m sure you are aware.

“Princess Luna’s desires are as follows: when Princess Celestia offers to change your sentence, accept and request that mailing to Princess Luna be part of your rehabilitation. You will give Celestia a proper explanation regarding your origins and family if pressed. However, any information given must be incorrect. Under no circumstances are you to tell her about the journal, your destiny, or your upbringing.”

Trixie’s muscles tensed as her glassy, distant expression found itself clear, sharp and locked on Summer Fields’ face. Yet more political bullshit and threats, is that it? I didn’t fall for her pity trap so she tries to outright threaten me? No, I’ve had enough of this to last a lifetime. “Not interested,” Trixie replied curtly.

“Maybe ‘messenger’ was a bit misleading. This isn’t really a request,” Summer replied, her grin returning.

“Don’t care. How do you intend to force me? Going to try and threaten to kill me?” Trixie shot back, a faint, morbid grimace momentarily appearing on her muzzle.

“Oh, of course not. We both know that wouldn’t work. No, I have something you want, something that you will be willing to play along to get, no matter how much you hate it.” Summer Fields winked, radiating confidence. “How many dots are on the ceiling?”

“One-thousand, three hundred and forty-two,” Trixie automatically responded before literally biting her tongue and glaring at Summer Fields.

“Bang! I got your number right here, hat-rack. You will play along, because staying here is incredibly boring and you can’t stand it. Sure, you hate Equestria and all that, but that doesn’t prevent you from getting bored, wasting away in here for eternity with nothing to do but stare at the walls.” Summer dropped to all fours and silently slid the heavy, metal door open. “You’ll be getting pulled out to court tomorrow morning if all goes well. Enjoy your evening, hat-rack.” With that, she slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

Trixie stared at the closed door as the remaining light slowly vanished with the sun. Then with a sigh, she started to slip from her bed. Before her hooves could touch the floor, however, the door creaked open, demanding attention.

"Hey, me again," Summer Fields chirped. "One last thing: if you’re thinking of trying to pretend that you are clever and leave out that you want to write to Princess Luna, we’ll assume you are requesting to have her pop into your dreams instead. Enjoy your stargazing!” Summer winked and slid the door shut as Trixie's pillow sailed toward it, colliding with a light pomf before sliding to the floor.

Trixie stared at the closed door for several minutes, daring it to open. As the moon took its place in the night sky, the portal remained closed. With a ragged sigh, Trixie slipped off her bed and onto the cold floor. Her gaze rested on the window at the far end of the cell as she walked toward it. Idiots! How can they be so simple-minded as to believe that mere boredom would make me willing to go along with their self-righteous, delusional schemes? Trixie’s face grew red, hot with frustration as she approached the window, taking her usual sitting position with a rough plop.

Her muzzle jutted out from between the bars and into the chill night air. Her eyes locked onto the stars, starting in the far left and slowly working their way across the sky, silently mouthing the names of constellations as she did so. Maybe I’ll tell Celestia about Luna’s scheme... I despise that ignorant, hypocritical mare. But naive or not, she’s not manipulative or an intentional liar. She, at least, wouldn’t backstab me the second it suits her. Not with those idealistic ethics of hers.

She paused to lick her muzzle, leaving it feeling warm and moist against the howling gusts of wind that viciously whipped against the outer shell of the stone tower. Her eyes continued to flick to and fro over the stars, following the familiar patterns of the night sky. After each completed constellation Trixie relaxed more, continuously licking her muzzle.

Her anger had almost completely dissipated when her mouth stopped halfway through a constellation. Trixie’s eyes widened and her body tensed, as if frozen in time. Even the cold, bitter wind seemed to cease its movement as she stared at a newly formed hole in the sky. Several stars had vanished, leaving inky darkness in their wake.

Trixie’s heart pounded violently against her ribcage as she backed away from the window, her normally ragged breaths now barely able to slip past her muzzle. A few steps more and Trixie became aware of blood on the bars of her cell. Her eyes darted down. Fresh blood dripped slowly from the sides of her mouth and coated her muzzle. Her vision blurred as her eyes shot back to the hole in the sky. She took another step back, silently mouthing half-thought words while blood dribbled down her neck. Another step and the room began to spin around her, but instead of cool stone, her hoof connected with cold steel and gravy. A loud clang broke the silence as Trixie found her hind legs in front of her face, wind rushing through her mane as she flipped over. She landed on her back with a loud crack, followed by a muffled thump as the back of her head connected with the stone. Trixie’s vision cleared as blood pooled behind her head and back, forming macabre silhouettes of extended wings and twisted halo around her limp body in the shadow of the moonlight. Trixie’s mouth slowly opened. Her bleeding and cracked tongue writhed against her dried mouth as she finally found her voice. Hysterical laughter filled the room, relentlessly carrying throughout the dungeon.

Trixie’s chest heaved as her body strained from her excessive laughter, but she continued, even as her eyes drooped from the blood loss, only stopping once her mind was submerged in the murky waters of unconsciousness.

Knock, knock.

Trixie’s ears twitched as the pleasant buzzing sensation in her head was interrupted, along with her restful sleep. Nevertheless, her eyes remained shut as she pulled her blanket over her face. She sighed as she felt her body slowly fall back into sleep.

The knocking continued, more insistent this time, “Trixie, are you awake? I need to talk to you,” inquired a familiar voice.

Trixie reluctantly removed her blanket and slipped out of bed, blearily rubbing her eyes in the process. “I’m awake, what do you wa--” Trixie paused to let out a sleepy yawn, and shake her head. “Want, Armor?”

The cell door slid open, creaking in protest as Shining Armor poked his head into the room, followed by the rest of his body. “Glad to see you got out of bed on your own. Finally started to take your rehabilitation seriously, I take it?”

Trixie fought to keep her expression straight as several memories of Shining pulling her, kicking and screaming, out of the comfort of her bed early in the morning as part of some torture called ‘developing good habits’ flashed by her eyes. “Yes I did, Shining Armor,” Trixie replied robotically, doing her best to not roll her eyes. Just when I had thought there was nothing more annoying than multiple visits by doctors, Celestia sent this arrogant moron to try and teach me ‘good habits.’ is he too stupid to realize that I only play along because he’s a self-righteous, hypocritical brute?

“That is very good to hear, Trixie. Now...” Shining looked at the floor of the cell, frowning at the food smeared halfway across it. “What did I tell you about cleanliness? And eating your food over decorating the floor with it?” Shining’s frown deepened as he stared directly into Trixie’s eyes. “You weren’t throwing your tray at the therapists again, were you?”

Annnd, that’s an overwhelming, ‘No’. “Sorry, I dropped it, but the warden decided to ignore me when I called for a bucket to clean it up,” Trixie smoothly responded, resisting the urge to yawn again. “Why did you need to talk to me?”

Shining shifted his weight, repositioning his guard uniform. “Celestia would like to request an audience with you, regarding a different route to take your rehabilitation. I highly recommend taking her up on her offer, though the decision is ultimately up to you.”

Trixie blinked, the morning haze on her mind shattering as she became completely awake. A flurry of images flashed through her mind, along with the distant echo of her own laughter. She lifted a hoof and looked at the floor. The surface was clean, save for the dried gravy smeared across it. Figures, she thought as she looked back up at Shining Armor. “I’ll go,” she answered evenly, struggling to contain the question that had driven itself into her skull.

If Shining Armor was surprised, he didn’t show it. He merely nodded in recognition and moved out of Trixie’s way. The two guards that had acted as his escort were now visible in the hallway. As Shining Armor stepped to the side, Trixie glanced towards the window, her brow furrowing.

Is this what hope feels like? She barely noticed, or cared about the two guards that cuffed her hooves together and placed a suppressor over her horn.

Shining Armor coughed into his hoof, frowning slightly and drawing Trixie’s reluctant attention. “Sorry, it doesn’t matter much up here, but if you are going into the Day Court, where you can be seen by the Nobles we will be needing to keep up appearances. Can’t afford to break regulation.”

Trixie looked down, staring at her bound hooves. She experimentally lifted one, listening to the chain rattle as it quickly went taunt, flashing in the light.

A stoic, grey stallion sat on his podium, looking down at the snarling blue mare as she struggled in her bonds, a pair of royal guards struggling to hold her still. “... And how do you plead to your accused crimes against Equestria?”

“Crimes? Crimes!? It’s no crime to put you sniveling morons in your place! You can all burn in Tartarus for what your incompetence has caused! You arrogant piece o--Let go of me! I said let go of Trixie!” The mare struggled, kicking and screaming profanities as she was dragged out of the court. The stallion sighed as he watched, his grimace masked by his hoof as he rubbed his forehead.

Trixie set her hoof back down, her stomach thudding as she felt her old anger begin to rekindle. Her gaze raised to the simple, brown stone halls, decorated only with unlit torches, open cell doors and an old, ragged carpet running their length. Trixie raised a hoof again, this time stepping out of her cell, the first time in eight months.

“I’m glad you decided to go through with this. I hate to see ponies just wasting away, doing nothing,” Shining Armor said as he pulled her cell door shut behind her.

Trixie said nothing in return as she walked down the hall, her chains rattling with each step. Not once did she look back.

A shiny, copper gadget sat in the centre of a wooden table, glinting in the warm candlelight. A moment later, a hoof smashed it into a wall. “Stop wasting my time, Flam! Every damn moment you waste brings us closer to the results of Luna’s damned curse,” Trixie hissed.

Flam gulped, offering Trixie a nervous smile. “Y-Yes, of course! You have been a great, frequent customer and business partner. We wouldn’t dream of betraying that... It’s just that...” He steepled his hooves together, eyes darting to the front door his brother had retreated through just moments ago. “Destroying the night sky... Don’t you think it’s a bit extreme?”

Trixie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Extreme? Please, you know the results of my attempts at curing it. What is left, exactly?” When Flam shrugged, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to come up with a response like a gasping fish, Trixie growled and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him over the table. “Tell me! What. Option. Is. Possibly. Left. For. Me?!” Her eyes bulged in their sockets as she stared down the sweating merchant.

A bead of sweat ran down his cheek as he licked his muzzle. “Well, miss Trixie... as a fellow performer... You and I, we both know the faces of society, how to make them bend to sell a product... But even bent, society is larger than any of us. It just isn’t something one can defeat or dominate. So... I think...” He licked his lips again as Trixie’s expression darkened, her hooves more firmly gripping his collar.

“So... you think... What?! What do you think, Flam? Are you trying to tell me to just roll over and accept it, is that it?!” Trixie snarled and threw Flam back into his chair and turned around, facing away from the welcoming candlelight.

Flam rubbed his temple with one hoof while moving to pour himself another shot of whiskey with the other. He hesitated for a moment, then grabbed and downed half the bottle. His eyes closed for an instant as the fiery liquid burned down his throat. He put the bottle down and leaned forward, his front hooves on his desk. “I know it’s hard for you, Trixie. You’ve been working hard at this for most of your life, but, as you said yourself, it can’t be stopped. So, why don’t you just give up on it. Lead a normal life, you could even join my brother and I in our work if you are interested.”

Trixie tensed as she gritted her teeth, continuing to face away from Flam. “What are you saying, Flam? Are you trying to tell me that, for all of your capability for magic and machine, you can’t make something that can destroy the night sky?” Trixie asked calmly, with only the slightest quiver.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. “I’m sorry, Trixie, but it’s just not possible. Here.” Flam slid his shot glass across the desk and filled it. “It’ll make you feel better, promise.” Flam smiled at Trixie as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

Trixie turned slowly her expression muffled by the shadows dancing around the flickering candlelight. She took a step forward, then another. However, she did not reach for the glass. Flam’s smile slowly fell off his face. “How can you talk about this so casually, Flam? Do you think I deserve this curse?”

“Wha--No. No! Trixie, you didn’t do anything to deserve it, it’s a tragedy! I just think that... Trixie?” Flam froze in place as he saw any traces of civility slip out of Trixie’s eyes.

Her horn glowed as the desk was flung across the room, violently snapping in half as Trixie tackled Flam onto the ground with a growl. The entire room shook as the two ponies’ bodies impacted with the back wall. The candle fell from its perch and landed beside the tangled duo before being levitated by Trixie, held aloft just an inch away from Flam’s left eye. “It’s so... easy for you isn’t it, Flam?” Trixie hissed, her hooves pressing down on his neck. “Throwing your meaningless sympathy speeches to make you feel better about those ponies you’ve backstabbed in order to turn a profit.” She slowly twirled the candle in the air next to the whiskey that had spilled on his face. “But what if it was you, instead of me, huh? If it was you, I’m sure you wouldn’t have just said to forget it. Said it was impossible. No, you would have done whatever it took to keep yourself alive. But that’s not the case, is it?”

Flam gasped for breath, his hind legs kicking futilely as he tried to pull her hooves from his neck. Trixie simply snarled. “Exactly. You aren’t the cursed one. You weren’t betrayed. You don’t have to go through the fires of Tartarus. But I was. I did, and it seems I still am, and will continue to as long as I place my trust in anypony that isn’t myself.”

Flam merely gurgled in response. Trixie sighed and moved her hooves off his neck.

“If the night sky can’t be destroyed, then there is only one other option, isn’t there Flam? And it isn’t giving up.” Trixie ignored the unicorn as he gasped for air, instead turning around and walking towards the door.

“It’s destroying the idealistic, naive society that would try the same to me,” Trixie mumbled to herself, as she opened the door with her magic. “Goodbye Flam. We won’t be meeting again.”

Trixie trudged along the carpeted halls of Canterlot Castle, her head hanging low. Every step was accompanied by the mocking laughter of her chains as they gleefully rattled at her imprisonment. Trixie scowled. Flam may have been right about the strength of society. But he was wrong about the sky, without the stars and moon...

“It’s just around the corner. Shape up,” Shining called back, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

“Let’s just get this over with so I can get out of here,” Trixie grumbled in annoyance as she slowly lifted her head.

“Ah, welcome back, Shining Armor,” Celestia said, nodding from over her desk.

“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” he replied warmly, taking a deep bow that left his muzzle almost touching the floor. “I’ve brought Trixie, as she agreed to your meeting.”

Celestia chuckled as she slid her reading glasses off. “I can see that. Thank you, Captain.”

Shining Armor nodded, then stood upright, oblivious to Celestia’s stare.

“Captain?” Celestia inquired as she vacantly folded her glasses.

Shining Armor blinked, “Yes, Princess Celestia?”

“That will be all. You are dismissed for the evening. I believe Cadence mentioned she had baked a pie for you,” Celestia stated with a smile and slight nod towards the open doors of her bedroom.

Shining Armor frowned, his gaze twitching from Celestia to Luna and her guards, who were patiently sitting in a far corner of the room.

“Trixie’s latest therapist suggested that my sister assist me in managing Trixie’s case. There’s nothing to worry about, Shining Armor,” she added reassuringly.

The guard captain’s muscles tensed, as if preparing to leap into a pit of venomous scorpions. His eyes slowly narrowed as he returned Celestia’s gaze. “That wouldn’t happen to be Doctor Soothing Word, would it?”

Trixie shuffled on the ground, her chains rattling in agitation as she rested her head on her forearms and closed her eyes.

“Perhaps we should direct our attention towards the one that needs it, dear sister,” Luna interjected.

Celestia turned away from her captain and nodded. “Yes, we should.”

The room seemed to freeze for a moment, the only sound coming from Celestia’s eternally crackling fireplace as it performed its duty of cloaking the room in eternal twilight.

Shining Armor inclined his head at Celestia’s silent answer and strutted out of the room, his escort following behind. The doors slid shut after the last guard left. A faint click rang through the room.

Trixie opened an eye at the noise but didn’t bother to rise from her resting position.

“Now then!” Celestia announced, shuffling a stack of papers around her desk with her magic. “As you no doubt remember, you received a joint sentencing, between my sister and myself. As normal, Luna assigned you a period of time to remain in the dungeons based on your actions while I assigned rehabilitation guidelines to shorten that period.”

Trixie gave a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Yes, yes, Trixie is very well acquainted with your terrible legal system. Off the top of my head I can think of three different nations with drastically superior ones, the Griffins being one of them.”

Celestia’s warm smile faltered momentarily with the flickering of the flames, before snapping back into place. She glanced beside her to Luna, who merely nodded to Trixie.

Celestia sighed, her gaze returning to Trixie. “My sister has suggested that you need neither, however. As such, I have a proposal, if you are interested.” Celestia paused, waiting for a response. The only one she received was Trixie’s vacant one-eyed stare. “In any case, the proposal is simple: you will be relocated to Ponyville where you will do community service and odd jobs to pay for the damage you’ve done to Equestria. You won’t be allowed to leave the area for obvious reasons. You will be given a small sum for living accommodations and your new therapist shall be my personal student: Twilight Sparkle.”

Trixie snorted at that, her eyes rolling as she shifted to a more comfortable position on the carpeted floors.

Celestia continued, ignoring the interruption.“Twilight is learning the magic of Friendship herself, and I think you can benefit from her guidance. While you won’t be doing any of your current programs with us, you will need to mail me weekly letters on what you’ve learned so I can keep up to date on your progress.”

Trixie flicked her gaze to Luna, who was staring intently. Summer Fields stood just behind the Night Princess and nodded in return. Her eyes flicked back to Celestia as images rushed through her mind.

Trixie sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly ahead as Summer Fields stood on her hind legs, leaning against the cell door. The guard captain wore a serious expression as she relayed her message. “Princess Celestia isn’t to be trusted. You may have issues with Princess Luna, but there's far worse things in this world than death, hat-rack, as I’m sure you are aware.”

Princess Luna’s desires are as follows: when Princess Celestia offers to change your sentence, accept and request that mailing to Princess Luna be part of your rehabilitation. You will give Celestia a proper explanation regarding your origins and family if pressed. However, any information given must be incorrect. Under no circumstances are you to tell her about the journal, your destiny, or your upbringing.”

Trixie shifted, her chains rattling in protest. Celestia fixed her with an expectant stare. Trixie merely scowled at her memories.

Trixie’s scowl fell as she closed her eyes. Luna obviously wasn’t the cause. If she was, she would’ve said something... No, but she would know what is...

“Trixie?” Celestia tilted her head, motherly concern lacing itself into her voice.

Trixie slowly rose to her hooves, shaking slightly as her scrawny limbs struggled with the sudden weight.

“Fine.” Trixie shook the tangled mess of her mane out of her eyes as she looked at Celestia. “I’ll accept your proposal on three conditions.” Her gaze hardened as she pointed a hoof at Princess Luna. “First. I see no reason to write to you of all ponies. It’s obvious why she is here: it’s because she actually knows what she’s doing. As such, Trixie will write to her, not you.”

Celestia leaned back in her chair, fixing Trixie with an amused stare.

Trixie simply glared in return.

“And the other two?” Celestia inquired.

As if on queue, Trixie’s stomach rumbled with enough force to cause the fireplace to waver. “Something to eat... and a bath.” She sniffed, lifting her head in a foolish attempt to retain her remaining dignity.

Summer Fields gave a muffled giggle into her hoof as Luna relaxed in her seat. Celestia, for her part, merely smiled. “We accept your conditions, Trixie. You will be sent to Ponyville by train after your dinner.”

As Trixie stared at the ceiling, listening to Celestia’s response, her thoughts were not of food, but a mechanical murmur from Celestia’s night stand.

Tick-Tock.

Tick-Tock.

Chapter Three: Introductions.

“You did pretty good in there. Celestia doesn’t suspect anything. Though requesting your things back after the dinner...” Summer Fields frowned, rubbing her forehoof along the carry bag. “The journal will be safer with Luna, and she already sealed it, so...”

Trixie glared, spitting her train ticket out of her mouth and pinning it to the ground with a forehoof. “Starswirl’s journal is mine by birthright. I made my conditions for working with Celestia, but...” Trixie reached over and tugged the bag away from Summer Fields, protectively holding it between her forearms. “But if Luna wants to have Trixie’s cooperation, she will meet my conditions.” Trixie’s eyes closed as she tilted her muzzle to the air, flipping her mane.

Summer Fields blinked, her wings flexing. “Geez, you get a small bit of freedom and you’re already trying to run the show.” Summer’s gaze flicked down to the bag then up to Trixie’s closed eyes. “Well... are you going to tell me what they are?”

“No. Trixie will contact Luna on my own terms. Now leave. The Great and Powerful Trixie is tired and desires to wait for my train undisturbed.”

The two mares stood on the empty train platform, illuminated by the full moon that peeked over the mountains. Summer Fields shifted her weight forward. Trixie continued to hold her position, refusing to acknowledge the guard. The pair stayed in their respective positions for a moment, then Summer Fields turned and began the trot back to the Castle. “Fine, we'll play things your way... for now. Trixie... Starshine.” Summer Fields slipped around the side of the building as she finished.

Trixie flinched at the name, biting her bottom lip as her eyes opened to drink in the night sky. Her tail swept around her legs as she sat, bag before her. A small smile etched itself on her muzzle. “I’ve still got it...”

“Luna? Trixie is reque--”

“I know, Summer.” A faint, bitter smile graced Luna’s lips. “We were friends for several years, after all.”

A loud crack reverberated throughout, the sky, flashing past the floor-length window into Luna’s bedroom. The room grew quiet then as the storm clouds churned, obscuring the moon. Luna tilted her head to the window as thick droplets hammered against the glass..

Summer frowned as another distant bolt lit up the room. Then, taking a hesitant step towards the Princess, “Luna, you’re doing it again.”

Luna turned away from her companion, ethereal mane flowing as if it felt the winds that were building outside. She didn’t react when Summer Fields sat down beside her and wrapped a forearm around her back. “Luna, I know it’s frustrating, but you need to keep calm. We can’t afford another withdrawal side effect.” Summer slowly slid her hoof along Luna’s spine, humming a simple lullaby as the storm continued to throw its tantrum across the sky, punctuated by flashes of lightning.

Princess Luna didn’t respond, instead favoring silence as she extended a wing over her companion, holding Summer close like a child with their stuffed toy.

“You know she is going to get drenched at this rate,” Summer observed idly, watching puddles form on the balcony.

Luna shook her head, a grim look in her eyes. “Trixie enjoys it... She...” Luna’s gaze dropped from the storm and found them lost in the space between her hooves.

Summer Fields stood on her hind legs and wrapped her hooves around Luna’s head before pressing it against her chest. As the Alicorn relaxed to the sound of Summer Field’s beating heart, the storm ebbed.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Just calm down, Luna. Everything will be okay.” Summer Fields looked out the window, eyes filled with determination as she comforted her charge. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“My, this is rare!” The conductor chirped as he hopped off the train, his hooves kicking up puddles of water. “We never get a pony on the midnight train that isn’t some guard doing their oh so very important business.” He gave an amused waggle of his eyebrows while his cheerful grin threatened to pull his face apart.

Trixie simply stood in the rain, bag held below her barrel, drenched mane hanging limply over the left side of her face.

“Ah, the silent type, I see! Never fear! I am used to dealing with your kind!” He nodded energetically, tipping his hat with a brown hoof that just managed to poke out of his simple, dark

blue uniform. “After all, I see them almost nightly,” he bitterly mumbled under his breath before looking back up with renewed excitement. “Down to business then! Do you have your ticket?”

Trixie cocked her head faintly. The conductor did the same, seemingly oblivious about the storm raging around them as a torrent of rain mercilessly hammered the two ponies.

Trixie unceremoniously thrust a hoof into her bag, rummaging through the objects inside for a few moments before successfully fishing out a golden ticket.

“Ah! First class! Somepony has friends in high places, I see!” With a merry bounce, the stallion hopped forward, taking the edge of the ticket in his mouth. “Ihn yah go!” He slid to the side, taking a low bow while elaborately waving his forearm.

Ignoring the conductor, Trixie bit onto the handles of her bag before trotting into the train with it held below her.

The train was lit only by beams of silvery light that streamed through the windows, broken by the erratic flickering of the storm. Shadows danced on the plush seats, standing witness to the drenched mare as she made her way through the isle. With a small squeak, she plopped down on a middle row seat, her bag positioned next to the window.

Trixie squirmed, letting her hind legs hang off the seat while her body pressed against the back. The train lurched, rocking as it begun to inch forward. Trixie found her eyes drawn to the window as the scenery lurched past at ever-increasing speeds. Gaps appeared in the storm’s canopy as the train left Canterlot behind. Smatterings of stars zipped by as streaks of light, as if the night sky was watching the train with a montage of mocking grins.

Trixie winced and locked her eyes on the back of the seat in front of her. She didn’t react as the conductor made his way ponderously along the aisle, pausing just behind her seat. Trixie tensed, but remained silent.

A towel was draped over her the top of her head, causing the mare to look over the seat at the conductor as he walked past her. He tossed a look in return, the brilliance of his grin matched only by the optimism in his eyes. “Don’t mope. It doesn’t help anypony!”

“I’m not moping,” Trixie moped as her hooves subconsciously kneaded the towel against her mane. She hardened her gaze at the back of the conductor’s head until he slipped out of sight. Nothing changed, a voice in her head whispered. Trixie gritted her teeth. Equestria is still full of arrogance in the form of naive, optimistic idealists that choose to live in ignorance, regardless of the pain they cause. They’d make a martyr out of their neighbors if it meant retaining their own peace of mind the voice idly observed. The weight of the words hung in the air for a moment, as if considering themselves. Doesn’t it just make you... sick to your stomach to see something so blindly abusive? Equestria is drunk on its own fantasies, leaving you to clean up the mess they dare call a ‘society’.

Trixie felt moisture on her chin. She absent-mindedly wiped the offending spot with her towel. A glimmer of red passed through the peripheries of her vision before her sight was consumed by a flash of lightning tearing across the sky.

Everything was dark, the world silent. Even the soft chugging of the train was subdued. Trixie nuzzled into the crook of her forearm, her mind lost in the blanketing haze of deep sleep.

“Trixie?”

Her ear twitched. Half-formed thoughts swum through Trixie’s head as she slowly slipped out of sleep. “Mneeeh...” she grumbled defiantly.

“Trixie...” the voice reverberated above her, bludgeoning through Trixie’s grogginess with a tone equal parts annoyed and nostalgic.

Trixie sat up, reaching for her blanket. However, her hoof grabbed at thin air. Trixie blinked, then then took in her surroundings.

Stars peeked through the windows of the train from clear skies. Shadows stood motionless within the stationary train beside the Ponyville train station. Trixie’s eyes slowly turned right and were introduced to the sleep-deprived eyes of a Unicorn.

Twilight and Trixie stared at each other for a few moments, neither moving.

“You? You’re supposed to be my ‘therapist’?” Trixie rubbed a hoof across her face, “They must be more desperate than I thought.”

Twilight visibly ignored the latter comment with a faint glare, that retreated into confusion. “Um, according to my report; Celestia specifically told you I’d be in charge of your behavior.”

Trixie shrugged. “I didn’t remember your name.”

Twilight blinked, then with a nod of her head, led Trixie down the aisle of the silent train.

“Is something wrong?” Twilight looked over her shoulder as Trixie followed behind, mutely staring at the sky through the windows. “I haven’t seen you since your last visit here, but I distinctly remember you being much more vocal... and, uh, confident.”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t follow the papers, Sparkle,” Trixie responded blankly as her eyes followed the path of the new constellations not visible from her tower.

Twilight blushed, looking away. “That’s not what I meant! It’s just... When you left, it’s like you became a completely different mare.”

Twilight began to ramble on about her observations of Trixie’s behavior. Trixie’s eyes glazed over as she tuned her out. Distracted from the stars, whispers echoed through Trixie’s head as a wave of ever-shifting images washed over her consciousness. In the final moment before her thoughts were consumed, a voice whispered in her head. She’s right... for all the wrong reasons.

Crickets chirped in farewell as the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon took its place on the opposite end of the sky, banishing threats of darkness with its sanguine silver glow.

Trixie stood on her stubby hind legs, straining to peek out of her bedroom window. As the moon broke the horizon, its full form sliding out from behind the trees, Trixie’s mouth shifted into an ever larger grin. Her tail twitched, with an elongated squee she pushed her forehooves against the windowsill and leapt at her bed. Bouncing onto the mattress, Trixie beelined to her pillow and shoved her forehooves underneath it, digging around for her treasure.

Her hooves clasped around cool stone and with an elongated squee Trixie pulled the object out from under her pillow. A thin, flat, white stone sat in the filly’s hooves, perfectly round and as large as her head. Trixie’s eyes sparkled as she ran a hoof along the middle, enjoying the sensation of the flawless stone against her fur.

Trixie glanced back to her window, her eyes following the pillar of moonlight that extended from the opening to the corner of her bed. She gripped the stone in both of her forehooves and dragged it to the column of moonlight.

As the light reflected off the stone its surface shifted and rippled like water. Trixie’s breath caught in her throat as she stared intently, her body locked in place. The light faded as the stone slowly shifted, colors swirling through the rippling surface spinning and whirling around each other in a mesmerizing display that filled the room with the shades of a rainbow.

Trixie’s eyes widened as she struggled to comprehend the shifting pool of colors. She slowly started to tip forward into the lights as they enveloped her body with their warmth.

Trixie blinked, her room was dark, her body cold. The lights had retreated back into the stone with such speed that Trixie was forced to wonder if they ever existed at all… a thought she was almost instantly distracted from.

“Hello, Trixie.”

Trixie looked down, snapped back into reality. In place of the lights, she saw a cratered white mass with a starry-maned Alicorn sitting in the middle, smiling up at Trixie through the stone.

Trixie’s grin threatened to overtake her face as Trixie stared at her best friend. “Hai, Princess Luna!”

Luna’s bedroom door was yanked open as the mare in question stomped to her balcony, Summer Fields trailing behind her. Storm clouds rumbled on the horizon as Summer Fields quietly closed the door behind them.

“Every time I deal with those spies my sister dares to call my advisors it makes the moon seem less of a prison and more of a pleasant summer cottage,” Luna seethed as her ethereal mane billowed behind her.

Summer Fields turned from the closed door and faced the princess. “I’ll admit, most of your Night Court is on Celestia’s payroll, but you need to keep in mind what you do have.” Summer paused as she moved to stand next to the princess as they watched the sleeping city. “A few loyal members from within the court. The remaining noble families, and the descendents of your original supporters. As always, you have eyes everywhere, and isn’t that how you operate best?” Summer flashed Luna a confident grin.

Luna smiled weakly while rolling her eyes. “I hardly think eight or so ponies qualifies as ‘everywhere’, Summer.”

“Hmph, maybe, but you have enough of us in the right places, don’t you think?” Summer looked back at the city, following narrow alleyways with her eyes.

Luna inclined her head slightly. “They voted against presenting the idea of stopping Trixie’s medication to the Third Circle.”

Summer slowly turned to look at the Princess, the sides of her mouth raising into an expectant grin.

“However, she won’t be able to prepare herself for what is to come if it continues.” Luna turned her gaze to the stars, her expression blank. “Tell Locke to handle the situation.”

“Right away, Princess Luna,” Summer murmured as she silently vanished into the night sky.

Trixie slowly trotted through the empty streets of Ponyville, a saddle equipped with various tools strapped to her back. Squat homes stuck out of the earth around her like tombstones. A chill wind shuddered through the city, weaving through abandoned streets and alleys.

Trixie strutted through, unfazed as she marched steadily towards her goal, eyes locked on the stars above her. Save for the rhythmic panting of the wind the city was silent, and yet Trixie paused, her ears twitching. She heard the faint sound of hooves digging into the dirt behind her. Trixie’s eyes hardened into a stern glare as they slowly fell from the sky to look straight ahead.

Trixie pushed her hoof against the library door, her hastily gathered tools packed in her saddlebags.

“Trixie?” Twilight whispered from upstairs, glancing out her bedroom door. “What are you doing? It’s past midnight. You don’t need to start working until tomorrow.”

She pushed her hoof against the library door, sliding it open without looking back. “I prefer to operate at night. I’ll be back at dawn.”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but found herself staring at the library door as it slammed shut behind Trixie.

“Leave me alone, Sparkle,” Trixie snapped as she shot a glare behind her. Instead of the lavender Unicorn, Trixie was presented with an empty street.

A muffled bang rang out as a garbage can fell out of an alleyway. Trixie snapped her attention to it, her limbs locking in place, purple light emanating from her horn.

A stray black cat sprinted out of the alley, across the street, and down another. Trixie sighed, then turned her gaze back to the stars as she made her way to her destination. As her eyes followed the constellations she found them drawing ever closer to Canterlot, to the hole in the sky she saw from her jail cell. Trixie frowned as her gaze locked on the distant city, the castle’s silhouette blocking her view.

A faint whisper snaked up from behind her, before being consumed by the wind. Trixie’s gaze snapped back, but again she found nothing save the dark streets of the sleeping town. Trixie narrowed her eyes as she slowly turned her gaze forward. The local school lay just ahead of her. She glanced back a final time before stepping onto the school grounds and making her way around the building.

Almost immediately she was greeted by a moderate section of the fencing, knocked over as if something large had rolled over it. Trixie sighed as she slid the work saddle off her back and grabbed her hammer. With her right hoof she lifted one of the planks, while her left raised the hammer over her head. Trixie breathed in, concentrating on the plank, then rammed the hammer against it. The plank drove itself into the ground at the same time a twig behind her snapped.

Trixie’s ears perked up as she looked behind, coming face to face with a mustard-coated Pegasus with a grayscale mane.

The Pegasus grinned. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too late at night for yard work?”

Trixie blinked, looking over the Pegasus’ body. She snorted and turned around, repeating her process with the next plank.

Unfazed, she continued. “Guess not, and judging from that look in your eyes, you are really quite the angry type… You trying to manage your anger issues by hitting things?” She hummed. “Very constructive of you. I approve.”

Trixie snapped her third plank in, hammer coming down hard enough to crack the surface. Her eye twitched.

“But~!” The Pegasus slowly paced around Trixie until she had a good look at Trixie’s Cutie Mark. “You seem to have a talent for entertainment and storytelling, not manual labor. Couldn’t you just tell a violent story or something?” She paused, waiting for a response. Trixie snapped a fourth plank back into the ground.

“Have something against your destiny? Or, well… both of them, I’d imagine?” The Pegasus sat and looked up at the stars. “It’s kinda funny how many ponies these day forget that. You are destined to do something in life depicted by your Cutie Mark, something personalized that you will enjoy doing. But then you have your second destiny, and that is your role in society… Life.”

Trixie’s hammer stopped in mid-air, her eyes widening as she stared at the plank she held in place.

“That one... That one is not there to make you happy. it’s there because society demands it, so to speak. Even if they don’t realize it. Of course, for the most part we all get dealt the same second destiny… Destined to work together in harmony. So it’s easy to forget things like the archivist Starswirl the Bearded becoming destined to burn down the original archives of the three tribes, along with himself.” She stretched her forearms, covering her muzzle as she let out a muffled yawn.

“Shut up.” Trixie slammed her fifth plank in and closed her eyes as her hoof moved for the next.

The mare’s eyes widened as she adopted an expression of pleasant surprise. “Oh, would you look at that! You can talk!”

Trixie’s eyes opened as she planted her hoof over the next plank.

The Pegasus extended a forearm, her hoof pointing Trixie. “Hi there, I’m Dar--Ow!”

Trixie smacked her extended hoof with the plank and set it into the ground with one smooth motion, half-heartedly trying to make it look accidental.

“What was that for?” The mare asked accusingly as she cradled her sore hoof.

“Shut up. You aren’t even real.” Trixie snapped her sixth plank in and slid over to the last two.

The Pegasus huffed indignantly. “What are you talking about? I’m Daring Do! Famous explorer and hero!” She paused. “... Actually, now that I think about it, normally I get much more enthusiastic reactions, especially from the Minotaurs…”

“That’s my point.” Trixie ground her teeth as she pulled up the seventh plank. “Daring Do is fictional. If she was anything more than a few stupid cosplayers and a character in fictional adventure stories, then Equestria would not be what it is. A real hero wouldn’t stand for a place like this existing.” Trixie bit into her bottom lip, her eyes hardening as she violently smashed her hammer into the plank.

The sky rumbled as rain started to splatter down around the two mares. “Hmm,” Daring hummed, her mood not changing in the slightest. “That is rather interesting… You have the noble and self-righteous philosophy of a ‘hero’. But, you know what else you have?” Daring waited for Trixie’s gaze to reluctantly turn to her. “the hatred and attitude of a petty villain and bully.”

Trixie snarled as Daring Do merely continued to smile. “What? Do you think petty anarchy will overthrow your destiny? That destroying the society that created it will stop it from happening? That temper tantrums and running aimlessly will delay its inevitable execution?” Daring stepped forward. “That you’ll even change anything in the slightest outside of the size of your own ego?”

The rain poured down around them as blood dribbled down the sides of Trixie’s mouth, her entire body shaking as the burning anger within her chest rapidly expanded until there was nothing else.

She gripped the hammer between both hooves and held it over her head. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

Daring just smirked. “See? You aren’t any more of a hero than I am.”

Trixie snarled as she swung the hammer at Daring’s head. Daring Do made no attempt to evade the attack, instead following the path of the hammer with her eyes.

A flash of lightning blinded Trixie just as she felt the hammer make impact, a loud crunch ringing out through the night sky.

Trixie blinked, letting the blotches in her vision fade away as her head cleared. The night was silent as she looked down to see her hammer buried in the ground, a wooden plank snapped in half around it. She quickly turned around, but found nothing but the empty darkness of the schoolyard greeting her.

Trixie looked back down at her hammer; a droplet of fresh blood stained the handle. She blinked and pressed a hoof to her mouth, it was damp. Trixie felt light headed as she moved her hoof away, seeing it stained with her own blood. Trixie stumbled on the damp grass, her body refusing to function as she pushed her hoof against her muzzle, trying to stop the bleeding.

She sat on the grass for a few moments, her eyes closed as she rubbed her hoof against her muzzle. After the bleeding stopped, Trixie let her eyes slide open. She moved her hoof away from her mouth and found it clean. Trixie simply sighed and planted it back on the ground, her gaze turning to the clear skies over Ponyville. Her bloodstained hammer lay forgotten on the ground.

Chapter Four: Lucidity.

As the moon reached its peak in the night sky over the hidden village of Hollow Shades, a pair of half-rotten wooden shutters creaked open to allow the passage of a small telescope that peered into the stars. With a frantic swiveling that matched the enthusiasm of the young filly who guided it, the telescope scanned across the night sky.

You deserve this.

The filly turned her gaze to her bedroom, lit only by the moonlight. A gust of chill wind swept through the simple wooden furnishings before escaping through the cracks in the aging floorboards. “Mom? Is that you?” Trixie squeaked with unease as the cold crept through her coat, causing the slim filly to shiver as her ears swiveled forward. Silence was the only response. Not even the wind so much as whispered as it slid through the darkened cottage.

She remained frozen in place, ears twitching as her eyes darted around the room, inspecting every shadow with scrutiny. The house itself grew quiet, as if waiting in anticipation. The filly’s chest heaved as she panted, her eyes shifting with increasing intensity as she stepped back against the wall, letting the moonlight blanket her. The shadows seemed to retreat as the moonlight slid further in, blanketing the room with its soft glow. Trixie’s breathing slowed as she began to relax. With a slow sigh, the filly pulled herself to her hooves. She spared the doorway a sidelong glance as she turned back to her stargazing.

The filly looked through the telescope and was met not with the conscellation of Pisces, but with absolute darkness. With a small frown, she lifted her head and looked out her bedroom window. Where the stars had blanketed the sky in elegant patterns, twinkling with hidden stories, they now clustered around the moon, leaving most of the sky in inky darkness. The stars seemed to thrum with energy as they spun in a silvery stream around the moon.

Trixie found herself transfixed as she watched the display over her window sill. As the stars flowed around the moon strands of interconnected lights separated from the stream, dancing through the sky and weaving themselves into elegant patterns.

I don’t care about the First Circle. You will do as I say.

Trixie blinked, her trance broken. “Dad?” The filly turned her head, just in time to see the starry tail of Princess Luna slip past her door. Any trace of unease fled her thoughts as Trixie squeaked with delight, pushing away from the window without a second glance. With an enthusiastic grin she galloped across her room and out into the hallway. “I knew you’d come, like you always promised!” She squealed before sliding to a stop. The hall was dark, and empty, with no trace of the princess in sight.

“Oh sweet Trixie. I have a gift for you. Won’t you come down and see it?” The voice of Luna echoed off the walls, though the princess herself remained out of sight.

“A… A gift?” Trixie adopted a devious smile as she trotted down the hallway after the voice. She stopped at the top of the staircase. The first floor of the building however, was just as dark and empty as the second. The floor was caked in dust with not so much as as a single hoofprint smearing it. Cobwebs clung to the walls as Trixie’s grin started to fall from her face. “Luna? I… It’s dark. Trixie doesn’t want to play hide and seek. Can… can you come out please?”

Silence reigned for several moments and abruptly died as a wooden door slowly creaked open on old, rusted hinges. “Oh sweet Trixie. I have a gift for you. Won’t you come down and see it?” Luna repeated in a soft monotone.

Trixie hesitated, a hoof suspended over the staircase. However, the desire for presents won over her fear of the darkness and she stepped onto the stairs. Pain tore through her skull like a burning lance. Her vision blurred as she screamed in pain. Her spasming body struggled and failed to keep stable, sending the filly tumbling down the staircase. Her bones cracked with every impact as she rolled down to the bottom and landed on her head. A crack rang out through the house as the dull sensation of her broken skull met with the full weight of her body and snapped her neck, leaving the filly in a crumpled, broken heap at the bottom of the staircase.

I want it all removed. Every limitation. No exceptions.

The corpse twitched as bones began to reconnect, snapping back into place. As the filly’s neck mended itself, her eyes drifted open, a tranquil expression on her muzzle. Trixie slowly pulled herself to her hooves as the searing pain faded to an insistent throb in her skull.

Irrelevant. She won’t remember anything.

“Oh sweet Trixie. I have a gift for you. Won’t you come down and see it?” Luna softly called from down the hall, the half-open door revealing the warmly lit office. Soft orange light blanketed the ground between Trixie and the door.

Trixie stumbled as she walked towards the apeture, her limbs stiff and caked in blood. “Luna? Can you come out now? Trixie is getting tired.” The filly smiled weakly as her body throbbed in protest to each step.

… And neither will you.

Trixie’s ear scarcely twitched in response to the scream that echoed throughout the house as she stumbled forward, barely managing to keep upright as the warm glow of the office gradually consumed her vision.

The cobwebs grew thicker with each step, blanketing the ceiling and walls, with the flooring rotten to the core. Each plank snapped under the weight of the filly, sinking into the moist earth underneath.

The heat was suddenly torn out of the filly’s body. Every ounce of pain disappeared with it, leaving her body numb. The soft crackling of the office fireplace carried through into the hall, carrying promises of warmth and bedtime stories delivered with hot cocoa. With the last of her strength, Trixie raised herself on her hind legs and pushed on the door.

Trixie’s adolescent body collapsed into the office, caked in dirt, a tangled mess of a mane. With a shake of her head, she stood and surveyed the room. Unlike the rest of the house, the office was clean and well kept. A fire cheerfully crackled in the side of the room, illuminating a large tome resting on a simple oak desk. Outside of that, however, the room was empty, devoid of any sign of life.

Trixie stepped forward, looking around the room. “Luna?” The only response was the crackling of the fire. “Figures,” Trixie grumbled with a sigh, before turning her gaze to the tome.

What are you doing here, wearing the face of a dead hero?

Pfft. I shouldn’t need to tell you of all ponies that heroes don’t exist, Locke.

Trixie spun in place. However, no source for the voices could be seen. The mare growled in frustration. “I know you’re in here! Come out already!” she commanded with a stomp of her hooves. As if on cue, a thick steel chain wrapped around the mare’s neck and with a single, smooth movement, pulled her into the shadows that blanketed the ceiling.

...You didn’t answer the question.

She let out a strained gurgle. Her hind legs kicked in the air as the chain constricted around her neck. Trixie slammed her forearms against the chain-noose in a vain attempt to loosen its lethal grip.

I didn’t intend to.

“Hm? Whoever would you be referring to, dear Trixie?” replied a motherly voice, her tone carrying an undercurrent of sadistic pleasure as the mare twitched and spasmed against the ever-tightening chain. “Is something wrong? I can’t understand you~,” she cooed with an innocent sing-song tone.

Trixie thrashed violently, her legs kicking upwards as she attempted to pull at the chain. Her eyes bulged and watered as she gasped for breath.

“...I think she desires to breathe,” Luna stated calmly from the shadows.

“Oh! That would make sense, I do believe!” replied the first voice as she loosened the noose, dropping Trixie onto a bed of rust-colored chains.

Trixie’s chest heaved violently, her heart throbbing against her ribs as she massaged her bruised throat. The chains swayed under her as a faint series of clicks rang out around her. “Mmm, could you repeat that? We didn’t quite hear you. Were you by chance…” The voice paused as the clicking intensified, pulling the bed of chains wildly. “Asking for your present~?” she finished with a giggle.

With a groan, Trixie shakily got to her hooves, careful to not fall through the gaps in the chains. Below her, the fireplace burned merrily, illuminating the room that seemed only ever further away with each passing moment. Her gaze turned upwards, following the criss-crossing web of chains as they disappeared into the circular veil of darkness that surrounded the panting mare.

“I’ll take that as a yes… Accept the reward for your continued loyalty,” The voice chimed from the darkness.

Trixie’s eyes narrowed as the light throbbing sensation in her head grew more intense, each pulse bringing more pain. As heat rushed through her body, as if her blood was being replaced with liquid fire. The mare shivered as the heat turned to pain, then anger. “I’m done playing games! Stop hiding and face me already!” Trixie demanded with a vicious snarl, her eyes burning with fury. “I don’t care about your stupid gift, or your friendship!”

“I think… she’s under the impression that we value her opinion, sister,” Luna observed with her usual calm.

“Oh, the poor thing…” The clicking sound drew closer as the grinning visage of Nightmare Moon moved out of the darkness. Her right eye however, was as white as the moon. As she drew closer, the right side of her face bulged with a second muzzle coming from her cheek. The unmistakable face of Luna was attached to it, her left eye fused with the Nightmare’s right. The other was the cold, glassy eye of a corpse. “Whatever gave you the idea that your destiny could be declined? That your desires matter?” The Nightmare grinned, showing off a pair of furred mandibles hiding inside her mouth, dripping with venom.

Undaunted, Trixie let out a low growl. “Shut up, you mule-banging abomination! Trixie doesn’t want anything you have to offer!” With that, she pushed forward, kicking off the chains and flinging herself at the grinning abomination. As she soared through the air, a chain shot out from the darkness behind her, wrapping around her torso and violently yanking her down, binding her in place. Trixie kicked her legs, thrashing violently in protest as the chains slowly crept over her body, binding her limbs and neck in place. “Let me go!” She demanded as the chains tightened around her body. “You can’t force Trixie to accept anything! I have free will!”

“Free will?” Nightmare mused as a chain wrapped around Trixie’s muzzle. She slowly moved closer. Her body was upright, with blistered, rotten forearms hanging limply against her chest. “Now, now… What makes you think that anything belongs to you?” the Nightmare tutted like a disappointed mother. “After I so lovingly gave you a perfect destiny… Your every thought, every action you take. Your ability to live and die. Is…” The Nightmare ran her tongue over her mandibles, an expression of bliss crossing her face. “Bound to your destiny, which I control. You own nothing, you have nothing, except my guiding hoof.” Her grin only broadened at Trixie’s widening eyes and futile struggling.

The chains clattered as she drew closer, her upright form stitched from the barrel down to the body of a spider. Long, delicate legs lightly clicked against the chains as she drew closer, her swollen forearms jiggling and dripping venom-laced blood with each step.

Standing over her victim, the Nightmare hummed in satisfaction. “Mmm, can you imagine a deeper friendship than that, sister? The intimacy of absolute control… and destruction?” Her single good eye turned to the side as a delicate, black leg lifted into the air and thrust into Luna’s mouth as a second grabbed her gaping jaw.

“I don’t think I can, dear sister,” Luna’s corpse voiced in the same monotone, as the Nightmare manipulated her body like a macabre doll, spider legs pulling at the bulging corpse like strings.

The Nightmare giggled in response, pulling her legs out as she leaned down against Trixie, their muzzles touching as they stared into each others eyes. One with faint amusement, the other consumed with hatred.

“Now, be a good mare, and accept your destiny.” The Nightmare winked, pressing a heavy tome against Trixie’s chest. Her mandibles slid out of her mouth as she pressed her muzzle against Trixie’s ear. “Don’t you think it at least… would pay for your sins?” she whispered as her mandibles pressed against Trixie’s flesh.

Instantly, Trixie’s body went limp against her restraints, any trace of resistance gone as she stared blankly at the head and torso of Luna that hung loosely attached to the flesh of the Nightmare.

“Mmhmhm, lovely. Accept your destiny and your sin.” She laid a leg on the tome, pushing it down against Trixie’s bound chest. The mare however, remained motionless. “Take my gift,” the Nightmare continued as her mandibles clicked together. “And burn in the fires of Tartarus,” she stated with an affectionate smile as she pushed Trixie’s bound body from the web.

Wind rushed past the mare’s body as the web drew ever further away. Chains slipped off of her falling form until one remained, pinning the tome to her chest, its weight forced her down at ever increasing speeds.

Shadows gave way to the walls of the office. The warmth of the fireplace blanketed her for a moment before gravity tore her from its grip. Her body smashed through the floor, wooden planks snapping apart under her spine.

Trixie barely flinched as her body plunged into frigid waters. Above her, the light of the fireplace funneled through the hole in the floor, casting Trixie in a faint pillar of light as she descended ever deeper. Bubbles of air escaped from her muzzle as she closed her eyes, leaning away from the light.

As her body slid deeper into the water, the chain around her barrel slowly slid down her body, barely making a sound as it released its tight grip. Trixie sighed contently. Her eyes closed as she let her lungs empty themselves into the dark waters that caressed her.

The cold numbed the throbbing in her head, even as the water seeped down her throat. Trixie became faintly aware of her heart thumping against her chest. The sensation of the water against her fur, the cold, the throbbing in her head, the burning in her lungs as they filled with water all faded into darkness. Floating in darkness, Trixie’s only company was her own heartbeat.

Thump-thump.

Heh. You’ll be more useful to me than I thought, kid.

Trixie’s left ear twitched, her eyes slowly opening.

Thump-thump.

A length of chain suddenly wrapped itself around Trixie’s right leg. Her eyes shot open as the world flipped itself around. The heavy tome dragged her back down into the light with the force and weight of a ship anchor. With a grunt, Trixie kicked at the chain, flailing her hooves in the water as she was dragged down at increasing speeds. No longer a reflection of a small fireplace, the hole burned with the intensity of a falling star.

Water rushed by the struggling mare, as she shielded her eyes from the blinding light. The chain released its grip on her body as the light faded, but still the mare fell. She moved her hoof, only to find herself staring up at the night sky, where the last few streams were peeling from the moon. Painted across the night sky lay dozens of names, written in stars on black canvas.

Trixie’s eyes widened as she saw her own name being written with the last of the stars. Her chest thumped in protest in her chest.

I don’t deserve this curse. You on the other hoof...

Trixie barely let out a whimper as she fell on a pillar of stone. Her barrel was torn open as she slid down, her heart pushing against her ribs in a desperate attempt of escaping her chest.

No curse comes without the perception of sin, and there is little worse than murder in the eyes of Equestria.

Sweat poured from Trixie’s body as she arched her back, panting as she tried to grapple with the blood-slicked stone as it slid ever deeper into her body. Her ribs cracked and snapped as the mare slid down. Vision blurring, Trixie’s frantic flailing slowed to a halt as her blood dribbled down the pillar.

Thump-thump.

The stone pushed against her heart, pressing it against her shattered ribs.

Thump-thump

“But… it was an accident,” Trixie mumbled as her eyes rolled, her vision blurring as blood poured from her body. With a sickening crunch, her chest tore open. Her heart remained still on top of the pillar as her body slid down to the base, veins and arteries decorating the bloodstained surface.

Thump-thump

Trixie barely flinched as her heart continued to beat. Blood trickled from the sides of her mouth as she slowly raised her forearms, reaching to her heart. She held the position for a few moments before her strength failed her, forearms falling back to the ground. Her gaze turned from her heart to the night sky where her name was written, where each victim was listed. Trixie strained to follow the stars with her failing vision. “Trixie Starshine… Nightingale Starbright… Starleaf Clover… Starswirl the Bearded…” Trixie’s mouth twitched into the faintest hint of a smile. Her eyes fell from the sky to the land around her. She lay on a plateau of smooth red stone, broken up with dozens of pillars. The charred remains of ponies lay impaled on each one, under their celestial grave marker.

The plateau itself sat in a sea of fire, writhing against itself like a bed of snakes. A tendril of flame snaked across the ground, racing towards the dying mare.

Thump-thump

With a groan, Trixie weakly waved a hoof in defense as her blood pooled under her body.

Thump-thump

The tendril of flame arced like a striking snake, then forced itself down her throat, writhing deep into her body. Trixie’s eyes widened as burning agony tore through her body. She attempted to scream, but the fire consumed her tongue.

Thump-thump

She flailed with renewed vigor, thrashing in protest as the flame entwined around her insides. The blood-soaked pillar burst into flames as the tendril slithered to Trixie’s exposed heart.

Thump-thump

Trixie cried out in protest, her burned mouth releasing only a weak gurgle as she kicked futilely at the ground. The tendril of flame poised itself over her heart as Trixie’s eyes widened even further. Her head throbbed insistently as the tendril pierced her heart. The throbbing organ burned with the intensity of a star as fire slid down her every vein and artery, replacing blood with fire, agony with hatred, and death with a mocking false life.

Consumed in fire, Trixie’s body thrashed with unchecked fury. Even as the stars shifted in the sky, and a massive tombstone rose to the sky behind her, Trixie flailed. Her head throbbed insistently, stoking the flames that filled her body.

Thump-thump

Water coated her body, causing the fire to withdraw inside of Trixie’s chest, taking the pillar and her heart with it. Exhaustion washed over her as sweat mixed with water. Trixie panted as her brain throbbed in protest, spikes of pain and heat jabbing into it from all directions.

Thump-thump

A shadowy figure leaned over her, holding an empty glass.

“Geez kid, and here I was thinking I’d need to make a third trip. Any idea how hard it is to get cups of water at this time of night?... Discreetly, I mean.”

Trixie’s vision slowly focused on the voice. As the muzzle of Daring Do came into view, the tombstone towering over her took the form of a hospital.

She opened her mouth to speak, only to gag. Turning her head to the side, Trixie vomited onto the grass. Her vision begun blurring again.

Daring didn’t seem to notice, her gaze turned to the hospital. “Ya got a fever, kid, rather bad one at that… They must’ve rushed the job.”

Trixie let out a pained groan, her body aching as if every part of her was on fire. Daring’s attention snapped back to her. As the Pegasus leaned closer, bloodstains came out of the darkness, staining her coat. “And you’re passing out again. Lovely.” Daring grumbled.

Trixie merely panted in response as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and the world slipped away.

Knock-knock

Princess Luna sat with her back to her bedroom door. A faint twitch of her ear was the only response as she gazed at the night sky through her open balcony doors.

The door creaked open before being delicately closed.

“I always felt that my sister was wrong. About Trixie.” Luna shifted her weight as her eyes fell from the stars. “I was in her dreams, just for a moment after the operation… Her mind is twisted, her memories and awareness inconsistent. Her guilt is so mixed with rage, apathy, and madness that I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.”

Luna paused, as if waiting for a response. The only sound, however, was that of her guest leaning against the bed.

Luna blinked. “I suppose it was naive to believe she would be unaffected, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Yes it was. Especially since I’ve been telling you as much ever since that filly murdered Amor,” Her guest replied with a masculine, even tone.

“Locke, it was hardly murder. She was just scared!” Luna snapped, with an over-the-shoulder glare at the pale grey Pegasus that stood behind her.

Locke closed his eyes, his gaze shifting to the side slightly.“... Scared? I suppose so. But she knew of Amor Fati’s condition. Her weak heart. Trixie knew what was happening as she fled to cower and throw tantrums across Equestria.” Locke’s eyes opened again, his muzzle just as devoid of emotion as his tone. “Trixie made the decision to let her die. Just as she made the decision to blame everyone around her for her own mistakes.

Luna sighed, shaking her head. “It never ceases to amaze me how firmly you grip your grudges, even when you have no emotions to fuel them with. Unless of course, you were lying about never feeling anything for your late wife.”

“Marrying Amor Fati, and raising Trixie as my daughter was an obligation, nothing more.” Locke stepped forward, his bright green eyes boring into the back of Luna’s skull. “But that is irrelevant… For you gave Trixie the journal. Didn’t you?”

Luna tensed, whether from the awareness of Locke’s glare, or from his accusation, it was just as telling. “What I do with Starswirl’s journal is my business. Besides, the book itself is sealed against being opened. The secrets contained within shall remain as such.” Luna stood and turned to face her guest. “After all, outside of yourself, Trixie, Summer Fields, Clover, Chrysalis, and myself, nopony knows of its significance, let alone its existence.”

“You might want to rethink that. I was assaulted by an unknown agent on the way back from the hospital. And to be quite honest, I see no reason for such a thing unless someone is aware of what she has in her possession.” Locke’s eyes narrowed. “Though, I was able to fend the attacker off for the moment. I believe we have a few days before she recovers enough for another attempt.”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise. “What! Who was it? A member of the Third Circle? One of Celestia or Cadance’s agents?”

“Oddly enough, I seem to have been assaulted by Daring Do.” Locke paused, looking thoughtful. “Or, more realistically, an imposter of Daring Do. As, if I recall correctly, the original was confirmed dead over three hundred years ago after a labratory issue near the Everfree.

“Mm… Daring Do? Trixie was such a large fan of those stories.” A faint smile tugged at Luna’s mouth. “I remember watching Trixie run through the fields, pretending she was on grand adventures with Daring Do.” Her expression darkened as she contemplated that. “It’s possible that whoever this is knows Trixie very well, and quite possibly since she was a filly.”

“In that case, the Third Circle isn’t likely to be responsible. That would involve far too much planning for their part, and the First Circle would have taken over once she was in our custody.” Locke cocked his head. “Unless you know of another variable, our most logical conclusion is that Trixie is being hunted by a ghost.”

“A ghost?” Luna turned back to the sky. “That close to the Everfree, a land that hides mass graves and Equestria’s greatest sins… If a ghost were to exist, that would be the place.” Luna glanced down at Discord’s statue as it stood in the royal gardens. “There is another possibility, however. Due to her bloodline, Trixie’s magic is incredibly powerful, even if she doesn’t realize it. If the power of her half-sister is anything to measure it by, it’s entirely possible that in her tormented and unstable state, her normal illusions became tangible constructs. In which case, her fillyhood hero appearing to save her would be expected. As unrealistic as it sounds for such a thing to happen, her half-sister had an event of similar proportion when panicking as a filly. ”

“Hmph, I don’t like this. Whoever this individual is, their motives, identity and affiliation are completely alien to us… That should be impossible. Every pony is either in the system, or monitored. Shapeshifting into ponies isn’t done by the other circles. Everything about this is… off.” Locke turned to the door. “Regardless, I did your favor, and as we both know, rogues like myself aren’t allowed to take orders from the Second Circle. Good luck with your investigation. I have my own duties to return to.”

“Locke.”

The stallion stopped with his hoof just inches from the doorknob, but otherwise didn’t respond.

“You aren’t leaving anything out, are you?” Luna asked, her tone neutral.

“Unlike you, I don’t make a habit of hiding information to suit my own agenda.” With that, Locke slipped from the room, leaving Luna to her thoughts.

“Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Summer Fields said with a roll of her eyes as she slipped out from under a cardboard box.

“He was lying.” Luna laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. “We don’t have days, we have hours at best.”

Summer Fields walked across the room and closed the balcony doors as Luna spoke.

“I would have preferred to handle this on my own, but it’s apparent that will be impossible.” Luna rubbed her temples, releasing a small sigh. “Summer, get Princess Cadance… No.” She waved a hoof. “We can’t take chances with this… I need you to go directly to Mother.”

“Hm… And you still don’t have any authority to access the communication relay, right~?” Summer grinned, her tail twitching in expectation of a challenge.

“That is correct. You will need to rely on stealth. But don’t mistake this for a game, Summer.” Silence was the only response to Luna’s warning.

Sitting up, Luna found Summer Fields and the cardboard box missing. With a groan of exhaustion and stress Luna laid back down on her bed. She raised her hoof, staring at it as if it belonged to someone else. “Daring Do, Trixie, Celestia, Locke, myself… It seems like for every star that falls a new curse is born.” Luna shook her head, laying her hoof back down. “No, destiny is destiny, and if losing my own identity was part of it, who am I to complain?” Luna frowned as if she tasted something bitter. “... At least I can pretend.”

Locke’s hooves tapped across the marble stairs as he made his way down from Luna’s tower, then through the darkened halls of Canterlot Castle. He was halfway to the front gates as his chest throbbed in pain. His eyes widened as he coughed blood onto the floor, stumbling as he fought to remain upright.

“You aren’t leaving anything out, are you?”

Locke’s eyes glazed over as he leaned against the wall, slowly inching forward as his body screamed in protest with each step.

“What are you doing here, wearing the face of a dead hero?”

Daring Do merely waved a hoof and gave a playful roll of her eyes. “Pfft. I shouldn’t need to tell you of all ponies that heroes don’t exist, Locke.”

“... You didn’t answer the question.”

Daring merely grinned. “I didn’t intend to.”

Locke laid down Trixie’s body and stepped forward, standing between Daring and the thrashing mare. “My talent in life is Psychoanalysis. Do you know what that means?”

“Hmm… That you have a boring destiny?” Daring’s grin only grew wider, almost unnaturally so.

Locke stepped forward again. “No, it means I know how to tell when somepony is lying to me. When they are acting. Smiles and faux-wit, it’s an act. Drop it and tell me who you work for.”

Daring Do’s grin slid off her face as her eyes narrowed slightly as they begun to glow ever so slightly. “If you insist.” No longer playful or mocking, her voice contained nothing but an undercurrent of suppressed anger. Her wings flared out as she braced herself, as if about to pounce. “Happy? Now get out of my way, I’m not in the mood.”

Locke shifted his weight forward, his eyes scanning Daring’s body as he read every minor movement. He shifted position to counter her attack. However, the second he moved, Daring was in front of him faster than his eyes could track. Her hoof pulled back to strike.

“What!?” His eyes widened as time seemed to slow. Faster than he could react Daring Do drove her hoof into his barrel. Cracks rang through his body as his ribcage was shattered. Locke was faintly aware he was flying, the wind rushing through his fur as he flew across the street. Then just as swiftly as the blow was delivered, it ended as his spine snapped against a tree. His body fell to the ground in a bloody, bruised heap. He felt numb and heavy as he tried to stand, but found his body unwilling to cooperate.

His barrel heaved as he coughed blood onto the ground. His vision blurred momentarily, then began to clear as his body begun repairing itself.

“Hopefully, you learned your lesson. Because I’m not going to hold back next time.” Daring trotted over, her hoof, chest, and muzzle lightly stained with Locke’s blood.

“I might be tempted to feel sorry for you if I didn’t see you do the same thing to the kid. Consider this your reminder.” Daring stomped on Locke’s forearm, snapping the bone cleanly in half. Locke barely flinched, his body still in shock. “That changelings aren’t the top of the food chain.”

Locke strained to meet her gaze as Daring stared with disdain. “Oh, yes. You aren’t nearly as clever as you think. I’m well aware of how the circles work… And I don’t care.” With that Daring Do turned around. “I’m after one thing, and it doesn’t concern your governments. Nor does it involve harming your precious ‘Trixie’.” She started to walk to the Unicorn that still lay in front of the hospital. However, she stopped halfway. “I don’t think I need to say what I’ll do if I see you around her.” Daring smirked as her eyes reverted to normal, leaving Locke to quietly mend his bones.

Locke pressed a hoof against his barrel, and winced as he felt his tender organs throbbing in protest behind his newly repaired ribcage. With a sigh, he set his hoof down and walked out of the castle, ignoring his heart as it throbbed with each step.

“Hey, kid. Wake up. You’ve slept in long enough. I have stuff to do,” Daring stated with a light jab of her hoof.

Trixie slowly opened one eye, staring balefully at the Pegasus. “You again. What do you want?” she grumbled, suppressing a yawn.

Daring glanced over her shoulder. “Can’t really talk about it here, with your roommate and all. But let’s just say I have a…” Daring waved her hoof in a circular motion, as if searching for the right word. “A… a business proposition! Let’s call it that. I have something you want, you have… the ability to get something I want. So, let’s meet up somewhere private at noon. We can work out a deal. Sound fun?”

Trixie opened her mouth, but before a sound could come out, the door behind her opened up. She turned her head to see Twilight peeking into the room. “Oh, you’re awake!” She glanced around, as if looking for something. “Uh, who were you talking to?”

Trixie didn’t bother to turn around. “I wasn’t talking to anyone.” Trixie’s words rebounded around the empty basement as she stared blankly at Twilight, despite her tightening grip on the journal she held under the blankets.

Chapter Five: Control.

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