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// Prologue / 14 Days until T-Day 
// Story: 14 Days Until T-Day 
// by bahatumay 
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	Trixie had gathered an imposing army. All wore her cutie mark on a blue band on their high left foreleg. It was strange to think how one showmare could have amassed such an army. They may not have been the best-armed, and they may not have been the best-trained, but nopony could doubt the fear that was inspired by The Great and Dreadful Trixie's army. Their tactics involved much intimidation and showmareship, which was to be expected from a mare like Trixie. Most of the time, she could win control of a city without conflict.

Most of the time.

The frightening thing was, though, she had done it all legally. Sure, there had been some intimidation going on, but all in all, nothing outright illegal. Merely walk up to a village with an army, ask politely to be placed in charge, and voila. The Great and Dreadful Trixie could draw another notch on her airship wall. Because she was not doing anything technically illegal, she had avoided calling down the Solar Guard. When it did come down to fighting, she had won and taken charge before the Solar Guard could show up, and so she hid behind the “leaders have the responsibility of defending against insubordination and rebellion” clause. It was simple, yet surprisingly effective; and there was nothing any prosecutors could do about it.

Of course, not being stupid, she had mainly kept to outlying villages and smaller cities. Trying to take Manehattan? Suicide. Canterlot? Even worse. But the cities she took, she held.

Of course, as in any conquered group, there was resistance. It showed up in every city she took over. It was scattered and piecemeal at best, but there were always similarities. The rebellion met at the twilight hour, and used a six pointed star as their symbol.

Unfortunately, these things were kept in shadows, with no chance of reinforcements. Trixie broke them all. But it is impossible to completely destroy a resistance. Crush? Yes. Defeat? Yes. Beat down? Yes. But destroy? Never.

Whispers hissed like wildfires, spreading through her conquered cities. They said, though only in shadows and secrecy, that there was only one pony that The Great and Dreadful Trixie ever feared: a certain librarian from a small hamlet known as Ponyville.





14 Days until T-Day
8:43 am
Ponyville Library

The mayor ran up to the library door and pounded on it as if her life depended on it (which, in her mind, it did). Within moments, a beleaguered Twilight Sparkle answered. She had obviously been studying late again; her mane was unkempt and she had small bags under her eyes, but those eyes still gleamed with power, eagerness, and readiness. “Yes? Oh! What is it, mayor?”

“We need your help!” the mayor responded frantically.

A third voice responded. “Yeah? What else is new?”

Twilight shot a warning look at Spike, who quickly scurried back into the other room. True though it may have been, there is a time and a place for everything.

“Well, come in, then,” Twilight invited.

Without any introduction, the mayor began. “I woke up this morning and found this on my door!” the mayor said, thrusting a paper into Twilight's face.

Twilight took a step back and flipped up her glasses to read the note, but the paper didn't have words. Instead, it was a picture. A star-tipped blue wand in front of a light blue sash. It was a cutie mark, and it was very familiar.

“Trixie,” Twilight hissed, dropping her glasses. They happily bounced on their chain; a stark contrast from the sudden shift of mood in the room.

Both knew what the mark represented. In one week, Trixie would come to the town and... how did she put it? “ask politely” to be put in charge. In another week, she would invade. In her history, it had only gotten that far once. The rumors that flew from that particular invasion buckled the morale of most of the other towns in the area. Twilight didn't believe half of those rumors. Nopony would be sadistic enough to put chain-metal saddles (sans blankets) on all the town leaders and give every citizen a ride, right?

“What are we going to do?” the mayor asked frightfully. She, on the other hoof, obviously believed said rumors.

Twilight's eyes narrowed. “What do you think we're going to do?”

“Let her take over?” the mayor suggested.

Twilight's eye twitched. “No... We're going to refuse. And then, one week later, guess what we're going to do?”

The mayor's eyes flicked from side to side. “Go out there, lay down, and beg for mercy?”

Twilight Sparkle had never before hoofslapped an elected official, but there was always a first time for everything.

“We're going to be ready. Spike? Get my checklist. We have work to do.”