//------------------------------// // 13: Royal faces // Story: To Die Twice // by Quite Quiet //------------------------------// Getting to Canterlot in an enclosed cage didn’t rank among Trixie’s most comfortable travels. The uneven ground and uncaring guard made for a bumpy and rushed journey, excluding the face she barely could move in her bonds. Magic made inaccessible through a damper she could only watch as the landscape and ponies passed her by. After the initial exchange with the only guard he kept silent even as they got closer and closer to their goal, Canterlot. The guard pulled her cage with determination but not in a hurry, giving her more than enough time to gather her thoughts and discard them again. This is bad, very bad. I didn’t plan on getting caught. I wonder if they got me through the carriage, even if I was so careful. Doesn’t matter anyway, I am where I am. Have to do what I can now and not dwell on the past. The gates to Canterlot moved closer by the minute and as she passed the threshold between landscape and city limits the atmosphere changed in an instant. Where she had previously been seen with idle curiosity from random passersby, ponies now flocked onto the streets trying to catch a glimpse of her. She watched as ponies of all colours fought among themselves for a glance at her before turning away after they had it. As she and her captor moved closer to the castle the larger streets gave more and more ponies the ability to steal glances at her. Yet not a single one of them dared to slow the progression down even the slightest and moved out of the way as soon as the guard got close to them. For a reason unknown to Trixie barely any sound could be heard from the crowds as they held their silence throughout her city crossing. Entering the palace grounds brought yet another change in atmosphere for Trixie as none of the previous onlookers made it past the guards positioned at the gates. Now alone Trixie moved through the white palace hallways with only the occasional servant looking her way before moving along with whatever task occupied them at the moment. The clapping of hooves echoed through the halls as the guard moved closer and closer to where Trixie remembered the throne room to be. The guard wordlessly passed several ground positioned in various places, none of them questioning or wondering about the unicorn in custody. Unable to sit up and unwilling to speak Trixie laid on her side and waited as the notification of her capture made its way through the castle and to the princess, interrupting any task she would be doing in the middle of the day. Only able to guess the time she guessed the princess had her lunch around now, or would have in a moment. Not that it would matter to her, the princess had ordered her capture a decade before. After something close to fifteen minutes had passed a guard came from the hallway directly next to the door, and shouted the affirmative that they could enter and that the princess would greet them. A moment later both the massive golden doors slammed open with magic and the two of them could move in. Through the hallways the room instantly brightened and assaulted her eyes after the comparatively dim hallways. Banners in Celestias colours hung upon the walls and the few sparsely placed decorations followed the same colour scheme. The red carpet underneath muffled both the sound of hooves and what little creaking the carriage would give away as they moved towards the throne. Trixie looked towards the throne and came face to face with her old mentor. Princess Celestia sat high up in the golden throne, towering above all others in the room. The frown in her face present as she silently held her gaze on Trixie as they came closer. Feeling the stare on her Trixie moved her head away as long as she could. The only other ponies in the room were guards and a lot of them. Flanking the walls stood guards, beside the throne even more and behind the door she came into too. She was completely surrounded by guards, bound in a cage and magic removed from her. They can do anything to me and I won’t be able to fight back except with words. I better make this count. “Trixie Lulamoon, at long last you are here. You have proven to be a most evasive pony. Do you know why you are here?” Celestia didn’t sound happy, nor did she move from her spot perched atop her throne for a moment as she spoke. “This has nothing to do with the Ursa does it? Because that wasn’t my fault.” Trixie hoped the princess would take the bait, it could be her only chance. “I have already received a report on the incident and while you are at fault you cannot be held responsible on your own. What I want from you is different, but not unrelated.” Here it comes. “Ten years ago three highly magical surges registered through experimental devices. Two of these surges immediately got identified as my student’s outburst and a pegasus preforming a sonic rainboom. The third is still under investigation. However, during our search you showed up out of nowhere. Do you know what we know about you, Miss Lulamoon?” The princess still sitting in her throne Trixie slowly shook her head as answer. “Scribe, list please.” From somewhere beside the throne a grey unicorn showed up from nowhere with what must have been the shortest scroll Trixie had ever seen. It barely reached from his eyes down to the neck. “Certainly Princess. Trixie Lulamoon: race unicorn, gender female, age unknown, parents unknown, social status unknown, occupation unknown. List ends her, Princess.” Princess Celestia nods in the direction of the unicorn, who returns to his place somewhere behind the throne. “As you heard Miss Lulamoon, we know nothing of you. An adult unicorn as yourself and the only information we know of you can be found in a picture. Furthermore you have under the last decade evaded my guard on countless occasions.” “Princess I am sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about. I have not been involved in any form of experimental magic and especially not when I was just a child.” Trixie could hear a sigh escape the Princess’ lips, so hoping for a quick exit she added one more line. “Unless it’s illegal to not speak with your guards I have done nothing wrong and wish to be set free once more.” “That cannot happen I am afraid. You see, there is one much more important detail.” She turned her head away from Trixie and addressed every single guard in the room instead. “Guards, leave us.” Unsurprisingly to Trixie, they objected. “But Princess…” “She is bound, in a cage with a magic dampening ring. She is harmless. Leave us.” “…yes your highness.” And with that every single guard left the room in two long lines. Trixie could even see the scribe following them out, even though he hadn’t been told to leave. In a matter of minutes the Trixie laid in a cage alone with only Princess Celestia to look at her. “Now that we are alone, I need you to understand this. Throughout this chamber is a scan spell that scans everypony that goes through these doors. The spell generally tells me the age and intent of those who come through. Miss Lulamoon, what do you think the spell said about yourself?” Trixie had never heard of the spell Celestia spoke about, not even from her days roaming the halls as her student. Even so she assumed the Princess spoke the truth, since the damper cut her off from checking herself. “That I’m young and have no hostile intent?” She hoped that would be true, at least then one thing would work for her. “Forty years. When I clearly see you as young the spell insists time after time that you are more than twice your age. You are partly correct regarding the intent. I get no ill intent towards me or the ponies in Equestria, but you have something which you wish ill towards. So unless you can provide ample evidence that refute what my spell tells me, you will not leave this castle.” Seeing the last way out quickly closing for her Trixie risked the chance to ask. “Evidence such as, Princess?” “Family members for instance. Long term friends as alternative.” And Trixie saw the last door slam shut in her face. She had neither of those that she could turn to for this. Mystery couldn’t and wouldn’t get involved, Winter hated her already and she had no idea where Soarin’ was at the moment. She doubted he would come either way, they had barely kept in contact at all. “I can’t…” Trixie began but quickly got interrupted by the commotion right outside the throne room door. It did sound a bit like a struggle was taking place. Armor was clattering and banging against each other while a lot of shouting could be heard. Moments later the large doors to the room slams open and a familiar blue pegasus crashes through the door before crashing into the ground. Not long after several guards had restrained the pegasus, who laid still under all the pressure they put on him. “Soarin’? What are you doing here?” Trixie half-shouted, half-asked the now firmly restrained pegasus in front of her. “I got your letter and do you know how much that sounded like a suicide note kid? I had to find you before you did something stupid, but I guess the joke’s on me isn’t it?” A smile showed up on his lips as he spoke, as if the situation couldn’t be more hilarious than this. Unnoticed up until now Princess Celestia had moved down from her throne and now stood directly between the two captives. “Do you know this unicorn, Soarin’ the Wonderbolt?” “Yes, your highness. I met her when she was just a little filly and we’ve kept some contact over the past years. She’s my first fan!” “So it seems, though nothing we have found confirms that.” Finally Soarin’s smile faltered a little. “Have you been spying on her, Princess? She hasn’t done anything wrong I hope?” Celestia spoke before she answered. “No she hasn’t. We needed her to get her to confirm she existed, as there are no papers anywhere on her. She will be retained here until somepony from her family or friends vouch for her.” “I’ll do it.” Heads turned towards Soarin’ when he said that. “I can vouch for her, I hope I’m trusted enough for that at least, your highness?” “Indeed you are, however on one condition.” Celestia turned towards Trixie before continuing. “Trixie Lulamoon, if I were to release you, where would you go?” Trixie had silently watched the conversation taking place up until now, so it took a moment for her before responding. “Out of Equestria, Princess. My mentor is meeting me on the borders to the Badlands, hopefully as agreed.” “Very well. Soarin’ if you promise to follow Miss Lulamoon until the border of Equestria, I cannot stop you. However the inhibitor ring has to stay on until then, as punishment for the Ursa.” The princess moments later returned to her throne, once more perched far above all others in the throne room. “Guards, free them. Then escort them out of here.” The minutes from the order was given until the chains were some of the longest moments in her life. As the cage door opened and she was levitated out of there the chains fell away and she could once more move her legs. Dumped on the ground by an uncaring guard she quickly got up on shaky legs that hadn’t seen movement in the last twenty hours or so. Without further verbal communication the two of them bowed to the princess before quickly moving out through the still open doors. Left in the throne room stood the guards and a still frowning Celestia. “Trail them, but remain out of sight.” The silence continued through the entire castle and even through the entirety of Canterlot. Trixie tried once or twice to ask something from Soarin’, but got shushed and asked to keep quiet almost instantly afterwards. As they exited Canterlot Soarin’ visibly relaxed a little and even cracked a small smile at Trixie. “Sorry about that kid. Had to make sure we got out of there before speaking, who knows who’s listening in on you, right?” “I guess. But stop calling me a kid, I’m not that young anymore you know,” Trixie huffed, annoyed that the old nickname had stuck with her for so long. “Okay I get it, not a kid anymore right? Either way, Badlands you said? That’s not a place most ponies would ever go to.” It was an innocent question, Trixie knew that. Still she couldn’t trust him with the truth, that would be dangerous. “I won’t be alone. I have a friend waiting just outside the border, remember? I’ll be fine.” “I know I know, I heard what you said in the throne room. It’s better to be careful now than sorry later. Still don’t know what a mare like you could do out there.” Perhaps a half-truth will shut him up, that would work. “I’m studying.” “Studying?” She skipped a few steps in front of him so she could look him directly in the eyes as she spoke. “There are monsters and beasts out there, more dangerous than an Ursa Major. All undiscovered and unknown to ponies everywhere. What if they attack? I can’t let that happen. So I need to find and study them or I can never win against them.” She felt pretty good about herself. That was barely a lie, she needed to find them. They were the only target she had left after all. “Alright, I get it. Miss little hero wants to show who’s boss. I won’t butt in any more. Just get going so we reach the border this week please, I have a show early next week I can’t miss.” Trixie just smiled before spinning around and trotting away. She looked back over her shoulder and shouted towards him. “Let’s get going then, mister savior.”