Undisclosed Desire

by Dark Enigma

The Dream (Part 5: Ure the Great Equalizer)

A blaring red 1,000,000 casts Trixie, who is floating in a void, in red herself, turning her coat a shade of purple, almost lavender. She is curled up in a ball trying to avoid seeing the only thing visible in her prison. After hours of floating endlessly in nothing and trying to figure out what the number means, all she wants is to forget everything. But how can she? Her sister's betrayal (which she probably should have saw coming), the genie--or djinn--who gave her this new ability, and this urn who ate her. All of it is... just... not... fair. Why her?

No matter how many times she tries to answer that question, the answer is always unsatisfying. Is it punishment for all the wrong she has done? Or just terrible circumstances coming down on her? It can't be all coincidence. And it only makes her wonder if some higher power is at play here. He or she or it is only having fun with the world he or she or it possibly created. And all Trixie is is somepony else's entertainment.

"What a terrible existence..." she mumbles to herself.

"And what, pray tell, is a satisfying existence?" a voice asks, sounding deep and full of experience.

"Who's there?" Trixie calls out. She doesn't know whether to feel happy that she isn't alone in here or afraid about this new presence who is probably responsible for her current situation.

"No one is here. Existence is a lie. How can anything exist when time has no starting point? We can always go back in time, but we will never reach the end. There is no start, and yet, we are conscious of an end--our end. With no start, but an existing end, how can we possibly exist in this paradox?"

"Huh?..." is the only thing Trixie can think of saying.

"And here I thought I would be able to have a substantial conversation with my new host. Oh, these next 1,000,000 wishes are going to be quite dull, quite dull indeed."

"What's going on? Who are you?"

"My name is Ure. I will be your keeper until you complete the task entrusted to you."

Trixie scoffs. "Entrusted?! I was forced here!"

"Entrusted. Forced. What difference does it make?"

"It's a big difference!" Trixie swipes her hoof angrily at nothing.

"Not to me. To me, you are simply another fool dragged into this scheme planned out long ago by some all powerful entity. You and I are nothing but pawns, with the universe being the chess board."

Trixie's anger abates somewhat, which is apparent in her voice. "So, you're stuck here too?"

"Oh no, I was there when he made this plan. It was my idea to begin with."

Trixie's face flushes red with fury, but she calms down. Because she knows she can't win against a power far beyond her own understanding. "What is this great plan, then?" she asks to try and get this over with as quickly as possible; though, 1 million wishes sounds time consuming as is.

"You will grant 1 million wishes and hope the planet you're stationed on will not tear itself apart. If it does, then we--if you haven't granted your million wishes by then--will move on to the next planet, then the next, then the next."

"What kind of crazy plan is that?!" Trixie's anger boils over. She already hurt enough ponies, and now, she is being forced to hurt more. Worse yet, help them hurt each other.

"It's worked thus far. That boy, Erin. His planet was full of selfish people, greed and lust were as common as disease. Now, they are nothing but stardust. I am--or rather, we are--the great equalizer. We go about destroying planets who cannot contain their selfish desires to themselves. Those who think of only themselves don't deserve the life that was so selflessly given to them."

Trixie feels small. The way Ure talks, he talks of things greater than herself. Again, she has no choice but to comply. There is no way she can understand what is at stake here, because it was all planned out a long time ago on a universal scale.

"Don't feel bad," Ure says. "What you have to do is simple enough. There are just three rules you have to follow. You can't grant more than three wishes to a single master, you can't give life to the dead or take it from the living, and you can't tamper with a heart no matter how corrupt it is. After you have done your job, I will release you. Simple."

Trixie sighs. "Okay..."

The game is set, and it's time for the player to move his pawn. Though, the purpose of the pawn is to make way for a more powerful piece. Trixie can only imagine what fate her game master has for her. And this only makes her ego she spent so long building on the stage come crashing down. She is not as Great and Powerful as she thought to be.