> The Great and Powerful Trixie in the exordium under the pyramids
>  by Khampostel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





In the far south of the world, at the antipodes of what we know as Equestria, there are unknown islands, isolated from any inhabited continent or landmass. These mysterious lands are the remnants of what was once the great continent of Eulfalia. The islands, devoid of mountains, rivers, or forests, are a desolate and bewildering wasteland that stretches for kilometers under a scorching sun, with the horizon abruptly ending in cliffs battered by the violent waves of the turbulent sea that surrounds them. Each year, a portion of these cliffs succumbs to the fury of the waves and falls into the ocean, reducing the size of the islands.

Despite lacking coastlines and being practically inaccessible by boat or vessel, these islands are not uninhabited. They are home to a strange reptilian race who call themselves the Silurians.

The Silurians are very different from their reptilian counterparts. They have no teeth or claws, and their skin is similar to that of bony fish, with large scales. Their bodies, adapted for long sea voyages, are extremely robust and of short stature, with strong limbs that allow them to climb cliffs and have great swimming abilities, enabling them to spend long hours in the sea.

These unique characteristics of the species are vital for their survival, as they allow them to reach the large seaweed that emerges from the depths of the dark waters surrounding these islands. These seaweeds are the only vegetation in that desolate region and also their sole source of sustenance.

Despite the hostile environment around them, their unfriendly appearance, and their primitive culture, the Silurians live in peaceful and organized communities, led by the elders of their race. They rarely resort to violence and have great respect for nature. The wind, the sea, and the earth are elements to which they make constant offerings in the hope of being allowed to live in peace in this forgotten corner of the world.

The Silurians have compelling reasons to make these offerings because the oral memory of their people dates back to ancient times that no one else remembers. To forgotten days, days when a tree covered the entire sky, days when the sea was possessed by a red fury, days when the sun and the moon exchanged their sunsets, days when a dark dragon flew across the sky and took away all the stars.

The Silurians continue to remember those shadows of the past, from the oldest to the youngest, they know it to be true. They don't need books to remind them; they can see those same shadows every morning.

Deep within the largest island, six black pyramids rise in the middle of the desert, like drops of pure tar on a blank canvas. These abnormal constructions challenge the land, the wind, and the sea. They are a true eerie work that defies nature, where the environment seems lifeless, and an unsettling silence prevails.

The Silurians fear these pyramids. They did not build them, nor did the ancient and gentle inhabitants of these lands. They were not there before; one day they appeared with a celestial thunder accompanied by a diabolical laughter.

These pyramids are the home of an ancient and dark being, a terrible being, a herald of darkness.

The Silurians beseech the elements to protect them from that darkness.

And on that same day, the longest day, the master of the pyramids returned to his home.

---------------

"DAMMMNN!" A deep, rage-filled scream that tore through the stillness of the entire desert.

A grand portico preceded the entrance of the largest of all the pyramids that rose in that desert. It was constructed from the same material as the nearby colossal structures, a completely black stone similar to granite. The walls of the somber building were adorned with reliefs of beasts and figures exuding malice, revealing the evil that resided in that place.

On the steps of the portico, two unsettling figures confronted each other.

On the lower level of the steps, a true shadow cloaked in a fuchsia hood and toga, adorned with a green scarf and an arcane shimmer, gazed angrily at the detestable creature that had welcomed her.

"Hey, don't say that. Aren't you glad to see a friend after so long?" replied a sweet and mocking voice from the upper level of the portico's steps.

There lay a small creature of intoxicating beauty, an adorable, plump pony.

But in the eyes of Dhona Oleg-Nar Dhazer, this being was his equal. No, considering everything he had recently discovered, it could be said that she was even more than him.

Dhona gritted his teeth.

"YOU DARE TO COME TO THE GRAND SANCTUARY OF MY BELOVED LADY, PROFANE MY OFFERINGS, AND ADDRESS ME IN THIS... REPULSIVE FORM! YOU! YOU ARE A BLASPHEMER!" Dhona spoke with a threatening and sepulchral voice, pointing one of his claws at his disagreeable guest.

The beautiful pony with sky-blue and white fur rolled her eyes with indifference.

"Look, it's your fault. You don't answer my calls, you don't receive the messages I leave you, you ignore me every time we meet. Honestly, I don't know what else to do! Coming to your home seems to be the only way I can find you," responded the childish pony, pouting.

"AND YOU HAD TO COME HERE TODAY AND DEVOUR MY SACRIFICES! IT'S UNACCEPTABLE!" Dhona spat out even more angrily, with a body that seemed like it would explode at any moment.

In the midst of the portico's steps, several salt statues of creatures resembling small bears were arranged in positions that reflected the intent to flee from that place. The expressions of panic and fear on these sculptures conveyed the last dreadful emotions they had felt in life.

"Well... forgive me for the last part. But they looked so delicious and tender! I couldn't resist!" the small pony responded with delight, recalling the snacks she had sampled minutes earlier. "If it makes you feel better, I assure you they were of very high quality offerings."

Dhona didn't respond. He had released some of his anger, and now his mind was starting to calm.

The tense atmosphere that had filled the place dissipated. Now, a cold air began to rise.

Sensing Dhona's change in mood, the little pony opened her colorful saddlebag and pulled out some pastries. "I know it's not a great apology, but I'd like you to have these snacks. They were for my sisters, but I think you deserve them more," the little pony finished, with a warm smile.

Dhona had had enough.

Without saying a word, the hooded shadow raised one of his clawed paws to the sky. A tremor began to be felt throughout the desert, accompanied by a howl that emanated from the depths of the earth.

"I am apologizing. You don't have to get so worked up," the pony said, somewhat nervously.

The sky began to darken. The noonday sun lost its brightness, and the stars began to appear. In the desert, fires were lit like pathways leading to the pyramids.

"Hey, that's enough! I'm serious!" the pony said, frowning.

The wind blew fiercely over the pyramids. The sky rotated, revealing unknown stars and unseen worlds. The ground started to darken.

On the cliffs, the Silurians began to pray desperately to the elements.

"JUST CALM DOWN ALREADY! I DIDN'T COME HERE TO FIGHT WITH YOU!" the little pony shouted, standing up with a voice that didn't match her adorable appearance. There was no trace of the conceited behavior she had displayed until recently.

The wind stopped, the signs in the sky and on the earth froze.

"WHAT HAVE YOU COME FOR THEN?" Dhona responded with a frigid voice, not lowering his claw.

"I've come with a message for you from my great lord," the little pony responded in her previous tone, now more calm but serious.

"WHAT IS IT?"

"Can we discuss it in a more appropriate place? Here is too..."

"WHAT IS IT?" Dhona repeated, now also preparing his other claw.

"BY THE ABYSS! WHY ARE YOU SO INSUFFERABLE?" the little pony exclaimed to the sky with a tired voice, then turned her gaze to Dhona. "IT'S AN ALLIANCE! ARE YOU HAPPY? My lord wants an alliance with you."

Dhona narrowed his eyes, then lowered his claws. All the ominous signs began to disappear. After a few minutes of silence, the atmosphere had returned to what it was before.

The little pony thought Dhona had closed his eyes, as she saw no trace of emerald gleam on his shadowy face. So, before he could say anything more, Dhona finally spoke.

"WHAT DOES HE SEEK?" he exclaimed, clearly confused.

He wasn't the only one. The messenger pony was equally puzzled by this proposal.

"I don't know. It's not within my abilities to question my master's decisions. Perhaps, if you ask my sisters, you might get a better answer," the pony responded, looking to the side.

Dhona clicked his tongue. He could barely tolerate the youngest of the sisters. The others would only give him more headaches.

"There are more details involved. Let me come inside your house, and I'll explain..."

"I refuse," Dhona replied, now calm and showing no signs of anger or threat.

"I'll behave myself. I won't do anything wrong in your house. I promise!" the pony said, placing a hoof on her chest.

"I refuse to accept an alliance with your lord. You don't need to explain further," Dhona declared.

Now it was the little pony who appeared upset, as if she had a strange bug in front of her, but it was a fleeting expression. She quickly returned to her cheerful demeanor.

"Always the same, aren't you? I already figured you'd respond like that. Nothing can be done. Umpf!" the pony said with a dissatisfied expression.

Then, the pony started descending the stairs and continued her leisurely trot until she stopped next to Dhona.

"You know, I had thought of giving you a gift to celebrate if you accepted, but since it's not going to happen... I really don't care to give it to you anyway." The pony pulled a red-labeled glass bottle with black bubbling liquid from her saddlebag.

Dhona immediately took it with his magic. After examining it with his magic for a few seconds, he was surprised.

"Is it from another world?" Dhona asked as he opened it and brought it to his face to smell the contents.

"Yes," the pony replied unemotionally.

"It's not magical. It has many refined compounds inside... but they are too heterogeneous and unstable to be nutritious. Is it carbonated? Or does it react like this with the air due to the change in environment?"

"Hahaha, no, no, silly. The monkeys who make it do it like that because they like the sensation of the gas when they drink it. Come on, try it."

Dhona was a bit skeptical, but it had been a long time since he had been in another world and tried something different. He also didn't feel that the beverage was dangerous.

Without further thought, he raised the bottle to his mouth and drank all the contents in one gulp.

"Hahaha," the pony laughed as she watched Dhona shudder after finishing the drink.

"Uff, it's quite a poison. Do creatures really drink this?"

"Yes, they call it 'soda' in their world of origin, and despite how poisonous it is, the inhabitants of that world allow even children to drink it. Haha!"

"Madness. Creatures like those are nothing more than fodder for darkness."

"Yes, they're also very silly and adorable when they hurt each other. I wish my sisters would let me have one as a pet. Boohoo!"

Both of them burst into sinister laughter.

There was a dark and intriguing history between the two of them. This was the reason for the trust and closeness between this pair of beings who could well be considered walking disasters and embodiments of evil. Although this anomalous behavior should be seen more as common interests than as friendship.

Dhona was in a good mood after finishing laughing.

"What do you call yourself now?" he suddenly asked.

"Summermoon," the pony coquettishly replied, flicking her adorable tail.

"Why do you look like a pony?"

"It's part of a current mission."

"What's it about?"

"Will you let me in?" Summermoon replied with a mischievous look.

Dhona pondered for a few seconds. He understood very well why she was so interested in entering his domain. It could be very costly to allow her in and have her 'accidentally' eat his pets. But if he could obtain some information about her master's intentions, the risk might well be worth it.

"Yes," Dhona replied, wearily.

"Yeeeep. You're the best," exclaimed Summermoon, at the same time as she bounded up the stairs, prancing and playfully kicking the salt statues around her.

The noonday of the longest day hung expectantly over the pyramids.
> Party at Maud's house
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The intricate underground caves beneath the Everfree Forest were the last place one could imagine finding a pony taking a walk. Nevertheless, at that moment, there was a pony in that place. More precisely, a unicorn. Although she wasn't strolling through those tunnels adorned with precious gems.

Starlight Glimmer looked somewhat puzzled at the two tunnel forks where she stood. She didn't feel scared or lost; unlike other ponies, she was a capable unicorn who could fend for herself. One might even say you had to be careful not to make her angry, given her great skill in magic.

Starlight was strong, yet at that moment, she found herself in a little predicament.

"I don't remember this part," Starlight said aloud after checking her memories for the correct path.

It wasn't the first time she had traveled through these tunnels. In fact, she knew the way to her destination quite well. She had an exceptional memory, but right now, she was faced with a junction that shouldn't exist. Even the directions the tunnels were taking seemed strange to her.

The right tunnel delved into the depths of the earth, while the left tunnel seemed to zigzag its way up to the surface. Both the floor and the walls of the tunnels were perfectly natural and well-preserved, giving the impression that they had always been there.

"Uhm... Well... which one is the right way?" Starlight wondered to herself.

("When in doubt about the way, just follow your nose, hahaha. That's what Rarity taught me,") an old memory of Twilight joked when they had explored this place together.

Trusting her friend's memory, Starlight decided.

After a quick sniff, she sensed that the air in the left tunnel was cooler than in the other one. Without further thought, she continued on her way.

After several zigzags, the tunnel that had ascended throughout the journey suddenly descended again, and she soon found herself in a broader area of the caves covered with brightly colored orange stones.

Starlight smiled; this was an area of the caves she remembered.

Confident in the path she should now take, she continued quickly toward her destination.

The Festival of the Two Sisters was approaching. Starlight had promised everyone that she would attend this year's celebration at Maud Pie's house. Although she greatly appreciated her rock-studying friend, it wasn't just friendship that motivated her to be present on this occasion.

She didn't want to break her word once again. She had already missed too many parties to which she was invited by friends. The demanding workload as the headmare of the School of Friendship had increased alarmingly in the past year. The arrival of new students from the allied realms of Equestria and the resulting administrative problems, such as managing the travel of the new students, parent complaints, presiding over welcome ceremonies, occasional friendship issues, and a long list of other responsibilities had further reduced Starlight's already limited free time.


She didn't mind the extra work. She handled it very well, but she had less and less time for her friendships.

In particular, she had less time for a particular friend, a great friend to whom she couldn't just say 'I'm sorry.'

"May the heavens crush me if I don't arrive on time this time," Starlight scolded herself as she trotted. The unicorn had already started running out of impatience on her way to Maud's house.

As if the universe heard her words, an unexpected lump appeared out of nowhere and flattened her.

"Auuuughh, what the heck?" exclaimed an annoyed Starlight, who immediately got up, using her magic to move the lump that was on top of her.

"Coof, coof! Don't eat me! I don't taste good!" responded a flustered magician unicorn with a hat and cape.

"Trixie!" exclaimed Starlight in shock.

"Starlight?" Trixie responded in surprise, putting aside a cudgel she had conjured with her magic.

Starlight immediately released Trixie, and the two friends hugged each other.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" the lavender-maned unicorn asked with concern, stepping back to check on her friend.

"Everything's normal. Just a little dizzy. I've had worse falls," Trixie replied, taking off her hat and shaking her mane to remove the rocks that had stuck in her hair.

"But how did you get here? You came out of nowhere," said Starlight, looking at the ceiling in search of the hole through which Trixie should have fallen.

"Don't be so surprised. I simply used my great and powerful magic. I used teleportation," Trixie replied proudly while dusting off her hat.

"Underground?" Starlight responded skeptically. It was common knowledge that teleportation usually didn't work well underground, especially considering the Everfree Forest above them. It could be said that Trixie's decision had been very imprudent.

"I've got it covered. Besides, I did it because I planned to surprise our friends with an impressive and unexpected appearance in the middle of the party, so this accident only counts as a simple rehearsal."

"Of course... you really know how to make an entrance," Starlight said, pointing at her with her hoof, not entirely convinced by her friend's words.

"It's my trademark, dear," Trixie replied, finishing adjusting her hat and ready for action.

Both friends broke into short but cheerful laughter. It was clear that each knew what the other was thinking. Their friendship had grown enough to understand each other to that extent. Without further interruptions, they both continued their journey to Maud's house.

--------------------

"You really should have been there; the majestic gardens of Ponylonia are a true wonder of the ancient world," exclaimed an excited Trixie on her way to Maud's house.

"Yeah, I can imagine," responded Starlight, sounding somewhat bored and uncomfortable by her side.

They were getting close to Maud's house, and Starlight could be glad about that. Their conversation had shifted through various topics, from school matters and changes in the student body to Trixie's recent expedition across the Great Desert. Initially, Starlight had been happy to hear about her friend's great discoveries or, rather, the alternative tourism she had undertaken. However, the passion with which Trixie told these stories had started to scrape at the feelings of guilt that Starlight had buried.

Starlight had really wanted to accompany her, but a severe accident with the school's bio-garden had delayed her trip and ultimately left her with no choice but to cancel it.

Trixie had set out with Hoo'Far for Ponylonia on an expedition she had programmed and plotted the route for herself. While her friend discovered the secrets of an ancient wonder, Starlight had to deal with an outbreak of Brain-Eating Octo-Orchids gone wild.

"By the way, Trixie, I know you just got back from your trip a few days ago, but... do you have any idea how the bio-garden at the school got infested with Brain-Eating Octo-Orchids?" Starlight interrupted Trixie's monologue.

"I haven't the faintest idea," the unicorn responded immediately.

Starlight frowned. That immediate response wasn't what she wanted to hear. According to the testimonies of several students, someone had been entering the bio-garden during the night in the weeks leading up to the incident. The key to enter was in the care of the professor on duty, in this case, Trixie.

On top of this, there was Hoo'Far's intriguing comment about how happy her friend had been throughout the trip.

Starlight knew Trixie, and she didn't believe her friend had deliberately sabotaged the trip to keep her from joining. However, it was possible that she had 'accidentally' been conducting some unauthorized experiments in the bio-garden.

Starlight was aware of the personal projects Trixie had and how she had used school resources to carry them out in the past.

Using her position as headmistress, she had covered her flank back then with a promise not to do it again. But that promise seemed to have aged poorly.

"You know, I've been thinking about closing the bio-garden," Starlight said casually.

"No way!" Trixie exploded but quickly calmed down when she saw her friend's inquisitive look.

"I mean... as the student counselor, I think it would be very detrimental to the school. The bio-garden is a crucial environment in the students' development," Trixie continued in a more academic tone.

"Yes, I know, which is precisely why I plan to close it for some renovations to make it a more inclusive place for everyone."

"Oh, I see... When will you do it?" Trixie asked, looking at the wall.

"Probably by the end of next month, after the student graduation ceremony."

"Ah, yes, the ceremony," Trixie responded, who, on the other hand, with her magic, was taking notes of what Starlight had just told her.


Starlight had a pronounced frown as she gazed at Trixie.

"Uhmm, that reminds me. Starlight, how's the schedule for our next year's vacation coming along?" Trixie asked, turning to look at her friend.

A knot formed in Starlight's throat at that moment. A great concern she had been trying to hide returned to her like a cold shower. Without knowing what to say, she nervously looked ahead to find a way to divert the conversation.

Soon, she found a solution.

"Hey, look, we've arrived at Maud's house. Let's hurry!" Starlight suddenly said, pointing ahead. Without warning, she began to run toward the door of Maud's house, just a few dozen meters away.

"Wait, don't change the subject. I asked you how the schedule for our vacation is going. Wait!" Trixie shouted as she ran, trying to catch up to Starlight, who seemed to be trying to evade the conversation.

But Starlight was much faster, and soon a great distance separated them. Realizing that she wouldn't catch up, Trixie decided to play her trump card.

In a quick flash of her horn, Trixie teleported in front of her friend, right in front of the curtain door that served as the entrance to Maud's house.

Starlight came to an abrupt stop, her path blocked by Trixie.

"Hah, yes, about that... can we talk about it later?" Starlight finally responded, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Now it was Trixie who was frowning.

"If I recall correctly, you promised to make a great effort to find the right temporary head so we could finally have our incredible and long-delayed vacation, which we've been planning for the last three years!" Trixie exclaimed, almost shouting as she shot a disapproving look at Starlight. The sharp unicorn had already sensed that something was amiss with her friend's responses.

"It's not about that..." Starlight was biting her lip.

Trixie raised an eyebrow, noting the unexpected tension in Starlight. There was definitely something important she wanted to tell her. But if it was another excuse, like the many times before, she wouldn't let it slide this time.

Finally, Starlight sighed wearily and decided to drop the bomb.

"I'm not currently looking for someone to take on the temporary position, but someone for the permanent one. I'm thinking about stepping down from my role as headmistress of the School of Friendship," Starlight finally said with a completely serious look.

Starlight had already imagined the possible reactions from Trixie to this news. The great doubts and mental turmoil that her friend might be going through. She herself was still not entirely convinced of her own judgment, but if anyone could provide a better perspective to help her clear her thoughts, it would be her great friend...

"THAT'S WONDERFUL! HIIIIIIIIIIII!" Trixie exclaimed in a whinny and then gave Starlight a big hug.

"Wh-what!?" Starlight responded, shocked by her friend's immediate and accurate response.

"YES, I KNEW THAT ONE DAY YOU'D FINALLY DITCH THAT HORRIBLE JOB AND DEDICATE YOURSELF COMPLETELY TO MAGIC WITH ME!"

"Wait, that's not what you're thinking! This isn't about the job, I..." Starlight could hardly respond. In her head, she thought, "What happened to 'YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DIRECTOR POSITION' and 'I GIVE YOU MY FULL SUPPORT' that you always say to me!"

"Now we'll be able to spend more time together and go on adventures all over the place. WE'LL BE THE FIRST PONY FRIENDS TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE WORLD! YES, I CAN ALREADY SEE IT: 'THE GREAT AND INCREDIBLE EQUINE TOUR OF TRIXIE AND STARLIGHT AROUND THE WORLD'!" Trixie exclaimed almost hysterically, addressing some empty space in the cavern.

Starlight had to do something; the conversation was spiraling out of control.

Without much thought, Starlight ignited her horn and caught Trixie with her magic, who had started jumping with joy all around. "Trixie, calm down, you're not getting it!"

"Alright, alright... I understand. I know you're confused, but we have to accept changes when they come," said Trixie, patting Starlight's cheeks.

Starlight didn't know how to respond to those words.

Without further ado, Starlight sat down with a mute and distressed expression where she was. The conversation wasn't going the way she had hoped. Part of her really... wanted to cry.

Trixie stopped her joy abruptly, sensing the distress in her friend.

"What's wrong, Starlight? You don't seem so happy about this news."

"Do you even hear yourself? I'm not happy about this. You're not supposed to be so happy about this either. I haven't even made a final decision about it!" Starlight exclaimed with frustration, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I think I got carried away..." Trixie responded, setting aside her selfish joy. "Although you should've mentioned that from the beginning. Come to think of it, you haven't told me why you want to step down as headmistress."

"Isn't that exactly what you should've asked me from the beginning?" Starlight retorted, rubbing her eyes.

"Okay... I'm sorry... So, tell me, friend, why do you want to quit being the headmistress?" Trixie asked, taking a seat next to Starlight.

"Well... I..."

"Is it a health issue?" Trixie interjected, concerned.

"No," Starlight immediately responded.

"Uhm... Wait! Did Twilight order you to do it?" Trixie asked with a sharp and suspicious look, getting up.

"No, no."

"Uhm... So..." Now Trixie was genuinely confused.

"It's something... complicated," Starlight responded, resigned, looking away.

A silence hung between the two friends. Starlight no longer wanted to continue the conversation with Trixie. At least not for the moment. She now doubted whether sharing her true feelings with Trixie would actually help her become more certain of her decision. She had to admit it, she had made a mistake.

"This was a mistake. I think I shouldn't have told you like this," Starlight said, standing up.

"But what are you saying? If it's something important, you can trust me and tell me," said Trixie, now concerned, placing her hoof on her friend's shoulder.

"No, let's drop the subject for now. Don't worry, it's not something serious... tomorrow afternoon, I'll be free at Twilight's castle. I'll tell you everything then. Are you okay with that?" Starlight responded with a determined look, now certain of her decision.

"Uhmm, well, alright..." Trixie replied, somewhat annoyed. She didn't have time for this kind of drama. She preferred that important conversations be direct and to the point.

But when it came to Starlight, she was willing to accept it.

"But at least tell me what's going on. Is it about your job as the headmistress or is it about me?" Trixie continued.

"It's something very personal," Starlight declared with a serious look and a firm posture, making it clear that she no longer wanted to continue discussing that topic.

Trixie wasn't sure what Starlight could be referring to. She was quite close to her, so this behavior from her friend was very surprising. Starlight had left her past mistakes behind, regained the trust of others, and was now recognized as a great pony. In many ways, she had outdone herself, to the point that Trixie had even felt jealous of her. But, aside from the heavy workload her friend had as the headmistress of the School of Friendship, what could be going on now?

Honestly, Trixie wanted to continue the conversation.

At that moment, without warning, the door-curtain opened.

"Hello... come in," Maud Pie said with her characteristic indifferent posture before returning inside her home, leaving the door-curtain open for her friends.

Both Trixie and Starlight, surprised by the sudden reception, looked at each other, wondering if Maud had heard their entire conversation. They could see the inside of the party and noticed that most of the guests had already arrived. So, it was safe to assume that they were the last ones to arrive.

With the earlier discussion behind them, the relationship between the two friends continued as usual.

"Well, Maud seemed... somewhat... anxious. Could it be that Maudbriar hasn't arrived yet?" Starlight asked, somewhat inquisitive, watching Maud walk away.

"Do you think so?" Trixie asked, not having noticed anything different in the rock-loving, reserved pony.

It was common knowledge that Maud and Maudbriar were a perfect couple. However, there had been rumors months ago that they had a fight and had grown somewhat distant since then. Given how private that pair of ponies were, there was no way to confirm those rumors, but it was a fact that they weren't seen walking together as frequently as before.

In a corner of the crowded room, a solitary Maud sat, near a table, sipping a drink while petting Boulder.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get in already!" Starlight exclaimed, noticing they had been watching the party from the outside for quite a while. Her good mood had returned.

"After you, my great and powerful friend," Trixie responded confidently.

Both friends entered the party with smiles, only to be immediately greeted by a confetti explosion from Pinkie Pie.
> Starlight's Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





On the outskirts of Ponyville, one hour after midnight.

"... ♪ and sang and jumped ♫, ♪ over the moon ♫, ♪ a cow ♫, who said MU!, MU!, MU!, MU! MU! MUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" sang Trixie cheerfully but off-key.

"MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Starlight finished off next to her, beaming with amusement.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the friends laughed hugging each other as they made their way home in the middle of the balmy night. DJ Pony trotted behind them with his signature beat.

Trixie's carriage, parked next to the Friendship School's bio orchard, was already in sight.

The party at Maud's house had been the liveliest in recent memory. Many guests had arrived, including teachers, friends and acquaintances, all of them trusted ponies. Of course, Maud was not a fan of such parties and immediately left with Mudbriar as soon as he arrived, shortly before midnight. Apart from this dramatic moment, there were no further interruptions to the party, which continued with dancing, karaoke, drinking competitions and so on.

So, leaving behind a party that just kept getting louder and louder, Starlight and Trixie decided to leave before they got caught up in a whirlwind of entertainment from which they could hardly emerge unscathed.

With a staggering step, both friends reached Trixie's carriage.

"Give me a moment, will you?" said Starlight to DJ Pony as she guided Trixie to her carriage. After a brief altercation with the keys, both friends entered the vehicle.

The interior of the carriage was as chaotic as ever, a mix of cramped and dusty, but, more importantly, it was a tremendously familiar place. The lights came on. Without wasting a second, Trixie shed her characteristic garb and made her way to her 'bed', making her way through her show packs and other junk strewn about the place.

Although Trixie called her resting place a 'bed', calling it a "makeshift hammock" would be more appropriate.

With a perfect hop, Trixie settled into her hammock bed and stretched out as a cat would before surrendering to a restful sleep.

"Aaaauauu, alas, dear Starlight, this party has been truly magical...I really gave it my all on stage, I can hardly feel my hooves," Trixie exclaimed as she rubbed her front hooves with a cream she kept in one of her boxes.

"That's what you get for trying so hard during competitions, you know karaoke is about singing and not stomping, right?"

"The great and powerful Trixie expresses herself best through her body," Trixie stated proudly, setting aside the cream and settling a blanket next to a pillow in her resting place.

"It's a shame the judges didn't feel the same way."

"You were one of the judges," Trixie protested, pointing her helmet at her, clearly exhausted.

"Yes, and for that very reason I must be as fair as possible to my greatest and most powerful friend."

"Oh, so could it be possible that she's getting special treatment from the blameless and righteous Headmistress Starlight?" asked Trixie, raising an eyebrow and casting a sassy glance.

"Probably..." muttered Starlight with a knowing smile.

"What an honor! hahaha Hip," let out an embarrassed hiccup Trixie, immediately proceeding to grab a glass of water which she made appear with her magic.

Starlight laughed and began to browse through the other belongings in Trixie's carriage.

Wizard hats in a whole range of colors, but with a very familiar design. "Enchanted" wands that weren't actually enchanted with magic, but cast a dazzling flash of light capable of distracting an audience during a performance. bee-bear traps? Now that was truly dangerous stuff, even if they weren't active. In addition, there were many boxes labeled with danger warnings....

Starlight examined all these curious objects with a mixture of awe and amusement, but an unsettling feeling began to well up inside her.

Then something else caught her attention. Several "Mare of the Year" magazines were stacked in a corner. Starlight felt uneasy and looked away from them, fearing what she might find. But... why did Trixie have so many of those magazines? And why did she have so many wildlife breeding manuals? Starlight frowned as she noticed a bulky stack of books that seemed to bear the school library's stamp.

Suddenly, a suspicion welled up in Starlight's mind, displacing the fatigue that was overtaking her.

"I see you have a lot of 'Mare of the Year' magazines. I hope it's not for-" Starlight started to say before being interrupted by a deep snore.

Trixie had fallen asleep. The sleeping unicorn wore a sweet smile, her breathing was leisurely, and she was snuggled perfectly under her blanket, surrounded by a subtle aroma of freshly poured cider.

For a few seconds, Starlight opened her eyes wide in disbelief at the rebuff. But then, she shook her head, resigned, and sketched a smile. Using her horn, she took a stuffed animal from one of the boxes and placed it near Trixie, who immediately hugged it warmly.

"Rest, Trixie..." murmured Starlight as she turned off the carriage lights and prepared to leave.

Ever so carefully, Starlight left Trixie's carriage without ever interrupting her friend's sweet sleep.

------------------

DJ Pony gave a brief farewell wave and took off down the path that led to Ponyville.

Starlight responded in kind and headed down the other path into a small forest. She had too much on her mind to return to Twilight Castle right away. She needed to jog a bit first, clear her mind and then....

Then what?

Starlight looked up in the middle of the path and was amazed to behold the glowing fireflies flitting through the forest. The treetops, as well as much of the foliage, had been decorated with lights, and numerous luminescent crystals decorated the clearings. These decorations had been put up the day before by the villagers and were a gift from Princess Cadance, delivered after the grave disaster that had occurred weeks before.

Absorbed, the unicorn continued to observe her surroundings. The gentle evening breeze carried to her the murmur of the stream flowing not far away. The sparkle of the crystals added a touch of magic that was truly a delight to behold. The tranquility and beauty of the place made Starlight's heart consider the idea of staying over right there until noon the next day.

But she couldn't do that.

A bitter discomfort gripped her quiet face until now. A question that had been bothering her began to flit through her mind again.

"Why am I the headmistress of a school?" muttered Starlight to the sky. If she had asked that same question to her past self, before she met Twilight, she would probably be questioning whether she was really herself or if she had been bewitched.

Starlight didn't hate her job. Nor did she find it overwhelming, at least not at the moment. But... was she really in the right place?

The position of headmistress of Friendship School had been given to her by Twilight herself. Her friend, the princess, had full confidence in her abilities to fulfill such an important role, and, of course, her judgment was sound.

However, this was not the future Starlight had chosen. She had not fought to obtain the position she now held.

Many might think that Twilight had abused her position by giving her the school. Starlight herself shared that idea, but accepted it because she knew it was a position of great importance and that there were good intentions behind Twilight's decision.

But that was back then... time had passed and Starlight felt... she could do more....

A year ago ...

***

Starlight had been invited to a principals' meeting hosted by the Equestria Education Association, or EEA, for the purpose of sharing management experiences and projects within the educational community. The meeting, led by Chancellor Neighsay, turned out to be much more enjoyable than Starlight had first assumed. So much so that Starlight had no trouble making friends and meeting potential new colleagues during breaks in the presentations and discussions.

It was then that she became aware of something she had been unaware of up to that point.

All the ponies present were older than she was; many were twice her age. In comparison, Chancellor Neighsay also seemed one of the youngest at the meeting.

After conversing with them and the Chancellor, Starlight began to realize that not only were they older in age than her, but they also surpassed her in experience and skills. All had previously been teachers and had undertaken personal projects related to education before assuming their roles as principals. They had completed advanced courses and were highly respected in the cities where they worked.

In other words, their positions were completely justified, and precisely because of the experience they carried with them, they had every right to perform the principal roles they held.

"What am I supposed to have been doing so far?" thought Starlight deep inside.

After the meeting, Starlight began to feel sick. She brought it up with Trixie, but she only said that those were the standards of the Equestria Education Association and that it didn't matter how old a pony was, but what they were capable of doing. She further pointed out that the Friendship School had its own standards as a unique entity separate from the other schools. Starlight agreed with her friend's advice and put the subject behind her, but the discomfort remained a splinter in her thoughts.

Shortly thereafter... 

Starlight received a dropout notice from one of the new students. The foal in question was leaving the school because it had been discovered that his parents had pressured him to enter the school and befriend only teachers or classmates who were adept at magic.

Being a talented unicorn in the field of magic, the colt had wanted to enter the School of Magic. However, due to certain limitations at home and prerequisites, he was unable to do so. Instead, the parents had forced him to enter Friendship School.

When the colt's parents came to take him away, a little filly stayed behind, following them all the way. She was his childhood friend, who had encouraged him to accept his parents' decision to enter the school, even though it was against the rules.

The distraught filly showed up at academic counseling the next day and explained her case to Trixie, who then took the matter to Starlight.

After meeting with the filly and explaining that it was not possible for her friend to return, the young woman left her office with a look of disappointment that pierced Starlight's soul.

A few days later, the young filly also left the school.

The next day, Starlight apologized to Sunburst, telling him she had a cold and that he should take care of his chores. That day, she spent the entire time drinking cider and eating oatmeal ice cream alone in her room. During the night, she had a dream in which she stood in front of a mirror and her past child self glared at her before walking away with his back to her. She woke up in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat under the accusing moonlight and could not fall asleep for the rest of the evening. She barely managed to catch up with her work for the rest of that week.

"Aren't I supposed to be a better pony now? Aren't I supposed to have grown up enough to cope with situations like this?" chided Starlight amidst the darkness.

Days passed, and the conflict within Starlight was fading. She picked up the pace of her work and continued her days as usual, always with a smile on her face. However, during the nights, when she went to bed, the reflection of her mirror returned a suspicious look and, sometimes, her mane seemed to regain a silhouette that she had left long ago ... a long time ago ...

Finally, a few months ago ...

Starlight's work had increased, as had her popularity. In both cases, external factors were responsible for this trend. It was in this context that she had an unexpected meeting with Chancellor Neighsay, who made him a proposal that seemed like the heavenly answer to all the conflicts she had been trying to hide until that moment.

"A new teaching model?" repeated Starlight in surprise.

"It is just as you hear, Principal Starlight. Recent innovations in the use of enchanted crystals, made by the great wizard Star Swirl the bearded and her partner Stygian, now allow scenarios where it is possible to share information over great distances through secure channels at very little cost. Actually, many of my colleagues are very excited about the possibilities of this development and, above all, how it could change teaching as we know it," said Chancellor Neighsay in very good humor, sharing a thick folio of documentation with her.

Starlight reviewed it avidly; the project documentation was impeccable, which was not surprising coming from Chancellor Neighsay. Moreover, the rationale, timing, and scope of the project were even more solid.

"This...is very surprising. I can understand why EEA would want to implement a new teaching model so as not to fall behind with the application of this technology, but..." The doubt Starlight had had at the beginning of the meeting could no longer be hidden. "Why are you telling me?"

"I wish you, Director Starlight Glimmer, to lead the implementation of this project," Chancellor Neighsay replied without hesitation.

Starlight was engrossed for a moment, drank some water, and replied.

"I'm honored that you would ask something like this of me, but I don't..."

"I have many reasons to believe you are the right pony for this job, would you allow me to share some of them?"

"Of course, I'm listening."

"First, I would like to remind you that this is not the first time that an attempt has been made to implement a new teaching model in Equestria. Already in the past, there have been many attempts that failed due to project costs, lack of leadership and, above all, distrust of new technologies. It pains me to say it, but there are EEA members who do not give the use of new tools a chance and end up hindering their implementation. In addition, there are always debates about whether or not the use of these tools favors better education. For this very reason, I think that someone younger and with a more current vision could help my colleagues to accept these changes. You, Director Starlight, are very young and have unique social skills that would help build the bridges needed to keep all the ponies in this project together," Chancellor Neighsay finished his speech in a stern but gentle tone.

Starlight could hardly accept what was in front of her and what it implied, such as the fact that she would have to step down as head of the school if she agreed to take full charge of this project.

"Is there any other reason?" asked Starlight, making a great effort to hide her emotions.

"You are very close to Princess Twilight, having her as team leader would help gain her approval of the project and speed up the acceptance of changes that might come along the way," the Chancellor immediately replied.

"Don't you have her approval yet?" asked Starlight, quizzical.

"We've had some differences..." replied Chancellor Neighsay, sounding for the first time somewhat guarded in his words.

Although the EEA had a great deal of independence in its organizational decisions, there were still some cases where the Princess' approval was required, particularly in reforms as far-reaching as the one the Chancellor was proposing. If Twilight had not yet agreed to it, it could be because perhaps there were aspects that required better understanding or debate? Or could the Chancellor be withholding certain important details of the project from her that were not to Twilight's liking?

"I cannot make a decision on this issue at this time. I have to study this project in more detail and then I will inform you of my decision," Starlight said, calmer.

"I understand perfectly. Take as much time as you deem necessary, but I would like you to also think about the great opportunity this project means and the good it could bring to the ponies if it is ever properly implemented throughout Equestria," Chancellor Neighsay commented.

"I will keep that in mind, Chancellor Neighsay," Starlight replied, gesturing acceptance.

After chatting about other school and faculty matters, Chancellor Neighsay retired.

In her principal's chair, Starlight looked at the large project folio. On the cover, there was an image of two foals in two different locations holding hooves, sharing their words through a glass. Looking at this image, Starlight remembered her childhood friend Sunburst and how she had been separated from him when she entered magic school. She remembered the days when she wished she could have had at least a brief moment with her friend to chat and spend time together. She also remembered the painful, dark path his life took at that time, the days of loneliness and helplessness... the days when she sought to gain the power to change everything....

The forgotten ashes of her past self were reigniting inside her.

***

In the present...

Starlight's determined gaze was directed towards Ponyville, especially towards Twilight's castle.

"Sorry, Trixie, we'll have to save the small talk for another time," Starlight said with a smile into the wind. The breeze blew her mane back into the old shape it had been before she was headmistress, before she met Trixie, before she met the Princess of Friendship....

Starlight's eyes sparkled with the glare of the forest lights, reflecting the wild spirit she had awakened within her.

She had made a decision.

Starlight had a mission, more like a dream, a dream that had grown within her over the past few weeks.

"I will bring to every pony in Equestria the opportunity to know the meaning of true friendship."

With these words, which almost sounded like an oath, Starlight had made up her mind to realize the vision she had set for herself. Never again would she stand hoofed while a friendship was destroyed by the barriers of distance. She would put her all into Chancellor Neighsay's project and do whatever it took to achieve its success, even if it didn't end up pleasing Twilight.

All ponies deserved this opportunity to communicate without fear of distance. She would be the one to initiate this change in all of Equestria.

Undoubtedly, she would.

So, with her head held high and ready to face whatever came her way, Starlight began to move down the road towards home. She had had enough distractions for the day.

-----------

Starlight was trotting toward Ponyville in the middle of the night when she noticed someone standing in the middle of the road. It was a young mare in a light blue and white coat, with a fluffy white cotton-like mane and striking light blue streaks. She was carrying a traveling cap and some suitcases.

"A tourist? At this hour?" wondered Starlight, but immediately put her suspicions aside. It was the day of the Two Sisters Festival, and many ponies were wandering around the countryside at this hour, going from party to party or just enjoying the sleepless night.

After a short walk, she arrived where the stray mare was.

"Hi, excuse me, do you know where the two sisters' castle is? I think I'm a little lost," asked the tourist pony.

"It's a little late for sightseeing, and right now the roads to Everfree Forest are closed due to a plague," Starlight replied. "You'd best wait until tomorrow if you want to take a balloon tour there."

"Oh, Stars! Really, that's terrible! I don't have that much time; tomorrow my transport leaves very early. I don't think I'll have enough for a balloon ride...," the pony replied disappointedly as she flipped through a crumpled map. "Do you happen to know where Twilight's castle is?"

"Yes, I know it very well, I live there," Starlight replied casually.

"Wait! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! So you're Starlight Glimmer! Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!" the light blue pony exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm the same as always," replied Starlight somewhat embarrassed, rearranging her mane. "You've heard of me?"

"Yes, you're the headmistress of Friendship School. Everyone's talking about you. hiiiii!" the pony whinnied even more.

Starlight blushed a little but restrained herself.

"Can you sign an autograph for me?" the pony continued excitedly, handing her map to her.

"Okay, and what shall I put?" asked Starlight in a good mood.

"Summermoon!" the pony replied enthusiastically.
> Trixie's Nightmare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





It had been more than ten minutes since Starlight had left Trixie's carriage, leaving behind her friend sound asleep and well settled in her bed. Or so she had thought.

Suddenly, Trixie, who until that moment had been in an apparent deep sleep brought on by exhaustion and sweet cider, woke up. Nimble as a rabbit, she threw the covers off her and tossed her stuffed animal aside. Without wasting a second, he checked through the peephole of the door amidst a pressing feeling of insecurity.

There was no one outside. Starlight had gone safely home. It was safe.

"Ahhh hu" Trixie groaned exhaustedly, collapsing heavily in the doorway and creaking all over the carriage.

She was not feeling well.

Trixie had arrived a few days ago from her trip from Babiloponi. Since then, she hadn't heard much about the crisis that had occurred a few weeks earlier at the school. It wasn't until that very night, during the party, that she was able to fully learn about the great disaster that had occurred in and around Ponyville during her absence.

Terror and chaos. Swarms of brain-eating Octopus Orchids crawling free in the gardens and streets of the town. Pony citizens under the mind control of the cephalopods, students cornered in the school, destruction of buildings, burned crops, direct intervention of a princess....

It was too much. Trixie could only drink cider and nod to everything the other teachers and friends were telling her. The crisis had been barely contained with the efforts of the Young Six led by Starlight and ended with the timely intervention of Princess Candace, who was visiting the school of friendship during those dark days.

In the end there were no irreparable losses to lament, apart from property damage and traumatized ponies.

The investigation was still ongoing, and as always, Everfree Forest was the prime suspect for the origin of the plague. Still, there were many unknowns in the air, all accompanied by rumors....

("Days before, they said they had seen those monsters lurking in the swamp.")

("Gosh... I heard that the school's biogarden was full of those pests! How horrible!")

("Some foreigner must have brought them in, those critters aren't from around here.")

Leaving behind the weary facade of naiveté she had maintained during the party and until recently, Trixie sank further to the floor of the carriage. She, unfortunately, knew all too well the truth of what had happened.

"Starlight, I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..... it's all the fault of those duplicitous Eucalyptus grease peddling pushers!" exclaimed Trixie between regretful and furious. There at the bottom of her pride, she covered her face with her hooves imagining the disappointed look on her friend's face if she were there and heard her.

Several months ago...

Trixie was strolling merrily along the outskirts of Ponyville when she accidentally stumbled upon a fair of amazing tools and objects for shows. Led by an eloquent group of camels, innocent Trixie was fascinated by their exotic wares. Trusting the noble words of the salesmen, she spent a good portion of her saved fortune as a student counselor to buy such props that would undoubtedly make her own circus shows bigger and more incredible. Confident in her actions and with the blessing of the fair's owners, Trixie left with a big smile, imagining how happy she would make her friends when she shared her new wonders with them.

Yes, this was the imaginary explanation Trixie kept repeating to herself and would tell anyone else who discovered the truth. Of course, she would never mention that she was at that fair at midnight. Nor would she mention that the supposed fair occurred every moon in a dark, unknown cave within the Everfree Forest. Much less would she say that this was not the first time she had done business with those suspicious looking dealers.

Trixie had only been the victim of a vile deception. That was all.

Among the many clandestine products she had acquired was a rather unusual one: a bunch of Octopus Rose seeds.

The Octopus Rose is an exotic creature that lives in the remote rainforests far south of Equestria. More than just a beautiful and unique pet, they are extremely sensitive and fragile creatures with a very specific diet, making them extremely expensive to breed in captivity. However, such an investment of resources could well be offset by the enormous income that could be earned from these creatures. The white ink of the pink octopus is one of the most expensive and sought after on the market. With multiple scientific as well as magical uses, any product that has any input derived from this ink would multiply its price by up to ten times its original value. It could be said that having a Pink Octopus nest was akin to having a living gold mine.

That being the case, Trixie had not bought the Octopus Pinks out of mere greed. These creatures were also known to produce a very special resin that, if used in fireworks, could increase their durability and luminosity and even make them susceptible to enchantment.

Thinking of the endless possibilities, Trixie had not hesitated to acquire them despite their exorbitant price. That same night, she secretly planted them in the bio-garden of the School of Friendship, this being the only place where she could keep these creatures in good condition. On the sly, she tended and nurtured them in the hope that Starlight would forgive her once they matured and share the proceeds with her.

However, misfortune soon opened her eyes.

The creatures that sprouted from Trixie's secret garden of hopes were not the helpless Octopus Roses, but ferocious Octopus Orchids, dangerous monsters known to parasitize their prey with mental domination, which they then slowly consumed their brains.

Furious at the deception and even more terrified by the monstrous truth, Trixie uprooted the Octopus Orchid garden and transported it to Froggy Bottom Swamp to dispose of it. Thus, by throwing the monsters into the bogs she left the problem solved. Trixie left extremely disappointed, not thinking too much about how nature would deal with those dangerous creatures. In the following days of her trip, the only thing that ever troubled her was how she could recover all the savings she had lost.

What happened next was familiar history.

"Why do these things happen to me, why?!" cried Trixie, pacing the floor as guilt gnawed at her insides....

The sound of a thump was heard from the window. Immediately, Trixie jumped to her feet and looked around in fright.

There was nothing but a branch bumping against the window due to the wind.

Again, Trixie sighed in relief. Then, distractedly, she saw her reflection in one of the mirrors beside her bed.

She looked pathetic. Her entire white mane was in disarray and full of debris from her junk. Her face, which always showed a confident and intriguing expression, now had a tired and fearful expression. Her skin, which used to look with a magnetic blue glow, now looked a sickly gray.

There was no trace of the Great and Powerful Trixie that everyone knew.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" cried Trixie, regaining the sparkle in her eyes. Working her magic, she grabbed a bottle of water and poured its entire contents over her head. She ran a towel over her fur, a fan and a large comb danced over her mane, then special make-up powders on her face. Under a sparkle of light from her own horn, Trixie, who had kept her eyes closed until that moment, opened them.

The dazzling reflection of the Great and Powerful Trixie returned a proud look.

"Very good dear Trixie, that's much better. What's past is past. Time to think about tomorrow," she said to herself as she picked up a notebook. "There is no time to waste. Our friendship with Starlight could be in jeopardy. It's time for you to focus and think about how to remedy it."

After giving herself that command, Trixie took a seat gracefully on a tiny bench, lit some candles, and began to jot down her thoughts. She didn't care that it would take all night and she wouldn't sleep. She would pay no heed to fatigue or sleep. Once the Great and Powerful Trixie made up her mind to do something, there was nothing in this world that could stop her.





Was there anything that could stop the Great and Powerful Trixie in this world?

The list of options was long, but among all of them, there were some answers that would hardly cross anyone's mind.

One of those options was that she would be attacked by a horde of pony-zombies in the middle of the night, and that was precisely what was happening.

Under the light of a gloomy moon....

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hauuuuuuuu!" cried Trixie as she galloped desperately through the forest. Behind the unicorn, hordes of pony-zombies possessed by Octopus Orchid were chasing her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" exclaimed Trixie in sobs as she galloped at full speed.

"TRIXIEE! BRAIN! TRIXIE! BRAIN!" cried the zombies, closing fast.

Soon, Trixie's path began to sink and she came to a ravine where it was no longer possible to continue.

"I didn't mean to! It was an accident! You have to believe me!" begged Trixie, now cornered by the zombies that had her surrounded.

"ALWAYS TRIXIE! ALWAYS NO BRAIN!" a familiar voice was heard among the ranks of zombies. These made way, and from among them emerged a familiar face.

Starlight was advancing toward Trixie, but there was no need to guess what her condition was. A huge cephalopod was waving above her head, as the pony's body spasmed forward. Her frothy drool splashed in all directions, and only her eyes, now swollen and about to bulge out of their sockets, were firmly set on her friend.

It was a frightening sight. Trixie trembled, terrified and unable to look away.

"Starlight ... I..."

"RAASHTTGDFFGFGFG!" the zombified Starlight shouted at her in what was an obvious command for silence.

Trixie closed her eyes in tears, resigned to her fate. She would rather be devoured by the remains of her friend than by any other pony. She thought it was a just punishment as her zombie friend's stinking breath spread across her face and her drool was already splattering all over her.

But something else happened.

Trixie then felt a strange warmth behind her, as if the rays of dawn were hitting her back. She opened her eyes, and all the pony-zombies, including the zombie Starlight, were backing away, frightened by the blinding light that engulfed them head-on. Trixie turned and saw an impressive scene.

There was a mare towering above it all, shrouded in a golden sun-like light, her body a flat silhouette of shadows with a wavy mane, her glowing eyes, revealing the unique magic in her being. There was no trace of evil or threat coming from her, but rather a halo of holiness.

Trixie squinted and saw her more clearly. The mare had a horn and wings, it was clear, she was a worthy alicorn princess.

The mysterious alicorn began to advance towards Trixie with a calm and majestic step, behind her was an enigmatic triangular portal of light.

"Do not be afraid, Trixie Lulamoon. Come with me." said a soft, familiar voice.

"Heh, heh, who, me? Wait, who are you? What are you...?" Trixie couldn't finish her words. At that moment, the light from the triangular portal spread out towards them, and they both disappeared in a rainbow beam.

***

Trixie opened her eyes, hadn't she done that before?

Confused, she looked around. The place she was in was... strange. Everything was foggy. Stellar lights surrounded her, as if she were in a clear glass passageway and outside of it, the cosmos spilled out into the vastness of darkness. In front of her, the large figure of the bright-eyed alicorn watched her without blinking.

"Where am I, what is this place?" asked Trixie in confusion.

"It's a safe place, Trixie. Please come with me," said the mysterious alicorn. Without another word, she turned and began to move forward in the strange hallway.

"Wait..." said Trixie trying to catch up, but as she stood up... she felt dizzy. As if she had just woken up from a heavy dream.

A dream.

"THAT'S IT! THIS IS A DREAM! OF COURSE! HAHAHAHAHA!" Trixie smacked her forehead with a hoof and burst out laughing, finally understanding where she was. She was dreaming, and the alicorn who had brought her there was Princess Luna who had rescued her from a terrible nightmare.

Although.

She didn't remember Princess Luna being so tall... or having that voice....

More importantly... Wasn't Princess Luna retired?

Trixie's thoughts continued to wander as her laughter was replaced by her bewilderment. On the other hand, the mysterious alicorn continued to move forward without turning around, soon her silhouette faded into the shimmering mist that flooded the hallway.

Silence surrounded her.

"WAIT! WAIT! PRINCE MOON!" cried Trixie startled as she realized she had been left behind. She ran down the hallway trying to catch up to her savior. She broke through the fog and suddenly found herself in a slightly different place.

An endless corridor stretched until it was lost to sight. On both sides of the fuzzy walls of the hallway, large white doors would be wide open, in gleaming glass arches.

Startled, Trixie advanced cautiously. But driven by a curiosity hard to control, she poked her head through one of the doors....

"Let every pony's eye see and admire the most magical and exceptional unicorn in all of Equestria, me, the Great and Powerful Trixie!" A tiny Trixie was adorably waving her hooves in the middle of a huge stage. Her audience, a large crowd of adult ponies and children, watched the foal talent show with much amusement. In the farthest reaches of those present was her father, watching his daughter's first performance with admiration.

From the doorway out of time, the gawking adult Trixie watched her past self impress her audience with the infallible rabbit-in-the-hat trick.

"What's going on, I'm here but I'm also there...?" exclaimed Trixie trying to comprehend what she was seeing. Suddenly, guided by a strong feeling, she began to check the other doors.

Just as her instincts had made her notice, that whole hallway was full of doors that showed her a moment from her past.

Her grandiose first performance.

Her memorable first live accident.

Her first trip alone.

Her first encounter with Twilight (she passed over that one and the others that had to do with her).

Her first encounter with Starlight.

"This is weird" Trixie said aloud to herself without losing her trot.

That hallway of nostalgia was puzzling and gave her no clue, there was also no sign of Princess Luna or whoever that mysterious alicorn was, had she taken a wrong turn?

Or did she? 

In her mental effort to understand what was going on, a memory came to her along with an absurd but hopeful idea.

"It's not possible, is it? I could be making a mistake, couldn't I?" exclaimed Trixie nervously, her little heart beginning to pound harder as she hurried back to the beginning of that passage.

Trixie galloped back down the hallway, checking each door and excitedly remembering each special moment in her life. With each door she checked, with each good memory she relived, the little idea that had enlightened her grew stronger, filling her with immense anxiety and excitement.

A long time ago, Starlight had told her of a similar magical situation, of how a humble pony could become something more?

COULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT FATE WAS FINALLY CATCHING UP WITH HER?!

Trixie had never spoken highly of the alicorn princesses, especially Twilight. Whenever someone brought up the subject, she used to say things like, "She's no big deal," "She's just a pony with wings and a horn," "Any pony can do the same thing with enough magic," etc.

But deep down inside, she wanted to be an alicorn too. Perhaps she was being a bit petty, as there were other ponies who could very well hold that title with greater right, even Starlight, in her eyes, was more deserving of the title of princess than Twilight herself. She didn't feel worthy either, but if the opportunity arose, she wouldn't hesitate to take it.

Soon she spotted the large silhouette of the mysterious alicorn. Forgetting that she was in a dream, without wasting a second, she pounced on her and gave her a big hug.

"I'M READY!" exclaimed Trixie excitedly with sparkling eyes full of excitement caused by her deepest and most honest desire.

The mysterious alicorn didn't answer her. In fact, she didn't pay attention to her in the least. She only watched the inside of one of the doors intently.

A strange reaction. Trixie, startled, immediately recoiled. The warmth of the mysterious alicorn's fur felt very familiar and.... unpleasant? Now that she saw her more closely, she didn't look like Princess Luna, still, she felt as if she had someone in front of her that she already knew, but wasn't able to recognize.

Watching her carefully, she noticed a great nostalgia in the lost look of that alicorn.

Confused, Trixie looked in the same direction...

***

"Are you sure of your decision?" asked Chancellor Neighsay.

"Yes," Starlight replied.

This was the main room of the principal of Friendship School. And in the main seat at the desk indeed sat Principal Starlight with a very stern look befitting the conversation going on.

On the other side was Chancellor Neighsay with a similar expression.

"I can understand that recent unfortunate events changed your earlier response to my proposal, however, I would not wish to fall into misunderstandings with Princess Twilight. A private meeting between the three of us would be a most timely event."

"I can schedule an appointment next week. Setting this matter straight as soon as possible will be very favorable to all."

"I concur," the Chancellor replied with an intriguing smile. Starlight answered him in kind.

Trixie, who was watching the scene, did not understand what was going on. Starlight looked different. Trixie had accompanied her to numerous school reunions in the past and knew how nervous she got at times. However, there was something about her current countenance that made him think something wasn't right.

He didn't look like the confident pony she knew.

"If I may ask, how do you intend to handle the matter of your 'friend'?" the Chancellor asked suddenly.

"Ahem. Leave it to me in my hooves. It won't be a hindrance in the next stage of transition." replied Starlight with uncharacteristic initial awkwardness.

"I understand. I trust that the current ongoing investigation at the school won't find you as a suspect. But if that should happen..."

"You wouldn't dare," Starlight replied for the first time with a frown.

"Criminal acts of this magnitude cannot be hidden Headmistress Starlight, and while I admire your loyalty to your partner, the law is the law," the Chancellor replied with an icy tone.

Starlight sighed looking up at the ceiling, and after a few seconds....

"Well... what do you propose?" she finally replied in surrender.

"Don't worry, it's not anything significant," Chancellor Neighsay replied with a broader smile. "It's just some slight adjustments to next year's curriculum..."

Starlight, who seemed to have guessed the Chancellor's next words, closed her eyes and lowered her head.

***

"HEEEEE!" exclaimed Trixie as she watched the door turn black and disappear from sight. She turned around and discovered that the mysterious alicorn had been responsible for hiding that room with her magic.

"HEY! WHAT WAS THAT! WHAT'S GOING ON! RESPOND!" claimed Trixie indignantly. Having watched her friend being evidently blackmailed by Chancellor Neighsay had put her in a very bad mood. 

"IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT 'HOOFFS' ARE GOING ON, I DON'T THINK I'M GOING ANYWHERE!" exclaimed Trixie angrily, sitting down firmly on the floor. She'd had enough of that mystery show.

The mysterious alicorn waved her horn and one of the doors further down the hallway lit up. After a brief purple and lilac glow akin to a light bulb bursting, everything began to darken.

Trixie soon found herself surrounded by darkness, with her only illuminated by the light from her horn.

"THESE KIND OF TRICKS DON'T SCARE ME!" shouted Trixie arrogantly, but unease was beginning to spread within her due to the noticeable silence around her.

A dripping sound was suddenly heard in the hallway. Trixie turned her eyes. The dripping was approaching... no, it was something different, it was... a trot.

***

From the shadows that flooded the black stone passageway, the mature figures of Starlight and Trixie emerged with torches at a quiet, confident trot.

"Seriously, the traps before were so silly. Who puts a glass of milk and bread in the middle of a pedestal?" exclaimed Trixie boredly.

"I don't know, but clearly someone lives here - shouldn't we go back?"

"Does it scare you? Daring Do said this pyramid was safe. The big one is the really dangerous one. uuhhhuuu!" replied Trixie nonchalantly and trying to scare in a childish tone Starlight.

"I'm wise, we're not as young as we used to be, and what you said was that all pyramids were dangerous," rebuked Starlight.

"Well, that we are...but we're not here for that very reason. To relive our youth by living on the edge in defiance of danger," Trixie said with a smile.

Starlight rolled her eyes, but also smiled. Those were Starlight's words before entering that place, and the excitement she felt was the same as Trixie had.

After taking a few more steps, they came to a crossroads. The stone tunnel split into two paths. A large black statue of a dog with a stylized figure stood as a dividing point between the two paths. Holding aloft a golden scale with one of its paws, the effigy of the canine seemed an ominous sign of impending judgment.

The top of the portico of each path was decorated with a symbol. The one on the left was a feather, and the one on the right was a heart.

Starlight's danger instincts kicked in. This was a tipping point they couldn't ignore.

"Trixie, it would be best not to continue, this place is..." said Starlight, with overwhelming seriousness.

"I CHOOSE THE PLUME!" exclaimed Trixie gleefully and, with a reckless gallop, she took off into the darkness of the hallway to the left.

"NO! WAIT! TRIXIE!" cried Starlight in dismay as she began to run after her friend.

They both disappeared into the darkness.

***

Left behind was Trixie, the out-of-time version of her. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, as if she had experienced that situation before, but when?

"Shouldn't I have done that?" she wondered aloud, her expression doubtful.

A voice echoed behind her, breaking the silence of the mysterious place. "You should have chosen the heart," the voice said.

Trixie turned and there stood the mysterious alicorn again, shrouded in a halo of lilac light.

"Friendship allows us to propel our friends to success, but sometimes also to failure..." the mysterious alicorn murmured, her words weighing in the air.

A dripping began to echo in the tunnel, a sound that gradually intensified. Confused, Trixie sharpened her senses to locate the source of that sound, but it didn't seem to emanate from any specific point in the tunnel.

She took a few steps and finally realized where the sound was coming from.

Tears were falling to the floor, one after another.

Trixie was crying. The echoes of her tears echoed throughout the tunnel. Why was she crying? She didn't know.

Then, a sudden realization illuminated her mind.

The stark memory of what had happened in that dark tunnel came rushing into his consciousness. The knowledge of the ominous future poured painfully into her carefree present, a truth she would never have wished to discover.

Trixie realized that, once again, she had made a grave mistake, and this time, Starlight would be the one to pay the price for her actions.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" a devilish laugh echoed throughout the tunnel, as if emerging from the depths of the earth.

Trixie stood transfixed, feeling a sulfuric smell fill the atmosphere, as darkness took sinister shapes.

"WHAT A WONDERFUL OFFERING FOR THE DARKNESSES!" continued the volcanic voice that seemed to come from everywhere. Suddenly, the walls of the tunnel were illuminated with a greenish light, similar to the glow of embers in a bonfire.

An evil being loomed in silhouette in the portico of the tunnel to the left. It was a figure full of dreadful malice, a terrifying being that Trixie knew all too well....

"Trixie, don't let fear get the better of you! He has no power here! You must not allow..." the mysterious alicorn tried to advise in a firm voice.

But she was not heard.

Trixie struggled in the embrace of fear, an overwhelming guilt suffocating her.

Her only option was to flee.

***

With tears in her eyes, Trixie rode desperately through the gloomy tunnel, her heart pounding with the fury of a locomotive about to crash. The cursed pyramid seemed to imprison her in its endless nightmare, while malevolent shadows stretched out behind her like tentacles of a sickening greenish glow. The sinister laughter still echoed in every corner, and the ground trembled under the weight of her evil voice. The walls of the tunnel, like ancient specters, began to crack and shadows burst through the crevices like an unhealthy torrent, relentlessly pursuing her.

Despair filled Trixie, and her strength drained with every gallop. But then, like a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness, she spotted a faint light in the distance. It was the way out.

With his last reserve of energy, he rushed toward the saving door. Finally, he emerged to the outside and, with a nimble leap, stepped out of the door's main path. A viscous torrent shot like a broken pipe outward, taking eerie shapes as it went. As it advanced, the liquid seemed to take on a life of its own, spreading across the floor outside like hungry leeches.

Trixie, who could barely breathe, looked up. The midday sky was black as midnight, with unfamiliar stars adorning it and celestial bodies she had never seen before. Looking down, he beheld the desert, now illuminated by fires that stretched out in long rows.

Then the nauseating liquid that had flooded the place stopped, but was followed by an even more terrifying portent.

Guided by an unknown will, the black liquid began to gather at a point on the ground, taking the form of a gigantic shadow egg.

The huge egg-shaped shadow levitated and slowly approached towards Trixie, who was shaking uncontrollably with fear.

"NO ONE CAN ESCAPE FROM THE SHADOW!" bellowed the evil being emerging from the newly formed shadow egg. In its left claw it held a long scimitar, and in its right it held Starlight's unconscious body. "FOR YOUR GREAT KINDNESS, I WILL ALLOW YOU TO WATCH ME CONSUME THIS OFFERING. FEEL YOURSELF FORTUNATE FOR MY MERCY, LITTLE PONY, HAHAHAHAHAHA."

"NO, NOT HER!" cried Trixie, pleading in tears.

But such futile pleas only made the grin of the evil being holding Starlight grow. In a shocking move, it raised its left claw, pointing its scimitar skyward.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" it screamed in a squeal of delight.

Trixie, paralyzed with terror, watched in slow motion as the scimitar descended, coming deadly close to her friend's neck.

It was the end.

Then, a burst of light. A bolt of magic struck the evil being's claw, hurting it and forcing it to drop the scimitar. In a matter of seconds, it would have reached Starlight's neck.

The mysterious alicorn appeared above Trixie, her horn glowing brightly, ready to take on the evil being.

"YOU! BLASFEMA!" roared the evil being. "YOU CAN'T CHANGE FATE! IT'S USELESS!"

Tossing aside Starlight's body, the ambassador of darkness began firing green bolts of lightning from its claws at the mysterious alicorn, who responded with bolts of lightning from her own horn. The two soared into the sky, engaged in a fierce battle of magic.

Ignoring the bursts of light exploding around her, Trixie ran towards her friend who had fallen to the ground.

Holding her between her hooves, a grief-stricken Trixie cradled Starlight's unconscious body. Starlight lay pale and cold, with a serene expression on her face.

An even more intense burst of light ripped through the sky. An object fell near Trixie, raising a large cloud of dust. Out of the dust, a silhouette rose, revealing the figure of the mysterious alicorn.

The cloak of mystery that had concealed her until that moment was gone.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAA" cried Trixie with wide eyes, her astonishment mingled with fear at this revelation.

The alicorn limped forward towards Trixie, her purple fur and mane were recognizable, but she had features she had never seen before. The wavy mane she carried, her large size, as well as her golden garb... she was definitely not the same pony he knew.

Princess Twilight Sparkle advanced until she stopped in front of Trixie. She looked visibly hurt.

"Even in a dream, you're so strong..." muttered Twilight, exhausted and staggering, her gaze lost in the horizon.

"Twilight? Wait, what, what, how!" exclaimed Trixie, confused and shocked, unable to understand what was happening.

Twilight turned her gaze back to Trixie, closed her eyes and opened them again. This time, her expression was extremely serious. In a grave and solemn voice, she uttered her next words, "41 moons from now in the future, all must prepare for the coming of the Dark Lord Pit Prompt. When the time comes, you will remember my words and must pass them on to others."

"Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" a shuddering howl echoed throughout the desert. The large shadow egg floating in the sky had grown in size and begun to crack, giant claw-like appendages and antennae emerged from it. A large inverted triangle of orange light dazzled from within, a choking light.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, YES! YES!" up in the sky, the evil being rejoiced at the sight of the monstrous new entity emerging.

Waves of black light began to pulsate from the cracking egg. The pyramids trembled in a dazzling green light with each wave.

Twilight, deeply dismayed, lit her horn and opened a triangular portal of light, the same one through which Trixie had entered at the beginning.

"You must return NOW!" commanded Twilight to Trixie, taking her body with her magic. However, Trixie resisted, clinging to Starlight's limp body, refusing to abandon her friend.

"NOOO, wait, Starlight is..." whimpered Trixie.

A wave of more intense black light erupted from the egg. The pyramids cracked, and their blocks were hurled into the dark sky. Twilight raised a powerful magic shield and resisted the impact of the blast with great effort, keeping Trixie at her side. The triangular portal of light began to crack. Everything around them began to spin as if they were trapped in a vortex of destruction and darkness. At the center of it all, the colossal monster writhed.

A gigantic, whip-like claw of shadows lunged from the eye of catastrophe toward Twilight and Trixie.

At the imminent impact, Twilight wordlessly lowered her barrier, grabbed Trixie with a strong magical grip and threw her into the portal.

"AUUUUUUUU AUUUUUUUU" Trixie plunged into the rainbow portal amidst shrieks of dismay and an exploding world. Behind, the last image of Twilight facing the darkness disappeared in an explosion of brilliant light.

Echoes of the alicorn princess' last words faded into the chaos.

Trixie's consciousness pierced the dream world. The before and after intermingled and collided in her mind. The previous cracks in the triangular portal of light widened and split apart.

The portal collapsed.

Trixie was lost, just a breath away from reaching her destination. Straying, she ended up falling into a time that should not be.





"Auch," Trixie whimpered on the floor. She had fallen off the stool where she had fallen asleep all night.

When she opened her eyes, it was morning, probably quite late because of the slant of the sun filtering through her carriage window.

Still drowsy, she stood up. Had she had had any dreams?

She remembered nothing, except... octopuses and doors.....

"Oh, my head. I shouldn't have drunk so much cider last night," Trixie exclaimed, with a heavy hangover. She could stay in bed, it was a holiday, and there was really nothing pressing to do....

Except the meeting with Starlight in the afternoon.

Trixie, who was about to pour herself a glass of water, froze, dropping all the liquid from the pitcher onto the floor. The sudden memory of her dream, the only complete fragment that still remained in her head, the one where Starlight and Chancellor Neighsay met, struck her thoughts full force.

Had she had a premonition?, had she been visited in her dreams by someone else?

Trixie strained to recall her dream, but nothing came to her, soon her head began to ache from the effort. Frustrated, she took a seat as her head tried to make sense of the only memories she still had, memories that were accompanied by an inexplicable sense of doom and unhappiness.

Then, suddenly, an idea came to her like an explosion.

"Is Starlight in danger?" wondered Trixie in a faint voice.

With doubt growing like a supernova within her, Trixie, grabbing her hat and cloak, rushed out of her carriage, with only one thought in mind.

To talk to Starlight and confirm that all was well.
> Meeting at Twilight Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The old gardener Toggam inspected a large bush in the middle of the path that crossed the hill. It was a routine task he performed every day. Inspecting the size of the new mushrooms, checking for possible pests, collecting fallen leaves and branches, watering, and cleaning—these were tasks more demanding than most could imagine. Toggam knew this and chuckled to himself every time a pony made jokes about it.

After studying an ornamental bush shaped like bears for several minutes, which could simply be described as perfect, he proceeded to cut a couple of twigs that protruded from one of its ends.

"PERFECT!" exclaimed Toggam, now convinced and filled with pride, in the middle of the path.

But there was no response to his success. There was no pony nearby to admire his work, and none were expected to arrive for the rest of the morning.

Toggam sighed, exhausted after weighing the immense silence around him. He knew he wasn't the only pony working that morning. Others had risen even earlier than him to start their tasks. The mayor, the messenger service, the impeccable Headmare Starlight... Toggam was not alone.

Still, he longed for someone's company. Someone he could call a work companion, or even an apprentice would be enough... someone to whom he could show the life he knew and loved.

Another sigh. The lonely Toggam adjusted his hat and began to whistle. There was no point in dwelling on the matter in his thoughts. Soon, he would finish his morning duties and return home to his family. After all, it was a holiday.

As the old gardener cheerfully arranged the cut leaves to load them into sacks, a faint glow came from the other side of the horizon.

"Uh?" Toggam stopped his whistle and looked confusedly towards the castle in the distance. But he found nothing unusual. The building looked as magnificent as ever. So... had he imagined it?

A gentle breeze passed around him.

Toggam, an earth pony ignorant of magic but an expert in plants, noticed something unusual and went on alert.

The plants had fallen silent.

Toggam stood still in the middle of the path, surrounded by an abysmal silence.

Seconds passed, minutes passed.

Finally, Toggam moved. The sky, the plants, nature in general seemed to regain their daily rhythm. Even the sun, which timidly peeked through the clouds that morning, seemed to regain its true shine.

What was that? Toggam didn't know, but he had a bad feeling. Amazing and dangerous things usually happened in those places.

With renewed urgency, Toggam gathered the leaves and other plant debris. But when he went to open the sack where he would put all that waste, he found something unusual inside... a pink flower.

"Hey, little one, how did you get here?" jovially spoke Toggam to the flower, leaning his head closer to take a better look.

The flower's response was swift.

Toggam's body, which had leaned into the sack, twisted, and began to roll on the ground. Gradually, the figure of the pony sank into the sack that devoured him until he finally disappeared among the pile of leaves and branches he had gathered.

No one heard his last desperate scream in the middle of the path.





It was a wonderful day for a stroll on the outskirts of Ponyville, especially on a special occasion like the Festival of the Two Sisters. Sandbar, who was admiring the beautiful meadow in front of him, couldn't help but wonder how the morning was unfolding for his family, who were undoubtedly getting ready to travel to Canterlot and participate in the festival.

During these times, he used to wake up early to prepare lunches for his parents, uncles, grandparents, and other relatives who came to visit for the traditional family trip. He always took enough care to ensure that each one received the right food.

"I hope mom didn't make a spinach sandwich for grandpa; he's very allergic to spinach..." Sandbar worriedly recalled while sitting in his wheelchair.

Suddenly, a delicate tea cup on a saucer appeared in front of him, with a delightful aroma indicating it was ready to be sipped immediately.

"Thanks, Yona. That's very generous of you," said Sandbar, more uplifted, taking the tea cup. Behind him, Yona held the wheelchair he was sitting in.

"Yona here to help kind friend Sandbar recover. Sandbar helps friends when they're in a tough spot. Yona doesn't forget and helps now," Yona responded with a big smile.

"I really appreciate this gesture, Yona..." Sandbar replied, taking the tea.

"Please, guys, don't continue; I'm going to cry," a voice said behind them. On the other side of the path crossing the meadow, Gallus with his characteristic sharp eyebrows was approaching, not far away was Ocellus reading a book while walking.

"Yona, you should be more careful pushing Sandbar's wheelchair. It's a very delicate piece of hospital equipment," Ocellus scolded without looking up from her book.

"Yona got a little too excited leading the way on the stroll with friend Sandbar," Yona responded somewhat concerned.

"Don't worry, everything is fine, Ocellus," Sandbar added.

"Do you care more about the wheelchair than Sandbar? He could have fallen off the chair, you know?" Gallus remarked, as biting as ever.

"I don't think so, Gallus. Knowing Sandbar, he must have reminded Yona of all the preventive measures for properly transporting a pony wheelchair, so I'm sure he wouldn't have fallen. On the other hand, it's very sweet of you to care so much about Sandbar as Yona does for him," Ocellus replied with a little smile, closing her book abruptly and returning it to her saddlebag.

"Thank you! It's what I always do for my loyal friends. Where are those turtles?" Gallus asked, turning around.

"AAAAAAH!" Silverstream screamed in the air, being chased by Smolder. Both flew in from behind and started circling around their other companions. Smolder was teasing her friend with a rod that had on one end a Fried Octopus Orchid bathed in mayonnaise. Unable to shake Smolder off, Silverstream hid desperately behind the towering Yona.

"Oh come on, that's not fair!" protested Smolder, unable to continue chasing her friend.

"Of course, it's not fair! I'm not playing! Get that monster away from me!" Silverstream pleaded behind Yona.

"Stop that. Friends scare Sandbar," Yona complained, covering Sandbar in his wheelchair.

"I'm just playing with Silverstream, Yona, really!" replied Smolder, waving the rod with the exotic snack.

"I'm not playing with you!" Silverstream grumbled.

Seeing that her friends' argument was getting nowhere, Ocellus decided to intervene.

"Smolder, stop playing like this. Remember that the doctor recommended keeping a calm environment around Sandbar," reprimanded Ocellus, pointing out the growing panic in Sandbar, who couldn't take his eyes off the Fried Octopus Orchid that Smolder held.

"Well, well, alright, but I think he'll overcome his trauma faster by facing it," said Smolder, taking a hearty bite of her crispy snack.

"Do you have more of those?" Gallus asked with interest from the side.

"Yes, here you go," said Smolder, pulling another snack from somewhere behind her wings and giving it to Gallus, who wasted no time and also began to joyfully enjoy the delicious fried octopus.

Ocellus and the rest of her companions just shook their heads disapprovingly. On the side, Sandbar still trembled.

"Yona take care of Sandbar. Ugly spiders never hurt friends again," said Yona with a determined look, hitting the ground with one of her front hooves.

"Yes, Sandbar, it's all over. All the Octopus Orchids have been eliminated from the school and the town! They won't crawl into your head again and force you to do bad things. You just have to leave those ugly memories of how they crawled over you with their sticky suckers and tried to insert their tentacles into every one of your body's openings in the past."

Sandbar closed his eyes and swallowed. After a few seconds, he could only respond, "Let's just continue..." with a forced smile to appear better.

"I agree, we should hurry. The morning is ending, and we're almost there," nodded Ocellus towards her friends. On the horizon, the magnificent crystal castle was already visible, shining bathed in sunlight.

Without wasting any more time, the Young Six continued their way to Twilight's castle.


***


Twilight's castle, born from a seed-chest, was a castle with a design particularly different from any other known. It had towers, windows, a grand door, and many rooms inside like any other castle, but its structure made of a single magical crystal and a base that rose from the ground like a tree gave it a unique appearance.

Its entrance featured steps, also made of crystal, gradually ascending to its grand door.

At that very moment, Sandbar, Yona, Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream, and Ocellus were climbing those steps to meet with Headmare Starlight.

"Do you really think it's okay to do this?" Silverstream asked somewhat worried when the group finally reached the castle's grand door.

"What do you mean, Silvi?" Sandbar replied.

"To ask Headmare Starlight again to allow us to go on a graduation trip..."

"To allow us, you say!" Smolder protested. "We are the best students of the first graduating class of the School of Friendship. At the very least, she should allow us to travel to the far north."

"That's true! We deserve more than just a graduation ceremony or a trip. After all, with what we had to deal with during the brain-eating squid plague that attacked the school, they should build us a monument," Gallus responded, puffing out his chest.

"We didn't go to school to learn how to become heroes, Gallus. We went to school to learn about friendship," Ocellus said firmly, turning to face her companions. "But you're right. We've been through a lot in the past year; we deserve a genuine special activity to commemorate our friendship and our time at school. We must convey to Headmare Starlight how important this trip is to us and how it would help us conclude this valuable phase of our lives."

So said Ocellus, seeking to instill enthusiasm in her friends, but not everyone shared the same excitement...

"Headmare Starlight not agree with big graduation trip of friends," Yona pointed out with a worried expression.

"I know, Yona. That's precisely why we're here. I think she's making a mistake. The trip is important to us and is the rightful conclusion of our studies. I understand that the school is going through a tough time after the recent disaster, but that shouldn't deprive us of this opportunity..."

"Even though we've asked her many times since she canceled it... maybe this time she'll be a bit more annoyed than the last time," Silverstream replied, visibly nervous.

Everyone was aware that the last meeting with Headmare Starlight had been tense regarding this matter. She had asked them herself not to insist further until after the Festival of the Two Sisters. However, the Young Six had heard rumors that the director had already finished preparing the school budget for the next year, and it did not include the long-awaited trip.

Concerned about what might be happening, the group of friends decided to gather and present themselves to the headmare to "request" that the trip not be canceled.

Of course, acting in this way went against the previous agreements they had had. Moreover, they were acting based on only rumors. Ocellus understood this very well but felt that they had no other option.

"We must take the risk," Ocellus declared with determination to her companions.

At that moment, the castle doors began to swing open wide.

It was sudden; Ocellus startled, and the rest of her companions, in panic, tried in vain to hide behind the imposing figure of Yona. Up until that moment, they hadn't exactly coordinated what they would say to Headmare Starlight during this unexpected visit.

But that no longer mattered. The castle doors finished opening, revealing the figure of a unicorn.

The headmare of the School of Friendship, Starlight Glimmer, gave them a long look. She didn't look upset, but she wasn't happy either. Her mood seemed as calm as thin ice in spring.

"All right, what do we have here? A changeling, a hippogriff, a dragon, a griffon, a yak, and a pony... Definitely not the guests I was expecting," said Starlight, tilting her head toward them.

Ocellus cleared her throat with a big smile, trying to stay calm. It was strange that the headmare called them by the name of their species, but given the circumstances, she could sense that the situation was not as favorable as it appeared.

"Good morning, Headmare Starlight. We apologize for disturbing you so early, but..." Ocellus began, trying to choose her words as carefully as possible. "...we would like to talk to you about some school matters..."


"What matters?" Starlight asked sharply, eyebrows tilted.

That wasn't a good sign. Ocellus gathered all the courage she had within her and resolved to say what she had come to talk about with her friends.

"The matter concerning the current status of the graduation trip for the first graduates of the School of Friendship next year," Ocellus replied firmly.

Behind her, the rest of her companions seemed to whisper things like, "Well said, Ocellus! That's how you talk!" etc.

Headmare Starlight seemed to grasp Ocellus's determination and, after a few seconds of exchanging looks with the changeling, finally averted her gaze.

"Well, fine. It's not a good time, but I'll hear you out. Come in and join me in the meeting room," Starlight said with evident disinterest and started walking back into the castle.

"Thank you, Headmare Starlight, this opportunity is..." Ocellus replied gratefully but suddenly cut off her words.

Something abnormal began to happen to the figure of Headmare Starlight. Her body, which until that moment looked solid, started to fluctuate as if it were a reflection in a mirror, becoming translucent at times. The puzzled Young Six exchanged looks of strangeness at this phenomenon.

Ocellus, who had studied the fundamental concepts of magic, quickly understood what was happening.

"An illusory projection," she involuntarily murmured.

The hologram of Headmare Starlight then noticed the surprise of the group of young ones and turned with a smile.

"Yes, that's right, Ocellus. This is an illusory projection. Don't worry, as I told you before, it's not a good time. Right now, I'm too busy to even answer the door, so I sent this illusion. That doesn't bother you, does it?"

"No, not at all, Headmare Starlight. It's us who should apologize for interrupting you on a day like this..."

"Perfect! Come on, what are you waiting for? Enter," said the animated hologram of the headmare, and with a quicker pace, she advanced through the main hallway of the castle.

Behind, the Young Six set aside their doubts and finally entered the castle as well.


***


The hologram of Headmare Starlight faded away in front of one of the numerous doors along the long hallway where the Young Six were standing. If any of them thought that the castle was larger than it appeared from the outside, they would certainly be correct, but at that moment, none of them was thinking about something like that.

Ocellus sighed, trying to clear her thoughts. She used to get very nervous before a meeting, and although she had learned to handle it during her studies at school, there were still moments when it was difficult for her to concentrate due to anxiety.

"If only I had a cup of tea..." Ocellus thought nostalgically, remembering the spiritual peace classes with Professor Fluttershy.

Suddenly, a miraculous cup of tea appeared in front of her.

"Thank you, Yona, you read my mind!" Ocellus exclaimed gratefully to her friend and, without wasting a second, began to drink the tea.

"Don't be so nervous, Ocellus, we're with you," Sandbar encouraged her alongside Yona.

"Which means we'll just watch while you present," Gallus replied, shrugging his shoulders along with Smolder.

Ocellus frowned at that indifferent comment, but let it slide. Gallus was right in a way. Since the meeting was about convincing the headmare not to cancel the graduation trip, Ocellus had planned to make a presentation showing a self-financing plan to cover possible travel expenses. Although she had prepared this plan with her companions days ago, only she had a complete understanding of everything it involved.

Asking her friends for help in the presentation would probably only make the task more cumbersome and increase the chances of something being said wrong or not understood. On the other hand, if the trip's cancellation was due to non-economic factors, then it would be time to shine for her friends.

"That's not true, Gallus. We're all in this together!" Silverstream exclaimed excitedly.

Ocellus smiled; that was exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Alright, let's do this," Ocellus told herself and the others. With nothing more to add, she returned the tea cup to Yona and opened the doors to the room.

A large oval-shaped room unfolded before the Young Six. It wasn't as large as the Map Room, but it was extensively filled with bookshelves at its ends, and in the center were four large tables cluttered with work documents. This room was Headmare Starlight's private library, which had been adapted for her personal use shortly after moving to live in that castle.

Precisely in front of one of the less congested tables, the headmare herself lay on an elegant sofa, thoroughly reviewing some documents.

Ocellus and the rest of her friends moved toward the headmare's table, but before they could say anything, she spoke:

"Wow, you really take this friendship thing seriously. If you wanted to meet with me to talk about the graduation trip, one of you would have sufficed," said the headmare with a strange smile without taking her eyes off the document.

The Young Six looked at each other. Then, Ocellus was the first to respond.

"We're sorry if we're bothering you, but if you prefer only one of us to be present..."

"No, this is fine. I just hope you don't play foolish and start singing while holding each other's tails to try to convince me not to cancel the trip."

"Huh?" was the abrupt response from everyone to the headmare's 'unexpected' comment.

An uncomfortable interval of silence filled the room. From her seat, Headmare Starlight seemed to care little about the reaction her guests were having. On the other hand, the Young Six, still taken aback by the previous statement, didn't know how to respond, even Gallus looked surprised.

"Is she upset or something?" Ocellus thought, concerned. She couldn't remember the last time the headmare had spoken to them in that manner; definitely not the good start she was hoping for.

Headmare Starlight finally set aside her scroll and settled even further into her sofa. After giving them a long look accompanied by a mischievous smile, she said, "What's going on? Why so serious? Don't you like jokes?"

"Haa, it was a joke! ... good one, Headmare Starlight," Silverstream suddenly replied, as if coming out of the shock she was in. The same happened with her companions, who suddenly agreed with her too.

Ocellus sighed, exhausted.

"I hope that broke the tension you had. You don't have to be so formal with me now; we're not in school. Besides, you're hardly my students anymore..."

The Young Six showed mixed expressions of relief. School would soon be over for them... and then...

"... Leaving that aside, I think I can guess that you're planning to propose something to me. I also have a proposal for you, but I want to hear from you first. Alright, who wants to start?" Starlight asked straightforwardly.

Ocellus confidently stepped forward ahead of her companions. She had to thank Headmare Starlight's good judgment; her earlier comment had helped her relax more than Yona's tea had. Now she was clear on what she had to say.

The doors of the room closed, and the decisive moment that Ocellus had been waiting for all morning began.


***


The doors of the large room where Headmare Starlight was located closed again, leaving the bewildered Young Six outside.

Had they been successful or not? Ocellus stared at the door with a sense of bewilderment.

"Is the headmare always so busy on holidays?" Silverstream asked.

"Not really, I've seen her lazing around on several occasions. Anyway, it's a good opportunity for us, don't you think?" Smolder responded with a smile to her friends.

The group of young ones nodded enthusiastically at the unexpected turn of events.

After hearing from Ocellus about the group's concerns and the proposal regarding the graduation trip expenses, Starlight concluded the meeting with a big "we'll see." This obviously proved to be insufficient for all of them, so the headmare proposed something else: she was willing to give them a final decision on the graduation trip later that night, provided they did her the great favor of taking care of the castle for the day. This was because she would have a very important meeting with Chancellor Neighsay for the remainder of the morning and needed to ensure that no one would interrupt her (especially a certain student counselor).

It was a somewhat strange request, but considering there were no security guards available and none of them had plans for the afternoon, they agreed without thinking too much about it.

Headmare Starlight never failed her word, and the window for their grand graduation trip was still open.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's test this place for invasions right away!" Gallus proposed cheerfully, rising into the air.

"For invasions?" Ocellus replied, coming out of her thoughts.

"Haven't you heard the headmare? She doesn't want any interruptions, so let's make sure of that. Let's go to the security post and activate all the castle's defense layers," Gallus continued, clearly excited.

"Do you know where it is? I heard you can put a magical barrier around it and also deadly traps!" Silverstream said, also excited by Gallus's idea.

"That's not all, it also has security cameras implemented throughout the place. And a food storage in case of emergency, maybe we should check how it's doing..." Gallus continued talking, thinking about the strips of jerky he had seen in the storage the last time he had visited the castle. Behind him, the rest of his companions followed eagerly to learn more.

Only Ocellus stayed behind, still thoughtful about what had happened...

("Am I imagining things...?") Ocellus thought, recalling Headmare Starlight's unusual behavior during her presentation. ("It was like she was improvising, like she wasn't herself...")

"Ocellus, don't lag behind!" Silverstream exclaimed.

"Wait, guys!" Ocellus responded startled, leaving behind her concerns and preparing to catch up with her friends. Perhaps she was just overthinking it...





The body of the old gardener Toggam crossed a bridge on the way to Ponyville.

Yes, it was only his body; the rest of his consciousness was isolated in a dark corner of his mind. A hostile and parasitic entity had taken control of him.

A Royal Orchid Octopus, but if Ocellus were present and examined it more closely, she would add that it was a highly developed adult specimen of a superior rank in its species. It would be correct to call it Royalnopsis Orchid Octopus, also known as Royalinda.

Royalinda cared little about the names given to her; she only had one goal...

"BRAIN... PONYVILLE... BRAIN... PONYVILLE..." mumbled the zombified Toggam with foam at his mouth. Behind his head, the cephalopod pressed its suckers against the pony's head. Soon, its sharp beak equipped with a suction spike would reach the brain of its prey, taking complete control of that body.

This improvised meal was just the first step for her. Weeks ago, all her colony members had been eradicated by the ponies during the initial invasion of her people. She, who had a slower development but very superior intelligence, had stayed on the sidelines, observing from the shadows. Now, with the ponies having lowered their guard and having gathered enough information from their leaders, it was the opportune moment to start a new invasion plan.

She would take control of the mayor that night, then, in the following week, of Sweet Apple Acres and its inhabitants. Gradually, she would spread undercover agents in all the families of the town by selling apples. In just a month, Ponyville would be under her control; then, she would repeat the same steps in the capital and nearby cities. Finally, before the year ended, all of Equestria would be hers.

These were the dark and ambitious plans that the tiny but malevolent Royalinda had devised.

Thus, with the clumsy but unstoppable steps of her captive host, she would soon cross the bridge and reach a peaceful world that she would plunge into an era of shadows and slavery.

"No one in Equestria can stop me! Not the ponies, not the dragons, not any other race! The whole world will bow before its new supreme ruler! I will be unstoppable! HAHAHA!"

"MOVE ASIDE!" a shout was suddenly heard. Trixie, running as fast as an uncontrolled cart, rushed past, sweeping everything in her path on the bridge. The zombified Toggam was left behind, twirling from the impact until he finally fell into the river like a discarded puppet.

"What was that?" Royalinda wondered to herself, not understanding what had happened. A moment ago, she was at the height of her conquest dreams, and now she was soaked under the bridge.

Without wasting time, Royalinda began to explore the mind of the zombified Toggam. The image of a face and silhouette perfectly recognizable came to her thoughts. Immediately, an emotion filled her entire body; her pink and fuchsia capillaries swelled in a bluish and purple tone that pulsated in waves all over her gelatinous skin.

Fury... a lot of fury flooded the cephalopod Royalinda.

The face of the unicorn who had collided with her was the same she had glimpsed the first time she emerged into the world. It was the pony who had cared for her with so much love since she was just an egg. The same pony who had promised her a great destiny and sworn that they would be together until the end...

The same one who would abandon her and her siblings in a swamp, at the mercy of beasts, cold, and loneliness.

It was that despicable unicorn...

A scream, almost a shout that only fish could hear, echoed under the bridge.

World domination plans could wait.

There was a more important personal goal she had to fulfill first.

Royalinda abandoned Toggam's body with a leap similar to that of a predator pouncing on its prey. The pony remained in the river, now just a hindrance. Hissing and with eyes injected with purple ink reflecting the anger and thirst for revenge dominating her, she ran among the plants using all her limbs, much like a spider would with its legs. Fleetingly, she disappeared into the foliage.

A tiny and unsuspected shadow crossed the peaceful meadow by the roadside heading to Twilight's castle.
> Assault on Twilight's Castle - Act I
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





In Twilight's castle, in the grand map room, the only round table in the center of the room suddenly shimmered, displaying live the distant figure of a blue-coated pony with a white mane galloping at considerable speed.

Seated in the most important chair of the six surrounding the magical table, Starlight Glimmer furrowed her brow. She set aside the scrolls she had been reviewing and approached to examine the image. She soon recognized the pony dressed as a wizard rapidly approaching the place.

"Why is he coming in such a hurry?" she thought, perplexed. She had a meeting with him in the afternoon, so it didn't pose a problem. She had even prepared a scenario in case, for some reason, he arrived earlier than scheduled. However, what was the reason for this rushed visit?

Then, an obvious answer came to her thoughts, putting her on guard.

"Has he discovered me?" she spoke to herself with seriousness.

It shouldn't be possible, considering all the countermeasures she had taken... or could it be...

The sudden doubt that erupted in Starlight's mind vanished. There was another answer that could better explain what was happening. If she considered all she had investigated and learned from the unexpected visit of the younger bearers of the elements of harmony earlier in the morning, then she could conclude that what was happening now was a consequence of past actions taken by that irresponsible pony, actions of which the 'previous' Starlight was unaware.

"Ugh, how annoying. I've had enough of these trivialities..." muttered Starlight, losing all interest. That pony was not a threat, but a nuisance. A nuisance best left for others to handle. Even if the situation got out of control, she had countermeasures ready to isolate the 'nuisance'.

The plan was already in motion; it wouldn't be stopped.

"But... what if I add...?" she murmured thoughtfully, but immediately shook her head. It was pointless. Glancing at the hourglass by her side, she confirmed her thoughts. It was almost complete. She had spent too much of her limited time dealing with the group of children earlier; it was time to conclude her duties.

With just a flick of her hoof, the scrolls on the table vanished along with the image of the hurried pony. Next, Starlight tossed a small crystal into the center of the table, and it lit up.

A dark silhouette was projected holographically in the middle of the table.

Starlight bowed and said, "The first passenger has boarded."

"Blessed tide. The other passengers have also boarded; let us proceed with the next phase immediately," announced an unknown voice.

"Excellent, I'm sending you my coordinates."

Starlight retrieved another crystal, and it flickered for a few seconds, as did the one on the dark projection's side.

"All is in order..." announced the unknown voice as the crystals finished their glow. "THE TRAIN DEPARTS FROM THE STATION!"

"See you at midnight," responded the lavender-maned unicorn.

The hologram faded, leaving Starlight alone in the room.

She rose from her seat and cast a amused look at the star-shaped emblem shining on the chair where she had been seated. Then, a wide smile spread across her face, but it was not a friendly smile...

"The greatest victories are achieved before the first battle is even fought... hehe... Checkmate, princess...", said Starlight before disappearing in a teleportation light.





From one of the balconies of Twilight's Castle, Ocellus observed with great interest the illuminated horizon of that sunny morning through a telescope.

A large cloud was drifting slowly in the distance.

"It looks like a cloud from the Everfree Forest..." murmured Ocellus, puzzled.

"Is everything okay, Ocellus?" responded Gallus, from behind, flexing his wings at the opposite end of the balcony.

"Oh, it's nothing important! Well, maybe it is... Tell me, Gallus, what do you think of that cloud?"

Gallus turned around and directed his gaze to the horizon in the same direction Ocellus was pointing. After squinting to sharpen his sight, he spread his wings and, with a flap, soared into the air to surpass the castle's height.

After a few seconds in the sky, he returned to the balcony.

"Well, what can I say, it's definitely some weird weather from the Everfree Forest. It looks like a storm cloud moving northeast."

"Oh no! That's not good. They forecasted good sunny weather for the entire Canterlot periphery. I have to report this immediately."

"Hey, aren't you being too diligent? The weather team must have it covered. Plus, it's heading northeast. There's nothing there except the train tracks."

"Anyway, someone has to let them know," replied Ocellus, pulling out parchment and a quill.

"Haha, we wouldn't expect anything less from the future 'teacher' Ocellus," teased Gallus.

Ocellus, about to write, paused her quill and looked at Gallus with surprise.

Gallus, who was about to eat a corn snack, froze upon realizing the serious slip-up he had made.

"Did you read my diary?" asked Ocellus, frowning.

"Umm... I just remembered I didn't close the security post door. I'd better go back before the guys do something stupid..."

"Did you read my diary, Gallus?" asked Ocellus, raising her voice and standing up indignantly. Private diaries were one of the most important personal possessions in the lives of the Changelings. Ocellus was no different, and the mere idea that a close friend like Gallus would do such a thing angered her even more.

"Well... uh..." nervously, Gallus glanced towards the balcony entrance, already thinking about fleeing the scene. At that moment, the rest of their friends arrived, alerted by Ocellus's voice. They were very surprised to see the scene; such sudden anger in Ocellus was very rare to witness.

Gallus, nervous about not knowing what to respond, remained silent, slowly stepping back towards the others.

Then, Smolder, understanding what was happening, spoke up.

"He didn't read your diary, Ocellus, it was me," said Smolder, very serious and in a firm posture.

"What?" exclaimed Ocellus, surprised by the sudden revelation.

"It was shortly after the invasion of the orchid-octopi, when we were cleaning up the flooded dormitories at school, I found a diary in the trash. I didn't know it was yours, so I kept it and started reading it. I found it very funny, so I also shared it with the rest of the gang. That's when Yona and Silverstream told me it was yours."

The shaken Ocellus was still processing what her friend had just told her. Weeks ago, she had found her diary in the lost documents section of the library. She was very puzzled about how it had ended up there after losing it during the orchid-octopi invasion. Although her friends had previously told her that they couldn't find it during the school cleanup, it was now clear that it hadn't been true.

Her surprise quickly gave way to another more obvious concern.

"How much did you read from my diary...?" asked Ocellus, already dreading the response her friends might give her.

"No, no, no. We didn't find out much, really!, except your big... I mean, little dream of being a teacher..." said Silverstream, somewhat nervously.

"And the long poems dedicated to Princess Twilight to return to school," added Yona.

Ocellus, now embarrassed, blushed as she saw the mixed expressions on her friends' faces.

"It was an accident, Ocellus. It wasn't on purpose. We would never spy on anyone's private diary."

"But you did spy on Sandbar's...," corrected Smolder with a suspicious look.

"That was a bet, it's different," Gallus responded immediately.

"Enough, guys. Ocellus, are you okay?" Sandbar interrupted, advancing in his wheelchair, noticing the distress in Ocellus.

Ocellus hadn't said anything up to that point. Her heart was cold, and her thoughts were elsewhere, in the midst of a dark suspicion.

"Are you mad at us?" Silverstream asked.

"No. Well, I understand it was an accident, so it's okay, I forgive you," Ocellus responded mechanically, betraying a total lack of spirit in her words.

"Phew, what a relief, guys. Everything's fine!" responded cheerfully Silverstream to the others, but she stopped herself when she noticed the concern in the rest of her classmates.

Soon, she too became concerned as she noticed the cold expression on Ocellus's face.

"Okay, you forgive us, but something still bothers you," said Smolder, breaking the cold atmosphere.

"It's nothing," replied Ocellus.

"Come on, if you're really mad at me, I can accept any punishment you give me."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"Well, it's silly, but... for a moment, I thought you were only being so nice to me and helping me with the school trip just because you didn't want me to find out what happened with my diary," said Ocellus with evident sadness.

Silence filled the balcony.

"Hee! Of course not, we really care about the trip," replied Smolder, approaching her friend. "And yes, we felt a little guilty at first, but we definitely care about what you're doing and you matter more to us, Ocellus."

Everyone else nodded, confirming Smolder's words.

Then, finally, a relieved smile spread across Ocellus's face as she sensed the honesty in her friend's words. Soon, the cold feelings that had paralyzed her heart just moments before melted away, and she was herself again.

"Thanks, guys, I'm really glad to hear that," Ocellus responded genuinely uplifted.

"We're glad we didn't find out more from your diary. Ouch!" said Gallus, but he was interrupted by a nudge from Sandbar.

The group of friends laughed again; everything was as it always had been.

"Don't you feel like something's missing?" Silverstream asked, suddenly stopping her laughter.

The answer came quickly.

"Group hug!" Yona bellowed to her friends.

"Now? Haaa!" Gallus exclaimed, being pulled into the air by Yona as he tried to escape. In an instant, they were all caught in a tight Yak-style hug in the middle of the balcony.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, Yona... that's... enough!" cried Ocellus as she felt her exoskeleton being compressed.

The hug ended at that moment, and Yona released her friends, who couldn't help but take a deep breath to recover lost air.

"Haaa... Well, I think we've had enough doses of friendship for one day. If you need me, I'll be in the storeroom..." Gallus said, recovering from his friend's powerful hug.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Smolder exclaimed, raising her voice towards Gallus, who was already re-entering the castle.

"Eh? I didn't say anything, I'm going to the storeroom..."

"Like that? Don't you forget something?"

"What could it be?"

"Maybe a certain griffon with a feather memory doesn't remember making a 'dragon oath' to his friends that he would never speak about a certain diary for the rest of his life," Smolder said, with a look befitting a dragon whose treasure had been stolen. Beside her, a surprised Ocellus watched what was happening.

"Come on. We've already moved on from that...," Gallus responded.

"You made a dragon oath!" exclaimed Smolder, pointing her claw at Gallus.

"I really don't care, Smolder," said Ocellus, trying to calm her friends.

"He has to pay for his mistake, Ocellus," roared Smolder, who was not willing to back down from her position. Ocellus looked to the rest of her friends for help, but their gaze was stern.

"Yaks never fail their word. Understand dragon oath very well. Oath must be respected," said Yona solemnly; beside her, Silverstream and Sandbar nodded in agreement, showing they shared her position.

"Seriously, guys!" Gallus complained as he saw his friends turning against him.

"Is there any way to fix this?" Ocellus asked, now concerned about how the situation was evolving.

"Well, yes, there's one or another way to fix it. But the main thing is that he has to suffer a punishment!" Smolder pronounced.

"A punishment?" Ocellus repeated; she didn't like the idea. Gallus seemed to like it even less now, and he was now frowning in annoyance.

"Uhh I know, he should shave the feathers on his head before graduation," suggested Silverstream cheerfully.

"Hey, hey, that's not fair!" exclaimed Gallus indignantly.

"They won't do that, right?" Ocellus asked Smolder, worried.

"Of course not. The punishment must be chosen by the aggrieved person. In this case, 'you' must decide it," Smolder replied to Ocellus.

All eyes turned to the shy changeling.

"Heeee!" exclaimed Ocellus nervously. "I can't do that, he's..."

Gallus sighed, already resigned. "It's okay, Ocellus. Give me a punishment, and it's fine by me."

"But, Gallus..." Ocellus said, unsure of what she should do; then she turned her gaze back to Smolder. "You said there were other ways, right?"

"Yes. The other is for him to spend a hundred moons locked inside a volcano," Smolder replied with a malicious grin. Ocellus swallowed hard, aware that Gallus wouldn't last even a day in a place like that.

"Ocellus, it's okay. I deserve it for being a blabbermouth. Now give me a punishment and let's put an end to this once and for all," said Gallus, no longer interested in continuing that conversation.

Ocellus sighed, exhausted. Just a moment ago, they had given each other a friendship hug. Now she would have to sentence her friend Gallus. Did friendship really work like this? Did Princess Twilight go through situations like this with her friends? Or was this just something they did?

"I need to have private lessons with Princess Twilight in the future..." Ocellus thought disheartened.

Then, an idea came to her mind.

"Gallus, this will be your punishment. You must tell all of us, with total honesty and truth, what you wish to be in the future," Ocellus spoke aloud, without any shyness in her words.

Gallus didn't laugh. Neither did the rest of the Young Six. None among them really knew what the answer to that question was. For quite some time, Gallus had avoided answering his friends when they asked him about that topic. And when he did respond, he always did it in jest, so no one could really take his words seriously.

Now Gallus was forced to answer. The Young Six watched him with great interest.

The griffon with blue feathers looked up at the sky with his thoughts in the clouds. After being silent for a brief moment, he finally turned his gaze back to his friends on the balcony.

"I wish to be an adventurer. To travel like no griffon has ever done, to learn about the lives of other griffons in the colonies around the world, to broaden my horizons, and to bring all the knowledge I acquire back to Griffonstone to make it a better place," Gallus replied in a serious and mature tone.

The wind gently crossed the balcony. There, the Young Six stood speechless at Gallus's surprising answer. No one had expected that response.

"Wow. It's very noble of you to want to do all this for your home," responded Ocellus, breaking her companions' stupor.

"Well... it's not like I feel indebted to the other griffons in the colony. But if it's possible to make the place where you live better, why not do it?" Gallus shrugged.

"You have all our support!" said Sandbar in his wheelchair, also in a serious tone. Beside him, the rest of the Young Six nodded in agreement with his words.

"Thanks, brother," replied Gallus; both approached, claw and hoof met in a gesture of friendship.

The sun shone brightly over the Friendship Castle. A true group of friends stood defiantly on one of its balconies. And so they continued chatting among themselves for a few more minutes until...

"Hoo, I just remembered. We found out there's a manticore in the castle basement. Do you want to go see it?" exclaimed Silverstream suddenly, remembering why they had returned to the balcony before the discussion with Ocellus.

"Really? That's..." Gallus began to respond but was interrupted. A sudden screech reached them from inside the castle.

The sound was so loud and powerful that everyone covered their ears.

"Annoying noise! Where is it coming from?" growled Yona, trying to cover her large and sensitive ears.

"It's the intruder alarm in case of attack!" Gallus replied loudly so his friends could hear him over the noise.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" they all responded in unison.





A peaceful morning stretched over the vast meadow surrounding Twilight's Castle. Like any other day, birds sang their cheerful melody among the branches, while butterflies danced among the flowers. Under the soft light, some creatures still yawned sleepily, while others hurried, aware that the day was already advancing.

However, the routine serenity of the meadow was suddenly interrupted by a growing murmur, which soon transformed into the unmistakable echo of hoofbeats.

Appearing out of nowhere on the horizon, the silhouette of Trixie Lulamoon streaked the path over the hill. Galloping at an impressive speed, the unicorn descended the trail, leaving a cloud of dust behind her.

Trixie was visibly in a hurry.

She had crossed the entire distance from the School of Friendship to Twilight's Castle without rest. Although she had made that journey many times in the past, she had never done it with the urgency that drove her now.

The fresh air filtered through her mane and sweat-soaked coat, witnesses to the urgency driving her. Her determined gaze would have instilled fear in anyone who crossed her path.

Throughout the journey, she didn't take a moment to rest. She didn't care about the elegance of her figure, now disheveled and sweaty. Nor did she regret missing her traditional double summer solstice breakfast that she used to enjoy.

None of that mattered in Trixie's mind, where only concerns and dark forebodings reigned, vestiges of the terrible nightmare she had experienced the previous night.

"Almost there... Come on, Trixie!" the unicorn encouraged herself.

Just a few meters from reaching the castle gates, Trixie, with her eyes fixed on her goal, quickened her pace even more, anticipating the moment when she would finally meet Starlight and put an end to her grim worries.

She was so close... and yet so far.

"PLAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM." A dull and cutting sound resonated in the air, disturbing the peaceful morning and alerting all unsuspecting creatures in the meadow.

In front of Twilight's Castle, Trixie's body collided with an invisible wall, an obstacle that shouldn't exist there.

"Ouchhhhh." Trixie whimpered disoriented for a moment before collapsing unconscious. Around her, the morning continued to progress.





Among the shadows of the plants near the castle, an unknown presence lurked in the darkness.

Its prey lay motionless. It was a perfect opportunity to capture it, but it decided not to act immediately. It shouldn't underestimate her.

She would take her time...

The unknown presence hid once again among the shadows.





The sky stretched out in celestial shades, so deep that it was not strange to think that trying to touch them with hooves would damage their noble beauty.

"Magnificent..." Trixie thought in whispers, lying on the ground, gazing at that majestic sky with eyes shining with nostalgia and delight.

As a child, on clear days like this, she used to get lost in fantasies while looking at the sky, imagining herself as a magnificent figure among the white clouds.

Then, her father, who listened to his daughter's daydreams, would lift her high on his back and tell her that with effort and dedication, one day she would be in a sky of stars, a sky where Trixie would shine brighter than any other.

A sky reserved only for her... a dreamlike stage.

"Ouhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Trixie brought a hoof to her head as she felt a stabbing pain in her forehead. For some reason, her horn was very irritated.

"Why does my horn hurt so suddenly...?" murmured the unicorn. Then, her thoughts abruptly stopped as she finally realized that she was on the ground. Trixie quickly got up and looked around.

She was in front of the Castle of Twilight, which was enveloped in a beautiful bubble of magic.

"But what...?" Trixie murmured, surprised, taking a few steps back. She didn't understand what was happening. Why was she there?

At that moment, a meadowlark flew singing over her head, and suddenly her memory refreshed.

The mental fog she had been in until that moment dried up and filled with anger.

"WHO THE HECK PUT THIS BARRIER OVER THE CASTLE?" she shouted furiously as she realized what had happened.

Just a few meters from reaching the castle, Trixie had crashed into the translucent magical barrier that protected it. If she had slowed down when she was so close, she probably would have noticed the magical wall in front of her. However, this didn't happen; she accelerated and ended up crashing, causing a big commotion.

Her impact had been so intense that it even activated the attack alarm installed in the place.

Now, indignant, Trixie stood at the gates of the Castle of Twilight.

Suddenly, the alarm that had been sounding constantly until that moment stopped. A double 'beep' whistled through the air, and the castle gates opened.

Trixie froze, startled. She had forgotten that Starlight had mentioned how busy she would be in the morning and also how much her friend got annoyed when interrupted. Quickly, she adjusted her mane and put on her best smile, hoping to mitigate the possible fury that would fall upon her.

Two figures emerged from the castle. Trixie's smile collapsed.

They were not Starlight.

Silverstream, accompanied by Gallus, descended the castle steps. Silverstream's smile was as usual, but Gallus's gaze definitely looked sharper than usual...

(Why are they here? Hmm...) Trixie thought, confused. Setting aside the urgency that had previously dominated her, she paid attention to the young ones approaching her.

"Good morning, Counselor Trixie! It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" greeted Silverstream casually with a smile.

"Yes, yes, it's very beautiful, dear... and it would be even more beautiful if this magical barrier WASN'T HERE!" protested Trixie, hitting the barrier with her front hoof.

"Ah, yes... Excuse us, Counselor Trixie, it's very untimely, but we are testing the castle's defenses. I hope it didn't cause you any trouble," responded Silverstream cheerfully but with a slight nervous tic.

"Not at all," Trixie responded immediately with confidence, covering up her previous mishap. "And may I know who gave you permission to be testing the castle's defenses?"

"Well, Director Starlight was the one who gave us permission. She asked us and the rest of the kids to take care of the security of the place. You know, with everyone busy with today's big party, there's no one to take care of those things... haha," laughed Silverstream.

Trixie's eyebrows sharpened. Why did Silverstream look so nervous? Why would Starlight ask the Young Six to take care of security? Was it a punishment?

Everything was very odd. But she would catch up later. She just needed to do one thing at that moment...

"Alright, dear. I understand... could you do me the favor of lowering the barrier so I can enter?"

"About that, it's not to inconvenience you or anything... but it's going to take a little time before it cools down and we can lower it. Besides,..." 

"Besides 'NO' we won't," interrupted Gallus in a cold, sharp tone. Silverstream, who was still giving her explanation, froze surprised.

"Excuse me?" responded Trixie confused.

"You're not allowed to enter the castle," replied Gallus gravely stepping forward in front of Silverstream.

Trixie, with an annoyed look, watched Gallus approach.

"Huh?! What do you mean I'm not allowed to enter?"

"It's none of your concern."

"Not my concern? I live here, you know? I have every right to enter my own home!" Trixie protested. This was true. Although Trixie spent a lot of time in her trailer, 70% of the time, this was only during her travels or events she held. She actually had a room in Twilight's castle, which she had received from Starlight shortly after her friend moved there. It was practically her second home.

But Gallus didn't care about that.

"Is this your home? As far as I know, the castle belongs to Princess Twilight. You only live here out of her charity," replied Gallus mockingly.

A chill was felt in front of the castle gates.

Trixie widened her eyes upon hearing that blatant provocation, and instantly ignited with anger. On the other end, Gallus continued to maintain an imperturbable demeanor. In the middle, Silverstream, with a forced smile, began to step back, seeking to distance herself from the heated confrontation that was starting to emerge around her.

The situation could have exploded at that moment, but it didn't.

Miraculously, within herself, Trixie restrained herself.

Yes, she had been hurt by the low blow she had received from Gallus. However, she decided not to unleash her verbal anger on the young student. Not because she felt that 'magical spirit' of a teacher seeking to understand her rebellious student, but because of the memory of the oath she had taken when she assumed her position as student counselor. A commitment made in the name of her respected father and in front of her best friend Starlight.

Trixie closed her eyes and exhaled. She didn't understand what was going on. But she definitely wasn't going to break her word over such childish provocations.

"I don't know what's going on here. But that's not the way to talk to a teacher, young man," Trixie responded coldly, trying to control the intense emotions rising within her.

"You're not a teacher. You're just a student counselor."

"I've been a substitute teacher."

"True, but you were never good at it."

Trixie furrowed her brow even more. Why was Gallus being so aggressive with her? She had had disagreements with him before, but never like this.

(Something is definitely not right here...) thought Trixie, not taking her eyes off Gallus.

"Hee... Gallus...", Silverstream interrupted fearfully, "I think... it wouldn't be right not to tell Counselor Trixie why she can't enter."

Gallus reflected for a moment without looking away and then shrugged.

"Fine, tell her," said Gallus indifferently.

"Ehh, me?" responded Silverstream, flustered.

"Yes, you. Tell her," ordered Gallus, looking away.

"Ehhh... well..." Silverstream continued speaking hesitantly, seeming to blame herself for her previous suggestion. Then, evidently nervous, she turned her attention to Trixie.

"Well, Counselor Trixie, you see... Director Starlight told us that she has 'veryyyy' important things to do in the morning and she doesn't want anyone to bother her. So, to comply with that, we closed the castle to prevent unwanted visits. Nothing personal, just following orders from the director!" Silverstream finished saying with a forced smile.

"I'm not an unwanted visitor! I'M HER CLOSEST FRIEND!" Trixie protested, hitting the ground with her hoof.

"And why does that matter? We have orders and we're going to follow them. Let's go, Silverstream," ordered Gallus, who turned around and began to walk back to the castle.

Behind him, a remorseful Silverstream also turned around, not without muttering something like "I'm sorry."

Unable to understand the unprecedented situation unfolding before her, Trixie began to shout.

"No, no, wait! You can't do this. Come back here immediately! It's an order!" Trixie shouted almost jumping off the ground.

Gallus and Silverstream ignored her and continued up the stairs.

"Don't ignore me! This is important! I'm your superior and I need to talk to Starlight now!" Trixie yelled proudly but with a desperation difficult to hide.

Still, nothing changed.

With each step they took away, a feeling of anguish began to flood Trixie. If they left her outside, then... she wouldn't be able to meet with Starlight. Then, the dark future she saw...

She wouldn't allow it. If her friendship with Starlight was in danger, she was willing to set aside all her pride to preserve it.

"Please, you have to listen to me! This is very important! She's in danger!" Trixie began to beg, almost in tears, desperate to be heard.

Her pleas had an effect, as Gallus and Silverstream stopped and turned to look at her. They were surprised and bewildered by the dramatic change in the counselor.

"Danger?" Gallus asked.

"Yes, yes, Starlight may be in danger," Trixie responded hopefully seeing that they were finally paying attention to her.

"What danger do you mean, Counselor Trixie?" Silverstream asked.

"An octopus, I mean... a door. Huh?"

"Huh?"

Both Gallus and Silverstream, like Trixie, were puzzled by that response. Trixie didn't understand what she had just said. She tried to think back, but all she got was a strange empty taste spreading in her mouth.

Nothing.

"Wait... give me a moment!" exclaimed Trixie, trying to regain control of the situation. As judgmental looks began to fall on her, Trixie quickly adopted a thoughtful posture and focused.

Trixie was experiencing another mental lapse.

Up until that moment, she had only galloped frantically to the castle, driven by her desperation. After crashing into the magic barrier, she had almost forgotten for a moment the real reason why she had undertaken that journey.

Outside the barrier, Trixie began to grimace in a mental effort to find the urgent memory that had brought her there.

On the stairs, Gallus and Silverstream looked at each other, confused.

After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, in a futile effort to regain her memory, Trixie found herself even more lost than before.

"This is ridiculous! Why can't I remember!" exclaimed Trixie, furious with herself. "Maybe I wrote it down somewhere? That's it, Trixie! You must have written it down!"

With a smile mixed with a wild look, Trixie began to rummage through her cape anxiously to find any clue that her past self might have left to help her in that present moment.

Soon she found something, but it wasn't what she was looking for or something she should have found at that moment.

"Clank, clank..."

Several bottles and other junk sounded as they fell to the ground. Trixie rummaged carelessly in the pockets of her cape, dropping everything she had stored. The bottles that fell didn't break, but the sour aroma of fermented cider in them quickly spread in the air.

"It's not here, nor here..." she murmured increasingly restless.

The cider bottles she had taken at the party the night before began to accumulate. Glowing in the morning light, filled with that sweet nectar that made ponies "merry and mischievous," these drinks betrayed the true state of Counselor Trixie.

Astounded, Gallus and Silverstream opened their eyes wide at the inappropriate scene unfolding before them.

Finally, after several minutes, Trixie, exhausted, stopped her frantic search. With her mane disheveled and a nervous look, she turned her attention to Gallus and Silverstream, unaware of the unfortunate spectacle she had just performed.

"Aha, ha, ha, I know it'll sound unbelievable, but I had a dream and..."

"Yes, Counselor Trixie, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE!" exclaimed Gallus exasperatedly, spreading his wings and looking at the sky. "You know, today is a fine morning. Go home and rest. We'll tell Director Starlight, 'when she becomes available,' that you came early to see her."

"But I... HIP!" a sudden hiccup attacked Trixie at that moment, causing her to cover her mouth embarrassedly.

"Don't worry. We'll tell the director as soon as she finishes her meeting with Chancellor Neighsay. It's a 'dragon's oath'!" added Silverstream.

"Not again..." said Gallus, taking Silverstream by the neck and leading her back to the castle.

"Don't wait!... HIP, Stop! HIP, HIP."

The castle gates slammed shut, leaving Trixie outside trapped in a constant hiccup. Around her, only silence remained broken by the cheerful morning chirping of birds. Ahead, the magic barrier, now more impenetrable than ever, marked the boundary between her and the uncertain fate in which her best friend was trapped.

"HIP Meeting with Chancellor, HIP, Neighsay? HIP" repeated Trixie trembling; her memory had finally been refreshed, and her desperation spilled like a broken dam within her heart.

A strident neigh echoed throughout Ponyville at that hour of the morning. Many in the future would remember it as a prelude to the darkest day experienced during that year.
> Assault on Twilight's Castle - Act II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The security room turned out to be one of the narrowest chambers in the castle, barely with a perimeter of 2x2 meters; it almost seemed like an 'expanded' version of a janitor's closet in comparison. And as if that wasn't enough, the space looked even more cramped due to the security equipment, monitors, typewriters, cabinets, books, magical artifacts, and other clutter piled up inside. It was evident that the room couldn't accommodate more than 3 or 4 ponies.

Ocellus, sitting next to Smolder, didn't feel uncomfortable because of the tightness of the place, but rather because of the clutter surrounding her.

"There isn't even a trash can..." Ocellus thought, frowning as she watched her dragon friend toss a piece of gum into a paper bag she found lying around. Ocellus hadn't been in that room before; previously, when her classmates divided tasks to watch over the castle, she preferred to check the weather and surroundings from one of the balconies. Gallus accompanied her, claiming he already knew the place, and they left their friends behind to divide the other tasks as they pleased.

They hadn't been very cooperative with their peers at that moment; now, the situation was different.

"They're coming back," murmured Smolder, who was sitting in front of the monitors showing the castle's exteriors. She turned her chair towards the door as naturally as a business executive. Ocellus tried to mimic her, but the chair got stuck, forcing her to awkwardly adjust it on her own.

As soon as she sat back down, the door to the control room opened, and Gallus and Silverstream entered.

Without wasting time, Smolder was the first to speak.

"We saw everything that happened outside, Gallus, but these devices don't have audio, so we don't know what they talked about. Now, tell us, what was all that?" Smolder asked inquisitively.

"I wish I didn't know," Gallus said, shaking his head. Beside him, Silverstream looked worried.

Gallus began recounting to his friends everything that had happened in detail. Smolder interrupted him several times, asking questions like "Did you really say that?" or "Didn't you ask her this?" and more. Silverstream nodded along with each interruption, helping to confirm various details. Ocellus, on the other hand, remained silent. Sitting in her seat, the quiet changeling simply listened attentively to everything her friends were discussing.

Then, when Gallus finally finished his tale, Ocellus spoke.

"So... that's what happened," Ocellus said, saddened.

"If that's how it went..." Gallus replied. "Are you not going to blame me for not being more delicate with the counselor?"

"No," Ocellus replied, looking away.

Earlier, when she and her classmates had gone to the security post alerted by the attack alarm, they discovered with surprise that the culprit had been none other than Counselor Trixie, who for unknown reasons had rammed into the castle's magical barrier.

That event sparked a brief and heated discussion among them. Questions like: What is she doing here? Why did she do that? However, when the idea of going to help her arose, Gallus halted the conversation with a resounding "Stop."

Gallus then reminded his classmates of the agreement they had reached with Starlight that morning. In order to ensure the group's school trip, as well as to take care of the castle, they were to prevent Counselor Trixie from entering. Although they didn't fully understand the reasons, they had to respect the orders received; otherwise, they would jeopardize their long-awaited promotional trip.

This bothered Ocellus. She knew that Gallus had taken this tough stance not because he was concerned about the promotional trip, but rather because of the resentment he held against the counselor.

Yes, Gallus was very upset with Trixie.

Days after the disastrous invasion of the orchid-octopi, when inquiries began into the causes of the infestation at the school, Gallus made a serious accusation blaming Counselor Trixie for what had happened. He claimed that along with another classmate, they had seen the counselor coming and going to the school's bio-garden late at night in suspicious, furtive behavior. And although his initial statements caused some stir among the authorities, they lost weight shortly after. When his companion from that night was asked if this was true, he replied that he wasn't sure if it was really Trixie or if it was some other pony. This was because it was very dark that night, and they didn't have lighting at that time. Adding to the fact that, unlike griffons, ponies do not have good night vision. Only Gallus had witnessed what happened.

Later, other testimonies were gathered describing the sighting of the orchid-octopi in the Everfree Forest parallel to those days.

In the end, Trixie couldn't be held responsible for what happened due to lack of evidence. Although it left a strong suspicion, as it couldn't be explained how the bio-garden, which was closed during those dates, could have become infested.

Of course, this preliminary result of the investigation considerably angered Gallus. For several days, he distanced himself from school and stayed with Sandbar in the hospital. Both had been on the front line of the orchid-octopi attack, and after a chaotic confrontation with the creatures, Sandbar ended up being captured by them and then used to attack his classmates.

This clash between friends had a strong impact on Gallus, who after what happened, began openly declaring to his classmates that he would definitely make the responsible party pay for that incident.

And now... that moment seemed to have arrived.

Ocellus considered the possibility of reproaching Gallus for his lack of kindness towards Trixie, but upon observing through the security cameras the sorry state in which the counselor was found, she didn't have the will to defend her. Ocellus didn't like witnessing irresponsible behavior in adults, let alone in someone holding a position at a school. She was sure that the impeccable headmare Starlight shared her same perspective, so she didn't anticipate any retaliation from the headmare, even though she was such good friends with Trixie.

And about the latter...

"Did the headmare expect this to happen? Was that why she warned us not to allow her entry?" the changeling thought. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Ocellus lightly fluttered her scaly wings, feeling a growing tension in the appendages of her tail. It was a sensation similar to the one her body felt when a storm was approaching.

"Well, well, then did the counselor party too hard last night? Doesn't surprise me, it would be the third time she's done something like this that I remember," Smolder said, looking thoughtfully at the room's ceiling.

"Third time?" Ocellus and Silverstream asked, surprised.

"Oh come on, haven't I told you? It was last year during the headmare's birthday. They caused quite a stir at the town hall when she entered the premises to try to cash a check signed by Princess Luna. Ha, ha, ha," Smolder laughed cheerfully, vividly recalling what happened that day.

On that occasion, Smolder was present, assisting the mayor with various administrative tasks. Around noon, Trixie burst into the meeting room, loudly proclaiming the invalidity of her check to everyone present. What happened next was predictable; it took at least ten security agents to restrain her. Of course, this happened after the unicorn sang the Equestrian anthem on the mayor's desk.

"If only they had had a video camera..." Smolder murmured nostalgically. Then, another thought crossed the dragon's mind. "Wait a moment... what about 'I will avenge my friend in the name of griffon honor' that you kept repeating?" Smolder asked, raising an eyebrow and looking inquisitively at Gallus, who had just taken a seat.

Ocellus and Silverstream immediately turned to look at Gallus. What Smolder was saying was correct. Although Gallus had been very cold and distant with Trixie, it was surprising that he hadn't thrown the orchid-octopi incident in her face or shown all that sporadic anger he used to unleash.

In his chair, a tired Gallus rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Come on, I was just letting off some steam. It's called anger dissipation. They taught us that in Professor Rainbow Dash's classes, remember? Besides, I'm not so attached to the old customs of my people. I'm a griffon of free thought," Gallus replied, puffing out his chest.

Smolder didn't respond to him; instead, she gave her companion a skeptical look.

"All that's fine and good, guys, but... what do we do now?" Silverstream suddenly said.

"I'll talk to the counselor," Ocellus replied seriously. "Thanks for your help, Gallus, but I'd better handle her from now on."

"Fine," Gallus replied with his characteristic indifference.

"I think that will have to wait," said Silverstream, looking at the equipment in the room.

"Why do you say that?" Smolder asked.

"She just left," Silverstream pointed out, indicating the empty screens showing the outside.

"Oh, she left? Well, we don't have to worry about her then," added Gallus mockingly.

"Uhmm. I really wanted to talk to her. Which way did she go?" Ocellus asked, thinking of sending a letter to Trixie.

"I'm not sure. The counselor just opened her mouth wide as if yelling and then teleported away," replied Silverstream, overflowing with calmness.





Crawling through the shadows, the unknown presence assumed a new position.

The prey had escaped again. But it knew it would return. It just had to be patient.





In the surroundings of the School of Friendship, on a quiet and relaxing morning...

"SPLATTTTTTTTTTT". With a kick, Trixie swung open the door of her trailer, shaking its entire interior; without wasting a second, she dove into the chaotic pile that was her belongings.

She needed to find something immediately. She needed it.

"WHERE IS IT? HIP! WHERE? HIP!" the unicorn muttered vehemently, lifting a box of billiard balls. With the same desperation as a diamond dog in a coal mine, she made her way through the boxes, books, and other piled-up packages.

Then, finally, she found it.

"AHA! HIP! Here you are! HIP! I knew I would need you one day! HIP! ... HAAAAAAAAAA! STUPID HIP! HIP!" Trixie exclaimed in a sudden burst of frustration, kicking the ground. The hiccup she had gotten a moment ago refused to leave her.

Annoyed by her condition, she carelessly lifted the dusty box she had found and, swiftly, dashed outside. Once outside, between the hiccup and the cough caused by the dust, she immediately tore open the cover of the box, revealing its true contents.

It wasn't a box.

Among the multitude of exotic belongings in her possession, Trixie had one that could well be her biggest and darkest secret, one that even Starlight was barely aware of its existence.

Before Trixie stood a wooden chest that exuded antiquity all around it. Visible among the hinges and metal edges covered in rust, one could still distinguish the gleam of the magnificent craftsmanship of the carpenter who had made it. Although its size, equal to that of a purse, would lead anyone to think that the treasure it hid, no matter how valuable, would end up being something very small. This would be a naive and mistaken assumption, as it masked its true magical nature.

Indeed, this was a magical chest, a very valuable and secret one that Trixie hadn't used in a long time. Moreover, she had sworn never to use it again.

"Click, Click..." with her magic, Trixie unlocked the enchanted lock of the chest and a moment later, the lid opened.

It was like a lazy black oyster opening up to the sun, or rather like a tomb. Inside, something resembling scarlet light spilled out.

Trixie's eyes gleamed, reflecting the malicious glow emanating from within. A long row of identical red potions lay inside the chest. Stacked one on top of the other, the potions in glass bottles were arranged within a mirrored background that gave the impression of containing the same infinite.

This was more than just an optical illusion; it was a true magical mechanism that replicated infinitely those mysterious red potions hidden inside the chest. Magic with a very useful and unsettling purpose.

"HIP! Now you'll see what happens, HIP, WHEN YOU ANGER THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! HIP!" proclaimed Trixie proudly, displaying a malicious grin on an even more contorted face. She uncorked one of the potions and, determined, brought it to her mouth ready to drink it immediately.

However, she held back. About to drink the potion, the cold touch of the glass on her lips made her freeze, experiencing a brief moment of lucidity.

Suddenly, on her right shoulder emerged the vivid image of a tiny Trixie representing the good within her. With a soft and gentle voice, the imaginary figure spoke to her from the depths of her conscience.

"Don't do it, Trixie! You're angry and scared about what could happen to our dear friend Starlight, but you don't need to go this far. This is not what she would have wanted from you. We must keep calm first!" serene and firm, the angelic Trixie said.

In response, another figure immediately appeared on her left shoulder. This was the Trixie representing the evil within her. With a deep and violent voice, she replied to her counterpart.

"Keep calm?! Where have you been all morning?! Starlight's future could be at stake, our reputation is already at stake! The students have turned against us, and time is running out. We must strike back now!" the diabolical Trixie responded furiously.

"This is not the right way to do things, dear."

"This is the way of the great and powerful Trixie!"

"It's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

Caught in the middle of this absurd fictional argument was a disoriented Trixie, who had no idea what was happening.

"Enough... HIP! Where did you come from? HIP! Get out!" With just a shake of her mane, both imaginary figures disappeared from her sides. However, even though her hallucinations had gone away, she continued to shake her head uncontrollably until, in a misstep, she stumbled and awkwardly fell to the ground.

"This is too much," the unicorn suddenly muttered, with grass in her mouth and in an uncomfortable position.

Trixie wasn't thinking clearly, or rather, she wasn't thinking at all... the night before she had consumed too much cider and had skipped breakfast in the morning. Her body felt heavy and yet she had rushed uncontrollably to Twilight's castle. Now, with an irritated horn, her head was starting to ache.

She had reached her limit.

With great effort, a dizzy Trixie straightened up and sat down listlessly. Distracted, she gazed towards the castle.

There, in the distance, was the home of her great friend, Starlight Glimmer. The first pony she had ever recognized in her life as a true friend. The same pony who served as an assistant in her circus acts despite being a more skilled sorceress than herself. The pony who fulfilled her role as a school principal in an exemplary manner and who had chosen her as her closest advisor...

And now, her friendship with that pony was in danger.

Wasn't she supposed to give her all to protect that bond? thought Trixie, exhausted.

Shortly before, the Young Six had stood her up, preventing her from entering the castle to see Starlight. Not only that, she learned that Starlight was already in a meeting with Chancellor Neighsay, confirming her worst fears.

Distraught, she returned to her trailer, so frightened and angry that even the crazy idea of ​​using that old potion chest she had forbidden herself to use arose in her mind. However, thanks to fatigue, she was now beginning to regain her composure. In the midst of all this, she no longer felt confident enough to continue with that idea.

"Ahhh HIP!... what should I do now? HIP!" Trixie muttered, discouraged.

Trixie wanted to go back; she wanted to interrupt Starlight's meeting with the chancellor right then and there. She wanted to tell her friend how much she regretted everything that had happened. To tell her that it was all her fault.

But she couldn't; the castle was closed to her, guarded by those meddling kids...

"HIP! Ahhh Why do these things happen to me?... HIP!" Trixie protested back, amidst her stubborn hiccups and a renewed frustration that was beginning to overcome her.

If it weren't for that nightmare, probably none of this would be worrying her so much and she would be resting peacefully in her trailer... having more cider with oat pancakes...

Trixie's stomach emitted an unmistakable growl. Trying to ignore the growing hunger inside her, she glanced at the red potion she held with her magic. The eerie gleam of the potion flickered amidst an unsettling whisper, urging her to consume it immediately.

Trixie rolled her eyes in boredom.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, HIP! you're wicked and you'll give me the power I need to do whatever I want, HIP!" Trixie spoke irritably to the potion; obviously, it didn't respond and continued to glow with its hypnotic light. "On the other hand... HIP! I guess if I don't use you now, HIP! it wouldn't make sense to have kept you all this time. HIP!"

Trixie, tired of thinking any further, didn't dwell on the matter anymore, she uncorked the potion again with her magic and brought it to her mouth.

She drank its contents in one gulp.

The potion spilled inside her, causing a strange sensation of warmth that quickly turned into a surge of heat that engulfed her completely. A crimson magic enveloped her figure like a blazing flame; instantly, her hiccup and fatigue vanished. Strength and vitality filled her completely, restoring that proud bearing that so characterized her.

The Great and Powerful Trixie was back.

"Yes, I can feel it now," murmured Trixie, watching the glow of her own figure. Filled with the harmful and powerful magic coursing through her body, she turned to look at her trailer. Her mind buzzed with violent ideas about what her next move would be. Such was the effect of the crimson potion that it reduced morality and reason in exchange for power.

So, for Trixie, everything was clear now; since she hadn't been allowed passage to enter the castle, she would force her own way in.

"Uhmm... maybe I need to take only what's necessary... no, on second thought. I'll take everything!"

With a single movement of her horn, the trailer and Trixie rose into the air. And, with a sudden flash of magic, they disappeared.





On one of the balconies of Twilight's castle...

"Wait... LESSON? 'Laughter Enforcement and Squid Suppression Operation Network'?" exclaimed Sandbar, surprised as he read the newspaper Yona had handed him.

"Professor Pie insist much on that name."

"It sounds really forced," commented Sandbar as he scratched his head.

"Yona agree, but initials of name be very funny," replied cheerful Yona with a smile. Sandbar returned the smile and continued reading the newspaper.

Leaving her friend engrossed in his reading, Yona began to check the suitcase behind Sandbar's wheelchair. She found the lunches she had prepared for their friends and, after examining them for a moment, confirmed they were well sealed and still warm. Satisfied, she closed the suitcase, not forgetting to put back the cups and the thermos she had taken out earlier.

Noon was almost upon them.

"Lunchtime is near. Better start heading towards friends so we won't be late for lunch."

"Yeah, we should get going. I don't think there's anything else we need to do here," responded Sandbar, promptly putting away the newspaper he had.

Both Yona and Sandbar had taken on the task of watching over the castle grounds from the balcony. This would have been a more suitable job for Smolder or Gallus, however, due to certain clashes among their peers, they had ended up with this duty.

Sandbar, sitting in his wheelchair, observed the imposing magical barrier surrounding the castle. Although it was an impressive sight from the inside, it failed to instill a sense of security in him. The scars of his recent accident still manifested fresh in his body and mind. An unsettling tingling persisted in his hind legs...

Suddenly, his field of vision darkened. Something warm and fluffy enveloped his face. Trapped by memories of his previous trauma, Sandbar panicked and was about to scream. However, he restrained himself upon recognizing the mischievous laughter behind him. It was clear who was responsible.

"Yona!" Sandbar protested.

"Friend Sandbar shouldn't be so tense, should laugh more, feel safe among friends now," chuckled the large yak, withdrawing her large hooves from Sandbar's field of vision and giving him an affectionate hug.

"Yeah, okay. I get it. I should be more cheerful. The doctor said so, but it's really hard for me... I still feel those things on me at night. Haaa... I wish I was as strong as you, Yona."

"Sandbar be strong, but Sandbar hurt. Yona help heal," replied Yona, giving him a small kiss on the forehead.

Sandbar was about to respond to Yona when...

It was sudden.

The magical barrier flickered, then a thunder-like roar echoed. Startled, the pair of friends quickly looked down from the balcony towards the source of the noise.

In front of the castle gates, the magical barrier waved as if it had been struck by a giant hammer. However, only a small figure stood there...





A bolt of red magic struck Twilight's castle's magical barrier, shaking it to its foundation with impressive force. The light emanating from this violent assault, akin to a giant welding at a distance, would have been visible even in Canterlot if the angle of its glow had been favorable.

The responsible for such a colossal display of power was none other than Trixie herself, with cape and hat.

After a long minute of continuous attack that seemed like an eternity, finally, the powerful magic bolt gave way.

"Heh... Heh... Still standing?...", Trixie murmured under her breath, panting in front of the barrier. Things weren't going as she had hoped. Bringing down the barrier with her powerful magic and then triumphantly entering the castle had been her initial plan. But, despite her formidable effort, the barrier still stood tall like an impregnable wall.

This infuriated Trixie greatly, but there was something that infuriated her even more.

"AND YOU, KIDS, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I WARN YOU, DON'T MAKE ME ANGRIER, LOWER THE BARRIER NOW AND I PROMISE YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE LESS SEVERE THAN IT ALREADY IS!" Trixie shouted with eyes filled with corrupt red magic.

There was no response.

Trixie knew she was making a scene outside the castle; it was impossible for the Young Six not to have noticed. However, up to that point, they had not shown up.

"FINE!" Trixie exploded with impatience, gave a loud snort through her nose, and flicked her horn defiantly. Behind her, the door of the trailer she had brought opened, and several objects floated out in a row, parading in front of her.

"Umhhh, let's see... Okay, but not... no... no... What is this doing here! no...", Trixie carelessly listed the most dangerous objects she had inside her trailer. C-4 explosives, bee-bear traps, enchanted scrolls, a Twilight plushie (which was immediately thrown in the trash), a black root of eucalyptus-everfang, a clam-eagle horn, among others.

Despite the dangerousness of these objects, Trixie didn't seem convinced to use any until...

"Aha," exclaimed the unicorn. Sending the other objects back to her trailer with a quick flick of her horn, Trixie set one aside and brought it closer to her with a malicious smile.

"It's time to bring out the heavy artillery..." reasoned Trixie excitedly about what she would do next.

The object Trixie would use to bring down the magical barrier was an ancient urn.

But this was no ordinary antique.

The ancient urn, as large as Trixie's own head, had a body resembling a clay jug, old and weathered-looking, passing unnoticed at first glance. However, on its wide mouth was attached a thin, long piece of yellowed paper, akin to a large tag. Printed on this paper were intricate, illegible characters of a forgotten language in black ink. For someone knowledgeable about the ancient world, it was clear that this latter was a talisman serving as a seal and warning to anyone daring to open this relic.

Of course, Trixie couldn't care less about this and removed the seal immediately. Confident in the power she held between her hooves, she advanced towards the magic barrier, raising the urn high, and then proclaimed:

"GHOSTS OF EULFALIA! I, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE, SET YOU FREE! APPEAR AND SERVE ME!" her voice echoed loudly as the unicorn radiated the light of her magic around her. Nature fell silent at that moment. All who could see and hear her turned their senses towards her, expectant of the imminent and extraordinary event that would occur in that place.

However, nothing else happened.

Trixie, with her gaze fixed on the urn and a frozen face of excitement, waited for several seconds.

Nothing was happening.

Nature, forgetting the previous startle, resumed its course.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Trixie exploded, her patience at its limit. Annoyed, she held the urn and began shaking it. "YOU COST ME 3 SCHOOL TUITIONS AND THE SAVINGS IN FOOD EXPENSES ON THEM! YOU MUST SERVE SOME PURPOSE!" she shouted frustratedly. Irritated, the unicorn began pressing the urn with her magic in an attempt to open it.

A grave mistake. That roughness was too much for that fragile relic.

Suddenly, amid the pressure Trixie exerted with her magic, a crack opened on one of its sides. Alarmed, Trixie immediately released her magical grip. But it was too late. Before she could do anything else, the walls of the urn collapsed, and like an egg hitting the ground, the remains of the relic fell on the grass, scattering in all directions.

What was once a valuable treasure of the ancient world was now just a pile of dust and broken clay.

A solitary breeze swept through the place where a stunned Trixie stood.

"Ahhhh," Trixie broke the silence with a furious neigh, kicking at the air. Although such behavior was unbecoming of an adult mare like her, she had weighty reasons to act this way. On her last trip, she had acquired that ancient urn at an exorbitant price in an auction, literally costing her the last savings and loans she had left. Despite being aware of the risk of that purchase, she held out hope of recouping the investment by reselling it in Canterlot's black market.

Now she watched as her investment dissolved with the wind amidst the pasture.

After raging for a long while, Trixie gradually calmed down. She exhaled several times until she finally took a serene breath and said:

"It's okay, Trixie, this was just a setback. The expensive urn you bought, which supposedly contained powerful ghosts capable of destroying entire realms, turned out to be a hoax. It's not your fault; it's others taking advantage of you. Things like this happen to you often. Now let's move on to something safer... EXPLOSIVES!" Trixie shouted so loudly that she nearly lost her hat. With this abrupt gesture of stress, she ended her monologue; it was evident that she no longer wanted to dwell on her recent loss.

Thus, with no more comfort than what she could tell herself, she began to advance towards her trailer to...

Suddenly, a subtle "Paff" resonated in the air, and Trixie found herself sprawled on the ground. Surprised, she looked underneath her...

Her hind legs had tangled with a yellow paper. It was the same sealing talisman she had thrown away a moment ago.

She stood up, and in a reflex of pure rage, Trixie ripped the talisman from her legs with her magic and threw it against the barrier.

It made no noise upon impact. In an instant, the talisman was consumed in a ball of green fire.

Trixie, who paid it no further attention, turned her back disdainfully. All she had in mind was to find her C-4 explosives and prepare them to blow up the barrier.

However, where the talisman had previously been consumed, the resulting smoke slowly began to swirl, growing in size and depth...





Meanwhile... at the security post of Twilight's castle.

"... you should have more confidence, let Smolder handle it. Huh! She knows more about these devices than we do," said Gallus, moving a heavy cluster of monitors.

"Yeah, I know, but... ugh, I can't believe this is happening, right now!" exclaimed Ocellus exasperatedly, searching through a box of spare parts.

"Setbacks always happen, but seriously, you should have been more careful with the control panel."

"I didn't think it was so fragile, and besides, you said the red button was to deactivate the barrier!"

"I said 'the red button is for deactivating the barrier, the red-red button is to further secure the doors.'"

"They look the same!"

"They're not!"

"CAN YOU TWO PLEASE BE QUIET! I'm trying to concentrate," shouted Smolder angrily, poking her head out from under the desk where a panel filled with colorful buttons and tangled wires was installed. Without saying more, she put a screwdriver in her mouth and grabbed a nearby flashlight, then went back under the desk. In response to her companion's words, Ocellus and Gallus stopped arguing and silently returned to the urgent tasks they had to fulfill.

They must not forget they were in the middle of an emergency.

Outside the room, in the hallway, a worried Silverstream watched a screen displaying the castle entrance. Despite the static caused by stretching the monitor cables too much, the images it showed from the outside were still recognizable.

Outside, the situation seemed to be worsening.

Then, as if a large rock was rolling down the stairs, Yona and Sandbar arrived, although it was more accurate to say that Yona arrived with Sandbar clinging to her back.

As soon as Yona saw her friend, she ran towards her, announcing:

"COUNSELOR TRIXIE IS BACK! COUNSELOR TRIXIE IS BACK! COUNSELOR TRIXIE IS BACK!"

"WE ALREADY KNOW!" came a loud reply from inside the security post. Surprised by the firm response, Yona abruptly stopped her run, halting until she was in front of the security post's door, almost on top of Silverstream. Now stopped, Yona and Sandbar, who didn't understand what was going on, glanced inside the room.

Inside the room were Gallus, Ocellus, and Smolder, who were focused on reviewing the control panel of the castle's security system. None of them looked away from the tangle of cables in front of them, nor did they wear their usual friendly expressions. They looked more like a cold group of doctors trying to diagnose a seriously ill patient.

Puzzled, Yona and Sandbar turned their gaze to Silverstream, who was standing beside them. The question they were about to ask was obvious.

"What's going on, Silvi?" Sandbar was the first to speak.

"Well, we're experiencing serious technical issues with the castle's defense system. Remember when Gallus mentioned that all the security equipment was extremely delicate and we had to handle it with care? It turns out it was even more delicate than it seemed..." Silverstream replied, pointing to some burnt monitors that had been taken out from inside. Not far away, there was a fire extinguisher.

"Wait... the control panel got burned? But if that's the case, then the barrier and the doors are..." Sandbar, still on Yona's back, trailed off.

"Completely sealed," Silverstream finished the sentence with a grimace of distress.

Now Sandbar and Yona also understood how serious the situation was.

"FRIENDS, WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!" exclaimed Yona nervously, looking at the still-functioning monitors.

"For now, the guys are trying to fix the panel with the spare parts we have. Smolder says she knows how to do it," Silverstream replied.

"Wouldn't asking for help be better?"

"That could make things worse, Yona," Sandbar replied, swallowing nervously as he imagined what would happen to them when Director Starlight found out.

"BUT COUNSELOR TRIXIE IS OUT THERE, AND SHE'S VERY UPSET!"

"That's true! She was firing blasts at the barrier! We should go out and talk to her," Sandbar added.

"The others wanted to do that too, but then they decided to fix the panel first..."

Interrupting Silverstream, another voice resonated strongly in the hallway.

"IT'S DONE, IT'S WORKING!" Smolder announced excitedly from inside the control post. "We just need to give the system a moment to finish rebooting."

Finally, the tension that had gripped the trio of friends inside the security post began to dissipate. Then, before anyone could say anything else, Gallus quickly approached the rest of his friends who were at the entrance and asked, "How is it outside?"

Silverstream immediately checked the monitor she was carrying, her face turning anxious again.

"I think we have a new problem..." Silverstream nervously responded, pointing towards the darkness glimpsed on the monitor screen.





Ghosts, in a world shaped by magic and inhabited by ponies, such entities were not nonexistent. Since time immemorial, ghosts have always been a strongly rooted presence in the lore of common knowledge and arcane understanding, their involvement mentioned in a wide array of tales where they play a role as either heroic support or malevolent antagonists.

However, despite the plethora of stories involving such entities, it's difficult to know where they come from and what their true purpose is in the world. For example, there's the story of the ghost of a wise dragoness who appeared in a kingdom to protect it when it was at its most difficult moment. Another story is that of the malevolent spirit of the desert that poisoned a king's mind with unchecked ambition. Both tales, bordering on the fantastical, were not events from the distant past but recent occurrences that had been thoroughly studied. Of course, such studies could only corroborate the events that occurred, and no further information could be obtained about the true identity of the apparitions.

Added to this was the problem that it was very difficult to encounter these entities and even more so to summon them.

Thus, the wisest could only conclude that ghosts resided on a plane beyond our own, likely being the watchers or instigators of stories that transcend beyond our own lives or understanding.

The less wise, on the other hand, would only have more stories to surprise the younger ones with.

Through all this, Trixie Lulamoon, a unicorn almost ignorant of these profound subjects, was about to become part of one of these stories...





"... with these should be enough. I just have to be very careful not to drop them... or touch them. I have too much spark in my hooves! Ha ha ha," Trixie laughed in the midst of a wild delirium.

She had just finished preparing her C-4 explosives. Behind her, Twilight's castle's magical barrier shone imposingly.

"Just wait, these fireworks will surprise you..." Trixie muttered to herself with a dark smile as she carefully placed the dangerous explosives in a box marked with her own face.

In her mind, Trixie already imagined how her explosives would blow the castle's defenses sky high. Then, she would make her triumphant entrance through the main door, where she would meet some frightened and remorseful Young Six, take care of them, and finally meet Starlight and then...

Trixie interrupted her thoughts, alerted by a strange feeling of being watched. She looked down and found something she didn't expect.

In front of her, a few steps away, there was a small white rabbit looking at her. It was a tiny and fluffy creature with a tenderness in its face that could melt any pony's heart.

But, for the darkened heart of the great and powerful Trixie, this was nothing more than an intruder poking into her personal affairs.

"SHOO! GO AWAY!" the annoyed unicorn ordered. However, the little white rabbit continued to watch her. Uncomfortable, Trixie grabbed a broom and prepared to shoo it away.

However, she stopped.

As she looked closer, Trixie suddenly perceived a deep feeling in that gaze, a sadness that struck deep within her. It was as if the rabbit reflected the great sorrow one would feel at seeing their best friend lost on the wrong path.

A brief flicker of conscience shone in Trixie's mind, however, it was quickly suppressed by the corrupt red magic clouding her judgment.

"I'm doing the right thing! It's a good plan! Starlight would do the same for me!" Trixie shouted angrily at the rabbit with red eyes. Then, consumed by the hostility filling her, she threw the broom aside of the rabbit.

But the rabbit didn't change its posture and continued to cast that accusing gaze. Trixie snorted.

"What do rabbits know about friendship!" Trixie mocked with deep disdain. Taking her box of explosives, she turned her back on the rabbit and prepared to place the bombs around the castle's magical barrier.

But she didn't; she stopped again.

She had been mistaken; the harmless rabbit from before hadn't been looking at her, but at the supernatural presence that had emerged beyond her.

Dropping the box of explosives she was carrying (fortunately, they didn't explode), Trixie opened her mouth wide and her eyes widened as she contemplated the apparitions that had emerged behind her a moment ago.

Six figures, resembling equine specters, stood materialized in front of her. A dark and shifting mist enveloped them, creating the impression of a portal to a cosmos of darkness. These spectral figures, with expressions ranging from smiling to stern, with eyes that shone like graveyard lanterns, remained firm in their ethereal presence. Each one was clad in personalized armor and unique ghostly attire, indicating distinct roles among them. Despite their heterogeneous appearances, they all shared the same mark: akin to runes representing the sun and the moon, hanging from their flanks, a symbol that manifested the deep unity among them.

They were, undoubtedly, a presence that would intimidate anyone.

Trixie, who had remained silent for a while trying to process what was happening, watched as the tallest of the figures advanced towards her with a gallant and menacing stride, bowing before her with the same elegance a knight would show to their ruler.

"The guardians of Eulfalia present themselves before you, Oh great and powerful summoner! We eagerly await to fulfill your will," announced the specter with its head bowed, tapping on the ground with authority.

It was quite curious. Despite her imposing figure, the voice of the powerful specter turned out to be ordinary and feminine, which contrasted with expectations. But setting that aside...

"...great and powerful summoner?" Trixie only needed a moment to comprehend, then let out an excited whinny. "Hiiiii!"

Unable to contain herself, Trixie waved her hooves in the air with joy at the reality before her.

In an extraordinary and unpredictable event, Trixie Lulamoon had summoned the powerful and heroic guardians of the forgotten lands of Eulfalia, a mythical team of specters who had remained sealed in the ancient (and excessively expensive) urn she had inadvertently broken a moment before.

Filled with the excitement of her success, the unicorn celebrated enthusiastically, amidst laughter and frolics. However, she soon stopped; the cold aura emanating from that ghostly group reminded her of the urgent situation she was in. She coughed for a moment and tried to maintain her composure as best as she could; she then thought that, if those ghosts were truly under her command, she was obliged to show herself as dignified as possible before them. For someone like her, who lived off her image and word, it would be simple...

Trixie swirled her cape and adjusted her hat, assuming a posture that seemed to envelop her in mystery, she presented herself to the ghosts with a proud and steady gaze.

"Ahem... Greetings, my subjects. Indeed, it is I who have summoned you, I, the one and only, the extraordinary, the great and powerful Trixie!" proclaimed the proud unicorn to all around her.

The leader of the specters, who had previously bowed, raised her head attentively; behind her, the mixed expressions on the nebulous faces of her fellow ghosts turned serious in unison. They all fixed their glowing eyes on Trixie, demonstrating that they were completely devoted to every word of their new mistress.

Noticing those devout looks, Trixie's heart swelled with power at having such attention from such powerful beings; convinced of their loyalty, her thoughts loosened, and the words began to flow freely from her mouth.

"And yet, today I have been the victim of a terrible injustice against my person. Being so humble and kind to others, I have been deprived of entering my own home. And worse! I have been denied the possibility of reuniting with the best friend a pony could have in their life. So you, my subjects, guardians of Eulfalia, have the duty to put an end to this injustice. This magical barrier that envelops this castle, my home, must disappear. I command you to use your power to undo it and allow me to enter. May your energies tear and dissipate this barrier, paving the way for my triumphant entrance to my abode and thus reunite with the friend I cherish the most," declared Trixie with gallantry and severity, her cape fluttering in the wind as she pointed with her hoof towards the imposing luminous barrier shining behind the specters.

What was all that? Not even Trixie herself was sure what she was talking about. She had never heard of "the guardians of Eulfalia" before. With this title, the ghosts had introduced themselves, she was simply going along with it. She knew that the ancient urn she had acquired contained a powerful group of ghosts, but nothing more.

At this point, she wasn't sure what the ghosts would exactly do now that she had ordered them to destroy the barrier.

Just as a bead of worry sweat started to form on her forehead, Trixie watched as the "Guardians of Eulfalia" solemnly nodded, accepting the order she had given. Relieved and somewhat surprised, she saw the specters slowly rise into the sky and position themselves at the highest point of the magical barrier protecting Twilight's castle.

Gradually, the atmosphere over the castle began to change; tension filled the air as the mysterious magic of the specters intensified. On the ground, Trixie watched with bright eyes, eager to see what might happen.

"Oummmmm... dooo..., Oummmmm...reee..., Oummmmm... miii..., Oummmmm... faaa..., Oummmmm... solll..., Oummmmm... laaa..."

It was bewildering.

For several minutes, the specters began to chant rhythmlessly from above. At this distance, Trixie could hear perfectly well, so she was sure her ears weren't deceiving her. If that was the case, then... why were they singing? Trixie had expected an explosion or the manifestation of some kind of powerful magic. Lights and flashes. Not ceremonial chants.

"Is it part of a ritual?" murmured Trixie, scratching her head.

This kind of magic seemed strange to her. While she had heard of ceremonies of this kind and knew that ponies used to practice them frequently in the distant past, it was extraordinarily rare to see them nowadays. Perhaps it was still possible to find them in the Crystal Empire, where such extravagant customs were still preserved.

On the other hand, as she closely observed the ghosts in the midst of their ritual, she began to notice something unusual, something surprisingly familiar. The dark manes of several of the ghosts bore a unsettling resemblance to... Princess Twilight's friends. One of them even wore a hat similar to Applejack's, which clashed with the armor worn by her fellow ghosts...

"OUMMMMM... SYYYYYY!" Suddenly, Trixie's reflections were interrupted by an intense proclamation from above. The tension, which had pervaded the atmosphere until that moment, began to dissolve into a profound silence.

The spectral Guardians of Eulfalia began to descend. Their ritual had ended.

The magical barrier around Twilight's castle still stood.

Below, Trixie watched them descend with an indifferent expression, similar to that of a dissatisfied customer after receiving a long-awaited and disappointing product.

Thus, finally, after a long and dramatic descent, all the specters touched the ground in perfect formation.

Without wasting a second, Trixie approached them.

"I see, I see... you've finished singing and all that," she said casually, approaching the leader of the ghosts, "now you could do me the small favor of explaining. What was all that?!"

Trixie finished, exploding with indignation, pointing her hoof at the magical barrier that those powerful specters were supposed to have destroyed.

However, the Guardians of Eulfalia didn't respond. Instead, they quickly formed a new formation. Splitting into two groups of three, they lined up on either side of the path, much like the Royal Guards of Canterlot would do when opening the way for royalty.

Before Trixie could say anything, the leader of the Guardians of Eulfalia raised his spectral helmet to the sky and, in the manner of an orchestra conductor, elegantly waved it downward while bowing.

Trixie was puzzled. She wasn't sure, but... It was as if he was showing her the way.

Then, unexpectedly, she saw how the ground beneath her hooves was filled with small red flowers. Magically, the flowers advanced along the path toward the castle like a red carpet unfurling, and it continued until it reached the magical barrier, and then...

In less than a blink of an eye, the magical barrier dissipated, as incredibly easy as if it were a mere soap bubble.

Trixie was no longer puzzled; she was astonished. No, she was shocked. But it wasn't over.

The flower path continued to advance until it reached the castle. Upon arrival, the entrance was adorned with large ornamental flowers, and the gates swung open wide to welcome her. At the same time, an inexplicable ceremonial melody began to play, while flower petals fell from the sky and a unique fragrance filled the air.

Trixie wasn't thinking anymore; she was ecstatic, forgetting all her previous insecurities. She now understood the pompous display; there was no doubt. It was a royal procession.

"Oh, of course. They were just doing exactly what I asked for. How considerate! and quiet... weirdos. But I like it!" Trixie, with a radiant smile, let herself be carried away and began to proudly parade along the flower carpet they had prepared for her. Although it wasn't necessary, as she had initially planned to enter the castle immediately once the ghosts had finished their task, with such a loyal audience watching her, she couldn't help but show off just 'a little bit'.

Thus, with a regal step and without taking her eyes off the castle entrance, Trixie confidently advanced along the red flower carpet. However, as she got closer to her destination, the anxiety within her grew. After taking several steps, Trixie began to trot faster, losing elegance in her gait.

"So close..." an urgent feeling of urgency began to invade Trixie. She no longer cared what the ghosts she had summoned thought of her, still watching her. Nor did she care about that unnecessary royal procession. What mattered to her was meeting Starlight right...

Suddenly, a subtle "Paff" resonated in the air, and Trixie found herself sprawled on the ground. Surprised, she looked beneath her...

She had stumbled upon a cider bottle.

"Seriously!" she exclaimed as she got up, and in a reflex of pure rage, Trixie grabbed the bottle with her magic and threw it away, far beyond the hill.

Just like before, she had stumbled again. However, this time, something else happened.

"Hehehehe," laughter echoed loudly around. The solemnity of the royal procession was broken, and a disgruntled Trixie turned her gaze.

One of the ghosts, with the least intimidating appearance of all, laughed heartily at Trixie's clumsiness. It wasn't a sepulchral or malevolent laugh, but one of pure amusement.

"Haha, very funny. Do you enjoy seeing your mistress on the ground so much?" reprimanded Trixie, shaking off the flower petals stuck to her cloak.

"Hee hee hee... Ouch! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, excellence! It won't happen again!" surprised by her behavior, the previously cheerful ghost resumed a stiff and serious posture along with her other companions.

"Oh, I hope so, because I, the great and powerful Trix..." Trixie stopped abruptly, about to deliver another speech, but something else caught her attention.

The other ghosts, who until recently had maintained expressionless faces, now showed a single emotion on their nebulous faces.

Astonished, they all watched their companion.

A breeze blew amidst the confusion reigning at the gates of Twilight's castle. The ghosts that Trixie had summoned with so much effort and trouble, the Guardians of Eulfalia, were no longer observing or thinking about their summoner but about the revelation that had emerged before them.

"Hey, girls, what's going on? Why are you looking at me like that?" nervously asked the ghost who was the object of her companions' gaze.

"How could you laugh, Electrina?" asked one of her companions with a cold stare.

"Heh, I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it..."

"This shouldn't be possible," interrupted the leader. "Since we were cursed by Dhona Oleg-Nar Dhazer, all our emotions were sealed, as well as our freedom to act on our own will. That's how it has been ever since. The fact that you were able to laugh now means that the curse has weakened enough or is broken, which would only be possible during noon on..."

The leader of the Guardians of Eulfalia didn't finish her words; an unheard-of possibility hung in the air, a possibility that was understood by all.

All except Trixie, who didn't understand anything about what was happening.

"What day is it today?" the leader sharply asked her companions. No, she didn't really ask, as she raised her spectral helmet to the sky without waiting for an answer and carefully observed the noonday sun rising high.

It was the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, reaching its highest point in the sky.

Trixie, who still didn't understand what was going on, watched uneasily as a grin from ear to ear broke through the cold face of the leader of the Guardians of Eulfalia like a shining sword cutting through the darkness.





Watching from afar the castle gates, the unknown presence hidden among the plants began to prepare.

She could feel it... the moment was drawing near.
> Assault on Twilight's Castle - Act III
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The security system within Twilight's Castle had been designed by Twilight herself a few weeks before moving to Canterlot, as part of handing over the place to Starlight Glimmer.

Since her student would soon be the headmare of the School of Friendship, Twilight not only wanted to give her a house but also a home where she could feel safe. Of course, this was an exaggerated idea, unconsciously born from the stress caused by her upcoming coronation as the ruler of Equestria. Nevertheless, it was a thorough job that went through up to five versions and four updates in its final version, the latter with Princess Luna's approval, so no one could say it had been irresponsible planning.

However, she didn't have enough time to implement it and only left the blueprints to Starlight, along with a manual and other instructions on how to improve the castle in the future...





A moment earlier, at the security post of Twilight's Castle.

"We need to tell Headmare Starlight right away!" said a worried voice.

"Wait! We should talk to Counselor Trixie first and apologize," interrupted another, calmer voice.

"That can wait," added a voice in a casual tone.

"Haven't you seen the ghosts outside?" replied the previously calm voice, now grave.

Listening to the discussion among her peers, Smolder loudly chewed gum. She seemed relaxed in her seat, but she was actually very uncomfortable with the situation. So uncomfortable that she felt like she could breathe dragon fire at any moment.

Just as a bit of smoke began to trickle from her nose, a double "beep-beep" whistle in the air caught her attention, and the red light in the corner of the control panel, which she had repaired in record time, changed from red to green.

"Phew, just in time. HEY, GUYS!" exclaimed Smolder, grabbing her peers' attention. "Look, I don't know how this will all turn out, but we need to open the doors now. We can't just leave Counselor Trixie outside the castle. If she's mad at us, then so be it! We're just following orders from Headmare Starlight, so technically, we haven't done anything wrong."

Her peers fell silent, pondering her words. She was right, but that didn't diminish the great concern they felt. Trixie had summoned some extremely intimidating ghosts to the castle gates. They didn't understand how she had done it, but they were sure it wasn't part of a recreational show, like the ones she often boasted about.

It was a certainty that she had summoned these unknown entities with a hostile purpose.

"Isn't it dangerous, Smolder? What if the counselor, well... let's say, given her state, loses it?" Silverstream asked, remembering the bottle of cider Trixie had left at the castle entrance.

"Well, that could happen, or it might not. We don't know," Smolder replied, keeping her cool. "What we do know is that we need to confront her. As students of the School of Friendship who have taken on the security of this castle on behalf of Headmare Starlight, we need to act accordingly."

Again, her peers didn't immediately respond, looking at each other and murmuring agreement.

Smolder sighed inwardly, aware that things weren't going well. Normally, the team relied on Gallus or Ocellus to make decisions. However, Gallus harbored a strong hostility towards Trixie, which didn't help at all, and Ocellus was more indecisive than usual. The rest felt dragged into a situation they hadn't foreseen.

"It's like sticking our noses in the dragon lord's bed," Smolder thought for a moment. "If things are like this... Isn't this a good opportunity to take the lead?"

Most of the time, Smolder kept a low profile in the group's activities. She was energetic and helped others as best as she could, but she didn't usually take the initiative in the team's actions.

It was a good opportunity. A fire ignited within her. Smolder relished the idea.

"Besides... it's not like everyone needs to go outside. Gallus, Ocellus, and I should be enough; the rest can stay and see what happens. If something goes down, just activate the disaster alarm, and the headmare will communicate with you immediately."

"We should all go..." Ocellus retorted, but another of her peers was quicker to respond.

"Of course! We'll keep an eye on what happens! You can count on us!" exclaimed energetic Silverstream, while Yona and Sandbar nodded behind her, outside the room.

Gallus, lounging comfortably on the floor, shrugged. Only Ocellus stayed silent, looking off to the side, dissatisfied.

"Alright, no more discussion. Let's get to it!" said Smolder, confident in the commitment reached with her peers, as she pressed the button to open the castle doors.

A mysterious noise, like a drum, echoed down the hallway, catching everyone's attention. After a brief moment, it suddenly fell silent...

"What was that?" Gallus asked the others, his gaze for the first time appearing worried.

Nervously, Smolder looked at the button she had pressed on the panel. She was sure it was the one for opening the main doors. It said so in the manual!

"The manual..." an unpleasant feeling ran through her scaly dragon skin. Without saying another word, Smolder quickly grabbed the thick manual of the security system and began anxiously flipping through the last pages. The pages where authors usually added notes and acknowledgments...

Just as her peers began to notice that something was amiss with the castle doors' opening, someone else spoke up.

"Guys, I think there's a manticore loose in the upper hallway!" Silverstream pointed out, frightened, at the monitor displaying the main hallway leading to the castle doors.

It was true. To the surprise and dismay of her peers, a huge manticore had appeared out of nowhere and was heading towards the main door.

While everyone stared in astonishment at the monitor, Smolder could barely contain her panic as she finished reading the manual. "Oh no!" she muttered, making an effort not to be heard.

On one of the last pages was written in elegant black letters:

"... version 1.4 of the Castle of Friendship security system maintenance manual. Written by Princess Twilight Sparkle in collaboration with Princess Luna."

Further down were other words written in wild, colorful letters.

"... edited to perfection with lots of love, saved money, and friendship. By the best headmare in the world, Starlight Glimmer. With the help of her greatest and most powerful friend."

Ending those ominous words was a drawing of the smug face of a unicorn with a wizard hat winking.





The guardians of Eulfalia, cursed within an ancient urn, had spent their existence fulfilling the whims of all kinds of individuals who had possessed it: kings, adventurers, peasants, and more. Always longing deep in their hearts to one day break free from the spell that had deprived them of reuniting in the afterlife with their loved ones in the third heaven.

Thus, by the twists of fate, after a terrible amount of time, that wish was finally granted.

The leader of the guardians, Celenia Starwish, cried tears of joy for this blessed miracle. She could only feel the purest gratitude towards the person who had allowed them to be free.

That eccentric-looking pony was, indeed, the humblest and most generous there was in the world.

With these final thoughts, their spirits began to ascend, along with those of their other companions, leaving behind the cocoon of darkness woven by the malice of the emissary of the dark lord Ever Fand. Their free souls shone like swords towards the sky, until they finally spotted the right path among the stars and left behind the world they had once protected.

Like a sigh, the guardians of Eulfalia vanished at the gates of Twilight's castle, without a word of farewell or a story to remember them by.

There, before the peaceful castle gates, the sole witness to this extraordinary event, Trixie Lulamoon, observed the place where the guardians of Eulfalia had been before.

"Did they really just leave like that? They should have been polite and at least said goodbye. Ugh!" Trixie protested, annoyed by her ghosts' snub. But it was a fleeting feeling. There was no point in dwelling on them anymore; they had fulfilled their purpose, and she no longer needed them.

With this in mind, she turned her gaze back inside the castle. Now she just had to take care of the Young Six...

"GROUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" A roar that would chill anyone's blood came from the other end of the main hallway.

Trixie, astonished, with a sense of danger coursing through her body, watched as a huge shadow rose just a few meters away, charging towards her like an uncontrollable torrent.

"AUUUUUUUUUU HAUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" An intense growl, like that of a chicken being strangled, pierced the tranquil meadow outside Twilight's Castle.





Twilight's castle had a dungeon. It was somewhat challenging to reconcile with the title of "Princess of Friendship" that its owner held. However, the idea had not originated from Twilight but from Princess Luna, as part of the castle's security upgrades.

In Princess Luna's words: "... a castle without a dungeon is not a castle." Twilight could have easily refuted that, but since she had sought her advice, she decided to add it as an optional improvement.

Over time, the dungeon was built, and its guardian was none other than Goldroar, the manticore.

Goldroar stood out among his kind. He was a massive manticore, even larger than usual, with a scar on his right eye, a mane of black and golden stripes, sharp teeth and horns, claws protected by guards, an exceptionally long tail, and a saddle equipped with magical artifacts.

He was undoubtedly one of a kind. Fluttershy had met him and considered him very friendly, as intelligent as he was imposing. Princess Luna, for her part, had deemed him an exemplary subject and had promised him a job as a castle guardian after his retirement.

Goldroar understood his job perfectly and enjoyed it. Whenever he was called upon, he knew what to do: "Attack first, ask questions later." And this time would be no different.

Alerted by a message of attack, Goldroar finally received the call to action he had been eagerly awaiting since assuming his role as guardian of the castle. With excitement, he exited through a secret passage next to the main hallway and encountered his target at the entrance.

"Today is a good day for work," Goldroar thought, his eyes gleaming with delight before letting out a roar and charging towards his target.





"AUUUUUUUUUU HAUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Like a projectile launched from a cannon, Trixie's body soared through the sky, spinning like a lifeless puppet towards the meadow. Anyone witnessing that spectacle and hearing the accompanying wail would have feared the worst. However, just a few meters before hitting the ground, in an unexpected move, a magical bubble materialized around her, protecting her from such a deadly fall.

Within her magical bubble, Trixie bounced several meters, causing the flowers and grass of the meadow to spring up. Finally, she reached the nearest hill, where she came to a stop. The protective bubble faded away, and a dizzy Trixie fell to the ground.

"What was that?!" exclaimed the unicorn, still catching her breath. She didn't understand what had happened. No, if she understood anything, she had seen a huge shadow heading towards her, and then...

In the distance, still within her sight, Goldroar observed his target. It was astounding. Typically, anyone who received his direct charges would be knocked unconscious on the ground. However, the pony he had attacked was standing unscathed, without any harm. It made sense, as in the last second of his attack, she had raised a magical barrier that protected her before being launched into the air.

Still, considering the roar he had unleashed and his charge... How fast were that pony's reflexes?

Undoubtedly, she was a formidable opponent.

Aware of all this, Goldroar's adrenaline surged even more.

Standing now, Trixie looked to where she had been before. At the castle entrance, a huge manticore stared at her like a predator to its prey.

Unheard of, Trixie couldn't contain her shout.

"Who let the manticore out?!" she yelled furiously. Trixie knew her; it was the dangerous manticore that inhabited the castle dungeon, a dungeon she herself had ordered to be built. How could it have escaped? It was only permitted to do so if Starlight ordered it directly or if they activated the castle's last defense protocol...

A shiver ran down Trixie's spine. She remembered. The Young Six had told her they were testing the castle's security system. The only ones who could do this were them...

"Has everyone gone mad?! What are they thinking?!" Trixie shouted furiously, aware of the danger she was in.

In response to Trixie's cry, Goldroar began to advance towards her slowly.

Nervous, Trixie stepped back.

Goldroar continued to advance, and with each step, his figure became more imposing.

Although Trixie retreated, Goldroar's figure kept growing, drawing nearer.

"This isn't right! This isn't right!" Panic began to overwhelm the unicorn. It was obvious she couldn't fight a manticore, let alone a manticore like Goldroar. What should she do?

Goldroar kept advancing.

Trixie's instincts began to scream the obvious at her: she had to flee! But a part of her refused to do so. Her pride refused to accept that all the effort and tough decisions she had made up to that point had been in vain.

The potions... The urn... All those sacrifices.

She couldn't run, not when she was so close to achieving her goal. Trixie's pride overcame her fears, and a new determination arose within her.

She stopped retreating. She no longer felt afraid. She would fight!

As soon as the indecision vanished from Trixie's gaze and she took a firm stance, Goldroar retreated. More than a retreat, it was a leap backward, returning to the castle gates. In an instant, the manticore changed from an attacking to a defensive posture.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. She found it amusing. Just seconds ago, the huge manticore was about to pounce on her, and now it was hiding by the castle gate. It was an intelligent beast.

"You run! Well, well, I guess you understand that this pony isn't planning on fleeing," Trixie muttered to herself. At that distance, Goldroar might be able to hear her, but she didn't care.

Confident in her decision, Trixie began to advance with apparent confidence. Despite having been thrown into the air just a moment ago, she was now walking steadily towards the castle gates, where her attacker was. Anyone watching might think it was an act of pure arrogance and naivety, but it wasn't. Trixie wasn't showing off. Her walk subtly deviated from the straight path to the castle, moving closer to her trailer, which was in the middle of the way. Trixie had come up with a plan...

On the other side, however, she was closely watched. Trixie underestimated Goldroar's intelligence.

As soon as Trixie reached her trailer, Goldroar whipped his scorpion-like tail, as large as an anaconda; the tail spun like a snake seeking to catch prey in the air.

He found it.

The sharp tip of the tail caught one of the door handles and pulled it back. Immediately, he did the same with the other handle. Without ever taking his eyes off Trixie, Goldroar had closed the castle gates.

Trixie frowned. Had the manticore guessed her intentions?

"Hooo, so you really are the smartest manticore in Equestria," Trixie cheerfully murmured with a forced smile without stopping. It was, of course, a fake performance. Inside, Trixie was furious. She cursed the manticore.

Trixie's imagined plan was simple: reach her trailer and, from there, talk to the manticore. That would obviously be a futile effort, as she was sure the manticore wouldn't allow her in. So, she had thought of annoying him; when he lost his patience and charged at her again, she would hide behind the trailer and, from there, teleport to the castle gates. Once there, she would close the gates and leave the confused manticore outside. Her success would be perfect.

But now that wouldn't be possible anymore. The gates were closed. Goldroar already knew.

Having the most dangerous manticore in Equestria living as a guardian in the basement had seemed like a wonderful idea to Trixie at the time.

Now she could only regret it.

"Don't give up, Trixie! You still have your trailer, your amazing items, and, above all, your magic. You can do it!" Trixie kept advancing, encouraging herself inwardly. When she reached an ideal position near her trailer, she stopped.

Beside her was a box on the ground. It was the same box she had dropped before meeting the guardians of Eulfalia.

Glancing sideways at the box, Trixie smiled to herself. Now she had another brilliant plan.

The show was about to begin!

"Good morning, Mr. Giant Manticore. If I may have your attention..." Trixie introduced herself, casually dropping her hat to the side. "... we had a little altercation between us a moment ago. I trust this was a mistake. You see, I am the great... (she cleared her throat) Trixie Lulamoon, and I live here. I don't know what you've been told to welcome me like this. But I assure you that this is my home, and you're preventing me from entering."

Goldroar didn't respond. Trixie continued.

"I'm known for being a very tolerant pony, so I'm willing to overlook this slight, as long as you step aside immediately."

Trixie finished with a friendly voice sweetened by her characteristic accent. At that distance, about six meters, Trixie's voice should reach Goldroar without any problem.

Goldroar then let out a growl.

Trixie, wary of what the manticore might do, watched as Goldroar began to carefully rummage through the contents of his saddlebags with his tail. A moment later, held by his tail, a large metal plaque emerged from his back, similar to the plaques displayed at the entrance of houses. The plaque in question served a similar purpose, as it had some words written on it in large golden letters against a black background. It read: "GOLDROAR / will K.Y."

Trixie wasn't sure she understood that.

"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Goldroar. Right? I wasn't aware that was your name," Trixie apologized with a smile. She was half-lying; if she partially remembered the manticore's name, months ago he had mentioned it to her and Starlight in the meeting they had with Princess Luna during the dungeon's inauguration. However, that was unnecessary information that had no place in her short memory and ended up forgetting it.

Goldroar let out another growl. The plaque returned to his back.

Silence...

"Well, are you going to step aside?" Trixie asked impatiently. Goldroar didn't move.

"If you don't step aside, I'll inform my friend with whom you made your contract. You wouldn't want to be fired, would you?" Trixie threatened indirectly. But Goldroar didn't move.

Trixie was starting to get impatient. Goldroar wasn't reacting at all! She didn't like it. Even less did she like the look Goldroar had. It reminded her of that tough audience that she could never impress with her performances.

"Is this how you work? What a disappointment! I guess I have no choice but to inform my friend about this. Now if you'll excuse me..." Trixie said, picking up her hat. But she didn't finish her words. Many things happened at that moment.

Goldroar, who had remained unperturbed until then, moved. Quick as only he could be, he closed the distance to Trixie and, in one thrust, he launched his tail towards the hat she was picking up. The hat flew through the air and fell limply a few steps behind the surprised unicorn.

Trixie's trickery had been discovered.

Not only was she picking up her hat with her magic, but she was also retrieving the C-4 explosives box she had left behind some time ago, right when she encountered the ghosts of Eulfalia.

Goldroar had seen through Trixie's suspicious behavior. With his tail, he had caught the box. He didn't know what it contained, but his instincts warned him of potential danger. Ignoring the unicorn's look of dismay, he carefully brought the box closer to his nose.

The scent emanating from the box was one he knew all too well. It was gunpowder.

With a look of anger, Goldroar turned his attention towards Trixie.

"Oh, well, that's... um... a gift from my friend! Could you give it back to me, please?" Trixie said, smiling. But it was an obviously fake gesture; the intense feelings she held against the manticore could barely be concealed.

If Goldroar's gaze could speak at that moment, it would say something like: "I don't believe you."

Just then, a bell rang in the distance. From the Ponyville bell tower, it announced the midday morning call, that is, 12:30 in the afternoon. A perfect moment to take a break and prepare for a delightful lunch with family or friends.

For Trixie, that bell was the miraculous signal she needed to act.

Taking advantage of Goldroar's timely distraction, Trixie moved as swiftly as a bird backward, running until she positioned herself behind her trailer. Once there, she aimed her horn at Goldroar.

Surprised, it took Goldroar a few seconds to understand what the unicorn intended to do; it was obvious and futile for the pony to try to attack him with the magic of her horn. Goldroar had high defenses; an attack from a mere unicorn wouldn't be enough. However, a spark of fear ignited within him when he noticed she wasn't aiming at his body... but at the box!

A shiver ran down Goldroar's skin. However, the fear he felt was sudden and controlled. In an instant, he assessed it coldly; he wasn't a novice. If the box exploded beside him, he would be very injured but wouldn't die. He had no doubt about this outcome. He just needed to make sure the box wasn't damaged.

Three beams of magic shot towards him. With grace, Goldroar evaded them all; none of the beams even came close to hitting him, let alone the box. But the attack didn't end there.

Behind the trailer, Trixie continued her offensive, firing more beams from her horn, desperate to hit her target.

Goldroar continued dodging, moving with grace and agility. He performed precise turns on one foot, shaking his mane under the bright midday sun. Anyone watching would think he was dancing, and indeed, in a way he was: a unique dance born from the warrior's training and battlefield experience.

After unleashing a long barrage of magic beams, Trixie stopped. Sweat was pouring down her forehead like rain; she had exhausted all her magic and was completely drained. Exhausted, she watched Goldroar casually adjust his mane. He hadn't broken a sweat; there was even a playful look in his eyes, as if he were enjoying the show.

Seeing this, anger exploded in Trixie like a volcano.

"IT'S NOT FAIR! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HIT YOU IF YOU WON'T STOP MOVING?!" she shouted furiously, beside herself with rage. Trixie's new brilliant plan had just collapsed, just as Goldroar had surmised. Trixie had planned to use the explosive box to incapacitate him; however, with her intentions guessed, Goldroar took hold of the box. And Trixie had no choice but to destroy it from a distance, even knowing how dangerous it could be for her being so close. Yet, despite Trixie's concentrated attack, it wasn't enough; Goldroar's agility had outmatched her.

All the confidence and assurance Trixie had felt had plummeted to its lowest depths.

On the other hand, Goldroar was more composed. His opponent was finished; she had no more magic. It was disappointing, as he had expected more, but he shouldn't act arrogantly. Such behavior was for the weak...

"Grrrrrr," he growled in annoyance. Goldroar looked at the explosive box he still held with his tail. What should he do with it? After scanning the meadow, he noticed a small lake in the distance.

Without much thought, Goldroar flicked his tail. Just like one would sling a stone with a slingshot, Goldroar's tail flicked and launched the explosive box towards the lake. It spun through the air like a disc until it reached the water.

"ZAPPPPP." A bolt of magic crossed the meadow and struck the explosive box in the air. The box split open, and several packets of explosives fell into the lake like rain. Wet, the explosives sank, disappearing from sight.

"HA HA HA, YOU SEE! I DID HIT HIM. YOU THOUGHT I COULDN'T, RIGHT? BUT I DID! I DID IT! HA HA HA," behind her trailer, Trixie rolled ecstatically among tears for her Pyrrhic victory.

Her only success the whole morning.

Goldroar was puzzled. He scratched his head with a claw. He couldn't understand this pony. Using what little magic she had left in that way, instead of fleeing, was strange. Blowing up the explosives far from him served no purpose. So, why was she so happy?

Moreover, why was she doing all of this?

Goldroar knew Trixie; he knew she was friends with the current owner of the castle. A moment ago, he had recognized her just as he was about to attack her on the hill; embarrassed, he returned to the gates and waited for her to give him the security code to let her in.

However...

Trixie didn't. Throughout that time, she acted like a stranger, as if she had never seen him before, as if she didn't know anything about the security protocols she should follow. To Goldroar, this seemed very suspicious, and he never let his guard down.

Now, with everything that had happened, Goldroar suspected even more. Perhaps she really wasn't the owner's friend, but another individual pretending to be her... If that were the case, then knocking her unconscious must be fine.

Sure of his logic, Goldroar began to advance towards Trixie.

Trixie, still celebrating, froze at the sight of Goldroar advancing. It was like watching a giant rock rolling towards her. Although her body was free from restraints, she didn't move. Her limbs were too tired, all her magic was gone, and her will to fight had completely withered under the shadow of the terrible creature that was Goldroar.

Everything had gone wrong. What else could she do?

Goldroar finally reached her. His imposing figure loomed like a wall of steel about to collapse on her.

"Fine! ... If you're going to eat me, just do it!" shouted Trixie, maintaining a defiant posture. Though at that moment, a flash of strangeness seemed to cross the manticore's gaze, Trixie chose to ignore it and closed her eyes firmly.

"I'm sorry, Starlight... here ends our friendship," Trixie murmured to herself, her last words directed to her friend, resonating in the tense silence.

There, awaiting her end, Trixie waited...

And waited...

Several minutes passed, but nothing happened. Finally, Trixie cautiously opened her eyes.

Goldroar was gone.

Confused, Trixie scanned her surroundings nervously. That was when she spotted Goldroar exiting through the castle gates. How had he returned so quickly? And even more surprisingly, his appearance had completely changed; he had abandoned his imposing armor to wear a straw hat and a T-shirt, he even sported sunglasses. He seemed ready for a vacation.

Indeed, Goldroar was leaving. He hastily closed the castle gates and walked away down the main path, but not before crossing paths with Trixie again, whom he bid farewell to by nodding his head in an enigmatic gesture.

After a few minutes, his large silhouette disappeared over the hill.

Absorbed, Trixie couldn't understand what had just happened.





The unknown presence knew it. This was the moment she had been waiting for all morning.





Royalinda, hidden among the bushes, finally saw her chance. Leaping out from the shrubs behind Trixie, she lunged like an open trap towards the pony's uncovered head. Every millisecond in that leap was a moment of satisfaction as she watched her unsuspecting prey ignorant of her threat. It had been genuine torture for her to wait so long. But it would soon be over; Trixie was already hers...

However, just inches from reaching her target, something happened. The world around her seemed to spin and turn translucent. In an instant, the air seemed to compress around her. Bewildered, Royalinda attempted to change her trajectory, but her gelatinous body collided with invisible walls.

Her body began to spin out of control until it finally came to a stop. With her senses still altered, Royalinda heard an unfamiliar voice speaking to her.

"I've got you!"





Several minutes had passed, and Trixie was still gazing at the hill where Goldroar had disappeared. It was then that she noticed the voice behind her. She turned around. Although the astonishment on her face hadn't yet disappeared. She was surprised once again to find the 'unknown presence' that had been observing everything that had happened in front of the castle during the morning.

There, beside her trailer, stood Derpy Hooves with a jar between her hooves. She was wearing a black leather jacket with the initials 'LESSON' on its sides.

"I've got you! I've got you! I've got you! I've got you!" the pegasus exclaimed joyfully, celebrating the capture she had made a moment ago.

Inside the jar she held, an orchid-octopus thrashed furiously, spitting bubbles of anger.

Observing this spectacle and unaware of how the castle's magic barrier was reactivating behind her, Trixie still couldn't make sense of anything.





Goldroar, the manticore, hurried along the path that crossed the hill. It was unusual to see him in such a rush, considering how leisurely he usually took the journey home after work.

As he walked, a thought lingered in his mind: "How could I have forgotten?" The fight he had had had distracted him too much. Although he was very excited about his job, today was a holiday; leaving work at midday was the norm, and he, on the other hand, had been delayed by having to deal with that pony.

Returning to that point... was it okay to leave the pony like that, with nothing else?

Goldroar shook his mane a little, letting go of that thought. That didn't matter anymore. Matters outside of working hours were not his responsibility. What was important was that he was on his way home to his wife; he wouldn't be long now.

He was in a hurry, and for good reason; a delicious surprise was waiting for him. He knew this because he had caught his wife bringing home a bulky prey the night before. From the smell he had caught in the middle of the night, he deduced that it was a "spin-rabbit," a true delicacy among manticores. If he added this to his wife's habits, he was sure that the afternoon lunch would be something memorable.

The fact that she had hidden it so carefully from him was proof of her love. She was so affectionate... and she was also a bit wild. But the latter made her even more special to him.

"Special?" A new thought stopped Goldroar in his tracks for a moment. He had just realized something obvious. This day was the longest day of the year. This day was a special day.

Could it be that the night would bring more surprises...?

Goldroar licked his teeth at the thought.

With a quickened pace, he strode along the path until he crossed the bridge. He paid no attention to the body of the old pony floating downstream or the danger signs against orchid-octopuses on the other bank. And so, without further ado, he ventured into the Everfree Forest.