Cling!
Trixie started awake, the metallic clash scaring her right out of the shallow slumber she was enduring. She looked up towards the source of the sound, none other than Princess Twilight herself. Twilight towered over the little filly, glaring down at her. Trixie was laying on a tattered blanket, barely enough to fit her hooves while tucked under herself. Despite the small blanket, and pony, the cage containing the beast was big enough for Trixie to stand up to move forward and back two steps.
“Wake up already! Pets don't sleep in, idiot. You have an incredible amount of work to do before the girls come over tonight.” said Twilight, pointing towards the door of the basement which had become Trixie's new home.
Trixie quickly wiped away the sleep from her eyes with a hoof as she rose in the cage, a yawn escaping soon after.
“Sorry Princess, I didn't… I didn’t mean to.” Muttered Trixie, staring at the ground hoping to avoid Twilights scowl.
Twilights scowl only intensified, she had almost no patience for the filly. Trixie just exuded annoyance, her crimes and acts still raw in Twilights mind. The same could not be said for Trixie, her mind was wiped with the spell that made her into a filly. This was on purpose, of course. Twilight knew what she was doing, and punishing an innocent filly for the crimes of another mare was just that much sweeter.
“No excuses, Trixie. Get going unless you want a strike so early in the morning?” Threatened Twilight. Trixie rushed through the hatch that Twilight had opened while she was speaking.
“No! Please no Princess, I’m ready to work, honest!” panicked Trixie.
She trotted to the doorway of the room, avoiding the junk and storage supplies that crowded it. Twilight followed close behind watching the filly exerting herself just to walk fast enough to keep up. Trixie's hair was a lot more frazzled now than it used to be as an adult. Her fur wasn’t as smooth and glowing, even her eyes seemed a bit more dull. Her collar looked fantastic, though, thought Twilight. It was a deep purple, matching her owners coat, with a small diamond shaped charm engraved with Trixies name on it. On the back, the charm had Twilights name and castle address, in case Trixie ever got lost. The salespony at the pet store insisted this was an important thing to have, he claimed that dogs got lost all the time around these parts.
“Umm… what should I do first, Miss Twilight?” asked Trixie, her eyes locked on the floor. Twilight smirked a bit, she was too afraid to even look at her owner. There was still work to be done, but she was already seeing plenty of rewards for it. Twilight stopped in her tracks, raising a hoof to her face and sighing.
“You ask the same question every time, stupid. You're supposed to look at the list right in front of your muzzle and check. Seriously its like youre trying to get on my nerves.” sighed Twilight. She moved her hoof from her face, allowing her to look at Trixie who flinched at the sudden movement. Twilight smirked a lot more at that.
“Get started already, I’ll be going out for supplies and I expect most of the list to be done by the time I get back.” said Twilight, leaving the room.
Trixie listened as her hoofsteps grew softer and softer, and finally the boom of the castle doors. Twilight scared her, she had such a short fuse! Because of this Trixie tried her best to be a good pet, last time she got 3 strikes she could barely walk for two days. It was a vicious cycle, as more punishments led to more difficult accomplishing tasks. As a result, Twilight gave her 2 strikes over that period for moving too slowly. Just one more strike and Twilight would not be kind, but Trixie knew it was for the best. Trixie knew that she wasn't very smart, or useful, or even pretty for that matter. She was nothing when compared to her owner. Trixie knew that very well, but it was okay. That's what she told herself, at least. Twilight would help her become a good pet. The best pet!
With that thought, Trixie steeled herself for lots of chores and looked up at the list. The first thing on the list was a small picture of a broom, and next to it was a picture of the kitchen. “Clean the kitchen!” thought Trixie, smiling a bit because she liked being there. The kitchen was off limits to pets, but Trixie liked seeing how complicated pony food was. Twilight ate all kinds of foods, lots of different colors and shapes. This was in stark contrast to pet food, Trixie knew. Pet food was… red? Trixie was still learning her colors, but she was pretty sure red was correct. Colors were not her strong suit, but shapes came naturally. Twilight put different sticker shapes on Trixies tools to help her tell them apart. She was very organized like that, thought Trixie fondly.
After climbing the stairs she started her journey while looking around, she never tired of how pretty Miss Twilights home was. Before she knew it she was looking at the door to the kitchen.
“HEY! Trixie is that you?!” shouted a voice from the room adjacent, startling Trixie into dropping the bucket she was holding in her teeth. She scrambled to pick up the various tools and cleaning liquids that were now scattered all over the floor. Circle water… square water…. Triangle water… brush… Trixies mental checklist was interrupted as Spike stomped nearby, approaching the rushing filly before crossing his arms and locking eyes with her.
“I asked you a question, Trixie.” spat Spike, his gaze unrelentingly strong.
“Oh! Uh.. yes it is Trixie! That’s me...” mumbled Trixie quickly, forcing a nervous smile onto her face. Spike never punished Trixie, but she knew that he didn't like her at all and that was reason enough to avoid him.
“I thought I told the stupid little pet to stay away from the library.” said Spike, punctuating his sentence with a poke to Trixies forehead, just barely missing her sensitive horn. Trixie took some steps backward, putting her little pail on the floor in front of her in order to speak.
“I wasn't going to the library Mr. Spike… I’m s’posed to clean the kitchen, see.” replied Trixie softly, gesturing to the pail on the floor. She hoped Spike believed her, Spike had lied to Twilight before, telling her that Trixie had broken one thing or another. He would probably tell on her again, Twilight would think that she entered the library, and that would be strike 3! She felt the need to support her story.
“I even brought the triangle water, see! That one is only for metal stoves and stuff, not… not bookshelves.” said Trixie, she had learned that the hard way when she tried to clean a wooden stool with it, it started smoking! Trixie shuddered at the memory, that one cost her a long time out, she could still feel the flames licking at her hooves.
“It's not triangle water, dumbfuck. Its called detergent, which you would know if you could read.” Laughed Spike, pointing at the bottle in her pail. Trixie flinched at the bad word, and then looked down at the bottle as she started to tear up.
Its okay Trixie, its okay, just go clean and then leave…
Trixie picked up her pail once again and went into the kitchen, wiping her tears when Spike couldn't see her anymore. She looked around the kitchen, the sink was full of dishes with various bowls and utensils. Finally, the countertop was a mess, a fine layer of grime mixed with the white of flour. After taking a moment to compose herself, she placed the pail on the floor and retrieved the stepstool from the small storage closet. Twilight allowed her to use this stool to stand on when she couldn't reach anything. Trixie was very lucky, if her owner wasn't nice enough to let her use a stool, she would have an incredible amount of trouble cleaning well. Pets aren't allowed on the furniture, she knew. In no time at all Trixie got in the groove of cleaning, clearing the surfaces and spraying everything with her bottles. She rubbed the towel over the countertop and was satisfied with the shine after a bit of effort. She grinned, happy to think that she was useful.
I hope Miss Twilight likes my cleaning, last time she gave me headpats! Maybe this time she’ll do it again!
Trixie began humming softly, a simple tune she heard a bird sing once. Her memory was weak so she made up most of it, maybe someday she could see the bird and teach it her version. Her mind wandered as she finished up the plates in the sink, she thought of how nice it would be to go outside more often. She could see birds, and more ponies, and maybe meet other pets! Twilight spoke about the magic of friendship a lot, and even though Trixie didn't know much about magic, she knew lots about Twilight. Twilight loves friendship and books, as well as a clean home. Making friends with another pet would probably make her owner happy. And if Twilight likes something, then it must be really awesome! Sadly, Trixie wasn't allowed to touch books so she couldn't learn the wonders of those mysterious objects. It was okay though, Trixie trusted Twilight, so she didn't have to use a book to know that they were as awesome as Twilight said.
“Try to focus!” said Trixie, tapping herself on the forehead with a wet hoof since she noticed that all the dishes were done. She had been standing on her stool for a while, doing nothing, wasting valuable time daydreaming about making a friend. Trixie rushed to put the stool back and put all the supplies into her pail, before trotting through the doorway into the hallway, and eventually back to her room. The list on the wall had another two tasks to do, but they were easier than cleaning a whole kitchen. She decided to take out the trash first, and then polish the table.. Map.. thing that was in the room with the big doors. Twilight spent time there a lot, with other ponies. Trixie only knew because she could hear the ponies come through the front door from her cage. She wasn't allowed out while ponies came in.
Trixie grabbed a small cart that was in the basement and hitched it to herself as best as she could. Tying things was very difficult for Trixie, but she managed to tie it enough for her use. She galloped room to room, collecting each waste basket and putting it in her cart. There were a lot of them, but she finished quickly and was proud of herself for it. Spike seemed to be in his room, the castle only as loud as Trixies own hoofsteps. She approached the last room she needed, it was a room with a big table in the middle and chairs surrounding it. This was a very important room, Trixie knew. Twilight was here a lot, so Trixie would deliver drinks and things to her here often. Today she was here to dust though, killing two pegasi with one boulder, or something like that, thought Trixie. She packed up the waste bin into her cart and pushed it to the corner. After retrieving the feather duster, she began cleaning each throne meticulously from top to bottom.
Her mouth was starting to get tired, she had been cleaning all day but she knew that she had no time for a break. From what she could tell, the sun would be setting soon and Twilight would be home and ready to punish Trixie if she wasn't done with her chores. Twilight expected Trixie to be waiting in the cage by the time she got home, and Trixie didn't want to disappoint her.
She didn't need another strike, not at all. With that thought she hurried, her hooves moving as fast as they could. The crystal shone almost unnaturally bright after Trixie was through, but Trixie could tell that the table wasn't as bright in comparison. She wasn't allowed to touch the table, that was made very clear to her. But cleaning it doesn't count as touching, not at all. Twilight would be happy if she polished it! The ponies who visited would compliment her on her beautiful table, and then Twilight would reward Trixie! Trixie started running the feather duster over it, thinking about the various rewards Twilight could give her. She stood on her hind legs to reach the table, bracing herself with one hoof and using the duster with the other. She stretched further trying to reach the center of the table, standing on the tip of her hooves. Just a little more…..
“And I told him, where am I supposed to get 37 kilos of baking soda in the middle of yakyakistan?” laughed a bubbly voice from the doorway of the throne room. In fear Trixies back hooves slipped and she fell on her face, smacking her horn on the edge of the table on her way down. She didn't know whether to hold her aching nose or her ringing horn, choosing to nurse her horn she moaned in pain.
“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?! That was a crazy tumble, little filly!” screamed a pink mare, the one with the bubbly voice. She was already holding Trixie in her hooves, seemingly bending space to the point where Trixie did not remember being lifted. The mare ran her hoof through Trixies mane, cooing and then wiping away the tears that were forming on her eyes..
“You.. you scared me..” sniffled Trixie, looking away from the strange mare.
“Awwwww you are just the cutest! I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name? What are you doing in the castle?” said Pinkie Pie, with the biggest smile Trixie had ever seen. This wasn't all that impressive because she hadn't seen many before. Twilight and Spike didn't smile that often, but she knew Pinkies was massive. In a flash it turned into a scowl, only Trixies confusion preventing her from panicking at what would surely be a punishment.
“WAIT! What are you doing in the cutie map room? Wait!! Are you a burglar?! Are you trying to steal my chair?!” questioned Pinkie, shaking the filly softly as she held her a hoofs length away from herself.
“N-no, I was just cleaning them…. I promise. Please dont tell Princess Twilight, I wasn’t trying to steal anything Miss Pinkie Pie!” said Trixie, after analyzing the river of words that she was slammed with. Trixie didn't know this mare, so she was going to try her best to get on her good side lest she complain to Twilight.
“And, um, my name is Trixie. I belong to Princess Twilight Sparkle. My address is on my collar.” Blurted Trixie, catching her breath after what seemed to be an automated message. Trixie didn't know where that came from, but pinkie seemed to have triggered her to say it.
“Oooh!! That was a cool voice! I can do one too! Dear Princess Celestia, today I met Trixie!” shouted Pinkie, the voice was more of a scream than anything. While Pinkie was screaming, Trixie tried to wiggle out of her grasp hoping to run to her cage. Pinkie stopped just in time to come to her senses.
“Now that that's over, I wonder when the girls are gonna show up!” said Pinkie, placing the filly back down on her hooves. She was successful in distracting Trixie from the pain, all according to plan.
“The girls?” inquired Trixie, looking up at Pinkie and tilting her head slightly.
“My friends, silly!” said Pinkie, booping Trixie softly on her nose, “Twilight, Rarity, Dashie and Fluttershy. I bet you know Twilight at least.”
Darn
Trixie turned and grabbed the feather duster from the table behind her, and galloped to the cart, hitching herself as quickly as her tiny hooves could move the buckles. When the final buckle clicked into place she pulled the cart out of the room. Leaving Pinkie just staring at how desperate she was to leave. Trixie was about to reach the front door of the castle, aiming for the door off to the right that led to the basement, when she crashed straight into another pony. The garbage in the cart went flying as Trixie went head over hooves launching the contents straight at the pony that she collided with.
Trixie opened her eyes, the world upside down and a towering pony stood above her, the ponies pink striped mane stood out against the deep blue color of the rest of it. The mares horn glowed, showering the room in a deep magenta light. In a flash, the garbage and cart was gone, leaving the filly laying on the ground on her back.
“Go to your room, Trixie. I’ll be there shortly.” said Twilight calmly, not even looking at the filly who had begun shivering at the mere sound of Twilights collected voice. Too afraid, she stood as still as she could. This lasted only moments until Twilight grabbed her in her magic and raised Trixie to eye level. With fire in her eyes, Twilight looked the tiny filly right in the eye and spoke again,
“Don't make me repeat myself, Trixie, I'm not sure you'd survive the consequences.” Whispered Twilight as Trixie burst into tears. Twilight put the crying filly down, and it immediately dashed to the basement doorway. A trail of tear drops punctuating every sob that emanated from her, both fear and immense disappointment in herself fueling her distress.
Trixie made it to the basement, seeing through blurry eyes and walking on shaky hooves. With the last of her strength she threw herself into the cage, grabbing her tattered blanket and hugging it for the only bit of comfort it could provide.
The wire of the cage bit into her side, and her tears pooled around her head. She didn't know much, but she knew Twilight was a good teacher.
Twilight had already taught Trixie the true meaning of fear, but tonight Twilight was aiming for something different.
Punishment.