Welcome to the Club

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Welcome to the Club

"Trixie...?"

"Yes?"

"If for some reason this doesn't work out..."

"Don't be silly! The Grreat and Powerrful Trrixie is here to save the day! All days! Besides, we're a team! You said it yourself!"

"Heheh... yes, well... if for some reason Equestria does get lost forever... I will still be your friend forever. No matter what. Th-that's a promise."

"Stop. Worrying. Trixie has got this! Besides, you've explained it all perfectly to me! Just follow the schedule. Be nonchalant. And use your magic where it counts!"

"Heh... at least you've finally started listening to my instructions."

"Will you just relax? Just think of it all as a way to enjoy time together as we never have before! After all, what's the worse that could happen?"

The date hovered in the air, glowing with a gold brilliance that only she could see. The numbers and characters swam in a circle, slowly rotating like the hands of a clock. In the center, an emblazoned hourglass spun just a little bit faster, almost distracting her eyes from the dreadful ticking of the seconds: twenty-eight... twenty-nine... thirty... thirty-one... ever so icily approaching midnight.

She exhaled heavily. Dull torchlight flickered off her pristine orange coat, and the hint of cold vapors escaped her muzzle throughout the extent of her sigh. Just then, there was a rattling sound. A lock somewhere was spinning, loosening.

Here she is.

The holographic hourglass receded into the mare's cutie mark. The numbers vanished in a blink before they could hit the next minute mark.

I've run out of ideas. There's no escaping this moment.

The unicorn sat up straight on a stool before a cold stone table. Two sets of hoofcuffs rattled, fettering her rear and front limbs separately. Nevertheless, she looked straight forward, her anxious gaze locked on the far length of the room.

It was a cold dungeon—entombed in gray stone. Only one sliver of relief lingered close to the ceiling: a narrow window, barred and thin, showing a cloudy night sky full of swirling snow. No less than six guards stood in a phalanx along the far end of the cell, their helmeted glares glued to the mare seated at the table. Behind these soldiers stood a massive door—the source of the clattering noise.

The prisoner's amber eyes narrowed. She couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation. An old habit from a life on stage.

At last, the door fully unlocked. Eight more guards marched in, armed to the muzzle with spears and shields levitating with unicorn magic. They formed a tight rectangular formation, protecting something... somepony. At the very front was a familiar stallion, and his narrow blue eyes were the coldest of all, regarding the prisoner with iron-wrought distrust.

She stared back at the Captain of the Guard. Unmoving.

Just then, a regal voice spoke from behind the lead soldier.

“That will be all, Shining Armor.”

He clenched his jaw under his helmet. The stallion stepped aside—pivoting—revealing Princess Celestia in the center of the armed contingent.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect...” He shifted noticeably under his armor. A sweaty gaze darted to and from the prisoner. “...you know what she's capable of. You read the report. I saw what she did to the Vault's Patrol team—”

“I am indeed aware of her capabilities, Shining Armor,” the ruler of Equestria spoke. Her eyes remained locked on the prisoner at all times. “Which is why I know that this... all of this—” She waved a gilded fetlock at the room full of guards. “—is completely ineffective.”

Shining Armor flinched at that. He cast a nervous glance at the prisoner.

Her muzzle formed an undeniable smirk.

His nostrils flared, but the Captain of the Guard stood at full attention before his Matriarch. “Awaiting your orders, Your Highness.”

“Leave us,” Princess Celestia said.

A noticeable shudder rolled through the armored guards.

“Your Majesty...?”

“The only magic that matters now is alicorn magic,” Celestia said, taking a few bold steps forward. She stopped in the middle of the room and spread her wings for emphasis. “Go. Now. Patrol the streets of Canterlot City. I want my subjects gathered here for the festivities to be protected—first and foremost. Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear, Your Majesty.” Shining Armor bowed low. He cast one final glare at the prisoner before producing a shrill whistle. Every guard in the room swiveled on command, then marched out in a solid line. The Captain followed last—

“Lock the door,” Celestia spoke without turning. “Do not open it until you hear me command so.”

Shining hesitated... but eventually ducked out as ordered. The massive door slammed shut. Within seconds, the complicated locking mechanism rattled and whirred and clattered to a rigid stop.

All was silent.

All was cold.

Just a strange unicorn, the Ruler of Equestria, and the drifting snow outside the window.

Breathy vapors slowly coalesced in the center of the room as the tense staring contest oozed on. Princess Celestia's rosy eyes had a fiery glint to them, but somehow—to the prisoner—it wasn't nearly as burning as she expected.

And that's what gave her a renewed breath. She sat up straight, her posture powerful and assertive.

Celestia must have noticed it, for she finally broke the silence: “It is nearly half an hour until midnight: Hearth's Warming Morning.” She spoke slow and steady, like a disappointed parent. “My subjects are supposed to be sleeping in comfort and bliss right now, overlooked by my beloved sister.”

Her wings flexed, maintaining her intimidating presence. She completely dwarfed the prisoner, and the ripple of her mane threw hard colors against the gray stone walls.

“Families. Foals. Friends and neighbors. This is meant to be a time of peace. A time of bonding. A time of reflection on the things of the past that brought us together... as well as the horrors that nearly ripped Equestria apart.”

Don't talk.

The prisoner breathed calmly.

Don't say anything.

She gazed at Celestia, patient. Unmoving.

If... if maybe we just let her ramble on... allow her to get it all out... she might lose patience and continue this interrogation later, buying us some precious time...

“I meant to attend the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant before its completion,” Princess Celestia continued. “My good and faithful student was performing in it. It's the first pageant since the thousandth year return of my sister, and Princess Luna herself was looking forward to greeting everypony after the festivities. Her first public appearance since Nightmare Night in Ponyville.”

The Princess' teeth showed in her next words, and the bars of the window rattled with her righteous anger.

“Imagine my shock when I found out that the very Elements of Harmony had been stolen under our very noses... and an entire battalion of guards ruthlessly assaulted!”

The unicorn gripped the edge of the table with her bound front hooves.

Don't let her get to you.

Just... treat her like all the others.

We're here for them.

All we've ever done has been for the good of all Equestria.

“Are you even listening to me?” Celestia took a few bold steps forward until she loomed above the table. “What is it that you told the Captain when you were captured? That you are Harmony, the Avatar of Entropa?” Her eyes narrowed. “I knew Entropa. She never would have entrusted her power to a mortal avatar. Not by choice.”

The unicorn's ears folded slightly.

“What's that, my little pony?” Celestia tilted her head back a bit. “Surprised that you were caught in a lie? Well, it was a falsehood that you could ever be caught by the guards in the first place.”

Uh oh...

“With the magic you were wielding, there was absolutely nothing forcing you to surrender. And yet you've pretended all this time to be helpless. Why, then, should I believe anything you have to claim about Entropa? Or about your 'royal duty' to the Canterlot Council?” She seethed. “You may have been able to fool my guards, but you cannot fool me. Your ruse stops here.” She slapped a hoof down, filling the cell with a deafening thunderclap. “I want to know what you have done with the Elements of Harmony. I want to know what your intentions are for Equestria and its ponies. And—most of all—I want to know where a pony with your unearthly magics comes from!”

Just... just don't panic. Don't panic.

Uhm... d-don't even make eye contact with her!

This... this...

Th-there's gotta be a way out of this...

The unicorn took a deep breath.

She tossed her mane.

Then, with a smirk...

...she spoke.

“You're right, Princess Celestia, I am not Harmony. I am not a representative of the Canterlot Council.”

Wait... what are you doing?

“But...” Her amber eyes glared icily at the Matriarch. “...believe it or not, I am an avatar of Entropa. Let's not mince words here. The power she had when she left Equestria was no match for a simple translocation spell wielded by mere ponies. So maybe you didn't know her as well as you think, 'Your Majesty.'”

No!

Stop!

Stop talking!

Princess Celestia's jaw hung open.

“Who are you who wears Entropa's colors... her mark... and pretends to wield her essence...?”

The unicorn stood up at the table with a rattle of her chains.

“My real name is Trixie Lulamoon,” she said, then smiled even more. “But you can call me the Grreat and Powerrful Trrixie.” Another toss of her dark, amber-streaked mane. “As for Entropa's so-called 'essence,' there's no pretending about it. You're an alicorn. Surely you've sensed what Trixie can do. Why else did you send the guards away?”

Celestia was actually fidgeting at this point. She took a step or two back, as if the tiny prisoner was pushing her back with each breath.

“After you were captured a few hours ago...” Celestia gulped, avoiding the unicorn's gaze. “...I reviewed the notes of my court wizards. Over the past six months, the leylines of Ponyville have been ripped apart by wild unknown magics. At first, I thought it was my good and faithful student coming to terms with her destined abilities, but... in actuality... all this time...” She pursed her lips. “...it was you???”

“Mmmm. Yes.” The prisoner rubbed her hoof against her orange chest fluff and examined it lazily. “Shocking, I know. Imagine if Trixie really wanted to 'clean house' at the Royal Vault? Where would we all be then, hmmm?”

“Those magic spells in Ponyville...” Celestia frowned. “...they were alicorn spells.”

“So what if they were?”

“The point is, immediately after robbing the Vault of the Elements, the only reason you were captured by Shining Armor's soldiers is that you meant for it to happen.” Celestia fumed. “I want you to tell me why.”

“Or what?” The prisoner squinted casually up at the Ruler of Equestria. “You'll banish me to the moon?”

Celestia clenched her jaw.

Trixie... have you gone completely bonkers?! I know that we've still have to do the impossible, but none of this is helping!

The prisoner looked to the side, hissing: “Hush! We've gotten nowhere until right now! Let Trixie's showemareship lead the way!”

Celestia snapped: “Who are you talking to?”

“Who indeed!” The prisoner waggled her eyebrows, staring Celestia down once more. “You say that you care so much about your royal subjects—slumbering away during Hearth's Warming Eve. But are you prepared to do what needs to be done to protect all of them? Even more of them?”

“If you are attempting to convince me that I should humor whatever mad plans you have for—”

“There's way more at stake than you can even comprehend, Your Majesty,” she spoke in a solid tone. “Trixie speaks of more than Equestria. She speaks of more than even the universe. Or a thousand universes!” Her amber eyes hardened. “More than Entropa herself had the capacity to tackle. So—perhaps—that's why she left Equestria the way she did.” The prisoner cocked her head to the side. “Haven't you ever wondered about it? What exactly it was that she saw coming?”

That did it.

Princess Celestia leaned back in stunned silence. Her wings coiled as she gazed at the floor in deep comprehension.

O... k...

I did not see that happening.

“You should trust your best friend more!” the prisoner murmured under her breath.

I think you might actually have something going here.

“You think?”

Celestia finally looked up. “Okay. I am willing to give you the benefit of a doubt.” She gestured at the prisoner. “If you wear those colors by sheer magic, then that can only mean that—for some reason or another—you are indeed gifted with powers of Entropa. The question is... why?” She slowly shook her head. “There is no history of the Alicorn of Time bestowing her gifts to anypony else.”

“That's because you only perceive history in one direction.” The prisoner stifled a yawn. “Honestly, Your Princessness, Luna's back. Back here. In the present. Are you still so used to a thousand years of lonesomeness that you only look to the past? As in your time without her?”

Celestia's pupils widened. Her muzzle dropped. “But... it can't be. You can't be.”

“And why not?”

“Starswirl the Bearded's spell—”

“—has been improved on by a pony far more powerful than me.” Trixie took a shuddering breath. “And Trixie does not admit that lightly.”

Cute.

“Don't rub salt in Trixie.”

Celestia had begun pacing the tiny gray cell at this point. Her colors dimmed before the cold aura of the snowfall outside as she deeply pondered the given situation.

At last, her thoughts resonated out loud: “Something more than Equestria... Something more than the universe... A thousand universes...” She scuffled to a stop, squinting the prisoner's way. “What sort of a threat would necessitate the removal of the Elements of Harmony?”

“Trixie did not simply remove them,” the unicorn explained. “She repositioned them.”

“Repositioned them?”

“Yes. Trixie merely... put them in a place where they need to be in about...” The unicorn looked at her flank. The cutie mark of a hourglass turned into a spinning hologram, complete with numbers and letters. “... … ...Four months. Twelve days. Six hours. Twelve minutes.”

Celestia took no notice of the cutie mark's magic. “What happens then?”

Don't tell her too much, now.

I don't know how far you intend to go with this, Trixie, but I'd play it close to the chest.

The prisoner calmly breathed. “Let's just say that Equestria will be visited by an old threat.”

“Sombra?” Celestia exhaled. Her wings tightened harder. “Grogar?”

“It doesn't matter. It's just fitting notches onto a clock.” The unicorn gestured with her shackled hooves. “The point is—there is a threat greater than all of the evil you could ever think of. And that's why Trixie is here. And she was doing just fine juggling things so that the timeline could continue as 'normally' as possible, but a few dumb wrenches have been thrown into the machine.” She sighed, slumping back in her stool. “And tonight was the dumbest wrench of all.”

Celestia leaned hear head thoughtfully to the side. “You didn't plan to get found by the guards after all...?”

“Eh. It was unavoidable. Once there was no escaping, I allowed these hoofcuffs to come on. No big deal. Trixie was always meant for the spotlight, after all. But now that she's got the attention of somepony who might possibly understand the scale of what's at stake...” The prisoner scooted closer to the table and propped her cute smile against a pair of bound forelimbs. “Maybe we can make a team.”

We're already a team.

“An even bigger team,” Trixie growled out the side of her muzzle, eyes rolling.

Celestia huffed. “I am going to need more than that.”

“Hey!” The prisoner shrugged. “You want a magic trick? Just go grab the Grreat and Powerrful Trrixie a wand and a top hat and prreparre to be dazzled—!”

“No, I mean...” Celestia moved forward and sat on the floor opposite the table from Trixie. “I need to understand everything about how you got here, Trixie Lulamoon.” Her royal brow furrowed. “And I do mean everything.”

Well, Trix... we've come this far...

“Very well, Your Majesty...” The prisoner fluffed her mane, leaning back into a lazy slump. “...if you insist. Story time it is!” She tongued the inside of her muzzle as she scratched the ceiling with her gaze. “This whole thing started... mmmm... about five years.”

Celestia nodded. “Five years ago, I see.”

“No.” The unicorn glared at the Princess. “Five years... from now.”