The Great and Powerful Trixie gave a soft yawn when she climbed down from her bed and slowly made her way across the room. She’d slept passably, she supposed. She’d had nightmares half the night, though. Something had just felt off. She hoped she wasn’t coming down with anything. That was the last thing she needed, she still had to teach her new ‘assistant’ how to organize all of those books, not to mention she was getting another small shipment and expecting some recommendations for Lyra. The Great and Powerful Trixie didn’t have time to become the Sick and Resting Trixie.
Trixie made her way to the kitchen, rolling her eyes as Daring Do and Chuck wrestled on the floor. She poured herself a nice, refreshing glass of juice before pausing and walking back out into the main area.
She didn’t know which was worse. The fact the main area had been entirely wrecked or the fact some Daring Do cosplayer had Chuck in a headlock. No, definitely the destruction. She took a small, deep breath before drinking one last sip of her juice before, finally, hurtling it at the pair of them.
“Gah!” Daring Do yelled before her head shot up.
“Who, exactly, is going to pick up this mess?” Trixie asked. “Because it’s certainly NOT going to be the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
“Uhhhhh,” Daring Do said before glancing back at Chuck. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Mmm hm,” Trixie said. “Because it looks like you dressed up as Daring Do, broke into the library after hours and are now assaulting my newest assistant.”
“Err, I mean, wait, assistant?” Daring asked. “That’s not exactly what happened!”
“Mmm? So you didn’t break in?” Trixie asked before glancing around. Ah. There it was. She could see one of the windows, now wide open. She really needed to start locking those things.
“I mean, a window was unlocked and--” Daring said.
“And you’re not assaulting my assistant?” Trixie asked.
“Uhhhhh…” Daring said before releasing Chuck from the headlock. He dropped to the ground with a dazed squeak. “I didn’t know he was your assistant. I thought he was another one of Dr. Caballeron’s goons.”
“Doctor… wait a moment,” Trixie asked before glaring at the mare. “You’re that pony from last night! Well. This night. Yesterday. When I was closing!”
Daring gave a soft sigh before standing up straight and nodding. “I guess there’s no point in trying to hide it. Yes, I’m really--”
“A burglar,” Trixie said. “I’m calling the guard.”
“Wait, what?” Daring asked.
“I’m calling the guard,” Trixie said again. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not have time to deal with petty criminals!”
“Wait, no, you don’t understand!” Daring yelled. “Listen, I’m not a criminal. I’m Daring Do, the REAL Daring Do. I--”
“Sure you are,” Trixie said with a roll of her eyes. “Daring Do isn’t real, she’s just some b-list action character from some overhyped books. While I’ll admit your costume is quite convincing from what I’ve seen, it’s hardly anything special.”
“B-list?!” Daring asked. “Have you not even read my books?”
“Fine, a criminal AND a fangirl,” Trixie said with a roll of her eyes. “Perhaps deranged as well. Chuck, are you okay?”
“Pretty lights…” Chuck said drowsily.
“Now just look at the mess you’ve made in my--” Trixie started, only for the door to the library to suddenly burst open with such ferocity her hat was blown on its side.
Trixie blinked and stared at the four, dare she say, thugs standing in the doorway. With a single rather rough looking earth pony leading them. “Ah, my apologies,” the stallion said. “You see, I forgot my library card but I absolutely must take some things to check out.”
Trixie stared, her eye twitching. “Just what in the--”
“Caballeron,” Daring said. “I should have known you’d show your face here. You don’t really think you’ll get away with whatever you’re planning, do you?”
“That’s DOCTOR Caballeron,” Caballeron said with a chuckle. “Of course, Daring Do. I should have known you’d be here. You’re too late, however. Because you see… I already know who holds the ring.”
“The ring will never be yours,” Daring Do said. “Do you even know what will happen if Ahuizotl gets his hands on it?”
“He’ll make me filthy stinking rich, obviously,” Caballeron said before motioning a hoof forward. “Get her!”
Trixie blinked and glanced between the two, bewilderment on her face. Slowly Chuck crawled over to him and gave her a confused look. She just shrugged and her horn glowed as she poured some more juice in the kitchen and then brought the two cups of juice over to them. The changeling took his with a grateful look and the two began to drink.
“Happy you could just drop in!” Daring said before leaping onto and tipping a full stack of books on top of one of the thugs, then darting across the room, landing on top of stage curtain. “But I really must make this the curtain call!” With a mighty buck she kicked the post of the curtain free, dropping it on the three thugs.
“One-liners could use some work,” Trixie said. “But, as improv shows go, they’re quite passable.”
“My neck still hurts,” Chuck said.
“Oh, stop complaining,” Trixie said. “Nopony likes a whiner. Hm?”
Caballeron was standing besides her now, a smirk on his face. “Enough of this. NOW! Pony. I know YOU are the one who has the ring. Tell me, where is it?”
Trixie just stared at him for a moment before taking a small sip of her juice. She then sighed. “What? Is this part of your act? Fine, fine, if you so adamantly demand to know. It’s, mmmm, at the bottom of the Ponyville Well. I tossed it there where nopony could find it. Happy?”
“Ha!” Caballeron said. “Now, Daring Do, you will--”
“She already left,” Trixie said before motioning towards the window the pony had dashed out through.
“What?” Caballeron asked. “Curses! Fools, get out of there! We must get to the ring before Daring Do!”
Trixie sighed as ponies climbed out from the wreckage and then barreled out of the door. It was going to be one of those days, wasn’t it?
Wait, no, that wasn’t a ‘day’ thing.
“Is… there even a well?” Chuck asked.
“Who cares?” Trixie asked. At least they were out of her mane for the moment.
“I must admit I am quite surprised to see this first thing in the morning,” Zecora’s voice came from the open doorway, the zebra trotting up. “For destruction like this oft needs more warning. I can’t quite shake my own small worry, would you be able to tell me the story?”
“Hm?” Trixie asked before glancing to her Prized and Striped apprentice. “Ah, of course. I suppose I, the Great and--” Her words were cut off by the sound of a bookshelf collapsing. “Sigh… let’s go get some breakfast and I’ll tell you everything. Then I suppose I’ll have to talk with the mayor about some extra security. Chuck?” she said, pausing at the sad look the changeling was giving her. She had been PLANNING to tell him to try and clean up while she was gone. But she supposed that wouldn’t do. What if those ponies came back?
“Yes?” Chuck asked.
“Come along,” Trixie said. “We can get you a cupcake or something.” Her horn glowed and she grabbed another magic book from one of the nearby bookcases… which then promptly collapsed. She sighed and thrust the book into the changeling’s chest. “Read this while we work.”
“Yes Great and Bossy Trixie,” Chuck said.
Trixie nodded, but then paused. “What did you say?”
“Great and Powerful Trixie,” Chuck said quickly.
Trixie glared at him, but didn’t say anything.
------
Paradise. Oh, this was paradise. There was no other place it could be. The blissful, wonderful paradise, the ideal reward for a good, well behaved changeling that had loyally obeyed her queen, at all times. No wonder they had been sent here. Chitin licked a little frosting off one of the cupcakes, before sliding the others out onto a tray.
Pinkie, or as Chitin called her, the Great Pony of Paradise, giggled before sliding over another small tray of cupcakes. “Can you put these out on the second row? Only eat one.”
Chitin nodded, struggling to suppress the urge to eat ONLY one. Pink pony was so generous. Pink pony was so wise. She hoped she could be around pink pony forever. She happily scampered over to the stand and slid them in, right before the door opened. She turned around in time to see a fellow changeling.
Chuck?
She felt a small moment of dread before she saw Trixie and Zecora following behind him. “Next thing I know, they’re running around the library, breaking things. They keep talking about some stupid ring. It is far too early in the morning for this nonsense. So I told them it was in the bottom of the well so they’d go away.”
“And they so quickly believed when they were misdirected?” Zecora asked. “I believe their quick return won’t be unexpected.”
“Good! They can help clean up that mess they made,” Trixie said with a roll of her eyes. “The library isn’t even the whole of it. Look at my new changeling. He’s been traumatized.”
Chitin’s eyes narrowed. Just WHAT was Chuck planning. This was HER paradise, if he thought he could come in and steal her-- no.
No. That was not the way of the Great Pony of Paradise. What would Pinkie Pie do?
Chuck looked hungry. Chitin was not hungry (for once), but she had a cupcake. Hmmmm. Her eyes lit up. She knew EXACTLY what she should do. She pulled out the cupcake she had been given before lightly trotting towards the group.
“I know not what this ring could be that they all search,” Zecora said. “Perhaps it is time you try some research?”
“Who knows?” Trixie asked with a roll of her eyes. “I need some security is what I need. And somepony who can fix all the stuff they broke.”
Chuck glanced up, confusion on his face as Chitin approached. A moment later she stuffed the cupcake in his mouth and he almost choked on it, his confusion turning to alarm… which was quickly replaced with a giddy glee.
“L-love…” Chuck said softly, a dazed, happy look on his face.
Chitin couldn’t help it, she felt a little warmth inside as well. Truly the teachings of the pink pony were wise.
“Yes, yes,” Trixie said, waving her hoof dismissively. “Though, normally we prefer to order our food BEFORE having it stuffed in our face. But hm, I suppose a few of those cupcakes, I’ll have a ursa major claw and, mmm, for you Zecora?”
“Mmmm, normally in the morning I prefer something less sweet and instead bitter,” Zecora said, tapping her chin. “But why not a simple peach fritter?”
“And one peach fritter,” Trixie said.
Chitin gave a small nod before grabbing a bag and beginning to collect their orders, using the handy cheat sheet Pinkie had made her. It even had pictures for the words she couldn’t properly read yet.
“Now, about your problem of the broken bookcases,” Zecora said. “Perhaps the Apple Farm, assuming you are in their good graces?”
“Ah, of course! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that!” Trixie said with a laugh. “This is exactly the kind of reason I asked you to swing by this morning.”
“Hmm, I am quite surprised by that, I must attest,” Zecora said with a knowing tone. “I suspected this call was in case you had trouble with your new guest.”
Trixie paused before giving a small smile, her cheeks going a little redder. “Ah. Well, yes. There can be two reasons. Sometimes the Great and Powerful Trixie’s abilities and foresight amaze even her.”
“Fret not, oh Great and Powerful pony who is quite amusing,” Zecora said with an amused, teasing tone. “This morning has already been far more interesting than merely snoozing.”
“Your order,” Chitin said before scooting the bag closer.
“Hm? Right, yes, yes,” Trixie said before flinging some bits on the counter before pulling the bag to her and trotting back out the door, distributing the breakfast as they went.
Chitin couldn’t help feeling a small, strange warmth in her still. Maybe she should talk to the pink pony about sending cupcakes to the other changelings who were here. It felt nice to follow Pinkie’s lessons. Like she was being an even better changeling.
She cocked her head to the side as suddenly four weird ponies, soaking wet, suddenly started CHASING Chuck and the others. She shrugged. Eh, it was probably nothing. Ponies were weird, anyway. It was hardly the first time she’d seen them chase each other.
“Congratulations on your first customer!” Pinkie said from behind her, before confetti exploded around her. “And your first gift!”
Chitin’s eyes went wide. She had TWO cupcakes now.
Best. Paradise. EVER.