//------------------------------// // Mirrors's Edge Part III // Story: Starring Trixie // by metroid_freak //------------------------------// I had expected a more ‘involved’ search. That’s not to say I wasn’t pleased to find her sitting in the Ranger’s mess hall, staring blankly at an apple; rather, I was merely commenting on the irony of finding her aboard the ship once again, despite the fact that it wasn’t exactly her favorite means of conveyance. I sat down across from her and let the silence hang over us like an awkward raincloud for a while. “Look at us,” I said in an off-hand sort of way. “We’re like an old married couple.” Trixie shot me a dirty look. “Go away…” she replied in a tone that simply refused to mask the uncertainty of her words. “Leave me alone.” “What makes you think I’m here to see you?” I asked nonchalantly as I got up and walked over to the replicator. “I just got hungry after the batshit insane week we’ve been having and wanted a snack.” Trixie cocked her head and looked over at me. “Trixie thought…you might be here to talk to her about…earlier…” Her confession came a little too easily; I knew I’d have to handle things very carefully. “Nah,” I replied, taking a bite of my freshly-replicated apple. “I’m not here to bug you. Besides,” I took another bite. “You made it pretty clear about how you felt about helping.” Okay, a little mean I know but I had to trigger her defense systems if I was gonna coax anything out of her. “That’s not what Trixie meant!” she cried defensively. “Then would you please tell me what’s going on?” I asked. “We’re supposed to be friends and friends help each other with tough shit, and it seems to me like you’ve got alotta shit on your mind!” Silence reigned again as I awaited her response. “So please…tell me what’s going on.” I asked, my tone considerably softer than before. “It’s…the Alicorn Amulet.” Aha, so that was it. That was a lot of pressure to put on someone…er, somepony. Drat. Another credit in the jar. “Look, if you’re nervous about using it, I’m sure you have nothing to…” “I’ve used it before.” “Um…what?” “I said, I’ve used it before.” I was flabbergasted. “How is that possible…?” I mentally face-palmed. Mirror Universe. Duh. Things were starting to make sense again. She must’ve had a really terrible experience with it and it spooked her for life. “I’m sorry; I had no idea.” “‘It's okay...you deserve to know. The last time I used it was back in Ponyville, a small town a few hours away from Canterlot. One of my previous shows had gone...poorly, and I blamed it on Twilight Sparkle.” "Isn't she a princess now or something?" I asked. "I mean, I listen to the subspace feeds but not as often as I'd like." "Yes. Back then, she was still just the princess' student and I was...well, let's just say that I made some questionable decisions. One of those decisions was to use whatever means necessary to show everyone that I was the most powerful unicorn in the world." She paused and looked down at the floor. "I was jealous, Cole. Jealous that she had everything and I had...so little. There she was surrounded by friends and ponies who loved her and here I was...alone. I was angry and when I heard about the Amulet, I thought it was the perfect way to get back at her her and prove myself." She took a deep breath. "While it did enhance my natural abilities a lot, it had...another effect." She shivered, prompting me to gently put my arm around her. "It corrupted me. It took over and drove me mad for power and turned me into a tyrant. It's only thanks to Twilight and her friends that I returned to normal." More silence. “I...wow." I replied, unsure of what else to say. "Do you…wanna talk about it some more?” I ventured. “Not really...” “I understand. If that’s how you feel…then I won’t pressure you.” It was Trixie’s turn to look surprised. “But…what about Princess Luna?” “What about her?” “We already promised we’d…” Trixie trailed off and looked dejectedly at the floor. “No, I promised we’d help, which was a really dumb thing to do. I should’ve talked to you about it before I volunteered for both of us. It wasn’t right and I’m sorry.” I could understand Trixie’s shock at my words; no doubt she had been expecting some bullshit line like ‘my ship, my rules’ but that wasn’t my style. Besides, were supposed to be equal partners and even if the showmare didn’t fully believe it, I was gonna try and convince her of it. “Thank you.” As much as I wanted to push her into saying something so rare again, my ego could wait. “You’re welcome.” I yawned and stretched my sore muscles. “Why don’t you have a hot chocolate or something?” I suggested, making my way out of the mess hall. “Wait, where are you going?” Trixie asked, almost urgently. “I’m gonna see the Princess and tell her that I’d still like to help but she’s gonna need another volunteer for the whole ‘ancient artifact’ deal.” I replied with a smile. “But…what if she gets angry?” “I don’t think it’ll be that bad,” I answered, trying to convince myself. “I mean, she’s still got me and the Ranger so she still has some cannon fodder, right?” The blue mare’s expression told me quite plainly that my little ‘joke’ was not appreciated. “Ah, so you know what ‘cannon fodder’ is. I’m sorry, it was just a joke.” “Well, it wasn’t very funny!” Trixie replied haughtily. That’s better, I thought with a smile. “I know, I know, and when we make it out of this, I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Look, I’ll be back soon so just sit tight, alright?” Trixie nodded. “See ya in a bit.” With that, I left the mess hall. *** “I see…” Princess Luna mused a she paced about in her room. “And you’re sure about this?” “Absolutely. She’s just…too terrified that it would corrupt her again. If you ask me, ma’am, that’s a pretty good reason to be scared. From what she told me, it might as well be called the ‘Phazon Amulet’.” “Phazon?” “Long story,” I replied quickly with a dismissive wave. Good story, though, I thought. “Anyway, to be completely honest with you, I just don’t feel comfortable coercing or forcing Trixie into anything that she’s this afraid of. It just wouldn’t be right.” I was pretty firm and I hoped the Moon Princess wouldn’t take exception to my tone. “I understand,” Luna assured me after a pause. “I was just…hoping that she would be willing.” “I know and I understand that, believe me,” I replied. “She does want to help. We both do. That offer’s still up for grabs. Think of it this way; you’ll have two more bodies to help with the preparations and one more starship for when the shit hits the fan, right?” I was trying to make myself sound like less of a liability, especially where battle was concerned. That being said, the Ranger could fight…just not very well. “I suppose you’re right,” the princess conceded. “I guess this is like…how does the saying go? ‘Beggars can’t be choosers’?” “Well, that’s one way to put it,” I replied thoughtfully. “Still, you don’t look much like a beggar, especially that fleet of yours. You’ve got a lot of ships, ma’am. Good ones, too.” “The question is, Mr. Stevens, will they be ‘good’ enough?” Luna asked mused. “Good enough for what? A battle? I would think so.” “I certainly hope so. It’s not just you and I depending on a favorable outcome. If we are not victorious, then I don’t even want to think about who we’d be letting down. The gryphons have been all but enslaved and the Klingons long ago lost the battle for their homeworld. If we are defeated…then the rest of the Alpha Quadrant will surely fall.” Luna’s head dipped and anxiety hung heavy in the air. Simply seeing her like this would’ve been more than enough to convince me to render my assistance but I was extra-determined now. “I’m sorry; I know it’s late.” “It’s fine, Princess,” I assured her, simultaneously failing to prevent a yawn from escaping. Luna chuckled. “I think we could all use some shuteye,” she replied. “I’m sorry to have kept you up so late. Please, if you don’t mind, join myself and my compatriots tomorrow for breakfast. We still have much to discuss.” “I’d be honored, Princess. Mind if the ‘little one’ tags along?” I asked. Luna grinned. “Not at all, though I’m not sure I’d want to call her ‘little one’ too often. She looks more than capable of taking care of herself.” “Yeah, she’s feisty but she’s definitely not stupid,” I agreed. “I just hope that we’ll actually start getting along some day.” “I’m sure you will soon,” Luna answered as I bowed and headed for the door. “One moment, please!” My hands instinctively cupped in front of my chest as something shiny levitated towards me. Into my hands fell the Alicorn Amulet. I looked up at the moon princess in surprise. “I’d like you to hold on to it for now,” she explained. “Just in case.” she finished with a wink. Yeah, just in case Trixie changes her mind or I can strike some kind of deal, I thought as I pushed it into my jacket’s front pocket. I nodded and with a small wave, slipped out. *** The next day found us hard at work. Well, maybe me more so than my blue cohort. It was really the first time I envied her; magic had to be the most useful…well, anything ever discovered. Under the directions of the various engineers and tacticians under Luna’s leadership, we built a fleet of war. Ship after ship docked at the station, was refitted with the best equipment available at such short notice, and took off to make way for the next. By midday, I was pretty sure that the entire station envied Trixie’s ability to effortlessly levitate and manipulate heavy objects, although even she needed a break every so often. Without a doubt, the high point of my day was when it was the Ranger’s turn for an upgrade or two. While they couldn’t do much about my deflector systems, they did have a few disruptor beam arrays, allowing them to switch my pathetic phasers for something with considerably more punch. I even received an upgraded targeting scanner courtesy of a captured Terran Empire battleship. I’ll say this about the Terrans; their foreign policy sucked but they sure had some decent tactical tech. Now that my ship actually stood half a chance in a shitfight, I felt a little better about the situation in general. I looked over at Trixie, currently engaged in a conversation with Princess Luna, and wondered what she thought. She’d been distant the night before and had retired early. I knew she needed her sleep and was crazy-nervous but I still wondered if there was something even more serious on her mind than what awaited us. If there was, she was hiding it well. This went on for the next four days and on the fifth, we were finally done. Trixie and I didn’t see each other much other than a brief ‘good night’ or ‘good morning’. All in all, I think it was for the best. We needed a break from each other and I figured that the less time we spent snug as a bug in a rug on Deck 2, the better. Ha, yeah right. Us? Snug? Like that would ever happen. Even in a universe with so many possibilities, being ‘snug’ with the showmare was not one of them. She barely even let me ruffle her ears! I didn’t really mind, though. Besides the fact that she’s a pony and I’m, well, me, and even if one could ignore the near-steady stream of abuse and pseudo-tsundering, the interest just wasn’t there. But I was okay with that. Sure, there were times when I could’ve used some female company. I mean, who doesn’t? That’s the most common element in the universe; the desire for companionship. I grinned at the thought of the universe as a giant troll sticking me in a confined space with an eccentric and occasionally violent unicorn. All in all, Trixie was a pretty good traveling companion. We watched each other’s backs and that was good enough for me. That night, the one before the enacting of her grand plan, Luna summoned us into the meeting room one last time. I took what had become my usual spot between Trixie and a gryphon by the name of Gilda Hawk, First Admiral of the Griffonian Alliance, and captain of the Griffonian War Vessel (GWV) Bladebeak’s Typhoon. She’d been through a few in her day and was eagerly looking forward to raising her ‘Terran ship kill count’ to an impressive 43. The Klingons and Romulans sat across from myself, Trixie, and the Griffins and at the table’s head sat Luna. “Welcome, all of you,” she began warmly. “I know that this week has been one of the most challenging that we will ever face and I would just like to say…thank you, for facing and overcoming every obstacle you came across.” “Here, here!” I exclaimed, raising my glass. The others did the same, coaxing a smile from the moon princess. “I…I lament that by tomorrow’s end, I may not see all of you at this table. The knowledge that I cannot myself protect all of you from what is to come wracks my heart with grief. I can only place my faith in you and hope that your courage and wisdom brings you and your compatriots home safely.” After a few more heartfelt words and promises of victory or death (mostly from the Klingons), we discussed the plan one more time, trying to ensure that all the bugs got worked out. Intelligence supplied by secret listening posts along the Terran Empire and Solar Imperium’s borders informed us that both Empress Celestia and the Terran Emperor were to meet for a conference in a neutral system between their respective borders. We also knew that, as a show of ‘good faith’, both would arrive with minimal escort. Our mission was to quickly overwhelm them, capture them, and force them to surrender. If all went according to plan, Luna would then return to Equestria and dismantle whatever pony-fied Hell Celestia had cooked up. Afterwards, a unified Equestria along with their Klingon, Gryphon, and Romulan allies would be able to push the Terrans back to their little pocket of space and hopefully keep them there. It was an ambitious plan but it was all we could do. It was only a matter of time before one overpowered the other and absorbed the entire Alpha Quadrant. As unappealing as the thought of fighting my own species was, I came to the conclusion that any reality governed by humans that were complete assholes was not okay. Still, I hoped that we could accomplish our goal without inflicting excessive harm on either species. Strangely, Luna made no mention of the Alicorn Amulet or who possessed it at any point during the meeting. Hell, it wasn’t even brought up. I wondered if that was her ‘secret weapon’, one last gambit just in case things went south. Still, wouldn’t it be better to share that knowledge with a bunch of allies about to follow you into battle? Then I looked over at the Klingons and basically answered my own question. After the meeting, I returned to the Ranger, upon reaching which I was stricken with a sudden hankering for some hot cocoa. Trixie had long since returned to the ship and I figured she was either asleep or practicing her routine. After all, she was a showmare at heart and a civil war was no excuse not to practice one’s trade. Of course, I also knew that she needed a break so I headed to her room and rang the bell. “Hey Trixie, I’m making some hot chocolate,” I exclaimed into the door’s communicator. “You want a cup?” The door opened and I wandered inside to find her curled up on her bed, gazing out at the stars. “Hey,” I said softly as I sat beside her. “Everything okay?” “Trixie is doing just fine, thank you.” Her response was curt and typical but unconvincing. “Don’t worry, you can say it. If you’re nervous, that’s okay. To be honest, I’m a little scared too.” “Trixie is not scared!” “Me neither. I just thought you could use some company.” We sat in silence for a minute or so. “So…about that hot chocolate…” I suggested. “…Yes, please.” Trixie replied, moving to get up as I returned to my feet. “It’s okay, I got this,” I assured her. “Just relax. I’ll be right back.” I returned a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of my favorite beverage. Hot chocolate was one of the few food-related items that I never used the replicator for. There was something to be said about homemade hot chocolate, especially after adding a shot of real Irish cream liquor. Oh yes, the real stuff. I disliked alcohol for the most part and couldn’t stand synthale but for those rare occasions during which I felt like a nightcap, I liked having some of the good stuff within reach. This was definitely one of those occasions. We drank our hot chocolate in relative silence. I was happy just to let Trixie sit, sip, and think. If it meant helping to clear her head and or peace of mind, she could sit for as long as she wanted. I was curious but unwilling to badger her simply to satisfy my curiosity. “Thanks for the cocoa.” I smiled at her. “No problem.” I replied. “Y’know, I’ve been thinking,” I mused, causing her to look up at me. “I can’t really think of a reason for you to come with me tomorrow.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I mean, I’d hate myself if something happened to you and since I can handle the tactical stuff, you really don’t need to come with me if you don’t want to.” Almost instantly, her expression turned sour and her demeanor, defensive. “What are you saying?” she demanded. “Are you saying you don’t want me along? You think I can’t handle it?” “Well, I wouldn’t put it like that per se but that’s pretty much the gist of it.” I knew I needed to be completely honest with her if she was ever gonna trust me. “Well! That’s…that’s where you’re wrong! The Great and Powerful Trixie can handle anything!” “How about death?” She just looked at me with wide-eyed horror as if I’d just sentenced her to eternal damnation. “Can you look in the mirror and honestly tell yourself that you are ready to see someone die right in front of you? Can you tell me with a straight face that you could watch members of your own species scream and perish as you watch helplessly?” I looked down at the floor. “Because I can’t. I hate death more than anything. The only reason I’ve agreed to help is that without our intervention, more will die needlessly. I can’t have that. To allow that to happen without doing anything to stop it, even if I failed, violates every principle I possess. Besides, we’re going up against my race. You have no quarrel with them, so…you can leave it up to me.” I felt a soft hoof on my hand and looked over at the blue mare. “My race is part of this,” she replied, surprisingly not angry. “So I am too.” I was taken aback at her openness and pragmatism, if not outright impressed. “I…wasn’t expecting that,” I replied honestly. “Well, I did promise the Princess I’d help, right? Besides, you might need somepony as great and powerful as myself to watch out for your sorry flank.” she added in a hopeless attempt to save face. “Yeah, yeah, I might,” I mused, taking another sip of cocoa. “I just might…” *** “I must admit that, for a Terran, you’ve got some guts to show up here,” Celestia mused as she suspended the human in the air. Lavender, pink, blue, orange, white, and a familiar yellow pegasus sporting a jagged pink and black mane surrounded the human. “Especially after we destroyed your ship and executed your crew. Why, one could almost say you were brave, if they did not know you and your species as I do.” “A ship and crew can be replaced,” the human replied with a grin. “I’m here for something much more ‘interesting’.” The Solar Empress scrutinized him closely. “And that would be…?” “A simple proposition. You see, we share a common enemy. It’s bad enough that that sister of yours escaped imprisonment but now she rides around with those Klingon dogs trying to police the Quadrant and keep it under her hoof. The Empire is sick of it and I’d bet everything I have that you are too. As such, I suggest that we…form an alliance to ‘take care of’ our mutual problem…your Highness.” His subsequent bow was met by a chorus of whispers and angry words courtesy of the other six. “He’s lyin’, Empress!” “Send that tacky little bag of un-fabulous skin to the sun!” “Just let me at ‘im, Empress! I’ll take care of this!” “Let’s see if he bounces! Ahahahahahaheeheeheeheeheeheehee! “Ooh, can I ‘study’ him, Empress? Please? I promise not to disembowel him before I’m done this time!” Celestia ignored them and turned to the yellow one. “Commandant Fluttershy, you’ve had the most experience dealing with the humans and my sister’s forces. What do you recommend?” The yellow pony grinned. “We crush them.” “That’s all well and good, Commandant, but have we any need for Terran assistance?” “As your Commandant,” Fluttershy began. “While we are perfectly capable of dealing with this rebel scum without help, I find the idea of Terran assistance…intriguing. Perhaps we should accept their, ahem, generous offer.” Then we’ll just crush them right after we’re done with Luna, she and Celestia thought simultaneously. “Very well. I shall meet with your Emperor and we shall decide on a pact that serves both of us. Now go and make the arrangements.” Celestia ordered, releasing the human. “Right away, your Highness.” he replied with another bow. “See that you do,” Celestia added, accepting the human’s handshake. “Pleasure doing business with you.” “Same to you…Admiral Cole.” *** To this day, I’m not sure I was ready for what was coming or just stupid enough to think I was. As we disembarked from the base, I wondered if anyone else was thinking the same thing. Maybe but probably not. Everyone else in our little fleet was way more combat experience than I did and while that itself didn’t bother me, the fact that I possessed so little experience did. The day began as soon as the communique arrived informing us that both the Terran Emperor and Empress Celestia were en-route to the meeting point. With only a handful of ships each so as not to appear overly aggressive at such a delicate juncture, the rendezvous was ripe for the picking. There were a lot of us, a fact that gave me a little comfort amid the ruinous apprehension which gripped my heart. It was very difficult not to show it; I’m sure the little mare had enough on her mind. I sincerely hoped it was something along the lines of ‘what the flying fuck am I doing here with you in the middle of a Goddamn fight’ but history will show that I was rarely that lucky. I was worried for both of us but even more so for Trixie. I’d been in battle before, however briefly, while Trixie had not. I mean, not like this. “Is everything alright?” Luna asked over the COM channel, which every ship had left open for convenience. “You were drifting out of formation.” “Uh yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, correcting our course. “Just a little distracted.” “I understand but I must ask you to keep yourself together. None of us can afford to lose our concentration.” she replied gently yet sternly. “Yes ma’am. It won’t happen again.” I assured her. She nodded and the viewscreen returned to normal. I sighed and looked out the viewscreen at the stars streaking past. She was right; the whole reason I’d worked by ass off to earn my ship was to feel like someone, to maybe do something important. Why else buy a starship and travel all over the place? It had finally dawned on me as we headed into the inevitable clash. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter in my chair and brought up the Ranger’s tactical options just as Trixie walked in. “What are you doing?” she asked, hopping up into the chair closest to mine. “Looking at our options,” I replied. “Just making sure I’m as ready as I can be for when the shit hits the fan.” I instinctively patted my breast pocket, feeling the outline of the mystical Alicorn Amulet within, reduced to nothing more than a far-fetched contingency plan. There was a pause. “If this is the last time Trixie…” “It won’t be.” I cut her off. “…but if it is…Trixie thought you should know…she did not hate the time she spent…with you.” I smiled and nodded slowly. “Man, you’re just one walking, breathing cliché, aren’t you?” I asked with a chuckle. “Jerk!” “Relax, I get it. For the record, I’ve really enjoyed our time together too.” I gripped the hand rests of my chair tightly. “And that’s why I’m gonna make sure we get out of this.” “You’d better! If you get Trixie killed, you’ll never hear the end of it!” “Alright, alright already! No pressure, huh?” “Just…do your best, okay?” She was scared, that much was certain. I was too. “I will. Still, just in case things get bad…I want you to head for the nearest escape pod. Once you’ve cleared the ship, it’ll take you to the nearest safe friendly ship.” It took a moment for her to realize what I’d just told her. “But…what about you?” she asked quietly. “You’ll never make it if I don’t fight them off. I promised you’d be okay and damnit, I’m gonna keep that promise. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go out with a ‘bang’!” I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, assuring her that I had made peace with my decision. It was true; space was dangerous, a fact that I knew from the very beginning, something that I had long since come to terms with. “Trixie…can do that.” “I know she can.” We were shaken from our thoughts a moment later as the fleet-wide Red Alert sounded, bringing us out of warp. I wasted no time doing a scan; sure enough, there they were, ripe for the picking. I smiled; we’d caught both the Terran Emperor and the Solar Princess with their thumbs up their asses. “Alright everyone, remember the plan; capture the Emperor and the Empress. Do not let them get away! We need both for our plan to succeed! Now let’s end this war!” The princess’ brave and bold words roused quite the excited reaction from her Klingon crew and even I felt a little better. Our first wing attacked, swooping in from the side, surprising the enemy vessels, who moved to block or intercept. 12 ships up against about 57; our odds were good. Not even the mighty Solar Empress’ magic was all that powerful so far from her homeworld. At least, I hoped that Luna’s report on the subject was accurate. I didn’t relish the thought of getting flung into the centre of the nearest star. Held back as most of the fleet was, Trixie and I watched as our Klingon allies along with one captured Terran warship attacked, focusing most of their fire on the two enemy flagships. Klingon disruptors rained green death as Terran phasers razed their shields in one swift move, scattering the enemy combatants. Unable to stay in formation, they took off after their nearest attacker, unaware that they were being led into Luna’s waiting hooves. As glad as I was that everything was going smoothly, at least for the time being, something nagged at me. Maybe it was the way the Terran and Imperium ships had scattered so fast and against relatively little pressure from us. I wasn’t certain what compelled me to feel that way but all I knew for certain is that Trixie felt it too. “Something’s wrong,” Trixie muttered, her brain on overload. I looked over at her; where she may have lacked in knowledge of tactical situations, she more than made up for it with intuition and healthy superstition one often attains when utilizing such traits every day to survive. It was at that moment that my ship’s proximity sensors went berserk, dozens of little red lights appearing on the small map on the bottom of the Ranger’s viewscreen. I immediately hailed the princess. “Ma’am! Incoming enemy vessels and lots of ‘em!” I shouted, wincing as the Ranger’s shields absorbed a hit. “Your Highness, more Terran ships approaching! 40 kilometers and closing!” a Klingon reported frantically. “Reading additional Imperium warships on an intercept course!” Gilda Hawk added as a video feed of her bridge showed up on the viewscreen’s top right-hand corner. “It’s a trap!” Luna cried as a veritable swarm of Terran and Imperium ships bore down on us, flanking our small battle-group immediately. “All ships, engage the enemy! Fire at will! We have to hold them off until we capture the Emperor and Celestia!” “Yes ma’am!” I replied, saluting smartly before settling back into my chair. I cracked my knuckles and looked over at a frightened but still with it Trixie. “Time to get to work,” I muttered as I focused my attention on a nearby Terran Miranda-class. “You might wanna hang onto something!” I shouted, pushing the Ranger up to pursuit speed. Seconds after entering weapons range, I fired. Green beams courtesy of the Klingons impacted the ship’s shields as it returned fire, trying to shake us off. I persevered and braved several incoming phaser attacks, determined to score my first ‘contribution’ to our noble cause. “Computer, target their engines! Fire photon torpedoes!” I yelled, pointing angrily at the enemy ship with a triumphant expression. “There are no photon torpedoes on this ship.” There was an awkward pause as Trixie turned and gave me a scowl. “Oh, come on! You don’t even know what photon torpedoes are!” “Well why didn’t you get some?” she demanded. “I don’t know! I didn’t think of it!” “Well then think about it next time!” “It’s a little late now!” I exclaimed, swerving to dodge an incoming torpedo, but to no avail. Trixie cried out as the ship shook. I glanced at the shield meter and cursed under my breath. One stupid torpedo had almost completely wrecked the Ranger’s shields. I cursed again. You know that your shields suck when it only takes one torpedo to nuke them and that wasn’t even what they were meant to do. That’s what beam weapons were for! I breathed a sigh of relief as the shields recharged. Weak as they were, one of the few perks about the Nova-class was the relatively short recharge time. When brought down, the shields would recharge after 45 seconds so long as we incurred little to no damage during that time. I ‘hit the gas’ and we soon found ourselves on the outskirts of the battle. As bad as I felt about sticking on the outskirts, we needed to pull ourselves together. I had to admit that despite the terrible odds, Luna was putting up a Hell of a fight. The Klingons and Romulans were proving themselves to be valuable allies as they fought tooth and claw with the Terrans and the Imperium. Still, after a while, the odds were beginning to sway in their favor. We were losing ships faster than they were. Well, it was now or never. I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth before accelerating back towards the fray. I looked over at Trixie. “Look, I know this sucks but…” “Less talking, more shooting!” the showmare yelled, forcing me to concentrate on the viewscreen. “You heard the lady, fire, fire!” I shouted at the computer as we approached a Terran battleship. We soared over the saucer section, firing every weapon the Ranger possessed…except torpedoes, of course. “And BOOM goes the dynamite!” I yelled victoriously as the ship exploded behind us, the fact that it was loaded with less-than-reputable members of my own species notwithstanding. I guess I just got caught up in the heat of battle. “Cole!” Trixie exclaimed, catching me off-guard. “What?” “I can’t pick up the Empress’ magic aura!” I paused. “What?” “The only magic I sense is Princess Luna’s!” “So we’ve been had?” “Obviously!” I jumped on the COM and hailed Luna’s ship. “Your Highness! Celestia’s not here! It was a ruse!” “I know!” she exclaimed, wincing as a shower of sparks rained down on the ship’s bridge. “We have to get out of here but they have us surrounded! We can’t break through!” The ship shuddered again, cutting off the COM feed. “Damnit!” I shouted, slamming my hands on the chair’s console as something rocked the Ranger. “Fuck! What the Hell do we do now?” “How would Trixie know!?” “I have no idea! We have to get to Equestria! That’s gotta be where the Empress…” A particularly hard impact rattled the ship, throwing me off my chair and to the floor in a hail of sparks from the burning equipment of my dying ship. Dazed, I slowly got up and looked around at my damaged bridge before another hit tossed me like a rag doll. I caught a brief view of a light-blue aura just before I hit the floor. Despite the red stream leaving my head, I smiled weakly as Trixie’s protective barrier prevented her from suffering the same fate as myself. She shook her head in an effort to clear it before she saw me. It may have been the loss of blood causing me to hallucinate but I could’ve sworn I saw the showmare run towards me with a look of abject horror on her muzzle. It was almost as if she was…afraid for me. Nah, that couldn’t be it. “Cole! Cole! Get up!” she demanded through some very betraying tears. “You can’t…you’re not done saving us!” Wait…did she just say “saving us”? I had to be hallucinating; there was simply no other explanation. “Trixie…” I managed to groan. “Get to…the escape pods. Go…to Luna…” “Trixie isn’t going anywhere! You haven’t kept your promise to me!” “Whaa…?” “You were supposed to make Trixie rich and famous! Trixie can’t do that if you screw up and die!” She looked at me with desperation as I lay on the cold, hard tritanium floor. “Yeah…real sorry…’bout that…” I replied with a small smile. Trixie hung her head and to my immense surprise, held mine in her hooves with uncharacteristic gentleness. “Trixie…is sorry too.” “You…are?” “Yes. She…should've done more.” And that’s the way we stayed for a while. I’m not sure how long due to the fact that I was losing consciousness at an alarming rate. Still, I was glad that the last thing I’d ever see was someone…somepony’s caring face. Another hit, a minor one just to change things up, shook the ship, sending the Alicorn Amulet out of my pocket. It slid just passed the seated showmare, grabbing her attention. Amidst the growing blackness slowly eating away at my field of vision, I saw her look at it, fearfully at first but then with something…different. It was a mix of confidence and anger and to my great surprise, she levitated it over to herself and clasped it around her neck before gently setting my head down. Even if I could’ve spoken, I did no possess the words necessary to convey my shock at the scene before me. As if suddenly filled with renewed courage and faith, Trixie stood defiantly in front of my chair, staring out at the carnage on the barely-functional viewscreen. Give ‘em Hell, I thought as her horn began to glow. The ethereal light emanating from her horn began softly as first as light-blue light began to illuminate the bridge. Her eyes squeezed shut as she concentrated deeply, putting as much energy as she could into whatever she had planned. After a few moments, the Amulet began to glow as well, a bright red melding beautifully with the blue until it swirled as one unified force, bathing the bridge in rich, amazing hues of blue and red. Suddenly, it burst as streams of red and blue bounced about the bridge, bringing the ship’s damaged viewscreens back to life. I watched in awe as they soared out of the bridge and into space, where they shifted and grew into near-perfect representations of Klingon, Romulan, and Federation ships! A tear rolled down my cheek as our ‘reinforcements’ wasted no time engaging our enemies. I smiled as not one but three massive Romulan Warbirds brought their forward arsenal to bear against several unfortunate Terran ships, obliterating them effortlessly while a wing of Klingon Birds-of-Prey descended on the remaining Terran warships, scattering them and breaking their formations. I gasped as a massive Galaxy cruised over us, flanked by two Akira escorts, ensuring that no one could touch us in our weakened state. Well, I’ll be damned, I thought. It’s a Photonic Fleet! Somehow, Trixie had learned enough about Alpha Quadrant ships and how to harness the mystical powers of the Alicorn Amulet in order to combine that knowledge and power. And now, it was saving our cabooses. Having been caught with their trousers down, both the Terrans and the Imperium ships turned and fled, the Terrans heading for their homeworld while the Imperium left for Equestria. Immediately, the COM channel opened, revealing an amazed Moon Princess and jubilant Klingon crew. I looked over at Trixie, panting and sweating as she held what had to be a massive spell for as long as she could before finally collapsing. Fortunately, she rolled over so we could see eye-to-eye. I smiled weakly. “Nicely done…” I murmured, hoping she’d heard me. “Thanks…” she whispered before passing out. It wasn’t long before I followed suit and finally succumbed to the darkness. *** I wasn’t sure of much when I woke up; all I knew is that I’d been out for a while and that my calves were still asleep. I slowly opened my eyes and rubbed the sleepiness out of them as I sat up. I looked about at my surroundings and although I wasn’t 100 percent sure of my location, there was only one aspect of my venue that genuinely interested me. Curled up at the foot of my bed, fast asleep, was Trixie, her head resting on my calves. So that’s why my feet were asleep, I thought with a smile as I carefully leaned forward to ruffle her ears. She smiled and let out a cute little sigh at my touch. “Thanks for saving us,” I whispered, relieved that the extreme stress she’d experienced had not permanently hurt her. “Trixie wouldn’t have had to if you didn’t suck…” she murmured. “You’ve been awake the whole time?” I asked, somehow not too surprised. “Maybe…” “Okay, then. Why are you curled up on my bed? I thought you didn’t like me.” “I…Trixie likes having her ears scratched! That's all!” She sat up and brought her hooves to her mouth bit it was too late. The damage was done and I had a shiny new weapon for my arsenal. Perhaps it was fatigue that clouded her judgment and made her less wary. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I was too relieved and showed it my assaulting her ears with gentle scratches and massages. Defiant as she was, she succumbed almost immediately, lying flat on the bed like an overgrown cat, mewing with happiness at my ministrations. I couldn’t help but wonder if her admission earlier had been accidental at all or if it was just residual tsundere. “How long have you been here?” I asked as my hand finally began to cramp, ending the massage. “Where Trixie is and how long she stays somewhere are none of your business! Hmmph!” Oh brother, I thought, rolling my eyes. “You’ve been here the whole time, haven’t you?” I deadpanned. “Maybe…” “Well, even if you haven’t, thank you for being here. If you hadn’t decided to pull a miracle out of your hat, we’d probably be space dust right now.” “Trixie doesn’t even have a hat thanks to you!” Anyone else would’ve been pissed but given that she’d just saved our necks, I decided to let some tsundering go unpunished. “I know and trust me, I’m gonna make it up to you real soon.” I assured her just in time for the Princess and Gilda Hawk to enter the room. “Mr. Stevens! It’s good to finally see you awake!” Luna exclaimed. “Finally? How long was I out?” “You’ve been asleep for two days, Mr. Stevens.” “Seriously? Man, I must’ve been really messed up.” “Oh, you were. If we hadn’t beamed you both to sick bay immediately, the results would have been much worse. You both recovered just fine.” “Wait…you beamed us to sick bay? Then what about…” I sat up in a panic. “The Ranger!” Luna smiled at me. “Repair Bay One,” she replied. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. “She was in bad shape but it’s nothing our engineers can’t fix. She’ll be back to full strength in about a week.” “Thanks, Princess. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” I turned to Trixie. “Of course, I don’t know what any of us would’ve done without her.” I added, motioning towards Trixie and making the blue mare blush. “Indeed; we owe both of you our most sincere thanks,” Luna replied. “Because of your combined efforts, we managed to defeat most of the Terran fleet and forced Celestia’s forces back to Equestria. It will be a long time before either of them can threaten us or each other again.” “I…I’m glad, your Highness.” Trixie stammered, still star-struck. “It…it wasn’t all me, though. The Amulet…did most of the work…” Luna gave her a gentle smile. “Little one, it was you who harnessed its power and controlled it so expertly! As far as I’m concerned, you did all the work on your own.” “B…but…Trixie doesn’t have that much strength!” “There is more to power than raw strength, little one,” Luna explained. “True power comes from within. It comes from your heart and determination to do what you feel is right. You allowed that to happen and the Amulet helped you.” “So it did help me.” “Only so you could realize your potential. Other than that, it was all you.” “Thank you…Princess.” “Please,” Luna invited. “Call me ‘Luna’.” We spent the rest of the week helping where we could while occasionally checking up on the Ranger. Trixie and I did every job you could imagine, spending the majority of our time running supplies around for the inevitable day when Luna and her allies could finally save her home from its tyrannical incumbent. While Luna expressed her disappointment that we could not join her, it would not be for quite some time and by then, perhaps we’d be in better shape to lend a hand. She could tell that Trixie and I were homesick and bore us no ill will for wanting to return to our own universe. It was that combination of support and business that allowed the week to pass quickly and before we knew it, we were cruising alongside a Klingon escort ship on our way to a spacial rift that matched the first one we’d encountered. After one last goodbye to Luna and the rest of the station, we entered the rift. *** “Well, that was something, huh?” I asked as Trixie joined me on the bridge. “If I ever see another Terran ship, it’ll be too soon.” I looked over at Trixie, who sat silently. “Hey, something wrong?” “Trixie…doesn’t deserve it.” “Deserve…what?” I asked, curious by her admission. “Deserve what the Princess said. You know…about Trixie being a ‘hero’.” “Are you kidding me?” I asked in shock. “If you hadn’t conjured up that Photonic Fleet, those assholes would’ve wasted us!” “It’s not that…” Trixie replied quietly. “Then…what is it? What do you possibly have to feel guilty about?” “Trixie…I…didn’t help you.” “What are you talking about? You saved all of us, remember?” I’m pretty sure ‘all of us’ includes me.” “You got hurt because of me!” she cried. “I’m pretty sure I got hurt because of a Terran phaser…” “You don’t understand!” “Well, you’re right about that!” “Trixie saved herself! When that Terran ship attacked us, I shielded myself with my magic! I…I let you get hurt…” “…by not sharing the shield with me…” I mused, finally understanding what she meant. Then it came back to me. She was right; as we were getting pounded, she managed to protect herself but did not extend it to me. “What’s so funny?” she demanded as I let out a chuckle. “Don’t blame yourself ‘cause I was too damn cheap to buy a personal shield generator!” I replied, shooting her an assuring smile. “I don’t blame you for protecting yourself. Besides, if you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here right now. By saving yourself, you saved us all.” “I…I guess so.” “Still, that was big of you,” I added, wandering over to her before lightly scratching her ears in appreciation. “Not many individuals from any species could admit something like that. I respect you for that.” “Thanks.” “Well, now that we’ve gotten the obligatory angst out of the way, where to?” I asked, bringing up the galaxy map. “You…you’re letting Trixie decide?” “Why not?” I replied with a shrug. “This is a team effort, after all.” “Well then…” she mused whilst studying the map. “How about…there?” I nodded with approval at her selection. “Excellent choice,” I replied, taking my seat. “Computer, lay in a course, Starbase 39…” I pointed towards the space on the viewscreen. “…engage.” Trixie gave me an odd look. I shrugged. “What? I’ve always wanted to do that.” *** Admiral Cole coughed and sputtered, trying to clear the smoke from his eyes. All around him, his bridge sparked and burned, his once-mighty warship reduced to a mere shadow of its former self by nothing more than a pseudo-fleet of galactic ragamuffins. They’d just barely escaped destruction, having made a blind jump to…somewhere. It was difficult to tell without a functioning navigation console and messed-up scanners. Most of his crew was dead, the few survivors clinging to life amidst the wreckage. The Admiral spat in anger as he paced about the bridge and cursed as the ship’s proximity sensor alerted them to an approaching vessel. “Sir…there’s a ship heading our way,” a crewman informed him with a groan of pain. “It’s on an intercept course.” “Hail them!” the Admiral shouted as the strange, cube-shaped object on the viewscreen grew steadily larger. “Channel open, sir.” “This is Admiral Cole of the I.S.S. Revenge! Transmit your identity immediately or we’ll…” A transmission from the ship in question interrupted him. “We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.”