“C’mon, Trix, get up,” I pleaded as insistently as I could from my/our bedside, gently nudging the snoozing pony wrapped in a cocoon of soft sheets. We had migrated to my quarters just before sleep overtook us, which had become the norm as of late. Trixie essentially insisted on it and I sure as Hell didn’t mind. Her snuggles were swiftly becoming the stuff of legend.
“There is no Trixie, only Zuul…” she murmured sleepily from beneath the covers. I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“That’s it, no more late-night holodeck classic movies for you,” I muttered. “Besides, you’re not even using that in the right context; last time I checked, this was the private quarters of Cole Stevens and the Great and Powerful Trixie, not a refrigerator in some haunted apartment.”
“Go ‘way…” came the response. “Trixie sleepy…”
“You do realize that your meeting with Captain Sisko is in 26 minutes, right?” I asked.
The resulting appearance of the showmare from within her blanket cocoon was more akin to a violent explosion than the comparatively gentle emergence of a butterfly. Everything, including myself, went flying as a burst of magic signaled her return to consciousness. I groaned, rubbing the back of my head as I got up while Trixie ran into the shower
“I’ll just go get some Crispy Chex ready for us. I’ll be in the mess hall!” I called over the sound of the running water. Trixie had never liked the sonic shower in her quarters, which was one of the reason she spent most, if not every night in my quarters with me. Of course, there was also the cuddling, heated make-outs, and general companionship but one cannot discount the value of a hot shower in close proximity every morning. With a yawn, I made my way to the mess hall.
You’re probably wondering why we didn’t just use the replicator in my quarters and eat there; surely, that would be more convenient than going to a completely different deck each and every morning, right? As old-fashioned as it may sound, the mess hall possessed a couple of features that made it an optimal location for the consumption of nutritional supplements. Firstly, it contained, of all things, a large walk-in refrigerator perfect for keeping precious non-replicated foods or beverages (such as milk for delicious Crispy Chex) fresh. I know that it seems like a small thing but seriously, you try living on recycled proteins and whatever the replicator last ate without craving fresh, real food once in a while.
I scarcely had time to take a bite before a blue blur almost crashed into the table and had to choke down a laugh as the showmare shook her head. Without missing a beat, a light-blue glow surrounded my bowl, liberating it from my possession and over to Trixie’s side of the small table.
“Hungry, buddy?” I asked as she wolfed down the galaxy’s most delicious unreplicateable substance. “You look hungry enough to eat a h…” Anticipating the very same metaphor that had once led to a rather nerve-rattling 25 minute chase around Deck 4, Trixie simply raised an eyebrow at me, prompting me to stop. “…eaping second bowl of Crispy Chex.” I finished, pouring her a second helping. Like the first, the second round didn’t last long and the showmare was soon washing it down with a glass of orange juice (also fresh, non-replicated).
“So…nervous for your show this afternoon?” I asked once she finally came up for air.
“Nervous? Trixie? HA! Don’t make her laugh! Trixie never gets nervous before a show! Never! Trixie laughs in the face of anxiety!” she replied haughtily, throwing on a cocky grin for good measure.
“That nervous, huh?” I asked without missing a beat.
“Little bit…” she replied quietly, lightly tapping one forehoof against the other.
“Must be exciting though too, huh?” I pressed on, trying to alleviate her anxiety. “I guess that would make you…”
“…nervous-cited?” she finished.
“…Sure.” I said with a shrug. “By the way, did you decide on your entrance music for the show yet?” Again, she sent an eyebrow-raise at me. “Come on, Trix, it’s a time-honored tradition! Throughout human history, great entertainers often relied on an exciting musical accompaniment to mark their entrance to a venue or signal the beginning of their act. I mean sure, you’ve got that fanfare but don’t you think it’s time for a change? Maybe something a little more…elaborate, y’know, something to really get the crowd excited?” I waited as Trixie thought about it.
“Trixie…supposes that it might not be too bad an idea…” she mused, clearly thinking it through rather carefully. I smiled and nodded. “Trixie will check some out on the computer after her meeting with Captain Sisko.”
“That’s the spirit, Trix,” I exclaimed, leaning over to kiss her snout. Ah, the way she scrunched it up and looked at me was just so damn adorable! Of course, surprising her in any way was always accompanied by a certain degree of risk but for the sake of bringing more cuteness into the galaxy, it was a risk I was usually willing to take.
Of course, her retaliatory kiss was a pretty good reason, too.
***
The rest of the day leading up to the show was a busy one, at least for Trixie. My role was primarily to just stay the Hell out of everyone’s way while they prepared the promenade for the evening’s show. Ideal for accommodating large numbers of people, the promenade was a prime venue; the fact that people could also watch from the higher levels added to the appeal, which as one might expect pleased the showmare greatly. According to Captain Sisko, the entire station had been alerted regarding the evening’s events and from the looks of things, Trixie could expect a high turnout, which also pleased her.
I had seldom been so impressed with her than during that afternoon. Even as the hours flew by and afternoon turned into early evening, the showmare never stopped. I found myself nipping back and forth between replicators keeping her energy levels high enough to coordinate everything she had to coordinate; the catering, with which Quark had surprisingly done a wonderful job, seating, tables, entrances, exits, sound checks, lighting checks…the list went on. Finally, about an hour before the show was scheduled to start, she found a brief yet welcome reprieve and almost collapsed over my knees as I sat down.
“It’s been a day, huh?” I asked. I felt her nod slowly on my leg. “Well, look at it this way; only a few more short hours and you’ll be the most famous mare this side of the Gamma Quadrant.”
“Maybe the Dominion’ll hire Trixie for birthday parties…” she murmured, eliciting a laugh from me.
“I don’t think the Vorta or the Jem’Hadar do the whole birthday thing, to be honest,” I replied, slowly stroking her head. “The Jem’Hadar idea of a party is probably like…I dunno, small animal disembowelment contests or something. Like, who can take a small adorable furry creature and make the best hat out if it.”
“Trixie wouldn’t doubt that.”
“On a slightly less awful note, have you decided on entrance music yet?” I asked, steering the conversation into less vomit-inducing waters.
“Trixie has, as a matter of fact,” she replied, getting up and sitting beside me, leaning against my shoulder. “She has it all planned out, every single one.”
“Wait…so you’re using more than one song?” I asked.
“Of course! Every major scene of the show will have appropriate musical accompaniment!” Trixie replied proudly, smiling up at me.
“Well, I’m really glad to hear that you’re thinking outside the box for this one,” I said with a smile of my own while ruffling her ears. “I think this might be the greatest show you’ve ever done.”
“Oh, by far,” Trixie readily agreed. “When Trixie saw all the people on the station and heard about what they’ve been through…Trixie wanted to make it extra special for them.” she finished quietly.
“And that’s why I love you,” I whispered into the closest ear. She blushed and buried her head into my shoulder.
“Love you too…stupid human…” she muttered.
***
Showtime.
This was it; the promenade was full to bursting, everything was set up, food and drink were flowing, and Trixie was pacing back and forth behind the large curtain that hid her from the rest of the promenade behind the seated audience, an unusual starting location made necessary by her new entrance style. Essentially, she would make her big entrance from behind the crowd of assorted species filling up a decent portion of the promenade. Although initially hesitant to try something so outside of her usual routine, by the time things were ready to roll, she managed to stop fidgeting (for the most part) and looked focused and ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime.
If only she’d actually leave her dressing room. Well, it was more of a curtain serving to obscure her from any curious accidental views from the rear of the crowd but the fact remained that the showmare was still putting the finishing touches on her ensemble.
“C’mon, Trix, you’re on in 30 seconds, what’s the…hold…up…hurr durr…” I finished as she emerged.
Insert generous thanks to all the universe’s deities here.
She was a vision. In keeping with the evening’s theme of doing things differently, she had applied such to her ensemble. Dark blue eye shadow brought out her eyes in a way I’d never seen before while some blush on her cheeks were the perfect accoutrements to enhance the showmare motif. What really got my attention was the fact that the makeup didn’t look tawdry or, for lack of a better term, “slutty”; instead, it only served to enhance her beauty in a way that genuinely shocked me. Both simple additions, I know, but when you’re used to someone looking a certain way for months on end, any change to their appearance, even a minor one, can be quite striking. Besides, I don’t think Equestrian mares were in the habit of wearing makeup very often, certainly not as frequently as other species.
She seemed to sense my shock as we silently stared at each other, giving me a chance to admire the shining stars that festooned her cape and hat, gifts that I was beyond glad I’d sprung for. She looked at me quizzically, her mouth open just slightly as we quietly observed each other. In honor of such an auspicious occasion, I had (in secret, hoping to surprise my companion) requested from my good friend Garak a white 21st century tuxedo (replicated for time reasons but still a pretty fine piece), while rather dashing in its own way, was nothing compared to the radiance that Trixie was exuding. Nevertheless, she blushed slowly walked over to me, not wanting to take her eyes off me any more than I wanted to avert my own gaze.
“You look amazing, Trix,” I whispered, kneeling down to wrap my arms around her. She returned the gesture, reaching around to hold me tightly with her forehooves. “Like, seriously amazing. I’m the luckiest guy in the galaxy.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, nuzzling my shoulder. “I…I wasn’t sure about it at first but…I’m really glad you like it.”
“Trixie, I love it almost as much as I love you,” I assured her, giving her a firm yet gentle squeeze. “This is your night, Trix.” I then stated, holding her in such a way that I could look deep into her enchanting eyes. “This is the first show of the new Generous and Benevolent Trixie, and I couldn’t be prouder of you. You’re an amazing marefriend and I just want you to know that I love you so, so much.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes, prompting me to do the same. Damn. Those emotions, man.
“I love you too, Cole,” she whispered, clearly trying not to let more tears escape. “Trixie’s been trying so hard to be a better pony and…she couldn’t’ve done it…without you.” Her head lowered and she looked towards the floor.
“Hey,” I replied, gently lifting her chin so I could look her in the eyes. “You’ve always been a great pony,” I assured her with a nod and a smile. “You’ve just grown up a lot and now you finally know what you truly want to do with the life you’ve been given. That’s pretty incredible, Trix.” She nodded against my shoulder, burying her face in the crook of my neck. “Now, go out there, do what you do best, and knock ‘em dead, okay?” I asked, holding her before me once again. She smiled and nodded vigorously.
“Don’t worry, the Great and Powerful Trixie will dazzle them in ways they never thought possible!” she exclaimed, wiping her eyes.
“That’s my Trixie!” I replied, surprising her with a passionate kiss. She sighed and kissed me back just as fiercely before reluctantly pulling away. “You got this!”
“Trixie’s got this!” she exclaimed with a nod.
With a quick glow of her horn, her entrance music began.
Clichéd? Maybe.
Antiquated? Almost certainly.
Effective? You bet your sweet ass.
What really struck me was how quickly the antiquated tune seemed to strike a chord with the crowd, as strange as that may sound. While it took a few seconds for anyone to decide what to make of such a foreign combination of sounds assaulting their ears, the general reception was quite positive. Look at it this way; the song was something very few members of any species had ever heard before. It was new (relatively speaking), it was fast, it was undeniably catchy, and as Trixie strutted with powerful confidence through the cheering crowd with a wide, toothy, footloose and fancy-free smile on her face, I could help but smile along with her. This was her time, her chance to reinvent herself and prove to everyone, including herself, how great and powerful she could truly be, albeit in a different way than she initially desired.
She took her time getting to the stage, taking her place upon the elevated platforms after about half the song had played, at which point it faded out and a new one filled the ears of her audience. With a dazzling smile, she closed her eyes, lit her horn, and sent a wave of blue energy through the promenade. The audience gasped as the wave brought with it a rippling emergence of the galactic tapestry, which unfolded before their very eyes in a way that not holo-emitter could hope to imitate. And with that, she began her tale.
“It is said that at the beginning of time, the universe gave birth to two wise and mighty beings, the first sisters. These beings were known as Elysia and Tartara and together, they travelled the universe in hopes of finding a perfect home from which to keep watch over the cosmos.” Trixie’s voice echoed throughout the promenade as she told the story of Equestria’s founding, enrapturing the crowd as they listened in almost total silence, save for some oohs and aahs as the white and black alicorns soared over their heads.
“After many millennia without success, Elysia and Tartara finally decided to create a world of their own. And create, they did. It was an extremely young world but perfect in the eyes of its makers; it was a world that could be shaped, a world whose direction could be steered so it could fulfill its role as a paradise among the stars.”
“And what a wonderful paradise it was. Shortly after covering the world with every imaginable environment, the two sisters began to fill it with life. Everything from the mighty dragon to the indomitable Breezie, from the spider to the Minotaur, they all heralded from the sister’s desire to create and watch their world grow.” With that, the starscape seemed to magnify, focusing in on a small blue and green planet, which Trixie levitated to the center of the stage, ensuring it was large enough for everyone to see the genesis of Equestria.
“They took pieces from their new world and the cosmos themselves and infused them with their own special kind of powerful magic to create a race modeled after their own likeness, a race that would tend to the world and make it their own until the end of time.” The scene changed again as the two sisters closed their eyes and sent streams of energy into the chosen objects. “From the clouds emerged the winged Pegasi, whose powers of flight would give them unmatched control over the skies and allow them to eventually manage the climate in order to provide the conditions necessary to sustain their brethren.” The crowd gasped as flocks of the winged ponies rained down from the cloudy skies and crisscrossed the planet.
“From the rocks, they created the Earth pony, strong, steadfast, and ever-mindful of the world’s ability to sustain life. They would be responsible for providing the resources and labor necessary for ponies everywhere to thrive.” With a flicker of her horn, Trixie transformed the rocks into hardy earth ponies, allowing them to take their place on the planet’s surface.
“And then, from the stars themselves, the sisters created the Unicorns, the sages of their world whose powerful intellect would fill the realm with magic and miracles, allowing the ponies to accomplish so much in ways completely unique to their world.” With that, Trixie rapidly spun the stars around the planet, turning them into the horned equines from which Trixie herself hailed. They then joined the Pegasi and Earth ponies on the world, completing the trifecta.
“Lastly, the sisters combined the three materials and infused them with much greater magic then before. Thus, the alicorns were born, a special type of pony that could lead the others through harmony and vigilance when they themselves passed on.” There was a great light as two regal Alicorns descended to the surface, prompting the others to stand by them under the watchful eyes of Elysia and Tartara.
“For a time, all was well in the world. The power of Harmony, created and maintained by the cooperation of the two sisters, ensured that Equestria shone like a beacon in the darkness, an oasis of hope, love, and tolerance. The Alicorns ruled fairly and justly and maintained the peace as incarnations of their overseers.” It was then that the complexion of the show began to change; the happy go-lucky visage became dull and listless as images of frolicking and happy ponies shifted. The world was soon shrouded in a dark haze, split by lightning strikes and punctuated by heavy thunder. I watched transfixed, as did the rest of the crowd, at the radical change brought on by Trixie’s glowing horn.
“After several thousand years of peace and harmony, Tartara grew jealous of her sister, a jealousy that choked the planet and darkened the hearts of its inhabitants. As the embodiment of the night and the lunar plane, she often felt neglected and ignored in favor of her sister, who presided over the day and Equestria’s mighty sun. This resentment soon became an all-out confrontation and through their quarrel, a malevolent spirit took shape and eventually established a stranglehold on Tartara, spurring her to attack the very world she helped create.”
The crowd gasped (as did I) as the scene changed once more to a Hellish one; ponies and wild creatures alike fleeing in terror from a massive shadow that enveloped the sky. They crowd watched as the former paradise burned under the fury of the scorned sister. Lightning bolts rained down, destroying everything without hesitation or mercy while new creatures emerged from the shadows, corrupted ponies and animals alike, and set themselves upon their brethren. Unable to intervene in the affairs of gods, the Alicorns, symbols of their creators, did everything in their power to protect their subjects, hoping that the storm would soon pass.
“Unable to watch any more, Elysia took it upon herself to stop the madness and try to restore harmony to the world she loved so dearly.” Trixie continued as a brightly-shining image of the great pearlescent Alicorn looked upon the burning world. “She confronted her sister, pleading with her to stop the wanton destruction and return to her side.” We watched as a tearful God begged with an angry one and I had a feeling I knew the outcome. “Sadly, Tartara could not be swayed; the malevolent spirit within her had grown too powerful and its hold on Tartara was too strong. Tartara was gone, replaced by a spirit of pure darkness…a Nightmare.”
“It was then that Elysia knew what had to be done. In order to stop the spread of corruption on her world and others as well, she confronted her sister one last time and made one final plea.” Our eyes stayed glued to the gut-wrenching scene before us as Elysia tried in desperation to negotiate with her counterpart. Sadly, it was to no avail; we shared a collective gasp as Tartara struck out at Elysia, mortally wounding her.
“Just as the darkness was about to solidify its hold on the world and spreads its tendrils to the galaxy, a great light emerged through the clouds.” We gasped again as the black clouds were divided by the shining beams and in the center, Elysia stood clad in blinding light. “Knowing her time was at an end, Elysia concentrated every bit of her power on ridding the world of all the fear and chaos the Nightmare had wrought.” I let out an ooh and an awe as a massive wave of light washed over the planet, cleansing it.
“The aftermath was catastrophic. Even with the flow of corruption stopped, the world was scarred and blackened. Its inhabitants crept out from their shelters and looked upon their scorched paradise and shed many tears.” I had to stifle a sniffle as ponies and animals alike scoured the world for friends and family, many of which had fallen by the storm of the Nightmare. “It is said that it was Elysia’s tears that extinguished the black flames that consumed the planet’s surface. After ensuring that the damage was under control, Elysia went to her sister one last time.” There were no words exchanged as the two simply looked at each other, one staring down with an expression of unfathomable sadness while the other stared back with ruthless hatred.
“Mustering the last of her strength, Elysia took their spirits and transformed them so that they could never again bring harm to Equestria or any other world. Their souls became two spiritual realms known as Tartarus and Elysium,” Trixie continued. With that, the world became sandwiched between a realm of light at the top and a place of darkness on the bottom. “Elysium would serve as a sanctuary for the souls of any creature who passed on, while Tartarus would serve as a prison for any remnants of the original Nightmare spirit that had not been destroyed by Elysia’s cleansing wave.”
“With the Nightmare gone, the world slowly returned to normal and harmony was restored. The story of the titanic clash of the world-builders eventually passed into legend, a legend that has nearly been forgotten over the centuries.” I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as the scene finally returned to a happy one. I smiled as the planet became green and lush again, with civilization finally returning in the form of large castles and great kingdoms all around the world.
This is it, I thought. The finale.
“However, it is very important that legends like this never be forgotten because history has a way of repeating itself,” Trixie wisely reminded us. “It is also important that we maintain peace and harmony not only on our own worlds but in the galaxy as well. That is why Trixie decided to share the legend of Equestria with you in hopes that all of you will see the power of harmony and share it wherever you go. From the bottom of her heart, Trixie thanks you all for being such a Great and Powerful audience!” she exclaimed amid a cheering crowd. “Peace and harmony to all of you!”
With that, Trixie fired up the horn and absolutely let loose. Magical fireworks filled the promenade while holograms of everything she had described throughout the show weaved about the crowd, delighting the children and bringing a smile to the older faces. Even the Klingons in the first few rows were cheering as if they had just witnessed a great battle take place…which I suppose they had. Trixie really did her homework for this one. I looked out at the roaring crowd, grinning as Trixie bowed and waved, smiling away like it was the happiest day of her life.
***
“Incoming transmission from Vessel 9032. Downloading relevant data.”
…
“Vessel has detected unknown energy type approaching. Attempting to ascertain data.”
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“All scans have failed. Cannot analyze incoming energy type. Attempting to pacify.”
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“Pacification failed. Attempting to fbdl;wdq…..null.43424…void……edhf7832hb
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“Cannot…uh78t3…fail…we…i770tui…Borg….8y789rb2j…assimilated…787y8ogq
…
…
…
…
“8y89rwh…we…8yoyhjhbdyg09…Borg…8tdb532nknbv…mare…igfkbw…Night
…
…
…
…
“jf7gqhjgwvd…Borg…uhg654309y3void/////nullmessage7479…Nightmare…”