The Night String and The Servants of The Phoenix

by charredenay

Get Knotted!

As Trixie relaxed her concentration, the levitation field around her dissipated and she gently descended to meet the balcony floor. Once again feeling solid ground beneath her hooves, she breathed a sigh of relief, but then quickly compressed herself against the outer wall of the castle. Nervously, she gave the balcony a quick survey to judge whether anypony would come through anytime soon. Trixie had to admit that she had been very lucky up to this point and she'd hate to spoil it all by being spotted by a guard now.

Satisfied that her hiding place would not be discovered, the blue unicorn allowed herself to feel the full weight of her exhaustion. While she was most certainly great and powerful, she did have trouble using magic for long periods of time.

Just one of the many ways that Twilight Sparkle is stronger than Trixie.

After her latest defeat at the hooves of the purple unicorn, Trixie finally had to admit that her arch-rival was much more powerful than her. This actually gave Trixie cause to contemplate their difference in strength. Then, when she learned of Twilight's coronation, Trixie thought she had her answer. She hoped that by quietly observing the other princesses, maybe some clue as to how to become stronger would be revealed to her.

Which is why Trixie now finds herself here, skulking about like a common criminal.

Shaking the thought from her head, she tip-hoofed over to the gigantic balcony door and peeked into the what she assumed was the Palace throne room. Unfortunately, neither princess was present in the lavish hall but as Trixie was about to move on to another room, a large purple hat caught her eye. The hat in question sat atop the head of a masked pony who wore matching collared spandex as well as a dark blue cape that just barely covered a pair of similarly colored wings.

No way. It couldn't be. Trixie cannot believe her own eyes. Surely that cannot be-

No sooner had she thought it than a deep Zebraghin voice confirmed her suspcions. "Ah, Mysterious Mare-Do Well, I trust that you are doing swell?"

"Very swell," confirmed the vigilante mare as an all too familiar zebra entered the throne room.

"Especially since everypony believes that I am just some myth thought up by our newest princess. I guess you were the one behind that little detail, Zecora?"

The zebra nodded happily, "To bring you some serenity, I clouded your identity."

"I think you did more than that!" the masked mare laughed, "The last burglar I stopped had the bright idea to try flying away, because he thought my wings were just papier-mâché."

Before the two mares were able to move on to other topics of discussion they were interrupted by the loud entrance of a unicorn stallion. "Yes! Yes! I know where to go. This isn't my first time here!" he shouted into the hallway from which he came.

Trixie had never seen this stallion in person but she knew that only one pony had such a distinctive blonde mane and tail in addition to a compass cutie mark, Prince Blueblood.

What sort of meeting is this?

As Blueblood turned to face the other two ponies in the room his expression instantly changed from annoyed to jocular.

"Zecora! Double M! How good to see you again," He said, throwing his hooves around them both. Though she had never been much of a gossip, Trixie couldn't help but hear about what had happened at the last Grand Galloping Gala, so it surprised her that neither mare drew away from his embrace.

"A pleasure to see you too, Blueblood," The pony designated 'Double M' answered.

Smiling, the white unicorn turned to Zecora. "And how have you been? Oh wait, don't answer that. I don't want to be subjected to an epic poem about recent events. Just nod if you have been doing superbly."

The zebra simply chuckled and nodded in response.

Finally releasing his grasp on the other two, Blueblood trotted into the center of the throne room before turning again to his compatriots with a perplexed look on his face.

"Where is the princess? It's not like her to call a meeting of Knots and not be the first to arrive," He said giving the room a once over. Suddenly remembering that she was trespassing, Trixie ducked back outside, narrowly avoiding his gaze.

Just as the mysterious mare was about to answer, a strange noise filled the hall. It was as if some pony was scraping her hooves across the wires of a piano. The sound was somehow both painful to the ear and alluring to the heart at the same time.

Trixie had seen many vanishing acts in her career and therefore she had also seen many ponies perform the "prestige", but what she saw next made her jaw drop to the floor. A blue box, about two ponies tall and one pony wide, appeared near the entrance to the throne room. Across the top of the booth were the words, "Police Public Call Box".

Apparently Twilight Sparkle is not my only competition. Trixie has never seen a pony make such a large object just appear from thin air!

From where she was standing, Trixie could only see one side of it, but the blue mare distinctly heard a door opening and a stallion with a strange accent speaking from within.

"- I don't know, but- Oh. Hold on a tic," he said before abruptly closing the door again.

The blue box immediately began to vanish once more, but it was only gone a moment before it appeared once again. This time when it appeared, however, it was facing into the throne room so that it's door was clearly visible to Trixie.

Finally the door opened once more. As its occupant, a light brown earth-pony with a slightly darker mane wearing a long trench coat, strutted out, he spoke in what almost seemed like a Trottingham accent.

"Ah, there we are! Much better."

Ignoring both the other ponies in the room and the fact that he had just materialized out of thin air, the brown stallion immediately began examining his blue box. He quickly produced from his jacket a strange metallic wand with a blue light on the tip and placed it behind his ear with the blue end facing forward. Soon after positioning it, it began making what Trixie could only describe as a low whistling noise.

"Oh, thatta girl! Jump universes a couple times and she starts to get the hang of it! See, Derpy? No damage at all!" He cheered as the whistling stopped.

"No damage to her maybe," called a voice from inside the booth. Out fluttered a grey, wall-eyed pegasus cradling her head in one hoof. "She handles like Rainbow Dash after she flew through that Poison Joke."

"Oi!"

"Oi yourself, Doctor. You're paying for my next hospital visit."

"It wasn't that bad."

"My concussion has a concussion."

"Ahem," Zecora coughed loudly, interrupting the two ponies' argument. She seemed as if she was about to lecture them but her stern look was quickly replaced by a wide smile.

"Once your jests are completed, I believe hugs are needed," she rhymed, lifting her forelegs wide for the aforementioned greeting.

"Of course," the stallion answered, going in for the hug. "It has been far too long, Zecora."

That was just about all that Trixie could handle and in her moment of confusion and frustration, she couldn't stop herself from shouting.

"IS NO ONE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR IN A BLUE BOX?"

She didn't even have time to squeak out an 'Oops' before she found herself restrained and consequently dragged into the chamber by Blueblood's magic. By the time she was able to sit upright she was surrounded by the very ponies she had been snooping on.

"It seems we have a spy on our hooves," Blueblood said, looking down his nose at the offending party.

"What should we do with her?" the mysterious mare asked. "Do either of you know any memory wiping spells?"

"Any potion I would use, would set loose a couple screws."

"Indeed, every memory spell I know doesn't allow you to pick and choose which memories are wiped. However, I don't think that we have many other options."

"What?" blurted the wall-eyed mare. "You're going to destroy her mind just to keep your secrecy?"

"Doctor, you should remind your assistant that as she is not a Knot, her opinions matter little here."

"ASSISTANT?"

"Keep her."

Every pony in the room, even Trixie, turned in surprise to the brown stallion who now wore a mischievous grin.

"Keep her?" demanded Blueblood. "What is she, a stray cat?"

"Make her swear the Oath. Make her a Knot."

"You know I'd usually be the last pony to ask this, Doctor, but what makes you think she can even keep up with us?" stated Double M.

"Exactly!"

"She snuck in here, didn't she? She can obviously bring the element of stealth to the group. Which you have been lacking lately."

"We can't just let any pony join the String, we'd have new members every month!"

"You know, they were saying that same thing right before your admission, B.B."

Before Blueblood could respond, a cold wind swept through the chamber, stopping the words in his mouth and every pony (with the exceptions of Trixie and the brown stallion) turned toward the thrones and bowed. There, in front of the group, now stood Princess Luna herself and suddenly Trixie felt extremely underdressed. She scrambled to get to her hooves and bow, which considering the magical restraints, was no simple feat.

"We call a meeting of The Night String and when we arrive, we find the kingdom's most dependable ponies bickering?" the night princess said in her usual royal inflection.

"I apologize, your highness," answered Blueblood.

"Your apology is accepted, dear nephew, but please explain to us what has our Knots in such a rabble."

"You see-"

To everypony's surprise, Trixie stepped forward and bowed. "Trixie believes that it is Trixie that everypony is arguing about."

If Trixie is going to have her mind wiped, she is at least going to go with some dignity.

"How- But that was- How did you break free?" Blueblood sputtered.

"Trixie has performed far more impressive escape tricks as part of her act," Trixie began proudly, "as well as to elude local law enforcement." she finished little louder than a whisper.

"What is thy name again, young unicorn?" Luna asked, calmly ignoring the possibility of having a fugitive from justice in their midst.

"Trixie Lulamoon, your highness," she answered before continuing, "Trixie was sneaking around the palace when she overheard the beginnings of conversation in this chamber."

"And for what purpose, exactly, were you sneaking through our halls?"

Trixie sighed before answering. "Trixie is a skilled illusionist, but there is one who has bested her at every turn. Trixie was hoping to discover some means of self-improvement."

"We must applaud your honesty, Trixie Lulamoon. Admitting your own weakness is never easy." stated the Princess.

Well yeah. Trixie was hoping to just skip over that part.

"Though she still does not realize the importance of what she saw and heard, Trixie is prepared for any punishment your highness deems fit."

If Trixie had dared to turn around she might've seen the brown earth pony's smile grow wider with pride. Princess Luna certainly took notice though.

"What would you have us do, Doctor?" she inquired.

"Your highness, I would make her take the Oath and become a member of the String," he opined confidently. "I know that she has yet to prove herself but I believe she will become one of your most dependable Knots."

"Is this merely intuition? Or secret fore-knowledge?" asked the princess.

"Ah, ah. You know the rules, Luna."

At this, the Princess smiled widely.

"Very well. She shall have a choice, once all has been explained. She will either become a Knot or Prince Blueblood will wipe her memory and she will be put in 'special care'."

"Thank you so much, your highness. Offering me such an option is certainly more than Trixie could ever hope for, considering her actions."

"Do not be so quick to thank us, Trixie Lulamoon. Once we have explained in full what being a Knot entails, the choice will not seem so simple," Princess Luna said menacingly as she marched up to Trixie, causing an incomprehensible fear to wash over her.

What has Trixie gotten herself into this time?

Despite her fear, or maybe because of it, when the princess sat to begin her tale, Trixie found herself standing in rapt attention. "Long ago, after the Elements of Harmony were first discovered, it was decided that pony-kind should not rely soley upon their power for its protection. However, the thought of leaving the citizenry unprotected for any amount of time was heart-breaking to the early members of the royal court. And so, The Night String was founded."

At this, the princess gestured a hoof over the other ponies in the room. As if on cue, they were all standing proudly in a line. Trixie felt her lips draw into a smirk.

Look at them all posing so stoically. They have done this before.

"So named because they would serve pony-kind without its knowledge. It was hoped that eventually the citizens would learn to do for themselves and the String would be disbanded, but it was soon discovered that not all magic could be contained by the Elements. Inevitably, the magic that flowed freely could find its way into the possession of..." Luna grimaced slightly, "...unsavory individuals. This, in addition to the discovery of other worlds with technology far greater than our own," the princess stopped to give the Doctor a knowing look.

Is that his name, The Doctor? Who names a pony "The Doctor"?

"necessitated a more permanent solution. Thusly, The Night String became an irreplaceable institution for the sake of protecting Equestria," the Princess concluded.

"You want Trixie to protect Equestria from evil?" she asked the Doctor as the gravity of the situation finally manifested itself. His smile seemed to waver, but just a bit. "Trixie is not sure she is up to such a task." she admitted, letting her eyes fall to the floor.

Somepony stepped forward and lifted Trixie's chin until she was staring directly into the masked face of The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

"I'm not going to lie, Trixie. The life of a Knot isn't easy. This isn't an honor, or a privilege. It's a responsibility. That is all it is. You will never be thanked for it, and sometimes you might even be hated for it," she said gravely and Trixie felt doubt creep into her mind.

"But that is what Trixie must decide. Either live the rest of my life for the sake of other ponies, or lose everything that makes me who I am and spend my life in 'special care'," The last two words made Trixie shudder as she said them.

"I am so, so sorry," the Doctor's smile finally turned into a solemn gaze, "but the safety of Equestria depends on The Night String remaining a secret for the foreseeable future. This is the best choice I could offer you."

Then the lines of a gentle smile formed beneath the mask of the mysterious mare. "Hey, it's not all bad. At the end of every mission, we feel the satisfaction of knowing that all of Equestria is safer thanks to us. And if the Doctor is that sure about you, I am just as sure you'll do great at it too."

Trixie looked around at the group of ponies in the room, at The Night String. Derpy smiled warmly, the Doctor winked, and Zecora simply nodded. Trixie turned hopefully to Prince Blueblood. It only took a second for him to break. "Alright, fine!" he shouted, exasperated. "But you're her training wheels for this mission, Doctor."

Trixie turned to Princess Luna. "Okay."

"Very well," Luna nodded and stood before beginning what Trixie assumed was an oath as old as Equestria itself.

"Do you, Trixie Lulamoon, swear yourself to the service of The Night String? To cast aside all fame and glory in exchange for nothing but a life of protecting your fellow ponies from the shadows? To leave behind your old life and sacrifice your ambitions and perhaps even die for the sake of the kingdom? Do you swear these things?"

Trixie stood proudly and spoke the only three words she thought appropriate. "I do swear."

Luna smiled generously before kneeling and tapping Trixie once on her right shoulder with her dark-blue horn.

"Then I hereby name you a Knot of The Night String. May your service to the Kingdom be long and fruitful."

At this, Derpy immediately swept Trixie up into an uncharacteristically strong flying hug. "Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you!"

"Yes, thank you. But you're... ugh... crushing Trixie."

"Oops. My bad," Derpy apologized, gingerly putting the unicorn back down on the floor. Everypony quickly followed Derpy's lead and congratulated her, even Blueblood managed to sound slightly jovial. Finally, Trixie turned to the Doctor.

"So Doctor, do fellow Knots get to hear the secret behind your strange blue box?" she asked jokingly.

"Actually, I'm not a Knot."

"WHAT?" Trixie exclaimed, looking to the other ponies in the room for some sort of explanation.

"Quite right, you have to be a citizen of Equestria to be a Knot," Blueblood stated calmly.

"And also, he's... well-" Derpy began, but she didn't seem exactly excited to finish her sentence.

"Although our dear Doctor is quite amazing, to call him a pony would be false phrasing," Zecora did it for her.

"Afraid so..." The Doctor started, "You see I'm actually-"

"TRIXIE DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOU ARE!" Trixie screamed, stomping towards the Doctor.

"Well, that was both gratifying and unsettling at the same time," the Doctor quipped, trying his hardest to lean away from the indignant mare.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL TRIXIE THAT YOU JUST CONVINCED HER TO JOIN A SECRET GROUP OF PONIES THAT FACES LIFE THREATENING DANGER MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IT VISITS THE POST OFFICE AND YOU AREN'T EVEN A MEMBER?"

"Oh, that's why you're upset."

"YES, THAT! HOW CAN YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN BE THERE TO HELP TRIXIE IF SHE NEEDS YOU! WHAT IF SHE FINDS HERSELF IN MIDDLE OF SOMETHING SHE CAN'T HANDLE? WHAT IF SHE NEEDS HELP? WHAT IF TRIXIE NEEDS ADVICE?"

The Doctor just smiled and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Just because I'm not a Knot doesn't mean I won't be there to help. Whenever you need me, I'll be there, no matter what."

Taken aback by how calm he could be despite her uncontrolled shouting, Trixie could only ask, "Can you... can you promise that?"

"Can and will. I promise. Cross my hearts and hope to die," he answered before strutting around her and nonchalantly examining the room's decor. "In fact, I dare say that this little club's activities would be quite hindered if it weren't for my meddling."

Princess Luna put a hoof to her head in exasperation, "Please don't remind us, Doctor. Our sister takes great pleasure in reminding us that our plans almost always begin with the same two steps: Try to summon the Doctor, then hope he appears."

"Does she now? I'll have to scold her the next time I see her."

"She might actually enjoy that," she chuckled. Now it was the Doctor's turn to look confused.

"But that is a discussion for another time," Luna proceeded, lifting her head high.

"Knots of The Night String! As well as Doctor and companion!" she added, to the smirks of the earth pony and his friend.

"You have been summoned because a clear and present threat to the Kingdom has revealed itself," the princess announced, "You are hereby tasked with eliminating this threat swiftly and discreetly."

Author's Note:

Second chapter done. Yay! Now that all the explaining is over with I think we can finally get into some action! At least I hope so. I'm not entirely sure if I got the Princess's manner of speech quite right, so if you have suggestions for improvement, please do share.

Comments

[HeatherIsBestPlayer]

This, in addition to the discovery of other worlds with technology far greater than our own

Could we possibly be getting some Transformers Prime crossovers in here?

Anyway, if Blueblood is happy with the life of a knot, I'm pretty sure Trixie will be fine. But at least tell me Luna pays them for there services. I mean, they have to make a living somehow, and it wouldn't be that hard for Luna to pay them 'under the table' so that the group would still remain a secret.

[charredenay]

2713726

Actually we'll find out that Blueblood isn't exactly "happy" per se but you're right about being paid for their service. I just didn't see anyway that it could come into play in this particular story so I didn't bother mentioning it.

[Frankie2]

Okay. This looks very interesting. I normally avoid crossovers like the plague. However, this was just added to a group I'm a part so I gave it a look. I will like this story...for the moment.