Elements of Anarchy

by UndercoverBrony

Chapter 3: In which the Great and Powerful Trixie is Great and Powerful

Chapter 3: In which the Great and Powerful Trixie is Great and Powerful Google docs

Fluttershy always awoke a little before the dawn. She had to feed the nocturnal animals before they went to sleep, and then prepare breakfast for the other animals so that it would be ready for them when they woke up. This was her favourite time of day- most of the other ponies in Ponyville would still be asleep, and so the town was so quiet that it almost felt like she was the only pony in the world. Fluttershy liked quiet.

So it was somewhat of a surprise when she heard someone knocking on her door. It was a very impatient knock, a constant drumming that made it very clear that whoever was outside was just going to keep on hitting the door until someone answered it.

Well, she certainly didn't want to keep anyone waiting. She rushed over to the door and pulled it open. “I'm sorry... I wa-” She stopped short as she saw who it was. “Oh... hello Photo Finish. Can I-”

“Help me? Yes of course! But in fact it is I, Photo Finish, who vill be helpink you!” Photo Finish pushed past her and into the cottage. Around the pony's neck was a necklace, set with a pitch black jewel. “This, Fluttershy, is your very last chance to shine across Equestria! I varn you, refuse me now and you vill not have the chance again!”

“Um...” Fluttershy bit her lip. Her natural reaction was, as usual, to meekly acquiesce to whatever request was made of her, no matter how much she didn't want to. She concentrated hard, trying to remember the advice Rainbow Dash had given her about being more assertive. “No.” She'd done it! “I'm sorry, I- I just can't.”

The other pony sighed. “Vell, nopony can say I didn't try. Come, Fluttershy, your destiny avaits.” She strutted outside, looking back behind her at the pegasus, who hadn't moved. “I told you, no more chances. No photos, I svear!”

Well, she supposed that if Photo Finish wasn't going to be making her model any more then she might as well go with her and see what else she wanted. It seemed a little rude to refuse two requests in a row. She followed Photo Finish outside, but when she saw what was waiting for her out there she froze.

It seemed that Photo Finish was not alone. Fluttershy recognised Trixie, though her hat and cloak were now pitch black. There were also three ponies that she didn't know, and one griffon who she definitely knew all too well. All of them were wearing necklaces like Photo Finish's. “S'up dweeb?” Asked Gilda as she detected Fluttershy's gaze upon her.

“Hello...” She squeaked, so quietly that it was barely audible. “What is it that you wa-”

“I gave you every chance!” Snapped Photo Finish. As she spoke, the sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon, however for some reason the area around Fluttershy's cottage seemed to be getting darker and darker. “All I ever vanted vas to make you a star!” Fluttershy gasped as she noticed that a black smoke was rising around her. She flapped her wings to fly away, but her hooves seemed to be rooted to the spot. “But you refused! Threw my generosity in my face not vonce but tvice now!” The cloud was all around her now, and she could see noting of the world around her. She tried to yell out an apology, a cry for mercy, but her voice had failed her. “Now... You go!”

The darkness collapsed inwards, and in an instant Fluttershy was gone.

---

It was... night-time again? Fluttershy looked upwards into the black sky. It was dark, but there were no stars... hesitantly she turned her head, then swiftly averted her gaze from the blinding brightness of the sun. No, it was daytime, but the sky was pitch black. A rising feeling of dread welled within her. Below her the ground was grey, an endless desert of rock which seemed to stretch to infinity in every direction. Above her, a beautiful blue green ball. Beautiful, yes, but oh so very far away...

She was on the moon...

Now she really was the only pony in the world. It was quiet, alright, but too quiet. Usually right now she'd have been listening attentively to the dawn chorus, waking all her animal friends and preparing for another day. And even though she did like to be alone sometimes, she would always look forward to meeting Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie... and all her other friends in Ponyville.

Tears were welling up in her eyes. Now that she realised that she'd be alone forever, it suddenly seemed that it was the worst thing imaginable. She sobbed into her hooves. “Oh Fluttershy, why did you have to go and be so assertive..?”

---

It was coming up to harvest time at Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack looked out over the orchards with pride. So many lovely juicy apples just hanging there waiting to be picked, why she could hardly wait to get started.

“Hello there.... Applejack.” She almost jumped out of her skin at the unexpected sound of a voice behind her. She spun around, splaying her front legs wide preparing to pounce on the intruder.

However, once she saw who it was she relaxed. “Well, Howdy, Ace! Ah must admit you gave me a mighty fine shock fer a moment then, sneaking up on me like that! Are you here for some apples? Ah tell you, lovely healthy apples are a fine dish for a sportspony like yerself!”

“Enough games Applejack!” Growled Ace. “I'm tired of beating around the bush! I know it was you who destroyed my racket!”

“Your racket? That's what all the fuss is about? Hay, that weren't me! It was Applebl-” She stopped herself. Now that she thought about about it, Ace looked awfully upset. There was no way that she was going to expose Applebloom to his anger. If he was really serious about having it out over this, then it was going to be with her, not her sister. “Ah mean, yeah, you got me. But t'aint nothing to get all bent out of shape over! It's only a little apple juice, surely you can just wash it off and it'll be as good as new!”

“Oh please, I know you cursed it! What other reason could there be that I keep LOOSING?”

“Oh lordy...” Applejack sighed. “Ah did what exactly? Listen mister, ma friend Twilight, who's one hella lot smarter than this here pony, says there's no such thing as curses, and even if there was then ah sure as hay wouldn't have anything to do with them! Maybe you lost because the other pony played better than you could!”

“I said no more games Applejack!” Ace started to cackle. “I have friends! Powerful friends! You're going to regret crossing me!”

“Friends? What friends? Ah don't see any-”

“Ahem.” A voice behind her again? Once more she span around, ready to charge, and this time she did not relax once she saw who it was.

“Trixie.” She growled. “Ah see that you brought some backup this time. What's the matter, not feeling so 'great and powerful' after Twilight whupped your flank last time so that you need an army to take on lil old Applejack in the rematch?”

The unicorn snorted. “Oh, believe me, if you were all that the Great and Powerful Trixie was up against then Trixie would not require assistance to defeat you. Do you not recall our previous encounter? No, you are merely the prelude to Trixie's grand plan!”

“Ah've had just about enough of you, Trixie.” With a growl, Applejack leapt forward... or at least she tried to. She seemed to be anchored to the spot by strange black tendrils that were now spreading across the rest of her body. “What in Equ-” She was cut off mid sentence as the darkness collapsed around her, and she vanished. On the ground, spinning slightly for a moment before coming to a stop, was a Stetson hat.

“Game, set, and match!” Ace grinned, smugly.

Blueblood groaned. “Oh, please tell me that that wasn't the 'grand send-off' that you kept going on about...”

---

“-estria?” Applejack looked around herself in confusion. Whelp, looks like ah'm stuck on the moon then... “Oh... horseapples.”

Any thought of her own predicament, however, was swiftly banished when she heard another pony sobbing. “Oh no... Fluttershy, they got you too?” She rushed over to her friends side. “Are you all right there sugar-cube?”

For a moment, the tears stopped flowing from Fluttershy's eyes, and the faintest of smiles appeared on her face. “A-Applejack? Oh, I'm so glad you're here!” Then, she started weeping again. “I'm so sorry! I mean... I'm glad I'm not alone any more, not that I'm glad you got banished to the moon... I'm such a terrible friend...”

“It's all right, ah know what you meant. Don't you fret any more, we'll get through this together, okay? Everything'll be alright...” Though ah don't right know how...

---

“Wow, Rainbow Dash!” Gasped Soarin. “You're the most amazing flier I've ever seen!”

“Please, we're begging you...” Spitfire pleaded. “Join us. Join the Wonderbolts.”

“Aw schucks guys!” Rainbow Dash preened herself. “Of course I'll join you, it's no problem at all.”

Soarin looked down at his hooves dejectedly. “I guess I'm out then... there's no way I can possibly be in the same team as someone as cool as you, Rainbow.”

“It's alright Soarin, I'm sure that if you hang with me some of my cool will rub off on you. You don't have to leave.”

“Wow Rainbow Dash...” Spitfire couldn't help but gape in awe at Rainbow's kindness. “You're such a wonderful pony! Say, I don't suppose you could WAKE THE HAY UP YOU LAZY PILE OF FEATHERS!?”

Rainbow's eyes shot open as her dream was rudely interrupted. She stared angrily at the cause of her awakening, her anger only intensifying (by way more than just 20%) when she realised who it was that had woken her. “Gilda. Just what the hay do you think you're doing here? If you aren't here to apologise then you'd best leave right now before you get hurt...”

“Apologise?” Gilda snorted. “As if. But if YOU feel like apologising I MIGHT just be willing to forgive you.”

“Not on your life.” Replied Rainbow incredulously. “What do you want? If you're here to cause trouble again, then you'd best be ready for a fight. Upset Fluttershy like you did last time and I won't be held accountable for what I do to you...”

The griffon smirked. “Whoops. Too late.”

“What? What did you do to her? Tell me!”

“Same thing I did to Applejack, of course!”

“Applejack as well? What have you done Gilda?”

“If you want to find out, you'll have to catch me!” Gilda span around and dived out of the clouds towards the ground, with Rainbow following close behind. She realised that they seemed to be heading towards a group of ponies waiting down below. Dash gasped as she recognised Trixie. There was definitely something fishy going on here.

Gilda landed neatly alongside her allies, and Dash dropped down in front of them. “Is this supposed to scare me, Gilda?” She asked. “If you think I'm going to back down just because I'm outnumbered six to one then you've got another thing coming!”

“Oh, I know you're not going to back down, Dashie.” Gilda grinned. “You're stupid like that. You know, this really is all your fault. If you'd only apologised to me then none of this would have happened.”

“Sure, I'll apologise!” Dash yelled. “I apologise in advance for the terrible things I'm about to do to the whole lot of you! Take this!” She leapt into the air... then immediately came crashing down again, her legs splayed around her. “What the?” It was only now that she noticed the dark smoke swirling around her. “Gilda? Wh-what did you do?” Then, she was gone.

“Sorry Dash. Guess payback's a bitch, eh?”

---

“Oh no you don't, nobody gets the better of Rainbow Dash!” Dash set her aim for the globe above her and took off, eager to return to the fray.

“Whoooaa there Nelly!” Yelled Applejack, grabbing Rainbow's tail to hold her down.

The pegasus span, only now noticing that she wasn't alone. “Applejack! Fluttershy! Thank Celestia you're alright! I was worried Gilda had done something terrible.”

“Um... well I think she sort of did...” Muttered Fluttershy.

“Yeah, well that's why I've got to get back there right now to teach her a lesson! So let go of my tail already so I can go kick some griffon flank!”

“Hear me out first before you rush off, alright Rainbow?” Said Applejack, releasing her hold. “Don't you realise how far away we are? Even with your speed, it'll take you forever to get home, and where does that leave me and Fluttershy? Besides, Nightmare Moon was stuck up here for a thousand years- don't you think if it was as easy as just flying back she'd have done that herself?”

“Well we can't just do nothing! I am not hanging around on this rock for a millenium!”

“Ah wasn't suggesting waiting that long. Aint you noticing a pattern here? First Fluttershy, then me, then you? Photo Finish has a grudge against Fluttershy for quitting modelling, Ace has a grudge against me for some reason ah can't quite fathom, and Gilda definitely has a grudge against you. Then there was that male unicorn, ah think he was the one that Rarity had that obsession with at the Grand Galloping Gala, if you remember that ended pretty badly. Plus Trixie definitely has a reason to hate Twilight. Ah don't know who that grey pony was, but ah'd be willin' to stake Sweet Apple Acres on her having some sort of problem with Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow shrugged. “So what?”

“So,” Applejack continued. “They'll be going after the others next. You won't be able to get back to warn them in time, so let's just sit tight up here until the rest of them get here and we can work out a solution together, OK?”

“OK, fine.” Dash crossed her front legs. “But just for the record, I could totally have dealt with those losers on my own.”

---

Rarity was just setting up shop for the day when there was a knock on her door. “Co-ming! We're just about to open, so if you just hold on a moment I'll be right wi-” As she threw open the door, her expression suddenly changed to one of annoyance. “Oh. It's you. What do you want?”

“Lady Rarity, I was hoping that you would accompany me for... a short trip.” Blueblood was doing his best to pile on the charm. He planned to build up Rarity's hopes, then crush them and send her to the moon.

He had rather overestimated his abilities. “Not if you were the last stallion in Equestria.” Snapped Rarity. “Goodbye.” She slammed the door in his face. The knocking immediately started up again. “Go away! I'm not int-”

The door suddenly crashed open. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not have time for this!” This was the critical phase of her plan- everything hinged on divide and conquer. The first three targets had all been away on the outskirts of town, but now she had been forced to come to the centre, and every moment wasted increased the likelihood of being discovered and having to take on three opponents at once. While the Great and Powerful Trixie would of course be victorious, she wanted to take as few risks as possible.

“YOU!” Growled Rarity. Trixie was the last pony that Rarity wanted to see. Aside from Blueblood of course, who was now following her in, along with the rest of her allies. “Get out of my shop! All of you! We are CLOSED!”

With his original plan scuppered, the Prince decided to skip straight to the 'crushing' part. “You are the most horrible, dirty, uncouth pony that I have ever had the misfortune to meet!”

“Hah! Well YOU are the most inconsiderate, stuck up, conceited pony that I have ever had the misfortune to meet! Now get out of my shop!”

The Prince smiled the most horribly self satisfied smirk that Rarity had ever seen. “Ladies first...”

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity had been so caught up in her argument that she hadn't even noticed that she had been completely surrounded in Trixie's dark magic. The realisation dawned rather too late. “Oh...” She vanished.

---

For whatever reason, while the others had appeared on the moon's surface, Rarity arrived just a short distance above it. Not far up for the weak gravity to cause her any harm, but far enough up for her landing to be rather lacking in grace. A small crater had formed around her, and the moon dust that had previously been settled there was now distributed all over her coat and mane.

“Are you OK Rarity?” Asked Applejack, with some concern.

“OK? OK?” Replied Rarity angrily. “No I am not OK! First that terrible Prince showed up, along with that braggart Trixie, and now I'm covered in dust and stuck on the moon!” She paused, only now registering the strangeness of her friends presence. “Wait, what are you doing here?” Suddenly she gasped happily. “Ah! You must be here to rescue me! About time, I feel like I've been here forever!”

“We've been here longer than you have!” Exclaimed Dash angrily. “Those creeps seem to be running around sending everypony they meet to the moon!”

“Say, Rarity, ah don't suppose you have any spells that might help us out here would you?” Applejack suggested, hopefully.

The unicorn shook her head. “No, I'm afraid not. Not unless you all have a burning desire for some hairstyling...” She suggested hopefully.

“Ah think we have bigger problems right now.” Replied Applejack.

“Um... actually,” interjected Fluttershy quietly. “If we're just going to be waiting around for Pinkie and Twilight to get here anyway, I wouldn't mind...”

That perked Rarity up somewhat. “Well, I might as well, to pass the time.”

---

Bounce! Bounce! Bounce! Pinkie Pie bounded downstairs into the shop, eager to start her day. “Morning Mr. Cake! Morning Mrs. Cake!”

“Morning Pinkie, are you going out?” Asked Mrs. Cake, looking up from her morning baking.

“Yep!” Pinkie grinned. “I just got up this morning and I suddenly thought- hey! It's a great day for a party! So I need to go out and let everyone know!”

“OK dear, well let me know if you need any cake baked.”

“Okie Dokie Loki!” Pinkie bounded over to the front door and outside, almost bowling over a pony that had been about to knock. When she realised who it was, her smile somehow got even wider. “Inkie! I knew it was going to be a greate day for a party, and now I know why! My sister's here to visit and we'll have a super duper party to celebrate!”

“My name is Inkimena.” Her sister growled through pursed lips.

“I know that silly!” Pinkie laughed. “But I call you Inkie because it's more fun! Inkie Pie and Pinkie Pie together again! Oh this is going to be so great!”

Inkimena sighed. “You know what? Just send her to the moon already, I can't stand any more of this...”

“Are you sure?” Asked Ace. “I thought you wanted to let her know about how angry you are at her for abandoning your family?”

“What's the point? I'll just tell it to my rocks later, they'll pay about the same amount of attention and at least they won't try to talk back.”

“Did you say you're sending me to the moon?” Pinkie Pie bounced around Inkimena happily. “I'd love to go to the moon! I've never been to the moon before! Have you been to the moon? Oh! Oh! We can go together! It'll be a GREAT place for a party!” Suddenly she stopped bouncing, as Trixie began to cast the spell. “Huh... I seem to be stuck... Oh well! ”

“SHUT UP!” Yelled Inkimena. “I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!”

“You can't hate me silly! I'm your sister!” With one last giggle, Pinkie was gone.

“Thank CELESTIA for that!” Moaned Prince Blueblood. “I don't blame you for wanting rid of her, she was quite frankly intolerable...”

Well, there was no going back now... “Goodbye, sister...” Muttered Inkimena, under her breath.

---

“Wheeee! Wheee!” On the moon, Pinkie Pie could bounce higher than she had ever dreamed of before. “This is the best day ever! First I got to see my sister, now I get to visit the moon, and soon we'll all have a super duper party! There'll be singing, and dancing, and pin the tail on the pony! It's going to be the bestest party ever!”

“Pinkie, stop that!” Yelled Applejack desperately. “You'll hurt yourself!” Suddenly, it hit her. “Wait... did you say your sister? Grey coat? Straight mane?”

“Yep! That's Inkie Pie alright! I haven't seen her for years, but I knew it was her the moment I saw her! And she had lots of new friends!”

This was a shock to Applejack. She tried to imagine someone from the Apple family turning against one of the others, but it just didn't make sense to her. It seemed to make even less sense when you considered that Inkie must share at least some traits with her sister... Applejack couldn't imagine Pinkie doing something as cruel as that.

Or could she? She remembered how strangely Pinkie Pie had started acting when they'd thrown that surprise party for her and she'd got it all twisted up and thought they didn't want to be her friends any more... What Rainbow had told her about that pile of rocks and the turnips sent a shiver down her spine. She knew that Pinkie never really stayed in contact with her family any more. If Inkie had thought that Pinkie had abandoned her... maybe it wasn't so far fetched that she'd turn against her own sister...

Still, no point worrying about the whys and hows any more. There was only one more of them left now. “Come on Twilight...” Applejack muttered. “We're all counting on you.”

---

The door to the library sprung open. “Beware, Twilight Sparkle! For the Great and Powerful Trixie is here to defeat you!”

“Who?”

Trixie gasped. Who would dare mock the Great and Powerful Trixie in her hour of triumph? “Why, the most incredible, majestic, magical pony who has ever lived, of course!”

“Who?”

She cast her gaze around the room, and spotted an owl perched on a coat stand off to one side of the room. “Listen feather-brain, there's plenty of room on the moon for you too if you dare insult the Great and Powerful Trixie again!”

“If you've quite finished arguing with Owlowiscious, I presume you're here for me?” Twilight was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down into the library. “Now what was that about the moon?”

“Oh, you'll find out soon enough, Miss Sparkle!” Trixie cackled. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will now demonstrate why Trixie is the most magical pony who has ever lived! Elements, assemble!”

The rest of the Elements of Anarchy filed in, and formed up behind her. “A little overblown, don't you think Trixie?” Suggested Gilda.

“Silence! Trixie let you have your moment with Dash, do not interrupt this!”

“What? What have you done with Dash?” Twilight was really worried now. Trixie had seemed different the last time she had met her. Annoying and big headed, but ultimately harmless. Now, there was a real aura of malice around her.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie already told you that you would find out soon!” Trixie laughed. “It is time for you to experience true power!” Darkness flooded into the room. Twilight gasped as she gazed into Trixies eyes and saw nothing but blackness.

“Wait! Trixie! This is dangerous magic!”

“Trixie knows that! Dangerous for you! That's rather the point.”

She tried to lift her hooves out of the mist that was now swirling around her, but it would not budge. “Oh no, I'm not going down that easily.” She concentrated, and her horn began to shine. With a flash, she had teleported down in front of Trixie. “Don't do this, Trixie. This is a step too far. There's no coming back from here...” Even as she spoke, the mist was upon her again, holding her down.

Once again she teleported away, but it seemed that the darkness was moving more quickly now, and it was instantly on top of her again. “You won't get-” FLASH “-away with-” FLASH “-this!” It was everywhere now. There was nowhere left to run. So she went on the offensive. With a blast of power, she knocked Trixie backwards into the shelves.

The unicorn was covered in a pile of books. For a moment, light returned to the library, and Trixie's eyes were back to their normal colour. But it did not last. “No!” Yelled Trixie. The books around her exploded away. “It is you, Twilight, who will not be getting away!” The candles lighting the room were snuffed out, and the whole library now turned blacker than a starless night. For what seemed like an eternity, there was nothing. Slowly, the light from the windows returned, revealing five ponies, one griffon and an owl. Twilight was nowhere to be seen.

“Yes!” Cheered Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is victorious! None now remain to challenge me! Was there ever any doubt?” She began to laugh manically. “Ahahahahah! Ahahahahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!”