The New Timeline

by Jongoji245

Screwball's Favor

Trixie Lulamoon, often with the surname "The Great and Powerful," was formerly one of the most respected magicians across Equestria. Her shows, wherever they were, have been her bread and butter. But her pride has always been in her way leading to her utter humiliation in front of her captive audience. But for all she is, the Unicorn never answered the question, "why do you do this?"

Eight years before today

In a corner of the street in Canterlot, a much younger Trixie weeps in the freezing rain. Homeless and hungry with no one to turn to, the young Unicorn could just as well weep until she became nothing more than a memory. She grabbed an empty bottle and began rubbing it.

"If only there is such a thing as Genies." Trixie choked as she rubbed the bottle.

Suddenly the bottle began to shake as smoke came out of the opening. It was Screwball, only with a fez (it still has a helicopter on top) and her lower body in smoke as it reached the bottle. To her worry, the genie did have spirals for eyes.

"My dear child, I am here to grant you all your wishes, all your desires. You receive three free wishes."

Feeling the sudden joy, Trixie thought of the first thing to come in her head.

"I wish to have a nice warm home."

With a clop of her hooves, Screwball materialized Trixie into a humble wagon. She squeed as the unicorn pranced around and lavished in her bed. That is until her belly rumbled.

"I wish for food, lots of food!"

Suddenly, the cabin was filled with all sorts of food, including her favored snack: peanut butter crackers. As she nibbled on the cracker, she pondered on the next thing as her "djinn" appeared before her.

"Any last wish before I leave?"

"I wish for you to be my best friend."

Screwball had her hoof in her muzzle, but she had to respect her wish. She didn't treat this as enslavement, rather an opportunity and all she had to do is wait... "Your wish is my command."

A few weeks later, Trixie watched as many Unicorn families dropped off their students for the entrance exam. With a feeling of emptiness, she had to turn to her next best thing. Rubbing the bottle, Screwball appeared before her.

"Can you grant one more wish?"

Screwball's lips curled upwards before she patted her friend's blue-white mane. "Of course, for my dear friend..."

1 week before today

After her discovery of an amulet, Trixie pondered about what to do. Why did it glow, why the weird design, and where did it come from before the boulder it was trapped in was shipped there?

Her meditation was interrupted when the interior of her wagon darkened.

"Hmmm.... Lovely amulet." - Trixie looked up to see Screwball floating above her - "Would be a pretty valuable item to pay for your debt."

"Debt?" - She shuffled back - "To whom does The Great and Powerful Trixie pay?"

"Oh... to your djinn..." Screwball floated closer.

"Sorry, but Trixie has no time for childish games." The former performer walked away when she opened up her eyes to Screwball once more.

"I believe you forget the picture." - Screwball took out one package of her many peanut butter crackers - "You see, when you were a filly you made quite a few wishes." - She takes out one cracker, giving it a snide look before aiming it at the dip - "And by now you are so much in debt..." - She took a bite of the cracker before tossing it out, getting the attention of Marble Pie. Just as she places her ear on the wagon... - "I OWN YOUR FLANK!!!!"

Trixie now had her back against the wall as a shadow loomed over her.

"I have come here to collect and you know what happens if you don't pay your collectors?"

Shakily raising a hoof, Trixie whimpers, "Take... my... wagon away?"

Screwball calmed down as quickly as she floated in the air, shuffling a few fingers she materialized in her hoof.

"Close, but not paying back to the Screwball Loans will result in the deletion of your birthday." She said nonchalantly before pointing her spiraled eyes upward - "Which also wipes out others born the same day."

Defeated, Trixie began to sob as she lifted her amulet.

"Call this my first payment?"

Screwball looked at the weeping Unicorn and the amulet. "Try that on. I want to see how it fits you."

Wiping her tears, Trixie wrapped the chain around her neck. Suddenly she winced as her natural magic fought back the dark origins of the amulet, eventually shifting the aura from her light violet to a deep red. Trixie slowly opened her eyes, glaring at her loaner.

"Trixie has a method of payment. She will establish a stronghold in the one place where the one pony that Trixie will destroy." - She took a glare at her mirror before making her reflection into that of Twilight Sparkle.

Screwball peeked from behind. "Not what I expected..." - She began rubbing Trixie's shoulders - "But it's a start."

Today

In a dark room, so dark that it could be the end of the universe.

Poiiiii ffft-fffft

"And in recent news, the Changeling Invasion was successfully-"

Pfftfffftff!

"For the first time in a few thousand years, the Crystal Empire has-"

Pfftfffftff!

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has control of this news station. From now on this-"

Pfftfffftff!

"Our apologies... In other news, Princess Celestia has returned with delegates from Saddle Arabia. Our journalist has recently stated that a sabotage incident was involved, but was stopped by one very brave colt."

Pteeww!

A light lavender hoof placed a remote control on the arm rest. On the chair was what appeared to be an earth pony... If you can overlook the hypnotizing eyes. She sulked on the chair, tapping her hooves.

"She has done poorly." In the shadows, She gave a grin. "Time to collect her debt..."

While it rained once more in a deep forest, Trixie pulled her wagon blindly through the harsh weather. Feeling the mud beneath her hooves, the Unicorn almost slipped constantly. Suddenly, she was jerked back, landing her rump on the wet soil. After repeatedly pulling harder, Trixie unhitched herself before walking around. A wheel was caught in a few rocks. This would be no problem had it not been raining. With a groan evidenced by the warm air from her muzzle, Trixie entered her wagon. Soaked down to the skin under her fur, the Unicorn closed the door and shut the windows in a desperate attempt to keep the heat in.

Wrapping herself in blankets, Trixie kept thinking to herself, "The Great and Apologetic Trixie will make up for her past crimes, she will."

Sleeping the storm away, Trixie was dormant the entire silent night when her ear began flicking to the sound of splashing mud. As it grew louder, she rose up from her mattress and stomped out of the wagon.

"The Great and Powerful-!" Trixie looked up to find the Galgameth pivoting it's upper body at her. The sight made her gulp when the cockpit opened, revealing the pony inside.

"Can I help you?" asked Cogsworth.

Clearing her throat, Trixie walked up to him. "The Great and Apologetic Trixie does not require help," - she looks the other way with sad eyes - "Let alone hurt anypony."

As she walked to the wagon tongue, the young mechanic cocked his head.

"Great and 'Apologetic'? What happened to Great and 'Powerful'?"

Trixie stopped hitching herself for a moment before shaking her head and fasted herself to the wagon. Straining herself once more, Trixie couldn't go anywhere without digging her hooves deeper in mud. Just as she was about to give up, she felt something unusual, as if the weight of the world meant nothing as she walked a few steps forward. Looking back, she found Cogsworth just lowering the wagon. She lowers her head.

"Trixie has nothing to offer in return."

"Oh, I think you do." - the two Ponies looked around, wondering where the sound came from. The only thing around them was an owl... with light violet plumage. The squarish bird turned its head a full one-eighty before opening it's spiraled eyes - "You most certainly do."

Screwball descended from the tree before transforming into her true form before them.

"Trixie Lulamoon, by the power vested in me, It's time to pay up."

"Wh- what?" - Trixie staggered back - "But she has done your favor."

"On your terms, but not on mine." - Screwball interjected when Trixie raised a hoof - "No, you can't take a rain check. But look," - Screwball floated to the mechanic - "you don't have to do it alone"

"What? No no! I was just passing by." Cogsworth turned the mech when the Chaos Pony appeared before him, hanging upside down from the snout of the machine.

"Maybe a little reward?" With a clap of her hooves, the cords that were attached to his spine detached.

Unprepared, Cogsworth fell to the mud.

"What was that for?!" - Cogsworth staggered to his hooves - "You have any idea how-" - All his hooves. For the first time in four years, he could move his lower body. - "I can stand... I can walk... I can run!!" - the Earth Pony started running in circles several times. But with another clap of her hooves, Cogsworth's back legs became limp, spiraling him to a halt in the mud. He tried lifting his lower body, but not even his tail could move. He looked up to see Screwball standing on two legs, her arms crossed.

"What do you want us to do?"

Screwball pointed her right hoof to her right. "There's a Diamond Dog mine to your left. Bring me the fanciest gem you can find." - The chaos Pony ascended into the air "Don't bother running, cause I know when you do!" She giggled before clopping her hooves disappearing in a puff of smoke.

In his short burst of excitement, Cogsworth ran a few meters from the machine. He tried to crawl back when a light-violet aura wrapped around him and positioned him into the cockpit. The cords once again plugged into his spine, giving him a tingling feeling as the energy surged through his body. Regaining motion in the arms and legs, the mechanic joined up with Trixie as they journeyed towards their destination.

"So, Trixie" - Cogsworth turned his head to the magician - "what's a big shot like you being in debt to some freaky Pony?"

After walking a few more steps, Trixie took a deep breath.

"Trixie, like other stars, comes from dirt." - Trixie flashes back to her childhood. One night she watches as her parents argue with each other, wincing back when her father smacks her. Not taking the sight of the beating, Trixie immediately ran out the door - "Though this star needed some extra fuel to shine. What about you?"

"I... Almost shot three of my classmates. And just as I was about to come out of Juvi, I just went through Tartarus." - In a Mirage Comics style flashback, Cogsworth watched as Chrysalis applied her mind control spell - "When I first saw Cosgrove in Saddle Arabia I tried swimming to the surface, tried to communicate, but something held me back. I watched as I almost did something I can never forgive myself."

Trixie's eyes were wide open as she took in the information.

"You have much in common with Trixie."

"Yeah... You could say that."

Kaboom!!

The horizon of the forest suddenly lit in an orange color. As they walked out, Trixie and Cogsworth found that much of their work was cut out for them. Garble had already raided the mine, the only obstacle that remained was Spot who was inspecting the mine at the time. The dragon fired its breath at the Diamond Dog, but Spot quickly burrowed into the ground and leaped out at him. Pinning Garble to the ground, Spot tried to wrestle the gem away from the dragon.

"Give gem back!! Give gem back!!" Spot barked

"And miss my breakfast!? No way!" Garble tries to push the Diamond Dog away, but his weight made this unlikely.

Suddenly Spot was snatched up by the mechanic. After dragging him a few feet away, Cogsworth flung the Diamond Dog a good distance. Garble staggered to his feet, his predatory eyes spotting the two Ponies that broke up the fight.

But dragons like him are not that grateful. "What do you want?" Garble growled, showing his teeth.

"Trixie just wants that gem you are holding." Said Trixie

"First a mutt, now a namby-pamby Pony and her pet." Garble snorted before putting the gem down "let's see how great you are." Garble immediately flew over to Trixie when she casts an illusion spell, bringing up a form of a larger dragon. The beast roared at him, but when Garble clutched its snout, it merely popped and was shot up into the air.

Spot slowly awoke to find Trixie and Garble fighting, and Cogsworth turning around with the gem in the machines grip. Just as the Galgameth took off, Spot climbed up a nearby rock face, jumped and gripped onto the tail with his teeth. Cogsworth struggled to be airborne, but the weight was too much. Rising back onto its feet, Cogsworth aimed a blaster at the Diamond Dog. Spot continuously dodged the blasts while holding the tail.

Trixie raced the dragon down the rock and grabbed the gem before being pummeled by Garble. Her magic only used to perform magician's spells, the best she could do is shoot a flare right at his eyes. Garble roared before his tail smacked the gem away. The gem rolled before being stopped by Screwball. As she levitated into the sky, the Chaos Pony giggled as they continued to fight.

"Let the snake eat its own tail." She snarked before looking away with her gem.

The battle lasted well into the evening. By then, Trixie, Spot, and Garble stared at a campfire, keeping a good distance away from each other. Trixie suffered several bruises and gashes on her back that she immediately bandaged with her star-spangled cape, Spot had a few burns and a bloody nose, Garble's eyes were bloodshot from the multiple flares Trixie casts before being hit in the jaw a few times as well as a broken wing. Cogsworth returned with a few bruises, but that didn't stop him from dragging the wagon back here.

"Why you guys need gem anyway?" Spot asked before pointing to Garble "Dragon want gem to eat, but you value gem for money?"

"I just wanted my legs back." Detaching the cables from his back, Cogsworth lifted a leg before letting it loose with a small thump.

"Trixie needed to pay her debt." - She looks up at the night sky before drawing Screwball's illusion - "Guess she already has."

"Why did you need it for?" Garble asked of Spot.

"Was to be centerpiece of great chair." - Spot groaned - "Now it ruined..."

"All because Trixie wanted a friend when she was young." The unicorn began to sniffle when she entered the wagon.

Cogsworth and Spot looked at each other before hearing Garble groan as he turned his back to them, curling up to sleep. Spot circled around a couple times before curling up to sleep. Cogsworth sealed the hatch of the cockpit, slowly going to sleep as the green interior became darker.

Much later, Trixie awoke to the sound of leaves rustling and twigs crunching. Looking out the window, she found that her wagon was moving. Opening a seal behind the area of the wagon tongue, she found that Cogsworth was dragging the wagon.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this? Trixie demands an answer!"

The Galgameth pivoted its upper body around, revealing the pilot.

"I thought of this last night and well I feel that we should help you out."

After pivoting towards the road, Trixie turned to find Garble walking beside them.

"Even you?"

"Well, you did break my wing. And ruin my meal" The teenage dragon snorted before Spot came running back with a few gems "Good thing we brought the mutt along."

Trixie almost choked up as she held her head up with both hooves up, looking at the bright blue sky.

"Oh, what would we encounter on our travels?"

Our view draws back more and more until it is shown to be a movie screen. In one of the seats, Screwball looks back at us.

“And that is another adventure waiting to happen.”

“It sure is!” Says Pinkie before she and the chaos pony hoof bump.

Author's Note:

The Deviantart draft of the same name is quite different from this but Screwball's threat is still the same.