> Crisis of Infinite Trixies
>  by Rixizu
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Damn you, Sparkle! Another!” Trixie raised her empty mug, demanding a refill. She cursed that mare’s name again for reducing somepony like Trixie to this pathetic state. Ponies once called her the Great and Terrible Pirate Queen of the Seas! Or Trixie liked to call herself that, anyway. 

“Haven’t you had enough?” The barkeep replied, whipping a mug with a towel. 

“Trixie will tell you when she’s had enough!” Trixie swung her mug. But she overshot, wincing as her drunken behind crashed from her barstool to the grubby floor below. “I’m fine. Don’t help me!”

But getting back to her seat proved too laborious a task, so Trixie made friends with the floor instead. “It’s fine. I’ll hang out here.” 

“Just get her out of here. We have enough lowlife scalawags in here already.” The barkeep said, sighing. The roughest and lowest of the Middream Sea laughed as they tossed Captain Trixie through the bar doors into the cold street. 

“Fine, see if Trixie will ever return to your establishment!” Trixie said, swaying on her hooves.

“I’m too good for everypony!” But, even drunk, Trixie knew this wasn’t true. 

Thanks to Twilight Sparkle, the fleet captain of Princess Celestia’s mighty navy, and her annoying crew, Trixie had lost everything. When she’d learned that Trixie’s ship, the Starbeam, had entered the Middream, she’d pursued Trixie and her pirate crew with the full force of the law. It’d been a catastrophe, her entire pirate gang beaten and captured. Only brave Captain Trixie had escaped, sneaking away on a lifeboat as the situation deteriorated. No, she hadn’t abandoned her crew, as some claimed. It’d only been a strategic retreat. Besides her eye patch and a few bits, Trixie possessed nothing to her name. 

But that didn’t matter. She’d rebuild and show that goody two horseshoes who was boss. How, she hadn’t a clue, but she’d do it! The Queen of the Seas didn’t know the meaning o the word surrender! For now, this cardboard box would make an excellent bed until morning. As momma always said, a new day, new possibilities!

As Trixie snuggled up with her cardboard box to sleep off her drunkenness, she yelped as the dark alley was suddenly filled with blinding light. 

“What gives?” Had the law found her? Or was she too drunk to realize Celestia had already raised the sun? No, someone had definitely appeared in her alley. 

“Who the heck are you?” Trixie lifted her eye patch to peer at the intruder. 

“Trixie Lulamoon.” A metallic voice said, terror zipped down Trixie’s spine as she gazed up at the odd newcomer. Moonlight glinted off its silver, reflective surface, a behemoth of metal construction. Besides that observation, its spotlight blinded her to its features.

Collecting herself, Trixie stood tall and proud, sobriety returning in a rush. The Great and Terrible Pirate Queen of the Seas refused to be intimated! At least, she hoped the stranger would believe that. She’d forgotten her cutlass back on the Starbeam.

“Trixie Lulamoon of Universe 78111 has been found. She will be eliminated.” The metal monstrosity replied. 

“What?” All bravado left Trixie. She fled towards the ally’s entrance, anything to distance herself from this assassin. What was this thing? Some creation sent by Twilight Sparkle to destroy her greatest rival?

Trixie’s horn lit up to summon an illusion to defend herself, but a mighty hand plucked her from the dirty alley. She flailed, anything to free herself. But it proved impossible, its grip iron. 

“Please, release me! Trixie promises to be good! She’ll retire from piracy!” But the metal monster paid her impassioned pleas no attention, its hand lit up with green energy. Trixie screamed, but it died as her body dissolved to nothing. No evidence remained that Trixie Lulamoon had ever existed. 

“Trixie Lulamoon of Universe 78111 has been eliminated. Mission complete. Returning to Axis.” The metal golem said, its voice devoid of any emotion. It displayed neither pride nor satisfaction that its mission was completed. “Only 27 Trixies remain.” 
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Huh, that’s different,” Trixie said, blowing a hair from her eyes. She crossed her arms and peered at the poster closer. “What kind of school event is this?”

The sign read Canterlot Spring Time Jubilee. Everyone welcome. Bring your special someone for a night to remember. Was this a school dance? Or just some get-together? The brightly painted poster did little to clarify these points. 

“No, thanks,” Trixie said, scoffing. It wasn’t like she had a special someone to bring along. While Trixie was the most eligible bachelorette in Canterlot High, few met her high standards. It wasn’t because few had shown interest in her. No, they were just blind to Trixie’s fabulous qualities. 

“A Jubilee? Sounds fun!” A chipper voice said, too energetic for so early in the morning. 

“It does, I hope.” A nervous but resigned voice said. She shivered. “But school events have a tendency to get scary.”

“Hey,” Trixie said, waving at Sunset Shimmer and her friends. 

“Hey, Trixie! Weirdness does tend to happen whenever the school organizes something.” Sunset said with some self-depreciation. They each remembered what had happened during that big school dance many moons ago, along with other strange incidents, usually involving demon girls. “But I don’t see any reason this particular dance should go sideways.”

“Yeah, and if anything happens, we’ll be there to kick butt!” Rainbow Dash said, jabbing several times into the air. 

While not entirely reassured, Trixie nodded her assent. Nervousness overcame her when a thought occurred to her. Trixie had a sudden idea who she’d like to ask. An unfamiliar bout of uneasiness washed over her, causing Trixie to sweat. 

“Say, Sunset.” Trixie rubbed the back of her neck. “I was wondering if it might be cool if…”

“Yes?” Sunset asked, oblivious to Trixie’s question.

“If well…” Trixie cursed as the school bells chimed, summoning them to class. What terrible timing. 

“I see you around, Trixie!” Sunset said, waving as she departed to class with her friends. 

“Great job, Trixie! You blew it!” Trixie muttered as she slammed her head against a nearby locker. 

“Um, Trixie.” A quiet voice said, making Trixie jerk in surprise. It was Fluttershy, she hadn’t noticed her earlier. 

“Yeah?” Trixie raised an eyebrow, wondering why this girl was stammering at her. The shy girl paused, wanting to say something else. She shook her head, dropping the subject.

“Never mind. It doesn’t really matter.” Fluttershy said, using her hair as a shield between them. “Have a good time at class, Trixie!” Then she zipped away at astonishing speed. 

What was that about? Well, whatever. The Jubilee was next weekend, giving Trixie plenty of opportunity to ask Sunset. Trixie rarely failed at anything, she doubted this would be any different. 

“Yes! I will ask Sunset to the Jubilee, and we’ll have the best time of our lives!” Trixie declared to the heavens. She blushed as a teacher pointed at her, directing her to class. But before that, however, math. 

---

“Funny seeing you here, Trixie,” Sunset said, holding a cup of punch. “Couldn’t get a date either?” 

“Nope! Coming here with a date would be so lame!” Trixie replied, saddling over to the food table. Beyond cookies and punch, it had tiny sandwiches. Trixie greedily stole a generous portion of them. “I’m just here for the free grub!”

“Still, at least the others are having fun,” Sunset said, watching Twilight Sparkle dancing with Timber Spruce, the camp counselor from Camp Everfree. 

Dancing was a generous description of what Twilight was doing. Trixie smirked as the boy did his best to not have his toes stepped on. Her other girlfriends faced various degrees of success. Rainbow Dash had somehow gotten herself roped into coming with Fluttershy’s less than pleasant brother, Zephyr Breeze, regretting every second of her choice. She looked about ready to throttle him. Applejack scared her date, Soarn’, half to death as she swung him around like he weighed nothing, underestimating her strength. Fluttershy, in particular, seemed super awkward with her date, Sandalwood, looking like she’d rather be elsewhere. It was kinda cute. Of everyone, Rarity was having the time of her life, enjoying her dance with that one cruise guy with the odd accent. 

Trixie settled closer to Sunset, finally mustering the courage that’d failed her during the last week. “Still cool to see you.”

Sunset nodded in the affirmative, but otherwise didn’t reply. An awkward silence passed between them as Trixie struggled to come up with something cool to say to impress Sunset. 

Get it together, Trix. You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie! Your resplendence can accomplish anything! “Sunset, would you be interested in maybe kinda going out on the dance floor and…” But fate conspired against her, retreating a step as Sunset’s friends rushed over for refreshments after a taxing dance. 

“Now that hits the spot!” Pinkie said, downing the entire cup of punch in a single swig. 

“Hooboy! That was fun!” Applejack said, dragging her disoriented date over to her with a single swing of her powerful arms. “Can’t wait to go for another song.” From her date’s haggard expression, he wasn’t looking forward to this. 

“Yeah, it was fun, I suppose,” Fluttershy said, voice almost incurable. But she perked up as she spotted Trixie. “Um, hi, Trixie! Glad you could come!”

The refreshment table became its own jubilee as Sunset’s friends vied for her attention. Trixie sulked away, dejected as she failed again. Sometimes it seemed the universe conspired against her personally. Trixie leaned against a wall on the opposite side of the gym as Sunset chatted with her friends. 

Next song, that’s when I ask her!

“Um, hi, Trixie.” A timid voice said, interrupting Trixie’s brooding. 

“Yeah?” Trixie replied, somewhat annoyed. Didn’t the girl realize Trixie wasn’t interested in chatting?

“Just seeing how you’re doing!” Fluttershy said too quickly. “Just thought you needed a friend!”

“I suppose.”

“No, darn it! Why you’d say that? She’ll get the wrong impression!” The girl hissed the words so quietly that Trixie almost missed it. 

While Trixie wasn’t sure what the girl meant, Fluttershy’s earnestness softened her heart. Trixie found she appreciated the company. “Thanks. This night hasn’t really gone how I wanted. There’s someone I wanted to ask to dance, but some stupid obstacles keep getting in the way.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy deflated, but soon regained her composure. “Then you’ll just need to keep trying! You never stop fighting for happiness!”

“Sure?” What was going on with Fluttershy? 

“You try again, even if the entire world fights against you!” Fluttershy said, becoming more animated. “For your happiness, Trixie! I’ll do whatever it takes!”

Okay? But what about her happiness? It made Trixie somewhat guilty that Fluttershy fought so hard for her sake. They barely knew each other. Trixie gapped like a fish as Fluttershy suddenly pushed Trixie right in front of Sunset. Sweat gathered on Trixie’s brow as everyone stared at her as Fluttershy caused a scene. 

“Uh, hi, Trixie,” Sunset said, confused but smiling her dazzling smile. 

“Go on!” Fluttershy whispered, elbowing Trixie in her back. 

“This is for her sake. Besides, Sunset’s a better choice, anyway.” The girl muttered to herself. 

“Sunset, uh, hey!” Trixie fumed over her words before regaining her confidence. Didn’t she want to be a professional stage magician? These gapping bystanders shouldn’t mean squat to her. As they faded from her mind, Trixie’s confidence swelled. As the DJ, a white-skinned girl with neon hair, started the next song, it provided Trixie the perfect cue to ask the question. “Sunset Shimmer, would you like to share the next dance with…”

Because the universe apparently hated her, the roof exploded just before Trixie finished her question. People screamed as the chunks of the ceiling rained onto them, fleeing in every which direction. Everyone gasped as two giant robots descended through the hoof, pointing laser weapons at the crowd. 

Their tremendous height menaced everyone in the gym, behemoths carved from gleaming silver metal. Squat, angular heads with a singular red visor, each surveying the crowd, paralyzing them with fear. 

“What in tarnation?” Applejack said, dumbstruck for a moment, but she swiftly prepared for battle. For reasons Trixie didn’t quite understand, Sunset and her friends had magical powers they used to fight evil.  

“I knew it,” Fluttershy said, sighing. The rest of her friends gathered together, ready for battle. But the robot monstrosities ignored them. Much to Trixie’s growing dread, fixing on her instead. 

“Trixie Lulamoon of Universe 8888. You will be eliminated.” A mechanical voice said, booming. 

A squeak of terror escaped Trixie’s lips. What the heck? Why was this happening to her? She joined the other students as they fled to safety. But a missile shot from the first robot’s arm, exploding and blocking the emergency exit before anyone escaped. It blew Trixie and the other teenagers off their feet, Trixie getting a painful tan as the emerging heat washed over her. 

“Ugh.” Trixie groaned, trying to regain her senses. Her ears were ringing terribly. She shrieked as she found a robot towering over her, its visored eye gleaming the color of blood. 

“Eliminate!” The monster said, pointing an arm at Trixie’s head. 

“I’m going to die!” Trixie shrieked louder, as she rolled aside, just avoiding a beam of energy. 

From what remained of the food table, it was good that Trixie avoided it. More beams shot in her direction, but the heroes of Canterlot High came to her rescue. Rarity jumped to Trixie’s rescue, blocking the robot’s beam attacks with her diamond shields. Applejack, with her remarkable super strength, decked a robot in the face. While it only caused a small dent, it knocked the creature over. The quick Rainbow Dash dashed around with unbelievable speed, keeping the robots distracted. Pinkie Pie blasted the robots with her exploding sprinkles, leaving black marks against their armored carapaces. Twilight flung tables at the machine creatures, keeping them off balance. 

“Over here!” Sunset said, helping Fluttershy guide the students from the gym. Seeing her chance, Trixie rushed over to flee to freedom. 

“You will not escape” Trixie screamed as a robot rushed her from behind, its jet sailing them from the ground. She struggled in its grip, heart pounding as they flew higher. 

“Trixie!” Her friends rushed to her help, but it was too late, the robot flying through the exploded roof.

“Rainbow, pony up!” Sunset said, disappearing from sight as the robot flew into the horizon. 

“Eliminating Trixie.” The mechanical monstrosity said with awful indifference to the terrible deed it planned to commit. 

“Please, no!” Trixie struggled harder. “I’m too young to die!” 

“Not so fast, fiend!” 

“Huh?” Even the robot stopped, looking at the newcomer. Instead of Rainbow Dash, as Trixie had expected, it was something beyond bizarre. 

“Captain Cosmos, to the rescue!”1 A purple shape zipped through the air, arm extended. It collided with the robot, jarring Trixie free from its grip. Relief turned to utter terror as Trixie plummeted to the hard street below. 

“Fear not! I’ve got you!” Something shot from the rescuer’s arm, zipping her towards Trixie. With a powerful arm, it caught the falling girl. 

“What the heck are you?” Not that Trixie wasn’t grateful, but a purple costumed horse had just rescued her! Flapping behind her in the wind was a cape, its tip covered with multicolored stars. Across her face was a mask of similar material. Even stranger, she shared Trixie’s marvelous voice!

“Call me, Captain Cosmos! Here to save the day!” The odd horse said. Trixie’s heart raced as they rushed towards the ground. But her small horse counterpart seemed unconcerned by the danger.  

“Never fear, I got this!” Cosmos shot another grappling hook. It snagged on a nearby rooftop, holding them in the air. A moment later, however, the cord snapped. They both screamed as the hard pavement of the street broke their fall.

“Ouch.” Trixie rubbed her sore shoulder. “Nice landing, hero!”

“Seems I slightly miscalculated the cord’s strength. It couldn’t hold our combined weights.” Captain Cosmos gave a nervous laugh.

“Two Trixies have been discovered. Eliminating.” Their killer robot friend said, hovering above them.

“Do something!” Trixie shrieked, hiding behind the caped hero. 

“Try it, fiend!” Captain Cosmos replied, all bravado. “You better flee before you get hurt!”

“Is that the best you’ve got?” What happened to her super heroics? 

“Hey, I’m trying!” Captain Cosmos snipped back. “Give me a break!” 

“Eliminate.” The robot raised its arm to fire. Trixie hugged her would-be rescuer, certain this was the end. 

They shrieked as the robot’s head exploded, its cranium bouncing across the street in a fiery heap.

“That’s what I get for letting you handle this.” Another voice said again, shockingly familiar. But this one was imperial and haughty, like someone used to giving commands. 

“I could have handled it alone, thank you,” Captain Cosmos said, hiding her relief.

“Clearly.” The newcomer said, sarcastically. 

“Another me?” Trixie said, staring at her newest savior. The horse was similar to the hero Trixie, only she wore green battle armor. Adorned on her head was a golden helmet with two antlers curled upward. Hovering in a pink aura was a staff floating behind her. 

“You’ve met my compatriot here. My name is Trixie Celestiamaden. Some call me the Goddess of Mischief.2”
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“From how you’re staring at me, you’ve obviously dumbstruck by my magnificence.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said. But Human Trixie hardly noticed, an irresistible question bubbling to her lips. 

“Can I ride you?”

“What?” Trixie Celestia-whatever replied, baffled.

“Can I ride you? I love horses!” Human Trixie suppressed a girlish giggle. While a dumb and childish impulse, she couldn’t help herself. Horse Trixie was so adorable!

“You’re speaking to a literal goddess, and you ask to ride her?!” Trixie Celestia-whatever said somewhere between exasperation and outrage. “And I’m not a horse. I’m a pony!”

“That’s even cuter! Please!” And her coloring made her counterpart even more adorable. Who knew ponies came in pastel colors?

“No, it’s not happening! It’s beneath my dignity!” The Goddess of Mischief said, glaring. 

“Um, guys.” Captain Cosmos said, trying to get her companions’ attention. 

“You’re no fun,” Human Trixie said, pouting. 

“Mortals. No respect at all! I don’t know why we even bothered rescuing you.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, scowling. 

“Guys!” Captain Cosmos said, shouting.

“What?”

“Eliminate.” The robot they’d assumed destroyed rose from the ground. Much to their collective distress, a brand-new squat head melted into place, like it’d been forged from liquid mercury. Human Trixie shrieked in terror as it pointed its laser cannon at them. 

“It matters not.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, bored. “It faces a goddess. She fears not one measly robot.” Her voice trailed off as the air rippled above them, reality ripped apart by some invisible hand. Four more metal monstrosities stepped through, each pointing a gun arm at their designated prey. 

“Ah…. Run!” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, literally turning tail. Each Trixie fled for their lives, Human Trixie yelping as a beam singed her wonderful hair.

“You’re a goddess! Do something!” Human Trixie yelled at the supposedly divine version of her. 


“Sometimes, the best method of dealing with a foe is to be elsewhere. But fear not, mortal, I’ll keep them distracted.” Trixie Celestia-whatever’s horn glowed a grayish magenta light, and hundreds of versions of their group appeared. Each fled in separate directions, sure to befuddle their pursuers.

But the robot monsters weren’t impressed with this trick. A beam shot from their helmets, washing a light over each duplicate. They fizzled out, like they’d never existed. 

“You have got to be kidding me.” Trixie Celestia-whatever scowled. “If only they were living. I could use my Mind Stone against them.” 

“Not surprising. It is a Trixie assassin, and illusions are our bread and butter.” Captain Cosmos said unhelpfully. 

Was this it? Were they doomed?

“Hey, leave her alone!” A rainbow blur knocked the four metal monsters off course, zipping through their death beams.

“Sister?” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, surprised at the flying horse girl running interference. “Always the glory hound, eh?”

“And she’s not alone!” The wonderful, glorious Sunset Shimmer said, her friends running beside her. 

With incredible brute strength, Applejack ripped a tree from its roots, hurling it at the robots. They flew off course to avoid it, putting them in perfect range for Pinkie’s sprinkle explosion barrage. Despite the abuse, they still lived, rising shakily from their impact craters. 

“You’re not hurting anyone else!” With an outstretched hand, Twilight Sparkle grabbed them with a purple aura. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stretched the robot monstrosities apart. They fought against the tug, but couldn’t match the girl’s raw telekinetic might. With a horrible rending of metal, they each tore to pieces. 

“Phew. Glad that’s over with.” Twilight said, almost losing her footing. She’d used everything to destroy those monsters. “I’m beat!” 

“Trixie, oh my gosh, are you okay?” Fluttershy said, rushing over. She doted over Human Trixie, searching for any possible injury. 

“Fine,” Human Trixie said, more than relieved. “Thanks to my new friends here.”

“Impossible. Actual Equestrians.” Sunset said, mouth agape. “How is that possible? Shouldn’t you be human? How are you even here?!”

“Wowsers!” Pinkie Pie said. “It’s like I’m seeing triple! Except sorta, not really.”

“Never thought I’d see Equestrian ponies again.” Fluttershy said. “And they never stop being the cutest!”

“They just sorta showed up.” Human Trixie said. “Heck if I know what’s going on.”

“Call me, Captain Cosmos! The greatest hero in Equestria!” The superhero did a pose. 

“Trixie, Goddess of Mischief, You did a great service, mortals.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, showing no thankfulness for the rescue. She turned her attention to Rainbow. “And sister, you did your usual thing, smash everything in sight. Good job.”

“Thanks?” Rainbow looked at her friends for some clarification, but they only shrugged in response.

“Alternate Trixies.” Sunset mused. “And those robots were after you, too. Why is that?”

“Yeah, they mentioned something about I’m the Trixie of Universe 8888,” Human Trixie said, thinking out loud. “But why me? I’m just a fabulous but ordinary teenage girl!” 

“That, Captain Cosmos, doesn’t know.” The pony said. “They’ve been chasing us across the multiverse. They seem bent on the destruction of every Trixie everywhere across the cosmos.”

“Why would anyone want Trixie, of all people, dead?” Rainbow Dash asked. 

“We must eliminate all Trixie. It is the will of Proto.” A robotic voice said. They all gasped as the supposedly destroyed robots reforged together, no less hurt than when the battle started. Trixie choked on bile as more robots rose from the destroyed roof of Canterlot High, flying in their direction. 

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow Dash said despairingly. “We just beat those!”

“Can nothing destroy these stupid things?” Sunset threw up her arms, frustrated.

“Whoever this Proto is, he must be controlling them with technological magic beyond even my understanding. If we don’t deal with him, we’ll be running for the rest of eternity.” The Goddess of Mischief said, scowling. 

“There’s only one chance, the ship!” Captain Cosmos said.

“Ship?” Human Trixie wondered.

“Just the idea. Join us mortals, or die here.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, already running, 

“But.” Despite her terror, she couldn’t just leave Sunset and her friends to their doom. Indecision froze her limbs. 

“Go!” Sunset said, ducking under a laser shot. “We’ll keep them distracted. They’ll leave once you’re gone!”

“But!” That was stupid logic. They had no guarantees the robot monstrosities wouldn’t slay them first before resuming the chase.

“You heard her, go!” The Goddess of Mischief said, waving at her to follow.

“I…” Human Trixie’s voice cracked, overwhelmed with sudden emotion. Tears stung her eyes as she fled with the other Trixies.

“Trixie! Stay safe, please!” Fluttershy’s anxiety turned to rage, directing her ire at the offending robots. “You jerks! You’re not hurting my friend!” Much to everyone’s astonishment, a proverbial zoo appeared to aid the shy girl. Lions, tigers, elephants, countless scores of birds, and even crocodiles, arrived for battle. 

Where the heck did they come from? Human Trixie wondered, slightly alarmed. She yelped in fright as a laser beam zipped past. An elephant paid back this insult, crushing the offending robot under its massive feet. 

“Okay, that was weird.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, both awed and frightened. “In any universe, that mare has a serious temper!” The battle began, the Trixie hunters were driven back by the sheer ferocity of her protectors.

“Just around this corner!” Captain Cosmos guided them into a parking lot of a local burger joint. 

The ship that greeted Human Trixie as they approached, however, wasn’t what she’d expected. “What a heap of junk! This can fly through the multiverse?”

While a sci-fi marvel, the craft seemed to be on its last legs. Its metal surface was dull and scarred. Pieces of the machine seemed ready to fall off. The egg-shaped ship had four wings and barely stood taller than the diner. People gathered around, gapping at the UFO. Some taking pictures. Others claimed it as only part of some movie shooting. 

“It’s been through a lot, okay?” Captain Cosmos said defensively. “I salvaged it after an alien invasion a couple years ago.”

“Okay,” Human Trixie said, unsure how else to respond.

Before Captain Cosmos could shoo curious people away from her ship, people scrambled in fright as beams shot from the sky. More stupid robots appeared from nowhere, each eager to vaporize their prey. 

“Inside!” Captain Cosmos pushed a button on her wristband, and a door zipped open to invite them in. 

All three Trixies jumped inside, landing in a heap. The door almost caught Human Trixie’s leg as it closed as she fought to free herself from the tangle. The ship’s hull rattled as the robots pounded their fists against it.

“Trixie, start the engines!” Captain Cosmos cried, her tone desperate.

“Got it.” Another familiar voice said. The world jerked as the ship suddenly took flight. Trixie rolled backward as it flew away, groaning as her spine collided with a seat. 

“That sucked.” What a day. 

“Here, let Trixie help you up.” A hoof extended to pull her human counterpart from the metal floor. 

“Thanks.” Human Trixie rubbed her sore back before turning her attention to the person who’d helped her. It was another pony Trixie, only this one wore a magician’s cape and hat. Human Trixie had to admit, they looked pretty cool. 

“The Great and Powerful Trixie.” The pony Trixie said, shaking her hand with a hoof. 

“Uh, Trixie too!”

“Exiting the universe.” The Trixie in the cockpit said. Human Trixie flinched as her vision became fuzzy for a second, making her stumble onto the seat. After a couple pained breaths, it passed as her head cleared. 

“Whew, out of the universe!” Captain Cosmos said, whipping her brow. 

“We’re not in the universe anymore?” Human Trixie looked out a window and gapped. Outside was nothing, not even stars. It was completely devoid of substance, blacker than nothingness. 

“That’s the void. It exists between each universe. It’s devoid of everything. Light, matter, and even time.” Captain Cosmos said. “Some call it hell.”

“So we’re nowhere,” Human Trixie replied. 

“Exactly.” 

“Cheery.” Human Trixie turned away from the window, unsettled. Instead, she explored her surroundings. It appeared to be a lounge of sorts, with comfortable-looking circular seats. Though they ill-matched some for a human, clearly designed for pony people. While messy, it was futuristic and sleek, with a scruffy, golden surface.

“What now?” Human Trixie asked, awestruck that she stood in a freaking spaceship. 

“That’s a good question.” The Great and Powerful Trixie replied. “And we’re not sure.”

“We’ve been gathering any Trixies we can to save them from those robots.” Captain Cosmos said. 

“Sure, but where do they come from?” Human Trixie asked, impatient. 

“That’s what we’re trying to ascertain. But with our current company, I’m not optimistic.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said.

“What?” Captain Cosmos said, indigent. 

“We risked our necks to save some girl that isn’t a trained warrior, doesn’t have magic, or possesses any other useful skills.” The Goddess of Mischief replied. 

“What?” Human Trixie clenched a fist, eager to deck the pony for her superior attitude. 

Before the argument could come to blows, an unfamiliar Trixie interposed herself before the quarreling Trixies. “No fighting. Our troubles are bad enough as it is.” It was the Trixie from the cockpit. Much to Trixie’s astonishment, this Trixie possessed wings. 

“Whatever.” Trixie Celestia-whatever rolled her eyes. 

“Hello, my name is Trixie Lulamoon, the Element of Humility.” The Trixie offered her counterpart a gracious bow.

“Okay.” Was that supposed to mean something?

“Yes, Princess of Humility.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said snidely. “A worthy title, I’m sure.”

“You’re a princess?” Trixie said, amazed.

“Of sorts. I have no kingdom to my name. But my people are everyone, I am a light to help others in need.” The Princess replied. 

“Huh. Are these all the Trixies you’ve collected so far?” Human Trixie asked. 

“There’s one more down in storage,” Princess said. “For obvious reasons, we keep her down there.”

“The Goddess demands she be informed about how the operation went.” A voice inside Trixie’s head said, its volume making Human Trixie flinch. 

“Can’t you just take it from our mind?” Trixie Lulamoon said. 

“Yes, but the Goddess is lonely and needs company!”

“What the heck was that?” Somehow, a voice had just spoken in Human Trixie’s mind. How was that possible?

“Let me show you.” In the cargo hold, they guided Trixie to a tube that dominated the room. Inside was a murky liquid with something swimming within. From the glimpses Human Trixie had caught, she was glad she couldn’t make out any further details. 

“I am the Goddess of the Unity!” Beside the vat of the unspeakable thing, a shining version of her pony self sat, her expression alight with a confidence of someone who believed themselves all powerful. “Savior of the Wasteland and ponykind’s guide to its apotheosis.”

“What the heck are you?” Human Trixie said, alarmed. 

“She was involved in a scientific accident in some horror-filled post-apocalyptic future.” Trixie Lulamoon replied. “It turned her into this goop monster.”

“Your tone offends the Goddess.” The voice said. The illusion Trixie mouth moved with the words, but no sound came out. “The Goddess has a very tragic backstory that deserves respect!”

“Some Goddess.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, her tone mocking. She skipped around the cargo hold before coming to a halt. “How about joining me for a dance? Despite some complications, the mission was a roaring success. Oh, right, you can’t! Imagine that, a divine being without legs!”

“The Goddess finds that very hurtful.” The voice said, tone meek. “She didn’t ask for this life!”

“Okay, at least we’ve gotten a lead.” Human Trixie said, changing the topic. “The robot’s master calls himself Proto. If we stop him, we’ll get our lives back!” And her lovey-dovey time with Sunset Shimmer. 

“Proto, huh?” Humility scratched her chin. “I have an idea. If we track those robots back to their home base, it’s one step closer to stopping him!”

“Okay, but how? They’re super unkillable death robots! We can’t just ask to hitch a ride!” Human Trixie said, frustrated. 

“We’ll need an expert.” Captain Cosmos stroked her chin. “A true genius in magical studies! If Proto is magically linked to them, we’ll use that bond to locate him.”

“Ugh.” The Great and Powerful Trixie groaned. “You’re not suggesting we beg for Sparkle’s help?”

“Agreed. From personal experience, that mare is a viper!” Humility said, showing genuine anger. It seemed odd on her usually serene features.  

“She’s the one who doomed me to this hellish existence!” The Goddess spat. 

“Not all Twilights are that bad.” Human Trixie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “But regardless, this crew can’t do it alone.”

Before anyone could respond, an alarm buzzed. Panic filled Humility’s expression, flying/leaping into the cockpit. With frantic energy, she pulled levers and pressed buttons. 

Captain Cosmos answered Human Trixie’s unasked question. “Our senses have detected more robots. Not towards us, but heading for another universe. They’re after another Trixie!”

“Heading in that direction now.” Humility said, buckling up. “Buckle up and hang on!”

Everyone did as instructed. Human Trixie grimaced as she clipped on restraints designed for someone half her size, and a quadruped. “Let’s hope we get lucky and this Trixie possesses the expertise we need.”

“Now that’s optimistic.” The Goddess of Mischief said. 

“Everypony, hang on. This might be a bumpy ride!” Humility said, the ship jittering as it returned to real-time. Human Trixie flinched as something snapped off the hull as the ship’s shaking rose to a fevered pitch. A wonderful, clear blue sky greeted them as she gazed out the window, the sun high in the sky. From its position, it seemed likely it was nearly noon. 

“Not good,” Humility said from the cockpit. “I’ve lost complete control of the steering. We’re going in hot.”

“What?!” Human Trixie wasn’t the only one distressed by this news. 

“Those robots must have damaged the ship worse than I suspected.” Humility tapped some buttons, to little obvious effect. 

“Hold on, we’re about to make a crash landing!” Captain Cosmos said before the entire world tumbled as the ship flipped end over end until after a moment it impacted into something and came to a juddering halt.

--- 

“Ugh.” Human Trixie groaned, her skull spitting something fierce. Otherwise, her wonderfulness was in one piece. She took stock of her surroundings, finding nothing but splintered wood and glass from outside the window. It seemed they had crashed into a building, a house most likely. 

“Is everyone okay?” Human Trixie asked. 

“I’ve felt worse after an entire night of partying, but otherwise, I’m okay.” The Goddess of Mischief said, readjusting her helmet back into place.

“It knocked the Goddess about, but she’s otherwise okay.” A telepathic voice said. 

But the others had suffered serious injuries. Humility dragged herself from the cockpit, a wing bent at an odd angle. The Great and Powerful Trixie was unconscious, bleeding from the scalp. Beyond some bruises, Captain Cosmos was otherwise fine. 

“Let’s hope we can find medical attention.” Captain Cosmos said, limping over to the front hatch. She tried and failed to push it open. 

“So much for our cool spaceship,” Human Trixie said, sighed. She helped with the door, adding her greater weight to the effort. “How do we escape if the robots attack?”

“One problem at a time.” Humility said, joining the effect. They scowled as Trixie Celestia-whatever hung back, doing nothing to help. 

“What?” Trixie Celestia-whatever said innocently. “Isn’t it a mortal’s job to do all the hard work?” But the collective effort paid off, the door sliding free. 

“Where are we?”Human  Trixie asked, gazing around. They seemed to be in the remains of someone’s house, pony from its shorter proportions. While richly furnished, she couldn’t help but notice the bourbon bottles littering the floor. 

“My house!” A familiar voice said. “My window! Bon sang! I just had it fixed too! Dear Luna, and now some weird bear creature has stumbled out of that metal egg thing,”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Human Trixie said, jumping out, her foot smacking against a bourbon bottle. “But my name is Trixie Lulamoon, and we’re here to help!”

The new Trixie only started, eyes boggling as more Trixies stumbled from the ship. Then she sighed, taking a deep swig from a floating half-filled Bourbon bottle. “Dear Luna, not more Trixies from another universe! What have I gotten into this time? My name is Trixie Lulamoon too, Ponyville’s representative of the Night Court and Element of Magic.” 
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“They failed to kill another one?” A mechanized voice said as the figure lounged on their throne. “These Trixies are getting more resourceful than I expected.”

Behind his mask, Proto stared at the footage of the various alternate Trixies fleeing into a broken-down ship and escaping into the void. Around him, countless floating screens depicted innumerable universes. Proto watched in amusement as a pony/human monster hybrid of Trixie fled into a dead-end alleyway, her expression filled with terror. She raised her hands, begging for mercy, only to be vaporized by Proto’s masterful robots, sanitizing the cosmos of such filth. 

“And so more Trixies drop like flies.” Proto clapped together his hooves. “Still, this resistance is troubling.” Not every Trixie was a third-rate wannabe magician. A few even possessed powers capable of threatening even his majesty. The group led by the Power Pony version of Trixie wasn’t the only Trixie mounting a defense against his spectacular robots. If left to continue, they’d become a dangerous threat. 

“A change in strategy is in order,” Proto said, summoning a screen with a hoof tap. While his masterful robots were effective killers, a more specialized tool was required to stop Captain Cosmos and her merry band of rebel Trixies. It was a pity for them that Proto had technology powered by the multiverse. 

“Ah, they’re in the universe where Trixie became the Element of Magic.” Proto snickered. What a joke title for someone like Trixie. Still, it gave Proto an idea, one sure to strike fear in this particular Trixie.

With a few more keystrokes, his masterpiece was complete. Light zipped around his throne room, each one constructed flesh from nothing. Head, limbs, organs, and everything else that constituted a pony forged together. In a matter of seconds, his newest creation was complete.

“What do you wish, my master?” His creation said, bowing, 

“Go, eliminate Trixies, every one of them. Purge the cosmos of her filth.” 

“It shall be none, my Lord.” A cruel, delighted smile grew on his creation’s muzzle. “I’ll enjoy snuffing the life from each one of them. The payback will be delicious.”

---

“And you’re supposed to me, huh?” Representative Trixie said, examining her human counterpart with a curious eye. Human Trixie’s hackles rose as the pony eyed her with borderline disgust. Representative Trixie frowned as more Trixies pulled themselves from their wrecked spaceship. “How many of you are there?”

“Six.” Captain Cosmos said, boldly exiting the ship, her cape flapping in the breeze. “And we’re here to help!”

“By destroying my house?!” Representative Trixie said, eye twitching. “You couldn’t just land outside? And you said six? Where’s the last one?”

“She’s fine in the cargo hold. Thank you.” The Goddess’s voice echoed through their minds. “And she’s not annoyed you didn’t even check up on her!”

“What the hay was that?!” Representative Trixie said, alarmed. Her head darted around, trying to locate the voice’s source. 

“Sorry, Goddess. The crash distracted us.” Human Trixie said, flinching. The Goddess snorted, but otherwise accepted the apology. She reappeared as her shining illusionary self, startling their host for a second. “Anyway, she’s a long story. Heck, this whole business is a long story.”

After glaring at her unwanted guest for several long moments, Representative Trixie sighed and relented. “Okay, make yourselves comfortable. And with my friends off in that Carrot Convention in Hollow Shades, too. This better be good. This was my day off.”

The Great and Powerful Trixie played with a Bourbon bottle under her hoof and chuckled. “I see you’ve done little about your crippling alcoholism.”

“She sure knows how to party.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, using her magic to examine a half-full bottle of booze.

“I am not an alcoholic! I was enjoying a nice, quiet drink!” Representative Trixie said, glaring at her offending counterpart. Recognition flashed in her eyes. “Wait, are you the same Trixie from before?”

“You mean when your reckless use of teleportation magic nearly destroyed both our universes and created a murderous supervillain? Yes, it is I, The Great and Powerful Trixie!” Her cape whooshed dramatically behind her. 

“Figures.” Representative Trixie said, rubbing her temple. “And there was plenty of blame to go around for the Antithesis Crisis, thank you. And don’t drink that! That’s my best stuff! Cheerilee got it for me for Hearth’s Warming!” 

“Too late!” Trixie Celestia-whatever chugging the entire bottle with a single swig. “Burns the throat, just how I like it. I needed that!”

“I’d like some tea, if that’s okay with you?” Humility asked.

“In the kitchen, top right cupboard.” Representative Trixie did a double take as she noticed the pony exploring her kitchen had wings. Her mouth dropped, eyes widening to saucers. 

Human Trixie rubbed her temple. “We’re on the run from invincible, unkillable robots. Is it such a good idea to start drinking?”

“Now’s the best time!” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, chugging another bottle. “Want some?”

“No, I’m underage!” Human Trixie said, aghast. 

Trixie Celestia-whatever only shrugged in response, downing the bottle. “More for me.”

After sending another glare to her helmeted counterpart’s way, Representative Trixie registered Trixie’s words. “Wait, what’s this about unkillable robots?”

“Allow me!” Captain Cosmos said, taking a heroic pose. After introducing everyone, she gave an overdramatic version of the current events, complete with sound effects and hoof gestures, while Humility served everyone tea. 

“So, you’re hoping to capture one of these death robots and use its magical signature to track it back to its home base somewhere in the wide cosmos?” Representative Trixie asked, summing up their plan. 

“Can you help us, Representative Trixie?” Human Trixie asked, eyes alight with hope. If this Trixie was a princess’s student, she must have some extensive connections. 

“Actually, I prefer to be called Dame Trixie.” The mare said with obvious pride. The Great and Powerful Trixie only rolled her eyes, and Human Trixie agreed with her. Buying some fraudulent title off the internet didn’t make you actually important.  

“As for helping, maybe?” Representative Trixie rubbed her temple. “This is way beyond my expertise, like way beyond. I’m not sure who I’d ask for this. The Princess? Canterlot University? I’ll see what I can do.”

“There isn’t time for research! The robots will be here any minute!” Human Trixie said, paling, when she realized how much time they’d already wasted.

“Time isn’t a constant across universes. It flows differently in each world.” Captain Cosmos said. “The time dilation between our arrival should buy us some time.”

“Like?”

“Days, hopefully.” Captain Cosmos replied. “Then we get overrun by deadly robots without any chance of escape.”

“Wonderful.” 

“It still gives up time to plan.” Captain Cosmos said, all confidence. “And I can repair the ship while you do your research.”

“Repair that?” Representative Trixie said, staring at the ruined ship. 

“Not a problem.” Captain Cosmos waved a dismissive hoof. “I designed the thing.”

“You invented an extra-dimensional spaceship?” Representative Trixie asked, eyes wide. 

“The Masked Matter-Horn isn’t the only genius superhero. They practically begged me to join the Power Ponies.” Though Human Trixie detected that Captain Cosmos was fibbing about the second part. 

“It’s a plan, at least.” Humility said, dainty sipping her tea. “One of us should stay to help with the repairs.” 

The Great and Powerful Trixie raised a hoof. “Trixie will help. She’s seen enough of this universe from her last visit.” This adventure sounded interesting. Human Trixie would need to ask about it later.

“Okay, I’ll contact Princess Luna.” Representative Trixie scribbled something on a note before throwing it into her hat. It disappeared in a flash of sparkles.

“The vice principal of my high school?” What kind of weird alternate universe had she found herself in?

“Not that bore.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, rolling her eyes. She took an even deeper swig of Bourbon, draining the bottle empty. “And she’s the princess of this country, really? Celestia’s Mane preserve me!”

“Luna, huh?” Humility said, frowning. “I suppose it can’t be helped. Clearly, your Luna made better life choices. My Luna’s reformed, but still.”

“Not the Nightmare Moon/Corona thing again.” Representative Trixie said, rubbing her temple. “In this universe, Celestia was the sister that turned rotten, okay. I’m clearing this with everypony, so there isn’t any more confusion.”

Humility absorbed this information in silence, muttering about how this universe was lucky. “In my universe, all three princesses went bad.” 

This earned a strangled croak from Representative Trixie. “Even Cadenza?”

“She’s the worst of the bunch.” Humility replied. “I’ve never met anypony so sadistic and depraved.” 

Representative Trixie’s face twisted in disgust, her imagination traveling to unpleasant places. “And I thought Corona was bad.”

Trixie Celestia-whatever, however, clapped her hooves in delight. “She’s a villain in this universe, eh? How delightful! Tell me, did she terrorize the entire planet? Tried to enslave its people?” 

“Don’t look so happy about it. I lived through that nightmare, and that monster's still out there!” Representative Trixie snapped, but Trixie Celestia-whatever seemed even more delighted, demanding details. Human Trixie, however, had long given up trying to follow the conversation, helping her winged pony counterpart clean up tea.

“After All-Mother’s lectures over the centuries, it’s nice to see Mommy Dearest as the villain for once.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said. “And even worse than me, it sounds.”

“Anyway, I know somepony who might help us while we wait for the princess. It might take some hours until she arrives.” Representative Trixie paused as the goddess pony’s words sunk in, eyes widening. “Wait. M-Mother? Corona’s your mother?!”

---

“Okay. Let’s see here.” Pony Twilight Sparkle said, examining a bunch of sparking panels. After the crash, the ship’s engine suffered the worst damage, it’d require significant repair until their extra-dimensional craft could fly again. “I guess the mechanism seems simple enough. These compensators need changing, but otherwise, it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix.”

“Perfect.” Representative Trixie said. “The quicker this gets fixed, the sooner it gets out of my damn house! Honestly, the repair costs will be a nightmare! I only hope Luna will give me yet another government grant for house repairs.”

“Eh, so this often happens?” Trixie asked, curious. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Representative Trixie replied glumly. “At this point, I’ve already put several contractor’s foals through college!” 

“Still, this technology is amazing!” Twilight said, squeaking in delight. “You said this is alien tech?”

“Yes! From the Zebra Empire in one of their many grabs to claim Earth for their own!” Captain Cosmos replied. 

“Zebras?” Human Trixie said, eyebrow raised. First talking horses, and now zebras? And hadn’t she seen donkeys and cows walking around the town, too? Yet, when she saw ponies walking with their dogs, the canines seemed like ordinary animals. What an odd, confusing universe. When she’d entered the ponyverse during her first visit during the cruise incident, her transformation into an equine had her too dazed to appreciate the details. The more she learned about this magical pony world, the stranger it seemed. 

“Zebra?!” The Goddess said in their mind, her illusionary self mimicking her shocked, outraged reaction. 

“Please don’t do that!” Representative Trixie clutched at her skull, flinching.

“It’s complicated. The zebra once ruled a universe-spanning empire thousands of years ago. Our planet is one of the many they colonized. But when their empire collapsed, the zebra of our planet lost contact with the outer universe. This new Zebra Empire is only a collection of power-hungry zebra trying to reclaim their species’ former glory. Most aren’t bad, as my friend Zecora can attest.” Captain Cosmos replied. 

“In my universe, those striped…” The Goddess paused, realizing she was on the cusp of saying something problematic. “Those guys started a war that turned the entire planet into a radiated wasteland!”

“The entire planet? How?” Representative Trixie said, eyes wide. “Some magic superweapon?”

“Yes, a Megaspell called a Balefire Bomb. It was so destructive, only ponies that lived in shelters deep underground survived.” The Goddess replied. 

“H-How could it go that far?” Representative Trixie asked, her voice shaking. Twilight stared, stunned, trying to imagine the destructive might of such a magical force. “They just wiped out everything to win?”

The illusion Trixie hesitated. “Well, not exactly. It was a bloody conflict. We were both at war. But they started it! We only shot Megaspells back at those damned strippies to get them back for destroying us!” That last argument sounded a little weak considering the unimaginable destruction and death involved.

“So, it’s the Cold War, only it got out of control, and the bombs dropped?” She remembered her country wasn’t exactly innocent in that conflict, either. Each nation had harassed the other, keeping the tensions high and fingers on doomsday buttons. But it’d worked itself out, neither nation wanting destruction despite their mutual hatred. Still, it was crazy any war would escalate a conflict into total mutual destruction. What was the point of winning if you destroyed yourself?

“Okay, don’t provoke the Zebras enough that they’d shoot super death magic at us. Sounds simple enough.” Representative Trixie said, scratching them down on a notepad. 

If the malformed-like creature could glare, her spite would burn a hole into the mare’s skull. “It isn’t that easy! Watch out. Your world’s likely on the path to calamity, too! I come from the future, and one you all likely share!” The illusion Trixie raised her hooves dramatically as she proclaimed this doom. 

“Really?” The Great and Powerful Trixie’s eyes widened. From their understanding, her world wasn’t much different from the Goddess’s, at least until the war started. But she paused, considering. “Wait, in your world, Sparkle isn’t an alicorn. Never mind, we’re good. Our future’s beautiful, bright and full of friendship!”

“Which I still can’t believe. How did she get all the luck? And her own castle too?” Representative Trixie bitterly grumbled to herself about having a long conversation with Princess Luna about this, muttering she at least deserved her own castle.

“Um, that’s how the multiverse works,” Twilight said, piping up. “Free will prevents that. Each decision causes a rippling effect that alters the course of the future. It seems unlikely our universes will share a similar course. Besides, the Zebras are a nomadic, tribal people. They don’t have the technology to bomb anyone.”

“Nopony asked you, Sparkle!” The Goddess snipped back. “Beware, beware! Bleak futures await you all!” But everyone had lost interest in the conversation, switching to one more related to their current crisis. 

“How long will the ship repairs take?” Human Trixie asked. 

“With this mare’s help, about a day.” Captain Cosmos gave Twilight a playful punch on the shoulder. 

“Shucks, thanks! You’re pretty cool yourself!” Twilight and the superhero started exchanging technical jargon in hush whispers. 

“And, of course, the Great and Powerful Trixie will provide you with the most crucial backup!” The mare said, raising a hoof dramatically. “Trixie’s an expert at hoofing out tools and other gizmos.”

“Okay, we have a game plan. And Princess Luna should arrive any hour.” Representative Trixie flinched at the sound of glass breaking from somewhere outside the ship. “Oh for! Rainbow Dash, stop crashing into my house and breaking my windows!” 

But no response came, annoying Representative Trixie further. Her temper flared to a boiling point when another window shattered, heedless of the pony’s complaints. “What the heck is happening up there?!” 

Furious beyond words, the mare stomped up the stairs for some answers. But Representative Trixie gasped, her words icy with terror. “No, it can’t be.” 

“What’s happening up there?” Twilight said, leading the group of Trixies as they left the ship to investigate. 

“Trixie, what’s happening?” Twilight froze as she stepped from the ship, Trixie Celestia-whatever wincing as her nose bumped into the mare’s back. 

“What gives?” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, annoyed. 

“No, impossible. You’re dead!” Twilight said, turning white as a sheet. “You can’t be here!”

“Glad I finally got both of your attention.” An odd pony with a coat so blue it was almost purple said. On her flank was a lavender starburst set against a midnight-blue, crescent-shaped nebula. In her hoof, she held a stone, which she hurled at the nearest window. She smirked as the impact made a satisfying cracking sound. “I was worried I’d run out of windows.”

“Antithesis.” Representative Trixie said, her tone breathless.

“Hello, Trixie, Twilight.” Oddly, the blue/purple seemed like a strange cross between Twilight and Trixie. But her eyes shared neither mare’s kindness. Behind those mismatched orbs of violet were gleeful malice, the type of person who enjoyed causing suffering to others. “It really has been too long. And other Trixies, too? How delightful. It’ll make the slaughter even more fun!” 
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You can’t be. You’re dead!” Representative Trixie spluttered, unable to believe her eyes.

“No thanks to you. You murdered me!” The twisted pony trotted across the room, hoof extended outward. Representative Trixie winced as Antithesis knocked over everything in her path, sending ornaments, books, pictures, and other knickknacks crashing to the carpeted floor. “But thanks to Master Proto, I’ve been given new life and a new purpose. One you’ll find most fascinating! The genocide of all Trixies everywhere!” 

“He restored you to life? How powerful is this Proto?” Genuine terror crept into Representative Trixie’s voice.

“And being dead, after getting murdered, it’s given me plenty of time to plan. I could just kill you, but that seems too easy, too kind. I want to make you suffer first!” Antithesis said, hate blazing her in mismatched eyes, lifting a hoof to smash the glass of a fallen picture of a beaming younger Representative Trixie with an older mare and stallion and a herd of other foals behind her. 

The twisted pony paused, considering the other Trixies in the room, and waved a vague hoof. “And you others, I guess. But mostly these two murderers!”

“Eep!” Twilight leaped back, hiding behind the much larger human version of Trixie. “Not her again! I’ve had enough nightmares already!” 

“Who the heck is she?” Human Trixie asked. “What the heck did you do?”

“An evil being created when the Element of Magic shattered. It created an anti-pony, a bundle of hate and rage that wants to destroy everything. I didn’t do anything! And we’re not murderers! It was self-defense. You attacked us first!” 

“You shattered an Element of Harmony?!” Humility said, fuming. “How could you be so careless?!”

“Yeah, it was mostly this Trixie’s fault.” The Great and Powerful Trixie said, pointing at the house’s owner.

“No, it wasn’t! It just kinda happened!” Representative Trixie replied defensively. 

“The Element of what?” Human Trixie said, lost again. Was it some magical gizmo of some kind?

“Whatever she is, she stands against us!” Captain Cosmos said, puffing out her costumed chest. “Fear not, Trixie, Twilight. We stand by your side!”

“Right.” Humility glared at Antithesis. “I can sense it in my bones. This pony is a walking antithesis of harmony, a perversion of life itself! She must be stopped!”

“I guess I’ll help too.” Trixie Celestia-whatever said, chugging down another bottle of bourbon. “She’s a loud pest getting in my way.”

“How scary!” Antithesis said, her voice full of mock fright. “Good thing I’ve brought some friends too!”

A roar sounded outside, the ground rumbling from the shocking force of their fury. Human Trixie gasped as she glanced towards the noise, an ice dagger stabbing into her heart. Outside was a crowd of ponies, each villager’s face wore an expression of pure murder. In their hooves were torches, rope, and pitchforks, a mob with pent-up fury. They were eager to unleash it on a poor, unsuspecting target. 

“What?” Representative Trixie’s eyes widened as she recognized the faces in the mob, her expression filled with horror and confusion. “What have you done to them, Antithesis?”

“A new spell. It’s a variation of an old classic!” The anti-pony replied. “I call it the “Hate It, Kill It” spell! It brings out the hatred in a pony and directs it at a certain somepony! No need to guess who. How does it feel knowing that, deep down, each pony in Ponyville secretly despises you?”

“I…” Representative Trixie’s voice cracked, hurt by this unexpected thrust. 

“Shame your friends aren’t here.” Antithesis continued. “Then you’d see their true feelings about you, too!”

“There’s so many of them!” Human Trixie said, her voice tinged with panic. There must have been at least several hundred ponies surrounding Representative Trixie’s house! They’d never escape alive!

“I’ve instructed them to go after you, Trixie, specifically. But I’ve also to brutally tear apart anypony that gets in their way. Have fun!” After the fakest smile, Antithesis vanished in a burst of sudden light. 

“Oh, pony...!” But Representative Trixie didn’t get a chance to finish, as dozens upon dozens of ponies smashed through what remained of her house windows, murder in their eyes. 

“What now?” Trixie’s eyes widened in fright, backing away as the ponies advanced on the group of Trixies. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this!” A yellow pony Trixie recognized as Applejack said, her smile gleaming with malice. “You’ve ruined everypony’s life since coming here. You move here from your fancy palace just to look down on us common folk, getting involved in business that ain’t a concern for you!”

“Applejack, stop, please! Antithesis has messed with your mind!” Representative Trixie said, her tone frantic and pleading. 

“Wrong, Trixie! I’ve never felt so free!” Applejack said with a purr. 

“Yeah, you don’t belong here, Trixie. You never did!” Another pony shouted in agreement. 

“Please! Think! This isn’t you!” Tears pricked Representative Trixie’s eyes, which turned to tears of fear as the pony advanced, jumping her at once. 

“I think you’ve got this!” The illusion Trixie said with a weak smile before vanishing. 

The entire scene became pandemonium as dozens of ponies piled on top of them. The enraged mob punched, bit, and pummeled them. Trixie’s greater height worked to her advantage, but the ponies only reinforced their numbers, dragging her to the floor. 

“Get off her!” Cried Captain Cosmos as she arrived to assist, a staff whirling in her hooves, knocking Ponyvillains unconscious. With such numbers against them, she didn’t hold back. A pony charged from behind, but a net shot from a hidden slot on her costume’s sleeve, trapping them. 

“Thanks,” Human Trixie said, her voice shaky. Other than some bruises, she seemed alright. The other Trixies joined in the fight. Harmony took to the air, using her horn to blast ponies off her friends with bursts of magical energy. The Great and Powerful Trixie joined Twilight as they rushed to the back, trying to lure deranged ponies away from their allies. The mob attacked with clubs and pitchforks, but a gleaming magical shield protected the pair as they fled. 

Much to Trixie’s surprise, the only one who seemed to be enjoying herself was Trixie Celestia-whatever. She danced around the battlefield, tapping ponies on the forehead with her staff. After a burst of green energy, the pony collapsed unconscious. 

“Is that all you’ve got? I’m getting bored!” Trixie Celestia-whatever shouted, having the time of her life as she battled for her life. But she spoke too soon, yelping as a lasso stole her staff and yanked it away.

“We ain’t going to have any more of your voodoo magic, Trixie!!” Applejack said, breaking the staff in half with a carefully placed kick.

“Oh, bother!” Trixie Celestia-whatever said before, yelping as she vanished under a dogpile of ponies. This was insane. No matter how many ponies they fought off, dozens more replaced them seconds later. Antithesis had thrown them into a death trap they’d likely never escape. 

“Stay back!” Human Trixie backed away as more crazed ponies approached, her other Trixie counterparts too preoccupied to assist. Her foot knocked against something, involuntarily glancing down to see what she’d bumped into. It was the top of Trixie Celestia-whatever’s broken staff. It had been an effective weapon against these brainwashed ponies, but she knew squat about magic. 

If only someone could help us. Human Trixie thought and froze as a sudden idea struck her. Didn’t Representative Trixie brag about how her vice principal, now princess, had taught her everything she knew about magic? If she got this staff head to Princess Luna, it might fix everything. 

Oh, it’s useless. I don’t know when the princess will arrive! But it didn’t matter, she needed to do something. With a plan that likely won’t work, Human Trixie scooped the staff head into her hands. 

“What are you doing?” Representative Trixie said as she spotted Human Trixie fleeing towards a window. With a chair floating in her magical aura, she fought off the advancing mob.

“Doing what I can! I’m getting help! That princess of yours better show up and quick!” Human Trixie drove through the window, fighting past grasping ponies that were forcing their way into the building. Human Trixie yelped as pony teeth dug into her leg, but she used the other to jab her shoe into his face. After some struggling, Human Trixie freed herself and transformed her landing into a sprint. 

Much to her dismay, dozens of ponies separated from the mob attacking Representative Trixie’s house to target her. Night had fallen over the pony hamlet. Glowing night lamps flickered as Trixie fled for her life. 

“Luna, you better be out there or so help me!” Human Trixie screamed, running for her life. But her luck turned fouler still, as ponies literally jumped from their house’s windows to assault her. So crazed by bloodlust, the ponies cared little about what damage they caused themselves, as long as they tore the human to shreds. She winced as a pony landed badly as he leapt off a roof.

Driven by raw terror, Human Trixie pushed her legs to their limits, the quaint country town speeding past her. Despite her height advantage over her pursuers, it didn’t seem to matter. They gained on her with little difficulty, some jumping to tackle her. She screamed as a pony jumped from an open doorway, only missing them with a lucky jump in the air. 

But her victory was short-lived as the fallen pony grabbed her leg midair, Trixie grunted in pain as her face implanted on the paved street. The murderous ponies quickly surrounded her, leaving no escape path. 

“Leave me alone!” Human Trixie cried, decking the nearest pony with what remained of Trixie Celestia-whatever’s staff. She swung like a madwoman, anything to delay her horrible demise away a few seconds longer. Was this where the short, tragic life of Trixie Lulamoon ended? In a strange world not her own?

“A valiant land stand, eh?” A familiar, hateful voice said. The crowd parted for a familiar mismatched pony, who smiled with malevolent glee. She looked somewhat disappointed upon seeing the cowering human. “Oh, it’s the bear one. Pity, I was hoping it’d be my Trixie.”

“I’m not a damn bear! I’m human! And if you get any closer, I’ll bash your brains in!” Human Trixie snarled back at Antithesis’s smug expression. 

“Poor little creature pulled into a battle beyond her understanding. Magicless, powerless, and useless to everypony around her. I almost pity you.” Antithesis broke into uproarious laughter. “Not really, but your situation is quite humorous.”

“I’ll show you powerless! Come over here, and I’ll show you!” 

Antithesis seemed to consider the offer before snickering and shaking her head. “You’re not worth it. Crush her. I want to see Trixie Lulamoon’s face when she sees her bear counterpart’s lifeless body.”

“Damn it!” Tears pricked her eyelids, hurt beyond measure by her powerlessness. If only she had magic, like Sunset Shimmer and her friends, then she’d show this jerk! She backed away in fright as manic ponies approached, teeth gleaming. 

“What’s going on here?” An imperial voice said, lightning crackling to punctuate her voice. 

Framed by the starry night, dark shapes flew into view. Their profile was sinister, black shapes profiled by the darkness. Vampiric monster ponies with bat wings clad in ebony armor lowered to the ground. Their leader, however, dwarfed them all. With a coat blacker than the night, the regal, elegant mare stood tall and proud. Her mane fluttered from an invisible wind, an entire galaxy of stars in its depths. 

“Oh, please, not her.” Antithesis groaned, sighing dramatically. “Here to ruin all the fun!”

“Fear not, my student. I will aid you in whatever disaster has befallen Equestria this time!” The black winged pony surveyed the situation, eyes narrowing as she spotted Antithesis. “And not too soon. I thought my student had vanquished your evil, Antithesis. But your return will be short-lived, that I promise you!”

“Thank goodness!” Human Trixie almost wept with joy, amazed at the majesty of her vice principal turned princess. Luna dropped to the ground, scattering the ponies around Trixie. 

“Trixie, I…” Luna froze, eyes widening at what she’d assumed was her student. “What magic have you been playing with this time, my student? Did you not learn your lesson the first time when you turned Lyra Heartstrings into a bear creature?”

“I’m not a damn bear! Human!” Human Trixie’s face turned beat red. “And I’m not your student! It doesn’t matter! Deal with that thing!” She pointed at the mismatched pony. 

“Yes, you are correct. My student spoke of alternate Trixies. You must be one of them. But she didn’t speak of this.” Luna gestured at the brainwashed ponies. “This must be your doing, Antithesis.”

“Yes, I’ve been a bad, rotten pony.” Antithesis said, delighting in the mayhem. “I’m surprised you’re challenging me after I humiliated you. But never mind, I don’t care about you. I’d rather see if your precious student is dead. Ponies, kill them. Later!” With a spark of magic, she disappeared. 

“Protect the princess and the bear!” The guards said, taking a protective stand around Human Trixie and their charge. 

“I’m not a bear! Human! I don’t even look like a bear!” Human Trixie said, fuming. She backed against the towering form of the pony princess, who almost stood as tall as a human adult, as the brainwashed ponies resumed their assault. 

“What vile magic has Antithesis used to cloud your minds, my little ponies?” Luna’s horn shone with a cobalt blue light, wincing as she struggled to fight against the magic controlling her subjects. With beams of magical energy, she fought off the dozens of ponies that charged after them. Her vampire guards fought valiantly too, using their spears to knock aside the crazed ponies. 

Despite their efforts, it wasn’t enough. Their efforts to not seriously hurt the Ponyvillains only hampered their effectiveness. Luna’s stun blasts barely seemed to stagger the brainwashed ponies, they rose almost as quickly as Luna blew them back. The princess howled as a pony bit her across the throat and got tossed through a nearby storefront for their trouble. Guards yelped in fright as they got overwhelmed. 

“Curse that Antithesis. She will pay for this perversion.” Luna said, throwing away another pony. “She must know I don’t want to hurt my little ponies.”

“Wait.” Human Trixie thrust Trixie Celestia-whatever’s broken staff at the princess. “Use this. It has some kind of mind magic.”

“What is…” Luna’s eyes widened as her magical aura engulfed the gemmed staff. “Where did you get this? Its power is beyond anything I’ve ever seen!”

“It’s not mine. Just don’t worry about it! Fix everything first!” Human Trixie replied, screaming as a pony tugged on her hair with his teeth. 

“Yes, its power might work.” Luna’s eyes glowed white, flowing into the air without her wings. “I see the parasitic magic infecting their minds, blinding them with raw hate. And it shall be banished!” 

Everyone flew back as a burst of green energy blasted them away, knocking them to the ground. Human Trixie wincing in pain as she struggled to stand, but she seemed otherwise alright. 

“What happened?” A pony said, blurry-eyed. Other ponies returned to their hooves, clutching their heads. 

“It worked!” Human Trixie beamed, glad to be alive. 

“With this gem, it was a simple matter,” Luna said, floating down to the street. 

“I’m sorry, Princess. I…” A pony said, tears in her eyes. The other once-brainwashed ponies looked just as mortified by their actions.

“It wasn’t your fault, my little pony,” Luna replied with a sad smile, like a mother comforting a child after a terrible nightmare. 

“We have to hurry. The other Trixies are in danger.” Human Trixie said, knowing this terrible dream wasn’t even close to finishing. 

“Then we must go.” Princess Luna lowered to the ground, presenting her back to Trixie. “Ride on my back. It will be quicker if we go by air.”

“Okay.” While it was weird that she was about to ride a pony princess, with Antithesis still on the loose, Human Trixie dared not stay alone. After an awkward scrabble onto Luna’s back, Human Trixie whooped as they climbed high into the night sky, unable to help herself. It was quite a thrill flying high into the sky. Ponyville seemed like a lovingly detailed model town from this height.

Luna beamed, pleased and amused by the human’s exhilaration. Then her face turned serious, zooming through the air as they searched for her student. They both prayed they’d arrive in time to save her. 
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Get away!” Dame Trixie Lulamoon, the student of Princess Luna, cried as she kicked at dozens of her neighbors. Each thirsted for her blood, chanting how much they despised her and wished her dead. 

“You’re a useless drunkard!”

“You never take out the trash on the right day!”

She winced as a blow knocked a tooth out of a mare she’d often seen at the market. But the mare barely noticed, too busy trying to choke Representative Trixie with her cape. After some frantic grasping, she freed the garment and fled further into her house. 

In the insanity of everything, she’d lost track of her counterparts. Despite the trouble they’d suddenly introduced into her life, Representative Trixie prayed they were safe. Except for the Trixie who called herself the Goddess of Mischief, she could rot for all she cared.

Panting, she slammed the door of her bedroom behind her, jolting as dozens of ponies slammed into it. They rocked against the door harder, but it held solid for the moment. Representative Trixie’s eyes widened as she noticed a free window the crazed Ponyvillians might use to break inside. With a grunt of effort, she used her telekinesis to lay her bed against the window, spilling her blanket and pillows across the carpeted floor. It cast the room into darkness, only a smidgen of light peeked past the makeshift barricade. 

She paused as she realized something, unnerved by its lack of presence. Nopony was hammering against her door anymore. Whatever that meant, it couldn’t be good. 

“I’m so screwed!” Representative Trixie hissed in utter despair, putting her hoof into her face. “They must be rushing for a battering ram!” 

“Yeppers! Seems pretty bad!” A chirpy voice said, making Representative Trixie’s jump.

“Pinkie!” Representative Trixie said, backing away. Through the dim light, she could just glimpse the pink mare. While the confectionery maker’s face wore her trademark smile, it lacked happiness or warmth, making an icicle of fear stab through Representative Trixie’s spine.

“That’s me! Gee, Trixie! It seems you aren’t a very popular pony at the moment.” Pinkie said, her unnerving smile widening further. “But don’t worry, I’m here for you!”

“R-really?” Representative Trixie’s voice shook, her hooves trembling. 

“Sure, that means we can have a private party all to ourselves! One where I torture you for days on end! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Please, don’t do this! This isn’t you, Pinkie!” With dozens of ponies out for her blood outside her door and the only other escape route blocked, Representative Trixie had no escape. 

“No, I’ve always wanted to do this! I’ve always disliked how you often avoid my parties and brush off my invitations! It’s super rude. I can tell, deep down, you despise me and, worst still, my parties!”

Before she could resist, Representative Trixie gasped as a hoof slammed against her, knocking her own, and her head jolted against the ground. Her eyes widened as metal clasps snapped closed around her legs, trapping her against a wooden board. What the hay? Where did that come from? A torture rack hadn’t been in her room before! Try as she might, Representative Trixie couldn’t make her restraints budge, leaving her to Pinkie Pie’s heartless mercy.

“No, please!” Tears stained her eyes, wanting this horrible nightmare to end. And she was alone, knowing by instinct that neither her friends nor her mentor would arrive in time to save her skin. 

“And now, time for your punishment for not liking my parties!” Pinkie said, eyes glowing red with malevolence. 

“No!” 

Something rubbed against her belly, twisting Representative Trixie’s face in discomfort. It wiggled against her harder, weakening Representative Trixie’s resolve to fight against it. Inevitably, the once proud student of Princess Luna cracked, succumbing to the torture. 

“Hahaha, hahaha!” Her lungs hurt as the laughter escaped her mouth, her legs snapping against her restraints. “Please, stop it! I’m ticklish!”

“Coochie coo!” Pinkie said, waving the feather in her mouth harder. 

“No more, please!” Representative Trixie said through fits of laughter. 

“What are you doing?” A familiar voice said, slamming the door to Trixie’s room open. Representative Trixie was too busy laughing to notice her arch-nemesis entering the room. 

“Like you said, torturing Trixie!” Pinkie said, beaming, not letting up on the tickle torture. 

“No! You’re supposed to hurt her! Make her suffer!” Antithesis said, an eye twitching. “Don’t you want to cut her to pieces with a knife, slicing her up piece by piece? Then wear her cutie mark as a trophy, bathing in that hateable mare’s blood?”

“Nah, that’s mean! And that’s a terrible fashion faux pas.” Pinkie replied. “This is way more fitting!” 

“Fitting?!” Frustrated beyond words, Antithesis put a hoof against her forehead. “Stupid mare! Why aren’t you more murderous? Don’t you hate this mare in the depths of your heart?!”

“Not really! Trixie’s more annoying than anything.”

“Ha! So much for your “Hate it, Kill it” spell!” Representative Trixie said, jumping on this opportunity to turn the tables on her enemy. “Pinkie’s too strong-willed to be corrupted by your magic!” Or something like that. Who knew what happened in Pinkie’s unique brain?

In response, the anti-pony glared at her smug captive. It was a minor victory, but Representative Trixie would take it! She grunted in pain as Antithesis jabbed a sudden punch in her ribs. 

“Ouch,” Trixie said, hissing with pain. 

“That’s better. I like it when that ugly muzzle of yours twists in pain!” 

“One you share!” Representative Trixie shot back, not giving an inch. She refused to die a helpless victim. 

“Fine. If Pinkie can’t torture you, then I will throw you to the mob to be torn apart!” Hate and malice glinted in Antithesis’s mismatched eyes. “And you can’t run away or use your illusions to hide.”

Her heart skipped a beat as Antithesis lifted Representative Trixie, torture rack and all in the air with her magic, lifting it to the waiting and hungry citizens of Ponyville. They laughed and mocked her as she approached, telling the Night Court Representative how much they despised her. 

“You leave terrible tips!”

“You ignored me when I ask you out! You didn’t even let me down softly!!”

“You’ve brought nothing but trouble since you’ve gotten here! Made my Apple Trust a laughingstock,” Applejack cried, taking center stage. “You ruined my reputation, made me the most despised pony in Ponyville. And it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t taught Carrot Top the wrong lesions. You corrupted her! Made her into just another troublemaker like yourself!”

“Lies” Representative Trixie snarled back, making her accuser flinch in shocked surprise. Representative Trixie could handle the insults and the hate, but nopony badmouthed her friends, ever. “She’s a better pony now, a stronger pony. You understand nothing! You only care about your ridiculous Apple Trust, never the ponies you crush underhoof! Carrot’s gained conference! Gotten tougher! When I first met her, she was a shy doormat, too scared to open her own carrot stand on the Longest Night for fear of making you angry, Applejack! Now she’s a trusted community leader, beloved for her honesty and generosity. I’m proud of what Carrot Top’s become. She’s become everything you’re not, Applejack, a true leader!”

“I…” Applejack staggered back, unsettled by Representative Trixie’s scathing rebuke.

“Tsk. Still have some fight, I see.” Antithesis said, annoyed. 

“And you’re just an empty pony, Antithesis! Devoid of love or friendship. You’re nothing, you have nothing! A pony without a heart, only hate. How empty! How pointless! Killing me won’t make you happy. It’ll only make your life more pointless than it already is!”

“You!” Representative Trixie’s jaw stung as Antithesis slapped her hard enough to make her skull rattle. But Representative Trixie only smirked back, refusing to be cowed. This cornered animal refused to die so easily. 

“I’m going to enjoy this!” Antithesis said, raising a hoof to hurt the target of her hatred further. But anti-pony never got the chance, as the Representative bedroom’s roof shattered to splinters. 

“Fear not, Trixie! We are here to rescue you!” A familiar imperial voice said. Flying high above them was Princess Luna, with the human Trixie riding on her back. Floating in her aura was the Goddess of Mischief’s odd staff, still broken in half. 

“Thank goodness!” Representative Trixie said, more than grateful. She was, however, a little annoyed about her house getting even further damaged. A certain royal princess would have to hoof the bill for sure.

“Argh! More annoying interruptions! Can’t a pony torture their most hated foe in peace!” Antithesis said, stomping a hoof like a foal denied a good Hearth’s Warming gift.

“Pony?” Princess Luna snorted. “You hardly qualify as one. You’re only a collection of twisted, negative energy brought to life when the Element of Magic got damaged.”

“I still deserve to live! I think, therefore, I am!” Antithesis glared at the alicorn hovering above her. “And I’ll burn down half of Equestria before I give up my life again!” 

“All the more reason to eliminate you, Antithesis,” Luna said, her voice cold. “I won’t fall for your tricks like last time.”

“It’s a good thing I’ve brought friends.” The anti-pony said with a sly grin on her muzzle. “Everypony! Destroy this nuisance.”

Representative Trixie tensed as the corrupted Ponyvillians directed their insane ire at their princess. Luna, however, seemed unbothered by this threat. Did she have some clever trick ready?

“Uh oh. Itchy back-right hoof!” Pinkie said 

“Fear not, my student.” Princess Luna said, levitating her broken staff high. Her eyes glowed white, blazing with power. “With this, I can save the citizens of Ponyville from Antithesis’s vile, corrupted magic.”

“Now I…” Before the Princess of the Night could finish, she recoiled as a whipped cream pie struck her in the face. 

“Bullseye! My Pinkie Sense told me you were about to unleash cleaning magic from that doohickey!” Pinkie said, bouncing in delight. 

The rabid Ponyvillians didn’t waste time swarming the princess. A lasso snatched around Luna’s neck, pulling her to the earth. Dozens of ponies leaped at her, Luna’s eyes widening in pain as they dragged her under them. The human Trixie yelped as she tumbled off her steed’s back, frantically fighting off any of the ponies that hadn’t already attacked the princess. 

“I don’t want to hurt you, but to save my student, I must. Forgive me, my little ponies!” Ponies screamed as magic violently threw them aside. But Luna hardly noticed, her head searching around the room. “The staff. Where is it?”

“Over there!” Representative Trixie said, gesturing at a far corner where it’d fallen. 

“Thank you.” But before Princess Luna could grab it, a pinkie figure blocked her path. 

“Sorry, Princess, but I’m evil now! That means we need to fight! No hard feelings, okay?” Pinkie Pie said. 

“Stand aside, young mare. I have no wish to harm you.” Luna said, confused by the party pony's odd behavior.

The baker and Ponyville’s resident party pony responded with a burst of fire from her party cannon. Surprised, Princess Luna cracked a nearby wall from the impact.

“You know, I’m starting to wonder if it’d be more prudent to live in an apartment.” Representative Trixie said dryly. She watched as the two titans engaged each other, neither giving an inch. Pinkie Pie was surprisingly nimble, just keeping ahead of Luna’s assault. Pies flew like crossbow bolts, peppering the princess and keeping her distracted. 

“What fun!” Antithesis said, clapping her hooves together. “Poor Princess Luna, having to destroy the ponies she’d sworn to protect. And just to save the hide of her worthless student!”

“You’re a real jerk, you know that?” But the quip was reactive, Representative Trixie’s mind wandering to other topics, like how to retrieve the Goddess of Mischief's staff.

But the bonds Pinkie used to restrain her were tougher to break free than Representative Trixie had expected. She refused to surrender, using every trick to slip her legs free.

I knew I should have paid more attention to those escape artist lesions! Representative Trixie flinched as a randomly thrown pie struck her in the face, making a mess of her torture rack. And, she realized, her blinds!

Her horn glowing bright, she levitated the pie pieces to the chains binding her. While it made her a complete mess, the slimy custard made slipping through her restraints much easier. She gave an inward shout of triumph as she finally got a hoof free. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” An irate Antithesis said, looming over her. Representative Trixie responded by decking the horrible, vile mare in the face. Not expecting this, Antithesis took the hard blow to the chin. 

“That’s for punching me earlier!” Representative Trixie said as she worked to free her other legs. In seconds, she was free and ready to fight to save her mentor and friends. 

And not too soon! Both Applejack and Pinkie Pie were ganging up on Princess Luna, the farmer pony using her rope to hogtie her while the baker stunned her with confetti explosions. It was a little surreal.

“Don’t worry, Princess! I’m coming!” Applejack yelped as a block of shattered wood smacked her on the back of her head. While Representative Trixie’s telekinesis was subpar, it could pack a punch when necessary.  

“Ouch! Interfering busybody!” Applejack said, redirecting her ire at Representative Trixie. 

“Don’t worry about me!” Princess Luna said, squatting at Pinkie. “Get the staff! It can fix this mess!”

“Okay.” She remembered its odd powers when the Goddess of Mischief had used it to defend herself, breaking Antithesis’s brainwashing with ease.

“You mean this?” Antithesis said, holding the Goddess of Mischief’s staff. Her eyes widened as her hoof touched the gem on the top. “I-incredible! With this, I could descend the entire world into bloody chaos! Nothing could stop me! I’d be the Goddess of Hate! The Goddess of Anti-Friendship!”

A sly smile crossed Antithesis’s muzzle as she eyed Princess Luna. Genuine fear flashed in her mentor’s eyes. “And how about I start with you, Princess? How about you tell your little student your true feelings?”

“No!” A beam shot from the broken staff’s gem, striking Luna in the forehead. She clutched at her head, eyes blazing the color of blood. “No! I must not!  Must resist!” But it proved fruitless, the princess's expression twisting into a blind, euphoric hatred.

“No. I was wrong. This feels good! I’m finally free! Free to be myself!” A maniac, half-crazed laugh escaped Luna’s lips. An odd physical change overcame the princess, her fur turning crimson red. Even her mane had developed a red tint to it. “Free to spite this horrible nation that’s only caused me to suffer! It’s Equestria’s fault I lost my dear sister! It drove her to madness! And now it must be destroyed!”

“Oops! Might have overdone it a tad. That stone was tougher to control than I thought.” Antithesis sagged, her face becoming haggard. The anti-pony breathed hard, like she’d run three consecutive marathons. “Oh well! I love the new change, princess. It’s totally you! Have fun dealing with this, Trixie!” 

However, before Antithesis could teleport away, an unseen Human Trixie smacked the mare across the head with a brick, dazing her. 

“I’m taking that, thank you!” The biped said, ripping the staff from the anti-pony’s grasp. 

“Hey! You can’t!” But Antithesis never finished her protest, taking another brick across the forehead, knocking her out cold. 

That was one problem dealt with. The worst, however, was yet to come. The corrupted Luna took to the air, laughing all the while. “And now, Equestria shall burn!”
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Equestria shall be destroyed! So say I, Luna, the Bloody Mare!” Her mentor proclaimed, a righteous judge ordering an execution. 

“This can’t be happening!” This was a nightmare. No way her mentor could fall like her sister, Corona. Representative Trixie dropped to the carpeted floor, her legs refusing to function. All the fight and gusto had drained away, leaving her dejected. 

“Trixie, we need to run, now!” The human Trixie said, tugging at her leg. The unconscious Antithesis hung over her shoulder. In her right claw-thing, she carried the Goddess of Mischief’s broken staff with its impossible stone that caused this mess. 

“I… okay.” On shaky legs, she allowed herself to be dragged away from her destroyed bedroom into the hallway. They walked over unconscious ponies, each dead to the world.

“What happened to them?” Representative Trixie asked. 

“They passed out when Antithesis went unconscious.” The human Trixie gestured to the unconscious mare slung around her back. “I think it broke the spell.”

“That’s something, I suppose.” Finally, some good news.

“Other Trixies, are you okay?” A familiar caped hero said, dashing towards them. “All the brainwashed Ponyvillians are unconscious!”

“Yeah, we noticed.” Representative Trixie replied, her tone acid. 

“What’s her problem?” Captain Cosmos said, taken aback. “And I see you’ve captured the villain Antithesis. Good work!”

“There’s no time to explain.” Human Trixie said. “Gather the other Trixies and bring them to Trixie’s living room! I’ll explain everything then.” 

“Okay!” Captain Cosmos said, dashing off. They left the maddened princess who, for some particular reason, hadn’t followed.

A couple minutes later, every Trixie, minus one, had gathered in the ruined remains of her living room. Behind them stood Luna’s royal guard with Antithesis in tow, arrested with an anti-magic ring hooked on her horn. They watched in concern, uncertain of their position now that their boss had gone evil.

Trixie’s living room was in total disarray. Paintings and favorite photos sat shattered everywhere. Most of her furniture had gotten overturned, a few destroyed beyond repair. And this didn’t account for the broken spaceship still crashed in her house.  

“Where’s the so-called goddess?” Representative Trixie asked, annoyed. 

“She is here.” The Goddess replied in their heads as her illusionary self reappeared. While still smug in her supposed superiority, she seemed chastened that she’d been force to abandon them. “But I suppose you must be talking about the horned one.”

“Right when we need her too!” The human Trixie waved the mare’s broken staff in irritation.

“Forget her.” The Goddess replied. “You don’t need her when you have a real Goddess on your side. But please explain the situation. You captured Antithesis, correct? Isn’t everything fine now?”

“We’re still in deep trouble,” Human Trixie said, peeking out a window nervously. “Vice Principle Luna got corrupted by some spell cast by Antithesis using this strange staff. But now she’s just flying there, doing nothing.” 

“You’d think Antithesis’s defeat would break the spell. And didn’t Princess Luna claim she wanted to destroy everything? So, why isn’t she?” The Great and Powerful Trixie asked, tapping her chin.

“No, she is doing something.” Humility said, peering through the curtains. “Her horn is glowing.”

“The Goddess doesn’t like the sound of that!” 

“Me neither.” Representative Trixie tried racking her brain for any hint of what her corrupted mentor was planning but came up blank. “Whatever it is, we need to stop it, now.”

“But how?” The Great and Powerful Trixie asked. “You saw what happened to ponies controlled by Antithesis’s “Hate it, Kill it” spell. They’re beyond reason! And Princess Luna’s an alicorn! How can we stop that?!” 

“Try the staff?” Humility grabbed the broken staff to examine it, only to drop a second later. “What the heck? What is this stone?”

“The horned Trixie called it a Mind Stone.” Human Trixie replied. 

“It’s impossible. Just trying to examine it with my magic almost fried my brain.” Humility said, eyes wide. 

“Can you control it, Humility? Antithesis could, if barely,” Human Trixie asked. 

“I doubt it.” Humility shook her head. “Besides, I know almost nothing about mind magic. I might only make the situation worse! If only that Goddess of Mischief hadn’t disappeared!”

“Oh.” Representative Trixie deflated, dejected. 

“Guys, you won’t believe this!” Twilight Sparkle said, rushing into the room. 

“What is it?” Representative Trixie asked, alarmed by the expression on her fellow unicorn’s face. The other Trixies straightened to attention, curious. 

“Guys, you won’t believe this! It might mean the end of everything!” Twilight’s breathing intensified, her words becoming more maniac. “We’re all doomed! Fire will reign on Equestria and doom us all!”

“Yes, we get! We’re doomed! How about saying something coherent already?” Representative Trixie said, annoyed. If this meant the end of the world, she wanted the straight facts already. 

“Just breathe.” Humility said, her words kind and patient. “Take deep breaths. There’s no rush.”

“Okay. Okay.” Twilight said, regaining some calm. “It’s best I just show you.” She produced a telescope and thrust it into Representative Trixie’s hooves. “Look at the moon.”

“Okay?” Representative Trixie trotted over to a broken window and peered into the night sky with the telescope. As usual, Luna’s beauty was on full display as she surveyed the stars in their intricate patterns. She recognized several constellations as she searched for the moon. After finding her target, Representative Trixie’s brow furrowed. 

“It seems normal to me.” With Luna corrupted by Antithesis’s twisted magic, she’d half expected the celestial satellite to be bleeding blood or something.  

“Look again.” Twilight urged. 

“It’s normal.” No, wait. Representative Trixie sensed something odd, but couldn’t place what. She grunted in frustration. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but it continued to evade her. Then it clicked. “It looks larger.” 

“Really? Let Trixie see.” The Great and Powerful Trixie extended a hoof, asking for the telescope. After retrieving the device, she peered through it at the glowing blue orb. “It looks bigger. Is it getting larger?” 

“No, it’s getting closer!” Twilight Sparkle replied. “It’s already hundreds of miles closer to the planet than usual!”

“No, you don’t think…” Ice stabbed into Representative Trixie’s heart as the implication struck home. It explained why Luna wasn’t doing anything, the reason for her glowing horn becoming sickeningly clear. “The princess is planning to crash the moon into Equestria?”

“That’s exactly what she’s trying to do!” Twilight Sparkle replied, her tone grim. 

“No!” The Trixies in the room fretted in terror, muttering horrified curses.

“Is that what she’s planning? What a riot!” A familiar, cruel voice said. From her position tied up on the floor, Antithesis beamed. 

“You realize you’ll die too!” Representative Trixie said, glaring at the mad fake pony. 

“Yeah, but it solved my job for me! All these Trixies trapped with no escape!” Antithesis burst into uproarious laughter. 

“I bet she has a way to escape!” Human Trixie said. 

“Which I’ll never tell you!” Antithesis replied.  “I suppose you could try torturing me, if you have the guts. And hey, you might even coerce me into freeing Luna’s mind. But you’d really have to hurt me to convince me to do that, likely hurt me almost to death.” 

“Trixie, I know the situation is dire, but the princess would never approve of torture, no matter the bitter circumstances. You must rise to be better than her!” Night Trap, the royal guard captain, said.

“I wasn’t planning to! What do you take me for?!” Representative Trixie said, offended. No, she won’t sink to that sick monster’s level. She’d solve this problem the right way.

“Coward.” Antithesis said, snorting in derision. 

“If that’s the case, what now?” The Goddess asked, her illusionary self verging on total panic. “The Goddess has no interest in becoming a flaming pancake!”

“We’ll need to stop her, maybe permanently.” Humility said, her voice hardening. 

“What?!” Representative Trixie said, eyes going wide. “You can’t be serious!”

“It might be unavoidable.” Humanity said, taking no pleasure in this observation. “Either we somehow break the curse on Luna’s mind, or we take her down, whatever the cost.”

Representative Trixie paced across the room, troubled. This was Princess Luna they were talking about! Her power alone dwarfed them all a thousand times over! She cursed. If only her friends were still in town, they could use the Elements of Harmony to purify her. 

“Trixie isn’t exactly optimistic about our chances in a straight-up fight,” The Great and Powerful Trixie said. “None of us are fighters.”

“How long until doomsday?” Representative Trixie asked, turning to their resident egghead. 

“By my calculations, the moon is approaching the earth at roughly 55,000 miles per hour. With the distance between the moon and the planet 238,900 miles, it’ll take 4.3 hours.” Twilight replied. 

“Dear Luna.” Representative Trixie had no other words. The entire room went silent. Several of the royal guards broke down into broken sobs.

“That’s only if we fail!” Captain Cosmos said, standing on Representative Trixie’s coffee table. “We, as the heroes of the multiverse, must not fail, whatever the cost!”

“Please don’t stand on my furniture.” Representative Trixie replied dryly. “And what do you suggest? We have the Mind Stone, but it’s too dangerous to use. Heck, it might make Princess Luna worse!”

“Can I see this Mind Stone? Is it what Antithesis used to corrupt the princess?” Twilight asked.

“Knock yourself out.” Human Trixie said, letting Twilight levitate the staff from her claw-thing. 

“Let’s see. I can analyze it with a spell.” Twilight’s horn glowed brighter. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then a gasp escaped the mare’s lips, dropping the staff onto the carpeted floor. “Impossible. Where did Trixie Celestiamaden find this staff?!” 

“Beats me.” The Great and Powerful Trixie said, shrugging. “A place called Asgard? That’s where she said she’s from.”

“Asgard? Like from the Yak legends?” Twilight said, incredulous. “Never mind about that. That gem isn’t magical. It’s beyond anything I’ve seen in this world!” Her words were frantic, unable to control her fear/excitement. “If you possessed more gems like that. You’d become unstoppable!”

“Vice Principal Luna said the same thing.” Human Trixie mused. “I’m a little worried that the Goddess of Mischief possessed such a dangerous item.”

“Princess Luna.” Representative Trixie corrected. “Focus, Twilight. You’re the only one with mind magic. Can you fix Princess Luna?”

“Like I said, it isn’t magical!” Twilight began pacing around the room. “It’s more like telepathy? Or manipulating some kind of universal subconscious? It’s beyond my understanding. But can it save the princess? I can’t tell you. I fear even trying to use it.”

“Oh.” Representative Trixie deflated, fearing this might mean they’d need to resort to a nastier solution. 

“Seems it’s my time to shine.” The Goddess said her telepathic words smug. “The Goddess is a master of telepathy, capable of communicating over several thousand miles with ease!”

“Really?” Twilight said, eyes wide. 

“As usual, Sparkle, you underestimate my capabilities. In my universe, I was the center of a vast hive mind connected to hundreds of alicorns. With my mental might, it should be simple enough for me to use the Mind Stone to stop Princess Luna and save the planet.”

“Perfect!” Finally, some good news. Representative Trixie paused, the full extent of the Goddess’s words sinking in. “Wait, what? What’s this about a hive mind of alicorns?”

“That isn’t important right now!” The telepathic voice replied, hastily changing the subject. “Just put the Mind Stone in my tank and leave everything to me.”

“It’s worth trying, but be careful. The Mind Stone’s power is vaster than you can possibly imagine.” Twilight rubbed her chin, deep in thought. “You’ll likely need my help. Antithesis’s original spell is based on the “Want it, Need it” spell, right? I know that spell. Together, we might break through the curse.”

“Never!” The Goddess spat, making Twilight flinch back. “Not with the likes of you, Sparkle. You vile, ugly mare! It’s your fault I’m like this!”

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock, lost for words.

“You might not be her, exactly. But you’re just as careless. You’re tampering with something you don’t understand, not caring about the consequences!” Was it Representative Trixie’s imagination, or was the Goddess sounding close to tears? 

“Because of you, I suffered worse than anypony imaginable! You made me into this…” The Goddess’s words became quiet, almost inaudible. “Monster. A monster.”

“I’m sorry.” Twilight hung her head. “I don’t know what my counterpart did, but it sounds horrible. And I’m not much different. I’ve hurt ponies without realizing it, too. But I want to change, be better!”

“If you hate me, that’s fine. I understand. You have every reason to. But please, if we don’t stop the Bloody Mare, she’ll destroy everything I care about. You’re our only hope. If you want to hurt me for whatever the other Twilight did, fine. But please, let me save Equestria first!”

“Nice speech.” Antithesis rolled her eyes. “Like she’ll listen. Her hatred runs too deep for any forgiveness!”

“Okay.”

“What?” Antithesis’s eyes widened, shocked by the Goddess’s response. 

“I’m not doing it for your sake, Sparkle. I’m doing this because I, Trixie Lulamoon, am tired of destruction. This place is beautiful and peaceful. It’s everything my world lost, possibly forever. I watched as my world was reduced to an irradiated wasteland, ruined beyond repair. But I, Trixie Lulamoon, the pony, refuse to allow it to happen again. I might have been powerless to save my world. But this time, Equestria will live!”

“You can’t be serious!” Antithesis gritted her teeth, furious. “You hate her! She’s everything you despise!”

“Ha! What the matter, Antithesis?” Representative Trixie said, tone mocking. “You can’t understand real ponies, can you? You only understand hatred. But ponies are different. We’re capable of love and forgiveness. Our worst nature doesn’t define us.”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Antithesis snapped back. 

“Take her away.” Representative Trixie said, waving the guard to escort the prisoner to the nearest cell. “We’ll figure out what to do with her later. We have a world to save!”

“This isn’t over!” Antithesis said, squirming against the guards restraining her. “This isn’t over, Trixie Lulamoon, Twilight Sparkle!”

“What a sad pony.” Humility said. “Maybe one day your words might seep in. She’ll realize she can be more than a pony of hatred.” 

“Wouldn’t that be a thing?” But Representative Trixie doubted Antithesis would ever have a change of heart. She pitied the mare. Antithesis defined herself by her hatred of Twilight and her. Could even friendship change someone like that?

Well, whatever. They had worse problems than Antithesis. Trapped in her cell, she’d stay out of their way while they continued with the business of saving the world. 

“But there’s still one problem.” Representative Trixie said. “The Goddess, your telepathy is only short-ranged, right? How will we get close enough? I doubt she’d stay still and allow us to shoot magical beams at her.” And so their planning session began. Representative Trixie only hoped it’d be enough.

---

“You will regret this! You hear me!” Antithesis said, rattling her cell’s bars. How dare they humiliate the Element of Anti-friendship like this? Heads would roll for this insult! 

She screamed obscenities, but no reply came. She was all alone. The Ponyville prison was empty of prisoners, and the royal guards and police officers were out clearing up the mess the “Hate it, Kill it” spell had caused. While some officers ponied the front desk, the police department was basically vacant. 

“Trixie, you’ll pay for this!” But Antithesis’s hateful heart wasn’t in it, slumping to the cold, concrete floor. 

“No, it can’t end this way.” Unfamiliar feelings made Antithesis’s hooves quake. Her breathing heightened its pace. Was this what ponies called fear? She didn’t doubt they’d execute her once they settled this matter. Why not? They’d already said she wasn’t a pony. They’d be no mortal quaternary in killing a nonpony like her. 

I don’t want to die! Not again! Sobs escaped Antithesis’s lips as she struggled to control her fear. Despite her best efforts, her hatred of Trixie and Twilight couldn’t overrun the pure terror of her impending fate. 

“Oh dear. How cruel of them to leave you high and dry.” A familiar voice said. 

“You!” Antithesis head jerked up, directed at the newcomer. But it wasn’t the smug expression of Trixie Lulamoon she’d expected. No, it was the Trixie with the horned helmet. 

“What do you want?” Antithesis whipped away her tears to glare at the hateful image of her enemy. 

“Believe it or not, but I’m here to help you!” The horned Trixie replied. 

“What?” This response caught Antithesis’s jaw to drop. “Why? I’m your enemy!”

“But an enemy can become an ally, and I believe we would gain much from joining forces.”

“Huh?”

“You see, I fight for the winning side. And Captain Cosmos and the others? Doomed from the beginning. I’ve seen the power Proto has at his disposal. He brought a terror like you into existence. Even if Princess Luna returns to her senses, how will we escape the hordes of killer robots? Everyone seems to have forgotten about them.”

“And you’d betray them that easily?” But a smile was already growing on Antithesis’s muzzle. And why won’t she save her own skin? You’d be a fool to join Trixie’s side, with the almighty, invisible Proto standing against you.

“I don’t owe those foals anything.” The Horned Trixie replied, her smile sly.

“Good. Let me out of here, and we’ll finish them off.” And Princess Luna would be their tool to do it. She’d eradicate them with her moon while they’d escape into Limbo before it happened, laughing all the while. 

“And you’ll put in a good word for me with Proto?” The Horned Trixie said, extending a hoof. 

“Deal.” They shook hoofs. Antithesis hid a smile. This foal was in for a nasty surprise once they returned to Limbo. She had no intention of protecting this Trixie from her master’s wrath. Proto had declared all Trixies detestable abominations, and Antithesis was more than eager to fulfill her master’s will. But for now, she’d work with this gullible foal to ruin Trixie’s efforts. 

I will make you suffer for making me cry, Trixie. Watch as I shatter your hope and friendship to pieces!
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay. It seems like our best shot. And heck, what am I worried about? We’re Trixies. We can accomplish anything!” Representative Trixie hoped those bold words made it true. This entire plan was a gamble. They were facing Princess Luna, for Luna’s sake! They were walking into their almost certain doom! 

“Perfect! I’ll get ready.” Captain Cosmos clapped her hooves together in delight, beyond confident their reckless plan would work. Despite herself, Representative Trixie took some comfort from the superhero’s relentless optimism. 

After ironing out some minor details, the Trixies and Twilight separated to enact their parts of the plan. The royal guard would help evacuate Ponyville before the fight, just in case it got ugly. Representative Trixie glanced at the clock. A scant three hours remained until doomsday.

And where the heck was the self-proclaimed Goddess of Mischief? You’d think the arrogant blowhard would have shown up already? Was she injured? But wouldn’t the guard and Ponyville police have found her already? 

“Why am I worried about this? The louse is probably just getting sloshed somewhere.” For reasons Representative Trixie couldn’t quite explain, the so-called Goddess’s demeanor rankled something deep inside her. 

“Um, Trixie.” A pony said, disrupting Representative Trixie’s musings. “I know you’ve got Equestria to save, but I got something that I need to get off ma chest.” Standing in her half-demolished front door was an apologetic Applejack, hat over heart.

“What is it, Applejack?” 

“I wanna apologize, Trixie. My memories are jumbled, but I said and did some mighty terrible things under that vile mare’s control. If we’re on the verge of destruction, I want to clear the air first.”

But Trixie only snorted, indignant. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

“Sorry?” The apple farmer blinked, surprised by this response.

“You should apologize to Carrot Top instead. She’s the one you insulted!” While evil magic had twisted her mind, those secret selfish words had originated from Applejack’s heart.  

This earned a chuckle from the apple farmer. “You’re right, of course. If we survive this, it’ll be the first thing I’ll say to her when she returns to town. I gotta say, Trixie, you’re a good friend. You really care about that silly carrot farmer, don’t you?”

“Darn right I do!”

Applejack looked down. “I’m envious of you, Trixie. Hate to say it, but you’ve gotta good bunch of friends. And a good heart, better than mine. Just promise me you’ll fight hard and protect us all. We of Ponyville are counting on you!”

“I’ll do my best,” Representative Trixie said, touched by Applejack’s true feelings. This was the real Applejack, not the mare twisted and corrupted by Antithesis.

“And I’m sorry too!” Pinkie Pie said, bursting into the room, half-sobbing. “I did horrible things to you! And I called you annoying! Super mean and totally unforgivable!”

“I’m not holding any grudges over what happened, Pinkie.” Representative Trixie replied. “And I’m sorry, too. I haven’t been the most attentive to your parties.” And Pinkie wasn’t the worst once you got to know her. 

“Annoying, eh?” Applejack said, amused that Representative Trixie had taken more offense from that than anything she’d said. “Just throw her a darn good party to make up for it.”

“I plan to!” Pinkie said, perking up. “We’ll need a Saved the World from Our Crazed, Brainwashed Princess party once this mess is settled. And you’ll attend, right, Trixie?”

“Sure thing.” Representative Trixie replied. Heck, she’d need one after this mess. 

Darn it, and we still have those killer robots to worry about as well! Whatever, one problem at a time, Trixie. 

---

“So, uh, this is what you like?” Twilight Sparkle said, trying her best to mask her horrified expression. The Goddess took no offense, used to these reactions to her cursed existence. She’d dropped all illusions, showing her true self. Even the alicorns in her hive mind avoided looking at her whenever possible.

“It’s neat!” Twilight said, trying too hard to stay positive. When she noticed something amongst the misshaped blob of the Goddess’s flesh, it piqued her curiosity. “Is that a wing?” she asked.

“That’s correct. You, the other Sparkle tried mutating me into an alicorn by infusing me with pegasus magic along with two other unicorns. The experiment failed in the worst ways.” The Goddess replied, not hiding her bitterness. The fall into that cursed vat of chemicals still haunted her nightmares. 

“That’s odd. If she was trying to create an alicorn, she should’ve used a pony from each tribe.”

“Somehow, it missed her attention.” The Goddess replied dryly. Personally, she blamed her Twilight’s unicorn bias for that mistake. 

“Huh,” Twilight said, curious despite herself. A spike of fear stabbed in the Goddess’s heart, worried she might have sent Twilight on the same path as her counterpart. Would this universe’s Trixie suffer the same fate as her?

No, stop it. Fate isn’t real! You can change the future! But doubts crept in unbidden, fearing this Equestria would suffer the same doom as hers. 

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, catching the Goddess’s sudden change in mood. 

“No.” The Goddess said honestly. “I fear we’re wasting our time, that your Equestria’s beyond saving. After the horrors I’ve experienced in my universe, hope doesn’t come easy. I worked so hard to fix things in my world, tried using my alicorns to improve everypony’s life in the Wasteland, but I often fear I’ve only made things worse!” Separated from her hive mind and left with her own thoughts, it’d given her too much time to consider her failures, how the Wasteland hadn’t really improved. 

“Some goddess I am.” Tears pricked her eyelids, misshapen and distorted as they were. 

“I’m scared too.” Twilight looked down, ashamed at her own weakness. “This is too much. I’m not like Trixie. I’m not as brave as her. Once, I looked down on her. Considered her an ignorant foal who knew nothing about real magic. But I missed just what a terrific, daring mare she was. If anypony were to become the Element of Magic, it should be her.”

She continued. “When I learned about the other Twilight and how she became the Element of Magic, I assumed I’d been robbed. That I deserved it. But, no. I’m not the Element of Magic because I learned the wrong lessons. I was too selfish.”

“What a sad pair of failures we are. Can we even save Equestria?” The Goddess asked. 

“We must, for everypony’s sake.” 

“Yes.” For whatever reason, a warmth grew in the Goddess’s heart, burning brighter still as Twilight hugged her glass tube, ignoring the sight of the ugly, blighted mare within.

“Thanks.” The Goddess said from the deepest part of her heart. 

Twilight whipped a tear from her eye. “Enough self-pity. We have a job to do, one we dare not fail!”

“Right!” They’d win this. They must. “Lower the Mind Stone into my tube. I’ll try connecting to it.”

“Be careful. Its power is incredible.” Twilight nodded, dropping a small yellow stone into her tank after opening the lid with her magic. The Goddess marveled such a small stone could cause such trouble. 

“Holy!” When it came in contact with her skin, the world opened like an unfolding picture. It was beyond anything the Goddess had even imagined. Compared to her psychic presence before, it was like a blind person gaining sight. 

Across the globe, she could sense the thoughts of a dragon lazying in her cave, rolling on a verifiable treasure trove. Somewhere else, she heard a business pony grumble to himself about a client being an hour late and how unprofessional it was. And beyond just thoughts, sensing even the fish swimming in the deepest part of the ocean. 

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, nervous.

“It’s a lot. You weren’t wrong about this stone being dangerous.” It was already causing her a terrible headache, the psychic input deafening in its intensity. “But I can handle it.”

“Okay. I’m ready to join minds.” 

“Yes.” However, she won’t go as far as with her alicorn sisters, making Twilight only a guest in her hive mind.

“This is your hive mind?” Twilight thought, amazed. “It can hear your thoughts, too!”

Despite joining with the counterpart of her tormentor, the Goddess took comfort from their joining. “Yes, and your help is lessening the mind stone’s burden.”

“I’m sorry Trixie, I didn’t realize you were hurt that badly,” Twilight said, reading into the Goddess’s past. “What my counterpart did was wrong! How could she be so stupid?”

“Yeah.” The Goddess took some comfort in being called her real name again. It’d been too long. 

“But you’ve done some stupid things, too. It’s remarkable how you can turn ponies into alicorns, but the process is wrong, flawed. They can only be unicorn mares for one, and they’re a dead end, unable to have foals. They aren’t the future, Trixie, no matter how powerful or immune to the radiation they are.”

“Yes, as everypony tells me.” The Goddess replied, voice wary. “I’m working to fix that problem, okay?” 

“I won’t judge you. You were trying to make the best of a bad situation. I see the wasteland, dear Luna. It’s…” Twilight’s voice trailed off, breaking away from the Goddess’s past. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried that far.”

“It’s okay. Can I peer into your past? Not anything personal. I want to see Equestria in its former beauty again.”

“Sure, I’ve been everywhere on my travels.” Twilight snorted in wry amusement. “I suppose being a fugitive from the law wasn’t so bad in retrospect after all.”

Twilight shared her travels as she moved the Goddess from the ship. They needed to get into position for the plan. Tears stung the Goddess’s eyes as the Equestria’s majesty struck her. How she’d missed it, so green and full of life. She saw flowers again. How she missed those, too. The Goddess didn’t fight back her tears, overwhelmed, but in a good way.

It was a welcome distraction from their impending doom. If they were to die, the Goddess wanted her last memories to be happy. Odd company, but being alone would be worse. 

“Do you think they can do it?” Twilight asked finally.

“They can.” The Goddess replied. “Together, we must.”

---

“Hmm.” Representative Trixie stared at her mentor, floating high in the air, wearing an expression that delighted in the coming destruction. Part of Representative Trixie worried that their plan wouldn’t restore the princess’s sanity, that this was the true Princess Luna. 

While everypony sometimes desired to burn everything on an odd whim, it doesn’t mean they’d like it to happen. Still, it disturbed Representative Trixie that Princess Luna despised Equestria deep in her heart. 

One problem at a time. First, Trixie’s motley group needed to defeat her. Representative Trixie noticed Humility giving her a hoof up from a hiding spot in a bush. Everypony was in position. It was go time. 

Besides her sat the magic restraining ring they borrowed from the Ponyville police department. While the ring worked on Humility well enough, they weren’t sure it’d work on an alicorn with Princess Luna’s magical might. That whole plan hinged on wishful thinking. 

That’s something they should add on the box, “Strong enough to stop a princess’s magic!” But enough jokes. Time for plan A.

“Princess!” Representative Trixie shouted at the top of her lungs, leaving her hiding spot. For a second, she feared her maddened mentor would ignore her, or worse. Much to Representative Trixie’s relief, Luna lowered to her student’s level.

“Trixie, perfect. It saves me the trouble of searching for you.” Her mentor said. 

“Really?” Representative Trixie said, her legs wobbling in fear. It was frightening to have an alicorn’s full attention focused on you, reminding Representative Trixie that only her wits and tricks stood between her and certain destruction. 

“It is time we leave this blighted country for another, Cavallia, I think. There, we can rebuild our lives. I’m sure Princess Cadenza would welcome us warmly as guests.”

“Huh?” Representative Trixie blinked. That wasn’t the response she’d expected. 

“Fear not. Now that the moon is on its destructive course, I only need to apply the occasional magical push to keep it on course.”

“Hold on, you don’t want to kill me?” Antithesis “Hate it, Kill it” spell had driven the common citizens to murder, happy to cause lethal unhappiness to a certain Night Court representative.  

“Of everypony in Equestria, Trixie Lulamoon, only you are worth saving.”

“I think everypony else in Equestria would disagree with that statement.”

“No, it’s true. You aren’t perfect, but you have a true, caring heart. You’re the only pony that’s made these last few decades bearable.”

“Really?” Trixie’s heart caught in her throat. Was this her mentor’s true feelings?

“Yes, I’ve grown tired of the Night Court and its machinations.” Despite being immortal, Trixie saw every year of her life in her mentor’s face. She seemed beyond ancient, each growing year becoming an even heavier burden. “I’d hope you’d breathe new life into it, but that was a foalish hope. It’s come too close to corrupting you, too. That’s why I’m purging the world of its filth and corruption, like cutting down a sickly, useless tree.”

“But at the cost of everypony? And what about my friends and their families? I could never abandon them, whatever the cost!”

Princess Luna, the Bloody Mare, shook her head regretfully. “It’s too late to search for them. I’m truly sorry about your friends. There are few noble ponies left in Equestria.”

“Okay, now that’s just horseapples. You can’t let the Night Court blind you to the good ponies out there!” Was Princess Luna the one who’d gotten corrupted, driven bitter and hopeless by her inability to fix the Night Court’s nobility? 

“No!” The pavement cracked as Princess Luna stomped a hoof. “I know my subjects. They fed my sister’s ego and drove her into thinking she stood above everyone else. Their compliance allowed the Night Court to grow corrupt. And I know how they’ve treated you, my student. We saw today what they truly thought of you.”

“No!” But Representative Trixie saw her mentor’s twisted logic, hating how it might have some good points. Still, it didn’t excuse the wholesale destruction. Representative Trixie stood straighter, a stubborn tilt to the jaw. “This is wrong. You must know that! And I won’t leave. If I’m to die, it’ll be with my friends and country.”

“You’d save them after everypony spit on you?” The red tint to the princess’s fur intensified with her intense frustration. 

“Even then.”

“Fine, then you’ve made your choice.” Princess Luna replied, her tone cold. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you wish to die, then I won’t stop you.”

“Fine.” So much for plan A. It’d been a foalish long shot, but Representative Trixie needed to try. With a wave of her hoof, she signaled to the others to start Plan B. “Now!”

“Cosmos Kick!” A familiar superhero threw a leaping kick into the Bloody Moon’s jaw. More startled than hurt, Luna whined in surprise. 

Shouting a battle cry, Humility jumped from her hiding spot, magic blazing. Still stunned by Cosmos’s kick, Luna was unprepared for the stun blasts shot her way, each striking her in the exposed side. Human Trixie and the Great and Powerful Trixie appeared next, jumping to restrain the prone princess. Human Trixie pulled Luna’s legs into an uncomfortable position, using her superior height and weight to add much leverage to the move. 

“I’m sorry!” Magical restraining ring in her magical aura, Representative Trixie rushed forward. 

But Princess Luna recovered with remarkable swiftness, eyes glowing white as her rage unleashed on her unfortunate attackers. “Enough!”

With a burst of magical force, each Trixie flew clear of the princess. Representative Trixie grunted in pain as her head struck the gravel road, tearing skin. 

“Ouch.” Representative Trixie touched her head, finding specks of blood on her hoof. 

“I’m disappointed, my student.” The Bloody Mare said, looming over her. Representative Trixie’s heart caught in her throat. Her mentor was using the expression she only reserved when she really ticked off. 

“A commendable effort.” Luna levitated the magical restraining ring, examining it with an eye. “But futile and foalish.” The ring cracked from the pressure of the alicorn’s magic before crumbling to dust. 

“No.” Representative Trixie’s voice caught in her throat.

“I understand your motive, Trixie. But it was a foolish move. You fight the inevitable. Equestria’s doom was set when I set the moon’s course. But for this transaction, you will be severely punished, my student.”

“Oh…” But Representative Trixie didn’t get to finish her curse, blinded by a sudden burst of light.

“Sister, what have you done?!” A regal voice said, a disturbingly familiar one.

“Not her!” Why was she here? It’d only make the situation worse!

“You realize you’ve driven the moon on a collision course with Equestria? They call me insane, but this action is pure madness.” Corona, the Tyrant Sun’s eyes widened when she got a better look at her sister. “And you’ve changed. What’s happened to you, Lulu?”

“I’m doing what I should have done millennia ago, putting an end to this corrupt, vile country. You’re free to flee if you wish. I won’t stop you, sister.” The Bloody Moon said, though her stance told she was ready for a tussle. 

“This is…” Corona, fallen sister of Luna, said, lost for words. “You must realize this will kill millions!”

“It must happen,” Luna simply replied. 

“Then, I must stop you for Equestria’s sake. Forgive me, sister. I take little comfort in this.” And Corona charged, an ever-expanding fireball gathering around her horn. 
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What are they doing?” Their hated foes were planning something. Antithesis hated plans. Plans messed everything up. While all Trixies were complete nincompoops, the number of them meant those doofuses still might hit gold by total happenstance. 

“The usual.” The Horned Trixie waved a vague hoof. “Gang up on the princess, disable her magic with a magic suppressor, then cleanse her mind with the Mind Stone. It might work.”

“If only I didn’t lose the Mind Stone.” At least those foals won’t have the power to wield it efficiently. Even so, the fact they owned such a dangerous item worried her. “Whatever. Sounds easy enough to stop. We’ll crush them to a pulp.”

“Pulp.” The Horned Trixie paused. “I could go for some oranges. I’m starving!”

“What? Why are you thinking about food? What about the mission?” 

“Hey, they have an apple stand over in the market! Be back in a jiff.” Antithesis opened her mouth to protest, but her ally had already disappeared. 

“What about watching the Trixies?” Antithesis said, annoyed. She watched as her ally returned with three bags of apples.

When the Traitor Trixie caught Antithesis’s reaction, she shrugged. “No one was ponying it, and I’m hungry.”

“Anyway, can you cast illusions like this universe’s Trixie?”

Her ally took a deep bite of an apple, juice dripping down her mouth. “You insult me. It’s kinda my specialty.”

“Perfect.” Antithesis rubbed her hooves together. “Then we can pose as allies and strike them when they least suspect.” And with them foolishly thinking she was still a prisoner and still a faithful ally, they’d never see it coming!

“Rudimentary, but it works, I suppose.” The Horned Trixie said, uninterested. Much to Antithesis’s surprise, she’d already gone through a bag of at least two dozen apples. 

“You think it’s inadequate?” Antithesis asked, losing her patience.

“It’s dull, but it does the job.” Her ally said, opening the second bag of apples. “Are you sure you don’t want one? These Midgard apples are quite sublime.”

“Yes, I’m sure. If you have a better suggestion, I’m all ears!” 

“I noticed there’s a herd of cows hanging outside a town. What if we caused them to stampede as Trixie and her fellows fought Luna? Think of the chaos that’d cause!”

Cows? She’d noticed them but thought little of them. Weren’t they just dumb animals or something? Still, the idea had merit.

“It would cause a lot of confusion and destruction.” Antithesis said, growing to the idea. She couldn’t wait to see Trixie’s face when she was suddenly faced with an angry stampede. And seeing the hated mare get trampled to death? All the sweeter. “Let’s do it!”

“Perfect.” Much to Antithesis’s astonishment, the Horned Trixie had already finished her third bag of apples. “I’m sure Proto will be proud! Proto be praised!”

“Yeah, Proto be praised.” Antithesis replied dryly. What? Did this mare think she worshiped her boss or something?

“To bathe in his majesty, I can’t wait! The reward will surely be beyond compare!”

“Sure.” Antithesis replied, agreeing with whatever this dumb mare was saying. 

“No doubt he’s an alicorn that stands hundreds of hooves tall, a god beyond god!”

“I won’t go that far,” Antithesis replied, snorting. “He’s just some unicorn, from what I saw.”

“Really?” The Horned Trixie stared wide-eyed. 

“Not that he isn’t powerful. His Empyrean Throne allows him to survey all creation.”

“No!” The Traitor Trixie glanced around, worried. 

“We’re too small to worry about. Proto has other things to worry about in his Limbo Castle.” And what a castle it was, dwarfing Canterlot’s castle’s grandeur and majesty. 

“Limbo. I’ve read legends about it. I’m surprised anything can live there. It’s a realm of flux, a cacophony of space-time. My kinda place!”

“I’m glad you like it.” Trying to navigate the place was maddening, its halls and corridors moving in a constant flux. Even the castle’s architecture had no consistency, hoping centuries in a blend of contrasting styles that didn’t even remotely match. 

“But forget about Proto.” While his majesty was great, he didn’t know everything. A sly smile grew across Antithesis’s muzzle. She could use that against him, gain the throne for herself. Proto was no god, only a pony with advanced technology. That meant she could take him down. First, however, she had a mission to complete. “Let’s go. Time’s short.”

 “Right after we get some dessert. I’m in the mood for some Midgard cupcakes! I saw a delightfully designed bakery near here.” 

“How are you still hungry?!” Much to her disgust, Antithesis noticed her partner had already finished each bag of apples. Why was she thinking about wasting their time getting stupid cupcakes? “Fine, whatever. Meet you outside town in twenty minutes.”

Again, she questioned the wisdom of allying with this alternate Trixie. Did she not take anything seriously? Antithesis felt like she was herding a cat!

Whatever. The traitor’s help hastens Trixie’s destruction. Besides that, Trixie was already walking into her own destruction. Antithesis laughed, well pleased with herself. “Now let’s see how well my “Hate it, Kill it” spell works on bovines!”

---

Fire flitted around the street as Corona’s fireball blasted against Luna’s hastily summoned shield. Representative Trixie yelped as some embers landed on her coat. More embers landed on grass, causing some minor fires.

“Trixie Lulamoon, we must work together to subdue my sister,” Corona said, dodging a purple bolt from her sister’s horn. 

“Are you kidding me? Why would I do that?” Trixie said, taking cover behind a bench. 

“You heard my sister’s mad plan. We must put aside our differences to deal with this crisis.”

Representative Trixie uttered a curse but conceded the point. “Fine.” The word tasted like ash on her tongue, but they needed to be said. 

“Don’t worry, we’re behind you!” Captain Cosmos said, popping up from behind a bush. Luna yelped in surprise as a grappling hook wrapped around her neck, choking her.

“What madness is this? Another Trixie?” Corona said, whining in shock. Her eyes widened to dinner plates as an alicorn version of Trixie appeared, shooting stun bolts into the Bloody Mare’s flank. Luna roared in fury, the rope constricting and bursting to pieces. The Great and Powerful Trixie joined the battle next, using her illusions to make it hard for Luna to shoot retaliatory bolts at Humility. 

“And more Trixies. Have I entered a waking nightmare?” Corona said, gapping at the multitude of Trixies fighting her sister. Human Trixie stayed hidden behind a bush, throwing rocks as a nifty distraction. The Tyrant Sun raised an eyebrow at that Trixie’s appearance. “And a human version as well. Truly a curious adventure you’ve found yourself on, Trixie.”

“You know what a human is?” Representative Trixie said, surprised. 

“Over the millennia, I have learned many secrets and have visited many worlds. But that’s a matter for later. We must defeat my sister. Our numbers should allow us victory.” Corona replied. 

“I guess.” But it was quickly shown that Trixie had spoken too soon, as Humility was sent flying by a carefully timed magical burst from Luna. The Great and Powerful Trixie tried using her magic to hide from the charging Luna. But no illusion was clever enough to fool her. A smack to the face knocked her unconscious. Human Trixie fled as a magic bolt flew past her head.

“This is foalishness, my student! And you dare side with the tyrant over me?!” The Bloody Mare cried, seething, hurt by this perceived betrayal.

Representative Trixie yelped in fright as dozens of magical bolts shot in her direction, she took cover behind a nearby tree, but it burst to pieces. Representative Trixie winced as a splinter scraped across her cheek, but the obstacle had protected her from the worst of her mentor’s wrath. 

“No!” Corona charged head first into her sister. Two alicorns engaged in a rather nasty game of hooficuffs. They fought with a ferocity only two sisters could have. 

“Element of Humility, are you okay?” Representative Trixie said, crawling over to her alicorn counterpart and shook her. 

“I’ll live.” Humility replied, moaning and holding her sore head. Representative Trixie helped drag Humility behind a building. Representative Trixie peeked over and saw the mess the two alicorns had caused in Ponyville Square. 

While Luna fought like a demon, the Tyrant Sun had a clearer head, scoring some lucky hits. Corona howled as Luna bit her on the neck, and she retaliated with a blow to the nose. It left Luna bloody, sprawled across the cobbled street. 

“Forgive me, sister. But I must banish you to the moon.” Genuine regret crossed over the Tyrant Sun’s muzzle. “Hopefully, whatever evil malady that inflicts you will pass when you return.” Her horn glowed with a radiant, golden light.

Should I stop her? Do I have the right? The Goddess and Twilight stood ready to use the Mind Stone to cleanse her mentor’s mind, but there wasn’t any guarantee it would work. 

But then we’re stuck with Corona! Maybe use the Mind Stone against her instead? Representative Trixie closed her eyes, hating herself for this weakness. Sorry princess.

Before Corona could deliver the coup de grâce, everypony whined in surprise as the ground rumbled. 

“What now?” Representative Trixie looked up. Her eyes widened as dozens of red-eyed cows and bulls charged into town, blind fury on each of their faces. 

“What the hay?”

Riding on top of the lead cow was a familiar, mismatched pony. “Hey, Trixie, miss me?”

“You?” Representative Trixie’s eyes widened, realizing the herd was charging right at her. The bovines caused unbelievable destruction in their wake, stomping or smashing everything in their path. She watched as the Roseluck’s flower stand flattened underhoof, crushing her entire flower stock without care. 

“What is this madness?” Corona said, flying high before she suffered a similar fate. Much to Representative Trixie’s horror, she saw her mentor fall under the countless hooves, unable to fly free in time. Much to her relief, however, when a sparking red mist flew free of the stampede, reforming back into her mentor. 

“Oh…” Representative Trixie cursed, stuck alone and helpless against the charging, deadly bovines.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” A figure bounced from the sky and ripped her from the ground before she got crushed. Captain Cosmos lifted her and Humility high in the air, some strange coiled springs attached to her hooves.

“You have got to be kidding me! Just die already!” The trio of Trixies yelped in fright as Antithesis shot bolts of black energy in their direction. The edges of Representative Trixie’s mane sizzled as a stray bolt struck it. But Captain Cosmos was quick on the uptake, diving through a shop window and taking cover inside. Representative Trixie winced as glass scattered everywhere as the superhero destroyed the window, but thankfully nopony got cut to shreds.

“Don’t think you can escape! Cows this way!” Antithesis yelled.

Much to Representative Trixie’s horror, the stampede had pivoted in her direction. 

“Fowl creature, are you behind my sister’s madness?” Corona said, her mane flaring with her anger. Antithesis yelped in fright as a barrage of fireballs exploded in her direction, realizing she might have enraged the wrong pony. The fire caused considerable collateral damage, but the Tyrant Sun didn’t care, having only eyes for the hated fake pony. 

“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to harm my associate.” A voice said. 

“What?” Corona whined in surprise as a hoof punched her in the face, staggering her with a shocking amount of power. To Representative Trixie’s shock, it was the Goddess of Mischief herself. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for many centuries! It delights me to see you so fallen, mother.” Trixie Celestiamaden said, beaming. 

“Mother?” Corona replied, still reeling from the unexpected punch. 

“You aren’t her, obviously, but close enough.” Trixie Celestiamaden said, struggling. 

“What the heck are you doing?” Representative Trixie said, outraged by this sudden betrayal. 

“Your cause was doomed, so I picked the winning side!” The traitorous Trixie said.

“You!” Representative Trixie seethed, almost too furious to notice the hundreds of deadly bovines charging in her direction. But Trixie Celestiamaden only ignored her, engaging Corona in a game of cat and mouse. 

“I don’t know what you are, other Trixie, but I won’t allow you to stand in my way.” Corona unleashed a barrage of fireballs in the traitor’s direction. The so-called goddess burst into flames, but faded into mist moments later. Corona stared wide-eyed in amazement, shocked anypony could create an illusion capable of fooling an alicorn, reeling as Trixie Celestiamaden threw an apple into her face. 

“Hold on.” Captain Cosmos grabbed Representative Trixie again, leaping high before the storefront suffered the same fate as the flower pony’s unfortunate stand. Humility mustered enough strength to fly away. Unfortunately, Luna was there to greet them in the air. 

“I tire of this game, my student. I will ask one final time, forgo this foalishness, and flee with me to safety. You don’t need to die with the rest of Equestria.” 

Punctuating the princess’s words was the moon hanging high above their head. It was impossibly large and round, close enough to touch. The ground rumbled, the force of having the moon so close to the planet causing a violent reaction. It wouldn’t be long until it crashed into the planet, destroying everything Representative Trixie loved. 

“You know I can’t,” Representative Trixie said, landing on a nearby roof, safe from the charging bovines. She only hoped the others were safe. Humanity and Captain Cosmos joined her, ready to fight to the bitter end. 

“Then I will make this quick.” The Bloody Mare said, her voice resigned. “It’s soon getting to a point where even I won’t be able to escape in time.” 

The rumbling continued, making standing difficult. But Representative Trixie didn’t dare falter, not with Equestria on the line. She would save her mentor!

“Be ready, Twilight!” Representative Trixie said before charging. The other Trixies joined her, adding to the mess of Trixie and confusion. She separated into three Trixies, each attacking from a different direction. 

“Such tricks won’t work, my student. I can see through your illusions.” Luna said, batting Representative Trixie across the head with a hoof. 

Much to her shock, who she hit wasn’t her student. The subtle illusion faded, revealing a different pony posing as Representative Trixie. Humility took the blow like a champ, smiling through her pain. She jabbed her horn hard into Luna’s chest, drawing a speck of crimson. Humility spread her hidden wings out wide, unleashing every bit of magical might.

“Gah!” The Bloody Mare howled as dozens of stunning spells struck her at once, her body going rigid like a statue. Captain Cosmos leaped from another illusionary Trixie, using her grappling hook’s rope to tie the princess up in restraints tough enough that even an alicorn would be tough-pressed to free herself. 

“Nice going.” Representative Trixie said, genuinely impressed. 

“I’ve tied up worse.” Captain Cosmos replied. 

“Finally.” Humility said, her body sagging, feeling the ill effects of using so much magic at once. She was at a real risk of overcharging her magic. “Let’s get her to the Goddess quick.”

“Never!” Antithesis said, blocking their path. Behind her, the cows continued to rampage, some even drawn by the anti-pony to join the conflict. “This is where you die, Trixie.”

“Foalish mare! Do you realize you fight me to your doom?” Corona said, still fighting off the Goddess of Mischief. Much to Trixie’s amazement, the mare’s illusions continued to confound the alicorn. No extra tricks are required. 

“Quit now? When I’m having so much fun?” The so-called goddess replied, beaming. She suddenly turned in Antithesis’s direction. “Wait, you still haven’t finished them? What are you waiting for?”

“I’m getting to it!” Antithesis said, snarling back, teeth-baring in frustration. But this had been a mistake. The anti-pony howled in pain as a piece of cobblestone stuck into her temple. She wobbled from the strength of the blow. “You! I’m going to kill you!”

“Yes, I believe we’ve already established that.” Representative Trixie said wryly. 

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Antithesis said, three cows gathering behind her. Their eyes glowed redder, eager to pound a certain Night Court representative to paste. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Captain Cosmos said, taking a protective stance. Humility sat next to Luna, too drained to be of much help. 

“Thanks.” 

With a snort of hot breath, all three cows charged. Representative Trixie’s feared they’d trample her mentor and Humility if she didn’t do something. Antithesis stood back, amused by her enemy’s desperate attempt to save her mentor. 

Gears in her head racing, Representative Trixie summoned an illusionary red cape to draw a cow’s attention. One reacted immediately, instinctually drawn by the provoking movement. It, unfortunately, had the other benefit of having the cow charge right at her. Representative Trixie fled for her life, pushing her legs past the breaking point. 

Thankfully, Captain Cosmos lured the other pair into each other’s path. They slammed their heads together, staggering them both. Before they could recover, Captain Cosmos toppled them both with a sudden rushing charge into their barrel. That left Representative Trixie alone with her opponent. 

But Representative Trixie was ready, using an illusion to trick the cow into colliding with a waiting lamppost, staggering her. 

“You’re really annoying me, you know that,” Antithesis said, fuming. “Why can’t you die already, like a good little pony?”

“Because good never surrenders, villain.” Captain Cosmos replied. 

“Please.” Antithesis rolled her eyes before shooting a black bolt into the superhero’s chest. The mare collapsed, grasping her heart in painful gasps. “This isn’t a fairy tale. Here, heroes die.” 

“Captain Cosmos.” Representative Trixie said, gritting her teeth. 

“You know what? I could summon more cows to help me. But nah, I’ll let them rampage around town. I’d fight you alone, mano a mano. Ripping you apart with my bare hooves sounds much for fun!” Antithesis said.

“Then bring it!” Representative Trixie said, all false bravado. They both knew the chances of an already exhausted Trixie versus this monster. The ground rumbled as the moon encroached even closer, marking their doom in dozens of minutes at most.  

The pair circled each other, Representative Trixie wearily watching her opponent. Antithesis gloated, convinced she’d triumph with ease. As they stalked each other, Representative Trixie spotted Twilight Sparkle hiding behind a destroyed storefront, trying to sneak closer. Representative Trixie, of course, pretended not to notice, keeping her opponent’s attention only on her. The ground rumbled again, making it feel like the moon was tearing the entire planet apart. 

“Look at you, the Great and Powerful Trixie, so tiny, small, and insignificant, crushed under my hooves like a bug!” Antithesis said, all confidence. 

But Representative Trixie took the insult with a bored yawn. “And what about you? You’re part Trixie. Do you really think your master will tolerate that once everything’s finished?”

“No! I’m too powerful! Too important! He won’t dare!”

“Isn’t Proto akin to a god?” Trixie looked at her hoof, idly examining the dirt in her hoof’s frog. “You’re a disposable tool to him, little more.”

“You!” Blind to her rage, Antithesis leaped on Representative Trixie like a wild animal, saliva dripping from her foaming mouth. 

It walked right into Representative Trixie’s trap, who gingerly stepped aside. Antithesis howled in pain as her skull collided with a lamppost hidden by Trixie’s illusion. As powerful as the anti-pony was, she wasn’t very observant, too ruled by emotion. 

“I’m going to rip you limb from limb!” Blood dripped from Antithesis’s nose in ugly globules, firing blindly with her magic. 

Okay, I got her hopping mad. Now what? Trixie hadn’t exactly planned further from this. Another fierce rumble, and Representative Trixie looked up. She gasped, the moon seeming almost close enough to touch with a hoof. The sky had turned a blood-red, the rumbling increasing by every second. Was this it? Had they finally reached doomsday? 

“Dang it.” Antithesis said, swearing under her breath. “Seems I played too long. Oh well, I got my wish. I’ve killed you all. A job well done.”

“Is this where we leave?” Trixie Celestiamaden said, appearing from nowhere, startling them all. 

“What happened to your fight with Corona?” Antithesis said after regaining some measure of calm. 

“Back here, villain!” Corona’s wrathful voice boomed from across Ponyville, causing some house shingles to fall off. Impossible! She could maintain her illusions at that range?

“Busy.” Trixie Celestiamaden said, smugly. 

“You won’t get away with this.” Representative Trixie moved to intervene, but a bolt from Antithesis’s horn drove her back. 

“No, it seems like we will. Now, how about that escape route? I guess we have about four minutes until this town gets flattened.” Trixie Celestiamaden said.

“Great plan.” Antithesis swung her hoof, making alien, unfamiliar arcane symbols in the air. A small disc dropped from the sky, landing in her hoof. What was this? Some kinda high-tech wafer? 

“Bye, Trixie. I wasn’t nice knowing you.” Before Antithesis could activate the device, a piece of limber stuck the anti-pony across the skull, staggering her. Much to everypony’s shock, it was from Trixie Celestiamaden.

“What are you doing?” Antithesis said, shocked and horrified by the sudden betrayal. 

“Betraying you. I couldn’t have gotten this device without you! Thank you!” The Goddess of Mischief said, taking the wafer from the dirt and examining it. Antithesis raved and ranted at the betrayal, but a swift kick to the head knocked her unconscious.

“Whose side are you on?” Representative Trixie said, eying the other Trixie wearily. 

“Mine of course, now there’s no point arguing about who betrayed who. We have minutes until total destruction.” After slipping the wafer into a hidden pocket, Trixie Celestiamaden picked up the restrained and struggling Luna like she was dealing with a troublesome foal. “We better get Aunt Luna to Twilight Sparkle and the Goddess before the heavens drop on us!”

“Fine.” Representative Trixie bit back an angry retort. There wasn’t time to argue. Still, she didn’t lessen her guard. The other Trixie was too unpredictable for her liking. 

“Trixie.” The twin voices of the Goddess and Twilight said in unison. With her magic, the unicorn was lugging the tank from a hiding spot behind a house. “We’re glad you’re safe.”

Representative Trixie shivered, unnerved by the uncanny way the pair talked out loud and in her head. “Quick, time’s short!.”

“Right.” The joined pair said. Twilight gave traitorous Trixie a suspicious look. “Even with the mind stone, your mind is slippery, Trixie Celestiamaden. We are unsure you can be trusted.”

“I won’t have it any other way. I’d hate to become boring and predictable.” Trixie Celestiamaden said with a smug grin. “But I’m on your side. I’m not a fan of dying in particular.”

“We can discuss this later. Fix Luna!” Representative Trixie said, eyeing the even-closing Luna with palpable dread. 

“Very well.” Twilight and the Goddess replied. “Place Luna here. Together, I’m confident we can purge Luna of Antithesis’s taint.”

The bindings were bending under Luna’s squirming and won’t hold her long. Representative Trixie feared they’d break any second. Twilight placed a hoof on the princess’s forehead after Representative Trixie gripped the alicorn’s head firm with her magic.

“Let our mind be your mind. Fear not! We are here to help.” Twilight and the Goddess said. Much to everypony’s relief, the princess calmed down, closing her eyes with a peaceful smile. 

“No! Everypony will burn!” 

“Look out!” 

A black bolt streaked across the sky in Twilight’s direction. With her distracted from the mind meld, she was a sitting duck. Representative Trixie moved to intercede, but her movements seemed like molasses compared to the deadly, lightning-quick beam. 

“Gah!” But somepony intervened, and it was nopony anypony had expected. 

“I won’t let you doom this world.” Trixie Celestiamaden said, a sickening black scorch mark on her chest. It was like her flesh had aged and decayed to mush in seconds. After giving a brave smile, the Goddess of Mischief collapsed, her brave sacrifice saving everyone. 
> Contradictory Selves - Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Trixie!” Representative Trixie said, rushing over to her fallen counterpart.

“It’s getting dark. Why is it getting dark?” Trixie Celestiamaden said, wheezing out her words. “Is anyone there? I can’t see.”

“I’m here.” Representative Trixie said, taking her hoof.

“Thank you.” Trixie Celestiamaden said, tears flowing.

“And you’re next.” Antithesis said, eyes alight with raw hatred. 

“No. That’s far enough.” A familiar voice said. 

“No! Impossible!” Antithesis stared in abject horror at the newly healed Luna, her coat returning to its usual hue. 

“Phew. We did it.” Twilight said, wiping sweat from her brow. She collapsed, the strain of freeing the princess’s mind too much to bear.

“Yes, I am free and will restore everything to its proper place. Starting with you.” Luna said, glaring death at Antithesis. The anti-mare screamed in fright, fleeing for her life. But she was too slow, taking a burst of magical energy to the chest. She wheezed, her breathing labored from the shock of the painful blast. Representative Trixie winced, glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of the ‘stun bolt’.

The ground rumbled again, and Representative Trixie stared at the moon already piercing through the cloud cover. They had seconds to live. 

“No! I will not allow my ponies to be destroyed!” Luna charged forward, her horn alight. Sweat gathered across her brow as she struggled to push the moon back, the planet’s gravity and the moon’s momentum fought in a deadly tandem against her. Much to Representative Trixie’s horror, her mentor was losing, getting pushed back as the moon continued its deadly descent. This was it. 

“Don’t give up, sister! I have you!” Much to everypony’s shock, Corona joined Luna’s efforts, horn alight. “I won’t allow Equestria to be destroyed!”

“Sister?” Luna said, surprised. 

“Are you surprised? Equestria is my home, too. It has always been my first love.”

“Sister.” Tears gathered around Luna’s eyelids, touched by the fallen princess’s nobility. 

“No time for tears, Lula,” Corona replied, a wry grin on her muzzle. “First, we must fight back your celestial satellite before it crushes us all.”

The sky roared as the two princesses fought against doom. The pair stained with the effort, their heads veins bulging. Representative Trixie feared, at this rate, the alicorns would overchannel their magic. Was that even possible? 

The moon refused to heed their efforts, making them fight for every inch. But the pair refused to budge. Much to everypony’s amazement, they pushed the moon back. 

“Hold a little more, Celle. We have it!” With a grunt of effort, the moon began receding back into the sky. Both alicorns collapsed to the ground, spent, both magically and physically. 

“Is it over?” Representative Trixie said, not daring to hope.

“It is, my student,” Luna replied. “The moon is returning to space. It will take some effort to get it back to its proper orbit, but Equestria is safe. Thanks to you, Trixie. Each one of you.”

“Well.” Representative Trixie found herself lost for words.

“Yeah, we make a pretty sweet team!” Captain Cosmos slapped her on the back.

“Is it over?” The Human Trixie said, appearing from behind a building. 

“I commend you, Trixie, Trixies. I swear, Equestria won’t forget your efforts today!” Corona said, standing shakily to her hooves. 

“Indeed. I will commission a memorial. And one for you as well, sister.” Luna said. “We don’t always get along, but you saved us all, Celle, with your timely intervention.”

“Maybe now ponies may realize I am not their enemy,” Corona replied. 

“Then!” Luna straightened, her expression painfully hopeful. 

“But not enough to abandon my ambitions. My rule will be the best for Equestria. It is time for the cycle to turn, and I return to my role as ruler.” Corona said, dashing their hopes. 

“I see.” Luna sagged, disappointed. 

“Our final confrontation will come soon, sister, Trixie. I look forward to seeing which side prevails. Remember this: destiny is decided through fire. Farewell.” With that, Corona disappeared in a flash. 

“Dang it. She still has some magic left?” Representative Trixie said, annoyed but not surprised. She’d hoped to use the Mind Stone against her. Oh, well.  

“You are still there, Trixie?” A pony said, coughing.

“I’m here.” Representative Trixie said, gripping the dying Trixie Celestiamaden’s hoof tight. Everypony gathered around, concern on their faces. 

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Humility asked, ears flattening. 

“No, I can tell the wound is fatal,” Luna said, shaking her head. 

“It’s getting dark. I don’t want to go.” Trixie Celestiamaden said, his hoof getting weaker. “Please, don’t forget me. Maybe even sculpt a statue in my honor. I saved Equestria, after all.”

Representative Trixie sniffed, holding back tears. “Anything.”

“It shall be done,” Luna said, her smile sad.

“Here.” Trixie Celestiamaden placed a small device into Representative Trixie’s hooves. “I took it from Antithesis. It should help you find him, Proto.”

“Was that why you betrayed us? To get this?” Representative Trixie asked. 

Trixie Celestiamaden only responded with a weak smile. “Please, remember your promise. Don’t forget m…” All life left her, and everypony hung their head. 

“Ha! And she won’t be the only one going to the grave!” A crazed voice said. 

“Antithesis, just give up already.” Representative Trixie said, already preparing an illusion to protect herself and her friends. 

“Ugh, doesn’t she realize when she’s beaten?” Human Trixie said, grunting in annoyance. 

“Enough.” A flat voice said, startling everypony.

“No, it can’t be,” Antithesis said, eyes wide. “Master Proto?”

“You’ve done enough damage, my lackey.” From the mechanical tint of Proto’s voice, it was hard to identify anything about it. “I only intended to destroy Trixie and her ilk, not doom an entire world.”

Huh? Proto never approved of Antithesis’s actions? 

“But it would have done the job, killed five birds with a single stone!” Antithesis argued back, her voice panicked. 

“And you sought to betray me. Take my throne for yourself.”

“What, Master Proto? Never!” But everypony heard the lie behind her words, obvious as night. 

“You’ll be punished to the worst degree for your betrayal.” 

“No!” Antithesis said, entering a full-blown panic. She tried to flee on shaky hooves, but her body started glowing. It grew brighter and brighter, getting so intense that it hurt the eyes. 

“No! Please! I don’t want to die again! I still have so much left to do!” But Antithesis’s pleas fell on deaf ears. Her body exploded like a burst balloon. Much to Representative Trixie’s shock and disgust, her body just fell to pieces, not leaving even a trace of blood. It was like she never existed. 

“As you, Trixies. I apologize for my minion’s behavior. I didn’t intend for her actions to go that far. To destroy Equestria. It was too much to bear,” Proto said, confusing Representative Trixie. Proto was a godlike being. Why would he care what happened to Equestria? 

“I will offer you a small respite in exchange.” Proto continued. “I will give you three days to escape. After that, I will show you no mercy. I have plenty of other terrors ready for you. Come after me if you dare!” The godlike being broke into smug, mocking laughter that vanished as it continued. 

“Wait, why are you even after us, anyway?” Representative Trixie demanded. “What have us Trixies done to you?” But her words fell on deaf ears. She cursed hard in Prench. 

“I see Proto won’t offer his secrets easily, but this respite is welcome,” Luna said. “Come. We have much to do.”

“Yeah, somepony needs to clean his mess!” Representative Trixie said, scowling. Whatever Proto was planning, she swore to stop it. 

---

“Hey, how are you holding up?” Twilight asked as she entered the ship’s hold. The technology astonished her, she was amazed anything could sail on the cosmic seas. 

“Good”  Like before, The Goddess had dropped all illusions. They seemed silly after the intimate link they’d shared. She was fine with showing her true self with Twilight. “Since I can’t help repairing the ship nor cleaning up Ponyville, the hold seems the best place for me. I’d scare ponies otherwise.” 

But this wasn’t quite true. Since sharing minds, Twilight understood the mare at an integrated level. The truth was, the Goddess feared meeting ordinary ponies. She knew they’d call her a monster, and she couldn’t bear that. 

Twilight put a comforting hoof on the Goddess’s tank. “Mind if I stay to hang out?”

“What, and not help with the repairs?” The Goddess snorted in amusement. “I’d thought you’d be geeking out about the new technology.”

“That can wait. Besides, I’d rather hang around a friend. I don’t enjoy seeing my friends lonely.”

“Friends.” The word tasted odd on the Goddess’s psychic lips, unused for far too long. “Yeah, I suppose we are. Never thought I’d say that about you, Sparkle.”

“Me too.” She’d fought so hard and long against her Trixie that she’d lost track of what was really important. They sat in companionable silence, not needing to say anything. When you shared a psychic link with somepony, secrets were behind you.

“I wish I could stay.” The Goddess said, finally speaking. “Your world is pretty amazing and full of even more amazing ponies. But it isn’t meant to be. Besides, not like I could walk around and enjoy it.”

“Don’t say that. You’re always welcome, Trixie! You’re a hero despite how you appear!”

“Sparkle, please protect this world.” The Goddess said, not taking the compliment. “In my world, we messed up hard. But you have a chance. Please give it a better future.”

“I will.” The barren landscape of the Goddess’s world kept returning to her mind, and she suppressed a shudder. How can everything go so catastrophically wrong? But her friend was mistaken about one thing. “But yours isn’t doomed either. Things will get better. It just will take time. Your planet’s a mess, but it will heal.”

“You think?”

“Absolutely. But healing the Wasteland with force was a mistake. You arrogantly assumed you knew what was best for everypony. Because of that, many ponies got hurt. I’m not accusing you of anything, but I only hope you can learn from your mistakes. You can’t single-hoofedly fix everything.”

“You’re right, of course. I’m tired of fighting, anyway. I don’t know how I’ll face my sisters back home. They were counting on me to fix everything, and I gave them empty promises and emptier futures.” 

“I still believe in you, always.”

“Yeah, why am I wallowing in despair? I’m the Great and Majestic Goddess! I save Equestria! A radiated wasteland and its bazillion problems shouldn’t be too hard!” She said, regaining her mojo. 

“That’s the spirit!”

“Thank you again.” 

“And thank you, Trixie. You’ve given me plenty to think about.” Sparkle released a slight chuckle. “Never thought I’d say that. I suppose my old mentor, Spell Nexus, was right. You can learn something from anyone. I just wish I'd taken that lesson to heart sooner.”

“What now? I’m still stuck here?” The Goddess said, somewhat self-deprecatingly. 

“Hmm,” Twilight said, scratching her chin. She clopped her hooves together, getting the perfect idea. “Leave it to me!”

---

“I have to hoof it to Night Light’s daughter. She really is a clever mare.” Princess Luna said, watching as dozens of work ponies darted around the fallen spacecraft with eerie precision. Every hoof was where it needed to be. Representative Trixie watched as an earth pony with a hard hat walked around some fallen screws like he’d always known they’d be there. 

“I guess.” The Goddess was giving Twilight and the engineers telepathic instructions. With this crazy efficiency level, Captain Cosmos promised they would repair the ship in days instead of a week or more.

“The College of Science and Astrophysics are almost jumping in their horseshoes. This level of technology is hundreds of years ahead of ours. They’re hopeful we’ll be able to reverse engineer it.”

“It’s not all bad, then.” It meant Ponyville hadn’t gotten totaled for nothing.

“Is something on your mind, my student? You’ve been oddly introspective lately. It’s most unlike you.”

“Funny princess,” Trixie said dryly. “It’s Trixie Celestiamaden. I’m unsure what to make of her.”

“What the others have told me, she was a vexatious one, prone to unpredictable behavior and complete narcissism.” 

“I hated her when I first met her, on instinct. She reminded me too much of myself, the ugly parts. She’s me if I’d never met my friends.”

But Luna only smiled. “But she still fought to protect ponies in her own way. She had a noble heart deep down and proved it.”

“She was a Trixie in the end.” Still, why didn’t she tell them about her double-crossing plan? It would have avoided a lot of trouble. Trixie Celestiamaden might not have died. That was what frustrated her. Something about Trixie Celestiamaden’s death felt so pointless and needless. But I suppose all death is like that, painful, regardless. 

“And I’m going to make it count. I’m taking Proto down.” Representative Trixie swore to herself. She wouldn’t stop until the job was done. 

“That’s the spirit!” Luna said, brightening. “Indomitable. That’s the reason I made you my student, Trixie. I knew the Night Court could never break you.”

“Yeah, about that…” Representative Trixie’s voice trailed off, struggling to find words. “The things you said under Antithesis’s control, do you remember them?”

“Partly.” Luna released a long, pained breath. “And the rest I can easily guess at.”

“Do you want to destroy Equestria?” Representative Trixie winced at speaking such a blunt question, but it needed to be said. 

This, however, only earned a smile from the princess. “Don’t we all? There are times it frustrates me, but I love it still. Somehow, Antithesis’s spell made me forget that. But it never made me forget my love for you, Trixie.” 

“Really?” Representative Trixie flushed as her mentor nuzzled her cheek. It wasn’t something Luna had done since she was a foal. 

“Of course, I love you, Trixie. You’ve always been a daughter to me. Thank you, Trixie. You saved me from doing something terrible I’d never forgive myself for.”

“I love you too, princess.” While somewhat embarrassing to say, it came deep from her heart. She paused, thinking. “And you said some choice words about the Night Court, too. Many well deserved.”

“Indeed. It reminds me I need to be harder on them. I never realized how much I resented them until now.” Luna sighed. “I’ve kept too much bottled within, and Antithesis used those grudges against me.”

“A lot of ugliness got shown today, but we can move past it, become stronger from it.” Representative Trixie turned her head towards Ponyville, watching as ponies and cows worked together to rebuild the damage caused by Antithesis. Nopony fought or complained. Instead, both species each worked together to rebuild and move on, hopefully learning much from this misadventure. Trixie certainly had. For one, Applejack wasn’t so bad a pony, deep down. 

“They have.” Luna nodded in agreement. “And I’m proud of my little ponies. Antithesis might have represented our darkest side, but we’ve proven we can push past it.”

 	“Want to join a party, princess? Pinkie is throwing one doozy of a “Save Equestria from Ultimate Destruction” party.” Sure, Proto and his ultimate army of invincible robots were after their hides, but, darn it all, they deserved this after everything.

“Sounds delightful. It’ll surely be a party to remember for the millennium.” Luna said, laughing. It sounded good on the princess, genuine. 

“I hope they pin the tail on the pony,” Luna said as they trotted over to Sugarcube Corner. “That game has always been my favorite.” 

---

“All patched up!” Captain Cosmos said, pleased with herself, to the collected group of Trixies. 

“Really, all finished?” The Great and Powerful Trixie said, beaming. She plopped her third breakfast muffin into her mouth. “Delightful! Now we can escape before those death machines swarm us.”

“It wasn’t easy, but we managed it,” Twilight said, bags under her eyes. She accepted the proffered mug of coffee gratefully. “And with a day to spare! We’ll miss some preliminary checks, but it should be ready to launch tonight.”

“Good.” Representative Trixie hadn’t slept well in days, either, fretting over their predicament.

“Any luck with using that wafer to track where Proto’s lair is?” The Great and Powerful Trixie asked. 

Captain Cosmos rubbed the back of her neck. “Kinda of. The signal is definitely coming from Limbo, but Limbo’s very nature scrambles the source. Its technology is beyond me, sorry.”

“That’s not too bad,” Humility said, thinking. We’ll just find a universe with more advanced technology.

“Or find some Zebras!” Captain Cosmos said, excited. “Our ship comes from their technology! Of course, most of them have forgotten said technology, but it’s a start.” 

“Zebras, huh?” The Goddess’s illusionary self didn’t seemed pleased, but didn’t press the issue. Considering her Equestria’s war with the race, such animosity wasn’t surprising.

They chatted about other plans, particularly upgrading their ship. Some weapon systems would be nice. They needed more ways to defend themselves. Many dangers lay ahead in their adventure through the wider multiverse. 

“So, you’re about ready to take off, my student?” Luna asked.

“Yeah, we think it’s better to leave sooner than later.” Representative Trixie said, nodding. Other Trixies were in danger. They couldn’t afford to sit idle. Representative Trixie swore she’d save them all. 

“I doubt Corona’s ready to cause trouble just yet, but I will remain watchful. Good luck,” Luna replied, inclining her head. 

“I wish I could stay and say goodbye to my friends, but there isn’t time. Tell them I’ll be back, and I love them.”

“Enough of the sappy stuff. Can we get going already?” The Great and Powerful Trixie said, annoying Representative Trixie. Didn’t the mare realize they were having a moment?

“You realize we’re going into great danger, right?” Representative Trixie said, somewhat testily. “We already lost one Trixie already. No doubt it’s going to get worse, more dangerous.” She wasn’t in a hurry to rush into unknown dangers. 

The Great and Powerful Trixie’s expression became more forlorn. “You’re right. Trixie Celestiamaden gave her life to make this trip possible. We won’t have gotten this far without her. Truly, she was the best of us!” Tears pricked at the mare’s eyelids. 

“Right.” I don’t think I’d go that far.

“But she is right about one thing. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return home. My parents are probably freaking out once they realize I’ve disappeared. I hope they’re doing okay.” Human Trixie said, her mood souring. 

“You do have a difficult quest ahead of you,” Luna said. “I wish you luck.”

“Right. And protect the Mind Stone.” After some arguing, they’d all agreed it’d be best if it was hidden from everypony. It was too dangerous, and they feared it falling into Proto’s grubby hooves. Representative Trixie’s throat tightened as the door closed, sealing her away from her previous life. It was quite possible she’d never see her Equestria again. But they had a mission to perform. She could grieve later.

“Everyone ready, strapped in?” Captain Cosmos said from the controls. Representative Trixie did as instructed, wrapping the seat belt around herself. The others had promised leaving the universe would be a rough ride.

“And here we go!”
> Contradictory Selves - Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darkness filled the Great and Powerful Trixie’s vision as she awoke. She blinked, confused about where she was. She stretched out a hoof, and it knocked against something wooden.

“What the hay?” She stretched out another hoof and struck another wooden surface. And then another. Panic struck as she realized the shape of her prison.

“Dear Celestia! Let me out! Please!” Her hooves slammed harder and harder against her wooden confinement, praying somepony would hear her. But only silence responded, silent as the grave.

“No! Let me out, please!” Tears welled in her eyes as the hopelessness of her situation set in. 

This was it. She would die by being buried alive! Her hooves slammed against her coffin hard enough to hurt. But the Great and Powerful Trixie didn’t care, too scared to think straight. She punched the roof harder and harder, her heart soaring as a crack appeared. Renewed with hope, the Great and Powerful Trixie struck harder and harder, not caring about the splinters stabbing into her hooves. She spat as dirt rained on her face but kept pushing. More soil poured on her, and she increased her desperate pace. If she didn’t dig herself free, she’d die.

Like a worm, she dug through the dirt above her, lungs burning as they demanded air. Fear drove her forward, anything to see the wondrous light again. She prayed to Celestia she’d survive the next few moments. Already, her legs were tiring, burning from the strain of pushing herself out.

“Just a little further. I can make it!” It returned uncomfortable memories of when she’d fallen into Lake Ponytchartrain as a foal and almost drowned. She’d only survived because a passing stallion helped her. History was repeating to mock her, the surface, with its life-giving air, just out of reach. Only this time, nopony would arrive to save her. The total, absolute darkness suffocated her, sapping the hope from her soul.

“I must make it. Dear Celestia, I must!” Then light filled her vision, blinding her. She sucked in grateful gulps of glorious air, tasting better than anything she’d ever had. The stars were a beautiful, welcome sight, majestic as they sparkled above her.

“I’m free!” The Great and Powerful Trixie didn’t fight back her grateful tears.

“What the hey?” An old stallion holding a shovel said, dropping it when he spotted the newly risen pony.

“Uh, a little help, please.” Trixie said, her voice interlaced with desperate gasps for air. While she’d reached the surface, she was still stuck like a turnip.

“Zompony!” The grave keeper threw his hooves into the air, fleeing for his life.

“Oh, come on!” Annoyed, the Great and Powerful Trixie worked the last few hooves to free herself. She lay on the dirty ground, tired but happy she’d just survived almost certain death.

“Where am I?” She turned around, gazing up at her tombstone.

“Trixie Celestiamaden, a brave hero who gave her life to save Equestria and the world,” the Great and Powerful Trixie said as she read it. Everything clicked into place.

“You son of a!” The Great and Powerful Trixie punched the fake gravestone hard and winced in pain. It was solid stone. “When I get my hooves on you, Trixie Celestiamaden, I’m going to throttle you!” Another one of her stupid pranks, and she was its unfortunate sap. That meant she was posing as her with the others.

She put her hooves in her face. “I hate you so much, fake goddess!” With the others exploring the outer cosmos, how would she ever find them?

“Whatever. Bath first, then revenge!” The Great and Powerful Trixie stomped into Ponyville. In most other towns a dirt-covered pony making their way from the graveyard would cause panic, but the Ponyvillian’s were made of stronger stuff, only staring with a peeved expression and creating some distance. At least the town had somewhat returned to normal after Antithesis’s attack. An impressive amount of repairs had already been erected. Ponyville was a resilient town, she had to admit. 

“Trixie?” Somepony said. They spoke familiarly, like they knew her. It must be one of Representative Trixie’s friends. Sure enough, a mint-colored unicorn was staring at her, worried. A gray-colored pegasus with wobbly eyes, a tough-looking yellow pegasus, a yellow earth pony with an orange mane, and a purple earth pony all looked at her with concern.

“What the hey happened to you?” The gray pegasus said, worried. “Are you okay?”

A memory flashed in the Great and Powerful Trixie’s head. She’d met these ponies before. These were the Elements of Harmony in Representative Trixie’s world. They’d briefly met the last time she was in this universe.

“And what happened to Ponyville?” Cheerilee said, gazing around. “It looks like a war zone!”

“Is this connected to the moon almost hitting the planet?” Raindrops asked. “We rushed here when we saw what was happening.”

“The carrot conference wasn’t that interesting, anyway. You were lucky to stay behind.” Lyra whispered conspiratorially. The earth pony snorted but otherwise didn’t respond.

“Guys, I’m not...” the Great and Powerful Trixie paused as a familiar midnight alicorn flew down to meet them.

“Elements, it is a pleasure to see you again. Much has happened in Ponyville in your absence. We have much to discuss,” Luna said.

“Princess? Why are you here?” Cheerilee asked.

“I’m here to supervise the cleanup. The riot and the moon’s close proximity caused considerable damage to the town,” the alicorn replied. The Elements’ eyes widened in shock at the mention of a riot. Luna paused, brows furrowing at the sight of the Great and Powerful Trixie. With the dirt and grime, she almost hadn’t recognized her.

“Trixie? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you traveling with the other Trixies? What happened? You look like death itself,” Luna said.

“Other Trixies?” Cheerilee said, furrowing her brow.

“That’s it. I’m not your Trixie! I’m the Trixie from the universe where Sparkle is the Element of Magic!” The words exploded from her mouth. The Elements became even more puzzled.

Luna, however, considered this before her eyes widened, realizing what had happened. “That devious little mare. To think anypony could fool me so easily. Her title of Goddess of Mischief is well-earned. No doubt this is one of her jokes.”

“Yeah, and it’s making me bust a gut,” the Great and Powerful Trixie said dryly. “I loved getting buried alive for a joke!”

“What’s going on here?” Ditzy asked, shifting uncomfortably on her hooves. “If you’re not our Trixie, where is she?”

“Yeah, where’s the real Trixie!?” Lyra said, getting into the Great and Powerful Trixie’s face.

“Calm yourselves, my little ponies. All will be explained in time. But first, we must get our guest somewhere comfortable with a delectable meal. She’s had a trying time,” Luna said. “Come, Trixie. My hotel room isn’t far.”

“A bath would be divine right now,” the Great and Powerful Trixie paused, brow furrowing as she spotted something strange. In the distance, a lone cloud was dark despite the entire sky being cleared. The weather ponies had likely delayed any weather to aid the town’s repair efforts. Was it her imagination, or was the cloud raining something brown?

“Is that chocolate?” Raindrops asked, puzzled.

“What are you?” Luna froze as she noticed the cloud, her expression turning tense and worried. “It can’t be.”

“What is it, princess?” Cheerilee asked.

“I feared this might happen,” Luna said, her voice grim. “The havoc caused by Antithesis was enough to finally free him.”

“Oh, ponyfeathers, you don’t mean him!” the Great and Powerful Trixie scowled, having bad memories of the first time he’d gotten free. He’d made her permanently invisible, unable to be touched or seen by anypony! And she didn’t buy this reformed nonsense either.

“I’m afraid so,” Luna replied. “Discord, the Lord of Chaos, is free!” Mocking laughter punctuated the princess’s proclamation of doom. 

---

Trixie watched the floating eyes in amusement, laughing as they blinked sideways at her and tapping it with a raised claw. How unorthodox! How wonderful! Her otherworld counterpart stared at the growing, chaotic scene in growing dread, unable to believe her eyes. She came from a very boring, orthodox world, and her other other counterpart’s chaotic majesty was beyond anything her dull mind could handle.

While Discord’s wonderful chaos delighted her, she had a job to do. With a snap, she summoned a map made of cheese of the outer shell of reality. She spotted a very noticeable hole, the other Trixies’ inelegant way of piercing into the void. She showed her other counterparts, and they sighed in annoyance.

“So we’ve missed them,” Another Trixie said, her manner grim. She slunk into the shadow of a nearby tree, brooding to herself. She did that a lot.

“That’s a bummer,” A more cheerful Trixie said. “At least they’re safe. But what about this? We can’t just leave this mess!” She gestured to an upside-down bear riding a unicycle on a winding road through the air.

“How! We can’t stop this!” The scared Trixie said. Despite her terror, firm resolution blazed behind her eyes.

Trixie waved a dismissive paw. “I see the Elements of Harmony are in Ponyville. They’ll be fine.” Her eyes extended outward, seeing them argue with his world’s muckety muck princess, Luna. Alongside them stood a filthy hobo who’d joined the argument for whatever reason. How delightfully random.

“I thought this universe’s Trixie was the Element of Magic?” The serious Trixie said, frowning. “How will they stop that monster?”

Trixie took offense at the word monster. Her counterpart may take his chaos a bit too far, but it was all in good fun! She pounded a hoof in annoyance before beaming. “They’ll be fine. They could use that hobo as the new Element of Magic! She’s a unicorn.” And strangely familiar somehow. Oh, well. It wasn’t worth the effort worrying about.

“That’s not how the Elements of Harmony work,” The cheerful Trixie said, pointedly. And Trixie supposed she should know; she was the Element of Laughter.

“Whatever, the point’s the same,” Trixie replied. “We can’t afford to waste time stopping to solve every random problem we come across. We need to stop Proto, remember? The mutual threat to our very existence?”

“I remember.” The Element of Laughter replied, glum. She was taking leaving her Elemental friends from her world harder than expected. “And you’re right. Those other Trixies are in terrible danger!” She suppressed a shudder. “We can’t afford to waste time.”

“Yeah, the sooner we stop Proto, the sooner we can return this Element of Magic to her world!” The serious Trixie said, wearing her usual permascowl.

“Excellent! And we’re off!” While she’d love to hang around for the chaotic funhouse, they really needed to go. With a click of her talons, she summoned their ride, something far more elegant than their counterpart’s crude spacecraft.

Its engine roared as Trixie plopped into the driver’s seat. The smell of smoke and gasoline filled her nostrils, and she breathed it in happily. The three other Trixie sat on the wooden seat that sat elevated over the vehicle. They carefully navigated the random junk sitting back there before finding their seats.

“Who needs a DeLorean when you have this baby!” Trixie said, laughing as their ride chugged through the dirt road. Everypony yelped in startled surprise as it suddenly gained speed, going a cool 6 million miles per hour! Space and time-warped as they vanished from the universe, leaving for their next awesome adventure, care of Trixcord1, this story’s wonderful, beautiful heroine.

To be continued.