Great and Powerful Trixie in the Exordium under the Pyramids | MLP FIM

[10:30 am]

In Twilight's castle, in the grand map hall, the only round table in the center of the room suddenly glowed, showing a live image of a distant blue-coated pony with a white mane galloping at considerable speed.

Sitting in the most important of the six chairs surrounding the magical table, Starlight Glimmer frowned. She set aside the scrolls she was reviewing and approached to examine the image. She soon recognized the wizard-dressed pony rapidly approaching that place.

"Why is he coming in such a hurry?" she thought, puzzled. She had a meeting with him in the afternoon, so it wasn't a problem. She had even prepared a scenario in case, for some reason, he arrived before the scheduled time. However, what was the reason for this hurried visit?

Then, an obvious answer came to her mind, putting her on guard.

"Has he discovered me?" she spoke to herself gravely.

It shouldn't be possible, considering all the countermeasures she had taken... or could it be...

The sudden doubt that exploded in Starlight's mind faded away. There was another answer that could better explain what was happening. If she considered everything she had investigated and what she had learned from the unexpected visit of the younger bearers of the elements of harmony in the morning, then she could conclude that what was happening now was a consequence of past actions taken by that irresponsible pony, of which the 'former' Starlight was unaware.

"Ugh, how annoying. I've had enough of these trivialities..." Starlight murmured, losing all interest. That pony was not a threat but a nuisance. A nuisance best left for others to handle. Even if the situation got out of control, she already had countermeasures in place to isolate the 'nuisance.'

The plan was already in motion; it wouldn't stop.

"But... what if I add...?" she murmured thoughtfully, but immediately shook her head. It was pointless. Looking at the hourglass beside her, she confirmed what she thought. It was almost complete. She had spent much of her limited time attending to the group of children from before; it was time to put an end to her tasks.

With just a wave of one of her hooves, the scrolls on the table vanished along with the image of the hurried pony. Next, Starlight threw a small crystal to the center of the table, and it lit up.

A dark silhouette was projected holographically in the middle of the table.

Starlight bowed and said, "The first passenger has boarded."

"Blessed tide. The other passengers have boarded as well; let's proceed with the next phase immediately," an unknown voice announced cryptically.

"Excellent, I'll send you my coordinates."

Starlight took out another crystal, and it flickered for a few seconds, as did the one on the dark projection's side.

"Everything is in order..." the unknown voice announced as the glow between the crystals ended. "THE TRAIN DEPARTS THE STATION!"

"See you at midnight," replied the lavender-maned unicorn.

The hologram faded, leaving Starlight alone in the hall.

She stood up from her seat and cast an amused glance at the star-shaped emblem shining on the chair she had been sitting in. Then a broad smile spread across her face, and it was not a kind smile...

"The greatest victories are achieved before the first battle is even fought... hehe... Checkmate, princess..." Starlight said before disappearing in a flash of teleportation light.

-------------

[10:10 am]

From one of the balconies of Twilight's Castle, Ocellus observed the illuminated horizon of that sunny morning through a telescope with great interest.

A large cloud was slowly moving in the distance.

"It looks like a thundercloud from the Everfree Forest..." Ocellus murmured, puzzled.

"Is something wrong, Ocellus?" Gallus responded, flexing his wings at the opposite end of the balcony with his back to her.

"Oh, it's nothing important! Well, maybe it is... Tell me, Gallus, what do you think of that cloud?"

Gallus turned and directed his gaze to the horizon in the same direction Ocellus was pointing. After squinting to sharpen his vision, he extended his wings and, with a flap, rose into the air until he surpassed the height of the castle.

After a few seconds in the sky, he returned to the balcony.

"Well, what can I say, it's definitely strange weather from the Everfree Forest. It looks like a storm cloud moving northeast."

"Oh no! That's not good. They forecasted sunny weather for all of Canterlot's outskirts. I need to report this immediately."

"Hey, aren't you being a bit too diligent? The weather team should have it covered. Besides, it's heading northeast. There's nothing there except for the train tracks."

"Even so, someone has to warn them," Ocellus replied, pulling out a scroll and a quill.

"Ha, nothing less could be expected from the future 'professor' Ocellus," Gallus teased.

Ocellus, about to write, stopped her quill and looked at Gallus in surprise.

Gallus, who was about to eat a corn snack, froze as he realized the grave mistake he had made.

"You read my diary?" Ocellus asked, frowning.

"Uh... I just remembered I didn't close the security post door, better go back before the guys do something silly..."

"DID YOU READ MY DIARY, GALLUS?" Ocellus asked, raising her voice and standing up indignantly. Private diaries were one of the most important personal possessions in the lives of Changelings. Ocellus was no different, and the mere idea that a close friend like Gallus had done something like that angered her even more.

"Well...", Gallus nervously looked towards the balcony entrance, already thinking about fleeing. At that moment, the rest of their friends arrived, alerted by Ocellus's voice. They were very surprised to see the scene; such sudden anger in Ocellus was very rare.

Gallus, nervous and not knowing what to say, remained silent, slowly backing towards the others.

Then Smolder, understanding what was happening, spoke up.

"He didn't read your diary, Ocellus, it was me," Smolder said very seriously, standing firm.

"What?" Ocellus exclaimed, surprised by the sudden revelation.

"It was shortly after the orchid-octopus invasion, when we were cleaning the flooded school dormitories. I found a diary among the trash. I didn't know it was yours, so I kept it and started reading it. I found it very amusing, so I also shared it with the rest of the guys. That's when Yona and Silverstream told me it was yours."

The shocked Ocellus was still processing what her friend had just told her. Weeks ago, she had found her diary in the lost documents section of the library. She was very puzzled about how it had gotten there after losing it during the orchid-octopus invasion. Although her friends had told her before that they couldn't find it during the school cleanup, it was now clear that wasn't true.

Her surprise quickly gave way to another more obvious concern.

"How much of my diary did you read...?" Ocellus asked, already fearing the answer her friends might give.

"No, no, no. We didn't find out much, really! Except for your big... I mean, little dream of becoming a teacher..." Silverstream said nervously.

"And the long poems dedicated to Princess Twilight for her to return to the school," Yona added.

Ocellus, now embarrassed, blushed at the mixed expressions on her friends' faces.

"It was an accident, Ocellus. It wasn't on purpose. We would never spy on any of our private diaries."

"But you did spy on Sandbar's diary...", Smolder corrected with a suspicious look.

"That was a bet, it's different," Gallus immediately replied.

"Enough, guys. Ocellus, are you okay?" Sandbar interrupted, moving forward in his wheelchair, noticing the distress in Ocellus.

Ocellus hadn't said anything until then. Her heart was cold, and her thoughts were elsewhere, amid a dark suspicion.

"Are you mad at us?" Silverstream asked.

"No. Well, I understand it was an accident, so it's okay, I forgive you," Ocellus replied mechanically, indicating a complete lack of enthusiasm in her words.

"Uff, what a relief, guys. Everything's fine!" Silverstream replied cheerfully to the others but held back when she noticed the concern in the rest of her friends.

Soon she, too, became worried, noticing Ocellus's cold demeanor.

"Okay, you forgive us, but something still bothers you," Smolder said, breaking the cold atmosphere.

"It's nothing," Ocellus replied.

"Come on, if you're really mad at me, I can accept any punishment you give me."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"Well, it's something silly but... for a moment, I thought you were only being so nice to me and helping me with the school trip just because you didn't want me to find out what happened with my diary," Ocellus said with evident sadness.

Silence flooded the balcony.

"Hey! Of course not, we really care about the trip." Smolder replied, approaching her friend. "And yes, we felt a bit guilty at first, but we definitely care about what you're doing, and we care about you more, Ocellus."

Everyone else nodded, confirming Smolder's words.

Then, finally, a relieved smile appeared on Ocellus's face as she sensed the honesty in her friend's words. Soon, the cold feelings that had paralyzed her heart a moment before melted away, and she returned to being her usual self.

"Thank you, guys, it really makes me happy to hear that," Ocellus replied genuinely cheerful.

"We're glad we didn't know more about your diary. Ouch!" Gallus said but was interrupted by an elbow from Sandbar.

The group of friends laughed again, everything was as usual.

"Don't you feel like something's missing?" Silverstream asked, suddenly stopping her laughter.

The answer came quickly.

"Group hug!" Yona bellowed to her friends.

"Now? Aah!" Gallus screamed as Yona pulled him from the air when he tried to escape. In an instant, everyone was caught in a tight Yak-style hug in the middle of the balcony.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, Yona... that's... enough!" Ocellus exclaimed, feeling her exoskeleton starting to be compressed.

The hug ended at that moment, and Yona released her friends, who couldn't help but let out a big exhalation to regain their lost air.

"Haaa... Well, I think we've had enough friendship for one day. If you need me, I'll be in the storage..." Gallus said, recovering from his friend's powerful hug.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Smolder exclaimed, raising her voice at Gallus, who was already re-entering the castle.

"Huh? Didn't I say? I'm going to the storage..."

"Oh, really? Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What could it be?"

"Maybe a certain griffon with feather memory doesn't remember he made a 'dragon oath' to his friends that he'd never speak about a certain diary for the rest of his life," Smolder said with a look befitting a dragon whose treasure had been stolen. Next to her, Ocellus watched in surprise at what was happening.

"Come on. We've moved past that..." Gallus responded.

"You made a dragon oath!" Smolder exclaimed, pointing her claw at Gallus.

"I really don't care, Smolder," Ocellus said, trying to calm her friends.

"He has to pay for his mistake, Ocellus," Smolder growled, unwilling to back down. Ocellus turned to the rest of her friends for help, but their expressions were stern.

"Yaks never break their word. We understand the dragon oath very well. An oath must be respected," Yona said solemnly; beside her, Silverstream and Sandbar nodded in agreement, showing they shared her stance.

"Seriously, guys!" Gallus protested, seeing how his friends had turned against him.

"Is there a way to make it right?" Ocellus asked, now worried about how the situation was evolving.

"Well, yes, there are one or two ways to fix it. But the main one is that he has to suffer a punishment!" Smolder declared.

"A punishment?" Ocellus repeated; she didn't like the idea. Gallus didn't seem any happier, now frowning in annoyance.

"Uhh, I know, he should shave the feathers off his head before graduation," Silverstream suggested cheerfully.

"Hey, hey, that's not fair!" Gallus exclaimed indignantly.

"They won't do that, right?" Ocellus asked Smolder, concerned.

"Of course not. The punishment has to be chosen by the wronged person. In this case, 'you' have to decide," Smolder replied to Ocellus.

All eyes turned to the shy changeling.

"Um!" Ocellus exclaimed nervously. "I can't do that, he is..."

Gallus sighed, already resigned. "It's okay, Ocellus. Give me a punishment, and it's fine by me."

"But, Gallus..." Ocellus said, unsure of what to do; then she turned her gaze back to Smolder. "You said there were other ways, right?"

"Yes. The other is to spend a hundred moons locked inside a volcano," Smolder replied with a malicious smile. Ocellus gulped, knowing Gallus wouldn't last a day in such a place.

"Ocellus, it's fine. I deserve it for being a loudmouth. Now give me a punishment, and let's be done with this," Gallus said, no longer interested in continuing the conversation.

Ocellus sighed, exhausted. A moment ago, they had just had a friendship hug. Now she had to sentence her friend Gallus. Did friendship really work this way? Did Princess Twilight go through situations like this with her friends? Or was this just something unique to them?

"I need to have private lessons with Princess Twilight in the future..." Ocellus thought, disheartened.

Then, an idea came to her.

"Gallus, this will be your punishment. You must tell all of us, with total honesty and truth, what you want to be in the future," Ocellus spoke aloud and without any shyness in her words.

Gallus didn't laugh. Nor did the rest of the Young Six. No one among them really knew the answer to that question. For a long time, Gallus had avoided answering his friends when they asked about it. And when he did answer, it was always a joke, so no one could take his words seriously.

Now Gallus was obliged to answer. The Young Six watched him with great interest.

The blue-feathered griffon looked up at the sky, lost in thought. After a brief moment of silence, he finally turned his gaze back to his friends on the balcony.

"I want to be an adventurer. To travel like no griffon has done before, to learn about the lives of other griffons in the other colonies around the world, to broaden my horizons and bring all the knowledge I gain back to Griffonstone to make it a better place," Gallus responded in a serious and mature tone.

The wind gently crossed the balcony. There, the Young Six were left speechless by Gallus's surprising response. No one had expected that answer.

"Wow. It's very noble of you to want to do all that for your home," Ocellus said, breaking the stupor of her companions.

"Well... it's not that I feel indebted to the other griffons in the colony. But if it's possible to make the place where you live better, why not do it?" Gallus said, shrugging.

"You have all our support!" Sandbar said from his wheelchair, also in a serious tone. Next to him, the rest of the Young Six nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, buddy," Gallus replied; they approached each other, claw and hoof meeting in a friendly bump.

The sun shone brightly over the Castle of Friendship. A true group of friends stood defiantly on one of its balconies. And so they continued chatting among themselves for a few more minutes until...

"Oh, I just remembered. We discovered there's a manticore in the castle's basement. Do you want to go see it?" Silverstream said excitedly, suddenly remembering why they had returned to the balcony before the argument with Ocellus.

"Really? That's..." Gallus replied, but he was interrupted. A sudden screech reached them from inside the castle.

The sound was so piercing and loud that it made everyone cover their ears.

"Annoying noise! Where is it coming from?" Yona growled, trying to cover her large and sensitive ears.

"It's the intruder alarm in case of an attack!" Gallus replied loudly so his friends could hear him amid the noise.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" they all responded in unison.

// --------------

[10:30 am]

A peaceful morning spread over the vast meadow surrounding Twilight's Castle. Like any other day, birds sang their cheerful melodies among the branches, while butterflies danced among the flowers. Under the soft light, some creatures still yawned sleepily, while others hurried, aware that the day was already well underway.

However, the routine serenity of the meadow was suddenly interrupted by a growing murmur, which soon transformed into the unmistakable echo of a pony's hooves.

Appearing out of nowhere on the horizon, the silhouette of Trixie Lulamoon crested the hill. Galloping at an impressive speed, the unicorn descended the path, leaving a cloud of dust behind her.

Trixie was visibly in a hurry.

She had crossed the entire distance from the School of Friendship to Twilight's Castle without resting. Although she had made this journey many times in the past, she had never done so with the urgency that now drove her.

The cool air streamed through her sweat-drenched mane and cloak, testifying to the urgency that propelled her. Her determined gaze would have instilled fear in anyone who crossed her path.

Throughout the journey, she didn't take a moment to rest. She didn't care about the elegance of her now disheveled and sweaty figure. Nor did she regret missing her traditional double summer solstice breakfast that she usually enjoyed.

None of that mattered in Trixie's mind, where only anxieties and dark premonitions reigned, remnants of the terrible nightmare she had experienced the night before.

"Almost there... Hang in there, Trixie!" the unicorn encouraged herself.

A few meters from reaching the castle gates, Trixie, with her eyes fixed on her goal, quickened her pace even more, anticipating the moment she would finally meet Starlight and put an end to her gloomy worries.

She was so close... and yet so far.

"PLAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM." A dull, sharp sound echoed through the air, disturbing the peaceful morning and alerting all the unsuspecting creatures in the meadow.

In front of Twilight's Castle, Trixie's body collided with an invisible wall, an obstacle that shouldn't have been there.

"Owwww." Trixie whimpered, disoriented for a moment before collapsing unconscious. Around her, the morning continued on.

//---------

Among the shadows of the plants near the castle, an unknown presence lurked in the darkness.

Its prey lay motionless. It was the perfect opportunity to capture her, but it decided not to act immediately. She should not be underestimated.

It would take its time...

The unknown presence retreated once again into the shadows.

------

[10:40 am]

The sky stretched out in shades of blue, so deep that it was not strange to think that trying to touch it with hooves would end up damaging its noble beauty.

"Magnificent..." Trixie thought in whispers, lying on the ground, contemplating that majestic sky with eyes that shone with nostalgia and delight.

As a child, on clear days like this, she used to get lost in fantasies while looking at the sky, imagining herself as a magnificent figure among the white clouds.

Then, her father, who listened to his daughter's daydreams, would lift her high on his back and tell her that with effort and dedication, one day she would be in a sky of stars, a sky where Trixie would shine brighter than any other.

A sky reserved just for her... a dream stage.

"Ouhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Trixie brought a hoof to her head as she felt a sharp pain in her forehead. For some reason, her horn was very irritated.

"Why does my horn hurt so suddenly...?" murmured the unicorn. Then, her thoughts came to a sudden halt as she finally realized she was on the ground. Trixie quickly stood up and looked around.

She was in front of Twilight's Castle, which was wrapped in a beautiful bubble of magic.

"What the...?" murmured Trixie in surprise, taking a few steps back. She didn't understand what was happening. Why was she there?

At that moment, a meadow bird flew singing over her head and suddenly her memory refreshed.

The mental fog she had been in until that moment cleared and filled with anger.

"WHO THE HECK PUT THIS BARRIER OVER THE CASTLE?" she shouted furiously, realizing what had happened.

Just a few meters from reaching the castle, Trixie had crashed into the translucent magical barrier that protected it. If she had slowed down when she was so close, she probably would have noticed the magical wall in front of her. However, this did not happen; she sped up and ended up crashing, causing a great commotion.

Her impact had been so intense that it even triggered the attack alarm installed in the place.

Now, indignant, Trixie stood at the gates of Twilight's Castle.

Suddenly, the alarm that had been sounding constantly until that moment stopped. A double 'beep' whistled through the air and the castle doors opened.

Trixie froze, startled. She had forgotten that Starlight had mentioned how busy she would be in the morning and also how much her friend hated being interrupted. She quickly tidied her mane and put on her best smile, hoping to mitigate the possible wrath that would fall upon her.

Two figures emerged from the castle. Trixie's smile crumbled.

They were not Starlight.

Silverstream, accompanied by Gallus, was descending the castle steps. Silverstream's smile was as usual, but Gallus's gaze definitely looked sharper than usual...

(Why are they here? Hmm...) Trixie thought, confused. Putting aside the urgency that had previously dominated her, she paid attention to the young ones approaching her.

"Good morning, Counselor Trixie! Isn't it a beautiful morning?" Silverstream greeted casually with a smile.

"Yes, yes, it's very beautiful, dear... and it would be even more beautiful if this magic barrier WASN'T HERE!" protested Trixie, hitting the barrier with her front hoof.

"Ahh yes... Sorry, Counselor Trixie, it's very inconvenient, but we are testing the castle's defenses. I hope it hasn't caused you any trouble," Silverstream responded cheerfully but with a slight nervous tic.

"Not at all," Trixie replied immediately with confidence, covering up her previous accident. "And may I know who gave you permission to test the castle's defenses?"

"Well, Headmare Starlight gave us permission. She asked us and the rest of the gang to take care of the place's security. You know, with everyone busy with the big party today, there's no one else to take care of these things... haha," Silverstream laughed.

Trixie's eyebrows sharpened. Why did Silverstream look so nervous? Why would Starlight ask the Young Six to take care of security? Was it a punishment?

Everything was very strange. But she would catch up later. She just needed to do one thing at that moment...

"Alright, dear. I understand... now could you please lower the barrier so I can enter?"

"About that, it's not to inconvenience you or anything... but it's going to take a little bit of time before it cools down and we can lower it. Also..."

"Also 'NO' we won't do it," Gallus interrupted in a cold and sharp tone. Silverstream, who was still giving her explanation, froze in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Trixie responded, confused.

"You are not allowed to enter the castle," Gallus replied in a grave voice, stepping in front of Silverstream.

Trixie, with an annoyed look, watched Gallus approach.

"What?! What do you mean I'm not allowed to enter?"

"It's not something that concerns you."

"What do you mean it doesn't concern me? I live here, you know? I have every right to enter my own home!" Trixie claimed. This was true. Although Trixie spent a lot of time in her trailer, about 70% of the time, it was only during her travels or events she held. She really did have a room in Twilight's castle, which she had received from Starlight shortly after her friend moved there. It was practically her second home.

But Gallus didn't care about that.

"This is your home? As far as I know, the castle belongs to Princess Twilight. You only live here out of her charity," Gallus replied in a mocking tone.

A chill was felt in front of the castle doors.

Trixie's eyes widened upon hearing that brazen provocation, and instantly they lit up with anger. On the other side, Gallus continued to maintain an unperturbed demeanor. In the middle, Silverstream, with a forced smile, began to back away, seeking to distance herself from the fiery confrontation that was beginning to emerge around her.

The situation could have exploded at that moment, but it didn't happen.

Within herself, miraculously, Trixie held back.

Yes, the low blow from Gallus had hurt her. However, she decided not to unleash her verbal anger on the young student. Not because she felt that 'magical spirit' of a teacher trying to understand her rebellious student, but because of the memory of the oath she had taken when she assumed her role as a student counselor. A commitment made in the name of her respectable father and in front of her best friend Starlight.

Trixie closed her eyes and exhaled. She didn't understand what was happening. But she definitely didn't plan to break her word over such childish provocations.

"I don't know what's going on here. But that is no way to talk to a teacher, young man," Trixie responded coldly, trying to control the intense emotions that were beginning to surge within her.

"You are not a teacher. You are just a student counselor."

"I have been a substitute teacher."

"True, but you were never good at it."

Trixie frowned even more. Why was Gallus being so aggressive with her? She had had differences with him before, but never like this.

(Something is definitely not right here...) Trixie thought, without taking her eyes off Gallus.

"Hee... Gallus..." Silverstream interrupted fearfully, "I think... it wouldn't be right not to tell Counselor Trixie why she can't enter."

Gallus thought for a moment without taking his eyes off her and then shrugged.

"Alright, tell her," Gallus said indifferently.

"Uh, me?" Silverstream responded, startled.

"Yes, you. Tell her," Gallus ordered, looking away.

"Uh... well..." Silverstream continued, hesitantly, seemingly blaming herself for her previous suggestion. Then, obviously nervous, she turned her attention to Trixie.

"Well, Counselor Trixie, you see... Headmare Starlight told us she has 'veryyyy' important things to do in the morning and doesn't want anyone to disturb her. So to comply with that, we closed the castle to avoid unwanted visitors. Nothing personal, we're just following the headmare's orders!" Silverstream finished with a forced smile.

"I am not an unwanted visitor! I AM HER CLOSEST FRIEND!" Trixie protested, stomping the ground with her hoof.

"So what? We have orders, and we will follow them. Let's go, Silverstream," Gallus ordered, turning around and starting to head back to the castle.

Behind, a regretful Silverstream also turned around, not without murmuring something like "I'm sorry."

Unable to understand the unprecedented situation unfolding before her, Trixie began to shout.

"No, no, wait! You can't do this. Come back here immediately! That's an order!" Trixie shouted, almost jumping off the ground.

Gallus and Silverstream ignored her and continued up the steps.

"Don't ignore me! This is important! I am your superior and I need to speak with Starlight now!" Trixie shouted proudly but with a desperation hard to hide.

Still, nothing changed.

With each step they took away, a feeling of anguish began to flood Trixie. If they left her outside, then... she wouldn't be able to meet with Starlight. Then, the dark future she saw...

She wouldn't allow it. If her friendship with Starlight was in danger, she was willing to set aside all her pride to keep it.

"Please, you have to listen to me! This is very important! She's in danger!" Trixie began to plead, almost in tears, desperate to be heard.

Her pleas had an effect, as Gallus and Silverstream stopped and turned to look at her. They were surprised and puzzled by the dramatic change in the counselor.

"Danger?" Gallus asked.

"Yes, yes, Starlight may be in danger," Trixie responded hopefully, seeing that they were finally paying attention.

"What danger are you talking about, Counselor Trixie?" Silverstream asked.

"An octopus, I mean... a door. Huh?"

"Huh?"

Both Gallus and Silverstream, as well as Trixie, were puzzled by that response. Trixie didn't understand what she had just said. She tried to think back, but all she got was a strange empty taste that began to spread in her mouth.

Nothing.

"Wait... give me a moment!" Trixie exclaimed, trying to regain control of the situation. As judgmental looks began to fall on her, Trixie quickly adopted a reflective posture and concentrated.

Trixie was experiencing another mental fog.

Until that moment, she had only frantically galloped to the castle, driven by her desperation. After crashing into the magic barrier, she had almost forgotten for a moment the real reason why she had undertaken this entire journey.

Outside the barrier, Trixie began to grimace in a mental effort to find the urgent memory that had brought her there.

On the steps, Gallus and Silverstream looked at each other, confused.

After several minutes of awkward silence, in a futile effort to regain her memory, Trixie found herself even more lost than before.

"This is ridiculous! Why don't I remember?" Trixie exclaimed, furious with herself. "Maybe I wrote it down somewhere? That's it, Trixie! You must have written it down!"

With a smile mixed with a crazed look, Trixie began to search her cape, anxious to find some clue that her past self had left to help her in that moment of the present.

Soon she found something, but it wasn't what she was looking for or something she should have found at that moment.

"Clank, clank..."

Several bottles and other junk sounded as they fell to the ground. Trixie rummaged carelessly through the pockets of her cape, dropping everything she had stored. The falling bottles didn't break, but the sour aroma of the fermented cider in them quickly spread in the air.

"It's not here, nor here..." she murmured, increasingly uneasy.

The cider bottles she had taken at the party the night before began to pile up. Shining in the morning light, filled with that sweet nectar that made ponies "cheerful and mischievous," these drinks themselves revealed the true state of Counselor Trixie.

Astonished, Gallus and Silverstream opened their eyes wide at the inappropriate scene unfolding before them.

Finally, after several minutes, Trixie, exhausted, stopped her frantic search. With her mane disheveled and a nervous look, she turned her attention back to Gallus and Silverstream, unaware of the unfortunate spectacle she had just performed.

"Aha, ha, ha, I know it will sound unbelievable, but I had a dream and..."

"Yes, Counselor Trixie, IT IS INCREDIBLE!" Gallus exclaimed exasperatedly, spreading his wings and looking at the sky. "You know, it's a good morning today. Go home and rest. We'll tell Headmare Starlight, 'when she's done,' that you came early to see her."

"But I... HIC!" a sudden hiccup attacked Trixie at that moment, making her cover her mouth in embarrassment.

"Don't worry. We'll tell the headmare as soon as she's done with her meeting with Chancellor Neighsay. It's a 'dragon oath'!" added Silverstream.

"Not again..." said Gallus, grabbing Silverstream by the neck and leading her back to the castle.

"Wait!... HIC, Stop! HIC, HIC."

The castle doors slammed shut, leaving Trixie trapped in a constant hiccup. Around her, only the silence broken by the echo of the cheerful morning birdsong remained. In front, the magic barrier, now more impenetrable than ever, marked the boundary between her and the uncertain fate in which her best friend was trapped.

"HIC Meeting with Chancellor, HIC, Neighsay? HIC" Trixie repeated, trembling; her memory finally refreshed, and her desperation poured like a broken dam into her heart.

A shrill whinny echoed throughout Ponyville at that hour of the morning. Many in the future would remember it as a prelude to the darkest day experienced that year.