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

Time was running out.

[---]

Several minutes had passed since the turkey-hawks had left. At the gates of Twilight's castle, Trixie and the Young Six found themselves in the middle of a… 'difficult' encounter.

"...it's really been a rough day," Ocellus finished saying.

"Yeah, tell me about it. All those turkey-hawks, crazy stuff...," Trixie laughed, somewhat awkwardly.

"Yeah, really crazy... Who could've called them?" Gallus added in a low voice, but despite the fruitless conversation, it was clearly heard.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Gallus, feeling uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to care and kept looking away.

Trixie had already noticed this behavior before. It was not a good sign.

("Is he upset with me? Did I do something to him today? Think, Trixie! Think!") Ever since she woke up with barely any memory, surrounded by turkey-hawks, Trixie had been straining her brain to make sense of why she was in that situation.

After checking through her cape and hat, finding a large amount of cider bottles and poorly stored pumpkin pie bags, Trixie came to the only logical conclusion: 'maybe' she might have 'slightly' lost control after the crazy party the night before.

But in situations like that, she was supposed to rely on Starlight as a safety net...

("Darn it, Starlight, you swore you'd watch over me when I had too much cider!") she blamed her friend in her thoughts. With her memories incomplete, the clueless Trixie remained silent, imagining possibilities, not realizing she was being watched.

"Counselor Trixie, are you alright?" Ocellus asked, noticing Trixie's suspicious behavior.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine," Trixie quickly replied, trying hard to maintain a calm image. "Oh, by the way, where is Starlight?"

"She's not here," Smolder responded immediately, very seriously.

"She's not?" Trixie repeated, a chill running down her spine. ("Then that means...") she thought to herself.

"Vice Principal Sunburst isn't here either," added Sandbar from his wheelchair, also serious.

"Hoo, I see..." Trixie replied with a falsely calm tone. ("SUNBURST TOO!") she screamed internally, panicking.

Panic flooded Trixie; amid her flawed reasoning, memories of going through something similar before hit her like rocks.

Many moons ago, Trixie and Starlight had gone to a charity event in Manehattan, where, after meeting many ponies, they ended up being invited to a big party at the most popular nightclub in the city. With nothing to lose, just wanting to have fun, both friends ended up going to that place.

When they woke up the next day (with no memory of the previous night), they found themselves very close together in bed, in Maud's room, with a tied-up Sunburst trapped in the bathroom of the house. Ignoring the Princess Twilight costume Trixie was wearing, Starlight's military uniform, the chains on Sunburst, and the large number of cider bottles on the floor, the group of friends (including Maud) swore never to mention that incident in their lives again.

("The cider, it's always the cider...") now certain of what was really going on, Trixie took the initiative before anyone else could speak.

 "...Alright, I know you have a lot of questions, but for such an important conversation, it's better to have a good setting. Let's go inside first. Does that sound good?" proposed Trixie in a very mature tone, pointing toward the castle. She wasn't saying it because she actually wanted to continue that conversation; she wanted to escape. But her friends were in trouble, and even if it wasn't her fault, she had to take responsibility.

She had to protect the respectable image of her friends in front of the students. (As adults who had no problems with cider).

After Trixie's suggestion, the Young Six exchanged confused glances.

"Okay..." Sandbar finally replied, doubtful and tired. The rest of his friends silently nodded.

Internally, Trixie almost jumped with excitement; she still had control of the situation. Now that she was in charge, she had to be very careful with her next move. She needed to find out more about what happened that morning without drawing too much attention...

"Alright, let's head inside then," she said confidently, and led the group toward the castle.

The others, very tired, followed... except Ocellus.

"Counselor Trixie," Ocellus's firm voice was heard from behind. The young changeling hadn't moved from her spot, and Trixie, halfway up the steps, stopped and turned to look at her, followed by the others.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Trixie asked, trying to keep her carefree tone.

"Did you really...?"

Just as Ocellus was about to finish her question, she was interrupted.

A loud creaking noise, like a pipe being adjusted, echoed around them. For a moment, they all froze and, filled with anxiety, looked up at the sky, fearing that a new disaster was about to fall upon them.

Fortunately, it wasn't. The creaking sound happened again, and they all turned their attention to the source, which was much closer.

In the middle of the group of friends, a guilty-looking Yona returned their stares.

"Yona not have lunch yet."

She wasn't the only one.

Other stomach growls followed Yona's.

None of the Young Six had eaten. The constant incidents of the day had deprived them of a normal lunch.

"I see..." Trixie responded, also realizing her own hunger. "What were you going to ask, Ocellus?"

"Uhmm, never mind..." the changeling replied, suddenly unsure.

"Alright... then, first stop: the dining hall!" Trixie resumed her path with determination.

And so, finally, after a hellish day full of mishaps, Trixie, accompanied by the Young Six, entered Twilight's castle.

And just after crossing the doors, she decided to make her next move.

"Ehmm... Silverstream, dear," Trixie said without turning around.

"Yes?" responded the hippogriff, peeking from behind the group.

"Could you tell me about your day... in 'great detail'?" the unicorn asked, emphasizing her last words.

"In 'great detail'?" Silverstream repeated, unsure. "Umm... I'm sorry, Counselor Trixie, I don't think I can. I have an academic order to stop being so detailed when giving explanations."

"Really? And who gave you that order?"

"I think it was you who told me that..."

"Did I really?!" Trixie replied sharply, before quickly returning to her feigned professionalism. "Ah, yes, right, dear, but today I feel very open to listening, so don't worry, just go ahead."

"Really? Yay!" the hippogriff suddenly squealed, flapping her wings with excitement. "So... this morning, when I woke up, I saw the sun, and it seemed less yellow than usual, which was kind of weird, and then when I went to take a bath, I sneezed three and a half times before getting into the water, which is bad luck for hippogriffs..."

Silverstream continued talking quickly and almost without taking a breath. Ahead of her, the bored expressions of her friends grew heavier; meanwhile, Trixie smiled with satisfaction.

With a completely wrong idea of the situation, Trixie marched on toward her destination.

Behind her, the doors closed for the last time that day.

[---]

"...so we searched and searched all over the castle for Vice Principal Sunburst, but there was no trace of him. The friend that the Vice Principal brought along helped us too... what was her name? Derpy? I can't quite remember her name, but I do remember her leather jacket. It was divine! I should ask her where she got it the next time I see her. Now that I think about it, we haven't seen her since... maybe she went home. Yes, she definitely must've done that! As I was saying, we searched and searched until we gathered by the castle's entrance. Then Gallus showed up and told us that the evil turkey-hawks had eaten her. By the pearl! I felt like my feathers were falling out at that moment!"

Silverstream hadn't stopped talking, even after several of her friends had finished their lunch. At the dining table, only Trixie, Yona, Sandbar, and Silverstream remained. The latter hadn't even touched her food; her bowl of seaweed cereal with sea cucumber milk sat untouched. No one had pointed it out to her, least of all Trixie, who was absorbed in processing all the information the young hippogriff was delivering.

"Uh-huh..." Trixie murmured, sipping from an already empty cup.

"Counselor Trixie, uhmm... do you want more juice?" Yona asked, noticing the empty cup she was holding.

"Uh-huh..." the unicorn replied mechanically. She had been like this for quite a few minutes.

Yona filled her cup, and also Sandbar's, who watched the scene with growing concern, especially Trixie. Before leaving the dining hall, Ocellus and the others had privately asked him to keep an eye on her and report if she did anything strange.

("Do something strange?") Sandbar thought anxiously. Even someone like him couldn't help but think that everything related to Trixie that day was strange.

"...so you said, 'so don't worry, just do it,' and here we are, although now that I think about it... shouldn't I also mention what the others might be thinking? Oh, I'm sorry! I'll start again!"

"That's enough, dear Silverstream... thank you for everything," Trixie said, suddenly raising her hoof.

"Ahh, thank you, Counselor Trixie. Talking always helps me relieve stress, and with everything that's happened today, I felt like I was about to explode!" Silverstream finished before her stomach growled. "Hahaha, did I say explode? Maybe I meant implode? Haha, if you'll excuse me..."

Without another word, Silverstream began devouring her bowl like a starving pig. Trixie, for her part, didn't seem to notice. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she downed the juice from her cup in one gulp. Then, she leaned back in her seat, letting out such a loud sigh that it whistled through the room. Yona, Sandbar, and Silverstream (who had almost finished her bowl) turned their gaze toward her.

"Are you okay?" Sandbar asked, just as worried as the others.

"No!" Trixie answered sharply.

"Is that because...?"

"No... I don't understand. Did I really do all that?" Trixie interrupted, her eyes distant. "Last night I went to Maud's party, I remember drinking cider, I don't know how much, but... but Starlight was with me! We went back together! And then... what happened this morning... aughh."

She brought her hooves to her head, her face contorting as if she were focusing all her energy on the mere act of thinking. She stayed with her eyes closed for several seconds until her hooves finally dropped, exhausted. A worn-out Trixie, already defeated, finally looked at her students. It almost seemed like smoke was coming out of her head. She had exhausted her mental strength in the futile effort of retrieving memories that no longer existed. Now, in this moment of weakness, her façade of a professional adult was completely shattered.

The Young Six weren't children. They could see her and think for themselves. Even someone as constantly distracted as Silverstream could reason through what was happening and say it.

And she did...

"Counselor Trixie, you... don't remember anything from this morning?"

Slowly, Trixie nodded, with no expression on her tired face. The Young Six looked at each other, confused.

"But how...? You already spoke with Silverstream just a few hours ago, you even argued with Ocellus," Sandbar questioned, just as incredulous as the others.

"I don't know anything about that!" Trixie responded, cornered. "I... when I woke up this morning, I was outside the castle... on a bed of sand and feathers! Surrounded by turkey-hawks! I have no idea how I ended up there! And before that... I can't remember anything. I'm telling you the truth!" Trixie finished, almost pleading.

"But Counselor said earlier that you understood what was going on..." Yona pointed out.

"I was acting!" Trixie snapped angrily, only to sink back into a slump.

Neither Sandbar, Yona, nor Silverstream knew what to say. Trixie's shocking confession was hard to believe, but the intensity of her voice and expressions felt undeniably genuine. In truth, Trixie wasn't acting. These were her real feelings, now fully exposed.

Silence filled the dining hall. At one end of the table, a downcast Trixie stared at the floor, looking like a child caught after a misdeed. On the other side, the Young Six reflected uncomfortably on what to do next; being in the role of adults definitely didn't suit the three of them.

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP..." A faint alarm sound broke the silence, catching everyone's attention.

Yona checked her bag and turned off the alarm on her watch.

"It's time for medicine."

"Already? I'd completely forgotten. Thanks for reminding me, Yona," Sandbar said.

"Don't worry, Yona will prepare a cup of warm water for friend to take them."

Without saying more, Yona rummaged through the bag behind Sandbar's wheelchair, pulled out a blister pack of pills, placed them on the table, and then began preparing the warm water her friend would need to take them.

Still in silence, Trixie watched this with concern while Silverstream quickly finished her meal. The voracious hippogriff had no intention of wasting this timely interruption.

That's when it happened.

Unconsciously, perhaps out of her innate curiosity, or maybe her brain was trying to find a distraction from the intense stress she was under. Whatever the reason, Trixie then asked the most important question of the day.

"Why is Sandbar in a wheelchair?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Uhm... I had an accident during..." Sandbar began to answer in his typically soft voice.

Unfortunately for Sandbar, it was precisely because of this that he was ignored.

Silverstream, who was sitting closer and had just finished her lunch, eagerly jumped in to answer Trixie's question.

"It's because Gallus broke his legs during the invasion of the Orchid-Octopi a few weeks ago. Those monsters got inside his head and turned him evil. It was awful! He started attacking everyone and giving villain speeches. Princess Cadance fought him and defeated him, but he escaped with those monsters into the forest. That's when Gallus managed to catch up to him and captured him to free him from the mind control. It wasn't pretty when..."

Silverstream stopped in the middle of her monologue, noticing the shocked stares directed at her.

The hippogriff had said too much.

"Oops... I shouldn't have said that. Haha... sorry." Silverstream began sinking into her seat, realizing her serious slip-up.

While her friends looked at her awkwardly, Trixie continued.

"That happened during my absence... the invasion of the Orchid-Octopi, right?" she asked, lost in thought.

"Yes, that unfortunately happened," Sandbar confirmed, not very enthusiastically. "But don't worry, Counselor Trixie. I'm doing better now and I'll start my rehabilitation next week. Besides, all the Orchid-Octopi were captured, though the forest is still under quarantine. There haven't been any recent incidents, so it's likely that there aren't any left."

When he finished speaking, Yona and Silverstream nodded, confirming their friend's reassuring words.

But a new emotion, far from reassuring, began to flood Trixie. In the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in her mind, a face came to her as if in revelation...

Gallus.

Pushing aside her own worries, Trixie stood up and, very seriously, walked over to Sandbar.

"Tell me everything that happened..." In a complete role reversal, Trixie asked in an undeniably adult tone.

[---]

Ocellus was having trouble clearing her mind. The attack of the hawk-peacocks, the negotiation with Fathungry, the following conversation outside the castle... Added to that, the events that had unfolded since the morning had only intensified her confusion.

And, of course, it all revolved around Trixie and her unpredictable behavior.

("How can the counselor stay so calm talking to the hawk-peacocks and then to us? Has she just forgiven everyone that easily? Or could she be planning some horrible revenge later on?") That's what Ocellus had thought shortly after the hawk-peacocks left, leaving only Trixie with them.

What happened next shattered all the expectations she had imagined.

Totally indifferent, Trixie had spoken with her and the others as if it were just another normal day, as if nothing that had happened that morning had ever actually happened. Not only that, her baffling physical state—unharmed and unweary—stood in stark contrast to the life-or-death situation she'd been in just minutes before.

Trixie's confident smile, her natural and ordinary gestures, her words so characteristically her own, had sown confusion (and fear) in Ocellus's heart.

In that unsettling scene, the idea that Trixie might have fallen into complete madness struck Ocellus hard, to the point that she nearly said it aloud.

But... she didn't say it. She felt stupid even thinking of saying it. Even more… she felt tired.

She wasn't the only one. Her friends were in the same state. So, thinking about everyone else, she didn't protest against the surreal idea of having lunch first, resting, going out for some fresh air, and then...

Sharing some of her "insecurities" with her friends...

"What, Counselor Trixie is a changeling?" Gallus replied, surprised.

"It's too absurd, isn't it?" Ocellus responded, doubting her own idea.

"Uhmm, not so much. I hadn't thought of it…" the griffon reflected, touching his chin with one claw.

Both Ocellus and Gallus were waiting for Smolder in the castle's main hallway.

"I'm not serious, Gallus. I know how to recognize another of my kind. But that was something I thought after talking to her earlier. She was acting weird… like she was improvising, just like…"

"…Principal Starlight this morning," Gallus finished his friend's sentence. "She was acting weird, too…"

"Wait… you noticed that too? But earlier you said you didn't notice anything…"

"Earlier, before the day sank into madness... uhmm." Gallus, suddenly reserved, turned his back on his friend and began reflecting on his own.

Puzzled by this behavior, Ocellus raised an eyebrow, looking at him from behind. Gallus was also acting weird…

Then, a door on the second floor opened, and Smolder agilely emerged from it.

"There you are! So, how did it go? Uh…?" said Smolder from above as she descended with a flap of her wings, but she stopped upon seeing the worried expressions of the others.

Her friends immediately turned their gaze toward her.

"Did something happen?" the dragon asked as she reached them.

"It's nothing..." Ocellus replied.

"Smolder, do you think Counselor Trixie could be a Changeling?" Gallus suddenly asked, ignoring Ocellus.

"Huh?" Smolder replied, confused by the question.

"Gallus, I told you not to take it seriously!" Ocellus protested.

"I'm just asking," Gallus shrugged, while Smolder scratched her head.

"Okay, I don't know what you're talking about, but as for that… I don't think so. The counselor couldn't be a Changeling, at least she didn't smell like one," Smolder said.

"Wait... you can tell a Changeling by their smell?" Ocellus asked in surprise.

"We dragons have an exceptional sense of smell… Plus, sharing a room with you and enduring your seasonal night sweats already gave me a pretty clear idea of what a Changeling smells like."

"You could smell my night sweats? Ouch..." a blushing Ocellus shrank back, moving aside.

"Well, that's a lot of unnecessary information, but back to what we were talking about. Thanks, Smolder. I didn't think so either, but I needed to confirm with you."

"No problem. But why the question?"

"Honestly, I don't even know what to think anymore… everything's been so weird today," Gallus replied.

"Weird, really weird..." Smolder replied in a more serious tone. "I checked upstairs in the castle's upper rooms and outside. There's no sign of the principal or the vice-principal. Everything's perfectly in order."

"It's the same here. The map room and the other offices were spotless. Almost like they'd been left that way on purpose… And how did it go down below, Ocellus?"

"Same thing. Just as we left it. Except the security room was locked, and I couldn't get in."

"Wait, didn't you have the key?" Smolder asked.

"No, I gave it to Vice-Principal Sunburst… before he disappeared," Ocellus replied, looking down.

"Uhmm, not great. We shouldn't have handed him all the keys when he arrived," Gallus reflected.

"What a mess! But seriously, what were they thinking? Going off to the festival without telling us anything!" Smolder protested suddenly.

"You think they all went to the festival in Canterlot?" Ocellus asked, a bit doubtful.

"What else could it be?"

"But leaving no message behind. Just like that?" Ocellus pointed out.

"The adults have other priorities, Ocellus, and the principal can sometimes be just as careless as her 'friend'," Gallus added.

"Here we go with that again..." Smolder muttered tiredly, and she wasn't the only one.

"Alright, you can drop it now, Gallus. You've spent the whole day badmouthing Counselor Trixie, and it hasn't helped us at all."

"Badmouthing?... Look, Ocellus, I get that you hold the counselor and the other adults in high regard, but I know what I saw. She's responsible for the Orchid-Octopus invasion, and it wouldn't surprise me if she's behind whatever's happening now."

"So that's your hypothesis, Gallus? Just blaming her, just like that, without evidence?" Smolder replied, annoyed.

"My eyes are enough evidence, and my griffon instincts tell me it's true."

"That's just resentment, Gallus. I thought you were more mature than this."

"I'm mature enough. You're the one being too naïve, trusting the adults so much and treating the counselor like nothing's wrong."

"I'm not being naïve, Gallus, or gullible. I'm being fair by giving her a chance while I think about everyone else's safety. We all went through the same ordeal weeks ago. Remember? And we're not raising swords for revenge now. We got through it—even Sandbar, who was the most affected, got through it. Why can't you?" Ocellus replied, extremely serious.

"You weren't there!" Gallus burst out, his feathers bristling.

"Enough!" Smolder interjected, stepping between her two friends, who seemed on the verge of crossing a red line. "This isn't solving anything."

With Smolder in between them, both Gallus and Ocellus stopped their hostility and looked away.

In the midst of that tense atmosphere, Smolder continued:

"Ocellus, face it—the principal and the vice-principal aren't in the castle! We've checked twice! Most likely, they went to the festival without telling us!"

Ocellus didn't respond to Smolder's words and only gave a small flick of her wings.

"And you, Gallus, seriously, what are you hoping to get from all this? Some extra-dramatic confession from the counselor declaring herself guilty?"

"I don't know, maybe that," the griffon replied in a very defiant tone.

"Don't give me that, Gallus. If the counselor does that, will you forgive her?" Smolder asked seriously. Ocellus, still upset, turned her attention back to listen as well.

Gallus didn't answer immediately. He sighed, with a somewhat lost and sad look, then turned to his friends.

"I don't know, it really hurt… what happened. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Uhhh," Smolder huffed, and then there was a moment of silence.

Ocellus wasn't oblivious to Gallus's feelings, nor to how tired he really was. She knew that under different circumstances, her friend wouldn't be acting this way toward her. The day had been tough. That morning and afternoon had been simply awful, and she would rather leave the topic of Trixie for another time. But seeing her friend in that state, it was too much.

It felt like a mistake, but she'd have to face the issue now.

"Let's go back to the others and… have a serious conversation with the counselor about what happened with the Orchid-Octopuses," Ocellus said in a grave tone. Her friends looked at her in surprise; Gallus's eyes seemed to light up for a moment.

"Finally, you made up your mind!" Smolder exclaimed with a smile. "It's about time."

"Are you sure? Aren't you tired…" Gallus replied, still surprised.

"No, this is hurting us. In so many ways. Let's clear this up once and for all, along with today's issues, and then… let's go to the festival."

"Sounds like a good plan," Gallus replied with a slight smile. Smolder nodded. Gallus didn't look exactly happy, but he did look calmer. Led by Ocellus, the three friends headed back to the dining hall.

[---]

The clocks showed it was past three in the afternoon when Ocellus, Smolder, and Gallus reached the doors of the dining hall.

"Alright… let me start. Any questions?" Ocellus said without turning around before opening the door.

"If the counselor tries to escape, can I catch her?" Smolder asked from behind.

"Yes, go ahead," Ocellus replied, not very enthusiastically.

"Great!" Smolder exclaimed, with a spark of enthusiasm. Ocellus rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Uhmm… Gallus?" Ocellus asked.

"I won't interrupt you. Griffon's honor," Gallus replied. Ocellus didn't see it, but she imagined her friend making a solemn vow.

Ocellus nodded as she looked at the wood of the door in front of her.

"Alright, phew… anything else I'm forgetting?"

"Take care of them, Ocellus. Please!" said another voice… familiar.

"Of course I will…" Ocellus stopped speaking as she recognized the voice. She immediately turned and looked back, surprised.

There was only Smolder and Gallus in an empty hallway—nothing else.

"Something wrong?" Smolder asked curiously.

"Princess Twilight?" Ocellus murmured, still puzzled by the mysterious voice from before.

Suddenly, the dining hall doors swung open.

"There you are! We have a small… I mean, big problem here!" burst out a nervous Silverstream as she greeted them, surprising Ocellus and the others.

"What happened? Did Trixie escape?" Gallus moved forward with a sharp look.

"No… I think it's the opposite," said Silverstream, still nervous, letting the group inside.

Inside the dining hall, beside the table, a teary-eyed Trixie was finishing wiping her nose in front of an uncomfortable Sandbar and Yona. To the side was a trash can filled to the brim with crumpled tissues and smeared paper towels.

"After a looong talk about everything that happened today, Counselor Trixie has an 'extra' dramatic confession to make to us all," Silverstream concluded quickly before closing the dining hall door. 

---

Trixie had many flaws as a pony. She was aware of them; she wasn't naive. However, she had never really made an effort to improve as a person. Her solitary life as a traveling performer across Equestria led her to believe that, as an exceptional pony, such flaws were like the stripes of a tiger (a great and powerful tiger) — she could live peacefully with them and even feel proud of them.

To Trixie, it was others, with their limited virtues and understanding, who had real problems. In her sacred crusade across Equestria, she would show all those sad and boring ponies that there existed a unique and special magic above all those problems. A magic that could outsmart luck and deceive fate. A magic like no pony had ever seen before. The magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie.

But that changed when everyone discovered the fraud she was. And from her height, she fell like a star.

Trixie's dishonorable path of penance was hard: lukewarm showers in spas, painful walks through flower parks, lonely nights in luxury hotels. However, her suffering was finally rewarded. At last, in the place where her downfall began, she found what she truly needed in her life.

A friend.

The rest for Trixie was like filling out a mental form. She just needed to be careful, respect the rules of friendship, and follow her very good common sense. And, above all, take care of her friends, think of others...

This last part was something new for her. She didn't say it often; only Starlight knew about the many times she felt very scared by the advice she gave. Being a counselor at a school had never been in her life plan. It didn't feel very natural to her. But, was she doing too well? At times, it felt like emotions were bursting inside her when students shared their problems.

Was empathizing her talent? She didn't believe so. But she could sense when there was a lie involved, when the heart tried to deceive the mind with confusing emotions, or when the mind shackled the heart with unbreakable rules.

Trixie could feel these emotions, see them in the eyes of her audience, in those of her friends, in her own.

For all the reasons mentioned above, Trixie knew that, looking into the eyes of the Young Six, they would not easily forgive her.

Inside the dining hall, the atmosphere was tense.

"It's disappointing..." Ocellus's words fell on Trixie like a block of ice. The knot in her throat grew even tighter.

The rest of the Young Six didn't repeat those words, but their gestures said the same. Contempt...

It was painful for her, but she knew she had to accept it.

A moment ago, she had confessed everything. Everything about the underground traffickers, how she had obtained the Orchid-Octopuses thinking they were pink-octopuses, how she secretly raised them in the bio-garden, and how she had thrown them into the Everfree Forest without thinking of the consequences...

Trixie felt freer after her confession, but immediately afterward, she found herself... empty.

The silence in the room became unbearable, as did the moisture in her eyes and nose.

As she lowered her head to wipe away the tears and snot amid the crushing silence, she managed to glance at Gallus again.

This time, the griffon did not look away.

She sighed in relief. The glare that had once burned with dark rage had disappeared from him. Now, there was only anger.

She could live with that.

Her experience as a counselor had allowed her to quickly understand her student's feelings.

Gallus had unwittingly hurt his best friend Sandbar, which had caused an emotional wound in him, deeper than those inflicted on his own friend. Combined with the authorities' lack of attention to ensure justice was served, the resentment he felt soon turned into something more... revenge.

Trixie knew those feelings all too well; she had walked that path before. She would never forgive herself if others were to tread that path because of her foolishness.

With a loud sniff, Trixie wiped her nose and then raised her gaze again.

The Young Six, who had turned their attention to Ocellus, seemed to have reached a silent understanding.

"Counselor Trixie... no." Ocellus paused, cleared her throat, and continued: "Trixie Lulamoon, I speak on behalf of all when I say that your recent revelations have been deeply disappointing to us. If everything is as you describe, the damage done to the school, our classmates, and my friends due to your negligence constitutes a serious crime that requires punishment without a doubt. However... we will not be the ones to judge you. There are already authorities investigating this case. I recommend that you approach them and give this same testimony to clarify and conclude this regrettable incident."

Thus spoke Ocellus to Trixie in a grave tone that was impossible to deny.

"Okay, I will," Trixie replied, genuinely remorseful, wiping her nose again. Ocellus's judgment was more mature than she had imagined. Twilight would probably be proud...

Ocellus sighed. It seemed a great weight had lifted off her shoulders.

"Do you have anything else to say?" she asked, her expression less bitter.

After a brief silence, Trixie spoke, looking at another of those present.

"Gallus, I'm truly sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"No," Gallus replied immediately. That refusal pierced Trixie's weak heart like a sword.

"Not today, at least. Later..." he continued. Suddenly, the griffon turned around, giving his back to his friends.

"Gallus, is that really all you have to say?" Sandbar asked from his wheelchair.

"..." A grunt escaped Gallus.

"Aaaa... if that's the case." Sandbar turned to see Trixie, who was feeling down, wiping her tears once more.

"Wait," Gallus suddenly interrupted.

"Huh?" Both the rest of the Young Six and Trixie herself were surprised by this sudden change in tone.

Gallus had turned around, now wearing a pained expression. It was clear he had something important to say.

Sitting in her chair, Trixie felt her withered heart suddenly ignite; it was the flame of hope for a possible last-minute forgiveness. There was still room for friendship...

"I hate this..." Gallus began to say in a cold tone.

These were not the words they had been expecting. Trixie's feelings shattered once again.

"I mean, I hate everything that has happened. And I would hate even more not to confess this. Uhmm..." Gallus swallowed. "I was the one who called Chancellor Neighsay to set up a meeting with Principal Starlight today."

Silence fell over the room. The entire atmosphere shifted abruptly.

"You... what?" Smolder exclaimed angrily. Next to her, Ocellus looked shocked. Behind them, the rest of their friends appeared the same.

"No one at the town hall took my testimony seriously. I had to do something to get justice. So I thought if they weren't going to listen to me, then others might..." Gallus began to speak, nervously.

"And you had to tell the Chancellor? To meet with her right today! When we were all asking the Principal for a chance for the field trip," Ocellus interrupted, her voice sounding like molten steel.

"I didn't think they'd meet in the morning! He had confirmed to me it would be in the afternoon! Plus, it might have helped convince the Principal to..."

"Gallus!" Ocellus cut in, furious. The colors of the changeling's body had darkened so much that the benevolent light within her was no longer visible. Now she looked hostile, like an angry predatory insect.

"You better watch your words, buddy," Smolder threatened, pointing a claw at him while smoke billowed from her nose.

"I'm sorry..." Gallus said, his feathers drooping.

"Now you're the one who's sorry?! Brilliant. Do you realize the mess you would have gotten us all into? Wait... the mess we're in? Ahhhh," Smolder exclaimed, holding her head in frustration, staring at the ceiling.

Everyone remembered the so far inexplicable absence of Starlight and Sunburst. The question of why they had left without saying goodbye was beginning to have an explanation. There could have been a significant disagreement among the adults, and now they might be having a crisis due to Trixie's case. In that scenario, keeping the Young Six and Trixie away was the most natural thing to do.

"What else do you know?" Smolder exploded, questioning Gallus.

"I don't know anything else. Seriously. I didn't think things would end up like this," Gallus tried to justify himself.

"Save that speech. We've heard enough of it today," Smolder retorted, looking at Trixie.

Soon, the Young Six became engrossed in a discussion among themselves about the hows and whys of Gallus's actions. Meanwhile, Trixie, still distressed, continued sipping from her cup like a mere spectator.

Marginalized from the discussion. At first, Trixie had been thinking about Gallus and his refusal to forgive her, but now she had other concerns, like: what would she say to Starlight? What would happen to her and the school? Should she go to the festival today?

("I want to go to my bed and eat oatmeal ice cream") she thought childishly, still with snot in her nose. Her chest ached.

Then, interrupting her thoughts, Trixie heard another voice.

"Friends argue a lot! But what to do now? Yona is tired. Friend Sandbar is tired too. Friend needs to rest," exclaimed a worn-out Yona behind Sandbar.

Everyone stopped for a moment after hearing her and seeing Sandbar in his wheelchair. The charged feelings in the atmosphere cooled down.

("The once great friend and now ex-friend Trixie fully supports that idea, ahhh...") Trixie silently voted, not lifting her gaze and distracted.

"I think it's better to do that. I no longer feel strong enough to go to the festival," Ocellus replied, irritated.

"Me neither," Smolder added, looking at Gallus, who said nothing and had a remorseful expression.

"So... are we just going to leave?" Sandbar asked, looking at his friends and then at Trixie.

Everyone turned their gaze to the one in the middle of it all.

Sitting in her chair, Trixie no longer heard anything around her. She was unconsciously toying with the toilet paper, folding it with her magic to shape it into butterflies. Her mind, lost in a sea of worries, was far away from the critical gazes of everyone present in the room.

[---]

The paper butterfly trick was one of the first Trixie learned in her career as a show magician. It had taken her an entire summer to perfect the movement of the butterflies with her magic. Under the strict supervision of her father, Trixie had trained day and night. Her magical talent, then far below average, made the task feel monumental.

However, the results were spectacular. Closing her first performance in front of an audience, Trixie dazzled everyone, vanishing from the stage in a whirlwind of multicolored butterflies.

The pride from her success filled not only her but also her father...

"Counselor Trixie!" A loud voice jolted her out of her memories. Several paper butterflies fell onto the table.

"Aaaaah!"

Trixie let out a startled cry, nearly falling from her seat, but Smolder caught her from behind.

"What's going on!" she exclaimed, disoriented.

In front of Trixie, on the other side of the table, were Ocellus and the rest of the Young Six.

"Apologies, Counselor Trixie. We were talking about today, and… Sandbar and the others said you told them you couldn't remember anything that happened in the morning. Is that true?" Ocellus asked, extremely serious.

"Oh yes, yes, that's right, I still don't understand it… but it's true. That's what I said," Trixie replied, still unfocused.

Without a word, Ocellus looked at the others.

"Really?" Gallus asked, frowning.

"Yes! Really," Trixie replied, uncomfortable, noticing Gallus's distrust.

Setting aside the surprise of those who hadn't heard her first confession, the rest murmured among themselves, worried.

"Sorry, Counselor Trixie, but… that's very strange," Ocellus said, unconvinced.

"It's not strange if cider is involved, Ocellus," added Smolder, sniffing the cup from which Trixie had been drinking her refreshment. But the cup flew from her claw and returned to the table from where Smolder had taken it.

A horn-lit Trixie frowned, looking at the others.

"Trixie has no problems with cider. But there are times when we adults have falls like this," the unicorn spoke in a cold tone, trying to preserve her image.

"Amnesia from drinking cider? That sounds like something the Apples should comment on…" Smolder replied.

"They aren't here, and I'm telling you the truth... I don't know what happened in the morning. If I said or did things that hurt you… uhmmp, I really am sorry," Trixie replied wearily, looking down.

How many times had Trixie apologized that afternoon? No one in the room had counted, except Silverstream, but no one would ask her. Just as no one felt moved by that last apology.

Ocellus looked up at the ceiling. After processing and reflecting on everything that had happened, the logical conclusion she'd come to didn't satisfy her at all, but she felt the need to voice it if she wanted to put an end to this miserable day.

"Well, then… we could say that Counselor Trixie drank a lot of cider last night… and when she woke up in the morning, had a possible guilt attack. Then she decided to come to the castle to confess to Principal Starlight about the 'previous issue'... but we got in the way. So, the Counselor, in her very bad state, did everything that… happened?..." Ocellus stopped, irritated, the words refusing to leave her mouth.

Her companions, in silence, watched her tiredly. Faced with those expectant gazes, after crisis upon crisis, Ocellus finally cracked.

"Ahhhhh! This is serious! It was all a convergence of unfortunate events and bad decisions on her part! What kind of pony does this stuff happen to? Why did she drag us into this?! Arrrrgghhh!" Surprising everyone, Ocellus let out a growl and then a hiss, both unusual for her. She almost looked like she'd burst into flames. But fortunately, she didn't. Instead, agitated, she slammed her head against the table, exhaling repeatedly.

Yona approached her friend and gave her a comforting hug, trying to console her. Smolder and the others also approached. Even Gallus came closer, but he stopped and looked away.

Faced with this emotional scene, Trixie had very little to say. She couldn't cry either; she had no tears left for that.

"Apologizing with just words isn't enough anymore, is it?"

"No," replied Ocellus sharply, still with her head down.

Trixie remained silent for a moment but continued.

"You care a lot about others… you're a lot like Twilight in that."

Ocellus didn't respond immediately. There was a pause in the air.

After a brief silence…

"Thank you," Ocellus finally replied, lifting her head with a bright expression.

Trixie read that expression. There was a word of thanks and a faint smile that accompanied it. But she already understood.

Such a simple gesture would have had a trivial meaning at any other time.

But for Trixie, this moment meant everything...

And so, in the dining hall of Princess Twilight's castle, after a distressing afternoon full of tears and apologies, Trixie Lulamoon was finally able to smile again.

[---]

Trixie was feeling much better.

The talk with the Young Six had ended. Wondering where Starlight and Sunburst could be was no longer a concern for the group of young ones. Trixie, committing herself in front of everyone, had taken on the task of solving this matter on her own.

Ocellus wanted to stay, but Trixie refused. This was a task that she, as an adult, had to handle herself. Besides, her friends didn't want to leave her alone with Trixie either. Who could imagine what further misfortunes might happen if she stayed with her the rest of the day?

Unbothered by the possible bad luck following her, Trixie wrapped up that matter and contentedly waited for the Young Six to finish their preparations to leave.

Sitting in her chair, Trixie toyed with some toilet paper on the table, showing a slight smile. Near the door, Ocellus and the others were coordinating their exit. In a corner, Yona was checking the wheelchair of an already uncomfortable Sandbar for the third time.

However, unbeknownst to all of them, someone was still watching Trixie and her "games."

"Uhmm? Do you like it?" Trixie asked playfully, already aware of her observer as she built a tower out of perfectly folded blocks of toilet paper.

"Of course! Folding such thin toilet paper without tearing it is really impressive! Even with magic! I remember once when former Principal Twilight was giving a class as a substitute art teacher and tried to teach us how to make figures out of paper. I don't know why she used toilet paper as an example, but she had to make like 32 attempts before managing anything. Ha ha ha! It was so funny! The faces she made every time she tore one! The whole class couldn't stop laughing! Hahaha," Silverstream responded enthusiastically.

That story was all the fuel Trixie needed for her pride to reignite.

"Fu, fu, fu, how naive of her. There are 'skills' that even a high alicorn couldn't reach. And Trixie is a very talented unicorn," Trixie replied arrogantly, admiring the shine of her hooves.

"Oooo!" replied Silverstream, as delighted as a child at a fair.

Trixie liked that look; it gave her the boost she needed to continue her trick.

"Uhmm, since I see you liked it… now watch 'this.'" Trixie's horn glowed. In an instant, all the paper blocks leapt into the air, reaching the ceiling of the room. Immediately, a small whirlwind of magic appeared above the now-empty table, and before the astonished Silverstream could express her amazement, the blocks of paper fell into the whirlwind, which swallowed them all.

A moment later, the whirlwind dissolved, and an astonishing construction appeared in its place.

"Wowww," exclaimed Silverstream, her eyes wide.

A white pyramid had emerged on the table, assembled block by block with precision. The most amazing thing about that structure wasn't its perfect proportions or the fact that it was made of ordinary toilet paper. The most striking part was its unusual position.

It was upside down.

"Fu, fu, fu," Trixie bragged with a veiled laugh. "It's called 'The Exordio under the Pyramids.'"

"Oooo," replied Silverstream, even more surprised, leaning in to examine the pyramid that defied the laws of balance, but then she stopped. "Wait… Exordio? Doesn't that mean prologue or something? And why 'pyramids'? There's only one here."

"Elementary, my dear, the wisdom of Trixie will answer your questions; that's because…" Trixie began to speak in her arrogant tone, but right as she started her speech, she froze.

Awkward, very awkward. She didn't remember the origin of that trick! … now that she thought about it. When had she learned it?

After a silence that lingered far too long for the moment's demand, a blurry memory came to Trixie like a deflated lifeline.

"Ehmm," she cleared her throat and began to improvise. "In a distant and forgotten land… there are pyramids, and beneath them, there's another pyramid… inside that pyramid… there's a… treasure? Uhmm?" Trixie was starting to sweat.

(Trixie, you fool, say something!) the unicorn scolded herself. Her sense of improvisation was failing her terribly.

"A monster?" Silverstream filled in.

"Yes, yes, a monster!" Trixie grabbed onto the idea immediately.

"Oooo, scary… I like it! What's its name?!" Silverstream asked, caught up in a swing of emotions.

"The monster? Ah, it was called…" Desperate, Trixie looked around for help, glancing at the black trash bag in the garbage can behind Yona and Sandbar, then looked towards Ocellus and the others, who were telling each other to hurry up.

Rising from the depths of her memory, that name came to her like an ominous coincidence.

"Pit… Prompt," she whispered.

All voices went silent. All sounds ceased. From the tiniest cracks to the deepest caverns.

Everyone heard it and shivered. Then, a voice came to them from afar…

[---]

Time was up.

Midnight had arrived.