Trixie entered the grand dinning room where Luna and Celestia ate their meals. Luna's dinner and Celestias breakfast was strewn about the table. Today they ate alone, the other nobles were off on business. A fact that Trixie was greatful for. She may have be a showpony with a habit of exaggeration but at least she actually had skills to back up most of her claims. Most of the nobles rubbed her the wrong way, all flash no pan. Approaching Luna ,Trixie bowed deeply, letting her cape spread out like wings.

"Princess, I was wondering if you knew the location of Lieutenant Shift?" Trixie asked. Luna was surprised she was talking to her. she had very little contact with Celestias new understudy.

"Im not sure, she was in the Lunar library, did you ask Captain Acropolis?" Luna replied softly.

"I did, she is not in the library and Acropolis does not know." Trixie remained bowed.

"She is with Twilight in the Starswirl wing." Celestia spoke up. "Come Trixie, I will take you there." Celestia dabbed her mouth with a napkin and stood up from the table. "Luna, could you take care of the sun's timing today? I may be unable to time it correctly."

"Yes, sister. Is everything alright?" Luna got very concerned when Celestia said things like that. Her sister kept very dark and far reaching secrets.

"Yes, Luna. Everything is fine. Its just I have a feeling that I may be preoccupied when the sun is scheduled to rise. Come Trixie." And with that Celestia and Trixie left the dinning room leaving Luna alone. Luna felt out over the link looking for Rune. Not in her armor, but she could feel she was in the castle at least. Dismissing it she went back to her meal.

"What in equestria?" Twilight was agape at what stood before her. A grand laboratory stretched out before them. Bookshelves three stories up, equipment form a forgotten age humming and pumping along, experiments centuries old still functioning, charts, tables of tools, and racks of old weaponry. They were in a small cavern, carved from the rock with magic.

"This must be Starswirls secret lab." Rune guessed as they walked into the small laboratory, the static in her mind buzzed. The platform they were standing on glowed slightly from the runes carved into it. Rune assumed it would return they to the library. Past the rows of books and equipment stood several large tanks, inside were specimens of several species. Rune went over to view the tanks while Twilight went straight for the books. Rune approached the largest tank and wiped the filth from the label. "Iuvenis Draconem?" Casting a spell she took a rag and wiped more filth from the tank. Inside floated a small dragon, she guessed a adolescent from the size. She moved to the next tank."Equus Makica." Wiping the tanks again revealed a unicorn pony with its horn and half of its head dissected. She knew of the anatomy but seeing it made her a bit unsettled. She wiped the next tank. "Equus Aerium." The tank held a Pegasus with its wing and back dissected, Rune didnt like these tanks much, but one more caught her attention. It was fairly large and had more tubes and connections than the others. She wiped the label. "Equus Magicka Aerium Deus." Deus. God. The word rung in Rune mind. She held up her rag, ready to wipe away the grime and reveal what Starswirl had thought was 'god'.

"Dang it!" Twilight's shout pulled Rune's attention away from the ominous tank.

"What?"

"I cant read these!" Twilight sat in a pile of books freshly taken from the library. "The words keep rearranging themselves!" She tossed a book over to Rune who caught it in her magic. Flipping through it she noticed that she could read it, some of the words were old, but it was in equestrian.

"What do you mean? I can read these." Twilight looked at Rune as if she was crazy. She quickly trotted over and looked at the book over Rune's shoulder. Rune watched as Twilight's eyes landed on the page the words began to rearrange themselves into nonsense. "Twilight, close your eyes."

"What?"

"Do it." Rune asked, Twilight closed her eyes and the words reformed on the page. "Oh my, it would seem-

"Only non-Alicorn ponies can read these tomes." Celestia's voice echoed in the small chamber. Trixie stood next her looking around in a amazement.

"Princess? But-" Twilight didnt get her sentence out.

"Starswirl was a gifted unicorn, and a potential bearer for the element of magic but he was paranoid. All of his research he deemed a threat to us or him he encrypted magically, no pony under orders to read his notes nor any Alicorn can read his works." Celestia looked to Rune and Trxie. "Only Unicorns can read them, pegasai and earthen will only see blank pages. Starswirl truly was a powerful unicorn." Celestia gave a warm smile feeling content she had helped foster such a great mind.

"So only unicorns of their own free will can read these books?" Twilight seemed dejected, her heroes private library and she couldn't even read anything in it.

"I need to catalog all of these books." Rune stammered out.

"Not tonight Rune," Celestia looked to the ceiling with a short pause, "Thank you sister," She rose her wings and lit her horn. They could feel the magic pour off Celestia. Lowering her wings she readdressed Rune. "Tonight is over, there is no hurry here. Besides Trixie had asked for some of your time before you retire.

"I suppose your right." Rune could feel her exhaustion growing. They all looked at each other and silently agreed to leave and return at a later date. Returning to the pad everypony took turns teleporting away until Rune was left alone.  She looked back at the last tank, her curiosity got the better of her and she quickly ran over and wiped the grime from the tank. Floating before her was Starswirl the greatest unicorn to ever live, horn pointed to the heavens, wings spread wide, and a grin on his face that made her stomach churn. Starswirl had become an alicorn!? The questions raced through her mind igniting the static and sending it into a noisy frenzy. But she had no time for this, all she was sure of was that the house of the celestial sisters closet ran deep and its skeletons were plenty. She quickly ran over and teleported away. The vision of starswirls grin seared into her mind.

The sun was coming up and Celestia and Twilight had left Trixie and Rune alone in the Lunar barracks. Rune had remembered that she had challenged Trixie but she didn't think she would come to her so soon.

"So Trixie what did you want from me?" Rune asked.

"Respect." Trixie's response was harsh and took Rune by surprise.

"What?" Rune stiffened herself, taking her drill Sargent tone.

"I want respect, You command many, they respect you. You, a book worm with no military experience. No previous guardpony work, a researcher from a school. They shouldn't give you the time of day, yet they all respect you. Why? WHY? WHY DO THEY GIVE YOU SUCH RESPECT!?" Tears began pouring down her face, "AND YET, I, SOMEPONY WHO HAS MADE EVERYTHING FOR MYSELF! I CARVED MY LIFE OUT OF NOTHING! I CAME FROM NOTHING TO CELESTIAS STUDENT! I, I, I, get nothing ..." She sat down where she stood, tears rolling off her face. "Im a laughing stock. I cant command respect, I cant gain respect, I cant even make them fear me. The Alicorn amulet proved that. So how do you do it?" Trixie looked at Rune her eyes full of tears. Rune could tell for once in her life Trixie wasn't lying, before her lay the mess that was the real Trixie. A beaten and defeated pony of incredible skill so caught in her own lies and false grandeur to see that it was alienating everypony around her.  

"Come with me." Rune helped Trixie to her feet and lead her to the grand fire place where several off duty guards sat drinking and eating. They began to leave. "No, please stay, this requires a audience." Trixie looked scared. "Give me your hat and cape." Rune held out a hoof.

"Wha-?" Rune motioned to give her the hat and cape. The other ponies looked at each other quickly. Slowly she took the hat and cape in her magic and gave them to Rune.

"Now The Great and Powerful Trixie will do her greatest trick ever." Rune turned to face the other guards.

"I-i will?" Trixie stammered.

"She will vanish, forever." Rune quickly turned and threw the hat and cape into the fire. The enchanted clothes sprayed magical sparks into the room startling the guards. Trixie stood, mouth open, frozen in shock. Rune placed a hoof on her shoulder, her face in a gentle smile. "Now Trixie, the normal and talented unicorn, you must earn your great and powerful title."

"Y-you burned them." She was still in shock.

"No, I freed you from them. That was your problem Trixie, you aren't great and powerful." Rune pulled her tight and whispered into her ear, "At least not yet." The static in Rune's mind roared and fell silent. Releasing her from her embrace Trixie fell to the floor. "Coco?" Rune called to one of the guards.

"Ma'ma?" Coco saluted.

"Take her home," Rune leaned down to Trixie. "If you want greatness, I will help you Trixie, but first rest. Come back tomorrow night and participate in drills. until then good morning." Rune smiled fully and left Trixie in the care of Coco. Trixie held in her far more power than she even knew. Acropolis and Rune were playing a dangerous game. Acropolis was taking a gamble with Glint, and now Rune was rolling the dice with Trixie. But the chance that they would ally themselves with the Lunar guard and realize their own power was to great to let go. She smiled again, None shall stand before the lunar guard she thought to herself. The static roared.

The peices are begining to move

"What are you talking about?" Agora asked, the fire of his study crackling warmly.

Soon, the next part of my plan will come into effect

"But Hannibal?"

Was just the first part. I still need some time. But very soon, Agora. There will be trouble in Canterlot. Big trouble.