Doctor General Diagnosis trotted through the halls of Canterlot Public Hospital, his eyes hovering over the clipboard in his hoof which held the details of his next patient written across a few pages.

Upon reaching the right room, the doctor knocked on the door two times and announced that he was entering. From inside, he heard the sounds of objects clattering onto the floor and hoofsteps clambering about and he opened the door to see what the noise was.

Inside, he saw many books scattered across the floor haphazardly. He could tell that they belonged to the hospital from the orange stickers attached to each of their spines. His eyes moved across the room to the bed against the wall, where he found his patient lying under the covers, panting as she tried to pretend that she had just woken up.

“Oh, good morning, Doctor,” the mare said as she sat up and began rubbing her eyes. “Here for Trixie’s daily check-up?”

“… Miss Lulamoon,” the doctor began in a stern tone, “How many times have I told you not to use your magic whilst your horn is still recovering? It’s too much of a strain on your body.”

“Hmph, shows what you know,” Trixie said with a cocky smirk on her face. “The Great and Powerful Trixie’s magic has already made a full recovery! She has no problem using it and feels no pain from it whatsoever.”

“We don’t know that,” General Diagnosis responded. “All we know is that your magic has stabilised for now, but until we can be absolutely sure that your horn has healed, you shouldn’t attempt to use it.”

Trixie harrumphed and turned her head away, and the doctor sighed as he moved closer to her to begin his examination. This wasn’t the first case of a patient straining themselves because they are too impatient to wait until they have properly recovered, so he knew that there was little point in telling her to take it easy, but he still did so in the slim hope that she would actually listen.

“Well, your wounds are recovering nicely,” he said before reaching up to Trixie’s horn to undo her bandage. “Your horn is still cracked, but that should recover in about a week or so. Until then-”

“No magic, correct?” Trixie interrupted, receiving a nod from the doctor.

“… Anyway, there’s not really anything else that we can do for you here. In other words: congratulations, Miss Lulamoon! As soon as I’m finished with this final check-up, you’ll be discharged from this hospital and will be free to go back to your home.”

“Home?” Trixie asked. She put a hoof to her chin and tried to remember where exactly her home was. “… Ah, that’s right. Ponyville,” she said to herself, her body shivering at the thought of having to go back there. She felt like there was something else that she was forgetting, but since she couldn’t quite place her hoof on it, she simply shrugged it off and turned her attention back to General Diagnosis. “And that’s it? No charge for the treatment?”

“Your medical bill has already been paid by the Royal Guard.” The doctor finished applying a fresh bandage to Trixie’s horn and placed a key onto her bedside table. “Hand that key over to the receptionist and she’ll return all of your belongings, along with a complimentary bag with supplies and instructions to help you treat your horn.”

“Trixie thought she just had to wait for it to heal.”

“You do, but there’s still a chance of infection or a magical leak. And don’t forget, a damaged horn is fragile, so take care not to hit it against anything until that crack has completely vanished.”

“Trixie is well aware of unicorn anatomy, Doctor,” Trixie said in an annoyed tone.

“That’s good! Then, since we’re all done here, allow me to escort you to the front desk. I realise it’s a bit sudden, but we need this room for another patient, so-”

“That’s fine.” Trixie climbed out of her bed and used her magic to remove the hospital gown that she had been given for her stay there, much to the doctor’s dismay. Seeing this, she frowned and opted to pick the key up using her hoof rather than magic, and then followed the doctor outside of the room. “Thank you for all of your help, but the Great and Powerful Trixie will be fine from here.”

“It’s no trouble,” the doctor insisted. “I’m heading that way anyway.”

“… If that’s the case, then you may tag along. But only tag along! Don’t think of Trixie as some damsel in distress, clear?”

“Crystal,” the doctor said with a sigh. He was used to this, too: patients insisting that they didn’t need anypony to lean on. That they could move about and perform just fine on their own. But while it was good for recovery purposes to let the patients be as independent as possible, it was sometimes hard to watch as they limped through the hospital’s hallways, their faces cringing and tearing up as they tried to suppress the pain it caused them.

After reaching the hospital’s front desk, Trixie waited in line for just a little over fifteen before finally being able to collect her things and then leave the building.

Once outside, Trixie took a deep breath of the fresh air that she had been deprived from for three full days. Of course the room that she was assigned to was the one room where the window wouldn’t open, and they had to board it up when her attempts to open it with magic shattered the glass. It felt good to be outside again, and to know that she would soon be able to start performing her shows all across Equestria once more. ‘I’ve got a lot to catch up on, huh?’

Trixie’s first stop was a small doughnut shop not terribly far from the hospital. Hospital food was fine, if you liked slimy green goo with barely any flavour at all and orange juice that tasted like it had been prepared with rainwater. Clearly, fine cuisine wasn’t a priority in the medical profession. ‘Evidently, science hasn’t advanced to the point where food can be healthy and edible.’

“Excuse me, Miss?” Trixie turned around when she felt a hoof on her shoulder and came face-to-face with two unicorn ponies. Both were mares that appeared to be just a little older than Trixie, and they were both wearing black cloaks that covered their entire bodies, with their hoods up so that their faces couldn’t be seen. They were lugging a caravan with a sign that read: ‘Travelling Fortune Teller Duo: Cosmos and Galaxy!’

So they were fortune tellers, which sort of explained the odd attire that they were wearing, Trixie surmised. Fortune tellers seemed to have a thing for being mysterious and wearing clothes that hid most of their bodies from view.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has no desire to have her fortune read,” Trixie said before turning around to walk away. Why would she need to have her fortune read? After all, she already knew her future: to become the greatest unicorn in all of existence, surpassing even Starswirl the Bearded and be adored and revered for generations.

“Actually, Miss Lulamoon,” one of the cloaked figures said, causing Trixie to stop and turn back to eye them cautiously, “We’re here to ask a favour of you.” It was the one on the right who had spoke, and as she did so, her horn lit up. Its faint green glow was followed by a green flame surrounding the mare, turning her into a changeling.

Trixie’s eyes widened and she quickly pointed a hoof towards the changeling. “M-Mystic?!” she shouted, quickly covering her mouth and looking around at the many ponies who had stopped to give her strange looks. “… What?!” she barked with a fierce look, startling many of the passerbys and prompting them to move along.

As soon as Trixie was sure that nopony was paying any attention to her anymore, she quickly turned back to Mystic and walked over to her. “Are you insane?!” she whispered, looking around cautiously. “What if the Royal Guard sees you?! They have those goggles that see through changeling disguises, right?!”

“Nice to see you again, too,” Mystic replied sarcastically. “Don’t worry. We got these cloaks, so just as long as we don’t remove our hoods, they won’t be able to properly see us.”

“Even so, why are you here?” Trixie asked, turning her attention to the other cloaked figure. “And who’s this? Another changeling?”

“Correct!” the other figure answered cheerfully, a wide smile on her face. “Princess Elizabeth, third offspring and second Princess of Her Royal Highness, Queen Chrysalis. Nice to meet you, though we have met before.”

“P-Princess!” Mystic scolded in a hushed tone, facehooving at the princess’ reckless and carefree attitude.

“A princess?!” Trixie asked in a shocked tone, trying to keep her voice down so as to not alert anypony around her again. “A-Are you mad?! What are you doing here in Equestria?!”

“Well, if you’d just calm down and take a breath,” Elizabeth started, placing a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder, “Then I’ll explain that to you.”

“… Trixie’s listening.”

“Great! It’s simple, really. After the incident with Odysseus, word quickly spread about how you, a pony, saved the life of Princess Aura and helped us in taking down the high traitor.”

A proud grin found its way to Trixie’s face, and she flicked her mane with a forehoof. “So, the Great and Powerful Trixie is making a name for herself in foreign lands now, huh?” ‘Take that, Sparkle!’

“Oh yes, very much so! And, it’s also got many changelings thinking… that maybe the citizens of Equestria have changed over the years. And maybe peace is possible with your kind. Unfortunately, Mother has no intention of making peace with Equestria, no matter what the circumstances are.”

“Trixie’s following so far.”

“However, peace has been Aura’s passion ever since she first started taking an interest in politics. It’s the path she’s always spent her time researching and discussing with me and Victoria. That’s why, if she continues to follow that path when she’s older, then Mother will allow Aura to become the ambassador for peace from our kingdom.”

Trixie let out a quiet whistle. “That’s quite a big responsibility. Can she handle it?”

“Don’t underestimate our sister,” Elizabeth said with a toothy grin. “She’s still a youngling now, but she’s shown that she has potential. And once she sets her mind to something… well, just try to stop her.”

“Trixie knows what you mean,” Trixie said, shaking her head with a sigh as she recalled the time that Aura had gone to Canterlot on her own, regardless of the dangers. “Honestly, that youngling needs to calm down and stop staking such risks.”

“You’re the last one who should be saying that,” Mystic said, earning a scowl from Trixie.

“… And? Why are you telling Trixie all of this?”

“Well, as part of Aura’s training and preparation, Mother wants her to spend some time here in Equestria,” Elizabeth said. “She wants her to live in your country, to learn your ways, research your culture and your laws, and most importantly, to build up friendships within your towns and villages.”

“Don’t you already have scouts in Equestria?” Trixie asked. “Why can’t they do the research?”

“Firsthoof experience is always better than simply hearing things from another’s perspective,” Mystic explained. “That way, there’ll be no bias or missing details in her reports, and she’ll actually get a feel for Equestrian culture, as opposed to just picturing it in her mind.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Basically, it’s kind of like an exchange program thing. Aura will spend some time here, and when she returns, she will apply what she has learned to her peacemaking methods. If she proves herself to our mother, then she will be given the title of ‘Head of Foreign Affairs’, and will have full authority over how relationships with other nations are handled outside of wartime.”

“Sounds impressive,” Trixie said. “But where does Trixie fall into all of this?”

“The queen wants you to look after her,” Mystic said, surprising the showmare. “Why is that so surprising? After all, you are the one who looked after her before, and it was clear to the queen that you cared deeply for Aura’s safety. Besides, Aura was going on about seeing you again, so it all works out.”

“She was?” Trixie asked, a slight smile forming on her face.

“She was,” Elizabeth confirmed with a nod and a small giggle. “Even though her own health was more important, she was practically demanding to see proof that you were alright. She even tried to pull rank on the doctors at one point, and we had to forge a photograph of you alive and healthy to make her calm down.”

Trixie couldn’t help but turn red and feel embarrassed at what she was hearing, but then she also felt happy that someone actually cared for her so much that they would go to such lengths to confirm that she were okay.

“But, is that alright?” Trixie asked, earning confused looks from the two changelings. “Trixie isn’t a parent, you know? She doesn’t know how to raise kids, and her income is barely enough to feed herself.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Elizabeth said in a reassuring tone. “You’ll be fine! You tried to protect Aura with your life, right? In my eyes, that means you’re ready to look after her!”

“But-”

“And as for the money, it’s all taken care of!”

“How so?” Trixie asked. Mystic pulled a piece of paper from her cloak and handed it over to Trixie. “A cheque?” she asked as she got a clear view of the paper, and as she read the number written on it, her eyes almost leaped out of their sockets. “… W-WHAT?!” she shouted, once again attracting the attentions of those around her. Blushing, she lowered her volume and looked back up at the two changelings. “P-Please tell Trixie that you missed a decimal point somewhere on here!”

Mystic laughed and shook her head. “It’s money for looking after both yourself and Princess Aura,” she explained. “Food, water, rent, refurbishing, and any other expenses you might meet.”

“Trixie lives in her trailer and travels across Equestria,” Trixie said. “She doesn’t pay rent.”

“Well then, keep it,” Mystic returned. “The money’s meant to last you the year. Any leftover money is yours to keep, as a show of gratitude from our queen.”

“… That’s some gratitude,” Trixie said, still in disbelief about the number she was seeing on the cheque. “How do you even have this much money? Trixie wasn’t aware that there was an exchange rate between bits and… whatever you use.”

“Our changeling scouts,” Elizabeth explained. “They work hard and send any disposable income back to us. Well, there may have also been a few heists here-and-there, too.”

“You what?”

Elizabeth simple shrugged in response. “Money’s a powerful tool. You can buy workers, and more importantly, information. But enough about that! So, you’re in, right?”

“… Well,” Trixie said, stashing the cheque inside of her cape. “The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t exactly mind Aura’s company… and it would be nice to have an assistant to help her occasionally, and someone to train in the ways of magic…

“Very well then! The Great and Powerful Trixie will take on this task of yours!”

“Great!” Elizabeth said ecstatically.

“By the way, where is Aura?” Trixie asked, looking behind the two changelings at the caravan that they were pulling. “In there?”

“Oh, no,” Mystic said. “She needed to use a public restroom. She said she’d catch up to us.”

Trixie’s eyes widened and she almost leapt forward to grab Mystic by her cloak’s collar, but had managed to restrain herself… barely. “What?! You let her wander off alone?!”

“It’s fine,” Elizabeth said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “She can look after herself, and it’s only round the corner.”

“But what if she-”

BANG!

Trixie yelped as a sudden bang sounded behind her and then she quickly span around to find the cause of it.

Standing before her, giggling loudly and holding a brown paper bag in one forehoof with a large hole in the bottom of it, was a small white filly with a green mane, hidden away beneath a black cloak.

Trixie stared at the filly in bewilderment for a bit, before she managed to piece together what had happened. “… You…”

The filly stopped giggling and looked up at Trixie with a big smile on her face. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, Miss Trixie.”

Trixie, now calmed down and breathing regularly again, let out a low, soft chuckle, before looking down at the filly with a menacing grin on her face. “You little brat… You’re going to regret that.”

“Uh-oh!” Aura said playfully as she turned on the spot and began running.

“Oh no you don’t!” Trixie shouted as she chased after her, resisting the urge to laugh as she chased the filly into the nearby park.

Elizabeth and Mystic watched as the two began to play a little game of ‘chase’ throughout the park, earning odd looks from many of the posh-looking ponies passing by them.

“Seems they’ll do just fine,” Mystic said.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and turned to face Mystic. “Well then, General,” she said in a serious tone, “I’ll leave their surveillance up to you.”

Mystic bowed down to Elizabeth. “Yes, Princess! I won’t let you down!”

Elizabeth smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on Mystic’s forehead, an action which both shocked and confused the general. “An early reward,” she explained with a wink. “Do a good job, and you’ll get more.”

“P-P-P-Princess! T-That’s…” Mystic trailed off, flustered by the princess’ sudden action and unable to form any further coherent sentences.

With one final giggle, Elizabeth looked over at her sister still playing merrily with the blue showmare in the park, and then began to move down the street. “Remember, stay hidden.”

“… Yes, Princess. And you are sure that we shouldn’t tell Trixie about-”

“It’s best that she doesn’t know. Aura’s hidden, and her best chance of staying hidden is for everybody around her to be clueless, even her friends.” Elizabeth glanced at Trixie and grinned. “As an illusionist, she should understand that very well.”

“Princess Celestia,” Captain Precision Perfect started with a salute, “Miss Trixie Lulamoon has just left Canterlot. She boarded the train to Ponyville and, as you predicted, there was a filly there with her. She was hidden beneath a cloak, so we couldn’t confirm that, however…”

“Thank you, Captain,” Celestia said, using her magic to bring her teacup to her face. She took a sip of her tea as she looked outside of her window and down onto the ponies conversion in the courtyard below.

“Princess, with all due respect, are you certain that you do not with the Royal Guard to keep an eye on them? If something were to happen to them one Equestrian soil-”

“Then we will feign ignorance, and take zero responsibility,” Celestia cut in, placing her teacup down and facing her soldier. “On the other hoof, if it is discovered that we are watching her without her knowing, then the queen can declare it an invasion of privacy, which it would be. To avoid conflict, we would have to give her a show of faith.”

“In other words, we’d be obliged to carry out whatever wish she has?” Celestia nodded, and Precision Perfect cast his eyes down for a moment. “But Princess, what if this is a trap? The queen has made it very clear how much she despises-”

“This isn’t like you, Captain.” Celestia rose from her seat and approached the silenced Precision Perfect. “Why do you fear the changelings so much?”

“… I saw what they could do. What power they posses. When General Ironhoof saved me whilst I was battling that changeling, I sensed no fear from her. On the contrary; General Ironhoof was shaking on the spot.”

Celestia closed her eyes and took in a deep, steady breath, before exhaling. “… Yes. And that is why we must be ready for any eventuality. I sense a storm coming, and I would like to know that you are by my side no matter what may befall our kingdom, Captain.”

The captain saluted. “Of course, Princess!”

The door behind Precision Perfect opened, and Captain Shining Armor stepped inside. “Princess, the ambassadors from the Griffon Empire are here.”

“Thank you, Captain Armor. Please let them know that I will be there momentarily,” Celestia replied, to which Shining Armor saluted and left the room. “Well then, Captain Precision Perfect, I will let you return to your duties.”

“Yes, sir!”

As Celestia walked past the captain and towards the door, she couldn’t stop the sour look forming on her face as her mind raced to dark, uncertain places. ‘The Changeling Kingdom is in disarray. There is no doubt that their enemies will seek to take advantage of this opportunity.’

‘A storm is indeed approaching, and now the question is: for the sake of all of my subjects, whom should I side with when the time comes?’

“I’m ready, my queen.”

Chrysalis looked firmly into the youngling’s eyes, checking for any sign that her resolve had wavered. “… Lily, you are aware of the risks and dangers involved with the comatose spell, are you not?”

“I am, my queen.”

“And you are aware that you may be killed at any moment during your sleep?”

“Yes, my queen.”

Chrysalis nodded, and her advisor, Metamorphose, levitated some documents to the youngling. “Then please sign these to state that you volunteer for the comatose spell to be performed on you, and that you accept all risks of your own accord.”

Lily nodded and picked up a pen with her hoof to sign the papers. As soon as she was finished, she lay down on the hospital bed and closed her eyes as Queen Chrysalis lowered her horn towards her.

“Thank you, child,” Chrysalis said as she performed the spell. Once it was over, the queen sat up straight and turned her attention to her advisor. “When this is all over, I want this child knighted. Is that understood?”

“Yes, my queen,” Meta responded, shuffling through some documents before levitating a few up towards Chrysalis. “The next order of business is to attend to Chill and Shock’s probation arrangements.”

“Very well. Let us be off.”

“I still say it’s a bad idea,” Chameo said as he rose from his seat beside Chrysalis. “It’s one thing to put Shark into the new probationary program, but to assign him to guard Aura?”

“Chameo, please,” Meta pleaded.

“You disagree with my decision?” Chrysalis asked in a cold tone. “You think I would have made such a choice if I thought it would put my daughter in danger?”

“What if he turns on us?! You know he’s got a grudge against us, so…”

“Shark is easy to manipulate,” Chrysalis said. “As long as we offer his freedom to him as a reward, he will cooperate. Furthermore, his job has him dealing with only one changeling: General Mystic. If the alternatives are working directly under me or being executed, it’s clear which he’ll pick.”

“…”

“Chameo, I know that you’re concerned,” Meta said with sympathy in her voice. “We all share that concern for Princess Aura, but this is a difficult situation. We’re shorthooved, and until we can confirm with absolute certainty that RE has been destroyed, we must take drastic action to assure the princess’ safety. Hence… this,” she added, looking over at the comatose Lily.

“… Even with all the information we had recovered from Odysseus’ workrooms, RE remains at large,” Chrysalis said, gritting her teeth in anger at the memory of her son’s betrayal. “And to make matters worse, a lot of its members were high-ranking government officials and military officers!”

“Princess Victoria has already stormed most of their hideouts, hasn’t she?” Chameo asked, receiving a nod from Meta. “But most of their leaders they managed to get away before we could capture them… I just can’t believe that RE was still active.”

“Well, it was Odysseus who reportedly wiped them out,” Meta pointed out. “The fact that they had infiltrated all the way to the royal family just proves how dangerous they are. We can’t take a single risk against them.”

“And that’s why you haven’t told Aura a thing?” Chameo asked.

“She doesn’t need to know,” Chrysalis said firmly, making her way towards the hospital room’s door. “Guard her. If the enemy shows up, you know what to do.”

“Yes, my queen!” the two guards standing behind them replied as they saluted.

Once they were outside and began walking down the hallway to their next destination, Chameo spoke up again. “With respect, she will find out, my queen.”

“Yes, but by that point, the battle will hopefully be over,” Chrysalis responded. “Aura is not a fighter, Chameo. Her place is not on the battlefield, yet she is determined to do whatever she can for the good of our kingdom. That’s why she must be kept in the dark for now.”

“… You know she won’t like it, when she learns that that youngling is acting as her double, and that we’ve made arrangements for her to die should she be captured.”

“That was Lily’s decision,” Chrysalis responded. “Aura won’t like it, you’re right. But then, children also don’t like it when you make them visit the dentist to have a cavity filled in, or force them to eat medicine that tastes revolting.

“Aura is too valuable a target. If she is captured, I would be forced to either forsake her, or my subjects. This way, Aura remains in a safe location, and if RE attempts to abduct her double, we can fake her death. That was Lily’s idea, and with such devotion to her princess, how could I refuse her?”

“… Yes, my queen. I understand,” Chameo said, turning his head away. “By the way, what are we going to do about Chill and Shock?”

“A good question,” Chrysalis responded. “In Shark’s case, he worked for Odysseus because we unjustly imprisoned him, so it was easy to appeal on his behalf. Everyone else who worked for Odysseus will have their cases examined, since there are many soldiers that the Royal Court would prefer to keep alive. Chill and Shock are among the easiest cases to deal with, as they were tricked into working for Odysseus, and also assisted in his defeat.

“I was thinking of having them enlisted into the Changeling Royal Army as captains. We have lost quite a number from this rebellion and we need replacements, but the issue is whether the lower-ranks would be okay with that.” Chrysalis stopped and turned around to face her two followers. “In any case, we have a lot of work ahead of us. I trust you two will stick with me, come what may?”

Both changelings saluted immediately, and answered in unison, “Yes, my queen!”

Twilight limped as she made her way through the streets of Ponyville, using the crutch provided to her by Doctor Stable and with Spike walking beside her cautiously, getting ready to help her should she lose her balance. Applejack walked along Twilight’s other side, pulling a cartload of apples behind her.

“Feelin’ any better, Twi?” Applejack asked, addressing her with a look of concern. She tried no to, but couldn’t help shifting her attention to the noticeable scar of Twilight’s side.

“Yeah… I just still can’t believe I let that changeling get to me,” Twilight said with venom in her voice. “I swear, he’d better hope he never runs into me again. How dare he impersonate the princesses like that!”

Twilight cringed, and stopped suddenly to hold her side. “Whoa, settle down there, Twilight,” Applejack said, moving over to help the unicorn maintain her balance. “The doctor said y’all will make a full recovery by this time next week, so jus’ take it easy until then, y’hear?”

Twilight smiled at her friend’s kindness and nodded her head. “I will. Thank you, Applejack.”

“Hey, Applejack!” a voice called out from down the street. The three turned their attentions to Rainbow Dash, who was charging towards them through the air before slowing down to stop just short of crashing into them. “You’ll never guess who’s back in town!”

“… Who?” Applejack asked.

“Trixie, that’s who!” Rainbow Dash said in an angry tone. “I was about to go over to her trailer, when I remembered you wanted to talk to her about your farm!”

Applejack’s face hardened and she took a step closer to Rainbow Dash. “Ye’re darn right Ah do! ‘Bout time she finally showed up again! The nerve of her, showin’ her face here after what she did!”

Twilight limped towards the two angry ponies and tried to calm them down. “Applejack, maybe you should calm down.”

“Calm down? D’ya know how much money it’ll take ta repair the damages to the farm?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I don’t. But at least tell me you’ll simply talk to Trixie, instead of just breaking into her home and going all Rainbow Dash on her.”

“Hey!” Rainbow shouted, not happy with her name being used in such a way.

“That all depends on her, Twilight,” Applejack said. “In any case, Ah’m marchin’ over there right now ta talk about our payment.”

“Yeah! You show her, AJ!” Rainbow Dash cheered. Twilight groaned, and decided that she had better accompany the two of them to make sure they didn’t take things too far.

At the town square, the three ponies and one dragon closed in on Trixie’s trailer, which had been moved into a dark alleyway since the previous day.

Applejack raised a hoof to knock on the door, but noticed that it was already slightly open. “… Trixie? You in there?” she called out, but received no response. Impatient, Applejack reached out and opened the door further, despite Twilight telling her that she should really knock first.

“Hey Trixie, Ah need ta have a word with…” she stopped as she made her way inside the trailer, and looked at the mess inside. There were books littered all over the floor, most of which seemed to be children’s story books. There was also a magic kit lying open on the floor, with all of the props inside scattered everywhere.

Applejack turned her attention to the bed, where she saw the blue unicorn known as Trixie curled up on top of the sheets, her muzzle buried in the green mane of a small white unicorn filly, who was also curled up next to the showmare. There was a book in Trixie’s hooves, suggesting that the two were reading together when they had fallen asleep.

The scene reminded Applejack of a certain stormy night at the farm a couple of years back, where Apple Bloom, scared stiff from the thunder and lightning outside, sought safety in her big sister’s room for the night.

Applejack calmed her sister down by reading her her favourite story, and the little filly was soon sleeping peacefully in her older sister’s comforting embrace.

Sighing, Applejack turned around and left the trailer, quietly shutting the door on her way out.

“So?” Rainbow Dash asked, hovering in the air above Applejack. “How’d it go?”

Applejack shook her head and began walking away from the trailer. “I’ll come back ta talk to her tomorrow,” she said, before turning back to face Rainbow Dash, who was just about to bang on the trailer door. “Tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash pulled her hoof away and groaned. “Ugh, fine.”

Rainbow Dash flew off, whilst Twilight and Spike continued to accompany Applejack to the marketplace. ‘Tomorrow mornin’, that is. You’d better be ready, Trixie.’

Back inside the trailer, Trixie giggled as she sat up, Aura joining her moments later. “And that is how you skip payments, my young protégé.”

“But she’ll be back later, right?”

Trixie chuckled and gave the filly a sly wink. “Tomorrow’s a big day, getting you enrolled in school. Then Trixie will be busy preparing for her comeback show, then a ‘complication’ could call her away from town. The real test is how far she’s willing to pursue the issue of payment.”

“I don’t know if this is the kind of learning my mother had in mind,” Aura said with a smile. “Besides, I don’t think she’s the kind to give up that easily.”

Trixie leaned down and said, “Well then, the Great and Powerful Trixie will just have to make it difficult for her, now won’t she?”