Thousand Son in Equestria, part 9 (A Trixie Situation)

>You wake up to the sound of hooves knocking on your new, tiny door.
>That itself is a shock.
>You fell into a full slumber involuntarily. You must be more exhausted then you thought.
>You rise from your leaning position against the wall, donning your helmet again and moving to answer the door.
>After Twilight's reaction, you aren't sure if you want other ponies freaking out over your face.
>You bend a bit, so that your face is visible, and carefully open the door.
>And immediately recieve a burst of confetti to the face.
>"Anon! It's time for your house-warming party!"
"Pinkie Pie, didn't you ALREADY throw me a party?"
>"Of course silly! Now it's time for your house warming party!"
"Pinkie Pie I don't want another party. I need to get this door fixed."
>Pinkie Pie stares at you as if you just told her you slaughtered her entire family and shat on their corpses.
>"Y...y..you don't want another party?"
>What is it with ponies and those eyes?
"Pinkie. Pinkie, you can throw me another party after I finish making this house livable."
>"You promise?"
"I promise."
>"Do you Pinkie Pie promise?"
>What.
"What?"
>"Cross your heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in your eye?"
>What.
"What?"


>Pinkie's getting those watery eyes again.
>You sigh.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cu-"
>"You have to do the motions, silly!"
>You scowl, before crossing your heart.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
>She seems to cheer up at this, before frowning.
>"You didn't stick a cupcake in your eye, silly!"
>You sigh again.
"Pinkie, I don't even know what a 'cupcake' is, and I am sure I don't want to stick one in my eye. Now please, I need to ask Rarity about where I can find a carpenter."
>There is silence for a moment, and you feel a tremble in the Warp that generally presages you fucking up royal.
>Pinkie's eyes grow terrifyingly wide, and her expression becomes positively monstrous.
>She starts to snarl, and is that...foam coming out of her mouth.
>"HERESY!" she barks at you, before zipping off in a pink blur.
>That's.....actually not the weirdest thing that has happened to you since you landed on this world.
>You shrug and teleport out of your house, making your way to Carousel Boutique.


>As soon as you enter the Boutique, a swarm of needles, threads, and other implements start swirling around you. You have to admire her dexterity.
>A length of measuring tape is suddenly held up against your side, and she starts humming to herself before asking you questions.
>"So, Anonymous, what kind of outfits do you prefer? Do your kind wear pants at all? I know Lyra was always going on about how aliens wear pants."
>You roll your eyes in your helmet.
>Power armor is not skin, p0nyfolk.
>You take off your helmet, giving out what must be your forty-fifth exasperated sigh in the last twelve hours.
"Rarity, it's not my skin, it's armor. A protective suit."
>She stares at you blankly.
>She blinks.
>You wave you hand in her face, and she blinks again.
>"Oh, my..apologies Anon. I wasn't expecting it...well after the party.."
"It's fine, Rarity.Twilight thought the same. Now are we finished here?"
>She lets out a dainty sniff, before holding out the measuring tape again.
>"Nonsense, Anon. You are a friend, and I will NOT let one of my friends go traipsing around with nothing but...armor on. We've got to get you properly clothed! Now take it off."
"Is this REALLY necessary?"
>"If you want me to tell you how to find a new door, yes."
>You sigh, before telekinetically unsealing your armor, section by section, carefully removing it from your Black Carapace.
>You float the ceramite plates over to the wall, placing your armor down gently, leaving you clad only in a black bodysuit and undergarments.
>Rarity appears to have zoned out, and you're quite sure she's staring at you.
>You wave a hand in her face.
"Rarity?"
>You try snapping.
>She's still staring.
>Her eyes are not on your face.



>That expression is more than a little disturbing.
>You think about just giving her a little mental tap, but you don't want her mind anywhere near your mind.
>Hell no. Not with that face.
>You wave one hand in front of her face.
>No reaction
>You try snapping.
>She's still staring.
>You reach out, and gently flick her horn with your fingers.
>She gasps suddenly, stepping back and looking you in the eye.
>"Anon, how rude! To touch a lady's horn like that, why, it's...it's improper!"
>You can detect...something in that statement, but fuck you if you can figure what.
"Rarity, I assure you that at this moment, I really do not care. I just want to get a sofa, a useable door, and then go find Derpy and get some muffins."
>She pouts at the last bit, her eyes watering.
>"What does Derpy, of all ponies, have that I don't have?"
"I just told you, muffins."
>Maybe you're being a little silly, but warp damn it, those muffins were delicious.
>She sighs, packing in her measuring tape.
>"Fine then, Anon, if you must be such a boor, I'll make your new outfit later. Lead me to your abode, and I'll see what I can do about fixing you up with a proper living space."
>You nod and pull on your armor with a telekinetic grab, to Rarity's obvious disappointment.
>What IS it with these xenos?


>You secure your helmet with a hiss, reminding yourself that they're not xenos, they're ponies. Your friends.
>Even if they drive you up the wall sometimes.
>Rarity steps outside, and you move outside after her.
"Now then, my home is this wa-"
>You stop as a small pastry slams into the side of your head with a significant amount of force.
>What.
"What."
>Another comes flying at you, and you duck, causing it to splatter in the street.
>Turning your head, you spot Pinkie Pie hanging from a roof, her hooves around some sort of silly contraption that looks vaguely like....a primitive rocket launcher?
>She notices you looking, and drops the rocket launcher.
>"Next time, anon! Next time! Your mouth can't stay closed FOREVER!"
>With that, the pink party pony scampers off.
>What is WITH them all today?
>You lead Rarity to your house, passing a pair of chatting earth ponies.
>"Did you hear, Roseluck? That Trixie pony is back in town! She's setting up some sort of show in the square!"
>The other one shakes her head.
>"She picked the wrong time for a show. We JUST finished cleaning up after the....Discord incident. We don't have the time to clean up after another Ursa."
>Hmmm. You wondered what an Ursa was.
>"So, Anon, this is your home? What's wrong with it? It looks nice, if a little...drab."
>You turn back to Rarity, then point to yourself.
"I can't fit through the door. Now do you or do you not know a carpenter?"


>You swear to yourself, you will never understand ponies.
>What kind of businessma-pony only sold quills and sofas, and managed to be successful while doing it?
>You are on your way back from Quills and Sofas, carrying a large bed-and-sofa combo that you are assured can carry your weight.
>You also now possess several quills.
>You will make it a point to pick up some paper and books from Twilight later. Writing would do wonders to ease your mind.
>You carry the sofa over your head, floating it with your mind as Rarity leads you towards the marketplace. She has offered, very kindly, to buy your sofa and new door, at least until you find yourself an occupation.
>She keeps giving glances at your crotch armor as she says this. You suddenly realize what the problem must be.
"Rarity!"
>"Hmmm, Anon?"
"Is there a crack in my armor's crotch guard? It must be something I acquired while tussling with Applebloom. If it is distracting, I will endeavor to fix it posthaste."
>Her eyes snap up to yours and her face turns from marshmellow to bright red. She seems about to say something, then turns away, muttering to herself.
>What in the Warp is her pro-
>You dodge a cupcake as you hear a whistling in the air.
>Damn it Pinkie Pie, not today, you have carpentry to do!


>Door acquired!
>You carry your new, giant gold-painted door under one arm.
>It was cheaply bought, but you insisted that Rarity not spend too much out of her pocket for something as simple as a door.
>You both make your way across Town Square, heading back towards your homes.
>Rarity still keeps giving you strange glances, but you put it out of your mind.
"Mamzel Rarity, I am truly thankful for what you have done for me today. I apologize for taking time out of your busy schedule."
>She smiles.
>"Oh Anon, it was no trouble it all, really. Darling, feel free to come to me with anything!"
>You open your mouth to give another expression of thanks when something pings your awareness from across the square.
>"Come, mortal ponies! Come, and witness the truly stupifying magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
>You turn your head, interest piqued.
>And then you drop your door.


>A blue unicorn stands on an elaborate stage in Ponyville's center, hooves thrown in the air as a purple cloud of warp power swirls around her.
>A crowd of ponies gathers to watch her, while Rarity scoffs.
>"That Trixie. Such a showoff. And that outfit, ugh. So gaudy. She doesn't know when to quit. Twilight showed her up once, she should know better by now. Now come on, Anon, you dropped your door."
>The white unicorn picks up your door with her magic, but you make no move to pick it up.
>Your eyes are locked on the unicorn on stage.
>She's wearing your armor.
>Your old armor. Blue and gold, with the gold serpent etched on a deformed shoulder pad.
>It fits her snugly, as if grown into place instead of crafted, and you get a sudden chill when you notice the oblong object she levitates with her horn's magic.
>Your bolter. The one you lost when you came to this world.
>Your DAEMON-bolter.
>She lifts her hooves in another flourish, and curtains on the stage lift as six creatures march into view.
>Your fists clench, and you can feel the rage building in you.
>Marching onto stage, bowing to Trixie's every whim, are six Thousand Sons Rubric Marines.


>Your brothers.
>The broken, empty shells of the men you fought with, studied with, and suffered with.
>The same shells that have fought with you since the Heresy, as you kept them with you to honor the memories of the men they once were.
>The remains of your family, shattered by Ahriman's accursed Rubric.
>You can already see Soteck, still sporting the custom sigil he carved into his armor so that he would not forget Prospero.
>You can see Soteck's shell, on his knees lifting an arrogant blue pony into the air so she can perform some trick.
>Your brothers, the corpses of your brothers, are being paraded before these ponies as some sort of...entertainment.
"Rarity."
>"Yes Anon?"
"Watch my door and hold on to my sofa."
>You start marching towards the stage, pushing ponies out of the way as you approach.
>Trixie sees you coming, and something dark flickers in her eyes. Her hold over the daemon bolter flickers, and the weapon seems to strain to point in your direction.
>But she continues her act, using warp magic to pull a swarm of tiny warp kites from the Immatereum before banishing them in an explosion of blue flames.
>Your brothers take up various positions around her, all bowing or kneeling around her, this tiny blue pony.
>You are going to wring her neck, Celestia be damned.


>Trixie turns as you advance on her, your hands already crackling with warp magic.
>"And here, my wondrous audience, comes the last and greatest portion of my act! May I present Anonymous!"
>You jump onto the stage, fists clenched as warp-lightning arcs up and down your armor.
>She's got the daemon bolter pointed towards you, but you don't even care.
>You are going to turn this bitch inside out for what she's done.
"Trixe-"
>She smiles and trots over to you, her voice dropping its volume, until only you can hear her.
>"It said you would come, you know. It must feel terrible, to know that the Great Trixie has defeated your pitiful magic and mastered your silly blue golems! Just as it said I would."
"Trixie I don't give a grot's ass what that bolter whispered in your head, you're going to drop it, now, or so help me Tzeentch I am going to rip your spine out and beat you to death with it."
>Your voice is almost a shout as you speak, and your enslaved former brethren raise a clatter to cover it.
>Trixie's smirking.
>"Anon, Anon, dear Anon, we don't want to disturb my audience, now do we? They're here to see a show. And if we don't give them what they came for...things might get ugly."
>That smirk is widening, and you restrain your urge to rip it off her face as you glance around.
>Your heart sinks as you realize what the clattering was.
>Each of the Rubric marines have drawn a bolter, with their weapons pointed into the crowd of onlooking ponies.



>She turns that smug fucking smirk back on your face.
>She then lifts a hoof with it and beckons you closer.
>You comply, bending down towards her.
"Fine. Trixie. What the fuck do you want?"
>That smirk. Tzeentch damn that fucking smirk. Damn it to the Warp.
>"I just want simple things, Anonymous. As Great and Powerful as Trixie is, there are some things this....artifact of yours cannot teach her. It tells Trixie of some Great Ocean, filled with creatures willing to bow to Trixie's every command, but cannot tell Trixie how to get there. That's where you come in."
>Your anger intensifies. How could you have forgotten about the fucking daemon-bolter? You bound Kaddath' Sar'Gos into that weapon yourself, and you lost it.
>You thought it had simply gotten lost in the Warp, but you were wrong. And now it was teaching some arrogant pony about how to control the Rubic and summon daemons.
"You could have just tried to contact me in person, Trixie. Why hold a crowd of ponies hostage just to beg for a tutor?"
>That smirk falters, and a look of rage replaces it.
>"Trixie does not BEG, you alien monster. Trixie COMMANDS. And Trixie was just getting to that, thank you. Teaching is not all Trixie desires of you, creature. The most immediate thing that I COMMAND you to do..."
>The angry look has morphed into a vindictive grimace. Something flashes behind her eyes, and your suspicions are confirmed. The daemon in the bolter is whispering to Trixie.
>"Is to kill Twilight Sparkle."
"And if I refuse?"
>"Then Trixie will tell your golems to fire their artifacts into the crowd."


>Damn. Damn it all to the Warp. She knows that they're weapons at least.
>A single bolter fired into a packed crowd of equines would be a slaughter? Six? It would leave none alive.
>But you would not kill your friend just because some stuck-up pony bitch thought she could out-scheme you.
>You reach out with your mind, and hear a soft click to your left.
>One of the rubrics has moved up to your left and is holding it's bolter towards your head.
>The crowd is murmering now, confused at this turn of events.
>"I don't think so, Anonymous. The artifact's told me all about your little mind-meddling talents. The second Trixie feels strange in the head, you die. Your only option is to obey."
>You curse, low and vehement.
>There's always another way out. Another scheme, another plan, another idea.
>There is always hope.
>That is the way of Tzeentch.
>Your mind races as you struggle to think of a way out, when you sense a cold, dead presence approaching through the crowd.
>Trixie can't see it, but you are wearing the biggest shit-eating grin ever sported by a human being.


"Trixie."
>"Have you come to the right decision, Anonymous? Or do I give the order to start killing."
"I will do as you say, Trixie. I will kill Twilight Sparkle. But how about we give this crowd a show before I start...teaching you?"
>Trixie thinks this over, the bolter buzzing in her telekinetic grip. The daemon in the weapon obviously thinks the idea is stupid, but Rarity pegged Trixie as a show-off. With luck...
>"Of course, why not, Anon. A show, to give my future subjects. But any funny business, and the golem blows your head off."
>Yeessss.
>You can feel the cold presence getting closer.
>Trixie turns and starts addressing the crowd, a sound you tune out as you scan the crowd for a familiar wall-eyed stare.
>Found it.
>"And for my next act, the Great Trixie and the mysterious Anonymous will-"
"Invite Derpy Hooves onstage, so that she may show us all the wondrous ways of the muffin!"
>Trixie jumps at the sound of your voice, and the Rubric Marine behind you stiffens.
>Derpy, Tzeentch bless her, doesn't hesitate, soaring onstage, two saddlebags slung over her back. She gives you a quick, nauseating hug at the prospect of being invited onstage to a magic show.
>The second she makes it onstage, the Rubric marine behinds you collapses, like a puppet with its strings cut.
>Trixie shrieks in agony, the daemon bolter lossing a telepathic wail.
>Her other marines stagger and begin to topple.
>You feel a splitting headache coming on.
>Just as planned.


>Derpy, bless her, ignores it all, staring up at you with those great yellow eyes.
>The sight is adorable, and almost makes up for your intense desire to vomit as she touches you.
>"Anon! I'm so glad I found you! I've got so many recipes for you to try out! And now we get to do a magic show! You're the best friend I've ever had!"
>She nuzzles your leg, and you grimace, giving her a friendly pat.
"Sure Derpy, once we're done here, we can go try out making muffins at my house."
>Meanwhile, Trixie vomits off the side of the stage, stumbling to get away.
>Oh this bitch is so fucking dead.
>She's newly familiar with the power of the Warp. You've had millenia to practice it. You can handle a pariah, as horrifying as one is. To Trixie, it must be like all her senses were just dipped in battery acid.
>Her legs wobble like jelly as she trots away, her horn glowing desperately. She turns and hurls up her lunch again as you get closer, Derpy still hugging you.
>Suddenly, there is an explosion of smoke, and a Rubric marine fires a single bolt shot haphazardly in the air.
>The crowd panics, pegasi taking flight and earth ponies stampeding.
>Rubric marines stumble away from you, regaining motive function as Trixie makes her escape.
>In moments, the crowd has scattered, and Trixie is gone, leaving nothing but you, Derpy, and the still motionless rubric marine.


>Derpy's been chatting away this whole time, and you gently pull her off your leg, shaking a bit as the pain of touching her flares through your system.
>She suddenly seems to notice that something isn't right.
>"Hey, Anon. Where'd everyp0ny go?Did I...did I ruin your magic show?"
>She tears up a bit.
"No, of course you didn't, Derpy. You were just the element I needed to make the perfect magic show. Trixie just couldn't handle being upstaged like that, and she scared the other ponies away."
>Derpy brightens up a bit, but she still seems sad.
>"Oh...that's...a relief. Other ponies...they avoid me, Anon. It hurts, and I just don't know why they do it."
>Your heart melts a little bit. You know why, and you could tell her, but it wouldn't make her feel any better.
"Tell you what, Derpy. You head to my house, and when I get back, we're going to make some of those muffins you wanted to teach me about. Tell Rarity to bring my door and my sofa if she didn't lose them."
>She smiles, and starts flapping her wings to take off, before a thought strikes her.
>"What about you, Anon? Aren't you coming with me?"
>You glance at the fallen rubric marine.
"There's something I have to do, first."


>You carried his body the entire way, out to the edge of the Everfree Forest.
>You would use your hands for this.
>You can see Fluttershy's cottage from a distance, and from this hill, you can see the setting sun in all it's glory.
>Gebta would have loved it here.
>Gebta, who had fought on at your side for a millennia.
>Gebta, your brother, the sanguine trickster of your squad.
>He always knew how to get a laugh out of you and your brothers.
>And now you carry his body in your arms.
>You thought about getting the Elements of Harmony, using them on him as they had been used on you, but you knew it would be futile.
>Gebta was gone, his mind obliterated as Ahriman's Rubric tore out his soul.
>And so, you bury him here, in the soil of alien world, on a hill that overlooks the sunset.
>The eulogy is short, as Magnus demanded, a recognition that nothing is static, and that all life must come to an end.
"All is dust."
>You place a stone, carved with your Legion's symbol, above his head, and make your way back into town, Gebta's bolter mag-locked to your hip.


>Night falls as you make your way back to your red house.
>Rage and melancholy battle for dominance in your mind. Trixie had desecrated your brothers for her own arrogant desires. She would pay for this. She would pay dearly.
>To your surprise, your new door is already fitted into a frame and mounted on the front of your house, complete with a ruby-encrusted doorknob.
>Do ponies even use doorknobs?
>A lacy letter lies on your porch, held down with....an apple?
>You pick the fruit and letter up, before shrugging and letting yourself inside.
>Derpy floats there, humming to herself as she stirs some sort of batter in your kitchen.
>"Oh hey anon! You made it back! I got started on the muffins, I hope you don't mind!"
>You smile and take in the heavenly scent, ignoring the growing headache you get from Derpy's presence.
"Not at all, Derpy. As long as you still intend to teach me how to bake, of course."
>She grins and beckons you over, and you join her, looking forward to your lesson in baking.
>Thoughts of Trixie, thoughts of Gebta and...your brothers, can wait.
>You have more important things to do.
>And so you and Derpy spend the night together, baking and laughing and telling stories.
>And the both of you put your pain away.
>You can pull it out another night.