Note: I would like to note that this chapter is a tad bit disturbing, because it once again involves the Stallion Empire; all resemblances to real-world nations are completely coincidental... Insert more legal stuff here. Anyway, enjoy!

Dimension: My Little Pony

Planet: Equestria Earth

Specific Location: Stallion Empire, the frozen planes of the north

Time: Twelve days after the Paradox took over Equestria

"I don't think I'm going to make it," gasped Rainbow as she continued to drag herself forward through the snow. She had made it to the pine forest, but there was no cover for her here. The pines grew thick and tall around her, but their bases were frozen and cold, and they did nothing to shield her from the biting wind. It was no use. All she could see was frozen tundra, marsh, and pine trees in all directions.

She felt very sleepy, and she could no longer feel any part of her body. Even her mind had gone numb. It had gone so numb, in fact, that she barely felt any sadness as she felt herself slip into oblivion. She felt a dull pain for her passing, and the void that would be left inside the hearts of her friends, but that did not matter now. All the mattered was sleep…

Suddenly she was jerked awake roughly by grasping hooves. They seized her bodily, and began to drag her away. Rainbow gasped in shock as she felt several sharp stones cut through her skin, but she was still too numb to really feel any pain.

"Where… where are we going?" she slurred, her brain slowing down her speech down even more.

"She's still alive," chuckled a voice, "That's good."

"Ah good, then we can hear her scream," chortled another, "I am looking forward to this…"

Rainbow Dash blinked as she continued to be dragged along. What had they said? Screaming? What?

Suddenly she and her captors reached a large cave hidden cleverly by bushes and trees. Inside the cave were more ponies huddled around a huge bonfire.

"Icicle! What did you find there?" called out one pony.

"I've found us a bit of fun!" replied the pony called Icicle.

"Oh… THAT kind of fun. It's a female. The boss won't like that," snorted another pony.

"The boss needn't know!" snapped Icicle, "She's in the back, resting. She won't bother us havin' a bit of fun. It will raise morale."

At this point, Rainbow Dash slowly came back to her senses.

"What's going on?" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, now struggling vehemently to free herself of their grasp.

"Oh ho! We've got a real live one now!" laughed Icicle harshly, "Frozen Heart! Get over here with that rope! Gag her! Rest of you boys, hold her down! I found her, so I get the first go! We will all have had a turn by the time she drifts away!"

"W-what are you doing?!" yelled Rainbow Dash, "Let me go!"

"Not a chance, missy," sneered Frozen Heart as he gagged her, "Icicle's gonna rape you. Then I'm gonna rape you. We are gonna have SOOO much fun before you go blank."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened with horror as the full realization of what was happening hit her. This was it. She was probably going to die in the worst way possible. She tried to struggle again, but there were too many thugs sitting on her hooves. They spread her legs wide, exposing her marehood. It was over. Rainbow Dash shut her eyes tight as she silently screamed.

However, just as she was seconds away from getting it, a sharp voice abruptly barked out, "Get back! Back all of you!"

Suddenly the bodies that pressed all around her moved aside, and she was roughly un-gagged. Rainbow opened her eyes, and blinked. Then she rolled over and looked up. The voice that had told them to all back off… it was Trixie.

"We are so sorry, Trixie the great and powerful," murmured Icicle, his eyes downcast, "We just wanted to have a bit of fun."

"You can have a bit of fun tomorrow, when the storm has cleared up and there is fresh prey wandering about, lost," replied Trixie curtly, giving him and Frozen Heart venomous stares, "This one is mine."

"T-T-Trixie?" stuttered Rainbow Dash, utterly stunned.

"Get up!" snapped Trixie. She roughly forced her onto her hooves with magic. "Now," she hissed, "Walk!"

Rainbow Dash quickly hurried after Trixie as the pony thugs parted ranks, looking at her with a mix of awe and lust.

"What… what's going on?" whispered Rainbow Dash.

"Shut up!" interrupted Trixie sharply, "Keep walking!"

In a moment, they were at the back of the large cave. At the back, there was a smaller alcove. Two burly guards armed with shotguns stood on either side of the alcove.

"You two are relieved. Join the rest," ordered Trixie briskly. The two guards nodded and quickly galloped off.

There was a long pause. Then, suddenly, Trixie gave a long, drawn-out, sigh.

"By Equestria!" exclaimed Trixie, rubbing her temples with the tips of her hooves, "What in the HAY are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, still a bit dumbfounded.

"You were looking for ME?" gaped Trixie, "ME? Trixie the Great and Powerful? Why?"

"Well… we need your help! Wait… Why are you here? My sources told me that you were in the Iron Hoof Mountains!" said Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, you got that information from the Black Hind Tavern, didn't you," snorted Trixie.

"Ummmm… yeah…"

"Of course you did. I told Brandy, the bartender, to tell anypony that knew me that I was there. In fact, every Customs Police, Stallion Empire soldier, and assassin thinks that I am there. Thus, no one ever would actually know that I was, in fact, here! Mareskov Forest. Quite brilliant if I do say so myself…" chuckled Trixie, more to herself than anypony else. Trixie then shook her head as she brought herself out of her memories and said, "Oh… Sorry. Rainbow Dash! Why the hay are you here?"

"I already said I was looking for you!"

"And I already said WHY?"

"Ummm… you still have the alicorn amulet, right?"

Trixie winked. "Of course I do. It's back in my personal alcove. It was that that won me all these followers. I have gathered about a cartel of mercenaries and assassins because of it. They all think I am some super-soldier killer, devoted to the downfall of the Stallion Empire's government."

Rainbow Dash nodded her head slowly as this all sunk in. "Okkkaayyyy… Well, ARE you trying to bring down the Stallion Empire's government?"

"Of COURSE not!" laughed Trixie, "Trixie the Great and Powerful would never waste her efforts on such a simple endeavor!"

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Riiiigghhhttt… What are you doing then?"

"What am I doing now? Great things!" chortled Trixie nervously, "Why… Right now… I'm… um… er…"

Rainbow Dash sighed and rolled her eyes. "You just like the attention, don't you?"

Trixie drew herself regally up. She then opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. Then she opened it again, and then closed it again. Then she sighed and slumped down slightly. "Yes, Trixie has no idea what she really is doing," she admitted.

Rainbow Dash saw her chance to complete her mission. "Actually, I have something that you might want to consider doing!"

Trixie looked at Rainbow skeptically. "I doubt that very much."

"Perhaps you do," persisted Rainbow, "But it is for a good cause."

"The word 'good' has no meaning anymore. Just look at me! I am the queen of thieves! Morality doesn't come with the package."

"The word 'good' should still apply! You are an Equestrian! Born and raised under the glorious hoof of Celestia. We were all raised to spread friendship and happiness. How can you do it here? You are right; you are in a den of thieves, queen of assassins, but that doesn't mean that cannot all change!"

"What are you implying?"

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. This was it. "We need you to come back to Equestria with the Alicorn Amulet. With your powers, enhanced with the amulet, and coupled with Twilight's magical abilities we will be able to breach Canterlot's royal treasury. We plan to rob it, and use the money we steal to pay for weapons so that we can begin to battle the Paradox."

There was a uncomfortable pause. Then Trixie began to laugh.

"By Equestria! If only you could hear yourself!" she laughed, "Here you were, telling Trixie the Great and Powerful about how we Equestrians were all raised to spread friendship, only to turn around and pitch me a plan of bank robberies, weapons, and insurrections! Just admit it, Rainbow Dash, you've lost your innocence. You've ALL lost your innocence."

Rainbow Dash's face paled. Trixie was right. She was more than right. She was DEAD right. Rainbow sighed. "You're right," she mumbled, "We are no longer who we once were. Times have changed us. We are no better than the assassins you live amongst."

Trixie immediately stopped laughing. At first she looked confused, even mournful, but then a small grin crept upon her face. "Then you all are just like Trixie, the Great and Powerful, and you all know how much I enjoy my own company. I am willing to help you. When do we leave?"

"Immediately, if at all possible," said Rainbow Dash, a warm explosion of hope bursting within her chest.

"Done," said Trixie, "Just give me a moment to pack."

With that, she turned and trotted into her alcove. Rainbow could hear the clattering of objects as Trixie prepared to take her leave of the Stallion Empire's frozen planes.

"If you don't mind me asked," called Rainbow into the alcove, "Why were you here in the first place?"

"Oh… that… Wellllllll, I made a couple of powerful enemies during my final performances in Equestria," explained Trixie as she continued to sort through her stuff in her alcove, "I needed to disappear. Sadly, I had little to no money when I realized that. Fortunately, I had just enough money to pay for a flight to the least traveled place in the whole world: The Stallion Empire. I was scared and desperate, so I chose to take the trip to Hooviski International airport. Unfortunately, the plane I was flying on was so third class that we crashed here, in the Mareskov Forest. I wandered bout for days, but soon I was out of hope. It was at that point when I met Icicle and his gang. They would have raped me for sure, but I showed them the meaning of power with my Alicorn Amulet. They submitted to me, and helped me find my way to Stalliongrad. The first thing I did was go to the Black Hind Tavern. Icicle told me that I could gather information on worthwhile, yet shady, job opportunities for such an amazing pony as myself. Unfortunately, I had a little too much to drink… and a fight ensued. I was arrested, and was placed in solitary confinement in a terrible prison designed to hold non-natives. Stallion Empire soldiers despise non-natives more than anything. Ugh… it was a terrible experience. They raped and beat me, and I thought I was going to die. But one day I managed to start a riot and break into the superintendants office. I found my Alicorn Amulet, and destroyed the facility. Now I was a five-star wanted criminal here as well, and needed to vanish again. I decided that I would fake an escape to the Iron Hoof mountains. The diversion worked, and then I fled to Icicle and his lot. They welcomed me back as their leader… and now here I am! Trixie the Great and Powerful has a great and powerful life story, no?"

Rainbow Dash bit her bottom lip. It sounded like Trixie had gone through some terrible ordeals. "That's amazing…"

"Yes, it is," commented Trixie dryly, "However, the most ironic part is that Brandy the bartender told me that if I survived, I would no longer be an Equestrian of Celestia's… and he's right. I am a Stallion Empire immigrant through-and-through."

Rainbow shivered. She hated the sound of that. At this point, Trixie came out, with the amulet around her neck, and a huge suitcase levitating besides her.

"I'm ready to go!" she declared dramatically.

"Great!" exclaimed Rainbow, "Ummm… just one question… How do we leave the Stallion Empire? I know that I'm not wanted… but you are probably could never set hoof in the Stalliongrad International airport."

"Of course I couldn't! Perish the thought!" chortled Trixie, "Anyway, whatever gave you the thought that Trixie the Great and Powerful would ever think of leaving such a bland legacy? Oh no, I have something much grander in mind."

"Okkkaaayyyyy… what is it?" asked Rainbow Dash, though, in her gut, she felt like she really, really, really did not want to know.

"We're going to steal a Stallion Empire fighter jet from the Army Base north of here, and fly out in style!" crowed Trixie.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed. "That's your plan? To commit suicide?"

Trixie just laughed lightly. "Trixie the Great and Powerful NEVER commits suicide! That plan is sound!"

"If your plan is to commit suicide, then yeah, the plan is sound," snapped Rainbow Dash.

Trixie continued to look very pleased with herself. "Oh ye of little faith... It will work! Come, we have not much time to lose!"

Trixie trotted past Rainbow and continued on into the main portion of the cave. The moment she entered the area, all talk from Icicle and his group stopped. They got up respectfully.

"Icicle," snapped Trixie in a rough tone of voice, "We are beginning operation Silent Snow."

Icicle nodded his head. "Understood. But... Trixie the Great and Powerful, when will we see you again?"

"I might just return," stated Trixie regally, "Until then, keep my ponies safe. Your life depends on it."

Icicle smiled and saluted with a hoof. "Yes ma'am!"

Trixie nodded. Then she shouted, "What are we all waiting for? Begin operation Silent Snow! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

The group of mercenary ponies scrambled up and began to grab their shotguns and rifles. Head held high, Trixie trotted to the entrance of the cave. She stood there, star-filled cape flapping in the wind, looking like a total badass.

Rainbow started to canter up to the entrance as well, but was momentarily stopped by Frozen Heart.

"Ummm... I would just like to apologize, ma'am," he mumbled, "We didn't know you were one of Trixie's."

Rainbow was about to indignantly exclaim that she WASN'T one of Trixie's but then decided against it. "Eh, it's okay. Just watch what you're doing, or you'll end up at the bottom of a frozen lake, with a millstone tied around your neck."

The threat actually seemed to cheer Frozen Heart up. The scarred and burly pony winked and took a step to the side.

Rainbow returned the wink and trotted up to Trixie. "Hey, Trixie," said Rainbow tentatively, "You aren't actually thinking of coming back here, right...?"

"Of course I am thinking of coming back here," replied Trixie briskly, "Trixie the Great and Powerful adores fans... and I think I have finally found my forever fans... right here. This life may be hard, but if it is the life I want, don't you think it is worth it?"

Rainbow sighed and shook her head mournfully. Trixie's words were hollow, with no substance to them. Hopefully, one day, the unicorn magician would come to realize that, and understand that her life did not need to be that way. She opened her mouth to tell Trixie that, when Trixie interjected, "This is my life, and this is how I want it to be. I will help, but then I am finished. WE'RE LEAVING IN FOUR MINUTES! MOVE!"

The ponies behind Rainbow and Trixie scrambled to pack up ammunition and supplies. As they did so, Trixie explained the situation, "We've been running low on supplies recently. However, there is massive Supplies Bunker east of here. Unfortunately it is made of thick steel on concrete, and is impossible to breach with a stealth attack. To crack it open, we needed real firepower. That is when we took into account the army base to the north. It had tanks and jetfighters, just what we needed, and it was not as heavily guarded. Thus, we would launch an attack on it, seize their military hardware, and launch a joint attack of the supplies bunker. At this time, I would leave the picture, to draw away attacks. Icicle doesn't know that I will actually be leaving with you."

"That's lying," said Rainbow, "Don't you think that would damage his trust in you when you finally return?"

"What trust?" laughed Trixie, "There was never any trust, just power."

Rainbow turned her head away. The lack of morality in the world sickened her.

"Trixie the Great and Powerful," murmured Icicle, approaching them respectfully, "We are ready."

Trixie sighed deep and long, breathing in the frozen air, "Wonderful," she said, "We leave now."

With that, Trixie used the power of her magic to cast a large, snow-deterring, bubble shield around her, Rainbow, Icicle, and the rest of the pony gang. The large group then began to gallop to the north, where the unsuspecting army base was positioned.

"When we get there," explained Trixie to Rainbow between breaths, "Stay out of the way. You were not part of the plan, so you are a dangling asset that we do not need. Just watch from a distance. ICICLE! BEGIN MOVEMENTS!"

Icicle nodded and exited the bubble shield with a small group of mercenaries. In seconds they were engulfed by the raging snowstorm outside.

"FROZEN HEART! BEGIN YOUR ATTACK!" shouted Trixie.

Frozen Heart grinned voraciously and nodded as well. They, too, exited the bubble. Now Trixie was left with Rainbow Dash and her own small group of followers.

"We are about a score of meters before the base. See? You can see the outlines of the watch towers..." said Trixie squinting through the raging storm. Rainbow looked in the direction Trixie was looking, and could see the faint outline of two towers.

Suddenly Trixie stopped. "Time to cause a little distraction," she muttered. She closed her eyes and aimed her horn at one of the towers. Red energy began to bubble around the tip of it as her magic began to infuse itself with the magic of the Alicorn Amulet. A massive beam of red and light blue power sizzled from her horn and struck the tower. It exploded with a rending blast and caught fire. Fiery masonry rained down as the tower collapsed. An alarm within the base began to ring. It was muffled by the howling wind, but an alarm had no doubt been raised.

"It's party time boys," said Trixie. Then, with a yell, the group charged. Rainbow immediately stopped and let everypony pass by her as per Trixie's request. In less than a minute the whole army base was consumed in chaos. Just as Trixie blasted her way in from the front, explosive charges blew openings in the west and east side of the base. From those breaches Icicle and Frozen Heart led their teams in. It was absolute chaos.

The Stallion Empire soldiers were in complete disarray. They ran around, shooting at Trixie's group and at their own comrades, only to get shotgunned in the face moments later. Trixie's plan was well performed, and in less than a minute the resident troops all had holes in their faces, and were bleeding out into the snow.

"That was easy," chuckled Icicle as he shotgunned a dead Stallion Empire soldier for no reason whatsoever.

"Trixie," reported Frozen Heart as he approached Trixie and Rainbow from behind, "We killed them all, but one of our lot found and killed the radio operator while he was sending an S.O.S. signal."

"Was the operator successful in sending the signal?" asked Trixie curtly.

Frozen Heart nodded. "He was."

"Oh well, that is of no consequence," sighed Trixie dramatically, "Grab the tanks and get them off into the hiding spot. I will take the fighter and draw off all response attackers. Icicle, get the tanks to safety, and then prepare to break into the supplies bunkers take it all. Use it to feed yourselves, and maybe even spare a little for the surrounding towns. The Stallion Empire has been starving its people for far too long."

"Trixie Great and Powerful, you should not have to put yourself at risk like this," interrupted Icicle, "I should go."

"Don't be silly," laughed Trixie, "If I'm gone, then you'll be in charge! It's a whole lot easier then murdering me in my sleep, right?"

"We mercenaries have honor too," replied Icicle stoutly. He then bowed his head. Trixie smiled. To everyone's surprise, she planted a kiss on his forehead.

"What are you all staring at? GET MOVING!" yelled Trixie. The entire group began to mobilize. Icicle, and the rest of the mercenaries rushed to commandeer the tanks while Trixie and Rainbow Dash streaked off to the airstrip where the jetfighters lay in wait.

"Trixie, tell me, have you ever flown before?" yelled Rainbow over the shrieking wind as the rushed for the airstrip.

"No! But I have you! You can fly us out!" replied Trixie loudly.

"But I haven't flown anything before!" shouted Rainbow.

"You can fly! It cannot be too different!" yelled Trixie.

At this moment, they reached the airstrip. Frozen Heart was waiting for them.

"Here are the command codes for fighter 401B," said Frozen Heart, tossing Trixie a small metal cube, "That fighter is in the best condition."

"Thank you, Frozen Heart. While I am gone, keep an eye of Icicle. Don't let him get too cocky, or too comfortable with his position," said Trixie as she winked at him.

Frozen Heart hefted his shotgun with a hoof as he winked back.

Trixie and Rainbow Dash rushed past him and entered the hangar. In a moment they found fighter 401B. They unlocked the cockpit and jumped inside. As Trixie did that, she quickly pressed a button on the wall, commanding the bay doors to open. The whole hangar became enveloped by the wind and snow just as Trixie slammed the cockpit shut.

Rainbow Dash inserted the small metal box into an opening, and the jetfighter suddenly roared to life.

Suddenly a massive explosion tore through the base. The Stallion Empire army had begun to bombard their own base with shells.

"I hope Icicle got out in time," said Rainbow through gritted teeth as she searched for a way to start the plane. She pressed a large red button. Missiles detached themselves from the fighter and ignited. They streaked out of the hangar and collided with the hangar opposite to them, obliterating it with a rending explosion.

"Well, I know what button NOT to hit now," muttered Rainbow. Then she remember the throttle and what it did. Seizing a lever besides her, Rainbow then shoved it forward. The engines roared to life, and the fighter began to roll out of the hangar. It was just in the nick of time as well, for the whole hangar went up in flames as several shells blew the thing apart.

Rainbow did her best to align the nose of the plane with the runway, and then she opened the throttle to maximum power. The jetfighter shot forward as flames exploded from the jet engines. Trixie screamed at the top of her lungs as the fighter took off. She continued to scream without taking a breath as Rainbow Dash took the fighter to the air.

It was only when Rainbow managed to level out did Trixie stop screaming.

"That was... that was rather fun..." gasped Trixie, placing a hoof over hear chest as she calmed herself down.

"Don't worry, it is about to get more fun," said Rainbow grimly as she gazed at the radar panel. Two red dots... that meant that they were being approached by two fighters, no doubt out to shoot them down.

"Hang on!" yelled Rainbow Dash. She suddenly took a sharp loop-the-loop, cutting the engines and stalling at the apex the of turn. This was a little trick she learned for herself at the Wonderbolts academy. Rainbow's fighter stopped at the apex and preformed an incredibly sharp turn. It was so sharp, in fact, that the enemy fighters could not follow up with the turn, and suddenly found Rainbow Dash behind them.

"Let's see... two are here, and there will be more coming," muttered Rainbow Dash, using all her skills as a flier to keep herself alive, "They will no doubt be rolling Anti-Air hardware... I can see a STING launcher setting up below... we need to move."

Suddenly Rainbow Dash pressed the button that launched the missiles. The storm was so great that the locking systems were scrambled, but Rainbow didn't need any of those things. She was a Wonderbolt.

A missile streaked ahead and made contact with the starboard wing of the enemy fighter on the left. It was perfectly timed. The wing exploded, and the fighter spiraled to the right, colliding bodily with the fighter on the right. Two birds with one stone.

Suddenly a missile whipped by the cockpit window of Rainbow's jet. Since the locking systems were useless in this weather, the Stallion Empire AAs were randomly firing hails of missiles in their direction like Ack-Ack guns.

Explosions began to rip the air apart all around them as Rainbow swerved and dived.

"This is going to get a little hot!" yelled Rainbow Dash as she went into a dive. She quickly glanced back to see how Trixie was doing... she had passed out.

Grinning, Rainbow shot up and pulled a sharp turn, barely avoiding several missiles. Two more red dots showed up on the radar.

"I can't keep this up," grunted Rainbow, "We're going to have to make a run for it."

Rainbow flipped a switch that read "afterburners" and went supersonic. With that, she turned the fighter to face the west. It was now a race to see if Rainbow Dash and Trixie would make it to Equestria air first... or if they would just get shot down in the process.

Fortunately, Rainbow had a head start, and the fighter she had was in good condition. Despite several attempts of the Stallion Empire to shoot her down through fighters, AA guns, and battleships, it was no avail. The enormous snowstorm that swept through the land sent long-range radar and missile locking systems haywire, so all attempts to take out the rogue jetfighter were futile.

Rainbow glanced at the panel to her right. She still had two more afterburner reserves... a little something to speed her along on the journey. She then glanced at the radar and smiled. The two red dots that had been ever-present radar since she had left the army base had vanished after they had passed over Stallion Empire waters. They were home free. Or, at least they thought so…

For the first time since taking off, which had been almost more six hours ago, Trixie spoke. "Ummm… Rainbow Dash? Trixie the Great and Powerful has been thinking… the Stallion Empire is an enemy of Equestria right?"

"Uh, yeah, of course," mumbled Rainbow, "Why?"

"Well, we are flying an armed Stallion Empire fighter over Equestria air-space right now…"

"Oh. Oops."

Almost immediately after that word left Rainbow's mouth and drifted into the air, explosions began to rip through the air. The Equestrian Ground Forces near Manehattan was opening fire.

"You think the Paradox would have suppressed all military by now!" yelled Rainbow as she sent the plane into a spiraling dive. However, she too late… the jet was hit.

"I think that is it for us!" yelled Rainbow Dash, "I hope these parachutes work!"

"Parachutes? What parachutes?!" screamed Trixie.

Rainbow Dash didn't answer. Reaching forward with a shaking hoof, Rainbow seized a red pull-cord and jerked it. Both Rainbow Dash's and Trixie's seats blasted into the air. Trixie started to scream again.

Fortunately, the parachutes worked fine, and they were deployed. The AA fire from Manehattan ceased their fire as the Stallion Empire jet exploded.

"Don't EVER do that again," gasped Trixie as they continued to drift lazily through the air.

"What, the Great and Powerful Trixie can't take a little excitement?" chortled Rainbow Dash

"No… It's just that…" mumbled Trixie

"It doesn't matter," sighed Rainbow Dash, "We will be landing soon. No doubt we will be immediately surrounded by Phasetroopers or Equestrian soldiers the moment we land. Hopefully it is the latter. Anyway, when we land, we need to get to Ponyville. We can meet up with Twilight and get on with this whole mission!"

"Let us just hope this mission is worth it," muttered Trixie.

Note: I really enjoy writing these types of chapters. Anyways, don't forget to leave a review! I would appreciate it if you let me know what you thought of it! If you do that, I will possibly maybe perhaps give you a microwave. I don't know why... But someone might possibly find a use for it... maybe.