Trixie's Return Part 2 · 9:45pm Jun 3rd, 2018
So yeah, in this altered history it seems Spike joined the Royal Guard. And he's the one that's been assigned to be Trixie's bodyguard for the day.
Needless to say, neither Trixie nor Spike is happy about this.
Shining isn't brooking any dissent though. Apparently Spike's spent years after getting expelled from magic school insisting that he'd had proof Trixie was a bully and a cheat and that she'd somehow gotten rid of it. Shining doesn't want to hear that anymore. As the older brother he selected Spike specifically for this in order to help him to get over this grudge, but he's more than willing to go into "commanding officer" mode and make it a direct order. Spike reluctantly obeys.
Trixie meanwhile is knocking her head against a wall wondering how else this day is going to kick her in the flank.
The very long and awkward ride down to Ponyville reveals exactly how Spike's history flipped in this timeline. After his failed attempt to expose Trixie she crafted a story that got him expelled instead. He spent ages nursing a grudge and being black-listed from most other schools around Canterlot because of his new reputation. Eventually that combined with his attitude over the whole thing left his parents with no choice but to enlist him in military school. He's also, as you might've guessed, rather curt with Trixie and only slightly less so with Twilight over this whole deal.
So the arrival in Ponyville goes as it did in canon with the crew landing in town and Pinkie Pie seeing them and racing off to start party prepping. Trixie is already planning to just drop her overseer duties and go grab the other Flipped Six and find the Elements but Spike bars her. He refuses to leave her side since he's supposed to be her bodyguard, and Twilight proves to be far too withdrawn to handle talking to everypony and making sure preparations are on schedule herself. After "promising" that he'll be writing an accurate report to his brother and the princess about what Trixie did (and failed to do) at the end of the day, Trixie decides that running through the checklist and getting Spike off her back is the path of least resistance to getting what she wants. Especially when she learns that the first stop is Sweet Apple Acres, the home to Big Macintosh the future Element of Loyalty.
From here on each of the ReMane Five from canon seems to have a contest for how far south they can throw things for Trixie.
At Sweet Apple Acres Trixie tries several times to pull Mac away from the rest of his family to tell him about the Elements and Nightmare Moon. After several failures due to the sheer size of the Apple Family she manages to corner him in the farmhouse and start what sounds like some rather suggestive dialogue. Suggestive enough for Applejack to get the wrong idea when she comes in looking for Mac. Turns out Spike got into a pie-eating contest with the rest of the family and Braeburn has already dropped out. Mac heads out to defend family honor, while AJ ribs Trixie a bit for her apparent attraction to her brother before advising that "Mac's the kinda stallion that prefers to take things slow."
Leaving the farm Trixie is fuming, dumping blame on Spike for the debacle. Oh sure the Apple Family loved him and was flattered by how much he enjoyed the food they prepped, but that little competition that started up means the entire clan (Mac included) will be running around to make enough for the night's party! Spike doesn't much care as he enjoyed the home-cooked meal and getting Trixie miffed is a pleasant side bonus. He's less cavalier about it when Twilight, who overate at the farm, gets sick to her stomach and Trixie steals Spike's helmet for her to use as a bucket in order to get even.
While Spike goes to clean his gear and Twilight up, Trixie spots Town Hall and plans to pop in for a moment since it's on the list and she needs to speak to Time Turner anyway. Her run for it is interrupted however when she gets clobbered by Rainbow Dash practicing her stunts. Spike shows up too late to protect her from a muddy fate, but plenty early enough to restrain Dash, leading to an argument between the two mares. After trading insults (which include several from Trixie implying Dash is a clumsy flier who's bad at her job), Thunderlane shows up and breaks up the argument and Spike lets RD go deciding it really was just an accident but warning her to be more careful next time. Trixie is just left fuming and covered in mud as Dash and Thunderlane fly off for her to blow off steam.
Determined not to let this get her down, Trixie storms into Town Hall. Rarity is in there putting up decorations and anyone who saw the pilot can probably guess what her reaction to a mud-covered Trixie and her entourage is. Despite her protests Trixie is dragged off for a bath and to her cape and hat cleaned, and Spike and Twilight just follow along (while Time Turner shows up a moment after they leave wondering what the racket was).
Trixie is starting to wonder if anything is going to go right with her plan, grabbing her cleaned hat and cape (and an unintentional eyeful of Spike's hot new royal guard physique when she walks in on Rarity measuring him for a tuxedo). Putting the interruption from her mind she storms outside and right into Rainbow Dash, who says she's gonna make Trixie eat her earlier words before tearing apart the clouds around town in ten seconds flat (Thunderlane times it and confirms). Trixie just runs off, determined to meet at least one of the remaining Flipped Six while she has time but the last few attempts go as well as the others. Cheerilee has cleared out her daycare group from the library since Trixie is supposed to be staying there while she's in Ponyville (and there's no way to tell where it was moved to as Trixie doesn't care enough to ask anypony at this point), and she arrives at Fluttershy's bird training far too late to even glimpse Ditzy Doo. The Pinkie Party waiting for her at the library just tips her over the edge and she runs off screaming.
Trixie decides to just cut out the middle pony here and guns for Town Hall again. This time she manages to succeed at her goal and gain an audience with Princess Celestia. Before Celestia can even start with the standard wise teacher platitudes Trixie starts ranting up and down about how Nightmare Moon is returning and none of the ponies that are supposed to help her will do anything and that everything is everypony else's fault for failing to realize how important Trixie is and just shutting up and listening to her.
Celestia is paying attention though, and she beings to realize that Trixie not only knows about Nightmare Moon but also the Elements of Harmony, their location, and even seems to have an idea of how the Elements are supposed to work. She confronts Trixie asking why she seems so sure that others are supposed to help her, and Trixie seems trapped only to be saved by the bell. Namely the clock tower bell tolling out early morning and the approaching sunrise. That prompts Celestia to drop the subject and push Trixie outside to safety, telling her to find the Elements and bring them back to Canterlot where they'll be safe.
Trixie witnesses Celestia's capture, and Nightmare Moon's big reveal goes exactly as it did in canon (actual canon, not Flipverse canon). At this point Trixie decides she'll just need to force things to go as she wants, tracking down Spike as he tries to help the guards deal with the confused crowd and giving him an order to find some very specific ponies and bring them to the library...
[To be continued in part 3]
Oh boy. I loved the apple family scene. Great job here.
Trixie, Trixie, Trixie. i love you, but you can be so damned dense.