Flash Sentry rolled awkwardly across bare concrete.
“Ooof... guh... augh!” He finally came to a stop against a pair of thick ankles. He winced as Bulk Biceps reached down and hoisted his body up... his fully-clothed, human body. The sensation of being forced to stand upright sent his ape-like head into a dizzy spell. “Phweeeeeeeeeee...”
“Flash!” Lyra Heartstrings could be heard exclaiming from the thickly-gathered crowd of once-ponies. “You came out so violently!”
“Are you okay, darling?” said Rarity.
“What happened to you inside all that portal-ness?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Mrmmff... Trixie...” Flash sputtered, shaking loose from Bulk Biceps' gasp. “Trixie!!” He clutched his bruised shoulder and limped towards the terrestrial-side of the portal. He saw buildings, asphalt, the campus of Canterlot High School—so many familiar urban sights under a setting sun. But no stage magician. “Where's my trot buddy?! Has anypony seen her?”
“No...” Pinkie Pie pointed. “But I see her clothes lying on the ground!” The teenager rubbed her chin. “Why're her clothes so much smaller than normal...”
“And...” Fluttershy grimaced, clutching her hands to her chest. “...are her clothes moving?”
Flash spun to face a patch of fabric on the ground, still trailing magical steam. Sure enough, a living lump was stirring from underneath... accompanied by a familiar trilling sound.
“Trixie!” Flash rushed over... but his footsteps slowed as he approached the body. His jaw hung low. “... … ...Trixie?”
“Guhhhhhhhhh...” The soul in question moaned. “...Trixie's hooves hurt.”
Flash's human nose scrunched. “Your what hurt?”
Just then, a snow-white tail flicked loosed from beneath a starry blue skirt. A fuzzy quadruped the size of a domestic house cat—if not smaller—stood on all fours, shaking its blue snout and teetering from side to side.
“Trixie... needs a barf bag...” the unicorn whimpered, stumbling one step too many.
“Httt!” Flash reached down and caught her. He scooped her up—a comically easy thing to do—seeing as all of her weighed barely more than a phone book. He stood up tall before the shocked gaze of everyone around them, cradling a little blue pony in a little blue ensemble of a little blue Trixie's clothes. “Uhm...”
“Sap-sack...” Trixie squinted up at him with her little pony eyes. “...why are you so big all of a sudden...?”
“I... I don't understand...” Flash looked at the portal—which was rippling no more or less than normal. “...did something bad happen to the portal? Why didn't it spit you out as a human?”
“Don't be silly.” Trixie made to point at him. “Trixie is human—” Her pupils shrank at the sight of her fuzzy fetlock sliding out from under her hoodie's long sleeve. “Meep!”
“The frick just happened?!” Rainbow Dash's voice cracked. The athlete shrugged dramatically. “Did the portal malfunction or something?!”
“It couldn't have done so on its own.” Twlight Sparkle adjusted her glasses with a slight frown as she said: “The only possible explanation is some sort of magical, enchanted contaminant messing with the transformation process.”
“Magical enchanted contaminant—?” Flash started...
...but was soon interrupted by two glowing objects falling from Trixie's unicorn body. Both he and his trot buddy looked down. Rattling to a stop between Flash's feet were a pair of triangular satchels—strobing purple and orange like magic quesadillas.
“Whoopsies...!” Trixie giggled nervously. “H-how did those get there...?”
Flash took a deep, calm, meditative breath... then frowned viciously at the fuzzy unicorn he was cradling in his arms. “Trixxxxxie...” His eyes glared daggers. “Did you smuggle some of Starlight Glimmer's 'escape pellets' in your pocket?”
“Egads, no! Who do you think Trixie is?” She curled her forelimbs before her hoodie, tail flicking with momentary pride. “Trixie hid them in her mane. A magician always knows how to improvise.” She smiled and winked. “Wwwwwink!”
Flash would have face-palmed... if only it didn't mean dropping the little pony in his arms.
Just then, behind them both...
...Sunset Shimmer and Applejack stepped through the mirror.
“Aaaannnd... that's a wrap, folks!” Sunset Shimmer did a victorious little twirl and held her arms out towards the darkening sky. “Woohoo! Now, let's do one final headcount and we'll be on our way—” She froze in place, eyes blinking wide.
Flash winced, holding a tiny clothed unicorn magician in his arms. Trixie gulped, put on a cheesy grin, and waved a dainty hoof.
“... … ...” Sunset Shimmer slapped her palm to her skull and slumped in place. “Goddammit, Trixie.”