Chapter 11
Dear Princess Celestia,
It’s been about a week since I sent you my last friendship report, and sadly no, this isn’t another one. Ever since the last one, things have been getting better with Spike and Connor, me and my friends too but they’re different cases. I don’t understand Connor too much¸ he’s still weird around us, not to mention stupid, its only Rarity he’s been taking an interest to social-wise. And what is with that necklace he gave Spike? There’s something about it I can’t put my hoof on and it’s been bothering me since the day his “older brother” gave it to him. I can feel from it that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to this thing.
Well, aside from Connor’s behavior towards some ponies he has been a lot of help lately. From Applejack with her apple orchard, making sure that she and her family wouldn’t do the apple bucking season alone. To Rarity in some clothes designs for stallions and colts alike, and for it, business for her has been booming lately. She must be incredibly grateful to be able to expand to more than just mares and fillies. And finally to Pinkie Pie, helping her out on some on the various recipes she’s been working on. He even had some ideas for recipes of his own that the Cakes decided to go through, that really worked!
And I’m happy it isn’t just me learning about friendship though, Connor may be…let’s say reluctant, but he’s done better like I have since we’ve gotten here. I mean, he’s having Spike almost all the time with him now, all that “brother stuff” really dug its way into the two of them. It’s almost like a, dare I say it, a drill dug into the two of them and had them connected. I do know of Connor’s foul mouth, and I repeat that he talks just so… Anyways, everypony here knows about him and his big old, I do desperately hope that he doesn’t say every word he knows, it’s my job to teach Spike vocabulary, not a pony like Connor. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a really good guy when he wants to be, but there’s just something about him that I can’t quite put a hoof on, and it makes me restless at some points.
Oh look at me write on and blabber about everyONE else under this roof and not too much over my other friends, they really are great, great mares. I know I whined and complained about learning in a subject that seemed unnecessary to learn, but I was dead wrong. Friendship is a wonderful thing, and I’m pretty eager to learn more all about it, one month into it and it’s become one of my top three favorite subjects!
Well, this was one long letter wasn’t it? Well, the ponies here in Ponyville seem to be gathering around the markets for some reason, guess this is my cue to finish up huh? Well, I’ll send another letter soon, or so I hope so. Nice to write to you again!
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.
On a cool summer’s afternoon, a rather familiar lavender coated unicorn had her haunches sat down on a small pile of pillows, looking down her freshly made letter. She looked out of the window next to her, from there, sunlight came shining down in rays as it made the unicorn’s coat glimmer and drying the ink on the small parchment. With a look of satisfaction, she rummaged around the rest of her room for something else.
“Where in the world is it…ah-ha!” said Twilight. From a drawer in her night stand, and with a horn flaring light purple, levitated a longer piece of paper, already been written upon from a time before.
“Okay now…step one…Have Connor FINALLY clean up the mess he made from last week…” She trotted over to her door and opened it to see the main room of the library. It was the same as always, it had the wooden horse’s head in the middle of the room on a table, and hundreds of books upon shelves collecting dust. Where the pile of wood and broken furniture she left for her roommate was, it was gone at last. “Check!” Crossing off chore number one on the list of the small parchment, Twilight walked about with a satisfied look on her face.
“Now I guess its time for step two on this list,” said Twilight. The purple unicorn jumped up in surprise from a loud noise. It was as if a hundred or so foals screamed as loud as they could and pierced the sky with a barrage of colors and small explosions. When she trotted over to the nearest window she saw what had made the noise.
“What in Equestria was that!?” thought Twilight. She got up on her hind legs and was able to get a clear picture of what was in front of her.
She wasn’t able to see what was able to make such a noise, due to the massive crowd of ponies that assembled at the market place. Whatever it was that made the loud noises and explosions, it sure as hay brought the attention to almost everypony in the town.
“Sweet Celestia, I didn’t hear about any kind of social gathering! Those must have been fireworks or something.” thought Twilight. “Wait a minute…”
She frowned a bit when she noticed two familiar shapes at the edge of the crowd, her assistant and her roommate were pushing through the crowd and trying to get further in. She was so focused on this she didn’t notice that the rest of her friends were alongside the rambunctious stallion and his self-proclaimed little brother.
“Those two better not have done any of that funny stuff…I better see what’s going on.” thought Twilight.
She lost any form of irritation she had previously had, and went back to her room in a brisk pace. Dropping her to-do list into the same drawer she took it out of, she trotted out of her the library.
As the minutes of trotting passed by for our purple unicorn friend, she couldn’t help but be a little worried by the massive amount of ponies going to where she was headed. She knew the town was full of her kin, but this amount gathering in same location at the same time had gotten her a little excited, the worry and fright dying out. She had no idea what was going on but whatever it was, it must have been something big. What irritation that was within her was now gone as a smile was etched across her muzzle in curiosity.
She finally got to where the large massive crowd of ponies assembled at the market place, hearing the faint voice of a lone mare of the scene. “Behold Ponyville,” shouted the mare. “Be amazed by the talent that is the great and powerful Trixie!” Only having to hear the voice of this pony, Twilight just let out a long sigh and a scowl growing on her face.
“Oh great…one of these kinds of ponies…” thought Twilight. Her pace was replaced from one of enthusiasm into one of a lazy stride. She tried to enter the crowd to wear the real show was taking place with this “great and powerful Trixie” filly was.
“’Great and Powerful are ya?’ Just who the hell do you think I am?!” exclaimed a louder, more masculine voice. Upon hearing this, the town’s librarian just face hoofed for what it was worth.
“And on a different note…THIS kind of pony…” thought Twilight. Her stride was much lazier, without real enthusiasm left, seeing how the show was just a couple of show-offs. Knowing one of them was her roommate was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.
Pushing and shoving, and a few shouts at her and Twilight repeatedly saying, “sorry” and, “excuse me”, the lavender coated unicorn finally got to the front of the crowd. Her thoughts of what was there in front of her were in between wonder and disgust. Wonder from the small fireworks and sparklers being shot off and revealing colorful wonders and set smalls colts and fillies in awe, and disgust from the two show-offs on the stage.
“Well, pardon me but I do not know who you are, but if you desire to introduce yourself, go ahead.” said the mare on the stage who could only be the Trixie character Twilight had been hearing of. With a mane as white as snow, a light blue coat, a cape and magician’s hat with a crescent moon cutie mark with its own little wand. She really did know how to make a show go though, with the fireworks and dramatic boasting that would sound real fancy. No wonder the ponies around town gathered to this spot.
From the left of Trixie’s side stood a stallion that nearly towered her in height and body mass, wearing orange gar-shades and a messy, spikey brown mane. Standing on the stallion’s back stood Ponyville’s librarian’s assistant in all his glory, Spike, with his drill-bit necklace around his neck.
“I doubt you care…but I’ll tell you anyways! I’m Connor Stronghooves! The image of what a stallion should be!” exclaimed Connor, standing on his rear hooves and pointing a hoof up to the blue sunny skies. Spike jumped to the ground to let his older brother stand up without the burden of him on his back. But at that moment, an apple was just thrown at him, and knocked off his glasses.
“Uh-oh.” whispered Twilight.
Time seemed to stand still as he saw his precious shades, Sally, fly from his muzzle all the way to Trixie’s side of the stage and just past her, then finally off the stage. Spike backed up and off the stage and over to Rarity’s side off of the stage and alongside the rest of the mane six. A shadow befell the blue stallion’s side, as some ponies gasped in shock from such a violent action.
“Shut up we get it you stupid idiot!” shouted a stallion that was at the edge of the crowd. Connor tilted his head over to where he had heard the voice from, the ponies in the crowd that was in the direction of the brown mane pony’s eyes moved out of the way. What he had saw was an earth pony with a light shade of brown for a coat and a darker shade of it like Connor’s for the mane and tail, bearing a cutie mark of an hourglass. “As rude as what I did was, that was to say you need to tone down a bit, wouldn’t you agree?”
The very stallion that threw the apple just stood there on all fours in a defensive stance and waited for a quick move from the blue stallion on stage. The shadow over the prince’s eyes did not leave, but only made his glare more menacing, especially when it turned to green slits.
“Don’t throw another apple like that again…” said Connor coldly. The same shadow finally came back and covered his eyes like before so nopony could see the rage that burned like hellfire in the eyes of the blue-coated pony. With his teeth, he picked up his shades, put them back on, and trotted over to where his little brother looked up worryingly at him, along with his other friends.
“Are you okay bro?” asked Spike.
“Yeah, just fine little stallion,” said Connor. “As for somepony else, you…” He turned around and pointed a hoof over at Trixie, still looking unimpressed from the stallion’s dramatic and flashy movements. “I am Connor Stronghooves, why are you in this town?” It was by then the mare with the starry magician’s get up did she even so much as slightly smirk.
“Well, you see, stay in that spot and listen well, for I, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall tell you why I’m in Ponyville!” exclaimed Trixie. “I’m a traveling mare of sorts and bits, but more importantly, I’m here to show everypony why my special talent is magic.” Twilight coughed at this, a real unicorn doesn’t boast about her abilities in such a fashion.
“More like her special talent is having too big of a mouth if y’all ask me…” whispered Applejack. After that, she and the rest of the gang just kept whispering their thoughts of Trixie, not too big gossip that’s for sure, but words the show mare wouldn’t take kindly to. After some more whispered words were said, the unicorn up on the stage platform couldn’t help but feel irritated and get angry.
“Well look here Ponyville, looks like we got some Neigh Sayers in the crowd.” said Trixie.
“You know, we wouldn’t be against you if you didn’t boast of how great you are all the time.” said Connor. Rainbow Dash just coughed while Twilight cleared her throat. Connor caught on the hint his friends were giving him, which made him scowl.
“Well I have a right to, I AM awesome!”
“Not when you’re talking about it all the time.” the purple unicorn whispered. Sadly for her, the stallion with the orange pointy shades just shot her a dirty look, one that lasted for about five seconds before returning his attention to Trixie’s.
“Look, what even IS your special talent anyways?” asked Connor.
“Well I am EVER so happy that you asked!” exclaimed Trixie. “You see, my name is Trixie Lulamoon, but you can just call me…THE GREAT, AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” She stood on her rear legs, horn flaring and making more fireworks appear, wowing the crowd with an assault of lights, sounds and wonders from the stage. This only hurt the eyes of our main characters though, as they rub their eyes from irritation of the light.
“Look we get that part, you mind answering my question though? It’s rather annoying to have to hear what you call yourself every time I ask a damn question, now I demand an answer.” exclaimed Connor. To emphasize his point, he just stomped his hoof to the ground, making a large thump that made some of the children flinch. Trixie flinched as well, though not as bad as the fillies and colts in the audience, it was still flinching and even the brown mane stallion could see a trickle of fear in her eyes.
“Hold your horses now, Connor…” the orange pony said, putting a hoof on Connor, which said pony shook off and faced her.
“THAT’S SLAVERY!” shouted Connor. Applejack’s hat was nearly blown away by the volume of his voice, if she hadn’t held down her hat by a hoof then it surely would have.
“It’s just an expression that we all like to use sometimes, it has nothing to do with slavery Connor.” said Rainbow Dash. She and alongside everypony else around them just looked at him with looks that the blue stallion could read off of them, their faces saying “What the hay are you doing?” “Besides, we aren’t horses Connor, we’re ponies, duh.”
“…Back to the topic at hoof,” He looked over at Trixie again who now had a bored expression pasted on her face. “Can you please answer my question?”
“Why yes I can.” said Trixie. Connor just whipped what sweat there was on his forehead and gave out a deeply relieved sigh. “You see, my cutie mark means that I’m especially talented in magic, as I said before,” Twilight coughed at this, Trixie noticed the unicorn’s gesture, but chose to ignore it either way. “But, as it turns out anything that anypony can do, I can do better!”
“Oh yeah!?” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. Without another word she took to the sky in a blue blur. From what the townsfolk on the ground could see was the headstrong pegasus fly into the air, only being followed by a specter of light, bearing the six colors, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple in order, just like Rainbow Dash’s mane and tail. The crowd was inspired by the sights of the multicolored blur as it kept going cloud after cloud, having them go together by force to form an even bigger cloud.
After a couple more seconds of epic maneuvers that had made the crowd even more dumbstruck, Rainbow Dash finally bucked the cloud, having it have a major downpour of water. With one more move, she made a downwards twirl to the ground, using her wings to give her a lift by the wind velocity she was gathering, fly right under the extreme downpour, landing on the stage and spread her wings for the last time. With it came the water vapor in her wings, creating a beautiful rainbow over her damp body. All of the audience was in awe, even Connor found himself stomping his feet against the grass ground to his friend’s feat. “Beat that.” said Rainbow Dash.
“Why yes, that was a rather beautiful feat you’ve done there…but watch, as the Great and Powerful Trixie does better!” exclaimed Trixie. Her horn flared a bright purple, the aura of her horn around the bright colors of the rainbow surrounding the cyan Pegasus’s wings, grabbing her and spinning her around counter clock wise, and into the shape of a tornado. This went on for about a few minutes until the show mare decided to let go of Rainbow Dash, and let her face plant right into the ground.
“See? What did I tell you? Whatever anypony can do, I can do better.” said Trixie.
Connor, Spike, and the mane six looked at each other, mostly disgruntled faces were there but then an idea sparked up between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Yah know, Ah’m thinkin’ we might be doing this wrong. We should just use a unicorn to deal with this unicorn; don’t yah think otherwise, Rainbow Dash?” asked Applejack. She was nudging her with a knee from her front leg, as if trying to imply something.
“Yeah, I didn’t last too long; maybe a unicorn can do this better than I could.” said Rainbow Dash. Spike caught on to what they were trying to imply and simply nudged Twilight with an elbow. She looked down on her assistant, him with his pleading eyes, Twilight didn’t need to ask why he was looking at her with eyes as big as dinner plates, she caught on to the hint herself.
“Spike, you saw how they reacted to Trixie, I don’t want them to think I’m like her.” said Twilight, fear dripping from her words.
“Oh c’mon Twilight, Bro is always boasting about how great he is but we still like him!” said Spike. At that moment, the looming eyes of the very stallion bore their weight onto his little brother. A bit of tension spiked up in the air between the three as Connor had his eyes set on him.
“Spike…” said Connor calmly. The baby dragon turned around to look at his older brother dead in the eyes. To him they seemed unsettling, nerving, and awkward despite the shades of red that broke off to see the emotions in his eyes.
“Yes Bro?” asked Spike. A twinge of fear held tightly to the words of the child dragon.
“You think I boast a lot?” sternly asked Connor. Spike only played around with his index claws, looking down at the ground with nothing to say. “Well come on now, spit it out.”
“Well, um…” stuttered Spike. It was his caretaker that stepped in.
“Well to be honest I think you do, but at least you don’t go around and try to make everypony else feel bad.” said Twilight. Looking back down to his little brother, all he could notice was just how nervous and afraid he was. The small tyke took a peak at Connor, then looking down before he noticed.
“Thank you for your honest opinion, Twilight. But as everypony else is talking about, and um…implying something, we need a unicorn to help us out with Trixie.”
“No.” said Twilight flatly.
“Oh hush Twilight, I took the hints, and I don’t think that they meant you, but rather, a lady like mwah.” butted in Rarity. She trotted to the front of three, and towards the stage. With eyes filled with determination but the way she walked had grace to each step she took, grace to make some ponies think that she came all the way from Canterlot. Straight from what some could only assume that she came from the upper class among the upper class in the capitol of their country.
“Besides, why do you ask yourself why I believe that I’m better suited? Why I think I can do better at magic than you can? why, let me explain.” said Rarity. Her horn ignited in a bright light, grabbing a hold of one of the blue curtains using a telekinesis spell. “I think that there’s more to magic than the casual brutish nature to it. Oh no, there is much more to it than just that.” With that, she wrapped the curtain around her, becoming to what seemed like a ball of blue colors surrounding her figure, until her entire body had all but vanished.
In a brilliant flash of light she came back again, but the curtain was gone. What was there instead was an elaborate styled mane and tail, and a dress that matched the color of the curtain, along with many hues and a golden trim. “See? Beauty and grace is all you’ll see from this kind of magic.”
The crowd was in awe, Spike especially with his eyes as big as dinner plates and his jaw nearly unhinged as he marveled at the spectacle that was Rarity.
Connor just decided to do the one thing that he knew would rustle Rarity to the ultimate extent when it came to her showing of, he whistled. Not the kind of whistle that you would try to ignore a conversation and go off in a half decent tune, but the kind of whistling that would display a bit of affection for another pony. One that to the ears of the white coated mare on the wooden stage considered “uncouth”.
“Connor!” yelped Rarity, her cheeks a slight shade of red. All the blue stallion did was look the other way, and his muzzle scrunching up, then turned his head the other way. Most of the mares in the audience giggled, all except Rarity’s friends. She felt a bit embarrassed, having a stallion just DO that publicly, this was the first time to have to deal with some situation like this. Trixie looked deep into thought. Connor could tell she was thinking of something devious in mind for the look on her face said it all. He did not like this show mare. Not one bit.
“Well, it’s time to show everypony else who can do better.” said Trixie. Her horn ignited with a brilliant light of its own, masking around the head of Rarity. Connor took up a defensive stance and waited what would happen next. If he were to act now, Trixie would just finish up and clean the mess in a few mere seconds, so all he could do was wait. When Trixie was finished, Rarity revealed to something most interesting. Her mane…let’s say it changed.
“MY HAIR!” screeched Rarity. The mares of the audience gasped in horror as their eyes grew tiny. “WHAT DID SHE DO TO MY HAIR!?”
“Oh nuthin’, Sugarcube, ya’ll look fine.” Applejack lied.
“Yeah, you still look very nice.” said Twilight Sparkle, with a fake smile plastered on her face.
“Oh…and very…pretty…” said Fluttershy.
“Yeah, if sewer head was the latest fad.” said Connor. Spike punched his older brother in the shoulder as hard as he could; only met with the feeling of punching a brick wall in his scaly knuckles.
“Owowowowowowowowowowow!” exclaimed Spike, shaking his wrist back and forth from the throbbing pain. Rarity looked up to see for herself; sadly it was what Connor had said. It was filthy, it had flies buzzing around it and what she had imagined a rat in it. The two things that happened next was her running off crying, running into the crowd and all the way back home.
The thing that followed up was Connor taking off his shades and walking up on to the stage once more.
“You know, a unicorn and pegasus couldn’t do anything to you, but now its time to see if you can stand the method of MY madness!” exclaimed Connor. “You may have it with designing, and with rainbows, but its time to ignore all this pansy crap and take up a REAL test of a pony.”
“And what is the challenge that you wish to present to The Great and Powerful Trixie?” asked Trixie, nonchalantly. The brown mane stallion just smirked at this for his response, nothing more was said for a minute. It must have been the longest minute everypony else in the crowd had felt, the tension was high, Trixie grew frustrated from Connor’s silence and wanted to break it. “Well? Answer me!”
“Well it all depends, you got a table or something we could use?” asked Connor calmly.
“Well why do you ask that?” asked Trixie. Everypony else was thinking the same thing. What could the hot blooded stallion want with a table involving a test of strength? Could it be…?
“We are going to hoof-wrestle!” exclaimed Connor. Trixie face hoofed, so did Twilight and some of the crowd followed too. Murmurs were all Connor could hear from the crowd, but he didn’t care, he knew what he had to do.
“Well, even though I could most likely best you in this simple game, I do have to ask, why of all challenges you can put upon me, why this one ?” asked Trixie.
“Because anything else would have most likely have you end up on a table for a guy I know.” said Connor coolly. “He’s a damn good doctor.” Those words put a chill on Trixie’s spine, it left her un-easy, exposed in a sense that somepony had said that he could put you in some form of harm and promised to do it if they wanted to.
“Don’t get confused though, I’m just here to hoof-wrestle, nothing more.” Trixie gave him a nod, and using her magic she brought in a small table from behind the curtains. She placed it down in the middle of the space between them.
“Trixie doesn’t think that a test of strength is necessary, but I did promise that anything anypony can do, I can do better.” exclaimed Trixie. In the crowd you could hear cheering from the boastful words of the Great and Powerful Trixie as she took on the third challenge of her performance.
Sure in the past she had dealt with fan boys, fan girls, and haters to challenge her, the Great and Powerful Trixie, always usually beating them at a form of magic or some other thing revolving around it. Never before has somepony, a stallion of all ponies, to challenge her to a test of strength without the use of magic.
They took their spots at the table between them, sitting down with looking at each other dead in the eyes, never looking away as they set down their front right legs on to it.
“So, how do you want to play this?” asked Trixie.
“What do you mean? This is just hoof-wrestling.”
“Yes, but Trixie is always fair on the third challenge of the day, especially somepony with the courage to take MY spotlight.” She gave the pony on the other side of the table the dirty eye, who only shrugged it off without a second though.
“If you say so, Trixie.” calmly said Connor.
They took each other’s hoof, rested their elbows on the table, and started to push the other’s hoof. Trixie, with all her might, jerked on Connor’s hoof to try to win this round. What was going through her mind was panic, she couldn’t get his leg to move at all, it was as if the leg was not only harder than trees but also incredibly strong. It was as if he was toying with her, not making a move as Trixie tried desperately to win round one. The crowd looked upon her with worry full glances and anticipation to see her actually move Connor’s leg.
“Looks like Bro has this in the bag.” said Spike proudly, folding his arms. Him and the rest of the mane six only nodded and talked among themselves. Simple stuff really, stuff going against Trixie was the topic of the conversations going off, saying how she’ll finally get what she deserves for being a show off. Trixie could hear them too, they aren’t exactly far away from the stage so any word they were saying, Connor and Trixie could hear them as clear as day.
Connor took a real good look into the eyes of Trixie. He saw a number of emotions that kept mixing together. Panic, the feeling of a mental shut down derived by the feeling of fear. Fear, the feeling of utter emptiness brought to her after the feeling of loss kicks in. Loss, the feeling that can happen to anypony in any time, which this comes in from the feeling from anything that had made you feel at a loss. These emotions aren’t rare to the blue coated stallion, and he could tell why she felt them and what he thought was both stupid to do, and the right thing to do, at the same time.
He put on the face that he was struggling, went as slow as he could for his leg to go down, watching as Trixie’s struggling face turned into one of glee. For some reason the show mare’s smile made him feel a little warm inside to see. Finally, allowing her the victory, his hoof hit the table. The sight of that nearly had Trixie squeal in delight, but she knew better not to, not here. Spike and the mares of harmony’s jaws hit the floor; they were gawking at the scene as Connor lost with nothing but a straight face.
“Well then, Trixie did think that that was a good challenge.” said Trixie with a straight face.
“So did I.” said Connor with an eyebrow raised. He had a calm posture to everything that was going on, the cheering from the crowd, the feeling of dreadful disappointment that he could feel off of his friends, and even letting down his little brother was all pretty bad to him. But that didn’t matter, he did what he wanted, and what he wanted was the right thing to do. Nothing can or could tell him otherwise.
“Well, Trixie did promise best two out of three, so, do you want to lose another time?” asked Trixie.
“Nah, I surrender. No point losing another time, sweet heart.” said Connor, giving the Great and Power Trixie a wink. To him this was nothing more but a personal victory for him, to the one on the stage was all the victory she wanted, but his act of flirting had only angered the show mare whose blue cheeks turned red.
“Who the hay are you, calling me ‘sweet heart’? The Great and Powerful Trixie will not tolerate this, what is your name?” demanded the mare. Connor took his leave off the stage and towards his group of friends who waited for him. “Well?”
Connor took his shades back from Spike, put them on, and turned his head to the direction of Trixie and gave her a sly smirk. What had her star struck was the way the light reflected off of the red shades, with the light not blinding her but enough so that it was a rather nice sight to see the stallion wearing. “Stronghooves, Connor Stronghooves.” said Connor, “Had you been paying attention earlier you’d know it.”
With that, he trotted off, with Spike on his back and the feeling of success rushing through him. “Hey Bro, how come you lost?” asked Spike. For a minute or two the stallion stayed silent, seemingly lost in thought but was still able to navigate himself around the empty streets of Ponyville with ease. “Well?”
“I think she’s hot.” said Connor. This wasn’t what Spike had expected, not at all. What came next was the only appropriate reaction for the baby dragon to make.
“…WHAT?!”