The Great and Powerful... You Know...
"Trixie, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked.
"Surely the Princess had told you of our meeting."
"You're the student?"
"But of course. Your letter to Celestia arose interest from her sister. She came to me in a dream, and asked me to explain in better detail the story of how it is I came to be what I am and how I knew where to locate the Alicorn Amulet."
"How did you know? It was lost for centuries after-"
"After Celstia cast it into the darkness of obscurity and hid it where no pony could find it. Yes, Twilight, I know the tale. It was my great grandmother who wrote it."
"Your great grandmother? What do you mean?"
"My family has, for the longest time, ventured for and studied magical phenomena."
"Speaking of magical pheno-" Spike interupted, " Phenom- fino, Whatever you just said! How were you invisible?"
"Family secret." Trixie said proudly.
"She learned it from a book." Twilight put in. Trixies smile twitched, "Blue, with white stars?"
Trixie was shocked, "How did you-?"
"Hey Twilight?" He tugged a bit at her mane. "You mean your book?"
"HER BOOK!?" Trixie was less than pleased, "That book has been in my family as long history goes back! How did you... Did you steal it?!"
Twilight backed away, Trixie was clearly angry. "N-no! It was a gift!"
"From who!" Trixie was not calming down, "Who in MY family would surrender one of our most precious relics to simple unicorn like-"
"Odsanends!" Twilight answered, frightened.
"Why would he- did you say Odsanends?" Trixie stopped, "Why would... why would he just give it to you?"
Twilight could see Trixie relaxing. "He wanted... a smile."
Trixie was taken back. She fell onto her flank and smiled herself. "Twilight... I am ever so sorry for my assumptions and tone."
"I don't understand are you related to him?"
"Why yes, I am. He's my cousin you see." Trixie seemed pleased to speak of him.
"Why is it okay if he gave it to me?"
"Because then it was your destiny."
"My destiny?"
"Yes. Twilight, do you know what a wise pony is?"
"A wise pony?..."
"I'm sure you do, you read enough books to see the correlation."
"What's a wise pony Twilight?" Spike asked.
"A wise pony Spike," Twilight started, " is the spark of a journey. Many tales have a doctor, a scientist, or a..."
"A vendor." Trixie added, "I have, since I was a foal, believed that Odsanends, is such an equine. He has never excelled in magic, or cared much for searching for relics of old. But it became apparent that he was a most important pony. Me and my family would travel in a caravan of carriages, much like the one I entered upon during my first visit to your own Ponyville." Trixie scratched her head with frustration. "Before that cursed Ursa Ma- Minor, had crushed it. I had taken it out on those two, Snips and Snails during my more recent visit. Perhaps I was too harsh, I was corrupted." Trixie shrugged," But I digress, This caravan appeared as any other, we would trade what goods we had, entertain the populace, or should I say 'distract' the populace. The older ponies would dance, sing, and perform feats of magic, while the young and quick would search the empty houses for items of magical significance. And before you ask. No, that was not my plan in Ponyville. Entertainment was my passion. But Odsanends found retrieving these things to be far less of a challenge. He would sometimes simply ask, and they would surrender it with a smile. He obtained more objects with less effort than any other. When my family's caravan was accused of thievery, which was not entirely false as we did not ask for these artifacts every time, an ambush of guards dissolved the caravan. I was but a filly, not liable of crimes, and while my parents were tried for their trespasses, I was taken and put into foster care. I rejected all who sought to adopt me, knowing fully well that my parents had neither died nor abandoned me."
"What did happen to them?"
"They were banished." Trixie spoke flatly.
"Banished? For thievery? Even bandits and pirates aren't banished. Only those who represent a threat to Equestria are banished."
"Perhaps somepony assumed we were." Trixie said casually. "When I came of age to exit on my own accord, I was released my family's carriage and it contents, which includes the book of which you spoke earlier. I entrusted it to Odsanends. And if he had entrusted it to you, then that is that. Might I ask as to its whereabouts. In the library of Ponyville I trust?"
"It's at the castle."
Trixie's face became one of horror.
-----
Twilight followed Trixie as she ran to the castle. Spike gripping at Twilight's mane to avoid falling "I don't get it, why are we running?"
"There is another objective of my family, and it is to guard what we secure!"
"What? There's nowhere safer than the castle!"
"We guard it from those who reside within the castle."
"But why!?" Twilight was truly confused.
"You have to trust me Twilight. Tell me exactly where it was you left the book!"
Twilight was lost. "I don't... It's in my room!"
"Take me there!"
Twilight looked over her shoulder at... nothing. Trixie was gone. Twilight stopped and looked around. She was at the caste gate and Trixie was nowhere to be found. She heard a whisper.
"Move on."
Twilight took the notion and ran through the gate. Though subtle, Twilight could hear the hoof steps doubling upon her own, Trixie was synchronizing to her own taking care to avoid detection.
The guards recognized Twilight running through the halls, and became alarmed at the sight, a few guards pursued her.
"Is something wrong Ms. Sparkle, why are you running." A guard had caught up to Twilight's side.
Twilight looked behind herself to see a company of guards that were following her. "What? Oh no, nothing for you to worry about, I just...uh... forgot something is all. I-in my room, I was off to get it."
"Of course m'am, we were afraid you were running for more... dire, reasons." The guard turned his neck and shouted over his shoulder, "Alright you fillies, everything is a-okay! Break!" Upon his order, the small contingent of guards dissolved and ran past Twilight as she slowed and stopped to enter her own room.
"Where is it?" Twilight heard the whisper again.
"Over there Twilight!" Spike shouted. He must have heard it as well.
Twilight ran to her saddle bags, hanging off a post of her bed. Anxious, she opened it slowly. With a great gust, an invisible, yet obvious, force opened the bag a withdrew it's contents.
"What are you doing!" Twilight asked in a hushed voice directed at her bag.
"Where is it? Where is it?" The bag's contents of paper and quills littered the floor. This persisted on and on before the bag was turned upside-down all together whereupon, the satisfying thud of the book's appearance as it impacted the floor. "A-HA!" Trixie shouted. The sight of the book elated Trixie visibly, even if she wasn't exactly visible. "Thank goodness."
"Why would it be gone anyways? Who in the castle would take that book?"
"Oh who wouldn't dear Twilight? This book holds a secret of magic so long kept hidden that it would show the true borders of magic."
"Which are?"
"None. The writer of this book found magic that could turn back time, break laws of reality, and change the very nature of the world." Though Trixie's face could not be seen, Twilight could imagine the look of admiration from the tone.
"So why would anypony try to hide this. It sounds revolutionary! Monumental Even! Who would want to hide that from the ponies of Equestria?"
"Those who understand the danger of the unknown. Twilight, while I agree with you that this knowledge should be shared, I hope you understand the intent of those I fear. The road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions."
"Then who Trixie? Who is trying to get the book? Who wants to keep the book gone?"
A voice came from the hallway, "Twilight? Is that you?" Celestia came in. "Twilight who were you talking to?"
"What, oh Spike! He made such a mess, he was looking for...uh..." Twilight scanned the floor. "Uh... A-ha! My favorite quill!" She grabbed a quill next to her hoof and held it in her mouth for the princess to see, "Shee? Ah foned it!"
Celestia examined Twilight, and the quill, likely it's identical appearance to the others that strewn across the marble. "Twilight? Are you feeling alright?" Celestia was concerned
Twilight spit out the quill, "Of course Princess! Hehe... I mean, what could be wrong? Nothing! nope, nothing wrong here! Just me, Spike, and Tri- I mean, just me and Spike." Twilight had a nervous smile.
"Alright then. Just know that you can always tell me if something is bothering you, okay?"
"Of course, Princess..." Twilight felt a bit of guilt.
"Good." Celestia relaxed. "I'm about to have dinner with the ambassadors, would you care to join me?"
"I would love to but... I have to go back to the library and find books before it closes."
"I understand Twilight." She looked off into the room staring at nothing in particular. She smiled. "Let me clean this up first, before I go." With that, her horn glowed as she levitated the paper and quills, spinning them, forming a cyclone of desk supplies. Before lifting Twilight's saddlebag and flowing the debris in. "Sorry about that, I was always a bit of a showoff. Just ask Luna." Celestia laughed as she left.
Twilight closed the door. "Trixie?"
"R-right here T-Twilight..." She sounded scared. Her horn glowed revealing her. She was face down, covering her head with her hooves, shaking. "She... She saw me."
"How did she see you? How could she?"
"I... I don't know. She looked directly at me then smiled."
"I think we should go..."
Trixie stood up, her legs still shaking. "Y-yes Twilight, I believe you're right."