//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: The Magical Duel of Shadow 
// Story: The Four Ponies of the Apocalypse Book One: Trixie 
// by Matthais Unidostres 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 3: The Magical Duel of Shadow



	The entire crowd booed and hissed at the once famous magician. Many ponies shot death glares at the proud and boastful unicorn.
“I'm gonna send her on a spin this time!” Rainbow Dash shouted, eyes blazing in rage. Before anyone could stop her, she flew at full speed towards Trixie.
Trixie chuckled and her her horn flashed once, causing Rainbow Dash to stop in mid air,dead in her tracks.
“I – can't – move!” she stammered.
Trixie laughed openly, and her horn flashed again. Rainbow Dash was then flung at full speed right through the wall of a nearby building with a tremendous crash.
There were gasps of horror throughout the crowd. Even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were at a loss for words.
After a rather tense moment, Rainbow Dash came staggering out.
“Okay. . .I give. . .” she mumbled as she fell forward. Fluttershy quickly caught he and led her back to the group.
“I've had enough! Who do you think you are?” Twilight said.
“I know that I am The Great and Powerful Trixie! And I don't plan on wasting any time with trivial conversation!” Trixie said.
“And neither do I!” Twilight said, “How dare you come here and hurt my friend! You've gone too far now Trixie!”
“You ruined my life, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie said, “You exposed my story as a lie and then out did me during that Ursa Minor incident! It's all your fault!”
“No, the problem is that you were so prideful and boastful that when everyone found out you weren't all you said you were, they didn't want to be around a liar like you,” Twilight said.
“Yeah, and ya was a jerk too!” Applejack added, “Ya used yer talents to hurt and humiliate ponies! Nice ponies don't do that!”
“WELL I'M – NOT - NICE!” Trixie shouted, her horn glowing and making fireworks appear in the sky, “I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“You certainly are not nice!” Fluttershy said, and she turned to Rainbow Dash's unconscious form sadly.
Trixie then pointed a hoof at Twilight and said, “I challenge you to a-!”
“Fine!” Twilight said, “It's about time I finally faced you and made you stop being so boastful!”
Trixie laughed, her cloak blowing in a magical wind, “Good! And now, let us begin our Magical Duel of Shadow!”
Twilight gasped, “W-what? No! I can't do that!”
“Sure you can!”
Everyone in the crowd turned to see that Rainbow Dash had regained consciousness. She glared at Twilight and said, “Twilight, you've gotta stop Trixie! Do it for me!”
Twilight was shaking from head to hoof. With a nervous expression, she said, “Listen to me, Rainbow Dash, Magical Duels of Shadow are terrible things. During those duels, each opponent gets a medallion that shows their magical energy, and they use spells against each other until every bit of magical energy is drained out of them.”
“Wait, a unicorn can run out of magic?” Rarity said.
“Yes, that's why it's dangerous. Magical energy, or mana, normally recharges fast, but when all of it is spent, it could take months to recharge, and during that time, the victim becomes completely weak and fatigued.”
“Exactly!” Trixie said, “This is the perfect end to our rivalry! The Great and Powerful Trixie reduces Twilight Sparkle to a weak kitten!” Trixie then narrowed her eyes and peered at Twilight suspiciously. “That is, unless you're too much of a weak coward to defend your pathetic friends!” She then rolled her eyes and said, “Hmph! Friendship! What a joke!” 
Twilight's eye twitched, and then she stomped angrily and said, “That's the last straw! You're going down Trixie! Fine! Let's start this duel!”
Trixie grinned wickedly as circular medallions appeared around her and Twilight’s necks.
“Now, prepare to be vanquished by the Great and Powerful Trixie!” 
Trixie's horn flashed as lightning shot into the air and into the storm clouds above. Lightning then surged down violently around the area. Twilight jumped and dodged to best of her ability, only to get hit by lightning several times.
Twilight shook her head as Trixie's laughter rang in her ears. The glowing circle pie chart on Twilight’s medallion showed 90% mana left. 
Trixie's horn charged up electricity, and she charged at Twilight. Twilight thought quickly, and used her own magic to caused banana peels to appear in Trixie's path. Trixie gasped as she slipped and landed hard on her head.
CRASH!!!
The electricity around Trixie's horn exploded, sending her flying and landing flat on her back. Her medallion light shrank to 80%.
Trixie shouted in rage and produced ropes that quickly bound up Twilight's legs. She gasped as she fell on her side. “So what!” Twilight said, “I can still use magic!”
“That won't matter when I do this!” Trixie shouted, and the end of the rope zoomed into the stormy sky.
“Oh horse apples,” Twilight said. She knew what was coming.
KERZAAAAP!!!
Twilight screamed as lightning shot down the rope and surged through her, burning the rope and scorching her fur. The clever attack had reduced her mana to 50%.
Twilight slowly got up onto her legs very shakily.
“Had enough, Twilight?” Trixie said with an evil grin, “Is the Great and Powerful too much for-.”
Before she could finish, Twilight cut her off by casting a spell that caused the ground to cave in underneath her. Trixie's hat went flying off in the whoosh of wind and dirt. Twilight strained and groaned as she focused her magic within her horn, causing it to pulsate brilliantly with purple magic. With a final grunt of exertion, Twilight caused the entire pit to collapse and fall in on itself. There was a huge cloud of dust, and then a sunken area of earth where Trixie stood.
“I – don't think – it's over – yet,” Twilight panted, tired from her counter attack.
Within a second, the mound of earth was blown to dust, and Trixie jumped out with only a fourth of her mana left.
“THIS – IS – THE END!!!” she screeched, and she shot a huge bolt of lightning into the sky, which then came down as many smaller bolts which homed in on Twilight.
“I've only got one chance, this has to be perfect,” Twilight though as she closed her eyes tightly.
The lightning bolts zoomed down and struck their target simultaneously, resulting in a blinding flash of light.
The entire crowd exploded in a cacophony of gasps and screams of horror.
Trixie let out a burst of maniacal laughter, “Hahahahahahaha! Yes! The Great and Powerful Trixie is- Eeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyarrrrrrrrrgh!”
From where the lightning bolts struck stood a very confident looking Twilight Sparkle, standing underneath a magical shield. The lightning bolts had all been neatly reflected by the shield, right back at Trixie.
Trixie fell onto her side, breathing heavily, her medallion showed that her mana was almost gone.
“It's not over yet,” Trixie panted, as she levitated a smile vial from a pocket in her cloak to her mouth. However, this was then wrenched from her by Twilight's magic.
“Nice try, Trixie, but mana potions aren't allowed,” Twilight said as she stood over the blue unicorn. Twilight's face turned sad as she said, “This is why I didn't want to do this. Look at yourself Trixie, this duel tore you apart, and it wasn't much fun for me either,” Twilight added. “I hate doing this to you Trixie, but you've got to learn your lesson somehow, so,” Twilight’s gaze hardened, “You lose!”
Twilight's horn began to glow to give out one last attack-
“Don't do it!”
There was a huge gasp in the crowd as something pushed through and dived in between Twilight and Trixie.
Twilight gasped and stepped back, “Spike?”
Spike had his arms open to shield Trixie, “Get away from her, you creep! The Great and Powerful Trixie can't be harmed by the likes of you!”
“What? What are you-?” Twilight then glared at Trixie, “What have you done to him!”
Trixie just laughed and said, “If you want to defeat the Great and Powerful Trixie, then you must destroy your little dragon friend here!”
Twilight groaned nervously and turned back to Spike, “Come on Spike, Remember! Think! Trixie's fooling you!”
Spike shook his head, “Uh-uh! You're the one who's lying! Well it's not gonna work! Ha!”
Rainbow Dash called out, “Spike! What are you doing! I don't care what Trixie did to you, you should still be able to tell a jerk like Trixie from a friend like Twilight, so snap out of it!”
Spike folded his arms and said, “I don't even know who you guys are! Trixie's my only friend! She raised me since I hatched!”
“No Spike! I was the one who raised you!” Twilight shouted, her eyes beginning to tear up.
“I'm Trixie's number one assistant!”
“No! You're my number one assistant!”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie's my best friend!”
“I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!” Twilight screamed, now fully outright sobbing.
This was followed by a deep silence.
Spike blinked, and then said with a smile, “Well, I guess my work here is done.”
“Huh?” Twilight asked.
Spike stepped out of the way, to reveal Trixie standing with the small vial to her lips.
“No!” Twilight screamed, realizing that the whole thing was a diversion.
Trixie threw away the empty vial and laughed maniacally as she said, “Hahahahahahaha! Now, behold the true power of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
Trixie medallion shot up to full and glew with power, while Trixie became surrounded by a blue aura. The blue unicorns Cutie Mark burned the brightest off all as she let out a scream of triumph and launched a stampede of  ball lightnings. Twilight just stood frozen with fear as what felt like hundreds of explosions went off over, under, on, in, and all around her.
When the smoke cleared, she lay flat on the ground, her medallion only showing 1% left.
“Any last words?” Trixie said with a smile.
Twilight looked up and said softly, “Spike. . .”
The young dragon looked over at Twilight with contempt. Twilight sighed, closed her eyes, and her horn gave a flash.
POOF!
Trixie blinked and said, “You're joking. You're kidding right?”
Spike was now wearing a black mustache.
“Wha- what? What is-?” Spike stammered as he stroked his new mustache. His eyes opened wide, “I remember. . .”


“Come on, Twilight, you can do it!”
“Okay, here goes.”
POOF!
“Ha ha! Ya did it! Growing magic, that's number twenty five. Twenty five different types of tricks and counting. And I think this is the best trick so far. Hello, Rarity. What's that? Aw, it's nothin', just my awesome mustache.”
“Sorry, Romeo. As attractive and enticing as you look, it's just for practice and it's gotta go.”
“Wait!”
POOF! 
“Aw, rats.”


“Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie? Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians -- anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?!”
“Please, Twilight! She's unbearable! Ya gotta show her! Ya just gotta!”


“Twilight!”  Spike shouted, then he turned to Trixie and said, “YOU! You tricked me!”
“Hayseed!” Trixie spat, and then she called down the lightning. . .
“Twilight!” Spike shouted.
KERZAAAAAP!
Twilight moaned and fell over as her medallion vanished.
“No fair! That ain't fair! Trixie cheated!” Applejack shouted.
“But of course! Twilight would have easily won had Trixie not used Spike as a living shield,” Rarity commented.
“Or used that potion!” Rainbow Dash added.
“BOO! BOO! Down with Trixie! She's an evil enchantress!” Pinkie Pie shouted.
Fluttershy had been horrified by the entire battle, and thus had been virtually frozen stiff with fear the whole time. With chattering teeth, she said, “Y-y-yes, w-what P-Pinkie Pie s-s-s-said. . .”
Spike just stood where he was, looking down in shame, “This is all my fault. Twilight I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!”
Twilight, although weakened beyond belief, gave a small smile and said, “Don't be, it's over now. Win or loose everypony knows Trixie's true colors now. But I guess I won't be doing magic for a while, or getting out of bed either for that matter. . .”
Twilight was interrupted by some chuckling from Trixie.
“What's so funny!” Rainbow Dash spat.
Trixie stopped chuckling and said, “I'm sorry, but there was one small detail I forgot to mention to Twilight when we began our Magical Duel of Shadow. Let's just say, it won't only be doing magic and walking around that she won't be doing, and it'll be a lot longer than a few months.”
Suddenly, four stars pierced the still cloudy sky.
“Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie shouted, “Divine lightning of the Four Ponies, strike!”
The stars converged, and a bolt of lightning shot down.
“TWILIGHT!” Spike shouted and ran toward his sisterly figure.
“SPIKE!” Twilight called out, reaching out to who he saw as her little brother.
The dragon and unicorn were only an inch apart when the lightning crashed down.
KABOOOOOOM!
“NOOOOO!” shouted Twilight's five best friends.
When the some cleared, there lay Twilight, reaching out to Spike who was desperately running towards her. Both had been turned to stone.
A huge horrified hush moved through the crowd.
Trixie's eyes widened, “I did it. . .” she whispered, then she burst into a huge grin and shouted, “I DID IT! The Great and Powerful Trixie is superior to Twilight Sparkle!”
“No, you're not!”
Trixie's eyes darted around the crowd, “Who dares speak out against the Great and Powerful Trixie?”
Suddenly, and apparently from the sky, down came an Alicorn with a grayish-blue coat and a light blue mane and tail. She had a Cutie Mark depicting a crescent moon on a dark purple background. The entire crowd gasped with shock at her arrival. 
The Alicorn opened her teal colored eyes to glare at Trixie.
“I do,” she replied.