//------------------------------// // Exiled // Story: Trixie's Charms // by Nevel //------------------------------// Spike looked through every magic related book in the library looking for something that could explain what was happening to the ponies of the town, but he was having no luck. There’s gotta be something. He thought to himself as he climbed up the ladder to reach the higher shelves. A spell or potion that can cause somepony to become obsessed with another. Books were scattered around the floor, tossed aside in Spike’s haste. Twilight was still in the kitchen with Cadance, talking up a storm about Trixie’s magical ability. Whatever was going on here was powerful enough to cause two of the most powerful ponies in Equestria to go brain dead at Trixie’s name. Spike pulled out another book reading the title aloud. “The Origin of Hearts and Hooves Day?” Spike took a glance at the chapters and saw the one about a love potion. Reading that chapter he thought he found exactly what he was looking for, until he read the part about the ponies having to look into each other’s eyes for it to work. He tossed the book to the floor and groaned aloud. “Why is there nothing here?!” Spike shouted in frustration as he tossed another book to the floor. Just then, the kitchen door opened and Twilight walked into the room. “What’s going on in here, Spike?” The purple Alicorn looked around the room seeing the books flung about everywhere in heaps. “Spike! What in Trixie’s name are you doing!? ” “Sorry Twilight, I’m just…” Spike stopped himself mid-sentence after realising what she just said. “In Trixie’s name?!” “This library is a mess and we have company. What’s the matter with you?” The little purple dragon slid down from the ladder and walked over to Twilight. “Twilight, can you remember exactly when you first became such a Trixie fan?” After Spike asked this question Twilight’s eyes lost focus for a moment, staring into space and then she looked back to her assistant. “Oh, I’ve been a fan of Trixie’s for as long as I can remember.” She replied with a smile. Spike’s eyes widened. There was now no doubt that something wrong was going on here. The door to the kitchen opened wider as Cadance walked into the room, standing next to Twilight. “Is everything okay in here?” The pink princess asked. “No!” Spike snapped back. “Everything is not okay.” The two Alicorns looked down at the baby dragon in surprise at his sudden outburst. “Twilight, listen to me. Trixie is a fraud! Remember when she lied about defeating an Ursa Major and then when confronted with a baby one, she couldn’t even handle that? You had to save Ponyville from the Ursa Minor that night. And that time she came back wearing the Alicorn Amulet? She banished you Twilight and then enslaved the entire town! Don’t you remember any of that?!” The purple Alicorn looked down at Spike for another moment before closing her eyes and looking away. “Oh Spike.” Twilight said with a touch of sadness in her voice. “You have no idea how very disappointed I am in you.” She looked back to Spike with a cross expression on her face. The little dragon gaped at the librarian. “You come in here, you mess up my library, undoing all the hard work I put into arranging these books and then you spread these vicious lies about Trixie?! That’s just unforgivable!” Spike couldn’t believe this; he’d seen Twilight be upset with him before but never like this. “Twilight...” Spike wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words. Cadance was also looking down him with a look of disgust at his behaviour. “I think you should go.” Twilight said, turning away from Spike as she walked back into the kitchen. Cadance gave the purple dragon a cold look before following her sister in law into the kitchen. The door slammed behind them, leaving Spike alone. He could feel tears building up in his eyes but quickly blinked them away. He turned around and with an air of intensity around him, Spike stormed out the front door. - - - Rainbow Dash sat on a cloud poking at it with her hoof. As a pegasus, she was easily able to manipulate the cloud and absentmindedly changed a small piece of it to look like Pinkie Pie. The voice of her pink friend came shooting back into Rainbow’s mind. ”All I remember is a so-called friend, who didn’t have the courtesy to even send me back so much as a small letter.” “I came back to see you, didn’t I?” Rainbow said to the Pinkie cloud image. The cyan pegasus with the rainbow mane flipped over onto her back, looking up into the blue sky above the clouds. “What was with her? Everything was fine until…” “How dare you talk that way about the great and all powerful Trixie!” “When did she start liking that fraud anyway?” She sighed and then sat up. “Should I apologise?” Rainbow Dash thought about it and then rolled off the cloud, flapping her wings gently as she descended to the ground. Just then she saw a little purple dragon heading to the centre of town and he looked like he was walking with purpose. The pegasus flew down and within moments was hovering beside Spike. “Hey there. Where you headed in such a huff?” Rainbow asked. Spike didn’t even stop to look at Dash as he kept power walking. “I’m going to see Trixie!” “Ugh, you too Spike?” Rainbow facehoofed as she kept flying beside him. “What’s everypony’s sudden obsession with her?” Spike stopped for a second and then turned to look up at her. For a second she thought he was about to yell at her too. “Wait, you mean you’re not?” “Spike, I’m sorry I just don’t-“ The little dragon interrupted her. “Have you eaten her cereal?” “Her what?” Rainbow responded, confused. “Dash, listen to me. There’s something really weird going on and I think… no. I KNOW it’s got something to do with these Trixie Charms cereals that have suddenly started popping up. I just don’t know how.” Rainbow Dash thought about it for a second. Flitter and Cloudchaser were eating bowls of cereal. Pinkie Pie was eating the same cereal. Could it be? “I’m going to Trixie’s right now to get some answers.” Spike said with determination. “I won’t allow that witch to brainwash my family!” Rainbow nodded in understanding and then lifted the dragon up onto her back. “Alright Spike, let’s get some answers!” - - - The sun was beginning to set in the sky and most of the ponies around town would be heading home at this time, but many it seemed had crowded around the town hall, setting up tents and getting ready for a sleep out. Trixie’s show would be held in the town hall tomorrow instead of on her usual stage. Rainbow Dash and Spike had reached Trixie’s carriage earlier but two ponies (both grey with dark blue short manes and matching black suits) were blocking anypony from getting in to see the traveling performer and there were a lot of ponies trying to get even a glimpse of the unicorn. Spike suggested that they wait till night to get some answers, and while Dash was tempted to just start bursting in and demanding answers, she decided against it. After remembering how angry Pinkie got, the last thing she wanted was a horde of crazed Trixie fans coming after her. Rainbow looked among the crowd of ponies, each setting up their tents for the night, queueing for the show tomorrow. She saw Pinkie Pie had set up her tent right at the front, which was no surprise to Rainbow Dash. The rainbow maned pegasus thought about going over to her, but was afraid that she might start another argument. They had to find out what was causing them all to become obsessed with Trixie first. All of these ponies, once victims of the Trixie’s short lived tyranny over the whole town, now loved her and were coming to see her like sheep. The spa owners, Lotus and Aloe were here along with Flitter and Cloudchaser talking about the previous show, at that point the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran between them, while chasing each other. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. The three fillies that made up the group were all here. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were all running around and playing a game. Scootaloo was wearing a self-made Trixie style hat and cape and she was pretending to be defeating an Ursa Major, being played by Sweetie Belle standing on Applebloom’s back with both were wrapped in a blue blanket. When Scootaloo turned and made eye contact with Rainbow Dash, she immediately ran over to the older pegasus. “Hey Rainbow Dash! Are you camping out for the show as well?” She looked up at Rainbow with a huge smile on her face. Not you as well, Scoots. Rainbow thought to herself. “Yeah, we sure are.” Spike said, walking between them. “Can’t wait till the show tomorrow, right Dash?” “Huh? Oh, err, yeah. Can’t wait.” Rainbow couldn’t believe that little Scootaloo was wearing that outfit. She remembered the times the filly would dress up like Dash herself and even had a fan club devoted to her. Was that all changed to a Trixie fan club now? “Yo, Dash!” Spike said snapping Rainbow out of her trance. “We need to get going, we don’t wanna be too far back in the line. Right?” She knew what he was getting at and nodded. “Yeah, we don’t want that. Catch ya later, Squirt.” Rainbow said to Scootaloo. “Sure. See ya!“ The little orange pegasus ran back over to her friends. Rainbow watched as she left. “Dash,” Spike said as he too watched Scootaloo run off. “I swear. We’ll get this all sorted out. Tonight.”