In her throne room. Princess Celestia was watching a white pegasus supplicant leave the room. She was mentally telling herself that there was only one more left, just one more, and Day Court would finally be over and done with.
As the pegasus crossed the threshold of the doorway the earth pony herald took a few steps forward and pronounced, “My Lady! I present Trixie Lulamoon!”
A sky blue unicorn mare entered the throne room. She glared at the herald for a few seconds as he passed her on his way out. She continued forward after he closed the door behind him. She stopped before the ramp to the throne. She made a deep bow then rose up and spoke.
“Princess Celestia, I am Trixie Lulamoon also known as the Great and Powerful Trixie! Trixie is the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. However there are naysayers who say that there was another who was greater than I. Trixie can't blame them too harshly. Trixie will concede that Twilight Sparkle is a stronger telekine than I. However the ability to lift something by one's will alone does not make somepony great. It takes several qualities, taken together, that measures somepony's greatness. Overall Trixie is greater.
“Or she was.
“Before Twilight Sparkle became an alicorn.
“Mistake not! Trixie is happy for Twilight Sparkle. For her new status, both physical and social. Trixie has even sent her a greeting card congratulating her when she heard.
“Things would have been fine if those foolish ponies had not begun to say 'Twilight Sparkle was the greater unicorn when she was a unicorn.'
“Unacceptable, unforgivable.
“After some soul searching Trixie has realized that there was only one socially acceptable solution to her problem. That Trixie, the greatest and most powerful unicorn in Equestria, must become the second worst alicorn ever and show everypony once and for all that Trixie is greater than Twilight Sparkle!
“Trixie did her research. To become an alicorn one must create new magic. Trixie went to work. Trixie had 3 potential spells she was crafting when she had an awful realization. A new spell could not be enough. Starswirl, von Galopp and Newtrot among others have revolutionized Magic as we know it. They have created new spells. If they didn't become alicorns then there must be something more to becoming an alicorn than just creating a new spell. Something that Trixie is not seeing.
“Thus Trixie has swallowed her pride and has come here to co-” Trixie bowed to one side of Princess Celestia. “to consult with the two foremost experts on alicorns in Equestria.”
Princess Celestia looked at where Trixie bowed to and saw her sister, Princess Luna, entering the throne room thru the private back entrance.
Princess Luna asked Trixie, “Does thou always refer to thineself in the third person?”
“Does-” Trixie stopped. Took a deep breath and then released it. “Trix... I. I tend to do that when I'm on stage performing.” Trixie lowered her head. “Or when I'm nervous.”
Princess Celestia stood up. “The day court is now closed!” She walked down the ramp staring at Trixie as she did so. As she passed Trixie, she said. “Will you come with us?”
Trixie replied, “Um, yes your majesty.”
They walked through the passageways of the castle. Trixie walked between the royal sisters. Princess Luna looked at Trixie for a moment and then looked at her sister and asked, “Who is your new friend?”
“I forgot to introduce you two? Oh dear, how rude of me. Luna let me introduce the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon.” She turned to Trixie. “Trixie let me introduce my sister Princess Luna Aisha Luciana Neoma Selena: Diarch of the Night, Guardian of Dreams, 3rd grade Blackboard Monitor, Bo-”
Celestia is interrupted by Luna's hoof in front of her mouth. In a monotone, Luna says, “Very droll. Please stop. I am this close to rolling on the floor giggling like a hyena. 'Twould be very undignified. A princess must be dignified. It says so in the manual.”
Celestia giggled.
Luna turned to Trixie. “Calling me Princess Luna is acceptable.”
Celestia adds, “Your Terrificness is also acceptable.”
“You are in a rare mood today, sister.” Luna frowned. “Trixie Lulamoon, that name sounds fami- The Alicorn Amulet Trixie Lulamoon?” Luna asks.
Celestia noded.
“She wishes to consult us about alicorns, why?”
“Why, to become one of course.”
“Ah.” Nodding for a few steps. “And the reason she has not been kicked out of the castle, preferably from a tower window, is?”
Celestia smiled. “Curiosity, mostly.”
Luna humphs.
“Ah, here we are!” Celestia telekinetically opened a set of double doors and they entered. Celestia addressed the servant within, “Steam! Tea for three please. Oh, and some privacy.”
The brown unicorn servant does a small bow and she says, “Yes, milady.”
Celestia turned to Trixie and said, “Please wait here for a few minutes. We will be back after we lower and raise the Sun and Moon respectively.”
Celestia turned left and went out the open doorway and up the stairs. While Luna went right and did the same through the other doorway. After they left, Trixie looked around the room, a den. On the right a small library and a comfortable place to read. On the left, board games and a place to play. In the middle a table with two place settings. Behind the table, balcony doors.
After a moment Trixie went and opened the balcony doors and sat down to enjoy the view. It has been a while since she stopped and watched the sunset.
After the sunset and upon hearing the princesses coming back down. Trixie came back in and saw that there was now 3 place settings on the table and a rather large pastry cart next to it.
Celestia sat at the table and picked up the tea pot with her magic. “Sit, please. Did you like the show?”
“Yes, It was a... fine show.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “Only fine?”
“Trixie did consider sucking up and exaggerating. But decided that the truth would be better.” Trixie tilted her head. “Discounting the scale of the performance. The movement was steady, smooth and precise. It was a simple act, if skillfully done. In other words, fine.” She took a sip of her tea. “If you wish for higher praise, you two should consider doing a dance number with the Sun and Moon.”
Luna looked up and mouthed dance. A smile started to grow.
Celestia put down her fork into her slice of cake. “No.”
Luna focused on her sister. “It could be fun.”
“Be that as it may. Do it once and ponies would expect, and ask, us to do it again and again and again. I can just imagine Dame Posh asking us to perform it for her granddaughter's cute-ceañera.” Celestia shivered. “No thank you.”
Celestia finished her last slice of cake. “Now, Trixie. Please tell me, us. Why do you want to become an alicorn.”
“Tri- I thought I had said why.”
“You gave me a reason. I do not believe that it was the reason you wish to become an alicorn.”
Trixie looked at Celestia then at Luna and then back. She bit her lower lip. “It's a bit of a story.”
Luna said, “We have all the time in the world.”
“Yes, well, ever since I can remember. I was always good with magic. The only ponies better than I were older and more experienced. Sometimes not even then. As I learned when I went to Ponyford.”
“Ponyford?” Luna asked.
Celestia answered, “An elite school for magic founded during your absence.”
“Yes. It, along with Caltrot on the west coast, rivals Princess Celestia's own school here in Canterlot. They merely lack the social cachet of being her school.”
“I do believe mine is a cut above the others.”
Trixie eyed Celestia. “I will defer to your judgement in this case. As I might be a bit biased.”
Luna stage whispered to her sister, “She's trying to be poliiite. She does not believe she is biased.”
Celestia glared at her sister and said, “Fine, I will have an audit done.” She magically grabbed a serving of pie and placed it in front of herself. “Things do change with time. It is good to check one's assumptions. Although I believe that I shall be vindicated.”
Luna glared at her sister and growled out, “Them sound like betting words.”
Celestia growled right back. “Indeed.” A pause. “Standard wager?”
“Standard wager!” They brought their right hooves together and shook on it.
Celestia turned back towards the table and noticed Trixie. “Oh! I am so sorry. You were saying?”
“Hmph, So I went to Ponyford. The second youngest to ever do so by the way. Naturally I was the best of my year. To my surprise, I was also better than some of my seniors.”
Celestia said, “So you graduated summa cum laude?”
“Um, no. I didn't graduate.”
“Whyfore not?”
“My family... suffered a financial setback. I had to leave and earn a living.”
Celestia said, “You could not get a scholarship?”
“That might have been possible. I didn't look into it.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow.
“I had the perfect excuse to leave. I took it.”
Luna said, “You could not, what is the word, sack it?”
“Hack. The coursework was fine. It just... The place was filled to the rafters with prima donnas! I lost count of how many times I had to prove I was as good as I said I was!” Trixie sighed. “I probably still hold the record for magical duels there.”
Trixie set down her teacup after taking a sip. “Anyway, afterwards, I became the apprentice to Mustang the Magnificent! He taught me everything I know about stagecraft. Good times. Soon enough I struck out on my own and became The Great and Powerful Trrrixie!”
As she said her name fireworks explosions silently appeared behind her.
Luna clapped. “That firework display was indeed fine. It wouldst have been better if it included sound though.”
Trixie started to glare at Luna when they were interrupted.
“Wait!” A very small unicorn mare clambered unto the table top to the right of Trixie. Two apples high she looked exactly like Twilight Sparkle except that she was white with a yellow mane. “Do not be rude! One must be polite to a princess! Don't let pride make you do something that you will regret! Just tell her the truth. That you have not mastered sound illusions. That you still have problems with volume control and of syncing sounds with visuals. Fireworks being especially tricky.”
An equally small blood red pegasus mare landed on the table with a thump to the left of Trixie. She looked like Rainbow Dash except that her mane had 6 streaks of different shades of grey. With a rough voice she said. “Nah nah, don't do that! The princesses here will think that you're lying to cover up the fact that you can't do it. Oh and admitting weakness? Totally uncool. Just show her! Do an eighty percent awesome illusion with sound!”
“Eighty percent?” The white unicorn asked.
“I'm twenty percent more awesome that Trixie here! You do the math egghead!” She turned to Trixie. “You've mastered the raspberry right? Just do an illusion of somepony doing it! It's easy!” She turned towards Luna and took a deep breath. To be interrupted by being collared by a lasso around her neck. She struggled desperately but was quickly dragged back and off the table.
A voice seemed to come from below the table. “Land sakes girl! We can't take youse any wheres!”
“Really, darling.” A second voice said, “Raspberrying a princess? Don't you have any dignity?”
A third voice giggled, “Dignity smignity. If she had pulled it off, it would have been EPIC funny!”
The white unicorn on the table top walked forward and addressed the princesses. “Excuse me! Ladies! Please excuse us. I must apologize for the commotion. I am truly sorry. We will take our leave and trouble you no more.” She made a deep bow. “It has been an honor meeting you two.”
She went to the edge of the table, looked down, fidgeted for a few seconds and then said, “Somepony catch me!” She jumped off the table and quickly disappeared from view.
WHUMP!
“Ow.”
A fourth voice softly said, “Sorry.”
Her performance over, Trixie relaxed. She magically grabbed a napkin and wiped her face.
Celestia said, “Oh my! That was very impressive Trixie. Doing two illusions of that quality at the same time. While masking the glow of your horn for most of the performance. And your use of the Bearers, inspired.”
“Applejack was a little off.”
Celestia smiled. “If that was Luna's harshest criticism. It means that she liked it.”
“Humph. Be that as it may. I do believe that Trixie here is trying to tell us why she wants to be an alicorn. Let her continue her story.”
“But I wanted to ask her if that was really all improvised!”
“It was half and half.” The sisters turned to look at Trixie. “I, ah, do routines with the Guides as practice. One day the Good Guide looked like Twilight and, well, her friends soon followed.” Luna made a 'get on with it' motion with her front-left hoof. “Ahem, I eventually reached the little town called Ponyville. I assume Twilight told you both what happened?”
Celestia said, “Perhaps it would be best if you said what happened in your own words. To get your side of the story.”
Trixie looked up and paused. “Not much to tell really. I did a show. There were a few hecklers. It seems that Twilight's friends thought that I was insulting her by telling everypony how wonderful I am.” Trixie leaned forward. “I ask you. How can one, insult somepony one does not know exist?”
“By accident?”
“Exactly! Well, close enough. I even gave everypony the opportunity to prove me wrong. That I wasn't the best. I grant you that I didn't expect anypony to be able to. Anypony good enough to challenge me would have left that one cart town to seek their fortune. Anyways, I nipped the hecklers. Continued on with the show. A good time was had by most.”
Celestia interrupted, “Excuse me, nipped?”
Trixie blinked at Celestia before turning to Luna who rolled her eyes and said, “Fine, I am curious myself.”
Trixie was quiet for a few seconds before answering. “I'm assuming that you don't want a dictionary answer. Let me say it as Master Mustang once said it to me. 'You must understand that hecklers as a rule, though not always, gain enjoyment at the expense of others. If they are not stopped and stopped swiftly, the only one who will enjoy the show will be the heckler. Given a choice between the heckler and the rest of the audience, the audience wins every time. The enjoyment of the many outweighs the enjoyment of the one. Ruining the heckler's evening, that is a price I'm willing to pay. There a few rules: One, do it as magnificently as possible. Make it a showcase of your talent. You might as well entertain the rest of the audience while you do it. Two, do no harm and do nothing permanent. In other words, do not give cause for the guards or his friends to act against you. Finally. Three, when you do it, appear to enjoy doing it. If others believe that you won't hesitate to act again as you did. It will cause them to hesitate before heckling you themselves. A pinch of prevention goes a long way.' Does that answer your question?”
Celestia asked, “Are you saying that you did not enjoy nipping hecklers?”
“Trixie did not say that. Trixie will say that Tr- I am not one to enjoy the suffering of somepony who enjoys the suffering of others.”
“I see. Please continue.”
“Yes, well, next was Enter the Ursa... Minor. I was completely unprepared and I was quickly overwhelmed. It was Twilight Sparkle who saved the day. With a feat that surprised me. She telekineticly lifted that Ursa Minor. It was the first time that I saw somepony my age surpass me. I did not handle it well.” Trixie drained her tea cup before speaking again. “After I left Ponyville, word got around. My reputation was in tatters.”
Luna interrupted with a smirk. “What? No mention of the fact that the Ursa incident was the result of you lying?”
“I did not lie! I exaggerated for effect!” Trixie took a deep breath and released it. “Which is a form of lying. OK, I lied. I admit it. Happy now? I didn't mention it earlier because it was not relevant to the story.”
Celestia asked, “Excuse me again. How did you exaggerate?”
“I said I saved a town from an Ursa Major. I did save a town. Just not from an Ursa. I don't know what they were. I had no luck finding out what. Mistake not, I would have loved to give a blow by blow account of that epic confrontation. The problem was that my opponents were small and look harmless. No pony would have taken the story seriously.” Trixie's horn glowed and on the table appeared something that looked like a chubby teddy bear with a heart cutie mark on its stomach. “See?” The princesses recoiled upon seeing it.
Luna hissed, “Carries!” She turned to Celestia. “They have not been exterminated yet?”
“It is not for the lack of trying. Several times I thought I had succeeded only for them to reappear decades later. The last infestation was some thirty years ago.” She turned to Trixie. “Which was before you were born. Where and when did you confront them?”
“Um, in the town of Sunnytail in the province of Califia. It was 4 years ago during the 1st quarter of the 5th moon.”
Celestia's horn glowed and a quill and scroll appeared. She proceeded to write on the scroll. “Thank you Trixie. I have a standing order that I be informed of any Carrie infestation. I will find out why that was not done.” She rolled the scroll and sent it on its way. “Let me thank you for your work on that day. When I get confirmation, I will see that you will get an official commendation for it.”
“Ah, your thanks is thanks enough Your Majesty.” Trixie did a head bow. “Although some proof to point to would be useful.”
Luna asked Trixie, “I do believe that you have a story to finish.”
“Ah yes, my reputation was in ruins. I made a few more mistakes and I crashed and burned. The following year can be best described as an annus horribilis. At my lowest point I decided that the only way to recover from my downfall was to defeat Twilight in a magic duel. I studied like I never studied before. I practiced like I never practiced before. It was the one bright spot in that damnable year. I became faster, tougher, stronger than before. But still not as... strong as Twilight. I could still have won. Strength is not a determining factor in a magic duel. Skill is most important. But I wanted, thought I needed, an edge. Annnd I found one.”
Celestia said, “The Alicorn Amulet.”
“The Alicorn Amulet.” Trixie confirmed. “Have you ever made a series of sensible decisions only to look back and say, 'What the BUCK was I thinking?'”
Luna softly said, “Yes.” Celestia moved closer and put a wing around Luna.
“Trixie apologizes for bringing up unpleasant memories.”
“Thank you. Both.” Luna shifted her shoulders which caused Celestia to pull back her wing and return to her seat.
“Twilight saved me from the amulet. Though there was a cost. I lost most of my magical abilities. It took months to recover. I was planning to challenge her again when I recovered. A simple duel; no accessories. A friendly challenge to find out who should have won the first time. But, alas, it was not to be. She became an alicorn and I had to throw my plans out the window. Quite rude of her really.”
Luna jerked up. “You see Twilight Sparkle as a rival! That is why you wish to become an alicorn! To be her rival again!”
Trixie nods. “Nopony else can challenge Trixie like she can. She forces her to be the best Trixie that Trixie can be.”
Celestia said, “You could have simply said that you see Twilight as a rival and wanted to be again as an alicorn.”
“Ah! But doing so would not have imparted the same gravitas telling the story gave.”
Luna said, “So you consider Twilight your rival. You think that makes you worthy of being an alicorn?”
Trixie tilted her head. “Trixie was under the impression that becoming an alicorn was a matter of destiny not of worth.”
“Destiny?” Luna turned to Celestia. “I wonder where you got that idea.”
“Not from me Luna! Today is first time I met her. The first time that I communicated with her in any shape or form. You were there the entire time.”
Luna humphs and turned to Trixie. “Twilight Sparkle?”
Trixie noded. “We are parchment pals. When I asked about her experience in becoming an alicorn, she replied in surprising detail.” Trixie looked at Celestia then to Luna and back again. “Any other questions before you decide whether or not you help me in my quest?”
Celestia asked, “Do you really consider yourself to be Twilight's destined rival?”
“If there is a pony who is, it is I.”
Celestia looked at Luna with a raised eyebrow. Luna responded with a raised eyebrow and a head-tilt. They continued to talk non-verbally until Celestia said, “Very well then. We will help. Although we would appreciate that you will be discreet about anything you learn from us.”
“Certainly. You have my word as a stage magician.”
“Good, perhaps you should tell us what you know and then we can fill in the blanks.”
“I have done research on you two. As far as history is concerned you two have always been alicorns. It would seem that you never told anypony how you two came to be alicorns.”
Luna said, “Knowledge is power.”
“As for the other one, Princess Mi Amore... um... Tapdance?”
Luna snorted and squeaked, “Tapdance.”
Celestia said, “It is Cadenza. Although she prefers to be called Cadance.”
“One can't blame her! What were her parents thinking! Naming their child after a piece of furniture.”
Luna snorted again.
“Actually it is Itallion fo- Never mind. What can you tell us about Cadance ascension?”
“Very little. If one is willing to accept second-hand anecdotal evidence. It seems that she transformed a love-stealing spell into a love-giving spell. It's doubly impressive when you realize that she was a pegasus at the time.”
“If there is nothing else for Cadance; what can you tell me about Twilight's.”
“You gave her a book containing Starswirl's last spell. Or, to be more precise, Starswirl's last spell attempt. From that she created a new spell: From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!” Trixie poured tea for herself. “An unusual spell. Professor Hawk Sing would have given her a failing grade for it. It violated his second principle of spell-craft. Yet it worked.”
“If your Professor Sing was the Basic Spell-Craft teacher, he should have. One must learn the basics before you can bend the rules as they say. Tell me Trixie. What can you tell me of the spell itself?”
“I can only speculate for Twilight never mentioned to me what the spell actually does. I did ask her about it in my last letter but I have not yet received a reply.
“When did you write that letter?” Celestia asked.
“Three days ago.”
“Mmm. Did you by any chance mention something about Twilight's friends?”
“I, ah, did ask how the spell affected her friends. The spell did mention them after all.”
“That it did.” Celestia looked up, thinking. “Yes, that explains it.”
“'Tia?” Luna asked.
Celestia hesitated. “Twilight sent me a letter two days ago. Resigning as the Princess of Friendship. She said that she was a horrible horrible friend and not deserving of the title. She also mentioned that you Trixie were the one who made her realize her awfulness.”
“Thou hast accepted her resignation?”
“No, I told her I would only accept it in person at our next appointment.” Celestia looked away. “Twilight can not take the whole blame herself. I was so focused on her ascension that I forgot to consider any effects on her friends. I should have, me being oh so wise and experienced.”
Trixie said, “Do not be too harsh on yourself. Even Trixie has erred on occasion.”
Celestia smiled. “Thank you my little pony. But back at the subject at hoof. Speculate away about the spell. I am curious on what you think about it.”
Trixie repeated, “From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!” She frowned. “From knowing only this, I believe that the spell bonded the six of them and created a shared mana pool which is greater than the sum of its parts. I also believe that they all should be able to tap into that mana pool to enhance themselves, become faster, stronger and or tougher; not just Twilight. Finally, I also believe that since Twilight is now an immortal alicorn; that the others are now, well, immortalish. For lack of a better word.”
Celestia and Luna looked at each other.
Trixie continued, “But alas, I'll need to become a Mad Scientist and perform a series of test on them to find out whether or not I am right.”
“Interesting.” Celestia looked outside. “It is getting late. Let me get to the point. Trixie, am I right in assuming that you considered any new spell would trigger an ascension to an alicorn?”
Trixie nodded.
“Consider this, Cadance's ascension featured a spell of love and Twilight's ascension featured a spell of friendship. And friendship at its core is about love.”
Trixie gasped. “Are you saying that any new spell based on primary emotions will cause the ascension of the caster?”
Luna answered, “Love and friendship will cause ascensions into alicorns. Spell of hate, greed and of fear among others will not. I doubt that you would like what happens if you create one.” Luna looked at Celestia with a raised eyebrow. Celestia gave her a small nod. She then turned back to Trixie. “We suspect, but can not prove, that a spell of greed lies at the origin of dragons.”
Trixie said, “Ugh, no thank you. I am not into scales.” She got a faraway look. “Love. Friendship.” A few seconds pass. “Could it be that simple?”
Trixie stepped away from the table. Head down and whispering she started to pace. After a minute she stopped and braced herself.
“Here goes nothing!”
She cast a spell. A ball of blue light appeared at the tip of her horn. The light moved and darkened. It started to take a pony shape when...
FLASH!
Trixie was gone. Leaving only a scorch mark on the floor.