Epilogue
Epilogue
Poison Joke (Toxicodendron risus)
Found almost exclusively in the Everfree Forest, this plant is easily identified by its bright blue leaves and flowers. Though it falls in the same genus as the more common Poison ivy, Poison oak, and Poison sumac, it is notable for not necessarily causing a rash in those affected by it.
Thanks to the abundant wild magic of the Everfree Forest, Poison joke instead causes strange transformations in almost any living creature that comes in contact with its leaves, flowers, or pollen. The changes are different for each subject, but always seem to be meant to humiliate the victim in someway. Often taking a physical attribute they're proud of and inverting it, or changing them to a form that they'd find embarrassing.
CRACK
Crunch, crunch...
Twilight wiped a few crystal flecks from her mouth before reaching for her quill again. Her tail wagged idly as she enjoyed the excuse to stretch, foot claws digging a bit into the cushion she was laying on. Snatching up the quill, the young dragoness could barely suppress a giggle.
"So..., Trixie wanted attention and the Poison joke made her invisible..." she muttered as she jotted down a few notes. "And Spike got younger because he kept getting pulled into that childhood grudge with her..."
She chewed a bit on the end of her quill before adding another line of writing to the paper.
"Unless it was maybe because the Poison joke heard Thunderlane call Spike a brat?" she asked herself, looking back to the book in confusion. "Hmm... I wonder if it works like that. Kind of wish I had some to study now—"
"Twi?"
Twilight cut her musings short as the quiet in the library loft was shattered. She jerked her head up as whomever called for her knocked a hoof against the doorframe for the stairwell.
"Twi?" Spike's voice called up the stairs again. "I'm all done! Come have a look!"
"Be right down!" Twilight shouted back as she tucked the notepad under her pillow.
Twilight was whistling a little tune to herself as she hopped out of her freshly repaired basket. Though she was a bit reluctant to leave the loft and the warm, early-afternoon sun streaming in through the windows, she quickly shrugged the feeling off. Carefully balancing the bowl of gems she'd been snacking on so as not to drop them all over the freshly swept floor, Twilight scooped up the book she'd been reading and made her way downstairs.
"Alright, Spike," she said as she reached the library's main room. "Let's see how you—"
Twilight stopped midsentence, her eyes going wide. The bowl slipped from her grasp, her tail unconsciously darting out to catch it before it hit the floor.
"Well? How's it look?"
"I, uh..." Twilight stammered a bit as she just stared at the stallion before her.
Spike was no longer eye-level with her. If anything, he seemed taller than ever with the way his chest was puffed out. Certainly a far cry from the slightly pudgy colt he'd been the day before, his fedora sat atop his head at its usual rakish angle, and an expectant smile seemed permanently carved onto his muzzle.
That, however, was not what had rendered her nearly speechless.
"So (hmmph)..." Twilight had to shove a claw over her mouth to keep from laughing. "Where'd you find (heh!) that apron?"
She almost wanted to take the question back as Spike seemed to deflate a bit. Twilight could see the unicorn's cheeks flush as he looked at the frilly, pink, heart-embroidered cloth that cover his front.
"Would you believe it's the only one we own?" he asked, sweeping one leg to the bookshelves. "Come on, that's not important! How do the shelves look?"
Twilight couldn't keep the amused grin off her face, though she did her best to keep one claw over it. While Spike busied himself with removing the apron, she turned her attention to the room itself.
She all-too-clearly remembered what it had been like coming home the night before. Too exhausted to even fetch her key for the library door. Slumped over the back of Spike, who himself had been freshly cured by whatever strange brew Zecora had mixed. Only for the door to open from Spike's magic and reveal the bog of scattered books they had to wade through...
"... Save it for tomorrow?" Spike had asked, sounding only vaguely hopeful.
"Just this once," she'd replied.
Now the mess was nothing more than memories as she looked over the carefully organized shelves.
"This... wow, this all looks pretty good," she said, setting down the book and bowl she'd brought down with her. "You even dusted and everything."
Spike grunted as his magic undid the final knot and cast the apron off. His smile returned as he watched Twilight gently run a claw along the shelves. He could see her mouth moving, silently reading off the titles and authors for each book she passed. She paused for a moment upon reaching the end, before turning around to look at him again.
"They're all perfectly arranged too! You really did all this yourself?" Spike twitched a bit at that. The honest surprise in Twilight's voice stung a bit, even if she was giving him a proud smile. "Heh, here I kind of thought you weren't paying attention—"
"When you went over the filing system? Come on, Twi, it's not like I was gonna leave all the library work to you," Spike finished for her with a chuckle. "Besides, I owed you at least this much after the last few days."
Twilight didn't say anything response. Rather, she sprang forward, grabbing hold of him in a tight hug. Spike smiled, gently patting her head spines down a bit, and letting the warm embrace soothe away the headache he'd developed.
She probably doesn't need to know it took three tries to remember it all...
Spike rolled his eyes at the thought, but let out a little chuckle anyway.
"Well you've already more than made up for things with me," Twilight assured him as she broke away from the hug.
"Guess that just leaves the ponies from the market place then. There's probably still a few stalls and doors that need fixing and re-coloring," Spike said as he began to gather the various cleaning implements he'd been using. "Hey, maybe I can hurry over and—"
Clack, clack, clack
Spike was cut off by the sound of knocking. His eyes immediately darted to the front door. In the corner of his vision, he could see Twilight flipping through another notepad and checking it against the clock hanging on the wall.
Clack, clack, clack
"Or maybe not," Spike said with a sigh as he started towards the back of the room.
"That's funny, she's a little early," Twilight commented as she tapped her claw against the schedule.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The knocks were sounding more insistent. Spike was only half paying attention as he opened the door to the basement.
"Can you just let her in while I put this stuff away?" he asked as the procession of cleaning supplies trailed after him. "It'll just be a second."
"One step ahead of you," Twilight answered from over his shoulder, accompanied by the creak of the front door opening. "Hi there! Welcome to the Golden Oaks Librar-eek!"
Twilight's frightened yelp immediately broke Spike's concentration. The broom, dustpan, feather duster, and various other tools all clattered to the ground as his levitation spell vanished with a soft pop. None of that mattered as he spun back to the entrance, seeing Twilight stumbling away from the front door.
"Twi?" Spike felt his heart skip a beat as he hurried to her side. "Twi! What's—"
"Well, well! Looks like somepony had a growth spurt!"
Spike's question died in his throat. His body locked up as he heard the new voice.
You have got to be kidding me...
Twilight's face was buried in his side. Spike wrapped a foreleg protectively around her as he turned his gaze to the doorway.
Just as he'd feared, the pony standing there was not the one he'd been expecting.
"What's wrong, Spike?" Trixie asked, sweeping her cape dramatically. "Surprised?"
The journalist didn't answer. He just stared.
Trixie was no longer invisible, a fact that she seemed to be relishing. Her coat and mane were freshly groomed, showing no signs of the previous day's stresses. The stars on her cape and hat seemed to be sparkling, though Spike could just make out the faint pink glow of her magic providing the effect. Topping it all off was her familiar, infuriatingly smug, grin.
Still, even trapped in that smile, Spike knew one thing for sure.
Trixie was wrong. Surprise was the absolute last thing he was feeling.
"I was kind of hoping not to see you again so soon," Spike admitted as he carefully put himself in front of Twilight.
"Cute joke," Trixie quipped back, her grin dropping. "But last I checked, we still had a score to settle—"
"Let's not, and say we did," Spike interrupted as his magic blazed to life.
WHAM
Without another word, his spell slammed the door shut again. Spike closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, an immensely satisfied smile crossing his muzzle. He looked down as he felt something tap on his fetlocks, and gave another reassuring pat to Twilight as her wide-eyed stare flicked between him and the front entrance.
WHAM
"HEY!"
... And I forgot to latch the door.
Spike wanted to face-hoof at the realization, but other concerns were pressing on his mind. The primary one being Twilight as she ducked behind him again. Trixie was at a close second as she stomped inside.
"Just what's the big idea, huh?" she shouted as she shoved her hat back into place. "Trixie is here on important business! You can't just go slamming doors in her face!"
"Let me guess," Spike said as he rolled his eyes. "You've got another challenge or contest or something to try and prove you're better than me?"
"Not just any old contest, Spikey." Trixie's face twisted into a horrible grin as she spoke, leaning dangerously close to the stallion. "The contest. One that’ll show everypony—"
"Forget it," Spike said with a frustrated snort.
"I knew you couldn't resist-wait, what?!" Trixie's smile dropped, replaced with a look of pure shock as she stared at Spike.
The purple stallion just rolled his eyes. For a moment, all he could think about was the previous night. The hours he'd spent wandering the Everfree Forest, calling Trixie's name. Walking until the sun started to set, bringing darkness and a sinking feeling in his stomach.
That feeling, and the concerns that came with it, had long ago fled. He certainly didn't miss them as Trixie's voice sputtered back to life.
"I-but-why would—" Trixie's eyes were nearly bulging out as she tried to protest. "You can't just refuse!"
"Why not? We both know you're just trying to trick me. Again," Spike said, his forelegs crossing over his chest. "And even if you weren't, I still wouldn't go!"
"What? Are you scared?" Trixie shot back, her mocking smile starting to return. "Scared because you know you'll lose?"
Trixie's smile faded as Spike just glared at her in response. He could feel something burning inside him again as he stared down the showmare.
And for once, it wasn't anger.
"You can say whatever you want, Trixie, because guess what?" Spike drew in a deep breath, readying himself to say the words he'd prepared. "I'm done."
Trixie stumbled back, her jaw dropping. If Spike hadn't known better, he'd have thought she'd just been slapped in the face. Not that her reaction changed anything. He took a step after her, his legs calm and steady. He could feel the warmth bolstering his words as he kept talking.
"I'm done falling for your stupid traps. I'm done upsetting my friends and getting who knows how many other ponies stuck between us. And I'm especially done with getting into trouble because I keep butting heads with you." Spike jabbed one hoof toward the door, his eyes boring into Trixie. "Fighting like this isn't gonna change anything for either of us. So it's over. Now leave."
The entire library fell deathly silent. Even the summer breeze outside had stopped as Spike's words hung in the air. For a few moments, there was just Trixie, her eyes turned to her hooves, and himself, pointing to the exit.
"Over?" Trixie's hissing voice finally broke the silence. "What makes you think I'd let you say it's over?"
Spike's pointing hoof faltered. Trixie's entire body was trembling, sparks of pink energy falling from underneath her hat. Her head snapped up, her pink eyes blazing. Spike's leg immediately went back to the floor as he stumbled back a step.
For a brief moment, he could almost see the dragon from the Everfree Forest in that glare.
"After everything you did to ruin my life you think you can just shut me out?!" Trixie's entire body was crackling with magic as she stomped closer, fury filling every line on her face. "Well I say we're nowhere near done! I say you're not getting a moment's peace until you've gone through the exact same humiliation I have! What are you gonna say about THAT?!"
The ghost of a green bubble started to form between Spike and Trixie. It was a struggle to focus on it as Twilight's claws dug into his leg. A task made even harder as he tried to open his mouth. Even as the air around the stallion started to shudder, he knew what he was going to say.
"I think that's why Spike is glad his friends are near. To help him deal with problems like you, my dear."
Spike's mouth snapped shut as another voice spoke up, saying almost exactly what he'd wanted to say. In a rhyming couplet, no less.
In that same instant, Trixie froze in her advance. The magic pouring from her body suddenly vanished in a harsh crackle, taking Spike's flimsy shield spell with it. The anger on her face disappeared just as quickly, replaced with wide eyes and fearful shudder.
Slowly and carefully, Spike leaned to the side to peek over Trixie's shoulder. He smiled as he saw the mare that had spoken standing in his still-open doorway.
"Oh, uh, hi Zecora," he said, giving the zebra a wave. "Sorry, you kinda caught me in the middle of som—"
He was cut off as Trixie spun around, her tail nearly whipping him in the face. The journalist didn't complain, or even wince away however. Not as he watched Trixie begin to tremble as Zecora lowered her hood.
"Z-Z-Zecora!?!" Trixie stammered out, her voice shaking almost as badly as she was. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Spike invited me. There's no call for surprise," Zecora explained as she stepped inside, frowning as she glanced at the clock. "Though I am a bit late, for which I apologize."
Spike just grinned. Before he could assure his guest about the perfection of her timing, though, Trixie's pale face filled his vision.
"You invited-you invited her here?!" Trixie was breathing heavily as she pointed from Spike to the zebra and back again. "Why did you invite her here?!?"
"Well, after Zecora cured my Poison Joke, my friends and I figured that she wasn't as bad as everypony in town seemed to think." Spike took a step back from Trixie as he spoke, and gently pushed her hoof back to the floor. "Plus I really kind of owed her something for all the hassle we gave her, so I figured I'd help do something about her bad reputation."
"He thought an interview in his newspaper might make the town's opinion switch," Zecora added as she hung her cloak on the nearby coat stand. "And perhaps dispel these rumors that I'm some kind of evil witch."
"Oh... oh that's... nice..." Trixie managed to squeak out as she slinked to the side.
Spike was torn as he watched the other unicorn. He wanted to smile, to maybe even laugh at the sight of Trixie suddenly cowed into near silence. At the same time, he couldn't ignore the feeling nagging at the back of his mind. The slightest bit of sympathy for the trembling mare before him...
"Hey, Zecora?" Twilight's voice broke in.
Trixie seemed relieved to have something else to look at. Spike's gaze followed hers to his assistant. Twilight was standing in front of Zecora, holding something out to her.
Out of the corner of his eye, Spike could see Trixie's face turn as white as her mane.
"Th-that book..." Trixie muttered before she managed to cover her mouth.
Spike couldn't hold back anymore as a knowing smile came to his muzzle. Trixie looked like she wanted to shrink away, but Zecora's eyes were already on her. All as Twilight clutched the green-bound book close, the curly fern embossed on the cover clearly visible along with the title.
Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls that are Simply Super
"Thanks Twi. I nearly forgot about that," Spike said, flashing a wink to Twilight. "That's the book, right Zecora? The one that you used to cure me?"
“Indeed, luckily you have a copy of this tome. Especially since mine has vanished from my home.” Zecora gave Spike a thankful smile. “With it, the Poison Joke antidote is simple to brew. How odd that we could not find it after I used it to help you…”
The zebra’s eyes moved from Spike, her smile fading. Trixie let out a nervous chuckle as they zeroed in on her.
"R-right, well... I-er, Trixie can see that you're busy," Trixie said as she slowly stepped to the side. "She'll just show herself out—"
"Leaving already?" Spike had to bite back his voice before a chuckle could slip out. "You were saying something about another challenge."
"Oh! Uh, yeah. That..." Trixie stammered out.
Spike didn't move from where he was standing. He just watched as Trixie kept sliding back, glancing over her shoulder. There was some color returning to her cheeks as she noticed Twilight and Zecora had moved aside, leaving a clear path to the front door. He chomped down on his tongue as she turned back to him.
"Trixie supposes she can let you off this time!" she declared, nearly tangling herself in her cape as she tried to sweep it over her shoulder again.
He couldn't help it any longer. A snicker slipped out as Trixie stumbled a bit. Spike couldn't hide it as she locked eyes with him again. Then again, he didn't really try to. Something just felt overwhelmingly right as she saw his smug grin. Even as Trixie's face twisted into a scowl.
"Just don't think this is over," she growled out, pink magic flaring beneath her hat. "You haven't seen the last of me, Spikey!"
BAMF
The sudden noise and cloud of sparkling smoke filling the room wiped away Spike's grin. He coughed, his magic grabbing hold of his fedora to try and fan the cloud away from his face. Somewhere amidst the sound of himself, Zecora, and Twilight choking on smoke, he heard hooves pounding against the floor.
By the time the smoke faded, Trixie was gone. Looking out the door, he could see only a blue speck vanishing over the horizon. Spike sighed and rolled his eyes as he placed his hat back atop his head.
"My apologies, again, for being late. I hope you understand," Zecora spoke up as Spike brushed a few last sparkling specks from his coat. "Though from what I saw, you seemed to have Trixie well in hand."
"Thanks," Spike said as he finally got the last of the glitter off. "It sure didn't feel like it for a min—"
Spike stopped and blinked. Something about Zecora's tone struck him. He lifted his head, looking at the zebra, and found her smiling at him. Not as though she were simply happy to see him, but almost with something like pride in her eyes.
Wait... how long was she watching?
"No need to humble yourself, Spike, today this is your win." Zecora didn't give him a chance to voice the thought before putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Trixie tried to goad you to fight on her terms, but you did not give in."
The warm feeling from earlier returned with those words. Spike's question melted away under it as he returned Zecora's smile.
"Ahem..."
The sound of somepony clearing her throat caused both of them to turn their heads. Twilight stood at their sides, the book still clutched in her talons, an eager smile on her face as she looked up at the two equines.
"So, should I get something for you guys to eat during the interview?" she offered. "Tea, coffee, muffins..."
Spike smiled and brushed the dragon's spines down again. She giggled in response as he magically lifted the book from her claws.
"Sounds great, Twi," he said as he set it down on the table.
Twilight darted off towards the kitchen with a spring in her step. Spike just smiled as he turned his attention to the front door, his magic wrapping around it.
"Alright, Zecora," he said with an eager smile of his own. "Ready to be in this week's edition of 'Prose's Ponyville Corner?'"
He glanced back to Zecora, and his smile wavered. The zebra was giving him an odd look. One of her eyebrows raised as though she were pondering what he'd just said.
"Yeah, I know." Spike sighed and rolled his eyes. "I didn't choose the name, alright?"
"It is fine, Spike, I'll follow your lead." Zecora gave a nod as she found a seat on one of the cushions around the central reading table. "Allow me to provide any answers you need."
Spike smiled. His magic reached out, grabbing his familiar writing supplies and plucking the quill from his hat. Almost as an afterthought, he gave the door a quick nudge.
"Well then, let's get started!" he said as the door swung shut.
Clack.
Finite
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Soooo... okay, I read it. I read this and the previous chapter together. And... huh... verdict?
It didn't work. Not for me. You spent so much time egging on Spike making mistakes all the time, every character telling him what a fool or a jackass he was that no, I did not feel much better after the whole apology time. Spike has been really put through the wringer, he was pissed that he got it all dumped on him before he ran after Trixie again and she blamed everything on him again and when he meets his friends, they go, 'yeah, okay, we contributed to the situation by not being supportive enough, sorry'. And...
Well, why isn't Spike angry?
I think I get the intent, he's just tired of dealing with all this crap, and the epilogue does a good job of showing it. Trixie shows up, not a hint of a difference from before, bang, door closed in her face. It clearly never stopped her before, but hey, it'll work this time because Zecora. Which, I'll admit was actually fun to see. Anyway, Spike doesn't want to get angry at his friends again. Good for him, I guess.
It's just, honestly, when you want to play a story where everyone shares the blames, show it! And here, I mean it in the 'show, don't tell' meaning. For all their apologizing, the readers doesn't get to see their regrets. They show up with awkward smiles and say "oh, yeah, we were wrong" and that's it. Look at what you wrote.
I believe that. Because of the way they've been treating Spike, he honestly didn't think his friends would ever apologize to him. That should be a slap in the face for them. No one reacts to that. Every single bit of development happens out of sight, besides Thunderlane, and his is okay, at most.
That's the most damning thing about how this was written. By the end, I was more frustrated with Spike's friends than Trixie.
*sigh* okay. Look, the storyline itself works. I can easily imagine the back and forth between Spike and Trixie, the whole challenges, sure. It's a good use of your AU setting, well-done. I wouldn't be against Shining Armor's opinion on this matter, or heck enforcing something like a restraining order on the mare who harasses his little brother. Wishful thinking.
Anyway, I'm saying this had plenty of potential and a good deal of it was realized by the writing. But I think you were far too patronizing of one side and not enough of the others. The ending of 'everyone made a mistake, sorry, let's make amends' would have been solid if the readers had been privy to it happening to anyone besides the protagonist trying not to be a victim of his childhood bully any longer. You tell us it happened, we don't see us, and to me that just ends up feeling hollow. I didn't end up feeling relieved when all was said and done.
I only have one question. You never explained why Trixie bullied every pony. Are you planning to explain this in another story?
Well, Trixie is a constant, it would seem. She's a self-awareness free zone....
6882575 Because she's a jerk? She has an ego and likes attention, and for some, bullying others is just an extension of that. Her grudge with Spike is quite clear, but her general bullying and mean spirited attitude is just who she is. Unless something like "Magic Duel' happens that can humble her, she is just spiteful and mean for really no reason then that's just who she is.
""Well you've already
"I'm done.
1. Extra opening quotation mark.
2. Forgot your quotation mark.
6882723
If that's the reason I find it a poor execution of a character. Look at Diamond Tiara and Babs Seed for example the show has given reasons why each of them became bullies. Usually bullying is actually a form of cooping with inner stress. Diamond Tiara it was her way of dealing with the stress her mother placed upon her not to mention how she was raised at all. Babs Seed is more easier even to understand, become a bully so you don't get bullied yourself. Both of them have understandable reasons why they are bullies or actually were bullies in the show.
But bullying to gain attention? Well that's one type of bully I actually never met in real life. Usually a person that graves of attention is actually an active troublemaker. That person doesn't hide his or her actions like Trixie did in this story. They are open about their actions and enjoy any reaction they get whether it's positive or negative. Trixie in this story doesn't like negative reactions to her so that can't be it.
6882790 It's less about outright attention as it is about dominance and fear. She wants them to know who the best is, whether its through her talents or through her bullying. Everypony else is inferior to her and she needs to show them that through whatever means necessary. She's smart so she knows that getting caught or being placed in a bad light by authority figures is counter-intuitive to her desire to be the best. For her you can't be the best unless everypony else is a loser or lesser then her.
6882838
Nah man, I don't believe that's the reason. If anything, I say her bullying was born out of an inferiority complex she developed due to her parents. No I'm not saying that her parents were bad people (ponies).
What I'm saying is that Trixie, herself, developed it because she wanted to do good by her family. She found out she wasn't as good, and ended up doing things the way she did to make even. Over time, I'm sure she came to enjoy it, yeah, but I'm not going to say a character was just mean for the sake of mean.
Damn, I was shipping Trixie and Spike so hard on this. One of the most common reasons to pick on someone as a kid is a crush, you know.
I admit, for a few chapters there, I was wondering where you were going with all of this, but when it came time to read these final two, it finally all started to click together. Nicely wrapped up, and I, for one, am actually quite glad you didn't take the same page from the show and try to redeem Trixie, and instead left her refusing to learn much of anything from the experience, despite totally setting the scene where you could have done contrary had you wished. Point being is that while I like the show's message that everybody has the chance for becoming a better person/pony, because it's certainly true, there are some that choose never to improve, and I find Trixie's one of those ponies that'd rather selfishly stay the same.
Anyway, it took awhile (so much so that I embarrassingly must admit that I had forgotten Big Mac was one of the flipped six until reading these final two chapters), but glad to see this got through to the end, and certainly do hope you'll come back and do more in the not-too-distant future.
It was good enough.
I know it's tricky working with a character like Trixie, you know I speak from experience with my stories Bed Head. That said, putting a somewhat comedic twist at her exit really softened things up.
It leaves it a lot open ended, but the canon did the same thing, so no arguing there.
6882802
Point taken.
Because you basically barged into HIS private property. He has the right to kick you out. And you're being kind of a bitch.
I sense...tsundere Trixie in the future
6882838
You know that almost sound like Sunset Shimmer before she was redeemed except for one crucial detail, When she was in the human world Sunset Shimmer position of being the best wasn't secured, each year she had to prove it. And her method was simple crushing the opposition with any means necessary.
However that doesn't apply to Trixie for simple two reasons. One her position wasn't in jeopardy. Two if we look at the cannon Trixie from the main show. Then you know that she only went on the offensive when she was being heckled during the show in boast busters. The reason many find this is a bad episode is that Applejack, Rarerity and Rainbowdash are actually in the wrong. They are actually more antagonist then Trixie herself whom was suppose to be the antagonist of that episode but if you look it through an analytic and objective scope then she actually a victim from circumstances. Heck she even tries to stop the Ursa Minor even when she knew she was way above her head. Now some would claim she did it in order to safe face, but her expression, body language and even the way she spoke doesn't show us a pony that tries to protect her face but rather one that's concerned about there is a big threat inside a small village. In other words deep down in her core she's actually a good pony but one with a terrible personality, that's not a person that enjoys bullying others. And they would only put someone down a peg if you directly confront and offend them. Hey guess what? That's actually what happened in Boast Busters.
6883098
Now that would be a very good reason. And if the author goes this way it would make Trixie a really fleshed out character. But you don't even need an outside force for character to develop an inferior complex. It would be even more interesting if Trixie did it all to herself. Yes she can believe that she needs to be the best both for her parents and mentor but neither actually raised the bar so high for her. Actually in the show Twilight falls under the same category which is played out for laughs. It's not hard to Imagen that Trixie would under go a similar thing but with the major difference is that while Twilight panics, Trixie is a pony that lashes out. Thus the bullying aspect comes into play.
6884117 Truth be told I do agree with you that Rainbow, AJ and Rarity are in the wrong in Boast Busters, and that the Ursa is Snips and Snails fault not hers. However, the way she handles Dash, AJ and Rarity shows that she doesn't want o defend herself or be the bigger mare. She'd rather humiliate and crush them to further her show. She isn't the bad guy of the episode, but she sure isn't the good guy either.
6884178
1st of all Trixie was suppose to be the antagonist in Boast Busters the intention was she was suppose to be the "bad guy". However the writer, director and co-director and perhaps Lauren Faust herself made a few critical errors which resulted her not being the antagonist. 1st of all they wanted a boasting and bragging character the represent other side of the coin compared to Twilight. That was the entire episode intend to have a pony to reflect Twilight with. Personality wise they did an excellent job Trixie is indeed opposite of Twilight. So where did they go wrong? Well Trixie is a stage performer. A magician none the less.
I have been in theatre world. I have preformed on stage and I have taken acting lessons in my youth. You need to over hype your audience and suddenly all that boasting and bragging has become professional acting. What they better could have done is simple making Trixie a travelling mage that bragged about her skill rather then having a travelling performer. So actually the writer and directors basically had shot in their own foot with that choice.
The other problem is that are a few lines in "Boast Busters" and even later in "Magic Duel" gives the indication that the bragger and boaster isn't even her real persona but rather a mask or an act that she hides behind. Though you must be really observant to notice them all. The easiest ones to spot are when she breaks her 3rd pony act. Combine that with her displayed body language and facial expressions she made. Especially during her fight against the Ursa Minor and you have a different character then was intended.
And the final problem is that not once did Trixie actively antagonized anyone unless she was provoked to do so. Which leads to your argument in how she handled Aj, Dash and Rarity. To me it shows ingenuity, in other words she handled them very cleverly. Remember they all three attacked her show and her occupation. So how does she defeat them? In their own games while making it a part of the show. I mean what those 3 did, you can't insult a performer more then heckling right in front of them during the performance itself. They actually forced her hoof to take action right and now or otherwise she risked her image as a powerful magician would be ruined. And Magic Duel showed what happens when a performer image is ruined.
Of course she could have taken another approach. For example the Fim Fiction "Boast Busted" written by DoubleRainbowDash, is a story that takes place in an alternate universe called "Lunaverse". In that story Trixie is also heckled, this time by Twilight and rather then directly retaliate Trixie gives Twilight a firm warning that she's interrupting her show. Because Twilight is an introvert she immediate shuts up. But after the show she confronts Trixie again and then things escalate. However the big difference is that in the show Trixie is heckled by all the extrovert characters rather then the introvert ones. A good performer can read the audience and in this case Trixe was successfully able to read her hecklers. While maybe Rarity and Aj would have out of courtesy have shut their mouth, would you really think Rainbow Dash would? The moment Dash said the line. "Magic is smagic." The ball had been rolling and Trixie either had to deal with the hecklers harshly or let her show become a bust which is her job and live income.
So tell how can you decide she wasn't a good character solely by the fact she took down Aj, Rarity and Dash harshly. When confronted with such a dilemma? In other words what actions do you think should she have taken instead of what she did in the show.
Great story. I enjoyed every minute of it. Good luck with the next story, I'll be waiting for it.
6884499 Look I do agree with what you're saying, but you can't really say Trixie wasn't mean spirited about how she stopped them. Look at AJ, she did a rope trick to show her skills. Now Trixie used her amgic to show she was better, which would have upset AJ, since they were her skills. However instead of leaving it at showing her up, she ties her up on stage to humiliate her. That wasn't a necessary step, but she did it anyway. Dash was the worst of the 3 and she showed off with a skill that Trixie, as a unicorn, not a Pegasus, can't really directly mimic. She instead created the Rainbow tornado. WHile swirling Rainbow about was one thing, she then, while Rainbow wasn't even on the stage anymore, zapped her with a lightning bolt. That was just being a dick and kicking Dash while she was down, not showing her up further. Rarity ends up ripping Trixie's curtain for her act, which does make her actions towards Rarity a bit more warranted, but she still could have simply told Rarity off in front of everypony for the damage and it would have put the fashionista in her place without having to have her mane defiled.
I'm not saying Trixie didn't have a right to defend herself or her performance, however the way she goes about it is wrong and very mean spirited.
6882572 This sorta hits the nail on the head with a 60 pound sledge. For all the crud trixie has done, it feels like a karma houdini. I'm sorry, but it does. And rather does ruin the end intended. Sorry.
6885598
Yeah I agree that she went a bit over board. But look at the insults they had given her. Especially Rainbow Dash. She and Rarity went even further then to insult her show and magic. They insulted her character. I would be furious what they had said if that was directed at me, I know some persons in real life that would have punched/slapped them in the face with what they had said.
Don't let the calmness fool you, she's a performer and when on stage the act always must go on till the end. You can hear the venom in her voice especially towards Rainbowdash. So is it still mean spirited if the said pony did also those actions in anger?
6887309 Yes it would still be mean spirited even in anger. She might feel bad about it later when she calms down or feel justified, but having emotions raised doesn't suddenly make something more justified.
I do agree of that scene, Rainbow dash and rarity were completely out of line, as was AJ. They came to a stage show, designed to have a character boasting and praising themselves, and then immediately attacked her character and tried to show off.
However that doesn't excuse Trixie for how she handled the situation either. She wasn't the 'bad guy' in the sense that the others are all suddenly right to treat her that way, but she certainly wasn't the 'good guy' either. She's not somepony that you root for and praise, because all that does will raise her ego encourage her mean spirited defence. She could have very easily ignored the 3 and sort them out after the show, she could have contended with them in a less humiliating and mean spirited way, or even simply pointed out their offensive behaviour to the rest of the ponies in the crowd and had them deal with the 3. Either way, Trixie isn't in the wrong, but she certainly isn't in the right either.
6887346
Look I can see that this is going nowhere. Because I already stated my view on basically everything you just brought forth.
No she couldn't they were ruining her show, which is her life hood. So she had to address them.
Perhaps but when your in anger you do things you normally wouldn't. Also let me remind you she didn't start directly with humiliating them. She made one last ditch to pacify things when bringing forth the boast that she defeated an Ursa Major. I think she was hoping the special effects as well as the story would shut those 3 up.
Two things, one Trixie was new in Town that was clearly stated in the episode itself. So she has no idea how the crowd would react. There was a big chance the crowd could have sided with AJ, Rarity and Dash. Heck considering what the ponyvile crowd has shown us in the show. It actually now surprises me that it didn't happen. Oh wait it did as it was shown in "Magic Duel."
Two I already stated that some persons won't shut up even after you tell them. After the boast itself the 3 still came after her and sometimes talking won't work. If a performer then must make a choice, stop the show or safe the show by taking the hecklers down a few pegs. Trixie did the later and chose to safe her show. Why would she have chosen the 1st one? She didn't know anyone in ponyvile and the 1st expression they give her is by offending her. Sorry but I would have a hard time believing her any performer to not defend the show.
What the big difference what I need to mention as well is that Lunaverse Trixie lives in ponyvile and they know her so she more a bond with the crowd and therefore she could let "Twilight" shut up.
Like I said it's clear we have different view points in this matter and that's actually okay by me. Diversity in opinions bring new insights to established theories and facts which bring forth new ones. You find Trixie mean spirited and I do not. That's a clear fact. You brought forth your arguments (which were really good btw) and I brought mine. And I can see your standpoint but I simple disagree with it. Let's just shake hand/hooves and simple respect each other standpoint on this matter as civilized beings.
6887489 You're right. We both have different views on this issue, and it isn't likely to change. I myself rather love Trixie as a character, but I also view her as rather flawed.
I suppose in the end, all that matters is that we both admit that we love this show and its characters, and while we have different views on them and how they interact with eachother, as long as they can bring us joy and teach us things, then it really doesn't matter.
I have enjoyed this back and forth, getting to see your opinion and hear your views. I don't agree with them all, but you do bring up a lot of things I hadn't considered, and allowed me to see the scene in a different way. I hope there are no hard feeling between us. While I do disagree with some of your views, that does not mean I hold any negative opinions of you. We all think differently, and to think anything against you for not sharing my views would be petty and wrong. I thank you for this discussion.
Horrible as she was it is still easy to feel sympathy for Trixie in this story. It sounds like she hasnt been offered much of a life after getting expelled. Sad that Celestia only offers second chances to supervillains. Regular jerk children have to live with their lives ruined I suppose. Hopefully this isnt the last we see of Trixie in this universe.
Great story and I look forward to more.
This is more of a dénouement than an epilogue. I am nonetheless happy to see it. Now if Twilight can just get out a Guard report (theft)...maybe next week. Give Trixie a chance to make amends.
Am I the only one who wants to see Canon Twilight and Spike meet Flipverse's Twilight and Spike?
More please? I give you baby dragon eyes. Pleeaasse?
7151523
One step ahead of you.
I myself woudl like to see Trixie redeemed in this universe. She may have done bad things as a child, but what Spike and the others fail to realise is 1) she's not a complete monster, and may have reasons for her behavior 2) she has already been punished severely for her actions and 3) she pretty much deserves a second chance by now. Let's face it, her life has gone to shit, and she focused on the one guy to vent her frustrations against. She deserves a second chance less because she's sorry (she isn't but this could change) but because, honestly, it would do both parties a favour to just bury the hatchet, and Trixie has suffered enough karma.
This is coming from someone who HATES the random redemptions in recent seasons, btw.
7200677
I never said anything about not having plans to redeem her. While I admittedly haven't watched the latest episode with her yet, my view on Trixie is a pony who's greatest flaw is her inability to see her own flaws.
Redemption is entirely possible... She just might need to be hammered over the head with why she's wrong before she gets it.
7201912 oh I never said you wouldn't : 3 but you never know with some authors is all >.>
I do look forward to more stories with a bit more focus on other characters though : 3
6884032 Don't you mean Trixundere?
Great ending.
It’s kind of funny but Tai was playing to read the story three years ago. Funny how time works like that isn’t it? Anyway, I enjoyed story and will wait on you if I am a bit late
10407516
Going to have to agree to disagree there, I think. Not that what you're saying is impossible, just that I don't think it's something we can say for certain.
For one thing, even if we ignore the fact that, as it went on, the show got much, much more laissez-faire about displays of power when it came to everyday magic - textbook Power Creep - the difficulty with which Twilight cast the spell in question seemed much less because of the nature of the spell itself and more because of the fact it was a new spell she was learning, whereas Trixie's was clearly one she already knew. Not to mention that claiming that such a spell is on the same level as lifting a mini-kaiju is... again, not impossible, not necessarily wrong given how little we know about the nature of such spells, but questionable.
As for the School, while I disagree that the comics are automatically canon unless the show disagrees with them (not that they're inherently non-canon either, but I'd say they're a 'take it or leave it' kind of canon, though that's a whole separate debate), the idea that Trixie went to the School for Gifted Unicorns was stated long before then. However, all that shows is that... well, she went to that school. What that means is entirely up in the air since we have no idea how the selection process truly works, how things are taught or how Trixie did. It indicates that she probably had some talent when it came to magic, but that's not the same as saying she was equal to Twilight. After all, we've seen plenty of other unicorns that went to that school and no evidence that they were all magical powerhouses. Again, it suggests she had talent, but there's a big difference between that and what we saw from Twilight.
And also, that's all assuming that the selection process for the school is 100% infallible for finding only the very best. Not to put too fine a point on it, but anyone who thinks that the classic great schools and universities only ever take the smartest and most brilliant has almost certainly never gone to those places. While it's certainly not something we should assume, it's possible that Trixie got in thanks to some degree of money, influence or just making her exam flashy enough to overwhelm the examiners. Heck, for all we know, Trixie did go to the school... for a few months or a year before flunking out. Again, not something we should take as definite or likely, but it could have happened.
Also, minor point I know, but if Twilight's display had "nothing to do with talent", then why did it give her her cutie mark, the thing that is a representation of her "special talent"? Again, somewhat open to interpretation, but I think the implication isn't that the rainboom gave her that power, since there's no evidence of any other unicorns getting so empowered, just that it spurred her into accessing her true power levels... however that works. Again, it's pretty ambiguous, but I really don't think chalking it all up to the rainboom is either definite or fair - it may have pulled the trigger, but that doesn't make it the bullet or the gun, if you'll forgive the stretched metaphor.
And finally, we don't see Twilight and Trixie compare powers directly, though I don't know how they would beyond a beam war and, given the beam Trixie hit Dash with once the amulet was removed, I doubt that'd end well for her. And obviously we don't see Season 7 Trixie versus Season 1 Twilight. But we do see their relative power levels on display against the Ursa, where the entire point of the scene and the episode seemed to be that Trixie talked a good game, had some talent and was good at playing the crowd, but her actual ability to act in such a situation was mediocre at best and utterly eclipsed by both Twilight's power and her creativity. And even if later Trixie is as powerful as Twilight was, my original point was that the Trixie we're dealing with in this fic is the equivalent of the season 1 one, so I think my question stands.
Still, as I've tried to make clear throughout this post (though I don't know if I've succeeded and if not, I apologize), I'm not saying that your interpretation of these events and characters is wrong. Just that it is an interpretation, and it's neither 'the correct' one nor necessarily the one with most evidence. Ultimately, there's too much we don't know about all kinds of things to say for certain either way. But I certainly don't think that Trixie being a magical expert or powerhouse is 'canon'. It's possible, but it's far, far from indisputable.
I suddenly get the feeling that a certain wall-eyed mail mare heard that comment.
You know, this ended exactly how I would've done it. Not the part about Trixie, but the part about Spike interviewing Zecora so that the rumors about her can be debunked and in the papers for everyone to see.
If there's one thing that I've been disappointed in so far, it's that we don't actually see the weakly articles in the paper. Because Spike using the Canterlot Sun to talk about the events of Ponyville and the Flipped 6 is a good way to make an alternate version of the Maneverse's Twilight's friendship reports to Celestia. Doing it as a news paper article however make would be a unique take on that concept, because it's legitimately a different format. Even if the article didn't list the "lesson of the day" (since this one would've had an article about Zecora rather than his experience with Trixie), I think it would've been a good idea to implement. But that's just me.
It occurs to me that if you make a Flipverse version of Magic Duel, Flipverse Trixie would potentially be much more dangerous with the Alicorn Amulet than the Maneverse Trixie was.
6883167
You too, huh?
6883256
What do you mean by not doing what the show did and redeemed her? Considering this story was primarily inspired by Boast Busters, I see nothing that implies that it wasn't what the show did (AU content not withstanding). Trixie was never redeemed in Boast Busters. She was redeemed in Magic Duel in Season 3. And even though this story did take some elements from Magic Duel, the redemption is not one of them. I could've seen this ending with Trixie showing potential for future redemption. But that's a different topic.
6885598
You're argument is based on a biased perspective. From Trixie's perspective, she was dealing with hecklers, while finding a way to make that part of her show. But that's the thing. From Trixie's point of view, they were just hecklers. I once saw a story on reddit (r/IDon'tWorkHereLady) where someone in the audience thought the comedian was just a server. So for his routine, he took that into account and acted as the server for that table, specifically with the intent to bring attention to and humiliate that person. And that wasn't even a heckler per se, just a misunderstanding. But in that reddit story, you're seeing it from the point of view of the performer.
My point is that if you were to see those events from the point of view of Trixie, you'd probably side with her. In fact, if Trixie's performance in Boast Busters was literally written word for word as it was in the show, but it took place in the Lunaverse, I'd bet you'd side with Trixie.
6976123
That's certainly something I was curious about. I wonder how they'd react to each other. Now I want to see a Flipverse version of Crisis on Two Equestrias.
10407894
At what point is it clear that Trixie already knew the transfiguration spell? It's clear that Trixie knew of that spell. But that doesn't mean she knew the spell. But I do think that it demonstrates the difference in how Trixie and Twilight's minds work. Twilight is all about learning through study and research in books. Trixie could be more along the lines of learning through experience. So perhaps the reason it seems more difficult for Twilight isn't necessarily a difference in power level, but rather that Twilight is attempting to make her spell exactly like she read in a book
Also, I never suggested that transfiguration is comparable with levetating a mini-kaiju. If magic in MLP works similarly to magic in D&D, then I'm pretty sure that levetation and transfiguration are two completely different schools of magic (though I could be wrong).
First of all, it's actually been confirmed by Hasbro that this is the case.
Secondly, that's exactly how secondary canon works. I describe it as being 'not necessary knowledge', but it's generally the same idea. In fact, secondary canon actually works well with an episodic series like MLP. Because there are even episodes of the show that could qualify as 'take it or leave it'. The comics are canon in the sense that they add extra lore that's optional. In Harry Potter, it's canon that Dumbledor is gay. But it's not necessary knowledge, since you don't need to know Dumbledor is gay to understand what's going on in the series.
I'm not suggesting that it makes them equal. After all, I was comparing Season 7 Trixie with Season 1 Twilight. That's like 7 minutes into a race, you're ahead of your opponent while during the 1st minute. That says nothing about where your opponent is at minute 7.
As for what we saw from Twilight, that was raw uncontrolled magic, not skill (I assume we're still talking about Twilight's entrance exam).
Also, "Gifted" is a broad term.
Possible. After all, I find it highly unlikely that every student has the same entrance exam. Where would Celestia even get all those dragon eggs? But I think it's reasonable to assume that you can buy your way into the school. With cases like Twilight, she got a scholarship (and specifically was recognized by Celestia herself) because of her demonstration. But what about Sunburst? I highly doubt he flunked out because of his knowledge of magic. Perhaps his parents bought his way in, but his ability with magic caused him to fail. And Trixie's father in canon is a stage magician in Las Pegasus. So it's reasonable to assume he has the money. It could also be assumed that Trixie does have the magical skill to get into the school, but she could've flunked out due to her ability to actually learn. I know what it's like to be the type who learns through experience rather than study (school was hell for me because of that). It's also possible that she never flunked out (I didn't after all, despite the issues I had).
Well, referring to it as a "special talent" is more of a colloquialism, a term used as a catch all. It's a broad term that can actually refer to many things. It's more of a representation of who someone is. That can include a literal special talent, but what kind of special talent is bubbles? And what about the apple family? The only thing their cutie marks indicate is the family that they are part of. And even that's debatable. Does that mean that the Flim Flam brothers are members of the Apple family? And what about Uncle and Aunt Orange? That's another thing. The cutie marks are usually vague at best.
In Twilight's case, I think it represents magical potential. At least that's my interpretation. It could also mean that she was destined for great things. If I didn't know what Twilight's special talent was, I could argue that she has a special talent for stargazing.
I didn't mean to imply that the rainboom gave her that power. In fact, I specifically said it was her own power.
I'd argue that we don't really see a comparison of power, since they used such different tactics against the Ursa Minor. And I'd grant that Twilight has a deeper well of power. But I think that Twilight has a more difficult time trying to tap into the full potential of her power than Trixie does. At least when comparing Season 7 Trixie with Season 1 Twilight. And you did point out that later seasons are more "laissez-faire" about magic.
You also made the point that the Flipverse Trixie is equivalent to the Maneverse Twilight. However, I think it's impossible to make that assessment, because there is no pony Twilight in the Flipverse to compare Trixie to. So perhaps Trixie's entrance exam wasn't nearly as powerful as what Twilight's would've been. But since there's no side by side comparison, Trixie seeming as powerful as Twilight may just be an illusion.
Well, my interpretation is a fan theory. I admit to that. And I never claimed that it's canon that Trixie is a magical powerhouse. I'm not even saying that they were comparable while at that school. If I were to compare them at the same ages at the same time, I'd say that Twilight was always ahead of Trixie. But I think Season 7 Trixie is stronger than Season 1 Twilight, which is claiming that Trixie had advanced to that point. And considering Twilight's power, I think that's an accomplishment. And even if she was never as powerful as Twilight, I do think that Trixie was above average at least. So I think her claims of being powerful are more than just empty claims.
10420935
Mostly, that's all fair. Most of the points both of us raised are both debatable and impossible to objectively determine, so I don't feel there's much one can really refute. I do feel that 'secondary canon' isn't quite as certain as you say, but again, that's an entirely separate debate and not relevant to the topic at hand. There's only one point I want to pick you up on:
I agree it's a representation of a pony, but we've also seen that "special talent" is more than just a name, but that ponies do have an innate aptitude for certain things that comes part and parcel with that. Which, when you think about it, is actually an incredibly powerful bit of magic. Hence why Fluttershy could connect to and calm animals she'd never seen before, Rainbow could make a rainboom as a kid and Rarity and Pinkie could make jeweled costumes and parties despite presumably having little to no experience with them. Special Talent is a colloquialism but I think it does come from an actual, demonstrable talent a pony has.
Also, I think literally the first thing we hear explained about Cutie Marks in the series is that they don't have to be literal. Cheerilee's Mark is smiling flowers, which represents teaching and helping her students to grow, which is very recognizably a talent. Cutie Marks can be somewhat vague simply looking at them, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't represent an actual talent. The apple cutie marks would suggest a talent for apple farming, for example, and my interpretation of Flim and Flam's marks is that they represent their talent for working together and supporting each other, usually to sell a con. For that matter, Trixie's talent itself could mean anything from a degree of talent with actual magic to specifically illusions and glamours to just stage magic.
Well, you did say it was "more accurate to canon than most people think." which... isn't a claim of canon exactly, but I hope you can understand how it could be read as such. And, as I hope I made clear, as a fan theory, your interpretation is perfectly valid. I admit, it's not one I'm at all inclined towards, partially because I'm honestly fairly meh on the character in general and I'm not big on the fandom's tendency to portray her as a major magical expert and partially because I think she's more interesting as a distinct-but-lesser magical talent, allowing her to be anything from good support to the Salieri to Twilight's Mozart. But, again, that's completely my own interpretations and preferences and I wouldn't dream of forcing them on others.
I... honestly wouldn't say Season 7 Trixie is as powerful as Season 1 Twilight, but I do agree she's gotten a lot more powerful. And while it's tempting to dismiss that as just an example of Power Creep... and I think it is, but still, it does show a greater power. But personally, I'd attribute that less to innate talent and more to her drive to beat Twilight, a distinct part of her character prior to season six and, even afterwards, I think there's an element of rivalry there, at least on her part. But again, that's all interpretation... and, I freely admit, largely motivated by the fact that I like the trope of the 'unknown rival' and find the idea amusing that Trixie has this desire, however mild, to outshine Twilight, while Twilight doesn't care and, if she knew, would just be happy that Trixie's pushing herself. So, yeah, I'm not claiming anything to be canon either, just that the canon doesn't really give us a clear answer in general.
Overall, though, my point was less "Trixie could never be that powerful!" and more "Trixie being this powerful compared to her regular self does need an explanation." Remember, this Trixie isn't just powerful because she was training for years and years, or even because of her schooling, but she was powerful enough to hatch the egg in Twilight's (or, in this case, Spike's? Feels weird to say, but I guess that's the case) place. Not impossible, this is an alternate universe, after all, but I feel it does require an explanation. That's the thing about AU stories - while the possibilities are near-infinite, if you don't give an explanation of why something is different, the general implication is "this is how things could have been in the regular universe", which I'm unconvinced is the case. It was less a denial and more an inquiry of how this Trixie was that powerful.
10421023
I wouldn't describe is as 'certain' per se. But it has been confirmed that the comics are canon so long as they don't conflict with the show. I personally view secondary canon as optional lore (which is why I wouldn't describe it as 'certain').
Out of curiosity, would you consider the Season 10 comic as canon?
I agree. But I could argue that Twilight's cutie mark represents the bond she shares with her friends. Aside from Rainbow Dash, Twilight's cutie mark was the most directly affected by the Sonic Rainboom, seeing as the shockwave caused her magic to go out of control. And since the Rainboom was responsible for all of their cutie marks, Twilight's mark could represent that bond of fate. A large star (Twilight) surrounded by five smaller stars (her friends).
Sorry, but when you get me into fan theory mode, you just have to let my brainstorming settle itself. Perhaps a cutie mark could simultaneously be considered both literal and figurative (is that paradoxical?).
That's an interesting interpretation. And I can see it. One has the cutie mark of an apple with a slice taken out of it, and the other has the cutie mark of an apple slice (probably the slice that was taken out of the former apple). And this is shown in Viva Las Pegasus, when they demonstrate that one is better at marketing, and the other is better at determining reasonable prices.
Trixie's cutie mark is one of the more obvious ones, seeing as it's a magic wand. Yeah, that can mean several things. But there's no doubt that it's magic related.
That's a fair point.
Fair enough. In the comic I mentioned previously, Twilight, while going to school, would take Spike, who's still a baby, so that she could take care of him while in school. And as all baby's do, he wakes up and cries, disrupting the class. So perhaps Trixie was humiliated not because Twilight beat her, but because her personal view of Twilight beat her. Trixie probably viewed Twilight as someone who was irresponsible and couldn't possibly be better than her. So when Twilight showed her up, that hit her deeper than we may know. So that rivalry could be fueled by the fact that a pony who was taking care of a baby dragon while in school had shown her up. So Trixie may have had a lower view of Twilight than she deserves.
Again, fair point. Although I have an explanation for how it could be, I'm not the author of the story, so my explanation is just a theory. In my Alternate Universe, Trixie (the Element of Magic), is skilled at magic, but her power level is average. Her skill however has to do with her ability to analyze anything she see's. For example, if she watches a magic show, she can break down the tricks so that she can figure out how to do them herself without being taught. This also applies to real magic as well. I took an aspect from the Lunaverse, where Trixie was taught a spell that allows her to see magic. Using this spell, she see how the magic is done, analyzes the spell matrix, and replicates it. In other words, she learns magic by watching it be done. But I digress.
10424828
Quite alright - please, theorize away! I'm usually interested to hear alternative interpretations of things, even if I don't personally agree with them. And I do agree that Twilight's friends also factor into her mark, since, well, the whole "friendship=magic" thing means that a Mark for having friends and a Mark for magic aren't mutually exclusive.
In any case, just want to thank you for remaining civil and reasoned throughout this discussion and hope that I've done the same.
10425246
I assume you've come across a lot of people who try to argue their points as facts without listening to reason, or tend to be confrontational. And I know that people like that can be frustrating to deal with. But as you thanked me for being respectful, I should thank you for the same. We may have different interpretations of certain details, but you didn't shoot down any of my theories as invalid. And you even helped me to refine some of my theories a bit. Basically, we were able to work together to figure out what we did agree on and use that as a process of elimination to figure out that our disagreements are either few or too minuscule to be problematic. And even where we don't agree, we're still interested in the topic.
Thanks to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and even on this site, it seems like people are more interested it arguing or proving that they are right and/or too proud to admit that they're wrong. So I suppose it's easy nowadays to have a jaded view of people on the internet. And as much as I like how refreshing it is to have a discussion with someone without having to fight about it, I personally don't think that it should feel refreshing. That should just be the default expectation. Unfortunately, we don't live in an idealistic world like that.
My mind is starting to go into another direction. So perhaps we should either end the discussion here or continue the discussion in PMs so we don't continue to clutter the comment section.
10426521
I'm happy ending it there, as I think it's a good note to end on.
10419743
They typically don't though, and that's why its meaningful.
Also, it may as much be that its somebody eating another sapient, as opposed to just meat.