M.A.G.I.C. Tournament

by RarityEQM

Army Of My Own

BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP.

Nope. She tried. She really really did try. But it was hopeless. The alarm was relentless in its pursuit of her conscious state and it got exactly what it wanted. Trixie lifted her head with a dull groan. Four-Thirty. This is what she wanted. Get to the tournament early, sign in, scope out the competition as they arrive, form strategies, win. That's the plan.

Trixie twisted around to sit sideways on the edge of her bed, letting her legs dangle over the side and she yawned. She didn't sleep at all, that energy shake she had consumed earlier was an extremely poor choice. Didn't matter though. Sleep or no sleep, the great and powerful Trixie was gonna win and such and such. Just had to lift her hips. Slide off the bed. That was all. She'd be fine once she was on her hooves, but she was starting to fall asleep. Finally. (Isn't that always the case? Start to fall asleep just as you need to wake up. Ugh) She knew it. She could feel it. She slid back under the covers quietly. The bed was so so so so warm, and so so so so comfortable. So deliciously cozy, that she yawned and curled right back up under the covers. Just five minutes. She could really use just five minutes. That's all she needed. All that 'training' she'd done at Zecora's wasn't doing her any favors. She slid her eyes closed. Usually, Twilight would be the one to shake her awake so she wouldn't over sleep. But Twilight wasn't here. No, Twilight was in the castle, kissing Celestia's fat flanks instead of helping her like she promised. That wound was still open, forgiveness or not, and that thought just submerged it in salt. Trixie snarled quietly and sat up. What was she doing?! She didn't have time to go back to sleep. She had a tournament to win, Twilight or not!!

Ten minutes later, Trixie was sitting in the early morning cold in front of the train station. She could see her breath floating up in front of her as she sat there; shivering. This was the life of a super star. An ace duelist. A powerful magician. This is exactly what she wanted: freezing her cutie mark off while waiting alone at an empty train station while a heavy fog started to roll in. Her best friend had more 'important' priorities. Everypony else too, of course. Trixie sniffled quietly.

"Is this as good as it gets?!" Trixie suddenly yelled into the silence. The fog echoed her words across the empty train yard. No one replied. Was this the life she'd been chasing after all these years? Things were supposed to be different now! She was with Twilight! That was supposed to change everything! She wasn't supposed to be alone anymore. This wasn't supposed to happen! She did everything right! She changed! She was nice! She apologized for everything and still...

Still...

Still there was nopony there for he-

"Do all duelist git up so early? I figured ya'll were city folk and slept in. " A gruff voice petered out of the fog. Trixie tilted her head curiously, snapped free of her thoughts by a voice that sounded like, but couldn't be...

"Applejack?" Trixie asked curiously as the orange farm pony stepped through the heavy fog, sitting down next to the astonished blue mare. The farm gal grinned quietly and adjusted her hat.

"Eeeeyup." Applejack smirked, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"What ar-" Trixie began to ask, but found her voice cut off by another voice. A brash, rowdy voice that was louder than it needed to be. She knew that voice. What on earth was happening?

"We're not late, are we? Are we late?! We didn't miss the train, did we? I can hardly see anything with all of this fog. This is what happens when I take a day off. Fog. What are they doing up there?!" barked an angry voice above her that sounded an awful lot like Rainbow Dash.

"Fog? Darling, if that were the case wouldn't it be foggy all the time?" someone who sounded terribly close to Rarity giggled. There was a harsh snort overhead before the heavy sound of wings flapping and fluttering brought down a blue pegasus who touched down daintily on her other side. More figures emerged from the fog. Slowly stepping up onto the train's platform to her ultimate disbelief.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike and Fluttershy, crammed themselves onto the platform, until they were all sitting in a nice, neat little line and surrounding a hopelessly confused Trixie. They were all laughing and chatting, and grumbling about how terrible it was to wake up so early and talking about what they had for breakfast. Casually. As if Trixie wasn't even there! She balked.

"ENOUGH! Trixie demands everypony stop talking! What are you all doing here?!" She snapped, hopping to her hooves and glaring at the six of them. Some sort of joke? A Trap? A Going away party? Did they think she was leaving ponyville for good?! Was that it? The secret why Twilight was so eager to help with the Princesses problems? Were they so tired of her already? Were they so eager to see her leave they got up extra early just to make sure? Trixie snarled. She'd changed! Everything was supposed to have changed, but it was all the same! All over again!

"Uh, duh, M.A.G.I.C. Tournament." Rainbow explained, rolling her eyes. Trixie growled, splaying her ears back against her head.

"Yes, Trixie knows where she's going. That doesn't explain what all of you are doing here, " Trixie snapped- although hesitantly. Rarity rested a hoof on her shoulder and flashed her charming grin.

"You invited us, dear. Remember? Did you think we wouldn't come?" Rarity explained softly, watching Trixie's facial expressions jump to anger to confusion. Yes, she had invited them. She'd said that, and they'd said yes, but she didn't actually believe they would uproot their activities just to watch her fail at some tournament. Certainly not at four-fifty in the morning. Not for her.

"Y-Yeah...Trixie just thought...just wasn't...expecting..." Trixie stammered, before Pinkie offered a yawn, and gestured to her friends. As if to say" Well we're here!" All of them were happy- tired and sleepy, but happy. Smiling quietly around Trixie who felt all the more confused.

"Listen here, Suga'cube. Know yer' new at this here friend thing 'n all, but if I say I'm gonna be someplace, gosh darn it, I'm gonna be there. Same goes for the rest of us. Especially if we're helpin' out a friend." Applejack announced proudly, whilst Rarity slid up next to Trixie and grinned warmly.

"You really didn't think we'd let you go off and do this alone, did you?" Rarity cooed, while Trixie shook her head, tugging her hat down to cover her muzzle. Her hotly blushing muzzle with wet cheeks.

"Y-Yes. Trixie is used to being an army of one..." Muttered the little blue pony through her magician's hat. Rarity could detect hints of sadness, and shyness hiding underneath, but an overwhelming joy also trying to burst through. Poor thing seemed a bit overwhelmed.

"Well now you've got an army of your own, darling. Breathe in, breathe out, back straight, look at you slouching! You are a duelist, darling! One must look the part!" Rarity smiled gently. Trixie did as she was told, tugging herself into a more upright position. She couldn't stop smiling, which was problematic, because her face was starting to hurt.

"Yo...You're all...here for me? Really?" She asked, her voice murky with emotion. Pinkie Pie cheerfully nodded her head.

"Yeah! Duh! Who's gonna throw you your super duper celebration party when you win?" She giggled as if it were the most basic of answers, to the most basic of questions.

"I...I..." Trixie sputtered as a train whistle rippled through the fog, masking her voice. Slowly, the train pulled up to the platform along the tracks, and came to a stall. Trixie turned to look at her group. Her...friends and wiped a tear from her eyes.

"AHEM! T-The Great and Powerful Trixie....r-really appreciates this. So much...thank you... AHEM...W-Well...We had...better get moving then," Trixie squeaked, still unable to believe this was happening to her. Each word forced out though choked sobs of happiness. This couldn't be happening to her... but it was. They all boarded the train, and Trixie- who was slightly nervous undertaking this huge adventure on her own, suddenly had companions by her side. This was new. This was all new. Confidence and strength pulled from others. Real, true strength that wasn't flimsy and fake, but the real power of friendship!

Trixie smiled happily- she could get to like this.

Comments

[TheTownCrier]

D'awww.

[Olden Bronie]

And that is the Magic of Friendship! We should all be so lucky, darling! Carry on to victory!

[Mooncalf]

D'awww indeed.