It was a couple days since Discord’s reformation started and he had left with Princess Celestia for their… prank off, as Twilight and Spike were returning from the Everfree back into town. “So, why were we visiting Zecora again?” Spike asked.
“She was the only one to know that potion that helped me recover from Princess Celestia’s…um…”
“I think the term is ‘trolling’,” Spike answered.
“There are at least 16 official definitions of the word ‘troll’, and none suggest bullying or messing with one’s psyche.”
“It’s a colloquialism. But all in all, you handled that whole event pretty…” Spike started but was cut short as.
Just then Rainbow Dash...dashed onto the scene tackling Twilight to the ground. “Twilight! Come quick! It's an emergency!” Rainbow said as she got back up, taking Twilight and Spike by the hand and bolted back to town.
Back in Magiville, the citizens were gathered around to see what was going on in the center of town. Everyone watched as a red light flashed around Rarity changing her gown to dress that had a dark brown, light green and light orange as the main colors.
Rarity looked at her new dress and gasped in horror. “You beast!” she exclaimed in anger, “This shade of brown should only be used for accents!” Rarity then fainted. Pinkie Pie then wrapped Rarity in a pink towel, trying to soothe the enchantress.
As Twilight Sparkle walked into the center of the circle, “What's going on here?” she looked around trying to understand what was going on.
“Well, well, well.” A woman in a black cloak and hood spoke. "If it isn't... Twilight Sparkle.” She then took off her hood revealing herself as Trixie. Everyone gasped, no one seemed to notice that her irises flashed red when she said ‘Twilight’ nor did they seem to notice the dark gray amulet she wore.
“Trixie!” Twilight’s tone matched Trixie’s, but while Trixie was looking for a fight Twilight was not too pleased to have the illusionist back in town.
Spike’s pupils became slits as he was about to hiss, “What's she doing here?
Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity as was bundling herself in the pink cloth that Pinkie fetched. “You call that great and powerful?” Trixie then sent a red stream of light that looked at lot like lightning at Rainbow Dash’s right leg and caused the ethereal wing to grew to ten times its normal size. Rainbow Dash yelped as she seemed to wobble in flight as she tried to fly.
Snips and Snails took a step forward as the crowd itself took a step back. “Oh! She's Rainbow Wobble, now!” Snips joked. Snails laughed as Rainbow Dash crashed next to Rarity yelping.
Snails then called out to Trixie praising her, “Good spell, oh Great and Powerful Trixie!
Trixie then turned her attention to the two boys, “You two! Quiet!” She shouted as she sent another red lightning bolt aimed at the two and had Snips upside down seemingly connected to him by an invisible force.
“Uh, hey! W— What happened?” Snips asked as he struggled to get down.
Snails was also not happy with the situation, “Get off of me! Brbrbr,” the taller of the two tried to get the smaller off of him.
“Let go!”
“Go this way!” Snails yelled until the two bumped into a wall.
Twilight Sparkle and everyone else looked at what happened, and while many of the children had a laugh at the two, none of the adults tolerated what happened. Twilight elected to be the spokesperson, “Stop picking on my friends, Trixie!”
Trixie chuckled at first, the thought of Twilight as friends with Snips and Snails before she addressed Twilight. “You, your friends and I have some unfinished business. Since I have already concluded my affairs with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, I heard of your Sonic Rainboom. A noteworthy feet, but I can do it better, on foot.” Trixie then took off the black cape took on the stance of competitive runner and bolted out of the town, as she exited it there was the distinctive boom of the sound barrier being shattered and in its wake was a circular form of Trixie’s Aura Mark, which was her belt buckle. As she returned she had with her four ropes. “Now Applejack about your multiple figure eights.” The ropes flashed red as they two ends of each were tired as lassos and Trixie began to spin them and somersault through the figure eights she made. Leaving everyone in utter awe. As she finished she let the ropes dropped. “So any more doubts about me doing what you and your friends’ did better than you, Applejack?” The paladin dipped her head knowing she was bested. Trixie laughed before she turned her attention to Twilight. “Now with all that out of the way, as I have just proven my magic's gotten better since I was here last. But there is still the matter of you and I. I am the better magician! And I'm going to prove it! Me and you, a magic duel. Winner stays, loser leaves Magiville forever!”
Twilight Sparkle turned up her nose and looked away as she closed her eyes, “Forget it! I'd never make a deal like that!”
Trixie was, however, not swayed, “Hm.” she hummed as she closed her eyes as well. “Your choice.” Trixie was calm for a second and then opened her eyes as her irises flash red. Shen sent a red bolt of lightning to Spike cause to the dragon to yelp as he was stretched and contorted into a ball. Trixie then used her magic to make Spike bounce around like a basketball.
Twilight Sparkle ran after Spike for a second or two, but Trixie was able to keep the familiar away. “Trixie!” Twilight roared, “put him down!” Trixie, however, continued to bounce the dragon ball. “Why are you doing this?”
Trixie conjured a basket and throw the dragon ball into it before she asked, “Why?” in turn and in anger. Trixie’s eyes flashed red before she continued, “Because you humiliated me!” Trixie then sent a bolt of red lightning into the ground and a screen large enough for the whole of Magiville grew forth. The screen flickered on as Trixie started to narrate, “After you showed me up with that Stella Ursa, I became a laughing stock!” The screen showed Trixie at another town being laughed off the stage while rotten fruits and vegetables were thrown at her. “Everywhere I went I was laughed at and ostracized.” While Trixie’s narration continued, the scene changes to show Trixie’s wagon vandalized. The screen changed to show Trixie using a pick-axe and cracking open a rock on the Pie’s Rock Farm, it was clear she was straining under all the physical labor. “I even had to take a job on a rock farm just to earn a living!” Trixie then vanished the screen in a puff of red smoke. “A rock farm!” Trixie finished in a shout of disgust over her most recent past.
“Hey!” Pinkie Pie jumped in angrily. “You're lucky a rock farm would take the likes of you!” Pinkie finished as she pointed at Trixie accusingly. Trixie conjured a stylized arrow and trash can. The arrow floated up to Pinkie Pie’s face and pulled her mouth off after clicking on it, leaving blank face from nose to chin. The arrow then dropped Pinkie Pie’s mouth into the can and both vanished in a puff of smoke.
Trixie turned back to Twilight, “Now, I want revenge!” Trixie’s irises flashed red as she spoke, “And I'll just keep casting spells 'til you agree. Well? What do you say?” All the while Snails, Snips, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash grunted dealing with the effects of the spells cast on them.
Meanwhile, Spike was set free of the basket and Trixie started to bounce him again. “Whoooaah! Help... me!” Spike cried out.
That was it, Twilight realized that she was not going to avoid this duel. It was only a matter of time before Trixie used her magic on more people. She took a breath, “Alright, Trixie. Let's duel!”
Trixie gave a great smirked as she won. “Excellent.” Trixie’s irises flashed red as she started to dispelled the spells she cast, returning Rarity’s dress to normal, Snips and Snails were no longer connected by the force, Spike was normal and Rainbow’s wings were back to normal. However, Pinkie’s mouth was not returned. The jester refused to go unnoticed as she started making muffled noises trying to call attention to the injustice. Trixie simply brushed it off and turned her attention to Twilight, “If I lose, I won't set foot in Magiville again. But if you lose, you're the one banished from this one-horse town!” Trixie’s irises were solid red as she said ‘you’ and pointed at Twilight. Everyone gasped at that.
“Deal.” Twilight agreed to with what seemed to be no hesitation. Everyone again gasped. “It’s time to duel!”
Trixie’s irises flashed as she shouted, “Draw!” She conjured a cart and sent it at Twilight and to the audience. Twilight caught the cart and placed it down safely, grunting slightly.
After the cart was down on the ground she wiped her forehead and gave a “Phew.” Trixie then conjured a dozen pies and sent them flying at Twilight. Twilight quickly summoned instantly a parasprite which ate all the pies in one gulp. Before it could burp and beget more parasprites, Twilight sent it back to where she summoned it from. Trixie then conjured a snowfall that covered the town, despite being late spring. Twilight then started warming the area, melting the snow and returning everything back to normal. Twilight wiped her forehead again but saw that Trixie was more or less unphased.
Trixie, however, was actually shocked at all this. The Alicorn Amulet should have given her power to rival a demigod. But Twilight was matching her point for point. She needed something to prove her power. She looked at the two boys that were the root of her fall and had an idea. “Snips, Snails, step forward!” she shouted and the two stepped forward.
“Wh— what is it, oh Great and P— P— Powerful Trixie?” Snips asked as he and Snails laughed nervously. Then Trixie’s eyes flashed red and she sent a bolt of red lightning at the two. In the clearing of the smoke and Snips was an infant and started crying while Snails was an old man.
Twilight and everyone else was shocked at what they saw, Snips was a baby and crying while Snails was an old man. Twilight was baffled at that,“An age spell? But... how could you do an age spell? That's a spell only the most powerful of Magicborn with decades of research and practice can cast that!” Twilight had no idea how Trixie could have done that.
Trixie saw Twilight was at a loss and as she smirked, “Well, Twilight? Give up?” She challenged Twilight in an attempt to goad her on. Twilight sighed as she pooled her magic into her focusing gem and grunted as she tried to counter the spell. However, there was no effect on Snips and Snails. Snips continued to cry.
“Come on, Twilight, you can do it!” Spike said trying to encourage Twilight. Twilight strained again trying to counter the spell, but again no luck for her. Snails continued to cry and Snails spine was heard clicking.
Trixie’s eyes still had solid red irises, but the whites flashed lime-green. “Trixie is the most powerful of Magicborn!” Trixie then gave a deep evil laugh as it was clear she had won the magic duel, as Twilight dropped to her knees in defeat. “And now it's time for you to leave Magiville! FOREVER!”
At that moment Twilight friends surrounded Twilight, blocking her from Trixie.“That's enough, Trixie!”
Applejack shouted as she drew her sword took a mid-guard, as Rainbow Dash drew her bow and Pinkie Pie pulled one of her cartoonish size mallets out of her hair.
Rarity had enchanted rocks and such having them hover near her, “You proved your point, but you can't possibly expect Twilight to leave Magiville!” the enchantress exclaimed.
Trixie’s eyes remained red and again flashed lime-green. “You fools! She's already gone!” Trixie then held her hand out as if to pick Twilight out, which was done via her magic and threw Twilight out of Magiville proper.
As Twilight was thrown she yelped as she landed on the ground. All the while Twilight’s friends ran after her but they were stopped as a clear magical dome was conjured and was lowered trapping them and the whole town. Twilight got back up but was too late. She and Spike placed their hands on the dome which seemed to like glass. “It's okay, guys. I'll figure something out. Just take care of each other. And keep an eye on Trixie. There's something strange about her.” Twilight said, and while she was heard on the other side, it was slightly muffled. Twilight then dipped her head and started towards the Everfree.
“Twilight?” Spike asked as Twilight left. There really was no other option, but it still bothered him and everyone.
“And wah thought we owed Trixie an apology.” Applejack said mostly to Rarity and Rainbow Dash as they all saw Twilight disappear over a hill.
Twilight stopped and saw a flower that was still a bub. Twilight tried to cast an aging spell on the bud, but while it worked for less than a second, but it didn’t hold like Trixie’s spell on Snips and Snails “Ugh! It's impossible! How could Trixie know such advanced magic? Heck, she was able to cast it on two people and had them go to different ages. Nor is she evil, a bit of showboater but not evil. What do I do, you can ask for help?” She asked herself as she paced back and forth. “Without Spike, I can't get a message to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna’s sound asleep, Cadance is all the way in Krystalopolies and has to manage that.” She thought about what to do then she remembered, “Zecora!”
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Approximately twenty minutes later Twilight arrived at a small hut located in the Everfree. However, the hut was rather out of place in its architecture style as it didn't originate in Mystica. Twilight entered the hut. Inside was a vast array of masks, many depicting animals, even monsters like manticores, hydras, etc, of all sized from around the world, others were masks depicted members of the different tribes and people that populated not only Mythica but the other nations of the world, there were also masks that depicted the celestial bodies, other depicted the four elements and many others. Also in the hut was a woman about ten years Twilight’s senior. The woman’s skin was much darker than most of the people of Mystica. On her skin were tattooed white strips around her arms and legs, on her face were white finger-like tattoos on her checks. Her hair was in a mohawk. She wore large golden earrings, golden rings around her neck and left leg, she also had a necklace made of red ribbon made with four golden disks with spiral suns engraved on them. She also wore a loose simple blue dress that covered her chest and hip and lower, leaving her back and waist exposed. Also around her waist was a belt of zebra hide. She was at a table having tea when the door swung open. “ZECORA, I NEED YOUR HELP!” Twilight shouted as she entered almost causing the recently identified Zecora to spill her tea. Zecora gave a slight scowl and got a weak teehee.
About half an hour later after Twilight informed Zecora of the situation. “Your tale of woe upsets me so.” Zecora then took a sip of her tea as Twilight seemed to pace. “No wonder you're dour. It's an abuse of power!”
Twilight took a seat at the table and accepted a cup of tea and after taking a sip. “I don't know what to do, Zecora.” Twilight then drank move of her tea. She then sighed. “I feel like I've abandoned my friends. But I can't take Trixie on hand-to-hand.”
Zecora sipped more of her tea before she continued. “If you train with me, so good you'll be. I'll show you the way to make sure she won't stay.” She then returned to her tea.
Twilight knew she was gifted in magic, and that Zecora was a shaman to be respected, but she never considered seeing if learning shamanistic magic and if it might make her magic more powerful. “You'll train me in magic?” However, there was still the matter of how powerful Trixie was, “ But she was doing age spells, weather spells, you name it!” Twilight slammed her hands on the table.
Zecora lifted her cup from the table before Twilight slammed on the table. “When it comes to magic, it would be tragic if somebody licked me, especially Trixie.” She finished the tea as Twilight looked Zecora in the eye.
Twilight got up from the chair she used hoping that Zecora’s knowledge would rub off on her and would help her magic increase in power. “You really think I can beat her?”
Zecora nodded with a “Mm-hmm.” As she got up from her chair and lead Twilight out.
An hour later, Zecora and Twilight were at one of the many small ponds and such bodies of water. Twilight was standing on the surface of the water while also levitating three balls of water. As Twilight was focusing, Zecora was on the shore watching on. “Ah, no noise, no sound, no din, no fuss must interfere with your focus. Unlearn what you have learned. Only then can victory be earned.” Twilight Sparkle continued to grunt and strain as she tried to focus on what she was trying to do. As Twilight struggled to clear her mind, per Zecora’s instruction. Trixie’s voice then echoed in her mind. “Trixie is the most powerful of Magicborn!” followed by Trixie’s laughs. This break in focus caused Twilight release the orbs of water. While they splashed into the pond, Twilight yelped as she too fell into the water with a splash. Twilight groaned as she got to her feet and walked out of the pond. Zecora watched as Twilight tried to dry herself and her clothes off. “There is much, much that I can teach, but the answer you need may still be out of reach.”
Twilight sighed, “I'm sorry, Zecora. I'm trying my best, but…” Twilight sighed as she finished using her magic to dry herself and her clothes off. “I can't stop thinking about Trixie. There was something different about her. It's like she's gone from high and mighty to mean and nasty.”
Zecora held her chin in her right hand as if in thought, “Your thinking needs a readjust. Total concentration is a must.”
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Back in Magiville, inside the Golden Oak, Twilight’s friends, their sisters, pets, and Spike were looking through everything for anything about the amulet that Trixie was wearing. They had looked through almost every book in the library and in Twilight’s personal collection. Pinkie was getting nourishment via an IV drip, but they needed to get Pinkie’s mouth back as soon as possible. There was still like four dozen books for them to look through as Rainbow spoke up, “Anybody else starting to think this is a lost cause?”
“NO!” everyone but Pinkie shouted back, the jester glaring at the elementalist. Tank even hit Rainbow in the head with his shell as he went for another book.
“Ow. Okay okay.”
Fluttershy was reading a book on fables. She then found a picture that matched the amulet Trixie wore. “I found it!” Fluttershy yelled, almost uncharacteristically. Everyone turned to face the typically timid druid. “Um, you see, there this item called the Alicorn Amulet, no one knows who made it, according to the book there are two theories, King Bullion and King Sombra. According to the King Bullion theory, Bullion used it to unite the three main tribes in the first place, making him king. And the King Sombra theory is that it was used as means to be an equal to Celestia and Luna and take over Krystalopolies… Well, that’s not in the history books in Rainbow and I read back in school.” Fluttershy looked back at her schooling.
“That wasn’t in our history texts here in Magivillie.” Rarity commented.
“Must have changed because our textbooks have three whole chapters on Kry...Kryst… that crystal city.” Scootaloo had a hard time saying the name of the city, granted many still have difficulty pronouncing it correctly. “And we are planned to cover all next week.”
Applejack coughed, “Continue, Sugarcube.”
“The Alicorn Amulet gets its name from the most critical material used in its creation…” Fluttershy looked up from the book her face lost all its color and handed the book off unable to continue.
Rarity accepted it she muttered to herself until she reached the line, “used in its creation, the substance that makes up a unicorn’s horn, alicorn.” Looking up from the book, “If it’s made with alicorn then that means a unicorn had to be… oh, my… that’s just horrid.” Rarity was disgusted with that revelation.
“How?” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo asked not able to follow the enchantress.
“Yah see, Sugarcubes, the substance that makes up a unicorn’s horn is called alicorn…”
“Wah got that…” Apple Bloom interrupted.
“Let mah finish!” Applejack ordered slightly crossed. “In order to get alicorn yah have to remove a unicorn’s horn, yah following mah?”
“Yes…” Sweetie Belle answered for herself and her friends.
“Now in order tah get the horn from the unicorn, someone would have tah hunt a unicorn.”
“What do they do after they...?” Scootaloo was not able to finish the question.
“They kill the unicorn and cut out its horn from its skull!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “It’s like how some people poach for ivory! And they often leave the body to rot!”
“That’s…just…evil…” the three said as they started to tear up at the thought of such a majestic and good creature being used as such an atrocity, before actually crying.
“Way tah go, Sugarcube.” Applejack deadpanned as she hugged the three crying girls in an attempt to comfort them. “Ah was tryin’ to ease them into fir’urin’ it out for themselves.” Rainbow Dash gave a weak apologetic smile.
“With that… unpleasantry... dealt with,” Rarity continued. “The Alicorn Amulet allows any wearer to become powerful enough to rival a demigod. But it slowly corrupts the wearing with the worst aspects of the maker of the amulet, and the corruption’s rate increases with each use. Symptoms of corruption include but not limited to, the irises flashing and ultimately converting to red, the sclera… that’s the white area of the eye… flashing lime-green and ultimately converting to lime-green, purple smoke drifting from the corners of the eyes…” Rarity looked up. “Red irises in lime-green eyes, purple smoke… that’s point for point describes...”
“KING SOMBRA!” The others who were at Krystalopolies shouted as they remembered those features.
“We got to destroy that thing as soon as possible.” Rarity said as she returned to the text. “There is no known way to destroy it and only that wear can take it off.” Rarity looked from the book back to her friends, “It looks like we’ll have to convince Trixie to remove the amulet.”
“How do we do that?” Spike asked. “It’s not like we reach Twilight.”
“I have an idea,” Fluttershy said with a degree of almost uncharacteristic confidence, “Spike, you can send a letter to anyone right?”
“Yeah, I can… I’ll get writing.” Spike then walked over to a desk, shoved everything off of it took out a piece of parchment, an ink fountain, and a quill. “Dear Princess…” Spike started to write.
“No, send it to just Twilight and Zecora. Let's not involve the princesses if we can solve it ourselves.” Fluttershy ordered.
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Twilight looked over letter Spike sent via his dragon fire along with a copy of the entry in the book about the Alicorn Amulet. “I can't believe I didn't recognize the Alicorn Amulet!” Twilight groaned. Zecora simply drank her tea as Twilight tried to think about what she was to do. “But how am I supposed to beat that amulet? My magic isn't good enough!”
Zecora finished her tea and walked over and pulled out a piece of parchment, a dragon fire candle, an ink fountain and a quill from among her many items. “Twilight Sparkle, much work have you done. You learned all of my lessons; all but one. If Trixie's tricks have you in a fix, you must nix your magic and use the six.”
Twilight was confused with what Zecora just said, “Nix your magic, use the six…” She repeated as she tried to solve Zecora’s riddle. “Nix your magic, use the six…” then it dawned on her, she and her friends were a group of six. But how, the whole nixing her magic was something she didn’t understand, but then she looked at a school of magic she never really studied, slight of hand, illusionary magic. “Nix your magic! Use the six! That's it!” Twilight exclaimed as she hugged Zecora in gratitude. “Zecora, you're a genius!” Zecora smiled as Twilight sat at the table and started to write out her what she was planning. Zecora then lite the dragon fire candle.
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It was the following day, Trixie was on a golden throne on huge palanquin being carried by most of the men of Magiville, sans Big Mac, as they neared the barrier of the dome, not far from the Everfree Forest. Trixie moaned, “This better not be a false alarm, or the Great and Powerful Trixie will–” at the sight of Twilight and Zecora on the other side. Trixie gasped at the sight and as she yelled, “You!” she got off of the palanquin and walked up to the barrier. She was able to compose herself before she addressed Twilight. On the exterior of the barrier Twilight and Zecora heard the muffled voice of Trixie. “What's the matter, Twilight Sparkle? Not enjoying your exile?” Trixie asked.
Twilight took a breath before she spoke. “I know about the Alicorn Amulet. I know you cheated,” Twilight pointed at Trixie accusingly towards.
Trixie feigned hurt at the accusation, “Cheated? Moi?” she asked.
Twilight didn’t let up, “Yeah. And I thought you might wanna see what a real magical amulet looks like.” Twilight said as she pulled out a simple golden necklace with what looked like a green stone with a stylized star engraved on it. “Zecora gave it to me.” Twilight informed, “It's from deep with the Everfree Forest,” Twilight saw that Trixie start to walk away. “and it's way more powerful than your measly little Alicorn Amulet!” Trixie then stopped, Twilight knew she had Trixie hook, line, and sinker.
Trixie, however, tried to not show it as she turned back to face Twilight with her eyes closed, “Ha!” she laughed as she opened her eyes, the irises were as solid red and the whites were solid lime-green. “Nothing's more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet! And nobody's more powerful than the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie declared as she held her nose up at the notion of another item could be more powerful than the amulet she wore.
Twilight knew she had to tactful with how to reel this catch in, “Care to put your amulet where your mouth is?” She asked her opponent trying to coax her in her trap, “How about another duel?”
Trixie was many things, an absolute idiot is not one of them, “Why should I?” Trixie asked knowing she had bested Twilight and really had nothing to gain from another duel, “I already beat you.”
“That's up to you!” Twilight said shrugging her shoulders. “But I guess we’ll never know which amulet is the more powerful and you'll never see the totally awesome magic from within the Everfree Forest.” Twilight closed her eyes and turned around and started to leave. “Come on, Zecora.”
As the two started to leave, “Wait!” Trixie yelled as she vanished the dome surrounding the town as she made a dash to catch up with the two. “Okay, okay, you're on! A second duel.” Twilight smirked before she turned around and the two shook hands.
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An hour later as Twilight and Trixie were in the center of town, everyone else was on the sideline. The sky was darkened with storm clouds as lightning cracked and thunder rumbled. Trixie put her best foot forward. “Let's start with a simple age spell, shall we?” She asked her opponent.
Twilight agreed with a “Let's,” as the two narrowed their eyes at each other.
Trixie saw Snips and Snails on the sidelines and sent a red lightning bolt at the two boys, turning them into babies in a poof. The two started to cry before they were turned back into their proper ages. “That’s an oldie, but a goodie, ha.” Trixie laughed as she turned to Twilight. “Now, let's see what your little charm can do.” Trixie waved her hand dismissively, a smirk on her face.
Twilight smiled unfazed, “No problem.” She turned to Applejack and Rarity, also in the audience with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. “Applejack, Rarity, could you help me, pleases?” Applejack and Rarity nervously stepped forward to stand next to one of the statutes in town, giving a ‘huh’ when Twilight asked them. Twilight then send a purple lightning bolt at the two, betting a smoke cloud, as the cloud cleared Applejack and Rarity were still standing there but were ten years younger.
Trixie was shocked at first but rapidly feigned bemusement, “ Oh, ho-hum. So you can do an age spell, big deal.” Twilight then cast the spell again, returning her two friends back to their proper age and then cast it again, turning Rarity back into a ten-year-old but Applejack was an old woman. Twilight continued to repeat this mixing up the ages of her two friends, one-time Rarity was her normal age and Applejack was a girl, there were several other mixes of the ages of the two. Trixie’s mouth hung open in utter disbelief, “That's... That's impossible!” Twilight finished using the aging spells on Applejack and Rarity with them at their proper age.
“That's nothing!” Twilight said as she looked at Rainbow Dash she then sent another bolt of lightning at the elementalist causing smoke to appear as it cleared Rainbow Dash looked to her left and saw herself. The two Rainbow Dashs started to mirror each other not such if they were actually looking in a mirror. They then touched hands and both screamed. Twilight look from Rainbow Dash and her doppelganger to see Trixie absolutely stupefied. Twilight looked at her fingernails very dismissively, “Duplication spell.” she answered the unasked question. Twilight then sent another bolt and the doppelganger vanished in a puff of smoke. Twilight then walked up to Trixie and directed her attention to Pinkie Pie. “Ever see one person play ten instruments?” Twilight then sent another purple bolt, this time at the jester. As the smoke cleared the jester had an array of instruments on her and she started to play them like a one-man band, the most noted sound was the polka being played on the accordion in Pinkie’s hands.Trixie’s widen eyes and narrowed pupils showed that she could not fathom what was going on and how Twilight was able to do all that. Twilight knew she won, but she also knew she needed one more little tap. “Ooh, one more. I can turn a woman into a man.” Twilight turned back to Applejack.
As the lightning bolt was sent from Twilight’s hand, “NO!” Applejack shouted as she started to run away. But she was still hit and smoke appeared, as it cleared, Applejack was a towering man, as he got to his feet he covered his groin and chest. “Nope,” he said before he was zapped and surrounded by smoke. As the smoke cleared Applejack was a woman again, her eyes spinning a little. “Ah ain't consentin’ tah that again.”
Twilight closed her eyes and held her head high in triumphant, “Well, Trixie, looks like my amulet is more powerful than yours,” As Twilight spoke Trixie took the amulet Twilight was wearing, “– Hey! Give it back!” Twilight shouted as she noticed the amulet was gone and Trixie holding in her left hand.
Trixie could not help but laugh as she examined the amulet Twilight wore. “With this amulet, I shall now rule all of Mystica!” The clasps of the Alicorn Amulet clicked and electricity sparked as Trixie removed the Alicorn Amulet. Her eyes returned to normal as the clasped the other amulet around her neck with a click, “Witness, my subjects. Gaze upon an ever greater and 'powerful-er' Trixie!” Trixie declared as she held out the Alicorn Amulet, lightning cracked all the while. Just then Rainbow Dash swooped and took the Alicorn Amulet from Trixie. “Hey!” the illusionist shouted before she composed herself with a cough. “I don't need that old amulet. I have this!” She sent pink colored lighting from her focus gem, the same shade as her normal irises, to the elementalist.
Rainbow Dash was struck by the pink lightning and turned about in the air laughing, “Stop it! Tha— that tickles!” Rainbow continued to laugh after Trixie ended her spell.
Trixie was utterly befuddled as she looked to the amulet, “Tickles?!” she asked as she looked back to Rainbow Dash, “That was supposed to make you writhe in agony! This amulet is defective.” She then sent a few other bolts at Rainbow Dash, but Rainbow dodged them all. “Give mine back!” Trixie ordered.
Rainbow Dash: landed and put it a golden box held by Applejack, before it was closed tight. “Sorry. This is going back into hiding where it belongs.”
Trixie took off the amulet she took from Twilight before she was joined by the arcane mage. “Not to add insult to injury, Trixie, but that amulet? It's one of Zecora's doorstops.” Twilight then stepped on it, shattering it.
“But... how did you do those spells? Nobody can do those spells!” Trixie asked as she fell to her knees, bested by Twilight.
“You're right,” Twilight said as she placed her hands on Trixie’s shoulders and knelt down to face her. “Not even me. Zecora taught me so much about magic while I was in exile. But the most important thing she taught me was when not to use it. My magic alone wasn't powerful enough to take on the Alicorn Amulet head to head, so I needed to use a different kind of magic – the magic of friendship.” At that moment Rainbow’s doppelganger, the younger Rarity and Applejack, the elderly Applejack and the man-Applejack set out. They then wiped their faces and took off wigs revealing them to be Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith and Big Mac respectively. “I also knew that the only person who could get the amulet off your neck was you,” Twilight informed.
Trixie was able to quickly figure what happened with Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack, but as Pinkie Pie was still playing as a one-man band. “But... what about the person with the ten instruments?” she asked unable to grasp that.
Twilight gave a slight chuckle, “That's not magic. That was just Pinkie Pie.” As Pinkie Pie continued to play, “But she might stop playing if you return her mouth.” Trixie groaned as she sent a pink bolt at the jester and Pinkie Pie’s mouth was back and she was back to normal.
Trixie hung her head in defeat, she started to cry. “I am the worst,” she said weakly as her eyes started to water apologetically. "I am sorry."
“Well tah be just, if Rares, Rainbow and Ah just walked away from the show we saw, wah could have dodged all this.” Applejack admitted begrudgingly. "Ah pardon yah."
“No one of us four is without blame.” Rarity had to concede.
“She’s still the most in the wrong.” Rainbow Dash added.
Trixie took a breath, “you’re right. I was wrong to humiliate you three back then, bring it home when I came here to duel Twilight and… everything else. Trixie got back to her feet and walked to her self-moving wagon. “I’ll go. Farewell Magiville, I am sorry for all my actions. I shan't return.” Trixie threw a big smoke cloud and after the smoke cleared Trixie and her wagon were gone.
“Well, that happened. So what do we do with this?” Applejack asked calling attention to the box with the Alicorn Amulet in it as she handed it to Twilight.
Twilight accepted the box, “Princess Celestia mentioned that there are vaults in Chantalot. I’ll ask her to place it there. So how’s the library?” Twilight asked.
“Um look at the time, I way behind on my orders. Come along Sweetie Belle, I am going to need your help.” Rarity then started to walk away, pushing a slightly confused Sweetie Belle as she left.
Apple Bloom grabbed Applejack’s hand, “Um don’t wah have to tend tah the fields, check the crops and such.”
Big Mac then picked up his sisters with an “Eeyup” as they and Granny Smith started to Sweet Apple Temple.
“Oh goodness, Angel hasn’t had his salad today, he gets really cranky when he’s not fed.” Fluttershy then flew off to her cottage after picking up Angel.
“Hey squirt, I promised to help yah work on wing exercises, well no time like the present. Came on Tank.” Rainbow Dash walked over took Scootaloo’s hand and started Tank’s propeller and headed off with the two.
Twilight turned to Pinkie and Spike, “What happened?”
“Spikewilltellyouallaboutitbye!” Pinkie said and bolted.
Spike groaned, “buck me.” before he buffed up and a quill and parchment.
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A few hours later in Chantalot, Princess Celestia exited the vault, having placed the Alicorn Amulet therein. “Why now?” she asked no one present. “Why is all this happening now?” She looked at the book she took out from the vault. “Time to act," she whispered.