//------------------------------//
// Trixie knows a Trick 
// Story: Something to be Proud of 
// by Eighth 
//------------------------------//

It's lunchtime. Trixie grabs a few things from the cafeteria and then looks around for a seat. Usually, there are a few tables free but for whatever reason, every student seems to be here. There's only one table that is mostly free, as a lone filly sits at it with a deck of cards playing some game by themselves.

"Is it okay if I sit here?"

The purple filly nods as she stares at her cards while shovelling some food into her mouth. Trixie watches for a little bit out of curiosity but gives up when she can't immediately guess what it is. It seems like a simple enough game though. Instead, Trixie grabs out her tome and jots down some notes and recollections of Anonymous' ramblings to decipher in a moment. This seems to be the books main purpose now. While a few pages are dedicated to spells and things. But the more interesting queries on Trixie's mind is what Anonymous is talking about.

She thinks back to the intuition lesson. Understanding that a little better helped her work out the fire magic. That was a spell she never managed to do on her own or with her teacher's help.

"What was that thing about not knowing what the universe won't allow?" She thinks to herself as she chews idly.

Then she shakes her head. That sort of thing would be an immensely high-level magic for anyone. No sense decoding that. Yes, universe tampering would have to wait for now.

"My masticating isn't bothering you, is it?"

"Hm? Oh," replies Trixie after a pause as she thinks of a similar sounding word then suddenly remembers herself, "No, I hadn't noticed."

The purple filly nods, content with their current interaction and goes back to her cards.

While Trixie does remark that the unicorn is a little odd, she agrees with herself on the fact that everyone is a little odd. In their own ways. And then she returns to her deep contemplation.

"I wonder what sort of magic is possible?" She mumbles so lowly to herself anyone around her would swear she said nothing at all.

As Trixie writes down a few ideas like teleportation and time travel, the filly across from her steals a glance then raises a brow.

"Would you like to play cards?"

"Ah... I, uh, don't know any card games."

"I see,"  she replies in a dejected voice.

"I know a card trick though," Trixie mostly lies.

"Wow."

She scoops all the cards up and passes them to Trixie who begins to shuffle rather clumsily. As she repeats the basic process she gets a better grip on it and speeds up.

"Right. Now, pick a card," Trixie tells her as she spreads all the cards out like a fan.

The filly grabs one.

"Don't show it to me, but hold onto it."

She nods as Trixie shuffles the deck some more. Then Trixie focuses on the trick. She wants to swap that card in her hooves with a card in the deck. Just a small teleportation swap. Simple is what she kept telling herself.

If you were to ask any teacher, any pony who knew anything about magic, and most students then they would tell you that going from a fire spell to teleportation is too big of a leap for anyone. No matter how gifted, smart, or powerful they might be. And they are right. Somewhere in between fire and teleportation is a multiply spell. Which is what Trixie cast by accident. In an instant, the single jack of clubs in the filly's grip becomes two. Then three, and so on. There are so many in such an instant that they sprayed out, many hitting the poor filly in the face who screams as she is knocked off her seat. The spell stopped at around four thousand and thirty-seven, but Trixie didn't want to stick around to count or even clean up.

All the student around laughed. They laughed at the dizzy purple unicorn on the ground, covered in playing cards and they laughed at Trixie who was now a bright Rosey red. The blush had spread so far, Trixie could swear it spread all the way to her flank. During her hasty escape, Trixie hits her left forehoof on a table. She lets out an instinctive yelp despite it not actually hurting, which causes everyone to laugh even harder as she disappears.





"And that's why I'm here," Trixie adds as she looks up to the giant golem as he sluggishly watered the flowers.

"I know I shouldn't skip school... But it's just one lesson. That's okay, right?"

Clay slowly looked at her, then returned to looking at the flowers. He tilted the watering can that was dwarfed by his Giants shovel-like fists but no water came.

"Oh, here. I'll fill that up."

Trixie takes the watering can and dips it into the ever full fountain. You could add water to it, or take as much as you wanted out and it would always be at the same level. The strange fish look up at her as she looks at them.

"Here you go."

The silent golem nods, his best attempt at thanks, as he takes the can into his softened clay grip and begins watering again. Apparently, he has to stay soft. If Anonymous hardened the clay, he'd never be able to move. Which also means he is rather vulnerable to many things. He can't stay out in the sun for too long, Clay needs to check on his own shape every day, and he has developed a fear of water after losing a hand to the tap in the kitchen sink. A sense of dread fills Trixie as she imagines Clay getting caught in the rain. Maybe she should install an umbrella on his back just in case.

"Do you like gardening?" Trixie asks out of boredom.

Clay can't talk, so trying to get to know him is a little pointless. But Anonymous is busy with a couple things at the moment so chatting to the silent living earth is all she has to do. Well, she could snoop around but Trixie feels she has caused enough trouble for one day. 

"Maybe tomorrow," plots Trixie to herself.

Clay reaches down and plucks one of the pinky-purple flowers to show Trixie.

"The flowers? You like the flowers?"

Clay nods.

"Oh... Fair enough," idly replies Trixie as she swings her legs about on the seat, "You shouldn't pluck them though. If you do, they'll wither and die. You need to leave them in the soil so they stay pretty for longer."

The golem brings the flower closer to his face and seems to stare at it. His expressionless face is impossible to read. As far as Trixie is aware; he could have stalled, be lost in deep thought, or be under immense emotional trauma and it would look the same to her. Part of this distresses her. But then Anonymous calls out.