Trixie Searches For Magic

by MagicS


What Would Twilight Do?

Back at the mayor’s large house the cadre of East Glade’s protectors stood around his large dining room table to discuss their plan to deal with Goliath and his latest act. It was past midnight and only a few hours until dawn and besides Trixie’s usual group, Gizzard’s grandsons were there along with Speckle Wood and Gold Embrace. Senax was there too, although she was certainly not going to be involved in any of the conflict she wanted to know what was going to be happening on behalf of the merponies she watched over. Gabriel and Giselle sat together on their couch, holding and comforting each other while the rest talked. The three teacups Trixie had made for Gabriel Jr, Guyaven, and Gower were sitting on a side table next to them.

At this point the only people in the room who knew the truth about Trixie were Vector, Gizzard, Coil, and Daylight Gleam. And they all wanted to keep it that way so the four were trying to dismiss their misgivings and act like Trixie really was a great hero. It helped that this was actually her plan. When she had been asked where the magical items she had went to retrieve were, Vector said they had hidden them away for safekeeping.

“What are we going to do, teacher? How are we going to defeat Goliath and rescue the children?” Gold Embrace asked Trixie.

The show pony grinned at her protege. “Have no fear, The Great and Powerful Trixie has come up with the perfect plan to achieve victory!” She briefly looked from face to face of the ponies, griffon, and merpony around her. “It’s something that everyone will have to work together on, and I only came up with it thanks to everything I’ve learned about this place, you all, and Goliath.”

“We’ll help you in any way we can!” Speckle Wood said, eager to prove his worth.

“Thank you,” Trixie cleared her throat. “Goliath wants me. His base is somewhere in the mountains to the east but he says I should be tied up on the bridge. So obviously he’s going to come and get me. From what Vector told me about him his pride would never allow him to just send someone else to take me, he’ll want to be the one to gather me personally.”

“So what does that mean?” Daylight asked her.

The blue unicorn nonchalantly shrugged.

“I’m going to be bait,” Trixie told her.

There were surprised and frightened looks arrayed on the others around the table. Speckle Wood and Gold Embrace both looked very worried for their teacher while Daylight and Coil just looked surprised.

“Wait, what?” Gizzard asked her. “What do you mean by bait?”

“Exactly what I said. You’re going to tie me up to a post and put me on the bridge,” She said. “You’re going to make it look like East Glade has sacrificed me to appease Goliath and no one else is going to be around. Just like he said.” The unicorn then gave them a scheming smile. “And while that’s happening you’re going to rescue the mayor’s kids.”

The mayor and Giselle perked up when Trixie said that, she glanced over at them and winked.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” She said and then turned to Vector and Gizzard, pointing at them with her hoof. “Vector, Gizzard, you two know the eastern mountains where Goliath and his band live don’t you?”

“Pretty well, yeah,” Vector nodded.

“I fly a perimeter around them fairly often. Usually don’t go too deep though,” Gizzard replied.

“But do you know where their base is?” Trixie questioned.

Both of them nodded now. “Definitely,” Vector said.

“Great,” Trixie looked to Daylight now. “And Daylight, you mentioned you had a large camouflage spell?”

The white unicorn raised an eyebrow but still answered the question. “Yes. It isn’t perfect and can be pretty easily seen during the day if I move with it, but I can create a canopy of camouflage over me and some others if they stay close to me.”

“How many others?” Trixie pushed.

Daylight shrugged. “Ten maybe? Including me. I used to not be able to conceal that many but I’ve been practicing harder with the spell the past couple of months.”

“That’s perfect!” Trixie exclaimed. “And it’s alright if it’s easy to spot during the day, you’ll be using it mostly at night.”

Trixie leaped on top of the table. “You see, we’re not waiting around till noon for Goliath to come by. We’re going to take the offensive!” She looked and pointed up to the ceiling, trying to look as grand as possible. With a manic smile on her face she jumped to the head of the table so she could stare down at all the others. “We don’t have much time to waste! Daylight, you’re going to use your camouflage spell and take Vector, Coil, Gizzard, his grandsons, Speckle Wood, and Gold Embrace, and you’re going to go straight to where Goliath’s hideout is before dawn. And then you’re going to wait.”

“Wait for what?” Daylight asked her.

“For Goliath to leave on his way to get me. Once you see him go you’re going to head on into his base and get the kids back,” Trixie told them.

“Hold on, there are some holes to what you’re saying,” Coil said to her. “Even if Goliath isn’t there the rest of his thugs will be. Or what if they decide to go with him instead?”

“If they decide to go with him that’ll be even better, it will make things easier for you,” Trixie said.

“But then you’ll have to deal with not just him but whoever he brings with him,” Vector pointed out.

“That’s not important,” Trixie waved him off. “I have a plan for dealing with him and anybody else too. And besides, the same part of him that I think will make him want to come get me himself makes me think he’s gonna come alone too. To show he doesn’t need anybody with him to beat me.” She smirked. “And the good thing is he asked in his own letter for no one else on our side to be there, so he won’t get suspicious when nobody else is around. He’ll just think the “cowardly people of East Glade” gave in to him again.”

“So you still want the eight of us to deal with the rest of his minions then?” Gizzard asked her.

Trixie nodded. “Actually I don’t think you’ll have a problem with that at all. Knowing what you all can do and seeing what those guys are like, if it came down to a fight I think you’re more than enough to deal with the whole lot of them besides Goliath. But with luck I think you can just scare them away too, like how I did.” She looked at the four other unicorns gathered here. “How confident are you in your teacup transforming skills?”

Daylight grinned. “You think we can bluff them?”

“I know you can, they’re a bunch of scaredy-cats,” Trixie said, she then glanced at Gold Embrace and Speckle Wood. “Don’t worry if your teacups aren’t perfect yet, in fact that might scare those jerks even more. Just follow Daylight’s lead when you’re there, she’ll explain things.”

Both of the unicorn students were confused but nodded. Out of everyone here they now probably had the most trust in and respect for Trixie.

“As far as scaring our enemies go I actually have a few extra magic bombs I’ve made,” Coil said.

“Great, bring them with you!” Trixie said to him.

“So while we’re rescuing the children just what exactly are you going to be doing?” Vector wondered.

“Like I said, I’m going to be tied up as the bait,” She shrugged.

“But-” Vector started before Trixie cut him off.

“Don’t worry. It’s just gonna be a show and no one puts on a better show than me,” Trixie grinned at him. “Now you all should start getting on your way as soon as possible, I don’t know how long it will take you to get to where Goliath hangs out in those mountains.”

“It’s gonna be slow going no matter how far it is,” Daylight said. “I need to concentrate when using my camouflage spell, it’s complicated magic.”

Gizzard huffed. “It’s also a treacherous path and a dangerous place in general. Me and Vector know our way around it and most of the creatures that live there but we’ll still need to be careful. Luckily that camouflage spell or whatever should help us out with that too.”

“Not just the camouflage spell,” Trixie said and looked to Senax with an apologetic smile. “Er, Senax? I really hate to ask this of you but I was wondering if you might let us borrow the Horn of Listening? Giving it to Vector and them will let them hear anything dangerous and avoid it before it gets close.”

The merpony grimaced, biting her lip. It was obvious that to be asked such a thing was really putting her in a difficult position. But as she looked around herself at the imploring and pleading eyes of the others, and knowing the danger of the situation as well as what would happen to the mayor’s kids if this failed, there was only one thing she could say.

“Of course, I will retrieve the Horn for you. After all it would still be in Goliath’s clutches if it wasn’t for you in the first place,” Senax smiled as best she could at Trixie.

“Thanks, Senax,” Trixie told her, leaning down to pat her on her scaly shoulder.

Not missing a beat, the conversation continued.

“And in the morning or around noon once Goliath has gotten some distance we’ll drive off the others and rescue the kids...” Vector said to himself, as if mulling things over. “They outnumber us but without Goliath around to scare them into doing something I think you’re right that we can probably just get them to flee.”

“Have faith in The Great and Powerful Trixie’s plan!” She stated.

"It sounds like your plan relies a lot on luck, circumstance, and your own guesswork and hypothesizing,” Daylight flatly said before a small smirk appeared on her face. “Buuut, I think it sounds decent and it’s not like I have a better idea.”

Vector gave Trixie a small smile, despite his reservations and worried soul. “I’m for it too. Just please be careful with whatever it is you’re doing?”

Trixie chuckled. “But of course. The Great and Powerful Trixie always takes care of herself.”

That was something the four in the know now knew very well.

Feelings were good in the house of the mayor, even considering the situation there was an air of hope thanks to The Great and Powerful Trixie. Gabriel and Giselle both had tentative smiles on their faces and the ones who knew the truth of Trixie were just as excited as the ones who didn’t. Everyone really thought they could do this. The traveling magician finally hopped off the table and strode over to the mayor and his wife.

“Mayor, I’m going to need your help with some things too.”

His eyes widened in surprise and he shared a brief worried look with his wife before pointing a single talon at his face. “Me?”

Trixie gave him an honest smile. “Yes, you. Come morning, or at least sometime before noon, I need you to get everyone in the village away from the east side where the bridge is just in case. I don’t want any of the villagers put in danger so just evacuate them to the west side, around where Senax and the merponies are.”

“We’ll gladly house as many as we can in our home,” Senax chimed in.

“Thank you Senax,” Trixie said, looking over her shoulder and smiling at the merpony before returning her gaze to the mayor. “Also, I’m going to need you to introduce me to whoever’s a good carpenter around here.”

“What? Why?” The mayor asked in confusion.

“I’m going to need some help with the bridge and someone who can find a board to tie me to, and I’ll need some rope but I can get that from my wagon,” The magician said.

“Just what are you going to be doing on that bridge?” Daylight Gleam asked the smug blue unicorn.

Trixie flashed her her biggest and most obnoxious smile. “I’m going to be practicing my escape artist skills.”

The mayor rubbed his feathered head but just shrugged. “Well whatever you need I’ll be happy to get it I guess. Anything for our kids sakes.” Giselle nodded with him.

“All of us will work as hard as possible and do whatever you need of us, teacher,” Speckle Wood said.

“Right! We won’t let you down either!” One of Gizzard’s grandsons said while hooking his arm around the neck of his brother and pulling him in close. Trixie wished someone would finally tell her what their names were so she didn’t have to ask.

“You’ll have the support and wishes of those not fighting too. All of you,” Senax said to the gathered protectors. “May Ponyseidon look well upon you.”

There would be no rest for the ones going into the eastern mountains, they had to immediately get ready for their mission. Coil went back to his lab to grab the few magical bombs he had and Senax went to retrieve the Horn of Listening. Gizzard talked with his grandsons about what they could expect in the mountains and Daylight chatted with Speckle Wood and Gold Embrace about what Trixie had meant when she mentioned the teacups earlier.

Vector gave a last questioning look to Trixie, silently asking if this was really going to work. If she was really going to be okay.

And Trixie being the great illusionist, entertainer, and braggart that she was, effortlessly hid away all her own worries that she couldn’t allow others to see and simply returned his look with a smug smile.