Chapter 2:
It was clear to Trixie that going there in her cape and hat (even if she couldn’t wear her hat anyway) was a bad idea, she was sure the villagers would remember her and her previous performance.
“Disguise it is.” Trixie sighed, she hated having to go around in disguise, what was the point in hiding such a magnificent mare as her? However there was no reason to make getting the book difficult for her, especially as she wanted to get it as discreetly as possible, there would be no end to her embarrassment if Twilight found out she was using her thesis for research. Trixie was tempted to put an illusion on herself but she was pretty sure that Twilight would see through it in an instant. With another sigh she donned a pair of glasses and a hooded coat that would not only cover her face in shadows but also her Cutie mark. Checking in the mirror to make sure she was suitably disguised she left the wagon, gently closing the door behind her.
Though she was on the edge of the Everfree Forest it didn’t take her long to reach the library, the path clear and easy to navigate. She looked at the ponies’ faces as she walked by them, making sure that they didn’t recognize her. She made it to the tree house without any confrontation and entered the library. There she was, Trixie’s nemesis, reading through some old tome and making neat notes in a small notebook she had levitating in front of her. She stopped writing and looked at the visitor.
“Hello there, have you come to borrow a book?” Twilight asked in a polite voice, putting down the notebook and standing to greet her. Trixie wasn’t expecting this, she was hoping she would be allowed to browse in peace, but then again, if she got Twilight to find the book for her it would mean less work.
“Uh yes, the Gr-” Trixie began in a deeper voice than normal in an attempt to disguise it, but quickly stopped herself, “Ah, um, I was looking for a copy of ‘On the concept of basic to intermediate illusionary magic’, do you have one?” Twilight’s polite grin turned to a smile of happiness.
“Well you’ve come to the right place! I happen to be the author and I’d gladly let you borrow my original copy, as long as you’re careful of course.” Twilight said, locating the book quickly and handing it over.
“Is that everything?” Twilight asked, Trixie replied with a nod, struggling not to get angry, that irritating smile of Twilight’s always managed to rile her. “Ok then, I’ll just need to write your name down and you can borrow my thesis for up to three weeks.” Twilight said, walking to a table where she kept a registry, she levitated the quill next to it and looked over at Trixie expectantly.
A name? Trixie was not expecting this, she thought she would be able to get the book and get out without any sort of interaction.
“Are you ok?” Twilight asked when Trixie failed to respond, she looked worried, she was used to weird ponies but this one seemed to be especially odd. Trixie snapped out of her reverie.
“Oh! My name is... it’s Tia Star” Trixie responded quickly, spouting the first thing that came to her mind, inwardly she cursed Twilight for making her utter such a stupid name as her own. Twilight seemed not to notice Trixie’s anger and quickly jotted down the offered name.
“Ok! We’re done, thanks for visiting.” Twilight said, walking back to her own book and levitating the notebook again. Yes! She had the book, she was home free. Trixie let out a smile, hidden by the hood’s shadow, and walked towards to door, book now safely in her saddlebag. Just as she reached for the door though with her hoof it was flung open, knocking Trixie flat on her back as a small dragon walked in, piles of paper in his arms.
“Twilight?” The dragon called, struggling to see around the mountain of paper in his small arms, “I got the paper!” Twilight once more lowered her notebook and looked at the dragon,
“Oh good, put them down over there please, I’ll need some later,” Twilight said before noticing the mare on her back by the door. “Spike! You knocked over a patron!” Twilight said disapprovingly, moving over to Trixie to help her up.
“Sorry.” Spike said, plopping the paper down before turning to Trixie. Twilight stopped in her tracks once she had reached the show mare, the sunglasses had fallen off her face and the hood had slipped enough to allow Twilight to view her face.
“Trixie?” Twilight asked disbelievingly, “What are you doing here? Are you planning to destroy my thesis?”
Trixie struggled to her feet and brushed herself off.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie has no such thoughts!” She declared incredulously, reverting back to her normal speech patterns. Twilight frowned.
“Then what are you here for?” Twilight asked, Trixie looked slightly embarrassed, she quickly tried to come up with some excuse but could think of nothing.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie was... uh...” Trixie replied sheepishly, “She was looking to read the book.” She finished lamely. Twilight was still confused.
“But... why?” Twilight said, not satisfied with the answer Trixie had supplied. Trixie gave a small unintentional blush and hesitantly answered.
“I... wished to learn something from it.” Trixie responded, head lowered and for once she used the first person pronoun. Twilight was taken aback, she had never seen Trixie humbled in this way before. Trixie was surprised too, perhaps she had taken the psychiatrist’s words to heart more than she realised? Twilight didn’t really know how to respond.
“I, uh, ok then.” Twilight eventually said, she didn’t for a moment doubt Trixie, there was truth in her eyes.
Trixie stayed with her head down for several moments before sighing and looking straight into Twilight’s eyes.
“Do you want your book back?” Trixie asked without a hint of sarcasm, Twilight silently shook her head.
“No, but I’m going to have to change your name in the registry.” Twilight replied with a smile, she seemed to harbour no ill will towards Trixie. For a moment Trixie forgot herself and let out a laugh, it was an awkward laugh of someone unaccustomed to the action and it quickly and abruptly stopped.
“Yes, well the Great and Powerful Trixie must be off, farewell Twilight Sparkle.” Trixie said curtly, turning and departing the library through the door which Spike had left open. Spike himself was in the corner with the paper, a confused look on his face. The door closed behind Trixie and Twilight stood staring at where Trixie had been for a few seconds more.
“Trixie seemed... weird, weirder than normal that is.” Spike said, Twilight agreed.
“She’s not really that bad a pony.” Twilight said, more to herself than her assistant.
‘What are you doing Trixie?’ Trixie thought to herself as she walked back through town towards her wagon, ‘You’re losing it, that was Twilight Sparkle there, remember her? How could you act like that?’ Trixie seemed oblivious to the stares she got from the villagers as she walked through town with a frown on her face and cloak slipping down her back. Trixie’s anger grew as she walked, what had even happened back there? Why so humble? However, seeing as she was the Great and Powerful Trixie, the blame must have been somepony else’s. The only other pony she could think of to blame for her feelings were of course Twilight Sparkle, and so that was where she directed her anger.
“Stupid Twilight Sparkle thwarting me again, forcing me to reveal things.” She muttered as she neared the wagon. When she got inside she forcefully removed the cloak and flung it across the room, watching it as it hit the far wall and fell to the floor in a heap. She had left her sunglasses at the library and so couldn’t throw those too, this thought furthered her anger. Trixie grabbed the book from her saddlebag and had half a mind the chuck it out the window to suffer the same fate as its copy. But she knew that it would be extremely foalish and she would regret it later. She gave a sigh and put down the book on her desk.
She donned her cape and sat down at the desk, feeling slightly better now that she had the familiar feel of the cloth on her back. She opened the book and quickly found page 247 before greedily reading, slipping into reading mode. She read on through the day, hardly pausing to throw together a quick lunch before continuing. She had long since passed the section for projecting text and had gone back to the beginning of the book, reading it all the way through from cover to cover. She was so completely absorbed in her reading she didn’t even notice night falling and had completely forgotten the reason for getting the book in the first place, to make a shopping list. She finished the tome just as her small clock chimed for 10pm. She let out a ‘phew’ as she shut the book, she had to admit it, the book was good. It told her everything she needed to know and more, and there was a handy glossary in the back so she managed to get what was going on. She glanced over at the clock.
“Ten?! How could I have been reading for that long?” Trixie exclaimed, checking outside the window to confirm that it was indeed night-time. “I didn’t even go to the shops, or test any of the things in the book.” She sighed to herself. She was tempted to stay up further and practice some of the new illusions posed in the book but a massive yawn cut off that train of thought. She gave another sigh and removed her cape, carefully placing it on its hook before putting the book on her bedside table in case she wanted to check anything during the night. Satisfied that she was ready, Trixie climbed into her bed and curled up under the blanket, mind full of the various spells in Twilight’s thesis.