//------------------------------// // Trixie's Trial // Story: Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace S6 // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Ponyville was lively as ever, day to day lives going on as no alarms were going off. This was mainly because Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry were not in town right now. It was well known that the townsfolk loved those two, though they did seem to be the magnet for insane situations. Both had been sent by Celestia to settle a dispute in Fillydelphia, the finer details not known to the general public. Hopefully some big misunderstanding would occur before getting worked out and then it would fill Equestria's weekly quota for insane events, which was usually followed by an event free week. It was at this moment that Springer was in the training room with Ace and Mira, the trio each holding a broom handle without a head. "Again!" Springer yelled before swinging his stick around, "One!" Ace and Mira swung the piece down, "Two!" They swiped the broom horizontally, "Three!" And as they swung the stick the other side, Ace let out a long sigh. "This is boring!" He moaned before spinning his staff around, "Why are we even doing this?" He got his answer when the stick smacked his head, "Ow!" "That's why," Springer responded, "If you do that with a Bone Breaker, you're likely to cut your own ear off." He pointed his stick at Ace, "I want you two to be masters of all my attacks before you actually learn them. That way, there won't be any accidents." "But why can't we start learning those attacks now? You know, like an Aura Blast!" Mira rolled her eyes while Springer sighed. "Alright." He spun the stick around before thrusting it down, making it stand up straight, "From where you're standing, fire a pulse of aura. If you can knock the staff down, I'll teach you the Aura Blast." "Ha! Really?!" Springer did a small nod, "Too easy." He brought his paws together before thrusting them forward, "HIYAH!" But as he did this...not even a bit of aura appeared in his paws. Instead, there was a tiny layer of aura in surrounding his paws, but not a speck was flying out, "Wait..." he tried again, only to get the same results, "No, that's not right. Give me a sec-" "Your aura's not strong enough yet," Springer interrupted. "What?! Why?!" Ace yelped, Mira rolling her eyes again. "Weren't you listening when Springer explained what aura is?" Ace turned to her, tilting his head in response. "Figures." Springer shined a small smile at the female jakhowl, "Mira, mind explaining to him what it is?" Mira nodded back, "Aura is a spiritual energy created by combining one's mental and physical energy. The stronger the wielder is both mentally and physically, the stronger their aura is." "Good girl," Springer pulled a brown bag out from behind his back. "Have a cookie." Mira gasped before taking the treat as Springer turned to Ace, "Ace, you're not gonna be able to wield your aura unless your mental and physical energies reach a certain point. You're young and inexperienced, so your mental energy isn't very strong yet. That'll grow with age, so I want to make you physically stronger first. That's why we're doing this, to build your physical energy, which will build into your aura." Ace let out a long sigh, "Alright." He picked up his stick, "But how long do we gotta do this?" "Until you're ready," Springer grabbed his staff. "Now, follow my directions and don't ad-lib. Flash will have a field day if he comes back to find one of my students managed to poke his own eye out while training." The two nodded before following Springer's movements again, Ace grumbling, "Aww...I bet Heart and Soul are having more fun than we are." Over in the castle's library... Heart and Soul were currently sitting around a table reading books, Starlight one table over, reading her own tome and look content while taking some notes. As for the filly and colt, looks of boredom were on their faces as Heart yelled, "AUGH!" He slammed his face into the book he was reading, "This is so boring!" He pulled his face back up. "It's bad enough Flash had to leave me here, but what was he thinking making me write this stupid essay?!" "Well...what's the essay about?" Soul asked. "I have to pick a Royal Knight from the past and write a detailed history of their life and what they did during their time as a knight." "That doesn't sound so bad. Twilight is always saying that learning about the past is a great way to improve one's future. You know, learning from the mistakes of the past and stuff." "It's still boring," Heart groaned, "Why couldn't Flash and Twilight have taken us with them instead of leaving us with all this homework?" The question made Starlight laugh, causing the two to turn to her. "There's no way they were gonna take you with them. For one thing, you would have missed a flank ton of school." Heart glared at her at that. "And as bored as you think you are now, you probably would have been ten times as bored going with them. What do you think they're doing in Fillydelphia?" "I thought they were settling some kind of dispute?" Soul asked. "Exactly. That means they'll probably in some meeting with nothing but yelling and arguing. If you came along, you'd either be sitting in the corner, not allowed to talk, or trapped in a hotel room. Trust me, you're better off here." "Still wish Flash didn't give me such a boring assignment," Heart huffed as he looked back at the book. "You would have had to learn this stuff sooner of later," Soul added, Starlight now going back to her own book. But despite the smile on her face, it soon morphed to a frown as she remembered the assignment Twilight have given her while she was away. Now that her old friendship with Sunburst was stable, the princess had decided it was time for Starlight to try and make a new friend. She had already tried yesterday, her other friends all willing to help. Pinkie had introduced her to Mrs. Cake, but Starlight ended up getting her angry with a magically created cake. Applejack tried Big Mac, only for Starlight to cause him to have a panic attack by magically getting him to become a big blabber mouth. Rainbow, Rarity and Fluttershy had also tried to help...but there seemed to be no answer for Starlight. In the end, she just went to the spa, but there wasn't anypony there to open up to either. No matter what she did, the mare couldn't seem to find anypony she could make a real connection too. A small part of her felt like the ponies in town were still judging her for her...past. "Great," she sighed, quiet enough for the twins to not hear, "I'm gonna end up letting Twilight down." It was here that a loud knocking sound suddenly echoed through the castle. This brought the three out of their own little worlds, all turning to the library door. "What was that?" Heart asked as Starlight got up. "The front door. You two stay here and keep working." With that, she teleported to the main entryway. She trotted over to the door, opening it up to find a familiar unicorn as she asked, "Hello?" It was a certain light blue unicorn with silver hair, complete with a saddlebag on her back as Starlight squinted at her, "Wait...you're Flash and Twilight's friend, Trixie...right?" "That's right," Trixie Lulamoon nodded back. "Its nice to meet you again." The sight then made Starlight's memories click into place, now remembering the movie she had watched when the group returned, and how hard Trixie had fought in the war, especially her battles against Terror Card. "You're Twilight's new student, right?" Trixie then asked, "Starlight...Glamour?" "Glimmer," she corrected before stepping aside. "You wanna come in?" "Thanks!" Trixie replied as she trotted inside. "So...what are you doing here?" Starlight added while closing the door, "Aren't you Princess Luna's student?" Trixie nodded. "I am, but is it so wrong for a pony to come a visit her friends?" "Oh. Um...no." Starlight responded while looking away, "You're right. Sorry." "It's fine," Trixie turned back to her. "But honestly, this isn't a social call." Her smile instantly vanished as she zipped up to Starlight, their faces inches apart as she placed her front hooves on Starlight's chest. "Trixie needs Twilight's help! Is she here?!" Starlight blinked back, slowly replying, "Uh...actually, she and Flash are in Fillydelphia." "Oh no..." Trixie let out a groan while pulling away, "Any idea when they'll be back?" Starlight shook her head. "Augh! I knew Trixie should have come sooner! She just had to leave it to the last minute!" She fell back onto her flank, "I'm doomed...Trixie is doomed!" Starlight frowned at this, trying to form words before twiddling her hooves, "Um...Trixie?" Trixie looked back up at her, "Listen, uh....I don't know what's going on, but I'd hate for you to have come all this way for nothing. Why don't I take you to Heart and Soul? You can catch up and I'll get us some snacks." Trixie blinked at this, getting back up as Starlight flashed her horn, teleporting them to the library. Starlight then opened the doors and said, "Hey you two, look who just showed up." They turned to her, only to gasp, "TRIXIE!" They immediately charged at the unicorn, tackling her in a mad rush. "Soul! Heart!" Trixie giggled while hugging them both, "Oh, I've missed you two so much! You all been having fun in Ponyville?" The two nodded back as Starlight's horn shined, ready to teleport to the kitchen. But right before she could vanish- "I thought I sensed a familiar presence." They all turned to see the jakhowls walking into the room, Trixie smiling as the twins let her up. "Springer!" She and the bipedal wolf moved over and hugged for a second, Trixie then pulling away to see at the youngest members of the group. She covered her mouth with her hooves, "My goodness, are these them?" Springer nodded. "Yup." He placed a paw on each jakhowl's shoulder, "This is Ace and Mira." "Aww...Hello there," she waved to them while they waved back. "I'm Trixie." Two barks followed this, Springer responding, "They would say hello back, but they can't talk yet." "Ah, that's right," Trixie nodded back, "I remember when you were like that. Gosh...that feels like a lifetime ago." It was at this moment that Starlight returned holding a tray of drinks and snacks, the group moving into the library and clearing a table to enjoy them. "So what brings you here?" Springer asked as Trixie sipped on a cup of tea. The unicorn let out a long sigh, "Well...I was hoping to get Twilight's help with a spell I'm working on, but it looks like I'm on my own." "What kind of spell is it?" Starlight asked, her interest instantly sparking. "It's an age spell," Trixie replied, "One that will allow you to force something to become older or younger depending on how you use it." "Wow!" Soul gasped, "A spell like that exists?!" "Cool...." Heart added. Starlight nodded in agreement, "I've heard about those spells, but I always heard they were impossible. They're something only for the highest level of unicorn." "They are," Trixie responded, letting out a sigh next. "Even Celestia and Luna can't do it." "So why are you trying to use it?" Heart asked, everyone nodding in agreement as Trixie grimaced at the question, Springer and the younglings all sensing fear from her. "Well...my father is coming to see me," she muttered out, "He'll uh...he'll be arriving in Canterlot tomorrow." "So why do you look like someone just cancelled Hearts Warming?" Springer asked, only for a certain memory to suddenly shine in his mind, making him remember the day he and Trixie first met. "Oh...right." The others turned to him, "So that's why your aura is like that." "What do you mean?" Starlight added. Trixie let out another sigh, "Did Flash or Twilight ever tell you how we first met?" All but Springer shook their heads, "So...before Trixie met them, she was a travelling showpony, going from town to town performing basic magic and dressing it up to look like something far grander then it really was. And a lot of the time, ponies ate it up and she reveled in the attention." "That doesn't sound like you," Heart chimed in. "The pony you know is a fairly new persona. Actually, the pony I was before was really a persona. The pony you know is the real version of Trixie, who had been hidden so well that even she believed the persona was the real her. That is, til she came to Ponyville and tried to trick the town into thinking she was some great sorceress. She even tried to trick them into thinking she had once defeated an Ursa Major." Soul and Heart glanced at each other, both wide-eyed in shock as Starlight asked, "So what happened?" "Flash happened," Trixie replied as she took a sip from her cup. "He and Springer saved me from a bunch of thieves right outside of town...and we talked. The fear of the attack caused my persona to slip, letting them see the real me, then during the show, they saw right through me, calling me out on the lies I was telling." "And you left in a huff," Springer chuckled. Trixie nodded. "The truth about me is...I wasn't always the skilled unicorn I am now. That's why I relied so much on parlor tricks. It wasn't until those criminals returned that I was able to unlock my true magical might, all thanks to Flash and Twilight. But before then, I was just an ordinary pony....and that's what caused the problems between me and my father." "Why?" Soul asked. "He's a very powerful unicorn. He's a teacher at the Manehatten Institute for Magical Learning and has mastered many spells in his time. He's considered to be a genius in their school, so to have a daughter like me, who couldn't do anything more than the most basics spells..." She looked away, "Trixie was a source of great shame to him." She put the cup down, her mane drooping down to hide the tears trying appear in her eyes. "I dropped out of the institute, unable to keep up with his demands...and now he refuses to even acknowledge my existence." Everypony shared a glance, frowns on every face before Heart turned back to her, "So...why's he coming to visit?" Trixie lifted the cup to take another sip, only to put it down, "I...sent him a letter when I first became Princess Luna's student, telling him about it. I never got a reply. At the time, I figured he didn't believe me...but now I think he did believe me, but expected me to get dropped by now." "But you haven't." Starlight pointed out. "So what's the problem? If anything, it sounds like he should be proud of you. Maybe he's coming to congratulate you and say he was wrong and he's sorry." This caused Trixie to let out a quick laugh. "You don't know him. My father's never wrong. At least, that's what he thinks. If he decides something, it's set in stone. And he never apologizes...ever." "He sounds like a real jerk," Ace added, the others turning to him as Trixie glanced at Springer. The jakhowl shook his head, "Don't worry about it. So, why do you think he's coming?" "I don't know," Trixie replied, "That's why I've gotta be ready with something that can show him how much I've grown since leaving home." "Seriously?!" Heart yelped, "Why would you need that?! You're awesome! You've got both illusion and ice magic!" "That won't mean anything to him," Trixie instantly replied, "He teaches magic like that at his institute. I need something bigger than that to impress him." "So that's why you're trying to learn an ageing spell," Starlight chimed in, "I'm guessing none of his students have ever been able to use it." Trixie weakly nodded, "I knew it was a long shot when I started studying it, but I was determined to try. But with each passing day, I haven't even been able to make the flower I was using on it to de-bloom. That's why I came to Twilight." The statement made them all exchange glances again, Springer crossing his arms as he felt the despair pouring off the mare, the aura making him feel nauseous, "No offense Trixie, but why do you even care what this guy thinks?" She glanced up at him, seeing a determined stare in his eyes, "He doesn't sound like he deserves your time. You're his daughter and he disowned you just because he didn't realize what your talent really was. That doesn't sound like somepony I'd want in my life." "Maybe...but he's still my dad." Trixie let out a long sigh at this, "Sorry. I guess I should get back to Canterlot." "Now hold on Trixie, we don't want you to leave already!" Soul chimed in. "I'm sorry Soul, but I need to be prepared for him." "But-" "Why don't you stay here?!" Heart added, making them turn to him as he pointed at Starlight, "If he's coming tomorrow, you could stay until then. Heck, I bet Starlight could teleport you there so you don't have to get the train." "Well...I mean-" Trixie stopped herself as she saw the kind smiles on every face in front of her, "Thanks. Though I can just teleport myself." "Trixie, you know you're always welcome," Springer replied, "Why don't you stay? In fact, let's go get a room ready for you." Trixie opened her mouth to respond, only to know she couldn't reject him. She got up and followed Springer out of the library, Starlight and the youngsters frowning when they were gone. "Poor Trixie," Soul whimpered, "I'm glad our parents weren't like that." "Well, we don't really remember them," Heart pointed out. "They could have been like that and we don't know...but you're right. It's too bad Twilight isn't here to help." "I doubt Twilight could help her," Starlight responded, "Ageing spells are the hardest spells to cast. It's not just a matter of magical knowledge, but pure power as well." "What do you mean?" Heart asked. "Ageing spells aren't just a matter of making something younger, they're a form of time travel. In fact, they could be considered to be the most advanced form of time travel. It works by locking onto something and travelling forward or backward through its timeline. Once you find the part of their timeline that's the age you're sending them to, you're then dragging them into the present and merging the two into one. Basically, its the same as doing three high level spells at the same time, and if you lose focus while doing even one of the steps, the whole process is undone." "Yikes," Mira replied, "And I don't even understand half of that." "No kidding," Soul whispered. "But couldn't you just team up with two other ponies and combine your magic to do each step?" Starlight shook her head, "It's not that simple. Even I don't understand everything about this kind of magic. Its why I always steered clear of spells I knew I wouldn't be able to do...even if I have time traveled." "So it's really impossible?" Heart asked. "I'm...not sure. But I'm afraid it probably is." Upstairs... Springer opened a door, gesturing Trixie to enter, "This okay for you?" He asked as Trixie sat down on the room's bed. "It's fine," she replied, "After years of living in a wagon, any place with an actual bed is amazing." Springer nodded back before speaking up, "Hey Trixie," She glanced up at him, "You shouldn't let what your father tells you get to you. You're amazing." "Thanks Springer." "I mean it," he added, "How many ponies have gone up against Tirek and actually put up a fight, or defeated a horde of Zap Fighters dressed in a suit designed after a butterfly. Heck, you actually fought in a war and won a lot of battles. You shouldn't have to try and impress him. If anything, he should be trying to impress you." Trixie chuckled at his words, only to shake your head, "Maybe...but it's hard not to want your father's approval." She gave him a half frown, "You never needed to earn Flash's approval, but you wanted to, right? Because he was the first pony you ever respected." Springer opened his mouth to reply, only to sigh, "I...I guess. Just...don't beat yourself up while trying to earn the respect of somepony that doesn't even deserve your respect." Trixie nodded back before Springer left, the mare laying down next as she stared at the ceiling. She then closed her eyes, her mind calling back to a time long ago. Years Ago... A young Trixie was happily skipping downstairs into the kitchen of her house in Manehatten. The fact it was an actual house and not just an apartment was proof of her family's wealth, all earned due to her father's many accomplishments. It was here she spotted her mother, an orange unicorn with a blond mane and tail that had a sunflower cutie mark, which was standing at the stove making breakfast. When she heard Trixie's hoofsteps, she turned to her with a smile, "Hello sweetheart." She moved over to kiss her on the head, "Happy birthday." "Thanks mom!" Trixie cheered before glancing around, "Where's da-...father." She grimaced at her words, knowing all the time he had told her that was the correct, respectable term to use. "There was some kind of special delivery." Her mother replied, "Probably a birthday present for a certain somepony." Trixie gasped at this, a big grin appearing on her face before turning to run out of room, only to come to a stop as a certain stallion appeared in the doorway. He was practically a male version of Trixie, having a blue coat and white hair. His cutie mark was an open book with mist coming out of it, and he wore a white shirt under a black coat with a black bowtie. He was staring at a large pink box wrapped in blue ribbon, a long frown on his face. "Father?" He turned to her before letting out a sound of disgust. "Worthless," he grumbled, "Leave it to my brother to send such a worthless gift." Trixie let out another gasp, "Something from uncle?!" She then flinched as he glared down at her, making her shrink back. She wanted to tell him how she always loved her uncle's gifts, but she knew they didn't get along despite being identical twins. "B-b-but father, he always sends great stuff." "He does not!" he barked back. "But...you haven't even opened it." "I don't need to." he instantly replied, "If you actually focused on your studies, you wouldn't even need to unwrap it to know what's inside. I could do a simple X-ray spell at your age, which means you need to start taking your magic lessons seriously. And this worthless gift will just cause more distractions." He then spun around, heading to the front door with the present, making Trixie ask, "What are you doing?" "Putting this in the garbage where it belongs. It's stuff like this that caused my brother to become nothing more than a Las Pegasus fool. He wasted so much time with this instead of learning to do real magic like a real magician." "Dear," Trixie's mother chimed in, "Don't you think that's a bit harsh. It's her birthday present." "It's a danger to our daughter's future success. I'm doing it for her own good." With that, he walked outside and threw it into the trashcan, Trixie's ears flopping over at the sight as the biggest frown graced her face as she whispered to herself, "Aww..." That night... The little filly was sure her parents were asleep, Trixie now opening the window of her bedroom. She poked her head out, staring down at the trashcan holding her present. She took a deep breath next, knowing if she went for it by hoof, she would get caught. Instead, her horn began to spark as she focused on the trashcan, slowly lifting it before placing it in the grass. After that, she floated the present upward, her face clenching at the sight. It was a strain with her current magic level, but she knew what she had to do. Determination screaming off her face, she levitated the present up to her window before grabbing it with her hooves, "Gotcha!" She cheered before pulling it in, glancing back as she used the last of her magic to replace the trashcan lid. "Here we go...let's see what uncle got me." She whispered to herself as she closed the window before using her mouth to pull at the ribbon holding the present together. Once it was off, she took off the lid and stared inside, her eyes going wide at the sight of a bunch of magic equipment. There was a wand, cards, cups and a ball along with a book of beginner magic tricks. The sight of it was caused Trixie to grow a giant goofy smile. The Present... A knock at the door pulled Trixie from her memories, opening her eyes to see Starlight walk inside, "Hey there." "Oh...hello Starlight." Starlight twiddled her hooves at this, "Say uh...you wanna go somewhere?" "Huh?" Starlight glanced away for a second, "Um...do you wanna go somewhere? You know, do something that'll take your mind off of everything. I know I tend to learn spells better when I'm relaxed, so maybe a good stress reliever will help you with your spell." Trixie blinked at this, humming before nodding, "Alright, what do you have in mind?" "Well, what do you enjoy doing?" Starlight asked, "There must be something in Ponyville you'd enjoy doing." Trixie laid back at this, "Honestly, I'd rather do nothing at all. Laying on a comfortable bed and maybe apply a mud mask? Faust knows I could use one with all the stressing I've been under. I must have added a good five years to my face alone. A hot bath would be nice too." Starlight shined a big grin at that, "Oh, I know just the thing for that." Her horn sparked next, teleporting the two into the library, forgetting Trixie was a good few feet off the ground without a bed. "AHH!" She yelped as she hit the floor, Starlight flinching as she sat up and rubbed her head before raising an eyebrow at Starlight. "Sorry," she whispered before turning to the six others in the room, Scootaloo having returned home. "Hey everypony, who wants to join Trixie and me at the spa?" One transition to the town's spa later... The answer to her question was Soul, Mira and surprisingly, Scootaloo. The boys chose to stay behind while Starlight teleported the girls outside of the Ponyville Day Spa. "Welcome," Aloe waved as they walked inside. "What can we do for you fillies today?" Scootaloo turned to Soul and Mira. "You've gotta try the sensory deprivation pods. They're awesome." Soul shook her head. "No thanks. I've heard of those, and it sounds a little too much like when Faust was possessing me." She magically grabbed a pamphlet and opened it up. "I think I'll try a mud bath. Those sound fun." Mira nodded in agreement, all three walking off that area while Aloe turned back to the older mares. "And for you darlings?" She asked, Starlight patting Trixie on the shoulder. "This girl's stressed out. What's your most relaxing treatment?" "Oh, we have just the thing." And so, the two were put through a gauntlet of soothing baths, steams and massages. With each one, they felt the tension they were carrying melt away. They soon found themselves sitting back to back with face masks and cucumbers on their eyes, both wearing bathrobes and had their manes up in towels. Trixie sighed as Lotus began a hooficure. "Thanks for suggesting this, Starlight. You were right. I'm not feeling nearly as stressed as I was before." "I know how hard it is to try and live up to the expectations of somepony." "You do?" Trixie turned to her. "I'm Twilight's student, remember? I'm always terrified I'm going to do something to let her down and make her look bad." Trixie sighed as she sat back. "I hear that. Luna's put so much faith in me and I'm glad I've been able to represent her properly...though if I'm honest, I was terrified at the beginning. Especially because of my fellow princess student." "Who's that?" "Twilight. She wasn't always an Alicorn, you know." "I know," Starlight nodded. "I just find it hard to believe she's only been one a short time." "You know...when she ascended, I wondered if might do the same one day." "Do you want to be a princess?" "I used to think I did," Trixie chuckled, "But have you seen how much paperwork Celestia has to do? I'd work myself into an early grave." Starlight let out a giggle, "Good point. But still, it's hard being the student of a princess sometimes. Like right now. Twilight gave me an assignment to complete before she gets back and I haven't made any headway." "Why not?" Starlight sighed, slumping over "The assignment's to make a friend, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to connect with anypony. I think they're still a little hesitant with me given my...history." "You mean your ego maniac hatred of cutie marks, leading you to brainwash and take over an entire town and when Twilight beat you, you travelled back in time and ended up making Equestria go through one hellish timeline after another until you ran into another version of Flash?" "Uh...yes? How did you-" "Luna told me all about it. And I wouldn't be so worried about what the other ponies in town think. Honestly, this is one of the most forgiving places in Equestria." "Doesn't feel very forgiving." "It takes time. But it'll take a load less time here. They forgave Lightning Blitz after all, and he almost blew them all up. They let Discord hang around here, and heck, Flash let a former tyrant king free. You just have to keep at it and show them you're not who you used to be." "Maybe...but I doubt I'll have a new friend to show Twilight when she gets back." Trixie removed her cucumbers from her face, turning to the unicorn, "Well, there's me." Starlight removed her cucumbers and turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "But...you're already friends with Flash and Twilight." "If the requirement was that your new friend couldn't already be friends with those two, I think that would make the whole of Ponyville off limits." Starlight chuckled at this as Trixie continued, "Besides, it's not like the two of them introduced us to one another. I don't think we've directly talked to one another before today." "No...I guess we haven't." Starlight nodded, a small frown on her face, "But do you really wanna be my friend?" "I don't see why not. You were nice enough to treat me to a day at the spa and it's clear we have a lot in common, like being princess students and having pasts we're not proud of." "That last thing isn't something to be proud of for having in common," Starlight pointed out. "And are you sure my past isn't a problem?" Trixie waved her hoof, "Oh please, everypony has a past, and a lot of ponies that think they were unforgivable actually aren't." She slumped back into her seat at this, "Celestia knows what might have happened to me if Flash hadn't tried to help me show the pony I truly was." Starlight shined a small smile, "Thanks Trixie." "Anytime. Now, let's finish our spa treatment and try to relax. I've still got a spell to work on when it's done." Starlight nodded back as the two began to rest as their treatments neared their completion. And as soon as they were done, the girls returned and they all headed back to the castle before stopping at Sugarcube Corner to pick up some dinner treats. Once in the castle, Starlight and Trixie headed up to Trixie's room. Trixie then took three things out of the bag she had brought with her, a potted flower, a scroll, and a strange black rock with a circle of runes etched into it. "What's that?" "A little something I borrowed from Solid Script. The runes that are carved into it can measure the age of something you connect it too magically." She flipped it over and Starlight saw the flat round rock had runes on both side. "One side shows it in years, and the other shows it in days. For example." She fired a blast of magic at it, magic flowing through it before flying out and hitting Starlight. After a few seconds, a number appeared inside the rune circle, showing the number seven thousand, four hundred and fifty eight. "That's how many days old you are." "Cool." Starlight replied while looking the stone over before shining Trixie a cheeky grin, "You ever think of using this on Luna or Celestia to find out exactly how old they are?" "The thought had crossed my mind," Trixie giggled, "But I'd rather not be sent to the moon. Or who knows, maybe I'd get sent to the sun." They laughed for a good minute before turning back to the flower, using the stone on it. The number one hundred and two appeared in the circle. "Alright, now I've got to try and lower that number." She took a deep breath next as her horn ignited. Starlight watched as the flower glowed the same color, right as Trixie grunted and moaned while sparks exploded out of her horn. And slowly, the flower began to close up. Starlight gasped in joy until Trixie's horn gave out, the light fading from the flower seconds before its petals flew open again. Starlight used the rock and saw it was still the same number of days as before. "You never know. You might have de-aged it a few hours," Trixie glared at her, making Starlight stutter out, "Er...one hour?" Trixie leaned in, the glare still there, "A few minutes...or just one minute." Trixie didn't move, a long glare still showing itself, "One second?" Trixie turned away before letting out a moan, "Augh! This is impossible!" She opened the scroll, growling at the words, "I'm never gonna get this, and I'm sure I'm doing the spell right!" "Trixie...no offense, but it's not just a matter of doing the spell right," Starlight chimed in, "It's also a matter of power. You don't have the power needed to do an age spell. Nopony alive does." The mare's eyes glanced over the paper, letting out a sigh, "I know. Even Luna can't do this...but I want to." "But maybe that's a good thing that you can't." Trixie turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "I mean, shouldn't this spell be this hard? Imagine if it was easy. Every villain in Equestria would use it. If Luna knew this spell, Nightmare Moon might have used it to turn Celestia into a foal. Or if Sombra knew it, he would have aged Flash and Ruby into dust." Trixie looked back at the scroll, letting the paper slump in her hoof, "But...but..." She let out a long sigh, "I guess you're right. The only one who likely could have ever used this spell was Tirek after he stole all of Equestria's magic. Good thing he didn't think to do that." "Exactly," Starlight nodded before taking the scroll, her eyes glancing it over before gasping, "Geez, this is a complicated spell. No wonder nopony can use it." She had been right about the ageing spell being a combination of three different spells used together, all of them high level spells. Time Travel spells were A rank magic while Magical Transportation spells were roughly B rank. But a Fusion Spell like this was a high S rank. Putting those all together was what made this kind of magic unthinkable, only for Starlight to gasp, "A-ha!" "What?" "The magic amount required to de-age something doubles for every year you go back." She replied, humming, "Maybe instead of making the flower younger, you should start by trying to make it older. It doesn't look like that requires as much magic...though it is still an insane amount." Trixie took the scroll again, letting out a low hum, "Huh. You might be right." Her horn began to spark again, magic pouring out as the flower started glowing pink. Starlight stared at the plant, now seeing its begin to droop. A smile appeared on her face, seeing the flower about to drop a petal...only for Trixie's magic to give out, staggering back as the flower's petals instantly de-wrinkled. "I can't do it," Trixie moaned as Starlight checked the age, now seeing the same number as before. "This is hopeless." Starlight then patted her shoulder. "Even if you can't make it permanent, the fact you can even change the flower is pretty impressive. Shows you've got the technique down." "Maybe...but it'll take more than that to get my father to accept how strong I am." Starlight frowned at this, opening her mouth before hearing a knock at the door. They turned to the frame, Heart's head poking in, "Springer says dinner's almost ready." "Okay, thanks." Starlight replied as Trixie turned to Starlight. "Springer can cook?" "Somepony has too. Twilight won't let Flash anywhere near the kitchen. Something about a gastrointestinal monstrosity. Though when she said that, I think I heard Spike say something about a quesadilla." "Huh." "Yeah...and its a shame really. I like quesadillas." A few minutes later... The two headed down to the dinning room, now seeing the others around a table as Soul was using her magic to carry a boiling hot pot that had a shepherd's pie. "Hey there. I see somepony is getting more comfortable with her magic." Soul let out a sigh as she put the dish down in the center of the table, wiping her brow next, "Thanks...though I still can't do much. Just doing that exhausted me." "But you have gotten really good at levitation magic," Starlight added, "You might not be able to lift anything too heavy, but you can lift them up without thinking about it." "I guess Twilight really is a good teacher," Trixie chimed in as she and Starlight sat down. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to teach somepony like that." "Sure you can," Heart nodded. "You helped Soul with her magic back in Faust." "That was more like simple tips," she pointed out. "And it wasn't just me alone. Ruby and Cold were also there. I mean I wonder if I'll ever be able to teach somepony from scratch, all on my own." "Who knows," Springer responded as he used a large spoon to dish out the pie. "The future isn't always clear. I always thought I'd be the last jakhowl, but look at me now." He handed Ace his food. "You could be an absolute train wreck of a teacher, or you might be the best one whoever lived. What matters is what you want to do and how you want to do it...that and don't let anypony try and judge you otherwise." "I guess you're right," Trixie replied while folding her hooves, "I mean, I'm not really serious about being a teacher right now, so I think I'll stick with just being a student and see what the future holds." She then turned to Starlight, "But can you imagine what being a teacher would be like? Or maybe being the principal of an entire school?" "Sure," Starlight laughed. "I'll be the principal, and you can be my vice-principal." The two giggled at this, the others doing the same before they all dug into their meal, enjoying the combination of different vegetables mixed into the mashed potato. After they were done and enjoyed the desert acquired from Sugarcube Corner, the group headed into the library for some after dinner fun. Springer had to go out on evening patrol as the others had fun, Trixie showing the younger ones a few simple magic tricks. She showed them her secret to smoke teleportation, simply throwing a smoke-ball to the ground and running as fast as you can. The mare spent the night amazing the children with her incredible slight of hoof, some so amazing that the kids kept wondering if she was just using her magic to do it despite her horn not glowing. Trixie couldn't help herself and kept entertaining the kids, completely forgetting about trying to master the ageing spell. And as she did this, her mind was pulled back to a time long ago. A time when she did this kind of stuff merely for the fun of it. Years ago... "BEHOLD!" A teenage Trixie exclaimed as she appeared on the Manehatten park stage in a puff of smoke. Several ponies were gathered to watch her as she began the show, "Fillies and gentlecolts, please watch as the amazing Trixie performs feats of amazement that'll have you pulling at your mane as you ask, 'how did she do that?!'" She took her cape off her back and held it up in front of the audience before pulling it away to reveal a table that had appeared behind her. The mare then took her hat off, placing it on the table before removing it to reveal a large box. "Please, hold your applause....until you see the doves fly free!" The box opened before a bunch of doves exploded out of it, mystifying those watching before the group broke into applause. Trixie continued to dazzle the crowd, showing them practicals and illusions like none had ever seen. They all laughed and cheered, Trixie smiling as she knew none of them would ever forget her show. And that was what really made her happy. Not just the applause, but the fact she had made lasting memories that would stay with her audience. Hopefully, when times were tough, they would look back on this day and crack a smile. The Present... Trixie couldn't help but grin at those memories. It had been years since that day, and she had all but forgotten how much she loved making ponies smile back then. That love had been overtaken by a need for praise and admiration, causing her to forget how to make ponies smile, and only focus on making herself look good. Her mind then told her how bizarre it was on how much of her true self she had buried away for so long. The very thought haunted her, thinking about what could have happened if she had remained that way. She knew that it would have probably ended with her losing her true self forever. And it was all because she wanted to be like her father. "Why? Why am I still afraid of him?" She whispered to herself as the hours began to pass, the kids soon growing tired and being sent to bed, Trixie deciding to call it a night as well. "I better get going," she gulped. "Big day tomorrow. Need to be ready for it." "Sure," Springer and Starlight replied as she got up, "Trixie?" She turned back to Springer. "Do you remember what happened when we were at the Lost City of Faust?" "Of course," Trixie laughed. "How could I forget an experience like that?" "Well...do you remember the first time you beat Terror Card?" Trixie nodded back as he continued, "It just...I think you're letting this thing with your dad make you forget what you learned when you were there." "What I learned?" she replied, only for her mind to go to a certain memory of a battle with a fortune teller. "Even if it's already been decided...Even if it's set in stone...I'LL SMASH THAT FUTURE!" Those words echoed in her head, followed by even more. "Let others believe in destiny and fate. My future is whatever I choose to make it." Springer said nothing more as he walked away, Starlight then asking Trixie, "What's he talking about? A lot of stuff happened in that movie, so I can't remember all of it." "Nothing you need to concern yourself with," Trixie said before faking a yawn. "Anyway, gotta get to bed. See you." She flashed away in a burst of pink light, making Starlight backpedal before shrugging and heading for her own room. As for Trixie, she flopped down on her bed and let out a sigh, the words Springer reminded her of still rattling around in her brain. 'He's right,' she thought, now knowing that this whole event with her father had made her forget the promise she had made for herself. 'But...its still him. He's was always disappointed me. Always hating my magic shows.' She let out a long sigh as memories of her sneaking out of the house to do her magic shows swam through her mind. Next was her pushing herself to the limit to study up on all the magic he tried to make her learn...and then looking disappointed when she got anything other than a perfect score, something she never got. "I can't keep doing this," she whispered, "I have to free myself from his control, once and for all." As she said that, she reminded herself of the last time she had tried to free herself. The day she dropped out of her father's school. The Past... "TWENTY PERCENT?" Her father yelled in her face before throwing the balled up piece of paper at Trixie, hitting her on the head, "That's the worst score you've ever gotten! That's the worse score any of my students have ever gotten! Do you know how embarrassing it is to have such a failure for a daughter?!" "I'm sorry father," Trixie whimpered, "It's just...that test was really hard and-" "HARD?! It would have been easy if you had spent your time studying instead of doing those PATHETIC magic shows!" Trixie's eyes went wide at this, her father then leaning up to her face, "Yes, I've known about it for a long time. How stupid do you think I am?!" "B-b-but if you knew, then why didn't you stop me?" Her father rolled his eyes, "If I had tried to stop you, you would have kept wanting to do it more than ever. I had hoped you'd get bored of it." He let out a long breath, "But now it seems I have no choice. You will bring me all of that pointless equipment, and I will burn it. Right. Now." Trixie's eyes went wide, her pupils shrinking. Her whole body shook in fear...only for anger to suddenly burn. Rage took over her brain as she glared at him, "No." "Excuse me?!" He roared, "What did you just say?!" "I said no!" She screamed, "I'm done letting you boss me around, and I'm done going to that school!" Her father leaned back, letting out a snort, "So you're dropping out?" He shook his head, "I should have expected as much. Honestly, the only reason you haven't already been expelled is because my name has such high standing in the school. If it wasn't for me, you'd have been out on your flank months ago." "Well thank you very much," she deadpanned. "Don't get snippy with me! It's not my fault you're such a failure! Even the greatest teachers in the world can't teach those with no skill." And as those words left his mouth, the last straw broke in the mare. "Okay...fine." Trixie spun around before walking up to her room, going to a drawer and pulling out a sack of bits. They were the earnings for her magic shows, which wasn't much, but enough as she grabbed all of her belongings and packed them up as best she could before returning downstairs. "What are you doing now?" Her father asked. "The same thing mom did. Leaving you." Her father let out a cackle, "You won't last a week." "I'll show you how long I last," she growled before heading toward the door. "I'll show you." She took her first step as she yelled back, "I won't just survive! I'll learn more about magic than anypony else, more than even you! I'll become known Equestria wide for my magical abilities. I'll become so...so great and powerful that you'll be forced to accept that you were the one who failed!" With that, she slammed the door, ready to walk off toward a new future. And what a future it had been. It began with four years of wondering Equestria, growing more and more arrogant. Resorting to lies in order to get other's admiration, she had got to the point that she began to believe them herself. Then she had arrived in Ponyville, meeting Flash and Twilight, only to realize her true future. She had tried to outshine her father on her own, but wasn't able too until she had made true friends, now able to see a truly bright future. And now her father was attempting to cast his shadow over her again. "No," she shook her head, "I'm done letting him decide how I live my life." She sat up and stared at the flower, "I'm going to master this spell. But not so I can impress you...I'm going to master it because I want to master it." With that, she moved up to the flower, her horn shining as the gentle light of the moon filled the room through the window. She now felt like her mentor was watching over her. Trixie sighed as she did this, knowing she was used to working in the darkness, even before she had become Luna's student. Years ago... A young Trixie was hidden under the sheets of her bed, reading her magic book by the light of her horn. She also had a deck of cards, her hooves shuffling them around. "And is this your card!" She turned it around, only to groan when she saw a card other than the one she had originally picked. "Aww..." She shuffled the deck again, growling as she did this, "Grrr...I'm not going to bed until I get this right!" That was the way most of her nights went, constantly practicing until she perfected the trick. The Present, the next day... It began with a bright flash of blue light, signaled the arrival of Starlight and Trixie at the Canterlot Castle. Starlight had offered to come with and support Trixie, Springer and the others not able to come due to patrols and school. "Good aim," Trixie commented as they stared at the room. She had told Starlight where her room was, and Starlight was able to get there in one go, mainly so Trixie didn't have to waste magic. "I'm a little surprised we were able to just teleport inside," Starlight added, "Would have thought a castle like this would have some kind of security." "Eh, that's just how it works." Trixie shrugged, only to feel Starlight's hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be okay. I'm here to support you all the way." "I...I know." Trixie replied, sighing at the statement. "I'm just...nervous." "You'll be fine." Trixie nodded at this before trotting out of the room, Starlight following as they made their way through the castle until they arrived at the royal throne room, the two being allowed in by the soldiers. Stepping inside, they found the Royal Sisters on their thrones. "Ah, Trixie." Luna spoke up, "I hope your trip to Ponyville was helpful." "It was very...educational," Trixie nodded. "My apologizes for not telling you about Twilight," Celestia chimed in, "Had I known you were planning to go see her, I would have informed you of her duties in Fillydelphia." "It's fine your highness. Twilight might not have been there, but I got to get to know Starlight really well." Starlight waved at the two, still a little intimidated by them. "And now I'm ready to face my father." And as she said that, a guard entered the room. "Your majesties, Regal Burst from the Manehatten Institute of Magical Learning has arrived. He says he has an appointment." "He does not." Celestia sighed, "But send him in anyway." The guard nodded before exiting the room, Starlight then turning to Trixie, "Regal Burst?" Trixie rolled her eyes, "That's not his real name. Mom said he changed it before I was born, though I never found out what his real name is." Celestia giggled at this before the doors opened, revealing an older male version of Trixie. He had his head held high, posture perfect as he slowly trotted in. His eyes glanced over at Trixie, only to dart away before squarely focusing on the princesses as he bowed, "Your majesties." "Greetings, Dynamo Dazzler." Trixie's father's eyes went wide, his form shattering for a second as the others blinked at his reaction. "With all due respect, your highness, I don't answer to that anymore." "And with all due respect, I don't take kindly to ponies walking in stating they have an appointment when they clearly do not. The only reason you're not being thrown out on your flank is due to Trixie wanting you to be here." Regal, or Dynamo, frowned before turning to his daughter, the mare speaking up, "Hello...dad." He hissed at this as she continued, "You surprised me when you sent that letter. What brings you all the way to Canterlot? I've been here for a while, so I doubt it's really to see me." "Despite what you think, it is," he responded, "When you told me about Princess Luna taking you on, I thought it was a lie. Then, when I saw you in the paper alongside her after the Battle of Canterlot, I figured you had tricked her or something. Or that the princess had simply misjudged your skills. I'm sure after a thousand years away, any simple magic would seem advanced." Luna's eyes narrowed at the stallion, about to yell before biting her tongue. "I expected you to simply wash out like you did before, but it seems you've actually managed to keep yourself from getting expelled again. I'm here to find out whether that's through actual skill, or if Princess Luna's simply taking pity on you." "Now hold on!" Luna yelled as she ascended from her throne, "How dare you speak to my student that way! She earned her place by my side, and has only proven herself more and more capable." Dynamo shook his head at this, "I mean no offense your majesty, but I speak from experience that she is not capable. As both her father and her former teacher, she was always the worst student, getting the lowest scores and failing more than half her tests." "Maybe that was more your fault than hers," Celestia spoke up, "You spent years trying to teach her, and with little success. And yet in a fraction of that time, my sister has helped your daughter become proficient in illusion, ice and even dream magic. I think it's clear the problem is with you." Regal almost started to glare at the princess at this, only to shake her head, "If that's the case, if my daughter has actually grown into a respectable magician, then I wish to see it for myself." "Why?!" Trixie yelled as she walked up to him, "Planning on telling everypony it was you who taught me?! That it was because of you that Princess Luna took me under her wing?!" "I am not-" "Don't dad." Trixie interrupted, making the stallion hiss as she continued, "I know you. It's clear you have some plan to make this situation benefit you." Regal's eyes narrowed as he slowly replied, "Just show me something you can do. One of those illusion spells, or maybe the dream magic you apparently have." Trixie gave him a deadpan stare in response, "I don't have to show you anything. I don't care what you think about me anymore. Even if you told me you were proud, it would mean nothing." The others all nodded, Regal glancing at the other three for a second as Trixie continued so speak, "There's only one pony in Equestria who gets to decide if my life has been well spent, and its me." She pointed to herself, her head slightly high, "I think I've had a pretty fulfilled life: I helped in the Battle of Canterlot, I actually stood against Tirek and put up a good fight. I also helped defeat the Tantabus and I helped Flash Sentry stop a mad unicorn from attacking Equestria." As the accomplishments entered her father's ears, pure surprise was on his face. Trixie then saw this, grinning before pointing at him, "Compared to all that, your words mean nothing." And as those words came out, his expression darkened once again, "You dare to defy me?" "I dare," she instantly responded, "But if you're so eager to see something impressive, stick around for a minute." She turned to Starlight and nodded, the pink unicorn nodding back before teleporting away. She returned a second later carrying the plant and age rock. "What is this?" He asked as Trixie placed the flower on the ground. "An age spell," Trixie replied as she used the age rock to show the flower was ninety six days old. "I'm going to make this flower younger." She looked back up at her father, shock on his face before suddenly laughing, "You foolish child. You can't use an age spell. Not even I know how to do that." "Well I do," she told him before turning to the princesses. "If I may?" Celestia and Luna both smiled and nodded. "Go ahead." Trixie stared down at the flower, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes. Her horn began to glow, gathering energy upon power as she began to stream it into the plant. Instantly, she felt the rapid drain on her magic, grunting and groaning as her horn began to spark and sizzle. Starlight smiled at the sight, hope on her face while the princesses squinted at the flower. Regal Burst on the other hoof, was simply waiting with a long stare. But as they watched, something happened that shook him to the core. The flower was beginning to close up. "Impossible," Regal whispered as the petals continued to draw closer and closer together. "Just...a little longer," Trixie groaned as the flower's bulb began to shrink down, "RRRAAAAAGGHHHHH!" She screamed as her magic gave out, unleashing a quick flash of light that made her stagger back and fall onto her flank. She panted in exhaustion, her eyes a little blurry from the magic. But as it began to focus, she turned her vision to the flower....and what she saw broke her heart. "I told you you couldn't do it," Regal spat while tapping the pot of the unchanged flower. "An ageing spell is something only the elite magicians can perform. You can't even cast it on something as simple as a flower." Trixie glared at him, her eyes shaking as she saw a smirking grin appear on his face. Her ears flopped down, depression starting to creep into her as she felt the disappointment from failing. But then, Starlight grabbed the age rock. Without anypony noticing, she linked to the two and the number that appeared on the rock made her gasp. "SHE DID IT!" Starlight gasped before suddenly grabbing and hugging Trixie. "What are you talking about girl?" Regal spat, kicking the flower. "Look at it. The flower's exactly the same!" "Just because it's the same, doesn't mean it isn't younger." She held up the rock, "Look." He squinted at the rune circle on the rock, now seeing the new number on it. "Ninety-four. She made it one day younger." Trixie's eyes went wide in shock while the sisters smiled at the sight. But as they did this, Regal just rolled his eyes. "One day. That's nothing!" "It's one more day this flower has to live," Celestia instantly responded, "And given how hard it is, Trixie doing that is quite impressive." "But by all means," Luna pointed at the flower. "If you think you can do it better, go right ahead." Regal's eyes shifted between them and the flower, now seeing smirks on every face. Her horn began to spark, only to turn away, "Its seem I've wasted enough time here. It's clear there is still nothing special about my daughter." "Oh, there's something special about her all right." Luna chimed in as she stepped up to Trixie, "Something so special that it's impossible for some pompous pony to see because he's got his nose so high in the air that all he can see is their own overgrown flank." The mares all gasped before stifling a laugh, Regal glaring at her as he tried hold in his rage, only to quickly trot out of the room. Once he was gone, the four burst out laughing as Luna turned to Trixie, "Excellent work, my faithful student. You should be proud of what you've accomplished here today." "I am," Trixie nodded before turning to Starlight. "And thank you. I can't believe I didn't think to see if the age had actually changed. That's the whole point of getting the rock." "No problem," Starlight replied, "Helping one another out is what friends are for, isn't it?" "That's right," Celestia nodded. "I'm sure Twilight would be proud of how much you've grown Miss Glimmer." Starlight nodded back before a cloud of ash suddenly flew in through an open window, appearing in front of Celestia and turning into a scroll. "Oh, speaking of which." She unrolled the scroll, "Looks like the situation in Fillydelphia has been sorted." She turned to the girls, "Twilight and Flash should be home tomorrow." "In that case," Trixie put her hoof around Starlight. "Do you mind if I head back to Ponyville with Starlight? She's got an assignment to show Twilight, and I kind of need to be there for her to complete it." Luna nodded back at this, "Of course my dear. After that display, I think you deserve a few days off from your studies." "Thanks!" Trixie turned to Starlight. "Come on, I'll show you some of the best places in Canterlot to hang out before we head back to Ponyville." The two then walked out of the room, Celestia and Luna glancing at one another, "You really picked a good student Lulu." "I know," Luna responded, "And I look forward to seeing where her future takes her."