Trixie took in her space. The earthy smell of ores and rocks has grown to soothe Trixie, a fault she placed upon her partner. The sound of the streaming river felt like a lullaby to Trixie. However, she couldn’t go to sleep when the river put on a glittery show.
Trixie has spent years in this cave with Maud Pie and the sparkling water never ceased to amaze her. Normally she would spend her day dazzling the folks of Ponyville of her greatness, but today they would have to settle without her. Her eyes could not turn from the river flowing from the side of her chamber like a harbor. The moment felt too precious to lose.
Trixie had also brewed fresh tea. She never thought of herself as a tea-pony, but her frequent visits to Fluttershy’s tea party had opened her to new things. The tea did wonders to her taste buds, giving the air a sweet taste.
And Trixie had also found herself comfortable in her velvet cushion. A large baggy pillow enveloped her body with warm silk that tried to coax her to sleep.
The world had set itself in place for the great and powerful Trixie. She had caught herself in an impenetrable trap that not even she could escape from. There was nothing she could do.
She was in harmony.
“Mom!” Trixie heard a voice she did plan to hear. It sapped her from her happy trance and raised her alert.
Her harmony was not gone.
Trixie saw her son, Moondancer, galloping through a small passage into her chamber. He wore an exhilarated face and sounded boisterous energy that Trixie could do without right about now.
Moondancer ran so fast into Trixie’s chamber that it was inevitable he tripped over the many hazardous pebbles and rocks that fell from the ceiling. But before his face could plant on the thick rocks, Trixie caught her son with her magic.
Trixie floated her son towards her and firmly laid his haunch on the ground. She then sighed at her son. “Why in Equestria are you running in the cave? Trixie has gone over this countless times not to ever do that.”
“I know, mom,” Moondancer said, though he still bore an excitement that led Trixie to believe otherwise. “But I really want to show you something. I just learned a bunch of new spells.”
“Is that right?” Trixie responded with a bored voice. She couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed that her warning did not comfortably land on her son. But there was also the fact that Moondancer had interrupted her relaxation.
Moondancers have always made a habit of learning new tricks to dazzle his mother with. They were like trinkets he would always want to share with his mother, hoping to get a fun reaction out of her.
Any normal pony would decline if they wanted to be on their lonesome. But Trixie believed in her heart no pony held the fortitude to swat away her son’s desiring eyes. Even a sly dog would fall spellbound to them.
“What did you learn today?” Trixie asked, resigning to play as his audience.
“They’re amazing!” Moondancer exclaimed. “I found them in a weird-looking book at the Golden Oak Library. It had all sorts of cool spells I wanted to know how to use.”
“So, they’re cool. Well, I’ll be the judge of that. How about you give me a demonstration?”
Moondancer skipped a distance from his mother. He then coughed into his hoof and boasted a cocky chest and smile.
“You ask for Moondancer’s wonders,” Moondancer spoke in a dramatic tone. It was much like his mother’s, however, the way he swaggered himself as Trixie did not strike the effect. Trixie found it utterly adorable. “Then you shall be amazed.”
Trixie tried not to gush. She knew how rude it was to intrude on one’s performance. She had to respect her son’s show, but the time will come later.
“Watch as Moondancer regales your eyes with his mysterious powers,” Moondancer boasted as he harnessed Magic into his horn. It lit a bright blue light that reminded Trixie of the bright surface of freshwater. “For what you see will make you question your own reality.”
His horn shone bright like a lighthouse, nearly blinding Trixie from her surroundings. However, Trixie noted a spark from her son’s horn that then began a glitch-like effect.
Trixie found it odd. She was unsure if that was part of the trick, and that made her anxious for her son. Trixie thought to intervene before her son could hurt himself, but the spell had already taken its course by then. Moondancer’s body flashed a bright light that consumed the entire chamber in blue.
Trixie’s world had become blue, but only for a moment. She lowered her hooves as she used to protect her eyes and saw the light disappear as soon as it came. And then Trixie gaped in astonishment at the anomaly standing before her.
Trixie saw Moondancer. A whole dozen of Moondancers standing proudly with a puffed chest.
“Yes, feast your eyes,” a Moondancer spoke. “Your eyes do not deceive you. Moondancer has become twelve seekers of magic and wonder.”
“You made doppelgangers of yourself?” Trixie asked. “How’d you do that?”
“Isn’t it cool, mom?” A Moondancer dropped his grand persona. “The book had all sorts of amazing spells.”
Trixie rubbed her head. “This spell has to be advanced. I remember Starlight using something like this before, but she only managed one copy.” She then gawked at her son as if he was a species never seen in the world. “Did you really manage this by reading a book? Most ponies would need a teacher to give them demonstrations.”
Trixie wondered if her son was a genius. He’s shown him tricks and spells before, but they were all basic stuff Trixie could do with little thought. But this...
This was beyond ordinary. Trixie knew in her heart there was always something special in her bloodline. The Lulamoons were destined for great things in their lives. At least they should be...
“So,” another Moondancer spoke, brushing his hoof on the stone floor. “What do you think? Amazing, right?”
Trixie nodded at her son. “Trixie admits she is impressed. Keep this up and you’re well on your way to become as great as your mother.”
A wide smile spread across the Moondancers as they jumped about and cheered, “Yay, we did it!”
Watching their jubilant leaps was quite a spectacle for Trixie. She believed something this adorable shouldn’t exist. It took everything in her being to not hoard them all for herself.
Though she would’ve enjoyed watching them longer if not for the sudden whispers between the Moondancers. They stared at Trixie with a devilish grin, making Trixie unnerved by what was going through their minds.
“Uh, why are you giving me that look?” Trixie asked.
“Oh nothing,” a Moondancer responded. “We Moondancers were just recalling all the time our dear mother would forcefully groom us against our wishes. Always pinning us under her weight so we couldn’t escape from her sundries of brushes.”
Trixie raised a brow at her son. “That’s your own fault. You need to be more mindful of your appearance. If you won’t make an effort yourself, then it’s up to Trixie and Maud to make that so.”
As Trixie lectured the Moondancers of their shortcomings, they neared Trixie. All twelve of them surrounded Trixie with their devilish grins.
Trixie felt anxious about their intentions. She was like a prey cornered by a pack of predators readying to take the pound of their victim.
“Can you give Trixie her space?” Trixie urged. “She does not like the look you’re giving her.”
“The seekers of magic and wonder declare justice for your transgression,” a Moondancer declared. “Moondancers, attack!”
“Woah, wait!” Trixie stumbled back on her cushion, but inevitably she was swarmed by her many sons. They buried her body with their body, gnawing and scratching all her weak points.
“Haha!” Trixie laughed. “Wait! Stop! Hahaha!” She pleaded for her sons to cease their assault, but their onslaught was merciless, like a school of piranhas.
“We’ve done it, my brothers,” a Moondancer spoke. “We have the great and powerful Trixie at our mercy.”
The gall of Moondancer’s words spurred a vengeful spirit within her. Sure, her son was the cutest thing she has come to know, but nopony disrespects Trixie and gets away with it.
Despite her need to discipline her son, their electrifying touches upon her nerves left her limp and vulnerable. They overwhelmed her body so much that she could feel her skin become numb.
However, as the Moondancers savored their conquest of Trixie, a rough splash of water resounded the edge of the chamber. The sound aroused Trixie and the Moondancers’ attention.
A mare had emerged from the river in a black and purple wetsuit. They immediately recognized the mare from her dull face.
“Maud?” Trixie called, confused. “What are you doing in the river?”
“I noticed the river had an abnormal shine today,” Maud Pie explained as she disrobed herself from her wetsuit. “I wanted to look inside and find the source. Apparently, a bunch of glow-stones have found their way in our cave.”
“Why didn’t you tell Trixie that sooner?” Trixie huffed. “Trixie wanted you to join you, but you were nowhere to be found.”
“I’m sorry, Trixie,” Maud apologized, though her tone was dull. “But we still have time, don’t we? Though, I would like to know about the dozen copies of our son on top of you.”
“Isn’t it awesome?” a Moondancer excitedly asked. “Now I have twelve times the greatness.”
“Is it now?” Maud questioned. “Because it looks to me something greater is happening between you and your mother.”
“They’ve gone mad with power,” Trixie said. “They have the gall to revolt against Trixie after all the times of us attending to their hygiene. It’s a basic thing that all ponies need to practice.”
“But it hurts!” All the Moondancers protested in unison.
“Then fix your mane more often. When you let it curl up, what else would you expect to happen?”
“What does it matter?” Another Moondancer spoke. “Our numbers have bested mom. Now our other mom must bear the brunt of power.”
“Hold on,” Trixie interjected. “Trixie was not bested!”
“Your new tricks have made you pretty bold,” Maud said with a small grin. “But remember who has always put you in your place.”
“It won’t be the same as last time,” a Moondancer proclaimed. “Moondancers, onward to battle!”
The Moondancers jumped off from Trixie and charged after Maud Pie. Maud stood idle and stoic of the encroaching mass as if they were ants beneath her hooves.
However, the ants toppled her towering form.
They tramped over Maud and swarmed her body. Trixie gaped at the sight of her wife being mobbed by their many sons.
“Maud,” Trixie called. “Aren’t you going to do anything?”
Maud’s head perked out from the pile of Moondancers. “I don’t think I can,” she responded. “It seems I bargained for too much I can handle.”
“You what?”
Trixie was annoyed by Maud’s flimsy retaliation towards Moondancer. But sulking wouldn’t put an end to her son’s harassing spree. Somepony had to stop him, and Trixie guessed it was up to her.
However, before Trixie could jump from her cushion to aid Maud, she noticed a strange glitch from the many Moondancers. Their bodies morphed sharply, struggling to retain their form. They perked their heads at this development and stared at each other.
“Uh oh,” they all said.
The Moondancers dissipated to nothing, one by one. Their body converted to blue light that shot into a single Moondancer like a fast-moving dodgeball.
Moondancer recoiled at the striking lights, throwing his balance sporadically about. The twelfth light left him dazed, nearly tipping him off of Maud until she caught him.
Trixie stepped from the cushion and made her way to Maud and Moondancer. She saw Moondancer’s horn fizzle sparks from the tip, but gradually it went away.
“His spell must have expired,” Trixie concluded.
“Ugh,” Moondancer groaned. “My head hurts. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the collective memory part.”
“Collective memory?” Trixie repeated. “Oh, Trixie sees. Not only does the spell increase your number, but you also collect their experiences and through to as well. That is an impressive spell. Trixie wished she had when she was at school.”
“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” Maud said as she stroked the mane of a fatigued Moondancer.
“You just wanted to get dogpiled by Moondancer, didn’t you?” Trixie accused Maud.
“Okay, I think I’m going to get some sleep,” Moondancer yawned. He tried to get off from Maud, but his mother latched her hooves tight on him.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Maud said. “You’re still due for some punishment after attacking your mothers.”
Moondancer gaped at his two mothers. “W-wait! Timeout!”
“That’s a no can do,” Trixie said with a grin. “Trixie has to ensure her dear son never dares to defy her parents again.”
“Maybe he should get a taste of his medicine,” Maud suggested. “Wouldn’t you agree, Trixie?”
“Wait!” Moondancer cried. “H-how about I show you one more spell I learned. I promise this one will be a doozy.”
“And why would Trixie give you another chance to have the upper hoof?” Trixie questioned. “Not that you ever did.”
Trixie neared her teeth upon her son’s soft and frail neck. She saw it shivering at the anticipation of being pricked.
However, her son cried again, “Wait! I promise no under-hoofed tactics this time. Moondancer swears!”
“Hmm,” Maud hummed. “How about we see what he has to show us?”
“It would take something mind-blowing to quell Trixie’s vengefulness,” Trixie said. “Count yourself lucky that Trixie is curious about what else you have in store. But let it be known that if Trixie is not satisfied, she will find another way to sate her soul.”
Maud sprung back on her haunch and released her grip on Moondancer. The relieved colt moved a small distance from his parents, nearing the coast of the river.
Trixie sat next to Maud and gave an imposed a haughty grin at her son. “Now, let’s see this dazzling trick you spoke of,” Trixie said.
Moondancer coughed into his hoof and then spoke in his high and mighty tone, “Okay, Moondancer will admit that he got a little out of hoof. But Moondancer shall now amaze you with one last spell that will top all. It is a flash of beauty you will find nowhere else.”
“Flash of beauty?” Maud repeated. “Do you mean fireworks?”
“...” Moondancer stood frozen in his grand gesture. Trixie could find hints of sweat falling down his forehead.
“Let him have his moment, Maud,” Trixie chuckled.
“Um, yes,” Moondancer said. “It is fireworks. But it will be nothing like the ones from Canterlot or from any other cities in Equestria. No, this one will transcend the stars.”
Moondancer funneled his magic into his horn. It shone a bright blue light upon the glistening river.
As Moondancer prepared his spell, Maud rubbed her head upon Trixie’s neck. “So,” Maud whispered. “Where exactly did he learn these new tricks?”
“He said he found them from a book at the library,” Trixie answered. “Trixie might have to look into it herself.”
Their conversation ended when they noted a rainbow shine radiating from Moondancer’s horn. It was like a beautiful aurora one would find in the cold skies of the Crystal Empire.
Trixie couldn’t help but feel impressed again. She recognized the talent her son had with magic and could see him going far into the world. In fact, he might even become an actual wizard. A dream that Trixie had long discarded in her life.
And then Moondancer shot the rainbow light into the air. Moving fast like a shooting star, the parents waited for the bright bang.
But it never came.
Instead, the rainbow light struck a wall and bounced onto another, ricocheting throughout the chamber. Maud quickly pulled Trixie over to Moondancer for her to bury under her body. They compacted close to each other, trying their hardest to make their body small.
They could hear the beam bouncing off the walls like bullets. It wasn’t until Maud heard a loud bang when she raised her head again. She saw rainbow lights flashing briefly down the river.
“Is it over?” Moondancer asked.
“Yes,” Maud confirmed. “It exploded in a flash of beauty like you aside.” Maud raised from her wife and son, allowing them to look at their surroundings.
Many small holes had been placed across the walls, giving the impression a shootout had taken place. But that wasn’t the pressing issue in Trixie’s mind.
“My cushion!” Trixie shouted. She rushed over to her cushion that held a burnt hole. Its cotton flushed out and scorched black. “Ugh, now Trixie has to buy a new one.”
“I’m sorry, mom,” Moondancer apologized with a sullen voice.
Trixie hated nothing more than that sound in Moondancer’s voice. It prompted to rush over to Moondancer and grab hold of him. “It’s fine Moony,” Trixie assured. “Nothing of value was harmed.”
“But I ruined your favorite cushion. You were having a nice time relaxing alone, and I destroyed it.”
“You think Trixie likes to be alone?” Trixie chuckled. “Trixie is happiest when she is around her family. The two of you mean the world to me. In fact, you two are my world.”
“Really?” Moondancer’s eyes glittered with hope.
“Trixie would think that would go without saying. Anyway, if you’re going to be practicing these kinds of spells, Trixie would feel more comfortable if you had a teacher.”
“I’m going to get a teacher?” Moondancer asked, elated. He skipped about in celebration. “Yes! Can’t I get somepony famous? Like the princesses?”
Trixie held up a hoof. “Okay, let’s be a bit realistic here,” Trixie said. “Trixie is renowned across the lands, but even she doesn’t have that kind of connection. Well, not anymore...”
“We’ll find somepony grand enough for you,” Maud assured. “However, you still failed your end of the bargain.”
Moondancer’s happy gander came to a halt and stared widely at his parents.
“Oh, that’s right,” Trixie said. “I didn’t get to see the flash of beauty like you promised. So now, we’ll have to see another kind of beauty. That being that cute laughter of yours.”
Trixie and Maud had done Moondancer in. There was nothing he could do. They squeezed all the delicious laughter out of him and groomed his coat and mane soothingly with combs and brushes. After being satiated by their son’s laughter, Maud brought her spare cushion for the three of them to sleep in.
Trixie was in harmony. The best she has ever been in.