Trixie Lulamoon
A newly-refurbished stage cart was being pulled by an azure unicorn mare with a magician's hat, a star-spangled cloak, and look of pride on her face. She looked at the distant town of Ponyville from where she stood and took a deep whiff before exhaling with the same boastful smirk on her face "So here Trixie is again...Back at this little backwater town, but THIS time with more tricks up her sleeve!!" She trotted further towards the entrance to Ponyville.
When she arrived, Trixie passed by several ponies, who began sneering at her upon first glance. Some even began gossiping and murmuring while she trotted by with her nose in the air 'Hmph! Filthy commoners...They don't even know true brilliance and talent when they see it! All I did was put on a show back then and two incompetent foals along with that hackening twit of a unicorn had to muck up my good name!' While she trotted, she tripped over an object with a yelp. The showmare fell on her face while she was still attached to her cart and picked herself up while mumbling curses. Trixie leered down to meander the strangest sight "What in the name of..." She uttered to herself as she levitated a strange skull with ruby eyes and a red '2' on its forehead in front of her. Making sure nopony was watching, she quickly detached herself from the harness of her cart and zipped into it with the skull in tow.
Inside of her cart, Trixie looked it over with curious eyes "Where in Equestria could this thing have come from? Does it belong to that zebra I met in the forest?" She gazed into the ruby eyes as they glistened "And who would house such dazzling gems inside of a skull!? It's simply inequine!" She tried moving one of the rubies with her magic, but when she tried to pull, a pained yell was heard, breaking her concentration as the skull fell on her table. Trixie looked around "Who's there!? Show yourself! Nopony should even invade Trixie's privacy!!" She continued looking and growled "Such insolence from these hicks...Can't they see that I'm-" The showmare looked back to see the skull floating with a glare, causing her to droop her ears and widen her eyes as she squeaked "...busy?" The skull growled.
"You're an impudent mare to mess with my eyes!
Those kinds of manners, I truly despise!!"
Trixie backed up into a wall as she looked at the skull "D-D-Don't hurt Trixie! She didn't mean to cause you any harm! It's just that she thought those gems looked so amazing on you that Trixie wished to have them for herself!" She grinned nervously, hoping the skull would buy into her lie. The skull scoffed.
"You speak in third person, an annoying habit to hold,
But I'm willing to grant you a wish if you're bold!
My name is Thromnambular, and I'll fulfill your desire!
Consider me a miracle worker for hire!"
Trixie blinked "Trixie must be dreaming! Are you telling her that you, a talking skull, can grant Trixie a wish?" Before she could think, there was a knocking on her door as she trotted over and peered out of the door window with a glare "What is it!?"
Derpy stood smiling innocently while the Gingerbread Doctor was standing on her flank, looking up at Trixie "Yes, hello, miss! Don't mean to intrude on any personal matters at the moment, but could you perhaps spare us a moment of your time?"
Trixie stared blankly before she pointed a hoof "...Did that cookie just talk??"
Derpy nodded while her tongue stuck out "Yup yup!"
Trixie groaned as she rubbed her head "Trixie really needs to cut back on the cider after performances..." She muttered to herself.
The Doctor stared before he continued "Yes, sorry to hear about your drinking problems, ma'am, but this is an emergency, and I would appreciate your cooperation! Have you seen a talking skull with rubies for eyes and a number on its forehead? Tends to grant wishes and rhyme a lot? Really important that me and Derpy here find it!"
Trixie flinched 'Are they aware of the skull's power as well!?' She then glared with a scoff "No, she hasn't. Trixie has no idea what you're talking about, and no doubt it's nonsense! Why would she even speak with a cookie, anyways?"
The Doctor chuckled awkwardly "There's a story behind this thing, but it involves that skull! It's very important that it should be found and contained immediately! Could you ple-"
Trixie leered down at the two "For the last time, Trixie hasn't seen this stupid skull of your's! Now leave her be so she can get back to pampering herself before another big show!"
The Doctor sighed "Very well! Thanks for the cooperation, then! C'mon, Derpy! We have to find Twilight and her friends to see if they made any progress! Allons-y!" Derpy then reared onto her hindlegs as she whinnied and then galloped away from Trixie's cart.
Trixie stared before she sighed and went back inside "Honestly...a talking cookie? What is Equestria coming to these days?" She looked back to see Thromnambular glaring at her "Now, about your wish that you're offering to Trixie..." She looked down with a sigh "It is saddening to know that Trixie isn't getting the proper recognition she deserves from her esteemed audience! She needs more attention in her life! More adoration! More fame! Trixie wishes to be surrounded by fans of all kinds!!" Thromnambular then began to glow as he floated into the air.
"If it's fans Trixie wants, it's fans Trixie gets!
Let's hope it's a wish that she won't soon regret!!"
Thromnambular laughed as the '2' on his head turned on a horizontal meter to a bold red '1' as everything in the cart became enveloped in a flash.
Trixie rubbed her eyes and looked around "What happened? Where is Thromnambular? Where are Trixie's fans?"
She then noticed that everything around her was the same shade of blue as her coat, she also realized that she was the mane (Haha! Mane...) attraction in a stand occupied by an earth pony selling different sets of fans, both folding and electronic. Trixie happened to be trapped inside of a large and elegant azure fan as a moving image "Fans! Get your convenient and essential fans here! One of them even comes with this maplight!" He pulled out a random maplight as he flashed a winning smile.
Trixie was baffled, and then angered as she banged at the invisible wall of her foldable prison "This isn't what Trixie meant by being surrounded by fans!! Thromnambular, you tricked me!!" She shouted in outrage.
Trotting up to the stand was local entrepeneur and businesscolt extraordinaire Filthy Rich and his spoiled rotten daughter Diamond Tiara. The pink filly looked on the fans and stopped on the one with the moving unicorn inside of it "Daddy, I want that fan right there! Can you get it for me, please?"
Filthy Rich gave a hearty chuckle "Sure thing, pumpkin! Gotta make sure you don't sweat in this heat!" He placed a large bag of bits on the counter that nearly made the stand owner drool "That blue fan over there, if you please!"
The stand owner saluted and quickly picked up the fan as he gave it to Diamond Tiara. She began fanning herself as she walked with her new fan while Trixie yelled "Nooooooooo!!!!" While the fan moved, Trixie grunted in pain several times "Cut it out-OW! You-OW ignorant foal!! Trixie is being tossed aroun-OW!"
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On another edge of town, Twilight, Applejack, and Spike took a break after running around for so long without any leads on Thromnambular's location.
Twilight growled in frustration "This isn't getting us anywhere! I know it was a good idea for Time Turner wanting us to split up and search, but we haven't found a single trace of Thromnambular at all!!"
Applejack sighed "We'll jus' have t' keep on lookin'! Ah wanna right all o' these wrongs that that stupid skull caused!!"
Spike looked around before he laid under a tree and relaxed "Well, you know what they say...Good things come to those who wait." While he laid down, something rustled above him before dropping onto his head with a loud bonk "Hey!" He rubbed his head, but gasped to see a familiar skull with a '1' on his head laying on his cheek in the dirt.
Thromnambular shifted his ruby eyes to Spike, and his look became surpised as the two stared in silence. Then, he was wrapped in an aura and lifted towards an angry Twilight and Applejack "Got you!!" The lavender bookworm snapped with triumph and ire in her voice.
8 down...1 to go...