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// Chapter 2 "Spell Trixie"  
// Story: Equestria Noir Case 9 "Murder She Spelled" 
// by Jacoboby1 
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Chapter 2

“Spell Trixie”


“The Great and who now?” I said with obvious confusion. 

The unicorn got up and dusted herself off. She was the same age as Twilight with a blue coat and a short mane of bluish silver. She wore a periwinkle colored coat with what looked like stars on it. Her other distinguishing feature was the large wizards hat on her head. Her violet eyes closed as she let out a huff. 

“The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t appreciate getting shot at” She tilted her muzzle up utter snobbery. 

Twilight closed her gaping mouth and ignored Trixie’s comment “What are you doing here?! I haven’t seen you since the whole Ursa Minor incident” 

I looked between the two unicorns my grey eyes betraying my confusion “Could somepony please explain how you two know each other?” 

Trixie snorted but held her head proudly “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows of Twilight Sparkle because of the utter humiliation she gave us that one day in Ponyville” 

Twilight rolled her eyes “It wasn’t my fault Snips and Snails took your boasting about defeating an Ursa Major seriously” 

I laughed a little, Snips and Snails were never too bright. Tailspin told me plenty of tales about those two getting into some trouble or another. I looked over at Trixie “You tried to take on an Ursa Major?” 

“No she didn’t” Twilight said frowning “She lied about it to make herself look like a better magician then she really is” 

Trixie glared at Twilight “And ever since you defeated the Ursa Minor we’ve been hard pressed to find any sort of work! It’s all your fault Twilight Sparkle!” 

Twilight rolled her eyes and I laughed a little. 

Trixie raised an eyebrow “What are you laughing at?’ 

“Nothing” I said holding back my laughter “It’s just I can’t believe you tried to take on a baby. Most Ursa are passive creatures and don’t attack unless provoked” I shook my head bemused “Your lucky that its mother didn’t come and attack Ponyville to get its baby back” 

Trixie kept her violet gaze on me “And who are you exactly? You don’t look like a student here” 

I tipped my hat to her “Detective Private Eye, I’m investigating the murder that occurred here” I let all humor go and looked at her “I would like to ask why you were following us” 

Trixie didn’t meet my eyes for a second “We weren’t following you, we were um…” She got an idea “Investigating the murder ourselves!” 

“Why are you investigating the murder?” I said raising an eyebrow “You don’t seem like the detective type” 

“The Great and Powerful and Investigative Trixie never turns down a challenge. Thus Trixie believes she can solve this case before Twilight Sparkle can!” She finished her speech by pointing a challenging hoof at Twilight. 

Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to walk further down the hall “We don’t have time for this, come on Private let’s go…” 

I nodded and proceeded to follow her. I looked back at Trixie who let out a huff and turned around to walk the opposite direction. I couldn’t help but notice that Trixie looked…crestfallen almost. 
_________________________________________________________
“The students will miss her the most” Wander Wave said as he sat down on his desk. He was a stallion at least twice my age but somehow managed to look half that. His coat was a bright yellow and his mane was a dark orange with streaks of grey in them. His coat was obscured by the black teacher’s cloak he wore. “She was always so kind and caring towards them” 

I nodded taking a sip of the tea he offered us. It was nothing compared to Zecora’s tea but I drank it politely. When I finished my sip I leaned in the chair I was sitting in opposite Wander “I’ll need to ask you a few questions before I can make an official statement to the students” 

Wander nodded his yellow head “Ask away detective” 

I pulled out my notebook “Has anypony been following Nightspeller with interest lately? Has she made any enemies at all?” 

The teacher shook his head “She was a very kind soul. Always helped out students who were struggling with magic” He smiled a little “The students loved her so much that several tried to fail her class just so they could repeat it” 

Twilight laughed “Didn’t work, she always glared at them and said” She imitated a voice that reminded me of me whenever Tailspin stole from the cookie jar. “You’ll regret it the rest of your life if you let your personal wants get in the way of studying” 

Wander smiled and chuckled himself “She always encouraged her students to do their best no matter what their talents were for magic” 

“You speak highly of her” I observed “You two were friends?” 

Wander flushed a little then looked down at his tea cup in embarrassment. “Well, she was a very attractive mare despite her age. Many a student and teacher had fallen for her. I was one of them” 

Twilight smiled “Well I think you two would’ve made a great match” She took a sip from her tea and spoke fondly “You always were a kind soul yourself” 

Wander chuckled and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment “Stop it Twilight you’re embarrassing this old stallion” 

It was then my eyes fell on a small package on his desk. It was wrapped in wrapping paper and had a tiny blue bow on the top. “If I may ask Wander, who is this from?” I said gesturing to the package with a hoof. 

Wander turned to look at the package and smiled “Another gift from Moondancer, I swear that girl wishes to spoil me” 

Twilight rolled her eyes “That’s Moondancer, always after this guy or another no matter how old they are” 

Wander chuckled “She was such a trouble student originally, always tried to cheat off students that were smarter than her. But after a while she cleaned up her act and started taking her studies seriously” He smiled at the package “Lately she’s been giving me more and more of these thank you gifts” 

“Back on topic” I said dismissing the comment with a hoof “Has anypony been stalking Nightspeller at all?” 

Wander got quiet for a second and then slowly shook his head “Not that I know of, we tell each other everything and she hasn’t told me anything about a stalker” His hoof shook a little “Whoever thought they could take advantage of a mare as lovely and pure as her deserves to be hung from a tree”

“I have one more question for you” I said firmly “Where were you last night around midnight?” 

“I was in my office” Wander explained “I was working late grading some tests and then I went back to my dorm to sleep”
________________________________________________________
Twilight and I walked outside of the staff building as I finished organizing my notebook. “If nopony was stalking her then we don’t have a lead” 

Twilight shook her head “Back to square one, if we even left it in the first place” 

“Nothing to do but wait for Frisk to get back from asking the students” I said knowingly. 

Twilight nodded “I’m going to ask around myself, some students would be more comfortable talking to me then a uniformed officer” 

I nodded in turn “I’m going to head back to the crime scene to see what I can find” 

We split up and I made my way back to the crime scene. CSU was going to be a bit with investigating the crime scene. The place was deserted, even the body was gone, only an outline of chalk marking where the teacher was. 

I ducked under the police tape and bumped into something. I looked up to see Trixie appearing in front of me. Her violet eyes expanded in shock “Are you following Trixie now?!” 

“Me following you?!” I yelled back at her “This is a crime scene! You shouldn’t be here!” 

“The Great, Powerful and Investigative Trixie should be at the crime scene if she hopes to solve the murder!” She retorted. 

“Nopony asked you to help with the murder!” I retorted back at her. It was one thing for somepony like Twilight to be recruited to help; this was just some pony meddling in police affairs. 

“Well then” Trixie said grinning “If Trixie isn’t going to help then Trixie won’t tell you what she found” 

I frowned and crossed my forelegs in disbelief “And what has the Great, Meddling and annoying Trixie found?” 

Trixie ignored my comment and levitated something into my hoof. I looked at it; it was a piece of black fabric that was wet to the touch. I looked up at Trixie “This fabric, it looks the same kind as the teacher’s cloaks are made out of” 

“That’s because it is” Trixie said firmly “Trixie found it while looking around the crime scene before she was rudely interrupted” She said that last bit with a glare at me. 

I rolled my eyes “What can we get from a piece of fabric?” 

Trixie tilted her head up “Well, Nightspeller wasn’t wearing a teacher’s cloak when she was killed. This had to have belonged to the one who killed her” 

As much as I hated to admit it she had a point. I closed my eyes and my horn glowed a faint grey. I began scanning the fabric for whatever DNA I could find. The fact it was hear the whole night muddled what I could get from it…but one pony’s DNA stood out. 

“Wander Wave, his DNA is on this fabric!” I said with realization. 

Trixie’s own eyes went wide “But Trixie remembers him saying he was in his office!” 

I raised an eyebrow “How did you hear that?” 

Trixie flushed a little then rubbed the back of her head “Trixie may have eavesdropped on your conversation with him…” 

“So you were following us!” I said glaring “Why are you following us around?” 

“Trixie helped didn’t she?” She retorted “Does she need a reason to try and find out what happened?” 

She wasn’t telling me something. I could see it in her eyes she was hiding something. Her reasons for helping in this case can’t be as simple as wanting to spite Twilight. Was she really that childish or was something else going on?

I dismissed the thought with a shake of my head. “Whatever, I’m going to see what this could mean for the case” I turned to walk and found that Trixie was in my path. 

“Trixie can help you again” She smirked “If you ask politely” 

“Only if you tell me why you’re so eager to help solve this case” My grey eyes were giving no ground to her. I knew I’d need her help. But I wasn’t going to get it without knowing why she was willing to give it. 

Trixie looked at me for about a minute then confessed “Nightspeller was my teacher…” 

My grey eyes grew wide with shock. At this new information and the fact she referred to herself in first person. “She was your teacher? But how? You don’t go to this school” 

Trixie spoke simply “Nightspeller found Trixie on the streets of Canterlot and took her in” There she was back to speaking in third person “She taught Trixie everything she knew about magic. Trixie learned quickly and she became like a mother to Trixie” 

This relationship reminded me the relationship between Fenlock and me. Only Fenlock found me in a Manehatten alley investigating a dead body. I don’t think Nightspeller found Trixie while standing over the body of a dead donut shop owner. 

Trixie went on “The reason Trixie is really helping is because she wants to find out who did this. Will you let Trixie help?” 

I wanted to say no. Trixie did help find that fabric but this was asking a lot. I’ve recruited ponies before to help with cases but none of them were like Trixie. I wondered what Twilight would think of this? She obviously didn’t have the best relationship with the show pony. 

I finally relented. The logic of seeking her help overpowered whatever previous notions I may have for the show pony. “Alright, you can help out Trixie. But you’ll listen to me, if I ask you to back out you back out got it?” 

Trixie simply huffed and turned to walk away “Trixie will solve it by herself if it comes to that” 

I rolled my eyes and followed the show pony. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was getting into something messy. Nor could I shake the feeling I’ve heard of Trixie before somewhere. Before the Ursa Minor incident…
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I poked my head out of the bush that Trixie and I were hiding in. We were at the entrance to the Staff dorms. The building was large and heavily guarded by sentient golems. I looked over at Trixie “The place is locked up tight; I could get a warrant to get us in…” 

Trixie shook her head “That would take too long, Trixie needs to find out what happened quickly!” 

I shook my own head “Trixie if we go in there that’s breaking and entering which is against the law” 

Trixie spoke in a hushed by edgy voice “Do you want to find out what happened or not? Trixie’s method will get us the monster faster” 

I couldn’t condone her methods but they would get results. Worst comes to worst I’ll just say I was here on a police investigation and they might let me off. I hoped Trixie knew what she was doing. 

I gestured to the two golems guarding the doors “What do you suggest we do to get pass them?” The golems were made of stone and moved slowly with lifeless gem eyes. They were programmed like robots to apprehend any pony that tried to break inside the dorms. 

Trixie smirked “Trixie was always a master at distraction” Her hat levitated off her head to reveal her horn which was glowing with a soft magenta. Just then a female scream rang in my ears. I was about to run to it when Trixie stopped me by biting my tail. 

I watched the golems run for the sound and leave the door open for us to enter. I looked over at Trixie “What happened?” 

She shook her head and started running for the door “Hurry before they discover that the wailing mare is actually a rock!” 

Illusion magic, an art you don’t see much in this modern world. It was a brand of magic you don’t normally see because of its rather vague and mysterious nature. I didn’t think any ponies that practiced the art existed around here. Trixie was really full of surprises. 

______________________________________________________________
We entered the building and came to Wander’s door. My horn scanned the rather large door that lead to the teacher’s bedroom. I frowned “There are magical wards on it; if we even try to pick the lock it’ll raise an alarm” 

“Can you open it?” Trixie asked looking out for any guards that could come. 

I nodded “It’ll take me a minute” My horn glowed and I began removing the wards one at a time “Twilight could break this in her sleep…” I mused to myself. 

I finished the second to last ward when I heard hoof steps. There was no place for us to hide from the guard that was coming around the corner. That’s when Trixie pressed us against the wall and her horn glowed. 

I sweated bullets as the guard walked towards us. His eyes didn’t look at us as he walked by. He just kept listening to his music on his P-pod. I blinked at the sight of him walking around the corner and out of sight. 

I looked over at Trixie “What happened? How come he didn’t see us?” 

Trixie smiled “He couldn’t see us because Trixie made us invisible” 

“That’s how you kept sneaking up on us” I pointed out

Trixie frowned “Trixie does not sneak! Trixie just follows without ponies knowing about it” 

I rolled my eyes and removed the last ward on the door. A minute of picking the lock later and we were in. The room was spacious and well decorated with books strewn everywhere. This place was more cluttered then Twilight’s library at studying hour. 

Trixie looked around and then her eyes fell onto an open closet. “Trixie found something!” She dived into the closet and pulled out a teacher’s cloak…a corner of the cape was torn off 

I pulled out the piece of fabric and held it to the tear. I looked at Trixie “You say you found this piece at the crime scene?” 

Trixie nodded “Trixie found it caught on a storm drain, the cape got caught on a loose screw on the drain and ripped” 

This means that Wander was there or at least somepony who was wearing his cloak. This just made things more interesting…