She steps out from the machine, blinking back sunlight.
"Welcome back!" one of the moustached unicorns says. "How was your new life?" adds the other.
"What new life?" the mare says dubiously. "Your machine did nothing."
They glance at each other, then back at her. "… Nothing?" they chorus.
"Do you doubt the word of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
"No! No, of course not. It's just that …" The first one swallows.
"The machine activated," the second adds.
"You've been inside for five minutes." The first stallion holds up a length of paper tape from the monitor.
The second examines the paper. His eyes bug out. "Flim," he says, hushed, "look at these readings."
"Oh my," Flim says.
"There's only one reason it would work that long yet do nothing at all," says Not-Flim.
"She's already perfect," Flim whispers in awe.
The mare snorts. "Anypony who has met The Great and Powerful Trixie could have told you that."
Not-Flim throws himself to the ground, trembling, not daring to look in her mighty eyes. "Have my children."
"No, have mine," Flim says, likewise crawling.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie finds your groveling amusing," she magnanimously allows. "She will leave you your worthless machine, so that later you will be able to activate it and pretend you live in a world in which she said yes."
"Such genius," Flim says, and swoons.
"And generosity," Not-Flim adds, also fainting.
"Excuse me," a voice says from behind. She deigns to turn.
It is an angry goddess. "Who are you, and why have you broken these poor inventors' machine? You're a faker and nobody likes you." Celestia smiles smugly at the gathering crowd of ponies.
"You dare to doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie?" the showmare thunders. "Fortunately, she knows how to handle neighsayers. Trixie challenges you to a duel of magical skill!"
"I accept!" the arrogant white thing says. "Watch as I move the sun itself!"
Her horn flares. Nothing happens.
The audience laughs cruelly, hooting and hollering, booing. Tomatoes fly at the alicorn, who cringes as she gets hit.
"Now, now," Trixie says, holding up a hoof. The mob settles. "We must be kind in victory. Unfortunately for her, the sun has recognized the presence of greater power."
"It's true," the former goddess sobs. "I only mocked you because I was afraid you would expose me as a fraud. I'll never be able to forgive myself. I beg you, rule Equestria better than I ever did."
"I suppose," Trixie says with a reluctant sigh.
The crowd carries her to Canterlot on their backs. The coronation party lasts all day and all night. At dawn, she appears on the solar balcony in front of her elated subjects.
She raises her hooves and closes her eyes. With a shimmer of horn, the sun bursts forth from the horizon. The crowd erupts into a thunderous cheer.
Somepony grabs her.
She shrieks. Her eyes snap open.
Rough hooves haul her into painful daylight from some dark and grimy contraption. Her head is swimming. At first she thinks the crowd is still cheering, but it's just the background chatter of the carnival.
"Stars and gears, lady," Not-Flim says, "You've got issues."
"Subscriptions," Flim says.
"Compendiums."
"Which is to say, the instant we put you inside you overloaded the machine."
"We'll be hours fixing this."
"Now shoo."
"But —" Trixie protests.
They roughly shove her out onto the midway and slam their gate closed. "No refunds."