//------------------------------// // Screw Paperwork // Story: The Stallion in the Library // by leonidas701 //------------------------------//         The Great and Powerful Trixie was currently in great and powerful trouble. Fantastic, Trixie thought, There goes my last spare wheel. Trixie’s wagon had broken down, again, on the way to her next performance. So much for this path being shorter. Sighing, she took the broken wheel off her wagon and then went inside to attempt to find something to fix it up with. While she was digging through her belongings to find some tape, she heard a curious whistling coming from outside and getting closer. Suddenly all of the old horror stories she heard as a filly came rushing back to her. Taking hold of the nearest heavy object she could -a plastic flamingo if you’re curious- she looked out her door and saw... nothing. As she let out a sigh of relief she suddenly heard a knock at her door, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. After she got her heart back under control, she went to the door once more and found a stallion standing outside it.                  “Hello, I was taking a walk and I noticed that your wagon was minus a wheel.” The stallion said, “I was wondering if you wanted any help with that.”         “Who are you?” Trixie asked the strange stallion.         “I am Card.” The stallion said. “Who are you?”         “I am T-” Trixie stopped herself ’I can’t let this stallion know that the Great and Powerful Trixie had travel issues! My reputation would be ruined!         “Yes?” Card said impatiently.         “Lulamoon. My name is Lulamoon.” Trixie said cautiously.         “Well Lulamoon, do you want some help or not?”         “That would be appreciated.” Trixie admitted, “I have run out of spare wheels for this thing.”         “Really?” Card said as he looked her wagon over, “You didn’t restock on them?”         “Don’t have enough money.”         “Shame.” Card then took a bottle of glue out of his jacket and glued the pieces of the broken wheel together. “There, that should hold long enough for you to reach Ponyville. When you get there ask for a pony named Applejack, she owes me a favor, and tell her Card sent you. she should be able to give you some of her spare wheels.” Card finished attaching the wheel to the wagon and then turned back to face Trixie. “So, Lula, do you know how to reach Ponyville?”         “Yeah, I was actually headed there when this happened.” Trixie said as she re-hitched herself to the wagon. “Thanks for your help. Why did you help me anyway?”         “Honestly?” Card got a bashful look on his face, “I was hiding from my paperwork and thought this would be a good way to keep myself away from it. Anyways, it’s not everyday that you come across someone in the Everfree forest.” Card then made his goodbyes and left as Trixie started heading once more towards Ponyville. -----Later at the library-----         Card walked up to Twilight’s door and attempted to open it, only to find that he couldn’t. For the first time since she had moved here, Twilight had actually locked her front door. Confused by this event, though by no means discouraged, Card knocked. When that failed to yield better results, he did the next logical thing and decided to go in through an open window. What he saw inside was a huge mess of books, one very tired looking baby dragon, and a frantic Twilight Sparkle who was currently in the process of doing what looked like attempting five spells at once. Deciding that this show would be more interesting if he knew the background story, he went over to the tired Spike.         “What’s wrong with her?” Card asked with a jerk of his head towards Twilight.         “...How did you get in?” Spike asked.         “Magic. Now what’s wrong?” Card said. Spike made a motion like he was about to argue, but then decided he was too tired to care.         “Well, it all started this morning.” -----Spike’s Flashback-----         Good morning Spike,” said Twilight as she came into the kitchen. “How are you today?”         “Fine Twilight, but this letter came in for you today.” Spike handed the letter over to Twilight “It’s from Princess Celestia.”         Twilight took one look at the letter, and immediately started to freak out. She ran off into the library and yelled “I forgot to study!!!! -----End of Flashback-----         “I took a look at the letter and it turns out it was a list of spells that Celestia wanted Twilight to learn and she hadn’t finished learning the last batch.” Spike said as he turned to look at Card, “Ever since then she’s been studying nons-- Where did you get that popcorn?” He asked.         Card decided to ignore that last part and, in between mouthfuls, said, “That doesn’t sound like Twilight. She’s been very good about reading all the books I leave her, and I would think that she would apply at least that level of conviction to her studies.”         “That’s the problem,” Spike said “You’ve been taking up so much of her brainpower with your discussions on those books, that she’s completely forgotten to spend time on Celestia’s studies.”         “Really? Is she that unused to having someone to talk with?” Card shook his head sadly before saying, “Either way, I think she’s almost done. She’s slowing down.” Card proved to be right as Twilight soon called Spike over and said that she just had one last spell to test on him. Despite his best efforts to get away, Spike ended up caught and had the spell - a growth spell - cast on him making him grow a mustache. Upon seeing his new lip-fur, he started to talk with Twilight about how it would make Rarity, a mare that Card still had yet to meet for the record, fall in love with him. Card, having learned by now to tune Spike out whenever he mentioned Rarity, turned his attention to finishing his popcorn.         Soon however, there came a knock at the door. Spike opened it and, after a brief argument with the two strangely proportioned colts who knocked, ran off into the town square to see a magic show they were talking about. Twilight made to go to bed, only to be stopped by Card.         “Card,” Twilight said, “Let me go, I’m sleepy.”         “No, you’re too wired from all the studying.” Card said, “You need to relax, and a magic show is good for that. Besides, you can’t tell me that you’re not the least bit curious about this greatly powerful unicorn?”         “Fine,” Twilight said with a sigh, “Let’s go.” As they headed out Twilight said, “I wonder if the magician could teach me some of their tricks?”         Card replied with, “I wonder how that growth spell made Spike get a mustache? Dragons don’t have hair follicles on their lips.”         “No, I met a sea serpent who had a mustache,” Twilight rebutted.         “That was a sea serpent, they’re different.”         “They can’t be that different” -----One discussion about serpent interspecies genetic relations later-----         “Look, we’re getting nowhere with this,” Twilight said. “Let’s just look it up when we get back to Golden Oaks.”         “Back to where?” Card asked.         “That’s the name of the library.”         “That place has a name?” Card said incredulously. Twilight ignored him as she was noticed by her friends and they called her over.         “Yo, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash called, “Over here!” Twilight went over to her friends and Card followed her. As Card got closer, Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed and she said, “I don’t believe anypony invited you over.”         “It’s a free country and this is a public place,” Card said as he settled down next to Twilight. “If you have a problem with being near me, then you can leave.”         “Why don’t you-” Rainbow Dash said as she flared her wings in an attempt to be more intimidating, only to be brought down by Applejack grabbing her tail.         “Now, now Dashie,” Applejack said as she attempted to play peacekeeper, “He ain’t hurting nopony.”         “Thank you Jackie.” Card said with a grateful nod, before bringing his attention to the wagon in front of all of them. “That looks familiar.” he muttered.         “What was that?” Twilight asked         “When does the show start?” Card asked         Rarity decided to respond, curious about this stallion who seemed to be familiar with her friends. “It should start-”         “Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” This declaration was met with cheers and applause from those assembled, including Card, as the mare they had been waiting for took center stage.         “Now apparently.” said Rarity, miffed at a stallion’s attention being stolen from her so easily. -----You’ve all seen this scene before, but what about from Trixie’s perspective-----         As Trixie’s usual introduction was met with it’s usual reaction, she experienced that same mixture of anticipation and dread that she always felt when she set hoof on stage. Ok, so far so good. Let’s see how loud I can make them cheer         “Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!” And cue fanfare spell. The spell went off without a problem, as it always did, and Trixie took some time to look over her audience to gauge their reactions. Looks good, looks good. Those ponies with the dragon over in that section seem rather displeased though, but that red-headed orange stallion seems to be- Wait red-headed orange stallion? Trixie took a closer look at the stallion in question. Blue tips, brown jacket, that’s him! What is he doing here?! Trixie let off numerous minor spells as she tried to calm herself, It doesn’t matter, he seems to be enjoying it and it doesn’t look like he’s connected me with the mare he saw in the forest. What to do about those hecklers though? A-ha!         “Well, well, well” Trixie said with all the ham she could muster, “It seems we have some naysayers in the audience. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?” Better use some more fanfare to liven it up a bit more. Suddenly one of the mares, the rainbow-maned pegasus, opened her mouth to challenge Trixie.         “So, ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’, What makes you think you’re so awesome anyways?”         Bingo!, Trixie thought. Now what story to use? The manticore? The hydra? Ah, I know! Trixie responded to rainbow heckler with, “Heh, why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!” Upon those words leaving her muzzle, the crowd went nuts with gasps of shock and cheers of admiration. Perfect.         Trixie nodded her head in false modesty as she elaborated on her story. “When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!” This declaration was met with even more rapturous applause. Trixie let that die down as she planned out her next move. Let’s see, they’re all grouped around that lilac unicorn but she doesn’t seem to be all that into insulting me. If I call her out, then one of the others will probably take me up on it. Let’s try it.         “It’s true, my enthusiastic little admirers!” Trixie said with a laugh, “Trixie is certainly the best in Ponyville!” Cue cricket spell aaaand, perfect! Those three look like they’re about to burst! Should just take a little more.         “Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie?” she said with more laughter, “Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians -- anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?” There we go, now to present the challenge.         “Hmmm, how about... You!” Trixie pointed at the lilac mare. Cue music. Oh this is gonna be fun! -----Now back to Card and Twilight!-----         Throughout Trixie’s performance so far, Card had been alternating his attention between: the show being put on by Trixie, the one being put on by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and some white mare whose name he didn’t know, keeping Twilight from passing out, and finishing his popcorn. Suddenly, however, two of those things merged as Applejack clambered onto Trixie’s stage and took her up on her challenge.         “Can your magical powers do this?” Applejack asked as she did some very impressive lasso tricks, finishing off her performance by grabbing an apple of a tree that was apparently just growing in the town square. Trixie trumped her however, by lassoing an apple that had quickly grown in the exact same spot as the last one, along with Applejack, all without touching the rope. Or at least that’s what it would have seemed like to an untrained eye. After Applejack came off the stage, first Rainbow Dash, then that white mare whose name he didn’t know, tried to take Trixie down a peg. All to no avail for Trixie seemingly kept on beating them at their own games, trash-talking them all the while. However, when Spike tried to get Twilight to go up on stage she made an excuse that her laundry was calling her, which ranked up there with some of the worst excuses Card had ever heard, especially considering that Twilight didn’t wear clothes. After she bolted, Trixie seemed to decide that her show was over and started passing her hat around for money, as street performers are wont to do. After tossing a few bits in, Card went off after Twilight to make sure she didn’t collapse in the middle of the street out of exhaustion, and a good thing he did too because when he caught up with her she was barely standing.         “So Twinkly,” Card said as he draped one of her legs over his shoulder, “What did you think of the magic show? Personally I thought it was great.”         Twilight seemed pretty out of breath, but managed to force out, “She was definitely talented, but the way she was showing off seemed a bit much.”         “What do you mean ‘Showing off’?” Card asked.         “Well all of the boasting, and the over-the-top declarations,” Twilight clarified, “And the way she humiliated Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity seemed a bit mean.”         “Well, yeah she was pretty hammy, but I thought it was quite fun. She definitely knew what she was doing, and as for the showing off… well, what did you expect?” Card said, “She was after all, putting on a show. Besides, if anyone was out of line it was those three for the way they disrespected her.”         Twilight seemed like she had a retort for that, but before she could get it out she fell asleep. Card gave her sleeping form an amused look before slinging her across his back and going the rest of the way to the library that apparently had a name. -----Let’s go back to Trixie, shall we-----         Finally, those two have left. Trixie thought as she went back into her wagon, having finally gotten the two strange colts to leave. Still, it was nice to be hero-worshiped for a while. Oh well, now that that’s all over, I can kick back and count how many bits the nice ponies gave me. Trixie reached for her hat and began to pull it out before she was interrupted by a knock at her door. Oh great, those two are probably back. Trixie thought with derision as she went to her door.         “Look you two, The Great and Powerful Trixie is very tired right now so-”         “I’m afraid there’s only one of me here. Also, I can see why you introduced yourself to me as Lulamoon. The Great and Powerful Trixie is a bit hard to say in casual conversation.” Trixie looked up and saw the stallion who had helped her out when she was in the forest standing above her with a little smirk on his face. “Hello again.”         “Hello” Trixie said with a certain degree of surprise. “Thanks again for the help with the wheel earlier. If you don’t mind me being rude, why are you here now?”         “Well, actually I am here for three reasons.” Card admitted. “The first is because I’m still trying to put off doing my paperwork for as long as possible.” Trixie gave a little chuckle. “The second is to congratulate you on doing some of the best illusionary magic I have ever seen.”         Trixie was shocked. What? How did he figure out that I was using Illusions? “What do you mean?” She asked nervously, “All of the magic I used was one-hundred percent physical magic.”         “Oh come on,” Card said dismissively. “Don’t hide your talent behind a lie.”         “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Trixie said fidgeting all the while. I put so much effort into that!         “Why are you so ashamed of it anyways? With how you act on stage, you’d think you would be bragging far and wide about it, as opposed to that fake Ursa Major story.”         He knows about that too? How? Trixie thought.         Card sighed and said, “Look, don’t worry, I’m not going to ruin your reputation. I don’t even want anything from you.”         Trixie couldn’t see any reason for her not to trust him, and her curiosity was getting the better of her, so she admitted it. “Yes, I use illusions in my shows. Yes, I made up the story about the Ursa Major. How did you figure it out though?” she asked.         “Well it’s a bit a long story, so would you mind letting me in?”         “Oh, where are my manners. Of course.” Trixie waved him into her wagon.         “Wow,” Card said as he entered her wagon to find the inside was much bigger than the outside seemed to suggest. “New model?         “Fairly new, This ones been amped to be about twice the size of the previous,” Trixie said as she closed the door behind her. “Now, how did you figure out that I was using illusions and that I was lying about the Ursa Major?”         “I’ll start with the simplest. The Ursa Major thing I had my suspicions about due to the fact that if someone had taken down an Ursa Major, I would probably have read about it. The illusions, however, were much harder to figure out.” Card then sat down and seemed to collect his thoughts for a bit. “Let’s go in order, shall we. For what you did with Applejack I figured out when you somehow managed to pull the exact same apple out of a tree that she did, along with the fact that the other you you made to distract everyone while you were tying Jackie’s hooves up had no shadow. How did you do that same apple thing anyway?”         “I knew I shouldn’t have taken the easy way out,” Trixie mused. “What I did was simply bring up your memory of her pulling the apple out and used my magic to make it seem so vivid until it appeared to be happening again.”         “That’s amazing!” Card said. “You have enough control to do that over a whole crowd.”         “Yes, yes I know,” Trixie said with a hint of a blush on her face. It’s been so long since somepony’s complimented me on things I’ve actually done. “How did you figure out the other two?”         “Well with Rainy I noticed that her yells never seemed to get any softer, like she was always the same distance away. Masterful work by the way, putting her so deeply in the illusion that she even felt all the sensations,” Card said offhand. “But all the effort it took to do it probably tired you out, so that explains why I detected the illusion you put on that white mare so easily.”         “Why? I thought I did that perfectly, and it’s not exactly a challenging illusion,” Trixie said confused.         “You did do it perfectly,” Card assured her, “But the second everybody’s attention was turned back to you, you dispelled the illusion and I managed to catch a glimpse of her normal hair as she ran off. So yeah, that’s how I knew.” Card then stood up and made to leave, only to be stopped by a cry of,         “Wait,” from Trixie, who was enjoying the first conversation she had had in months without having to speak in third-pony or constantly worrying about impressing somepony.         “Yes?” Card asked.         “Umm...” Trixie went as she tried to think of an excuse to keep the stallion here. What to say, what to say... A-ha! “You said that you had three things to talk to me about, what’s the third?” she asked.         “Oh yeah,” Card said as he slapped his hoof against his forehead, “I almost forgot. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go get those new wheels I told you you could get from someone who owed me a favor. Do you?” Card asked.         Trixie took a minute to puzzle through everything he just said before realizing that she could finally get those new wheels she desperately needed. She grabbed him by the hoof and all but threw him out her door, herself following closely after. “Let’s go!” she said enthusiastically.         “Okay, calm down.” Card said with a chuckle. “It’s a-ways away and you’re heading the down the wrong direction. Here,” he said with a gesture, “It’s this way.”         “Okay,” Trixie said “Thanks for doing all this.”         “Hey, anything to stay away from all of that paperwork,” Card said with a dead-serious look on his face.         “You keep on talking about this paperwork of yours, what is it for anyways?” Trixie asked         “Well you see, I need to fill it all out to be able to get an office here in town,” Card explained.         “An office? What for?”         “Well you see, I’m a psychiatrist and I need an office to meet up with my patients. In order to do that I need to fill out a bunch of stuff with the town hall, and I am really lazy,” Card admitted.         “Oh,” Trixie said, then she understood the implications of what he said. “Wait, you’re a doctor? How old are you?” she said incredulously.         “I will never get tired of being asked that,” Card said with a satisfied smile on his face. “I’m 23. How old are you?”         “I’m 20, and don’t change the subject!” Trixie exclaimed, “How are you a doctor?”         “I did a lot of hard studying, and it all paid off. By the way, we have to go up this path.” Card pointed at a dirt road that branched off of the main one that they had been following. “Jackie’s apple stand should be this way if memory serves.” -----At Applejack’s Apple Stand!-----         Applejack was preparing to fold up her stall for the day and head home, when out of distance she saw two silhouettes heading towards her. Putting everything back into it’s place, she quickly put on what her little sister called her ‘Sales Smile’. As the silhouettes got closer she identified one of them as Card due to his distinct way of moving head around like crazy whenever he spoke, as he was doing right then to a unicorn. Assuming that the unicorn was Twilight, because who else had she ever seen Card with, she galloped up to greet them with a genuine smile on her face.         “Howdy Twil-” However, when Applejack got a better look at the unicorn, the smile fell from her face as she identified her as the unicorn who had made all those boasts on stage earlier that day. “Oh,” she said icily. “It’s you. Have y’all come to brag some more?”         Before Trixie could respond with her own jab, Card decided to cut in. “Now, now, Jackie play nice. Trixie happens to be a friend of mine. Either way, I didn’t come here to start a catfight. I came here to collect on that debt you owe me.”         “You want that cider? Here.” Applejack went over to her stall and pulled out a jug from beneath it. “Now take that Great and Powerful windbag away.”         “Oh no, Jackie,” Card said as he shook his head. “I don’t want cider. You see, Trixie here has been having some problems with her wagon wheels, and she’s run out of replacements for the broken ones. I was wondering if you could give her some of your spares.”         “Can’t she just magic herself up a new one?” Applejack sarcastically asked.         Card made a move to answer only to be pushed aside by Trixie. “What is your problem?” Trixie asked Applejack. “I can understand you and your friends heckling me at my show, that’s your right as my audience, but why are you being so rude to me now? I haven’t done anything to you.”         “You haven’t done anything?!” Applejack looked shocked. “What do you call hog-tying me and stuffing an apple down my throat!”         “I call it ‘Dealing with a mare who was disrupting my show!’”         Sensing the two mares were about to come to blows, Card stepped in between them and said, “Look, Trixie you did go a bit far in dealing with Jackie and the others, and you should apologize for that.” Card whirled around to face Applejack, “However, you are not blameless either. What would you do if somebody came up to your cart in the middle of the day, and just started to insult you and your apples for no reason?”         Applejack thought it over. Ah’d tell ‘em to buck off ‘fore I buck them straight back to Ponyville. Applejack let out a sigh and said, “Y’all are right, and ah know to admit it when ah’m wrong.” She turned to Trixie and gave her apology. “Ah’m sorry for insulting y’all like that during your show.” Applejack extended a hoof to her, “Can y’all forgive me?”         Trixie got a shocked look on her face, “O- of course,” she said as she hesitantly reached out to shake Applejack’s hoof, “I’m sorry for how far I went to try and teach you a lesson.”         “No worries.” Applejack then turned back to her cart, calling out behind her as she did so. “Ah’ve got to get all o’ this back to the farm. If you’d follow me, ah can give you those spare wheels.”         “Thank you.” Trixie called out as she went to the cart as well, “Let me help you with that.”         “Thanks.” Applejack felt her earlier smile return to her face as she worked on breaking down her stall. As for Card, he stood there with a satisfied smile on his face thinking his thoughts until the cart was all put away and Applejack took them to the farm. -----I wonder what Twilight was doing during all of this time. Let’s find out!-----         Twilight had awoken to find herself in her bed and upon getting out she noticed that her number one assistant was nowhere to be found. Where could Spike be? she wondered, Usually he’s right by my bedside whenever I pass out. I hope he didn’t go off to harass Rarity again. Twilight shook her head as she realized that that’s probably exactly what he went off to do. She started to head out her door to go get Spike from Rarity’s when suddenly the dragon in question burst into the library like the hounds of Tartarus were after him. The first thought that passed through her mind? Oh dear Celestia, what did he try to do?! “Okay Spike,” Twilight said cautiously, “Where did you touc-”         *ROOOAARRR!*         “Please tell me that wasn’t what I think it was?” Twilight asked Spike.         “Ursa- *gasp* Major-” Spike confirmed as he caught his breath. “It’s in the town square.”         Twilight rushed out of her house and dashed to the town square. When she got there she saw two strangely proportioned colts banging on Trixie’s wagon, along with a very angry Ursa... Minor. Oh thank Celestia, I can probably handle this. I just need a plan. While Twilight was thinking, the Ursa Minor- -----Who will be referred to as Uri from now on.----- … Really? Okay, sure, whatever. Anyways, while Twilight was thinking, Uri was getting annoyed at the sound of constant banging on the wooden wagon door. In his rage, Uri attacked the wagon and smashed it, with the two colts just barely making it out in time.         Okay, I’ve got it! Twilight finished thinking of her plan and snapped out of her deep thought to see a broken wagon before her. I hope that’s insured against wild celestial animal attacks. She then kicked her plan off. Ok, first up is number sixteen. -----You all know how the scene goes, let’s just get back to Card and Trixie as they headed back to Ponyville with Applejack-----         “So then, the old idiot tried to steal my hat.” Trixie was telling her new friends about some funny occurrences that had happened to her during her other shows. “He burst onto the stage and-”         *ROOOAARRR!*         “What was that!?” Trixie asked.         “Ah don’t know, but it came from Ponyville!” Applejack tore off down the path towards the village, hoping that she could help stop whatever it was that was happening.         Card, meanwhile, decided to answer Trixie’s question. “It sounded like an Ursa Minor.” he said.         An Ursa Minor! In town? Why? Trixie thought, when she heard some mutterings coming from Card, who seemed to be deep in thoughts of his own.         “...but if the baby’s awake,...” he mummbled.         “What was that?” Trixie asked Card, “I couldn’t hear you.”         Card gave a jolt, like he had forgotten that there was anyone else around then said, “I said, ‘You should probably go with Jackie.’ She might need your help.”         Trixie turned to follow Applejack, but noticed that Card was going in another direction. After some brief hesitation, she decided that Applejack and her friends could probably take care of it themselves, cast a light bending illusion on herself, and followed Card on his path. After following him for about five minutes, they came to the edge of Everfree Forest. Trixie hesitated, but, after seeing Card walk in, continued stalking him straight into the Everfree. What she saw at the end of his walk, she almost couldn’t believe.         “Look, I understand that you’re upset that you’ve been woken up and your cub has run off. However, I cannot let you go into the city,” Card said to the HUGE URSA MAJOR HE WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF! “Rest assured, the ones who did it will be punished and your cub will return to you by sunrise.”         The Ursa Major gave a low growl.         “You have my word. Thank you for your cooperation.” Card bowed to the beast and then headed back along the path he took to get in the forest. After Trixie took her jaw off the ground, she rushed along the same path to try and get to Ponyville before he did, all the while What was that? Kept on looping through her head. Due to the fact that she was running while Card seemed to be going at a leisurely jog, she made it to Ponyville just in time to see Uri being airlifted out while he was suckling on a jug of some kind. Following the residual trail of magical energy to it’s source, she saw Applejack talking with the ponies she was with at her show, along with... -----I cast focus shift on Twilight Sparkle-----         “Heavens to betsy!” Applejack said to Twilight upon seeing her airlift Uri out of town. “We knew you had ability but not that much!”         “I’m sorry. Please, please don’t hate me.” Twilight plead.         “Hate you?” came unanimously from Applejack, Rainbow dash, and Rarity, with the latter following up on it with,         “Why, whatever do you mean, darling?”         Whatever response Twilight would have had to that, we will never know, for at that very moment...         “AHHHH!!!!” Trixie screamed as she saw the splintered wreck that once was her wagon.         “What is it?” Twilight started turning around in panic, “Is the Ursa Minor back?” Upon seeing that there were no star bears anywhere around, she focused her attention on the source of the scream. She found the sound to be coming from an azure mare, who was staring at the pile of wood that was the wagon that Uri attacked. Oh yeah. I guess from her scream that she doesn’t have that insurance after all. Twilight came closer to the mare in order to attempt to comfort her, but as she drew near she noticed that the mare in question was the Great and Powerful Trixie. Not that that would have been a problem, if it wasn’t for the fact that Rainbow Dash had seen her too.         “HAHAHA!” Rainbow Dash’s reaction was... less than polite. “Looks like you’re not so great and powerful after all. Where were you when Twilight dealt with that Ursa Major? Probably hiding.”         Rarity, being the observant mare she was, cut herself off from joining in on Rainbow’s taunts when she noticed that Trixie wasn’t responding. Rather, she was still looking at the pile of wood, quietly muttering, “no, no, no” to herself.         “Rainbow, darling,” Rarity said, “I don’t think now is the time...”         “I bet that you sent that Ursa Major into town to try and show off even more,” Rainbow Dash continued, paying Rarity no heed.         “Actually, she was with me.” Applejack said as she tried to shut her friend up. “Card brought her over to get some more wheels.” Applejack took one more look at the pile of wood, “Though I think she’ll need a bit more then those now.”         “I knew all of that bragging was just hot air!” Rainbow continued on, ignoring her friends, preferring to deride the mare who beat her. She probably would have continued if it wasn’t for the fact that Applejack chose to lasso her muzzle closed while Twilight went over to Trixie.         “Uhhm...” Twilight struggled to think of a good way to comfort her. “I’m sorry for your loss.”         Trixie finally managed to break out of here shock enough to ask, “How? What?”         “The Ursa Minor who was attacking earlier took a swing at it.” Twilight said. She tried to put a smile on her face. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks. Maybe it can be fixed.”         “Yes, darling.” Rarity decided to try to help out. “I’m sure that with a bit of work it’ll be good as new in no time!”         “Everything I owned was in that wagon.” Trixie said, sounding like she was about to cry.         “Maybe some things survived?” Applejack said after she finished tying Rainbow Dash up.         “No, no, you don’t understand.” Trixie said. “That wasn’t an ordinary wagon. That was a compression model.”         Applejack tilted her head in confusion, looking a question at an aghast Twilight.         “A compression wagon is one that is bigger on the inside then the outside.” Twilight explained. “Everything in it is put in a pocket space, so that several things can fit in it. But if that’s the case, then why didn’t anything rematerialise?”         “When the object binding a pocket space is destroyed, the pocket space is destroyed along with it.” Trixie explained, trying to distract herself from what happened. “Now I have no money, no food, and no house!” Trixie once more looked close to tears. “What am I going to do?” she sobbed.         Everypony around her felt a surge of sympathy, even Rainbow Dash, who had been listening to the conversation while she struggled against her bindings, felt bad. While they all tried to think of ways to help, Card finally came back into town.         “Hey guys.” Card looked at all the downcast faces. “Whoa, who died?”         “Hey Card,” Twilight said to her friend. “Nopony died, but in the Ursa Minor attack, Trixie’s wagon got smashed. Now she’s lost everything.”         “Really?” Card said with an intrigued look and a devious smirk. “Interesting.” He walked over to the crying mare. “Yo, Trixie.”         “What?!” she snapped. “Oh, it’s you. Sorry.”         “No problem, perfectly understandable. Look, do you want some help?” Card offered.         Trixie was tempted, how could she not be, but her pride got in the way. “I don’t want your charity!” she exclaimed.         “Who said anything about charity?” Card asked. “I’m not that generous.”         “Then what do you mean.”         “I’m offering you a job as my secretary,” he explained. “I’ll pay you twenty bits an hour for the first two weeks, with a possible raise after you’ve settled in. In exchange: you’ll do my all my paperwork, run reception at my office after I get one, along with any other little errands I don’t feel like doing myself.”         Trixie was shocked, as was everypony else. Twenty bits per hour was a decent amount of money, why would Card be throwing out that much on a mare he had just met that day. The one who actually voiced her disbelief was, surprisingly, Rarity.         “Darling, what are you thinking?” she asked. “Even I’m not that generous.”         “Ah agree, where would you even get all that money?” Applejack added, throwing in her two cents.         “I’m a doctor,” Card said in a voice like you would use to talk to a small child, “We tend to make a good bit of money. Speaking of, are there any houses for rent in this town? I can’t very well have my secretary sleeping out on the street, what kind of image would that send?”         “Yeah, there are a few houses for rent near the south end of town,” Applejack said. “Y’all’d havta talk to Mayor Mare about renting them though.”         “Well okay then, it’s settled,” Card said with an air of finality, turning to Trixie. “At least, it will be if you agree to this arrangement. Do you?”         Trixie was speechless. “Yes, o- of course,” she forced out, only to ask, “But why?”         “Hmm?” Card was busy looking at some prints next to the pile of wood. “What was that?”         “Why are you helping me?”         “You severely underestimate just how much I hate, hate, HATE paperwork,” Card said. “Now then, Jackie, if you wouldn’t mind could you take Trixie to the Mayor’s office and get that rental business started?” he asked.         “Sure thing,” Applejack said as she walked over to Trixie. “Come on sugarcube, town hall is that way.”         “Oh wait, I almost forgot,” Card said as he pulled a bag out of his jacket. As he tossed it to Trixie, he said “That should be 4000 bits Trixie, consider it an advance on your first couple weeks salary. Be careful with it, I won’t pay you any more until you’ve worked all of them back. Take tomorrow off to get familiar with the town, but the day after I expect you to meet me at the office. It’s at 1870 Forestview St. and Sloat boulevard.”         Trixie felt her heart swell. “Thank you!” she yelled as she and Applejack walked off, “Thank you so much! Good night!”         “Yeah, good night.” Card waved them off. While he was doing this, Rarity came over to Twilight and whispered in her ear.         “You’ve found yourself a good stallion there. You should be careful somepony doesn’t steal him from you.” Rarity then straightened out and said out loud, “It’s getting late, and I must get my beauty sleep. Good night!”         Twilight’s tongue had decided to start training for the Equestrian National Yoga Tournament. She only snapped out of it when Card came over to her and started talking.         “Okay, two things,” he said. “First, why is Rainy tied up?”         “Oh dear Celestia!” Twilight rushed over to her friend and began to untie her, apologizing all the while. When she finished, Rainbow Dash thanked her and flapped off, yelling good night as she did so.         “Okay, that doesn’t answer me, but I guess it doesn’t matter any more.” Card shook his head. “Anyways, the other thing is I need to know who awakened Uri to begin with.”         “Who?” Twilight asked.         “The Ursa Minor, who woke him up? They’re in serious trouble.” As Card said this, he stuck a hoof out behind him and tripped the two colts who were trying to run away. When they got back up, they found a pair of hooves holding them. “I assume it was you two?”         “Yes, yes, we’re sorry, we’re sorry.” Snips and Snails blubbered in unison. “We just wanted to see the Great and Powerful Trixie do her magic personally. We didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”         “Really?” Card said         “Yes, really!”         “Well, since you’re minors I guess I can let you off easy this time,” Card said as he let the two of them go.         “Thank you, thank you!”         “But,” Card said threateningly, “You must promise me that you will never set foot in the Everfree forest, or bother Trixie, ever again. Do. You. Understand.” With each syllable, Card switched his glare between the two of them.         “Yes, yes never again.” They swore up and down, and then ran off as fast as their legs could take them.         Twilight looked down the dust cloud that the two colts had left behind, and then turned to Card saying, “Don’t you think you were a little hard on them?”         “Nah, the official penalty that the two would have gotten for entering the lair of an Ursa Major is way worse,” Card said dismissively, “A few months imprisonment if they were lucky.”         “A few months!?” Twilight said, “Just for going into a cave?”         “Yeah. That was incredibly dangerous, and there are ponies who get off on doing things like that. If we don’t punish them harshly, then more will try to do it, and a lot of them would get hurt. Possibly killed.” Card explained.         “Okay, I guess that makes sense,” Twilight said doubtfully. “I’ve gotta head home.”         “Yeah, so do I.” Card let out a sigh.         “What’s wrong?”         “I just realized, if I start to work here, really work, office and all, we probably won’t be able to hang out at the library so much.”         “Oh.” Twilight felt downcast, as the fact that she wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with her friend anymore sunk in.         “Well, at least it’s only five days a week. And hey, now we have someone else to talk to as well.” Card tried to look on the brightside. “Trixie seems smart, and I know she likes to read. Having a third perspective in our discussions will be fun.”         “Yeah, you’re right,” Twilight said, feeling a small smile come over her face. “Good night Card.”         “Good night Twinkly.” The two friends went their separate ways. What do you think of my version of Trixie ursa minors are bears made out of stars right? Howdy. no complaints so far, so no worries. Hi dude