//------------------------------// // Chapter Twelve // Story: The New Student // by TheTwelfthDoctor //------------------------------// Chapter Twelve “I’d like to place a request for thirteen blocks of Harmonium,” Trixie informed the records keeper seated at the front desk of a chemical supply warehouse she had found on Stallion Island. The mare raised an eyebrow. “Why would you ever want that?” “It’s for...my daughter’s school project.” “Why would she need a highly classified raw earth element to make a model volcano or whatever it is they do at those science fairs?” “Uh...she’s doing a presentation on the Elements of Harmony and needs it for a visual aid?” “Uh-huh. May I see your license, please?” “License?” “You know, the license you need to obtain Harmonium and other dangerous materials in this fine nation?” “Ah. Lemme get back to you on that.” “So...thirteen blocks of Harmonium is off...now I need two blocks of Celestium and seven of Telekinetium...this is going to take a while,” Trixie grumbled while going down her checklist, having left the warehouse. “Wait! Harmonium is found in trace amounts in that antipsychotic Celestia had ordered right before Luna returned! What was it called...ah, right! Screwtight! Now to commit myself and get my hooves on a bottle--or three--of it...” Trixie dumped a full three bottles of Screwtight into the pot of boiling water, allowing the tablets to fizzle away into the steam. After a few minutes of applying concentrated heat to the pot, all of the water also soon evaporated, leaving a soggy powder stuck to the bottom of the receptacle. Pure Harmonium. “Excellent. Now for the other two...hmm...Celestium can be derived from sunlight, and Telekinetium is one of the materials that make up unicorn’s horns...” Trixie mused, sealing the Harmonium into a beaker and placing it into her refrigerator. Retrieving a small laboratory knife, Trixie began to scrape her horn for its filings, which would be her source of Telekinetium. It was a painful process, and the sound it produced was that of sharp hooves on a chalkboard, but it was all worth it to her. Scooping up the shavings from the ground, she collected them into another beaker, and added a solvent she had made from common magical separation powder and water. It would help break the filings down into their base components, one of which would be Telekinetium. Leaving the mixture to bubble alongside the Harmonium, Trixie produced a hoof-held mirror and spellhorn. The spellhorn would allow a spell or other magical beam to be cast in it, then released at a later time. She walked downstairs and sat on her apartment building’s stoop, watching the ponies go by and aiming the mirror up at the sun so some of its rays were reflected into the spellhorn. ‘This is gonna take a while.’ Shortly after the sun had set, Trixie stood and went back up to her apartment. She carefully released the collected sunlight from her spellhorn into a third, vacuum-sealed beaker, and quickly infused the glowing magic with a drop of an extraction fluid. When she was sure it wasn’t going to blow up spectacularly, Trixie placed it with the other two beakers, forming a straight line of scientific achievement. ‘Nighty night, my children,’ Trixie giggled to herself before shutting the refrigerator. Her work done for the day, Trixie fixed herself a quick daisy sandwich for a snack before promptly going off to bed for a well-deserved good night’s sleep. Trixie awoke at the first sign of light outside and happily sauntered into her small kitchen. She rummaged into the refrigerator and pulled out the three beakers. The Harmonium was still in powder form, the Telekinetium had risen to the top of the vessel formerly containing Trixie’s horn shavings, and Celestium appeared in place of the sunlight in the final beaker. She took a medical drip bag, the kind used in hospitals to inject ponies with needed nutritional supplements and medications who were unable to take food or drugs orally. The book Trixie had found the transformation spell in had also recommended intravenous administration. The Harmonium came first, followed by cautious spoonfuls of the separated Telekinetium. Lastly was the Celestium. After pouring the required amounts of the three elements into the bag, Trixie sealed it and began to shake it violently. The three elements inside quickly combined and formed a swirling, deep red liquid, almost blood-like in color. It was, however, differentiated by the life-giving fluid by its bright orange streaks and speckles. Trixie stored the bag in the back of the refrigerator. ‘I’ll see you in three weeks.’ The three weeks from the time Trixie completed her potion to the day of the coronation seemed to drag on forever. The Crystal Empire winning the Equestria Games was the only thing even remotely newsworthy that had happened. Trixie’s wall calendar counted down the days in red ‘X’s. The train and admission tickets were in the basket by the door. The potion was still as prime for use as ever--she made sure to check it daily, and sometimes more often--and everything seemed to be going to plan. Until the Thursday before the coronation, when Trixie realized she needed a dress to wear or else look like a peasant before all the nobles of Canterlot after defeating Twilight and ascending to the throne. Digging through her small closet, Trixie finally found something that would look at least presentable--a plain yellow robe with simple white trim and a bright pink ribbon around the neck. It had become a major fashion trend after Twilight herself had actually worn one at an important social function in Canterlot, and she had received the dress as a gift from Toru Pie a few years back. With the departure time for her train fast approaching, Trixie hastily tossed the dress into a small travel case, packed a pair of warm socks for the trip (she was taking an overnight train) along with it, snatched up her tickets, and left her apartment. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she turned and made to go to the train station. Then something hit her. ‘Shoot, forgot something.’ Trixie raced back up the stairs double-time, unlocked her door, stuck one hoof in, and clicked out the lights. ‘Don’t want to run up my Colt Edison bill too high now, do I?’