6. Real Magic
Trixie focused as she maintained her spell moving her trailer/stage into the sleepy town. It was difficult, using a spell outside of her special talent, but she had practiced with this one for years until she had perfected it. Animate Object: one of the most deceptively useful spells ever created, especially for a travelling showmare.
As she reached the clear spot she had selected for presenting her show, she released the spell on the trailer, taking a few shallow breaths. "Alright, Trixie," she said to herself. "That's the first step. Time to let everypony know I'm here." With that, she turned her attention to a stack of posters. Noticing a few tears, she frowned. Gathering her magic, she smoothed the stack, causing the torn posters to knit back into themselves, mending the damage. She then took another glance at the top poster.
"Come see the Great and Powerful Trixie and her amazing acts of Prestidigitation! Be Amazed and Astounded at her stupendous magical prowess!" This text was written in large letters surrounding an image of Trixie, her star speckled hat and cloak flowing in the wind, reared onto her hind hooves as she guided a ball of blazing force in her forehooves.
Trixie nodded. "Looks about right," she said to herself. She then animated the stack of posters, and they flew out through her trailers mail slot one at a time to find places to hang around the town. "Well, Ponyville," she muttered to herself, "prepare to be amazed." Turning, she went to her larder...and winced at the little that was left for her breakfast today. "I hope you're also prepared to pay well," she muttered under her breath, checking her lean bit purse as well. "I hope this goes better than the last..." She checked her map, with red x's over various locations. "One, two three...six towns."
She sat, munching on a stale turnover and drinking purified river water as ponies began to gather around her trailer. "Let's see what this town is like," she muttered as she looked through the parascope hidden in the trailer's top. "Looks like the usual small town pony folks. A few simple illusions should amaze them enough to love the show, as long as nopony challenges me." She sighed. "That never ends well. I never get to do more than one show in a town after a challenge shut down." She blinked through the parascope. "Although that white unicorn looks to have a bit of an ego on her. The orange Earth Pony and cyan Pegasus as well. The rest shouldn't be too much of a problem, but those look like they aren't happy with me already, and-" Her words and train of thought derailed. "Is that a griffon? What's a griffon doing living in an out of the way Podunk town like this? If a griffon lives here, I'll really have to make the show something special, and-" She froze as she saw the approach of the purple unicorn. "Her Cutie Mark. That's a magic symbol. Her special talent has something to do with magic. If she's lived here long, I'll have to pull out all the stops just to make an impression!"
As she felt the beginnings of panic coming on, she pulled back from the parascope. "Easy, Trixie, you've got this. Deep breaths. It doesn't matter what your situation is, this show is just like any other. Just wow the crowd and they'll love you, just like always. And you can do this." She took a deep breath and let it out. "After all...you are the Great and Powerful Trixie. And the Great and Powerful Trixie never loses." Thus fully settled into her stage persona, she animated the trailer to set the stage.
"Come one! Come all!" she announced, amplifying her voice as the stage unfolded. "Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" As the stage finished unfolding, she tossed the packet of colored smoke dust out to create the neccessary effect, and teleported into the middle of it, seeming to appear out of nowhere as it faded. She then turned to survey the crowd's reaction to her appearance.
While the majority of the crowd was suitably impressed, she could tell that the ponies and griffon up front that had concerned her before would still be a problem...especially when she noticed that the purple unicorn she noticed before had a baby dragon on her back. 'Okay Trixie, don't panic, don't lose your cool. You can do this. Remember the script.' She smirked at the crowd. "Watch and be amazed as the Great and Powerful Trixie demonstrates the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" With that, she reared to her back legs and threw her forehooves wide...carefully stomping on the switch to trigger the fireworks. While she could have triggered them with her magic, or an even brighter spectacle, the glow on her horn would have given that away. In her experience, the spontaneous light shows garnered more enthusiasm.
She saw the crowd ooh and ahh at what she had crafted...but the ponies up front seemed bored, as did the griffon. Trixie knew it was time to show her stuff. She started small - the few conjuring tricks she knew, like summoning flowers from the air - and then slowly began her buildup. The crowd certainly seemed impressed when part of the ground suddenly rose up in the shape of a hungry manticore before being blasted apart by a ray of purest light.
Even most of the ponies in front began to cheer at these feats, although the purple pony watched quite calmly. Trixie wasn't sure if it was because she could tell these more impressive feats were mere illusion - her special talent - or if they just weren't impressive on her scale.
As she came towards her dramatic conclusion, she called out, "Can anypony here today say they have ever met a Unicorn as magical as the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
The purple Unicorn spoke up. "I can honestly say I haven't."
There were quite a few gasps around the crowd. Trixie turned towards the speaker. "And who might you be?"
"...a fellow student of magic," she replied calmly, teleporting onto the stage, "and I must say, your skills are phenomenal. Care to put them to a real test?"
Trixie looked at the Unicorn, trying to hide her shock. "Are you challenging the Great and Powerful Trixie to a Magic Duel?" she asked, succesfully hiding her nerves. After all, she actually knew very few combat magic spells.
"Oh, nothing so barbaric," the Unicorn replied. Her horn glowed, and three violet energy disks appeared in the air over her head, floating in a slow circle. "How about a game?"
"Game? Did somepony say game?" An Earth Pony from the back of the crowd suddenly charged forward. He was brown with a black and white striped mane and sported a Cutie Mark of a hoofball and horseshoe. A whistle hung around his neck on a string. "If there's going to be games, then you need Fair Play!"
There were laughs all around the crowd. "Of course, Fair Play," the purple Unicorn said calmly. "I wouldn't dream of playing without a referee."
"Very well," Trixie said. "What is the game?"
"Disqus!" Fair Play said loudly. "How wonderful!" He turned to the crowd. "A popular sport amongst the unicorns specializing in spell casting. The rules are simple. Each contender generates three discs out of their magic. They then try to destroy their opponents discs without losing their own. Any spell may be utilized in the game, but no physical contact - between players or players and discs - is allowed. The contenders are also forbidden from magically attacking their opponent directly."
Trixie turned to the Unicorn. "All right," she said calmly. "The Great and Powerful Trixie shall surely trounce you soundly in this game!" She conjured three discs of a powder blue hue.
"Very well!" Fair Play once more shouted. "The game is discus! The contenders are our very own Twilight Sparkle vs. The Great And Powerful Trixie! Ready...Begin!"
Twilight immediately set her discs in a carefully staged pattern around her as she fired magic blasts at Trixie's discs.
Trixie moved her discs out of the way before firing her own counter attack spell...only for it to be deflected off the shields Twilight had raised.
Twilight smirked. "Good reflexes," she said calmly.
Trixie grinned. "Your defense isn't bad either." She then conjured a dozen illusory discs. "But can you find a needle in a haystack?"
"No fair! She made extra discs!" the dragon called out from the crowd.
Fair Play shook his head. "Illusions are a perfectly viable strategy, if seldom utilized."
Trixie grinned. "Beginning to realize what you are up against, aren't you?" she said as she sent the illusions spinning around her crazily.
Twilight grinned. "Indeed I am," she said calmly as she fired a barrage of small white darts that impacted against the illusions, dispelling several before one dart impacted against one of Trixie's discs, shattering it. "First point goes to me."
Trixie grimaced. "It is not first point that matters," she said, as one of the illusiory discs swung behind Twilight before transforming into an energy dart and impacting one of Twilight's discs, shattering it. "Only last!"
The fight continued, and Trixie rapidly realized something rather disturbing. While it took all her skills to maintain her front, Twilight seemed totally relaxed. Having been on the stage most of her life, Trixie had learned to read the difference between truth and good acting. While Trixie had to go all out, it didn't seem like Twilight was even trying fully. She couldn't understand why.
The next point was tied when Twilight smashed her own disc into Trixie's, breaking both. "Last point's all that matters, right?" she asked, smiling.
"Indeed!" Trixie cried. "And last point shall be mine!" With that, she focused most of her power into a barrage of projectiles that flew towards Twilight's last disc in a crazy pattern, too many and too random to block them all.
Twilight, however, had sent a straight blast of power right at Trixie's disc. Trixie could only stare as the beam headed straight for her disc, too fast for her to stop or move aside...
She blinked as a black shield appeared for a split second, only long enough to block the beam. From the reactions of the crowd, she could tell she was the only one who saw it appear. The crowd assumed she had deflected the spell somehow.
There was a shattering sound as Twilight's last disc broke. Fair Play raised his hooves. "Match point! Victory goes to the Great and Powerful Trixie!" The crowd roared their cheers.
Trixie allowed her last disc to disipate. "Was it not obvious from the start?" Trixie said calmly, tossing her mane. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is unbeatable!"
Twilight smiled. "That was fun. We should do it again sometime."
Trixie watched as Twilight left the stage calmly, confused. Seeing how casually Twilight had handled the match, there was only one explanation. That shield had come from her. She had given Trixie the victory. The only question was why.
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The rest of the show proceeded without incident, and the audience had been quite appreciative. Two particular unicorn colts - she thought their names were Snips and Snails - went so far as to bring her refreshing drinks and beg for autographs. As much as she wanted to relax and enjoy the adulation, she couldn't. Twilight setting up that match and then throwing it...it didn't make any sense. She needed to know why.
So, as night started to fall, she turned to the two colts. "You two! Trixie's opponent...where can she be found?"
"Twilight?" the smaller one responded. "She lives in the library!"
"Yeah," the taller one replied, "she's a real bookworm."
"I see," Trixie said calmly. "Please direct the Great and Powerful Trixie to the Library, then."
Having received her directions, she headed to the library. She raised her hoof to knock, but the door creaked open of its own accord. "Come in, Trixie," Twilight's voice said calmly from within.
Trixie entered, and the door closed quietly behind her. She gulped quietly as she recognized the level of control involved there to manipulate objects without a visible mystic aura. However, she maintained her bold front. "You were expecting the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
Twilight smiled at her. "Trixie, Spike's out helping Rarity with her dressmaking. It's just you and me in here, and even a god would have difficulty listening unobserved. You can drop the stage act."
Trixie stared at Twilight for a time. Although the claim was incredibly outlandish, the calm, absolute confidence with which she said it made it quite believable. "I don't know how true that claim is, but you would make an excellent show mare yourself with that confidence."
Twilight smiled. "Thank you. Please, sit." She levitated a cup over. "Tea?"
"Thank you," Trixie said calmly, taking a sip. "So why were you expecting me?"
"My performance in the game."
Trixie narrowed her eyes. "Why go to all the trouble of challenging me to Disqus and then throw the game? You put an invisible shield in front of my own disc to deflect your last attack."
Twilight smiled. "That's actually two different questions. I challenged you because I wanted to square off against a unicorn who knew what they were doing in a contest of magic. I threw the match...because you needed the victory more."
Trixie had been intruiged by the first part of the answer, but the second part caught her off guard. "W-what do you mean?"
"Your stage persona, it's your lifeblood. As a travelling showpony, your act is the only thing putting food on your plate. If I'd handed you a defeat - humiliating or otherwise - all that would have done is destroy your career, and possibly leave you starving. By making a big fuss over the match, the show was that much more intense, and a close victory is more dramatic than a sweeping success."
Trixie stared, dumbfounded. "How do you know- Are you reading my mind?"
"Why would I need to read your mind," Twilight replied, gesturing to the 'Autobiography' section of the library, "when I can read Houndini's or Silverfield's? This is a library after all." She chuckled. "I must say, I enjoyed your show. Your illusions were quite convincing."
Trixie nodded. "They should be. It's my special talent, after all." She winced. She hadn't meant to say that.
"Illusion magic is a pretty impressive talent," Twilight replied. "Crafting illusions so real they can fool the mind of the observer, not just the senses? Quite impressive." Twilight then smiled. "But you've learned spells outside your talent too, haven't you?"
Trixie smiled. "Yes, I have. I had to, given my life. It's not exactly easy to-"
There was a sudden loud crash outside, followed by screaming. Twilight sighed, getting to her hooves. "Tuesdays," she muttered under her breath.
Trixie looked around, suppressing her fear. "Are these occurences...regular around here?"
"It sometimes seems like the town has a disaster every week," Twilight said, rolling her eyes. "Well, I guess I could use a workout, anyway."
Trixie followed Twilight out of the library, amazed. The level of fear she could hear in the screams was enough to make her want to turn tail and run...but Twilight was acting like a maid who had to clean up after her charges, again. She half expected a line about the town staying saved for five minutes.
When she stepped outside, however, and saw a tree driven lengthwise through the Town hall, Twilight showed a bit of nervousness. "That's...new."
A horrendous roar shook the buildings of the town. A horrendous creature suddenly stepped out of the Everfree Forest, shrugging off the branches of the trees as it reared to its full height of 30 feet tall. It's huge, reptilian head and massive jaws worked as it gnashed its razor sharp teeth. It's clawed hands grasped a tree and ripped it from the ground, taking a huge bite from it before tossing it aside and roaring again. The spiked, turtle like shell on it's back left only one possibility to the creature's nature.
"Tarrasque..." Trixie whispered in fear.
Twilight stared at the creature calmly. "This might be difficult," she said without emotion.
Trixie could only stare. Did nothing shake the purple unicorn before her?
"Trixie, do you know any healing magic?"
Trixie blinked. "A bit."
"Good. Get to the hospital and rally the doctors and nurses. There's going to be casualties with this one, and-"
"FLUTTERSHY!" a frightened voice called out.
Twilight's face went pale. Turning, she rushed towards the voice, Trixie close behind. When they reached the spot, they found the yellow pegasus Trixie had noticed before, layed out in front of town hall as most ponies scattered in terror. Three deep gouges furrowed her side, one cutting right through the point where her wing joined her body, leaving it hanging by a thread of skin. Twilight froze, staring at the horrible wound.
The orange Earth Pony from before was applying pressure to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "She tried to talk it down, make it see reason and go elsewhere...it wouldn't listen, and..." She stopped. "Twilight, wait!"
Trixie saw Twilight racing towards the tarrasque, her eyes glowing red. Ignoring that for the moment, Trixie focused on the injured pegasus. The only thing that could save her at this point was powerful healing magic. As she pushed her head forward, her horn glowing, Trixie could only hope hers was strong enough.
She called forth her healing spell, the one she'd taught herself because hospitals charged way too much when you lacked medical insurance. Opening her eyes, she saw the threads of Fluttershy's life force, saw where the pattern was frayed. She found it odd that she found two colors of thread where every other pony she had observed contained only one, but she put it from her mind. Only the yellow-gold was frayed, so she ignored the white threads. Focusing, she used her magic to weave the threads back into their original pattern, holding it tight until the pattern was reestablished. She then gripped tightly, pouring her magic into the threads. She watched as the flesh - energized by the spell weave - slowly knitted itself back together, the wound closing and the blood withdrawing into the body.
As Trixie started to lose focus, her energy mostly spent, she felt somepony press up against her. "Borrow my power," the white unicorn said, setting her horn to glowing.
Trixie nodded, drawing on the power the other unicorn gave her. Ignoring the two colors of magic within her, she drew forth the power, knitting muscle, skin, sinew, and bone back together in the most powerful application of the spell she had ever done. As the spell finished, Trixie collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.
An aromatic cup was pushed into her snout, and she drank gratefully. Looking up, she saw a white Earth Pony with a red cross cutie mark staring at her in awe. "That was an impressive bit of healing magic," she said calmly. "I was certain she'd lose the wing, at least."
Trixie managed to get to her hooves, seeing Fluttershy standing up slowly, flapping both wings slowly. "But of course," Trixie said, although her voice lacked any volume. "Would you believe anything less of the Great and Powerful-" her statement was interrupted by a loud yawn, "-Trixie?"
The pony in the nurse's cap chuckled. "It looks like you need bedrest more than your patient right now." There was a deafening boom. "What the?"
Trixie turned to see Twilight walking back, her head bowed, tears falling from her eyes. Trixie glanced around, but she saw no sign of the tarrasque. "Where is the tarrasque?" she asked, confused.
"I sent it back to Tartarus where it came from," Twilight replied quietly. "I couldn't kill it. It was just a baby after all."
Trixie blinked. "That was a baby?"
Twilight nodded. "Full grown, it would have been fifty feet tall and 70 feet long. Fluttershy would have been pissed if I hurt a baby, even of that sort." She paused. "Fluttershy..." She looked up. "How is she, Nurse Redheart?"
"See for yourself," the nurse pony said, gesturing to where Fluttershy was settling her wings, looking none the worse for wear beyond disliking being the center of attention.
"Fluttershy!" Twilight cried in shock and joy. She rushed forward and pulled the pegasus into a hug.
"Ouch!" Fluttershy said quietly. Twilight leapt back.
"The spell is not perfect," Trixie replied groggily. "The injured area will be quite tender for several days."
Twilight stared at her. "You...you saved her?" She pulled Trixie into a tight hug. "Thank you...so much."
The other ponies she'd noticed from before also pulled her into a tight embrace, expressing gratitude. However, Trixie was beginning to lose focus, and couldn't quite keep track of what they were saying. Even with the help the white unicorn - she introduced herself as Rarity - had given her, she was beginning to feel the start of the symptoms of magical exhaustion...although her pride would not allow her to admit it.
After a time, she found herself back at the library with Twilight again. Everypony else was working to repair the damage to the town. "I don't see how I can ever thank you enough," Twilight said quietly.
Trixie blinked. "So, you and Fluttershy are...?" Trixie left the end of the question blank.
Twilight chuckled. "I can assure you that it's nothing like what you think...although we do share a special bond. However..." Twilight stood up and walked up to Trixie.
She then bowed low before her. "Know that for your actions today, you have my eternal gratitude."
Trixie blinked, shocked. She didn't know how to respond to this. "Twilight..." As she began to speak, however, her exhaustion caught up to her.
Hearing another thump following her collapse to the floor, Trixie realized she wasn't the only one to push herself too far today.
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Trixie felt herself slowly regaining consciousness with a comforting warmth filling her. She slowly blinked her eyes open...and stared into violet eyes. "Hello, my little pony," a comforting voice said.
"Hello," Trixie said groggily, yawning. Blinking, she saw a pure white body, a prismatic mane, horn, wings, and the royal sun. She gulped. "Y-your Highness!" she said in shock.
"There's no need for that," Celestia said calmly. "I'd rather not have such formality with my student's friends."
Trixie blinked, confused for a bit, then turned. Twilight looked a bit pale, but she seemed to be resting comfortably. "Is...is she alright?"
Celestia smiled. "She will be."
"How...how did she do that?"
Celestia sighed. "Twilight has more raw magical power than any unicorn I have seen in over a thousand years. However, such power comes with its own dangers. While you expended your magical reserves to the brink, leaving you almost empty...she pushed her body to its physical limits channeling her magic. The strain on her physical form nearly caused her to discorporate. I arrived in time to prevent it, thankfully."
"She used that much power?" Trixie asked in shock.
"Overcoming a tarrasque's magic resistance is no small feat, even if it was a baby. Not to mention that nearly a third of what she threw at it was reflected before it even reached the target." Celestia pulled a blanket over Twilight. "She'll be alright after a day of bed rest, much as you will be."
Trixie nodded, laying back down on the cushions she was on. "Will I be allowed to remain in Ponyville that long?"
Celestia chuckled. "Right at this moment, the ponies of Ponyville are preparing a celebration to thank you and Twilight for your heroics. I seriously doubt if you'd be allowed to leave. I'm certain you will always be welcome here, Trixie Lulamoon."
Trixie smiled. "That...that sounds nice..." As much as she struggled to remain awake, exhaustion slowly claimed her and dragged her into slumber.
The last thing she heard was a quiet chuckle, and a whispered, "Sleep well, my little pony."