//------------------------------//
// Lessons in Etiquette (Part One of Two) 
// Story: Tricks, cloaks and wands: The Lost Tales of a Traveling Magician 
// by divinearcadia 
//------------------------------//


To get this out of the way, I have no control over the characters of and related to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This is a piece of literary fiction, the events of this story are not intended to reflect the actions or incriminate anypony.

Chapter Twelve: Lessons in Etiquette (Part One of Two)


It's the morning after Trixie dealt with the small band of pony traffickers and she feels the slow smolder of pride in her chest. After an early lunch with Whetstone, where she tells him about her time there and the end of it all, she goes to speak with Flickering about the fight afterwords. Just like with her sparring lessons with him, the scuffle remains sharp in her mind, certain parts slowing down to show just how something happened so that she can make it a part of her own experiences. She finds her way into his office by two thirty to find him going over some paperwork which he sets down with a raised eyebrow.
“I see you survived.” He says casually.
“Isn't that all we can do?” She replies in the same tone, causing a smirk to tug at his lips.
“So how did everything go? Did you properly check the environment like I taught you?”
“Of course I did. I even managed to take the sole unicorn out before he lit his horn.” She says with a huff, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. “Sent him straight through his chair with a forward tumble kick with both legs.”
“Smart.” He says with mild approval in his voice. “Any real trouble?”
“Nope. Had a runner, but I got him before he made it halfway to the door.” She replies with a half smile.
“Those cowards always annoy me.” He says with a slight twitch of his ears. “So everything went off without a hitch?”
“Of course. I just know now how little actual experience I have under my belt and I want to get it remedied.” She says with a self depreciating smile. “I know you're more than capable of ending me in a number of ways without even thinking of it and you know the same of me, but there are more ponies in the world than just the two of us. They might do what we wouldn't expect, though we train for anything they may do.”
“Sagely said, Trixie.” He responds. “That is the core lesson you should take to heart when you face the unknown. It may be your saving grace or it may be your death.”
“Speaking of which, I was working with a small contingent of the Night Guards and I was wondering if I could get involved with the next inter-guard competition. I think it would be as much fun as my training sessions with you.” She says with a sly smile.
“I don't have any complaints, but I would recommend using all of your guile against Terra Asunder. Landslide still holds a grudge against me and since you're a personal student, he may get a little overzealous in his pursuit of you.” He says grimly. “You might not survive.”
“Then teach me what you can by then.” She says unyielding. “I know when to attack, when to keep my distance and when to turn the tables. Teach me all you can, Flickering Shadow.”
His predatory smile says it all and Trixie shivers in excitement, with a healthy dose of dread.


“Etiquette?” Trixie says a little disbelieving. It's around five when she gets back to the castle, due to some impromptu sparring with Flickering, so she decides to join Rime Ice for supper. They were sitting in her office sharing some potent wine while her orders for food were on their way to the kitchens when the subject of her next lessons comes up. “I know this wine's a little strong, but are you serious?”
“Of course I am, Trixie.” Rime Ice replies with a decidedly evil smile. “Even though it has been several months you've been here, do you even know the full capacities of a Royal protege?”
“But what does that have to do with this and what I do?” She responds defensively. I've never seen Twilight act like some royal snit. She thinks to herself. Rime Ice just shakes her head as she looks down a little.
“It has everything and more to do with what you're going to be doing.” She says pointing squarely at Trixies chest. “One of the most important aspects of being in your position is your public obscurity. You're a student, personally mentored by one of the most powerful beings in the world. Ponies will see you as a unique variable. A pony that they could give or take depending on how you meld with their society. Look at Twilight, she barely attended any social gatherings and was a given. A triviality. Somepony who wouldn't change the nature of their game. You're somepony new and the nobility will wish to see how you tread the waters of upper class society. You must be the taken. You must be the sensational pony they must have at their events. You will hear gossip, but you must be accepted by the nobility for being able to match not only wit, but to excel in their world. But this is only a part of it.
“You're also an international diplomat as befitting your stature. It was Celestia's wish for her students to be able to grow in the way they wanted to most of all as well as in the way she knew they needed to. That's why she enacted this particular law to enable one of her students to travel the world freely and establish favorable relations with the other nations in the world. We would still be at war with the Gryphon Empire if it wasn't for his outstanding work.” Rime Ice finally finishes her explanation, her words softly settling in Trixies mind.
“I can see how this would work in my favor if I have to travel abroad, but still... etiquette?” She asks with a decidedly distasteful expression.
“Treat it as one of your old performances but with higher stakes.” Rime Ices says with an expressive motion of her wine glass. “I know there might be some aspects you'll enjoy. Like the language of the fan.”
“Language of the fan?” She asks slightly curiously.
“Yes, though Luna will tell you it was the worst mistake she ever made.” Rime says snickering. “The story goes that during a delegation between two nations, before her banishment, she had a fan and was using it to scratch an itch along her lower throat and that with her expression, the dignitary stopped his covert insults directed at the other. Turns out he thought that Luna was threatening him with an assassination because of her look and the motion of the fan. She'll just tell you her neck piece was chafing and was trying to get at a bothersome itch. The ponies wife caught the interchange and asked Luna if she was willing to teach her how to use her fan like that and it hasn't left Equestria since.”
They both get a good laugh out of the story with their lunch arriving soon after. They talk over all manner of subjects as the meal progresses. Not wanting to make her departure prematurely, Trixie eats slowly and enjoys the unique conversation of her companion. When she finally leaves, a constant smile and shaking of her head show just how ridiculous some of the conversations ended. So with a bracing smile, she makes her way back to her rooms for a while before she has to visit with her Mistress in a few hours.


The hours pass by quickly enough for her, but still can't help to be overwhelmed by the seeming insignificance of some of the upcoming lessons. I can compress time and warp gravity. Couldn't I just have a crash course in a week and we could call it good? She thinks slightly irritated that it's been rated so high for her to learn. Surely she shouldn't have to go through the entirety of the regimen. Right?
“You are wrong, my disciple.” Luna says simply after she voices her thoughts that night.
“But...” She begins lamely.
“That is not a sufficient argument nor the proper beginning for a response.” Luna says cutting her off. “Many of the upper classes are taught this from the beginnings of their lives. If ye wish to make a fool of thyself, please, tell me so and it will happen.” At Trixies sufficiently chastened expression, Luna nods and continues. “If thou wishes to be thought of as a student,capable in all facets of thine studies, somepony who can be where she wishes without a second thought, then this will be essential. Lingering just long enough in breaking off a conversation can often create the illusion that one has never left which will allow you to mingle and reassert thine self at leisure in their circle. The language of the fan can both impress and distract others from what is truly happening. Hearing what is said as well as what is not will be essential when interacting with them. Often you will be going into a dinner or ball knowing little to nothing about the ponies there. You will learn body language, reading everything about them whether they wish to tell you or not. These lessons will not be pleasant, nor should they. These will teach you finesse in the world thou must live in on occasions, it will teach thee the rules of the game they play.”
“Game?” Trixie asks curiously.
“Yes, game. There is no true name for this game, but the stakes are no less severe than if thou were to move prematurely or too lately in a sparring match, though the consequences may be far more deadly. They treat everypony in their lives as pieces on a board to be used, maneuvered and even sacrificed in the name of it. Thou must be both the player and the piece, but the player in the shadow most of all. It will be far more complex than any game of chess thou hast played to date, so any advantage to be had is a boon.”
“When do I start?” Trixie says with a sudden smile. 
“Tomorrow night. Venerable Service will be thine first instructor, as she knows both sides of the playing table.” Luna says with a devious smile. “Nopony can truly believe the power of what they believe to be a simple servant. She has maneuvered the heads of houses into solid alliances with whispers of rumors heard from behind closed doors. She has also destroyed carefully laid plans, and the ponies who laid them, which could have easily destroyed the peace of Equestria. This is who thine instructor will be.”
“I shall have make a personal promise to never get on her bad side...” Trixie says cowed by this enlightening information while Luna chuckles warmly. She knew Venerable comes from a noble house, but for her to be such a devious and masterful manipulator? She realizes that it's not that much of a stretch of the imagination.
“Come now, lets talk of other things while I teach thee some finesse in magic.” Luna says with a smile. “Thine concealment is flawless, though there will be times when a shadow casting under the guise of another spell can accomplish the task better and with less suspicion. That is what is so wonderful about synergistic magics.”
With that, they move to the low set table and settle in for a long lesson in shadow casting. By the time Trixie leaves five hours later, she is covered in cold sweat and walks on shaky legs. Shadow casting... is not what I thought it would be. She thinks tiredly. What Luna calls shadow casting consists of spell combinations in a magic school and permutations of those through synergy. She had often done simple shadow casting in past performances without realizing it, but Luna worked her incredibly hard. Two hundred and thirty nine shadow castings without a break, while maintaining a steady conversation between her sharp orders of which spells to cast. 
Once her own magic reserves began to wane severely enough to cause her to see splotches of white and hearing a faint ringing in her ears, Luna gives her an amethyst mana well. With this, she can draw upon it to refill her own reserves as well as use it in her castings. This happened twice more throughout her lesson, Luna admonishing her to use more finesse in her casting. To change the matrices to accomplish the same thing with less mana, to show her the intrinsic ingenuity that made her the mare she is today. She thought she didn't disappoint her at least, though Luna did show her a few new matrices on occasion when her own tries had no success.
She may know almost as many spells as Twilight now, but she lacks the massive well of power Twilight naturally possesses. So she would make due with what she has and her own cunning would make her all the more dangerous. She found this out when Luna asked her to experiment a couple times. She was using a simple breeze spell, creating a stir in the air when she decided to shadow cast a vortex spell at the same time. She thought that the combination would simply cancel out each other, but she was wrong. The direction of the breeze as well as the force stretched the vortex out of its normal shape, so she dropped the breeze spell only to have a sliver thin vortex flash across the room faster than she could react. It wasn't very strong, only making a couple papers flutter on the desk. Looking to Luna, she thought she might have been in the wrong to combine those two spells, but Luna's expression told her that she was on to something and that she was pleased. So she would practice it in her spare time at the training grounds.
“I wonder what other unforeseen or forgotten combinations there are...” Trixie muses to herself tiredly. “We only went through one school tonight. I have a lot of work to do before the next inter-guard tournament.”
With that, Trixie trudges upstairs and barely has time to pull her blankets over before she finds herself plunging mentally to that wonderful void in her own mind for some much needed rest.


The next morning is painfully bright for Trixie as the fatigue of last night combined with puffy eyes makes her roll around ineffectually. As she gets out of her bed, she goes to ring the chime with her magic but stops immediately as a sharp pain lances through her head. Over tapped in my training last night. She thinks with a grimace. Looks like I won't be doing any spell casting for the next couple days. With magic out of the question, she simply walks over to ring it and makes her way downstairs. She's sitting at her table with a foreleg slung over her eyes when Venerable Service walks in.
“Mistress Luna said you may be over tapped today and she was right.” She says with a soothing pat to Trixies shoulder. “I have a mana well for you as well as some rice wine to take the edge off with your breakfast.”
“Drinking this early?” Trixie says with a raised eyebrow.
“You've never heard about mages keeping strong spirits with them in case they need to speed up their recovery?” She says curiously. “It's commonly known that Starswirl was constantly drinking and when he sobered up, it was only to put the finishing touches on another ground breaking spell.”
“Really?” Trixie says sitting up, shocked curiosity plainly on her face. Venerable Service giggles at her sudden liveliness.
“It's not in the historical records or anything like that, but one hears things when around those who lived them.” She says with a smile. “So I hear that tonight you begin your etiquette training under me.”
“I never knew you were such a master in high society, Venerable.” Trixie says as the conversation turns towards tonight. “I knew you're a noble, but I had no idea that you were so gifted in this 'game' that they play. I must thank you for teaching me as well.”
“Oh, yes.” Venerable says, her face changing imperceptibly. She still smiles and her posture gives nothing away, but Trixie knows what she sees. An apex predator in its perfect environment. “The game is most fun if you know how to play it properly. I hope to see you on the board soon Trixie, it gets so boring with those predictable ponies who think they're so clever.”
“I look forward to being under your tutelage, my friend.” Trixie says repressing a shudder. “Please, teach me all you know and know I won't disappoint.”
“I planned to at Mistress Luna's behest, but it will not be easy.” She says with a slight smile. “I believe I can begin to reveal my true aptitude with you in chess now that you will be learning from me.”
“If you think I would give up because it wasn't easy, would I still be here?” Trixie responds succinctly. “If nothing else, a challenge will only drive me to excel.”
“I would expect nothing else from what I've seen.” Venerable says, her predatory look dimming slightly to something more closely resembling her regular self. How long has that look been there? Trixie thinks to herself as her companion turns to move their breakfast to the table. It always was there... I just never looked for it in her before. Trixie shudders once before Venerable turns back with the last plate and settles in across from her. Trixie keeps the conversation away from her lessons, hoping to relax a bit before her morning regimen with Flickering.


Flickering Shadows stands by the building with the training equipment as Trixie circles a particularly burly earth pony recruit who towers over her by a good margin. She feels the moment upon her, like a blade catching a thread to cleave through a piece of fabric with no resistance. She closes the gap in the blink of an eye, her forehoof flashing out with a savage strength to paralyze the stallions right foreleg while her other hoof hits his elbow forcing his unresponsive leg to fold under him. With him staring blankly at the lightning quick blows, she aligns herself perfectly to deliver a devastating crescent blow from his left, which causes him to take the blow without the opportunity to roll with it. The entire time, his face never changes from the moment her first blow struck true. It would be almost comical to Trixie if she didn't know the stallion could shatter her ribcage with a well timed kick of his hind leg.
The stallion falls listlessly and without any noise aside from a small gasp. Taking a few steps away to distance herself from the downed stallion, she turns to Flickering Shadow and raises an eyebrow in question. He raises one in turn and looks to the stallion on the ground. Trixie turns to see the stallion getting to his hooves drunkenly, obviously concussed. She shakes her head at the sight of him wanting to continue but readies herself anyways. He shakes his head a few more times before he looks to her with wary respect. He nods and assumes his own stance like before but more solidly planted. They take a few steps around one another like before, Trixie noticing the way his right foreleg is moving as though it's numb, only setting itself properly due to such good muscle memory.
She waits patiently, feeling out that moment again. She loves the electric jolt that courses through her system as she slips through the intervening space to see what will happen. The consistent promise of inconsistency, of action and counter action. He makes no obvious move to close the distance, yet he suddenly looms over Trixie from three paces away. She lets it wash over her without it touching her. She wait for him to make his move and it happens like a rock slide. A gentle tipping of his balance, a low sweeping step and suddenly he's only a pace away from her with a shoulder on an impact course. That is if she were striking instead of countering his power.
She slides around him like water, less than half a hoof between them as she sweeps a hind leg under him to kick out the hoof about to bear his weight. He falls like a train car that jumped the tracks. In a blur of twisting motion, Trixie has his hind legs crossed and in a painful hold. His pained gasp tells her that if she were to apply just a little more pressure, she could easily pull his groin muscle severely instead of simply overextending it. She looks to the stallion who is wide eyed in pain and fear, waiting for his submission. He gives it the second she moves his leg a hair more. After releasing him and helping him get up, Trixie and her sparring partner walk over to Flickering.
“Nice form today, Trixie. A three move down is hard against a built stallion.” He says nodding slightly. “However, your partner is only the top of the new recruits, not a fully fledged member of Terra Asunder. Only a year and a half of martial and physical training are under his belt.”
“I know.” Trixie says subdued. “If he took blows to the head stronger than my crescent blow, he could deal with the slight concussion.”
“Much stronger.” He replies in a deep voice. “Though I've never had somepony paralyze my leg with a pin point blow like that before. I wouldn't want to meet you in some dark alley.” He says chuckling slightly, his throat constricting and eyes widening a little at their flat stares.
“Neither did those kidnappers, but that was two days ago.” Flickering says with a smile and a casual wave of his hoof that unsettles the larger stallion. “But that's not here nor there. Good job today, recruit. I won't be calling on you again.”
“Sir.” He says smartly before he walks off with an odd gait.
“Tomorrow is when I'll introduce the Strata guards top recruit.” He says after the other stallion goes around the corner. “You should get back up to the castle soon. I hear you're about to learn etiquette.” He finishes with a smirk.
“Yeah...” Trixie responds with a strong shiver. “Etiquette...”