A thick, gray veil covered all around him.
Hoofsteps echoed as Spike slowly pushed his stubby legs forward. The unicorn colt's breath came in short, frightened gulps as he struggled to keep running. His head snapped back and forth, his eyes searching frantically for... anything. Any landmark, any other ponies, anything other than the impenetrable mist.
Nothing. Only the shimmering green of his horn reflecting off the fog.
Spike's hooves slowed as he struggled to catch his breath. He couldn't even think of how long he'd been running without getting anywhere. A quiet whimper escaped his muzzle as he turned in place.
Laughter answered him.
Spike gasped, spinning faster, trying to find the source of the sound. The laughter seemed to carry from all around, though. Echoing from every direction in the fog around him. The stinging, mocking laugh of a filly that seemed to only grow louder and louder...
With a startled cry, the colt felt his legs tangle. His constant spinning finally took its toll on his sense of balance, pitching him to the ground. He grunted in pain as he struck, the air rushing from his lungs at the impact.
Almost as though waiting for that sort of signal, the fog vanished in a swirl of unfelt wind.
The sun was bright again, suddenly. Spike could see swings and other playground equipment. It was all sitting just beyond the group of fillies and colts, all of whom were laughing as he tried to push himself back to his hooves. He groaned as his legs tangled, unable to lift him as the world continued to tilt beneath him. His green eyes darted, trying to find something to focus on other than the rolling sea of color before him.
A point of pale-blue stood out, if only for the dazzling cape with glittery stars that she wore. It was clear the filly wearing the cape had a high opinion of herself, given the extra sparkle in her carefully groomed coat. A twisted smirk adorned her muzzle as the last traces of smoke faded from around her horn.
Spike blinked rapidly, trying to push away the memories. A task made more difficult as his eyes kept gravitating back toward the stage and its occupant. Despite his best efforts, the stallion couldn't help the comparison running through his head.
The same blue coat and white mane. The same star-patterned cape and matching wizard hat. The same smug smirk on her face as she drank in the attention of the crowd. Suddenly the familiarity of the letter he'd received made sense. And all of it sent one question screaming through his mind.
What is she doing here?
Chapter 3
"Spike?"
Something flickered past the stallion's face, jumping between him and the blue mare. Spike shook his head, his eyes struggling to focus on the gray blur as it continued to bob up and down before him.
With a gasp, he quickly took a step back. Just in time to avoid Ditzy's hoof smacking him over the nose. A pair of yellow eyes quickly moved into his vision, followed by the rest of the mailmare's face as a relieved smile filled it.
"Oh good, you're okay!" Ditzy exclaimed, her voice raised to be heard over the crowd still around them. "You kinda looked like you had a tummy-ache for a second."
Spike couldn't answer. A breath forced itself down his throat as he leaned to the side to look past the pegasus pony. The blue performer still seemed more interested in enjoying the welcoming cheers from her audience, even as they died down. The reporter's body tensed as he saw her eyes dart down. Her smile grew slightly as their gaze lighted on him for the briefest of moments.
"Dizty—" Spike started to ask.
"Thank you, Ponyville!" A sudden burst of the mare's voice suddenly caused Spike's ears to flatten in pain. "The Amazing Sparkler is so glad to see so many of you could make it today!"
A bit more perfunctory applause rose up as Spike quickly turned away from the stage. His quill and notepad lay somewhere near his hooves, his spell on them forgotten. A fact that paled in priority to the gray pony stamping her hooves on the ground next to him.
"Ditzy!" Spike snapped, almost startling himself with how loud his voice sounded.
The mare jumped in shock, her wings holding her aloft for an instant as she twisted to look at Spike. The reporter's breath was coming much faster, a buzz of questions in his head drowning out the sound of the world around him.
"That's Sparkler?" he managed to sputter out. "The pony you handed the fliers out for?"
"Um... yeah?" Ditzy answered, her voice worried as she slowly lowered to the ground.
"Spike?" Cheerilee's voice cut in. "Is everything alright?"
The purple stallion spun to face the teacher. For a brief second, the tumult of words spinning through his mind quieted. Cheerilee's mouth was drawn in a tight line, her eyes shining with concern and her brow furrowed.
"That's—" he started to answer, his voice quieter.
KRACK-BOOM!
Another firework exploded overhead. Spike's jaw snapped shut so hard at the noise it was a marvel he didn't bite his tongue.
"So then!" 'Sparkler' called out, the remains of the colorful burst falling around her. "Who's ready to witness the power of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?"
A low growl rumbled in the stallion's throat as he glared toward the stage. Underneath the sound of the crowd's resuming cheers, Spike could just barely hear laughter. The same sort that still echoed in the swirls of gray mist he was struggling not to think of. Heat rushed through his face as his teeth ground in time with the speeding beat of his heart. His green eyes narrowing into laser-tight focus on the mare at the center of everypony's attention.
"Spike?" Cheerilee's voice somehow broke in over the other sounds. "Do you... do you know that pony?"
"Glad to hear it!" The mare called out before Spike could even consider answering. "And for her first amazing feat of magic, Sparkler shall require a volunteer from the audience!"
Spike's head pounded at the volume of the voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a few eager hooves rising into the air. His own began to stomp forward, his migraine and sore ears begging for the blue mare to be quiet. To speak up and silence her before the laughter in his mind could catch up with the present.
"Spike?"
The voice was so soft Spike paused to wonder how he'd heard it in the first place. His growl and his legs stopped as he realized just how close to his ear it had sounded. Almost as though the one speaking were sitting right on his back.
"Um... maybe..." the voice of his nearly-forgotten passenger continued. "Maybe we should just go home?"
Spike's head snapped around, his jaw flying open to protest.
His voice, and the tormenting laughter he'd been replaying, faded as he laid eyes on Twilight.
Spike could swear the little dragon's scales were a shade paler than normal. Not that she seemed to notice that, nor the clawmarks she was leaving on her camera. Her gaze was flickering, jumping between the stage and Spike.
Somewhere up on the stage, the showmare was hemming and hawing loudly as a few excited voice joined the hooves in the crowd. From either side he could see Ditzy Doo and Cheerilee emerge, stepping alongside him. Both of them giving the trembling bundle of scales he carried a concerned look, Ditzy even running a wing gently over her back.
He could feel the boiling anger quiet even as the background sound of the magic show continued. Fading as Twilight slipped lower on his back, almost as though she were trying to shrink into him. The whirlwind of thoughts whipping through his brain slowly becoming more organized—
"How about, you sir!"
Something tingled at the top of his head, drawing those thoughts toward it. Spike's eyes turned up just in time to see a pink aura shimmer around his hat. He gasped as it suddenly leapt from his skull, soaring away on an unfelt breeze.
"Hey!" Spike protested, twisting forward again to follow the fleeing headgear.
His jaw tightened again as his searching eyes quickly found the stolen fedora. It hovered in place, still gripped in pink magic. Right next to it was the smirking, blue face of the unicorn on stage.
"So what do you say?" she asked, her voice finally dropping to a normal volume. "Come join Sparkler up on stage!"
Or do you need a written invitation?!
Behind her smile, Trixie bit down on her tongue to keep the thought from slipping out. Both to preserve the enthusiastic facade and what was left of her throat. She could still feel her vocal chords straining to hold together after so much magically amplified work.
A feeling that was worth it as Spike's glare returned, narrowing right on her. She could almost see the steam puff from his nostrils as she set the hat floating in a lazy orbit around her.
Come on, come on...
Her heart jumped in excitement as the stallion started forward.
"Spike, wait!" the purple mare (Cheerilee, Trixie now remembered from the article) protested. "What about Twilight?"
Inwardly, the blue mare cursed as the teacher put a hoof in his path. Spike came to a halt, some chatter rising from the audience behind him. Trixie could barely resist biting her lip as her target looked to his passenger once again. Her mind raced, her eyes searching for something to get his attention. Something other than the little dragon that cringed as Trixie laid eyes on her...
"What's wrong? Your friends seem a little worried," Trixie said, watching as Twilight's tail twisted in her claws. "It's not like you're going to embarrass yourself!"
The corners of Trixie's mouth curled up a bit higher as Spike's ears twitched at those words. The chatter from the audience was starting to grow louder, noise that she simply pushed aside as she focused on the stallion.
"I mean, you're only going to be onstage with the most amazingly powerful magician in all of Equestria..." she finished, casually batting at the fedora as it started another lap around her.
"Spike... Spike... Spike..."
Trixie's hoof missed its target as her gaze and the (apparently very recognizable) hat both jerked back toward the audience, the fedora almost slipping from her grip. The chatter was fading, all of it joining into one word that the crowd was chanting in unison. She bit down on her tongue, her eye twitching slightly as she contemplated the benefits of another barrage of fireworks...
She pushed the thought back, forcing her attention back to Spike. The reporter was taking deep breaths, his head lowered. Trixie could see Twilight tugging at his mane, pointing back toward the streets of Ponyville and trying to say something over the noise of the crowd.
The showmare's head rang with a victory cry as Spike's horn lit, surrounding Twilight in a green aura. The little dragon gasped, reaching for the stallion as she was levitated from his back and onto Cheerilee's. The crowd's chanting ceased, replaced by thunderous applause as Spike clambered up onto the stage.
Trixie tried her best not to grit her teeth. Despite the adoration being louder than anything her show had received.
They'll be changing their tune soon...
"Well, sounds like we have quite a celebrity," Trixie announced, barely avoiding biting off the last word. "Now where have I heard that name before..."
She could see green magic flare from Spike as he drew level with her. Her own horn tingled as the aura began to mix with her spell around the hat. With a mischievous smirk, she paced stage left, one hoof to her chin in mock-contemplation.
"Spike, Spike..." she mused, hearing a frustrated snort as the fedora followed her away from its owner's grasp. "Nooo... it couldn't be!"
The green had just started to appear around the hat again as she spun back toward Spike. Fortunately a bright, fake smile already lit up her features, blending nicely into a real one as she saw the confusion on the stallion's face.
"Spike Flail? The pony that defeated Nightmare Moon?" she said, making sure her voice had a higher lilt for her 'amazement'. "The Element of Magic?"
Her teeth clamped on the inside of her cheek as she felt laughter build up inside. Spike was staring at her, his mouth half open at her words, his magic already cut off again. Trixie could almost see smoke pouring from his ears. She could hear his brain boiling, trying to figure out how serious her words were as she began to circle around him.
"Yeah," he finally answered, head swiveling to follow the mare. "Yeah, that's me."
"Hmm, funny. Sparkler expected somepony more... impressive," Trixie commented, barely keeping a chuckle from slipping out. "You don't look like much of a magician."
Trixie could hear a few gasps and mutters from the crowd. Murmurs that she happily ignored as she admired how quickly Spike shifted back to his baleful glare.
"What's th—" the stallion bit his words back, clenching his jaw as he shook his head. "Look, I just want my hat back."
"This ratty old thing?" Trixie asked, floating the headgear in question a bit higher. "Ha! I bet you couldn't even pull a rabbit out of it."
With a casual flick of her head, the fedora spun away. She smiled as a new spell wrapped around it just as it came to a halt over Spike's head. A small, invisible hole beginning to open in the air within the hat, reaching to connect to another in her chest of props backstage.
"A pity with all the bait you keep inside," she said, willing the spell to completion.
A spark of pink lit inside just as Spike's magic grabbed hold. Immediately, a barrage of carrots tumbled from the hat. Trixie savored the shock painted on the stallion's face the split-second before the vegetables struck.
"Ow! OW!" Spike shouted as the barrage bounced off his head. "Ow, ow, ow!"
A bit of laughter carried through the plaza as a small pile of carrots gathered at Spike's hooves. Trixie could feel her ribs crack as she barely restrained her own laugh to a fit of giggles hidden behind her hoof. Spike rubbed at his head, his magic jamming the hat back into place as he glared at the mare.
"Why you—" he snarled, starting toward the mare.
Trixie just maintained her smirk, her horn sparking to life again. The green, leafy tops of the carrots squirmed, swiftly tangling around Spike's hooves. He gasped as his hoof failed to lift, his body pitching forward onto the hard wood stage. Trixie's cheeks bulged with barely restrained laughter as he smacked face-first to the ground.
"Wow, quite the hero," she choked out between snickers.
Spike growled, his own magic working to disentangle the plants. Her body shook as the last bits of self-control faded. Laughter began to pour out, far overshadowing any of the polite chuckles coming from the audience.
"Wha-what's wrong? Can't take a joke?" she asked, pacing closer as spoke around her merriment. "Al-although, Sparkler didn't think the E-Element of Magic would fall for that one..."
"Would you—" Spike grunted, scrambling to get back to his hooves.
"I-I mean..." Trixie's voice broke for another barrage of giggles. "It's such a simple—"
That was the furthest she got before a nimbus of green swirled around Spike. The hostile carrots were quickly flung away as he sprang back to his hooves. Trixie stumbled back, her laughter ending immediately as barely ducked a few of the root vegetables.
"Would you cut it out, Trixie!?"
Trixie blinked in shock at the volume of Spike's voice. The reporter stood before her, panting from the brief outburst, his heavy breathing filling the silence. Breathing, accompanied by slowly rising mutters of confusion spreading through the rest of the ponies gathered.
Okay... this works too.
It was sooner than she'd planned, but she could hear her name whispering among the crowd. Spreading like a cloud of embers, waiting for a spark. Trixie could almost hear the chanting rising. She smiled as she stepped forward, barely constraining her anticipation for the moment.
"Well, well, Spike," Trixie said, patting the stallion on the cheek. "Here I was afraid you didn't remember me!"
She could feel the stallion grimace just before he pulled back. Not that Trixie particularly cared as she spun away in turn. Befuddled whispers still coursed through the audience, ponies shuffling to get a better view of what was transpiring.
"Then again, I guess it's hard to forget an old classmate," Trixie continued, making sure to glance back to Spike as she projected her voice toward the crowd. "Especially when she's Princess Celestia's personal student!"
The collective gasp carried through the audience like a strong breeze. The tide of murmuring voices was rising again, but staying at the edge of quiet. Ready to hush just as soon as Trixie spoke again. Even the unexpected addition in the front row pushed Trixie's smile wider and wider. The sight of Twilight slowly nodding to Spike's other companions. Ditzy Doo's eyes widening in slowly dawning comprehension as Cheerilee's hoof moved to her mouth in shock.
The sound of Spike's hooves stomping up behind her—
"That's right, citizens of Ponyville!" Trixie shouted, her horn flaring.
A gust of wind accompanied the dramatic sweep of her hooves as she reared onto her hind legs. A startled cry sounded as she heard the satisfying smack of her cape striking Spike in the face.
"'The Amazing Sparkler' is, in fact, Trixie Lullamoon!" she went on, willing her magic up toward the firework launchers. "Prodigy of magic, hoof picked by Princess Celestia—"
"And a big, cheating bully!"
Spike's mouth snapped shut as he rubbed at his sore eye, burning anger suddenly freezing in his chest. Despite his eye still watering and stinging, his hoof dropped away so it could widen in surprise. That hadn't been his voice that interrupted Trixie. If anypony were more surprised by that than him it would...
Well, it would have to be the cape-wearing mare before him. The one whose wide eyes were probing out into the plaza as trailing, pink sparks fizzled from around her horn.
"Wha-ho-wh-" Trixie stammered, her hooves slamming back to the stage. "What was that?!"
"Booo!" the voice called out again. "Booooo!"
Curiosity fully piqued, Spike cautiously stepped around Trixie (making sure to stay well clear of the cape this time.) He almost wanted to cringe upon seeing the owner of the voice. Only the shock of who it was kept him staring at her with the rest of the audience.
"Rainbow Dash?" he muttered, eyebrow raising at the sight of a blue pegasus.
For a brief second, Spike feared the rainbow-maned mare was glaring daggers at him. He could almost hear accusations of treason, of working for Nightmare Moon, and the intense glare of those pink eyes drilling through him. A glance away from them found the true target, however: The unresponsive Trixie to his side.
He almost wanted to give the mare credit. Her gaping-mouth stare at least looking closer to talking than anything he'd managed in the same position.
"Yeah, you heard me!" Rainbow Dash carried on, her hooves waving in the air for attention. "Not such a show-off now, are-Hey!"
"Pot callin' the kettle much, Rainbow?" scolded the accented voice of an orange mare beneath the pegasus.
The crowd parted a bit, giving the two mares more space as the earth pony tugged again on Rainbow Dash's tail. The weather manager struggled for a second, almost knocking her attacker's Stetson off before being yanked to the ground with a grumpy look on her face.
"Now just what's gotten into ya?" the farmmare asked, straightening her hat.
"Uh, hello? You heard the same stories I did, right AJ?" Ranbow Dash asked, gesturing toward the stage for emphasis. "The ones about a former student of the princess? One that knew Spike?"
The stallion in question could see Trixie recoil slightly at the pegasus pony's question. The silence that had fallen over the crowd only lasted a second longer before a sharp gasp broke through it.
"Oh, of course! Trixie!" spoke a white unicorn near the other two mares. "Wait, you mean... that's the dreadful little filly that used to pick on poor Spike?"
Spike blinked and rubbed at his eyes before looking into the crowd again. Somewhere inside, a part of him screamed upon realizing his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. That the mare that had just spoken had an unmistakably rich, purple mane done in an exquisite curl. That Rarity, of all ponies, had seen him made an utter fool of in front of the entire town.
"Huh, lookin' to me like she ain't changed much since then," Applejack spoke up, her eyes narrowing.
"Well, she certainly has some nerve," Rarity said with a curt nod. "Coming here just to bully Spike again!"
Spike's internal scream slowly quieted, his ears twitching as more chattering began to sweep through the crowd. Murmurs of agreement joining with the three mares that had spoken up. More than a few glares joining Applejack's, directing themselves to the showmare beside him.
"Wha... wait..." Trixie stammered under her breath, taking a nervous step back. "They... they already know about me?"
Spike glanced from Trixie to the audience, one eyebrow raising at the question. Something about it nagged at the back of his mind, pushing something toward the surface. An image of him breaking down in front of five other ponies, tearfully recalling his school days...
"Hey, wait," Spike realized, shaking his head in disbelief and looking to the crowd. "I... I only told my friends about Trixie. How did—"
"Well..." a voice answered from above with a girlish giggle. "Uh... you never said it was a secret..."
Spike looked up just in time to falter a few steps back. Ditzy landed on the stage where he'd been, a sheepish grin on her muzzle. One of her eyes drifted to the side, almost looking apologetic as it stuck on Trixie.
"I'm sorry, Spike! So many ponies wanted to know what happened in the Everfree Forest," Ditzy spoke quickly, her cheeks flushing. "I didn't think you'd mind..."
Glancing past the mailmare, Spike could see the crowd. Most of whom were still glaring at Trixie. None of whom, seemed to find her earlier show funny anymore.
"I... heh, I guess I don't," Spike admitted, his mouth curling into a smile. "Thanks, Ditzy."
The pain from the barrage of carrots and his stinging eye felt like they were draining out of him. Both were slowly replaced with a warm glow as he watched the crowd begin to break up. Ponies shaking their heads and wandering off, back toward the stalls and businesses. Only Cheerilee bothered to move closer, Twilight still clinging to her back as she climbed onto the stage and to Spike's side.
"Wait! I-Alright, Trixie isn't Celestia's student anymore!" Trixie shouted to the departing ponies. "But she was still... Nightmare Moon was..."
The mare's hoof was raised, trying to draw some attention as more and more ponies left. The warm feeling was swelling in Spike's chest as she did. A satisfying sensation of victory as the crowd continued to ignore her, scattering among the plaza.
"Spike wasn't... He... and I..." the boastful mare fell silent, eyes as wide as her flapping jaw.
"Sooo... was that your whole plan?" Spike asked.
Trixie's head snapped back to him, her mouth shutting immediately. He could almost see the desperation in her eyes, mostly clouded by the frustrated glare she was giving him.
"No!" she shouted immediately, biting her lip as her eyes darted away.
"Spike, maybe we should leave her alone," Cheerilee encouraged, her hoof tapping the reporter's shoulder.
He smirked at the suggestion, turning away as a few chuckles slipped out. Cheerilee and Ditzy were already starting toward the edge of the stage as his legs began to follow.
"Sorry, yeah," he said as more laughter leaked from his muzzle. "I just... I just can't believe she thought that'd work!"
He couldn't contain the bark of laughter that burst out. His hooves felt light as he trotted along, almost as though the sensation of victory were lifting him to the sky. His mind tried to focus on walking as one hoof moved to cover his mouth, more laughter leaking out.
In the next instant it was forced back to the ground. Something tugged sharply upwards on his saddlebags, twin auras of pink glowing around them. Spike gasped, barely managing to keep his balance as the bags burst open, sending clouds of quills, ink vials, and notepads floating into the air overhead. He spun around, eyes growing wide as he stared into Trixie's purple-eyed gaze.
"Why you... you!" She hissed, her horn flaring. "Spiiike!"
He swallowed hard, a sudden lump of fear rising to his throat. Right before a storm of his own writing implements descended upon him.