//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Ego // Story: The Trixie Treatment. // by DerpyDitzyDerpyDo //------------------------------// "Close your eyes and take a deep breath. You need to try and relax. Open your mind." The three of them were seated in an expertly chalked circle. Any number of arcane and eldritch symbols had been scrawled around the circle's edge in various colours. Spike had helped clear a space in the middle of the library floor for the "hocus pocus", as AJ had called it, while they were setting up. The ivory wand was hovering in front of Twilight, the emerald pendant wrapped around it, the two bound together with a length of black silk string. Trixie had already squeezed her eyes shut. She looked like a filly who had broken a vase and was waiting for her parents to come home and scold her. Applejack inhaled as deeply as she could and held it for a full ten count. Now remember what Twilight told ya. Gotta be kind, open and honest. Kind, open and honest. You didn't invite Trixie to live with ya cos you wanted to put the moves on her. You did it 'cos ya wanted to be friends. Gotta remember that. Find the remnant of the amulet and destroy it. And this is the inside of Trixie's head so don't you go invading her private thoughts or nothing. She doesn't feel the same way 'bout you as you do 'bout her. You know that. And if you go looking yer only gonna be disappointed. Gotta jus' be kind, open and honest. Dang, if this isn't taking a long time. Ah hope Twilight ain't bitten off more than she can chew with this whole mind spell thingamabob. "Twilight? Is it working?" Applejack opened her eyes just to peek. Then she opened them all the way. In all honesty she could barely tell the difference. It was pitch black. The library had vanished and in its place was a soft, almost tangible darkness. Suddenly a blinding light cut through the darkness like a knife. Neon lights sparked to life and lit up an old fashioned wooden stage, covered by dusty red curtains. AJ stared around in wonder. She was seated in an empty theatre on torn leather seats. The front row aisle stretched to her left and right, every seat unoccupied. The shear enormity of the theatre only served to emphasize how crushingly empty it was. Applejack did not have long to stare around. Creaking old ropes leapt to life suddenly and the curtain was drawn aside. Standing on the stage, dressed in her magician's finery with her chest puffed out and her head tossed disdainfully to the side, was Trixie. Suspended above her was an enormous sign that said "EGO", a single word written in flashing red and yellow neon light bulbs. "Behold!" she cried haughtily, "The Great and Powerful Trixie! A magician so amazing that nopony dares even come to her shows! The most powerful unicorn in ALL Equestria!" What in the world... "Uh... Trixie?" asked Applejack, still feeling extremely confused. "SILENCE!" shrieked Trixie at the top of her lungs, "You dare! You dare interrupt the Great and Powerful Trixie? You impudent, miserable worm of a creature! Despair your arrogance!" "Now hold on there. Somethin' ain't right here," Applejack slowly rose out of her seat, "Trixe, where are we?" "You did it again!" Trixe looked livid. Her face was contorted with an unspeakable fury, barely held in check. When she finally managed to regain enough control of herself to speak, her voice was dripping with venom, "Oh, I see. You've come here to insult me then. Just like all the others. Fine! But we'll see who's a laughing stock when I'm through with you. You disgusting little maggot." Applejack felt herself bristle with anger. This was the Trixie she'd expected to find in that caravan late at night during the storm. An arrogant, confrontational monster. A liar. A coward who made herself feel better belittling others. This wasn't her Trixie. "Get up on the stage then. If you think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie! Show me whatever talent you have and Trixie guarantees that she will match it. Exceed it! With no effort whatsoever! Trixie is the best at everything. That's why they all left! That's why they don't come to her shows. They're all jealous!" she hadn't even finished her fresh line of attack by the time Applejack scrambled onto the stage. "Trixie Ah know you ain't like this. You jus' get this way when yer feeling insecure and frightened." "Oh, so you think you're better then Trixie? You pity her. Prove it then! Come on, earth pony! What's your so called 'talent' supposed to be anyway? Apples? Do you juggle them or are you simply on the same intellectual level as them?" Trixie was in her face. A leering wicked grin playing across her lips. "Get me a length of rope then and we'll have ourselves a showdown. If you think jus' cos you beat me once you can do it again then you're wrong. Ah ain't no one horse pony. Ah've got some new tricks that'll tie you in knots before you can say... before you can..." Applejack felt her competitive nature get suddenly overcome by something else entirely. This was wrong. This was all wrong. What happened to 'Kind, open and honest'? What do you really think you can accomplish by competing with her again. If she beats you then you'll be stuck here. Twilight'll have to pull you out somehow and Trixie will have another night of terrors in store for her. And if you beat her? You know what she's had to endure. How much more does she need to get kicked while she's trying to get back on her hooves? How many more times does she need to be humiliated? Is that really gonna make her change her ways? This is a lose-lose situation. Ah gotta think harder. We talked for hours yesterday and the day before. Was Ah jus' oggling her behind the whole time or did Ah learn somethin' about her? Think Applejack. Think. The answer came to her suddenly. "Trixie... Ah think you're swell." A stunned silence fell over the two. The sneer on Trixie's face slowly vanished. That's it... that's it! A big bragging aggressive mask isn't the sign of somepony who has an overinflated ego. It's the sign of a pony whose ego's been crushed again and again. Trixie tells herself she's great and powerful 'cos nopony else will. But what if... "Ah watched you doin' some magic to impress mah sister yesterday and I thought it was really great. You always tell the best stories too. Ah can really see you puttin' yer heart into it and it's jus' amazing," Applejack smiled warmly. Trixie stared blankly back at her. Suddenly the magician started to frantically splutter, "You're lying! You don't really think that! You're just building Trixie up so you can knock her down!" "Yesterday Ah was telling Rarity how beautiful Ah think you are. Everything you do has this practiced elegance to it. Ah can't believe Ah was worried you'd have difficulty making a good impression on mah friends. Of course you blew them away. You're so damn charming!" Trixie's face was tomato red. AJ could almost see steam billowing out the top of her wizard hat. Her lips were moving but no words seemed to be coming out. Applejack heard a rustle from the audience. She glanced out and was stunned. The empty theatre was filling up. Even through the glare of the stage lights she could hear the crowd murmuring as they found their seats. "You're wonderful. Darn talented too! Ah dunno how Ah got through mah days without you. Heck, even sharing you with mah friends made me so jealous Ah thought Ah might explode." Applejack could feel the audience's anticipation. The hum of the crowd was rising. She knew what they wanted to hear. What Trixie needed to hear. Kind, open and honest. Honest. Honest. "Ah love you, Trixie." The crowd erupted in the deafening tumult of a hundred hooves applauding. Cheers were raised. Flowers were tossed. Raining down on the two of them. Trixie looked back at her with tears in her eyes. She said something but Applejack couldnt hear it over the thunder of the audience. Then suddenly she was plunged into darkness once more. Darkness and deafening silence.