//------------------------------// // Trixie's Revenge // Story: Princess Trixie Sparkle // by Magpiepony //------------------------------// "There. That's the last one." Twilight Sparkle said, putting a book back on its shelf and admiring the cleanliness of her library. It had been quite the week, preparing for her next royal duty in Canterlot. She'd poured over every book she could find in her library on Canterlot etiquette and tradition, not that she even needed it. "What's next on the list, Spike?" "Let's see…" the little dragon pulled out a scroll that toppled to the ground and extended half way across the room. "Pack some scrolls and ink: check. Straighten up the library: check. Pack food and supplies for Owlicious: Check. Next we need to visit Sugarcube corner to pick up some cupcakes for Rarity's party tonight." "Excellent! We're ahead of schedule, I think we should-" Twilight was interrupted by a quick knock at the door. "I've got it." Spike chimed, racing to open it. Spike stared in shock when he saw the blue unicorn standing so calmly on their doorstep. "Who is it, Spike?" Twilight asked. "Uh…" "May I come in?" Trixie asked Twilight heard the familiar voice and walked cautiously to the door. "Trixie? What are you doing here?" Trixie looked Twilight up and down, her mouth agape. "It's true! You /are/ a princess!" she exclaimed both in shock and jealousy. "How could you do that? There's no magic spell to become a princess, if there were I would have been one long ago! My magic is certainly as powerful as yours, why is it you get all the glory, the friends, the attention…" "Is there something you wanted, Trixie?" Twilight asked impatiently. "As a matter of fact, there is. As much as I hate to say it, I need your help, Twilight." Trixie invited herself in and began to look around. "I figure since you forgave me for my last little mistake you might be willing to help me out this once, you know because that's what friends do." "Well, we're not exactly friends." Twilight said, closing the door behind Trixie. Spike crossed his arms and grumbled, "More like frenemies." "Spike why don't you go upstairs and keep packing, I'll be up shortly?" Twilight suggested. Spike didn't need to be told twice; he was eager to get away from Trixie. Trixie walked around the library, snorting in disapproval. "You're a princess and they make you stay in this old dump? I wouldn't stand for it if I were you." "This isn't a dump, Trixie, it's my home." Twilight's patience was running thin, "Why exactly to you need my help?" Trixie turned suddenly and threw herself at Twilight's feet with big watery eyes. "Oh Twilight It's terrible, just terrible! I tried a spell that I found in an old book, something only a powerful unicorn such as myself could pull off. Only it backfired, and now I can't seem to undo the damage. I know there isn't another unicorn with my kind of talent, but I figured you might come pretty close. I need you to reverse the spell right away." Twilight raised her eyebrow in confusion, "What's the spell?" she asked warily, certainly not amused. "It's a love spell. You see, I live in Canterlot now and there's a certain pony there that has taken a fancy to me. He's just an earth pony, and certainly not my type, but he simply wouldn't leave me alone. I tried to cast this spell to make him keep his distance but something went wrong and now everypony avoids me, except him! It's rather tiresome dodging a love-sick fool. I need to make everypony love me again. I was quite the important pony before that spell, and I don't want to keep my new friends from my delightful company any longer." "No, we wouldn't want that." Twilight said under her breath. "Oh please, Twilight, can't you just look it up? Be a friend and find me a counter spell, I can't bear to live this way any longer." Twilight sighed and turned to her books. "I might be able to find something." She pulled a few books from the shelf and set them on the ground. She began flipping through the pages. "Oh thank you, Twilight! I can even pay you for your troubles." Trixie pulled a strange green and black gem from under her cloak. "You know, Trixie, love spells are dangerous. No pony should be meddling in that kind of magic." "You're right, Twilight, you're always right. I should learn to use my power responsibly before somepony gets hurt. Who knows what I'm capable of?" Trixie approached Twilight with her payment. "Here, take this, as a token of my gratitude and our friendship." Twilight sighed and looked up at Trixie, but as she did she felt an incredible head rush and suddenly very ill. A soft wind whistled through the library and she had to blink a few times to compose herself. After a few seconds, Trixie turned to a bookshelf and squealed delightedly "Oh my! I think I've found the exact book I need! This is sure to solve my problem, I guess I won't need anypony else's help after all. You don't mind me borrowing it, do you?" "Huh?" Twilight said, still a little dazed. "I didn't think so. Thank you, /princess/, you really are a good friend." Trixie said, taking the book and letting herself out. After Trixie had gone, Twilight felt very confused. She became too dizzy to stand and had to lie on the floor next to her books. "What just… happened?" she muttered to herself and before she knew it she was fast asleep on the floor. *~*~*~* Twilight woke some time later with a headache. She groaned, trying to remember what had happened. "Uuuugh, Spike where are you?" She called out. She put hoof to her head trying to ease the pain when she noticed her blue hoof. Frightened and confused Twilight rushed to a mirror hoping her hunch wasn't right. Unfortunately, it was for the reflection staring back at her was Trixie. She screamed and backed away from the mirror in a panic. "Trixie! What did she do?! Oh my gosh oh my gosh… Okay Twilight, think. Ohhh I should have never let her in here in the first place. What was I thinking?" Spike came bounding downstairs at the sound of her scream. "Twilight? What's wrong?" He asked, then noticed it wasn't Twilight standing before him. "Trixie! Where's Twilight, what have you done with her?" "Spike it's me, Twilight. I need you to get a note to Celestia right away…" "Woah woah woah, wait a minute. How am I supposed to know you're /really/ Twilight?" Spike asked, crossing his arms defiantly. Twilight sighed. "You have a crush on Rarity." "Everypony already knows that!" "Okay um… You're my number one assistant?" "Is that the best you can do?" "Spike! We don't have time for this, I need to find a reversal spell!" "Okay okay how about this, when we were in the Crystal empire, what was my greatest fear?" "That I'd send you away because I didn't need you anymore. I told you then and it's still true now; that'll never happen!" Spike smiled and threw his claws around her in a hug. It did feel a little strange hugging the unicorn he loved in the body of the only unicorn he hated. "Do you think one of your books can help?" "I'm not sure, Spike I've never heard of anything like this before. Maybe Celestia will know something, can you take a note for me Spike?" "Of course!" Spike chimed, pulling out a fresh piece of parchment. "But what about Rarity's party?" "Oh my gosh, I almost forgot! We're running late, we'll have to send the letter from Rarity's. Come on, let's get those cupcakes and head over there now." "Alright by me!" *~*~*~* "BWHAHAHAHAHAHA" Rainbow Dash erupted into laughter. "You're joking, right? Looks like Trixie finally got one up on you this time, Twilight!" Twilight looked less than amused as her friends tried to soak in the news of her recent run-in with Trixie and the magical mess she'd made. "But how do we know you're really the REAL Twilight? Ooo I know! What's my name?" Pinkie pie asked. "Pinkie, even Trixie knows your name…" Twilight asked "That's right! Pinkie Pie!" "Now wait just a dog-gone minute, are you saying you're stuck like this?" Applejack asked. "Only until I can find a counter spell, so far I haven't found anything remotely useful. It would help if I knew what she did, it happened so fast!" Twilight answered. "When is Fluttershy's birthday?!" Pinkie asked through narrow eyes. "Pinkie, you would have to ask her something only Twilight would know." Applejack said. "Oooooooh. What was your very first visit to the zoo like?" "Uh…. Good?" Twilight Pinkie pie shrugs. "Beats me, only you would know that Twilight!" "So somewhere out there Trixie is… you?" Fluttershy added. "I think so, UGH I have no idea where she went or what she's doing to me!" "And we can't get a letter to the Princess because she's already left Canterlot and none of my scrolls are going through!" Spike chimed worriedly "Oh how dreadful! I can't imagine being stuck inside there… and with this awful costume too." Rarity sympathized. "At the very least can we find you a better ensemble?" "Oh Rarity, I'm so sorry I had to ruin your party, I know how hard you had to work to get this fashion line done. I was so excited when you found out Hoity Toity wants you to come to a fashion show in Canterlot." "Think nothing of it, darling. It's far more important that we get your situation resolved first." "I'VE GOT IT!" Pinkie pie interrupts with a shout, the others look at her in confusion. "What if it Trixie is a wanted outlaw and she has to try to run away without being seen so she BORROWS your body so that she can buy a ticket for the train to Phillydelphia so that she can go see the Barn-and-Barley circus and then she JOINS that circus and spends the rest of her days as a RODEO CLOWN because she can never go back!?" "A rodeo clown?" Rainbow dash asked sarcastically "It could happen." Pinkie pie shrugged. "I have to be in Canterlot tomorrow! The princess is expecting me and Princess Luna to take over for her while she's gone for a few days. I can't go like this!" "What can we do to help, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked "No one messes with our friend and gets away with it!" Rainbow Dash added. "Oh thank you girls, I think maybe we should start back at the library; there might be something in one of my books that can tell us something. I didn't have a chance to look yet." Twilight said. "We'll get this all sorted out lickety split, you'll see." Applejack said. *~*~*~* "Alright, Maybe Lickety split was a tiny bit of an exaggeration." Apple said, adding another book to her pile of rejects. "There's got to be a faster way of doing this." "No…" Twilight said, looking quickly through the pages of one book. She set it aside and looked through the next one. "No no no! There isn't anything usable in these diaries!" "I'm not having any luck either." Fluttershy said sadly. Rarity groaned impatiently, "There isn't anything about this kind of spell anywhere. This is completely hopeless." "There's got to be /something/! Spells don't just appear out of thin air, and I don't think Trixie could pull this off on her own." Rainbow Dash countered. "She did mention something about a love spell she'd tried in Canterlot, but I don't think anything that she told me was true." Twilight said. "Oooo what's this?" Pinkie Pie asked, holding up a unique black and green gem. "It's super extra sparkly!" "Oh my, that's just lovely!" Rarity said, trotting over to Pinkie Pie to investigate. "That would go perfectly with my new line!" As Rarity and Pinkie admired the gem, they were suddenly overcome with a headache and a soft wind whistled around them. Twilight recognized the sound and turned to see Pinkie and Rarity massaging their heads in confusion. "Mmm that looks delicious." Spike said, drooling at the sight of such a prize. As Spike was saying that, another wind whistled and Spike cried out covering his eyes. From across the room, Rainbow Dash was furiously shaking her head with her eyes squeezed shut. "What's going on here, what's a matter with you ponies?" Applejack asked. Twilight started putting the pieces together; she knew somehow that gem was the key to Trixie's spell. "Applejack, Fluttershy don't!" Twilight shouted, but she was too late. Using her magic, Twilight ripped the gem away from her friends and hid it behind a pile of discarded books. "What in the hay just happened?" Applejack said from Fluttershy's body. Rarity started shrieking from across the room as she looked at Pinkie Pie. "Hey!" Pinkie pie said, coming from Rarity's body. "How can I be over there? I'm over here!" As the other ponies began to realize what had happened they all began to panic. "Twilight! What do we do?" Spike asked from Rainbow Dash's body "…Spike?" She asked in astonishment "I'm… I'm Rainbow Dash! This is so weird I'm… really tall." "Hey! I'm not really appreciating the view myself!" Rainbow Dash said in the corner, trying to figure out how Spike could stand to walk around on two legs. "I've never even heard of magic like this before!" Twilight said sadly. "Don't you think that silly little rock had something to do with all this?" Applejack wondered, speaking from Fluttershy's body. "Don't be ridiculous." Rarity interjected, "Gems aren't magical." "Well obviously this one is!" Rainbow Dash countered "Oh, oh my… this is very very frightening!" Fluttershy said from Applejack's body. "Why don't we all take a gander at the gem again, two at a time, and see if we can switch back?" Applejack said "It's worth a try!" Twilight said, "Fluttershy and Applejack should look, everypony else look away." "Oh, um, okay" Fluttershy said, and Applejack just nodded. Twilight used her magic to lift the gem from behind the books and it floated a few feet from the ground. "Did it work?" Rainbow Dash asked, still turned away. "No." Fluttershy said sadly. "Nothing." Applejack added. Twilight moaned in frustration. "Rarity? Pinkie Pie?" Pinkie Pie turned around quickly and picked up the gem, inspecting it. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both shouted to her to stop so that they could turn away first but nothing happened. "Nope nope nope." Pinkie chimed. Twilight turned around, everypony was watching her, hoping for some sort of solution. "If this won't turn us back, what will?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oh this is just terrible! TERRIBLE!" Rarity cried, "I'm due in Canterlot TOMORROW to present my new line to Hoity Toity!" "And I've got the rodeo comin' up." Applejack said. "I have to go to the individual qualifying rounds for the Equestria games in cloudsdale!" Rainbow Dash said. All of the ponies began talking over each other, becoming more upset by the minute. Rarity started to cry, Pinkie Pie was all over the place in panic, and Fluttershy receded into a corner and looked down at her orange hooves, spike tried to figure out how to walk as a pony, and Rainbow Dash was running around on all fours. "Calm Down Everypony!" Applejack called out. "Applejack's right, we can't fix anything when we're arguing." Twilight added. "Um, since this isn't in any of the books maybe…" Fluttershy started. "Well this isn't in any books so I don't think sticking around here will do us any good." Rainbow Dash said, tossing the last book on the shelf over her shoulder. "Maybe we could go see someone who might know something…" Fluttershy added. "I have an idea!" Applejack said. "Zecora might know something about this here magic!" The ponies all nodded and agreed. "Well, right now it's the only thing we can try." Twilight said carefully wrapping the gem in one of her scarves. "I don't want anypony else getting hurt by this thing." The ponies left the library with dim hope as Spike muttered under his breath "I still think it'd taste good." *~*~*~*~* "This spell is quite complex, I'm afraid it leaves me perplexed. There is no mention of such a thing my book, but you are welcome to take a second look." Zecora said, finding it difficult to move around in her little hut with six ponies and a baby dragon. "Oh great, NOW what?" Rainbow said in frustration. Twilight was pacing, trying to clear her head and think. It was difficult to do when her friends were nearby. They were worried and disappointed that Zecora couldn't help them. Twilight knew all of this was her fault. She should have searched the library before she left. At least she could have put the harmful gem away before it had cast its spell on her friends. "Twilight? Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, noting the tears welling up in Twilight's eyes. She threw her hooves around her in a hug. "It's not your fault Twilight." She said. "But it IS my fault. It's my fault for trusting Trixie, my fault for forgetting about that gem. And it's my fault that you are stuck like this." Twilight said, some of her tears streaming down her cheeks. "Aw sugarcube, nopony blames you for this mess, do we girls?" Applejack said. The other ponies shook their heads. "Isn't there anything we can do Zecora? I don't want to admit it but it seems like the Canterlot archives are our only hope. I'll go there first thing tomorrow morning," she said turning to her friends, "I'll send word if I find anything." "Woah, wait a minute, you're not going there alone!" Rainbow Dash said. "You all have places to be and duties to perform, I can't ask you to uproot your lives to go on a wild goose chase that might lead us nowhere." Twilight answered. "I'm sure my appointment in Canterlot won't take too long. Pinkie and I can join you by midafternoon." Rarity offered. "Yeah! I mean, Rarity is SURE to win Hoity Toity over with her amazing fantastical splendorific new designs. He'll be so impressed he'll offer her a fashion show in an instant!" Pinkie Pie said, finding it a little difficult to bounce around the room in Rarity's body. "You're stuck with us whether you like it or not." Applejack said with a wink. "But what about your plans? Applejack's rodeo and Rainbow Dash's appointment in Cloudsdale? Not to mention Fluttershy's little critters." "Well I don't have any big plans, Twilight. Besides, you know better than to think you can go without me!" Spike said. He threw his hooves around her in a hug, wobbling on his back legs. "Although my help might be small, I would rather do something than nothing at all. I am sure any task I can fulfill, while you are out of ponyville." Zecora offered. "Do you think you could look after the animals while I am gone?" Fluttershy asked quietly. "It would be my honor my dear friend, until such a time that your nightmare will end." Zecora said with a smile. "And while you are all gone I reassure; that I will not stop searching for a cure." "Zecora we are so grateful for your help. I promise I will send you updates if we find anything." Twilight said. The ponies filed out of Zecora's one by one, but before Twilight could leave she pulled her aside. "One moment dear Twilight before you go, there is something I feel that you should know. Princess Twilight there is much you have learned here, but always remember to keep your friends near. Your friendships are strong I can see, I bet that they are the key. Do not be too quick to judge, and don't weight your heart with a grudge." Zecora advised. "Don't hold a grudge? Zecora, Trixie has my body. I don't think there's any chance I can forgive her this time." Twilight replied angrily. She composed herself and thanked her again before leaving with her friends. Tomorrow was going to be tricky, but she knew what she wanted to try first. While the others were sorting out their business she would go see Princess Luna. Surely Luna could see through this spell and help them on their quest to find answers. At the very least Luna could help her find Trixie and get to the bottom of this.