//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Cutie Mark Crusader Magicians, Yay! // by DrakeyC //------------------------------// Cutie Mark Crusader Magicians, Yay! Chapter 3 Sweetie Belle reached out and pulled one of the books on the shelf in front of her closer. “Check this out. It’s a book on how young unicorns can develop their magic.” “Yippee, get it and climb down!” Scootaloo winced and strained to keep standing. Sweetie Belle looked down; Scootaloo stood on the floor of the wagon supporting Apple Bloom on her back, who in turn was supporting Sweetie Belle as she examined the books. “Heads up!” Sweetie Belle tossed the book down in front of Scootaloo, the pegasus squeaking as it hit the floor. “I just wanna check one more time.” Scootaloo groaned and glared at the two ponies on top of her. “Why couldn’t Apple Bloom be on the bottom? Earth ponies are supposed to be stronger than other ponies.” “Ah’m not that strong yet, and you’re the one always ridin’ your scooter, so you’ve got strong hooves,” Apple Bloom replied. “Now quiet down—we don’t want Trixie to know we’re goin’ through her stuff. We should be at Ponyville soon.” “Okay, I’m done.” Sweetie Belle looked at the wagon floor. “Uh, how do I get down?” Scootaloo thrust her body up, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tumbled to the floor. “That was mean!” Apple Bloom said, rubbing her flank where she had landed. “So was putting me at the bottom of the stack.” Scootaloo stuck out her tongue. Sweetie Belle climbed to her hooves and picked up the book she had brought down. “Whoa. This is old.” She opened the front cover and carefully lifted the first page. The text had begun to fade, and the page was creased and torn. The page talked about stances and concentration techniques a unicorn could use to focus their magic better, with illustrations to demonstrate. It was obviously intended for very young unicorns. “Why would Trixie keep a book like this in her wagon?” Before her friends could answer, there was a louder tinkling of glass and creaking of wood than before, and the wagon ground to a halt. Apple Bloom jumped on the bed and looked outside. “We’re home!” She ran past Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and pushed the wagon door open. She circled to the front where Trixie stood, and saw the wagon had stopped on a hill overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. “Thank you, Miss Trixie, we’re ever so—” She stopped when she realized Trixie was staring ahead. “Uh, Trixie?” “Castle?” “Huh?” Apple Bloom nudged her hoof. “What’s wrong?” “Castle.” Trixie blinked and kept staring. Apple Bloom saw what she was looking at; on the horizon on the far side of Ponyville, Twilight’s gleaming crystal castle rose into the night sky. “Oh, that.” Apple Bloom nodded. “That’s Princess Twilight’s castle. She got it when she and her friends beat Tirek.” Trixie's jaw dropped. “Twilight’s castle?” Apple Bloom frowned and turned as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle approached. “Ah think we broke her.” “Allow me.” Scootaloo cleared her throat and stepped up next to Trixie. “Hey, Trixie! Sweetie Belle was snooping through your stuff!” Trixie’s head snapped to the side. “What? You touched Trixie’s things?” Sweetie Belle shrank back and gulped. “J-just a book on magic! I left it on the table, honest!" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and walked down the hill. “Come on, girls, let’s go.” Trixie gave Sweetie Belle a dirty look and then followed, towing the wagon. As the four reached the bottom of the hill and neared the boundaries of one of Sweet Apple Acres’ orchards, an orange pony came into view, galloping towards them. “Apple Bloom!” Apple Bloom grinned and waved a hoof. “Applejack! Don’t worry, we’re—” “Don’t worry?” Applejack stopped her gallop and responded to Apple Bloom’s smile with a scowl. “Don’t you tell me not to worry, missy! Where’ve you three been all day? Rainbow Dash has been lookin’ round town all night, Twilight’s busy tryin’ to find locator spells, and don’t get me started on Rarity!” “Rarity?” Sweetie Belle ran up beside Apple Bloom. “Is she okay?” “She will be now that Ah won't have to listen to her anymore. She was tryin' to get Spike to send Celestia a letter askin' for the Royal Guard to help search. More like she should send a letter telling her that you three are…” Applejack lifted her head when she saw Trixie step up behind them. “Trixie?” Trixie stopped and gave a small sniff. “The one and only.” “What in tarnation are you doin’?” “Questioning some recent life choices I've made.” Applejack frowned but didn’t respond. Movement in the sky drew everypony’s eyes up at a strip of rainbow color streaking over them. A moment later, Rainbow Dash turned back, slowed down, and descended. “All right, you found them!” She looked at Scootaloo and grinned. Then her eyes darted to Trixie and the grin vanished. “What’s she doing here?” “We’re gonna find out. Rainbow, go tell Twilight and the gang they’re back,” Applejack said; Rainbow nodded and flew off again. “The rest of y’all follow me.” Applejack gave Trixie a dubious look, and then turned to lead the way. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle followed her. Trixie watched them, sighed, shrugged off the harness to her wagon, and tossed the navigation emerald through the window behind her. Scootaloo watched to see Trixie come with them, then looked at Apple Bloom. “So, how much trouble do you think we’re in?” “For what?” Apple Bloom replied. “For goin’ missin’ for a day, for bringin’ Trixie back to Ponyville, or for blackmailin’ her into trainin’ us?” “All of the above?” Sweetie Belle asked. The group reached the edge of the orchard. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were waiting for them. Their eyes moved from Applejack, to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, then to Trixie. “Um, I think we’ve missed something,” Fluttershy said. “We all did.” Applejack turned and looked down at Apple Bloom. “All right, y’all, let’s take it from the top. And Ah want the whole truth, ya hear?” Apple Bloom took a breath, then quickly blurted out the story. “We were shootin' Scootaloo out of a cannon to try and get our cannonball pony cutie marks, but Sweetie Belle used too much gunpowder and we shot her deep into the White Tail Woods. We got lost lookin' fer her and then we found Trixie’s wagon. We threatened to tell you she had kidnapped us if she didn’t spend the day teachin' us magic so we could get our magician cutie marks, but we weren’t any good at it, and then she brought us home because Ah dunno why.” She stopped and caught her breath. “Also, we found out what ‘blackmail’ means,” Sweetie Belle added. “For some reason it doesn’t actually involve mail.” Scootaloo slapped her forehead. Trixie rolled her eyes. “When you tell the tale like that, it sounds ridiculous.” Applejack shook her head. “Nope, this is pretty much how most of their schemes go, just with more tree sap. But that don’t change the fact that you three acted reckless and irresponsible!” “Tell me about it!” Pinkie cut in, glaring at them. “You were shooting somepony out of a cannon and didn’t even think to ask me for help? How do you think I came up with the party cannon in the first place?” “Pinkie, not the time,” Applejack said; Pinkie stepped back, pointing a hoof between the foals and her eyes. “Well, with that settled… Trixie.” Applejack reached up and took off her hat, holding it to her chest. “Thanks for bringin’ the girls home. Ah know they’re a hoof-full, and ya didn’t have to do it, but we appreciate it.” “Given the choice between thankless generosity and blackmail, Trixie is at least pragmatic.” Applejack nodded and looked at the three foals. “Girls, what do you have to say to Trixie for bringing y’all home?” The three fillies lined up and looked up at Trixie, speaking in unison. “Thank you, Trixie.” “Trixie did not do this for gratitude.” Trixie began to say something else, but something caught her eye and she turned her head. The other mares present followed suit; a white unicorn mare was rapidly galloping towards them. “Rarity!” Sweetie Belle grinned and raised a hoof. “I’m okay, I’m whoa—” Her body lit up blue, and she snapped towards Rarity, who crushed her in a tight hug and rapidly pressed kisses to her forehead. “Sweetie Belle, I swear by all four princesses, you are grounded for the rest of your natural life and are never leaving home again.” Rarity spoke between kisses and hugged her tighter. Sweetie Belle let out a faux choking noise in response. “Don’t worry, she’ll get over it. She’s been like this all day.” Spike walked up beside Rarity and patted Sweetie Belle on the head with a smirk. Rainbow Dash landed beside Rarity and approached the group. Trixie’s eyes narrowed as another familiar pony flew up behind her and landed too. “Welcome back, everypony.” Twilight Sparkle smiled at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, then turned her attention to Trixie. “Trixie, thank you very much for bringing them back. We all appreciate it.” Trixie said nothing but came closer, her eyes fixed on Twilight; Twilight shuffled in place and avoided eye contact as Trixie looked her up and down. She then leaned to the side and stared at Twilight’s wings. “So. It is true. Twilight Sparkle is now an alicorn princess. And here Trixie was hoping the last year was merely a prolonged, detailed dream.” Twilight laughed sheepishly. “Nope, not a dream. But you don’t have to call me princess if you don’t want to, Trixie.” “She doesn’t?” Spike folded his claws and raised an eyebrow. Trixie glanced at him and tossed her head. Twilight shook her head. “Of course not, Trixie’s our…” She made a face and turned to the rest of the group for help. They each held up their hooves. “Acquaintance?” “Sure, let’s go with that,” Trixie replied. “Well, Twilight Sparkle, if all is well with the three foals, Trixie will be retiring for the evening.” Trixie turned and walked towards her wagon. “Wait!” Twilight ran up beside Trixie. “That’s it?” Trixie stopped and sniffed. “Is there some other manner of business to attend to? Is Trixie not welcome to spend the night in her own wagon?” “No, not really. I just thought, perhaps…” “You thought, perhaps, but Trixie did not. She is quite tired and has had a very long day.” Trixie stepped around Twilight and approached the wagon. “Will you be here in the morning?” Twilight asked. Trixie huffed and rolled her eyes. “Does Trixie appear to be in a state to do further travelling tonight? She fully intends to sleep in, barring any unexpected visitors. Now, is there anything else, or is she free to take her leave?” “Yeah, go ahead, leave. Please,” Rainbow Dash called, glaring at her. Trixie stuck her tongue out and walked out of her view to the far end of the wagon. Twilight watched her go and then turned back to the group. “Twi, did Ah miss somethin’ with you an’ Trixie?” Applejack asked. Twilight came closer and looked down at Apple Bloom. “Why did she agree to bring you three home? Was she on her way here?” “No. She said she didn’t want to come to Ponyville if she could help it.” “Then why did she suddenly change her mind?” Scootaloo raised a hoof and looked sheepish. “I talked to her last night a bit. She was asking about why we want our cutie marks so bad, and I told her about how we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders and like trying things to get our marks.” “But why would that make her bring you home?” Twilight asked. Scootaloo shrugged. Applejack nodded to draw Twilight’s attention her way. “We’ll ask in the mornin’ before she leaves. For now, it’s a late night—let’s call it now that they’re back and get some shuteye.” “Well spoken, Applejack.” Rarity smiled at her. “I, for one, am quite ready to retire.” “Rarity?” Sweetie Belle squirmed, still in her sister’s hooves. “Can you let me go?” “Absolutely not.” Rarity took Sweetie Belle in her magic and put her on her back, keeping the aura around her stable. She turned and walked towards Ponyville, Sweetie Belle struggling to move on top of her. “Come on, Scoots, I’ll give ya a lift home.” Rainbow Dash gestured Scootaloo forward. Scootaloo jumped on Rainbow’s back and put her hooves over her neck, and the two shot into the air, leaving a rainbow trail. “We’ll be heading home too.” Fluttershy smiled at Twilight and walked towards her cottage. Pinkie Pie leaned down to Apple Bloom, her eyes narrowed. “Remember, buster—I’m watching you.” She then stood up, smiled, and trotted towards Ponyville, singing under her breath. “G’nite, Twi. Don’t you worry none. I’ll keep an eye on Trixie through the night.” “Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight watched her leave and cast one last glance at Trixie’s cart, and then she too headed home. The sun peeked over the treetops to beam down on Ponyville. A ray of sunlight fell on the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres as Twilight walked through the gate and approached the wagon on the far edge of the property. She reached it, circled to the door, and knocked three times. There was no response, and Twilight knocked again. “Go away!” At the sound of Trixie’s voice, Twilight cleared her throat. “Trixie, it’s me!” “Who is ‘me’?” “Twilight.” “Oh… go away!” “Please, I want to talk to you.” Twilight heard movement and stepped back from the door. It swung in, and Trixie looked down at her from the steps; her mane was unkempt and her eyes sagging. Twilight forced a polite smile. “Good morning.” “It was. What do you want?” “I wanted to invite you to my castle for breakfast, and to talk a little.” Trixie blinked slowly, processing Twilight’s words. “Is there coffee?” Twilight perked up. “There could be.” “Trixie takes two sugars and one cream. Give her five minutes to make herself presentable, and have a cup waiting.” Trixie gulped down the last dregs of coffee in her cup and set it down on the table. She smacked her lips and let out a murmur. “Your dragon makes good coffee.” “Late night study sessions. He has to,” Twilight replied. Trixie’s eyes flitted about the room, the crystalline walls shining purple and blue over the small table the two were sitting at. “So, one of the foals told me you got this castle after defeating Tirek.” “Yes, the Tree of Harmony granted it to me.” Twilight sighed. “To be honest, I miss my library a lot. The castle is nice, but it’s a little ostentatious.” Trixie snorted. “Only a little? As an expert on such matters, the adverb you’re thinking of is ‘very’.” Twilight coughed. “Well, there’s little I can do about it. I never asked for it, but it's here, and it’s my home now, for what it is.” “And why not? A princess deserves her own castle, doesn’t she?” Trixie eyed her coffee cup and a bit of syrupy liquid still dwelling in the bottom. “Speaking of princesses, I noticed you weren’t surprised to see me like this,” Twilight said, spreading her wings. “I imagined you would be angry, or jealous.” “Jealous?” Trixie looked up from her cup. “Jealousy demands that one desires what another has. Trixie is already the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. What value would wings hold for her?” “Right.” Twilight rolled her eyes. Before she would continue the conversation, the large doors to the kitchen pushed open. Spike wheeled a cart with two plates of pancakes and a bowl of fruit into the room. “Here we go, breakfast.” He lifted one plate and set it next to Twilight, then moved the bowl of fruit to the center of the table. “I’m gonna go get mine.” He turned and walked away. “Spike!” Twilight looked over the side of her chair. Spike stopped at the sound of her voice and looked back. “Didn’t you forget something?” Twilight nodded at the other plate of pancakes still on the cart. “Nope.” Spike shrugged and back into the kitchen. Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m sure he doesn’t mean to offend.” “Of course he does.” Trixie lifted the plate off the cart and floated it in front of her. “Please don't be angry with him, we were all up late last night looking for the girls, and Rarity was pestering him.” “I quite doubt that's the cause of it. The last time we met, one of us used an ancient amulet of untold dark powers to enslave the town.” Trixie cut her pancakes and stabbed a fork into the piece of the stack she’d cut. “Anger is hardly uncalled for when our last meeting was under such circumstances.” Twilight tilted her head, watching as Trixie calmly ate her meal. “You’re being rather reasonable about all this.” “Trixie knows to exercise proper manners and speech when meeting royalty, much less in a guest's home.” Trixie looked at the bowl of fruit and pulled it closer, lifting the spoon in it to heap a pile of cherries and mango slices on her plate. “And if Trixie were to abandon those proper manners and speak to me as I know she wants to?” Twilight asked. Trixie tossed a cherry in her mouth and bit on it, the skin popping between her teeth. She chewed, swallowed, and leaned forward. “She would question why the hay she was woken up barely after the break of dawn, after a late night towing her wagon, to dine with a princess she does not have good history with.” Twilight nodded. “Fair enough. I wanted to ask you why you brought those three home last night.” “Really?” Trixie rolled her eyes. “You brought me here to ask that? I could be sleeping in right now.” “And I wanted to make sure there’s no hard feelings between us. They said you didn’t want to come back to Ponyville, and I could hazard a guess as to why.” “As though Trixie could exercise some sort of grudge if she wished it? Even with the Alicorn Amulet, you outsmarted Trixie, loath though she is to admit it. And now, you are an alicorn, more powerful than ever, while Trixie has been humbled by her defeat.” Trixie looked up from her breakfast to hold Twilight’s gaze. “No. There are no hard feelings, Twilight. I harmed your friends and received just retribution. I simply didn't see a need to return here. I am quite aware the townsfolk aside from you don't care for me, and a travelling showmare such as myself has no purpose in a town where her act will be ill-received.” “Yet you came back to bring them home. Why?” Trixie didn’t respond right away, and the knife cutting into her pancakes stilled and dropped to the plate. There was a far-away look in her eyes. “The orange one, the pegasus.” “Scootaloo.” “Right. She told me some intriguing things about them. She said they call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” “That's right. They were mocked for having no cutie marks, and they banded together. They’ve spent a couple of years at it to no success, trying all sorts of different activities to see if one of them finally gets her mark.” Twilight smiled and shook her head. “They don’t understand what cutie marks really are, but they have fun, so we let them go at it.” Trixie nodded. “They said they had studied with you on such things.” “Yes. Apple Bloom was studying potions, Scootaloo was working with tools to put together a unicycle, and Sweetie Belle was practising her magic. They made a bit of progress, but only a bit.” Trixie lowered her eyes to her plate. “And now the lessons have ceased?” “They stalled after the des… after I got the castle. They said they wanted to let me settle in before they came asking for lessons again.” “I see.” Trixie thought for a moment, then stood up from the table. “Trixie thanks you for your hospitality, Princess Twilight. But if you do not mind, she would take her leave now and allow you to eat your breakfast.” Twilight gave a slight frown, but nodded. “All right, if that's what you want, I won't keep you. But you still haven’t explained why you brought them home.” Trixie gave a small smile. “Is the explanation not obvious?” “So what do we wanna try today?” Apple Bloom asked. On the other side of the table in the living room of Sweet Apple Acres, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo thought. “Well, we could head into the Everfree Forest to earn our herbology cutie marks,” Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo shook her head. “We tried that before.” “Oh. What about weightlifting cutie marks? I hear one of the spa ponies could help us.” Apple Bloom nodded. “That might be—” The door to the room burst open, a cloud of thick smoke billowing from it. The three turned at the noise and coughed through the cloud. “Ye three who have wandered in darkness and confusion, seeking a guide to show you the path… despair no longer!” The silhouette of a pony appeared in the smoke, walking towards them. “For the one you have awaited has arrived, and she is prepared to lead you to glory!” The three squinted as the smoke cleared; Apple Bloom recognized the blue coat and purple hat and cloak first. “Trixie?” “Indeed!” Trixie snapped her hoof to the side and flared her cape out. “Alchemy, construction, magic! These three subjects are the foundations of stage magic! Surely there is no better magician in all of Equestria to teach them to you, and so surely there is no better unicorn in all of Equestria to help you get your cutie marks than the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie thrust her hooves into the air, firework spells erupting from below her and striking the ceiling in a blaze of colors. “You mean, you’re really gonna train us?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide. Trixie smirked. “Has Trixie’s grandeur dazzled you so that her words are rendered meaningless?” Scootaloo grinned. “Then you’re gonna stay here in Ponyville?” “For a time, yes.” Sweetie Belle jumped out of her chair. “And you’re gonna train us like we asked?” “Trixie will mold you three into the second-through-fourth greatest magicians Equestria has ever known!” She thrust her hoof at the three. “To do what Twilight Sparkle could not, to outperform an alicorn princess, Trixie shall get you three your cutie marks, and together we shall take Ponyville by storm! All of Equestria shall know the truth – there truly is no unicorn, even an ex-unicorn, with more magical talent than the Great and Powerful Trrrrixiiiie!”