//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: Trixie's Rod of Wonder // by Emerald Harp //------------------------------// “What do you think is going on out there, Trixie?” Lyra asked the other mare nervously. “Trixie has no idea, but she wishes they would let us watch,” the magician replied irritably. Lyra nodded. The waiting was torture. After the first round of the tournament, the majority of the contestants had been eliminated. The fact that Trixie had succeeded so spectacularly was not lost on the mint-colored mare. So, after a few minutes of trepidation, Lyra struck up a passing conversation with the bloviating mare. To Lyra’s surprise, Trixie was not at all like she had expected. The show pony was actually pretty nice once Lyra spent a little time talking with her. Sure Trixie was a braggart and more than a little snobbish, but underneath that was a kind mare. Trixie had listened to Lyra’s fears about the competition and had even admitted some doubts of her own magical ability. Lyra thought it was nice to know there was some other pony in the competition who she could talk to. All the other unicorns participating were too focused on winning to chat. Their musing about what was happening was interrupted by a well-groomed, blonde-maned unicorn who spoke in a condescending voice. “Silly fillies, I wouldn’t worry about what’s going on in the arena.” Before speaking again, Prince Blue Blood ran a hoof through his mane and continued, oblivious to the hateful stares from the two mares. “We shall all eventually be called two by two to compete against each other. It’s probably going to be something as mundane as, oh, incapacitating one’s competition. Something like that. If I were you, which thank Celestia I’m not, I wouldn’t concern myself with what the others are doing. Yours truly shall crush all beneath his well-manicured hoof.” Not caring for the ritzy pony’s tone, Trixie asked, “Would his highness care to make a small wager?” The Prince blinked, “What do you mean, peasant?” “The Great and Powerful Trixie challenges you to the next duel. If I win, you become my servant.” A hushed murmur issued from the other unicorns who were witnessing the challenge, curious on how Blue Blood would react. “Trixie,” Lyra said quietly beside her new acquaintance, “Think about what you’re doing.” Blue Blood’s face contorted in annoyance at this upstart pony who dared challenge him. She was hardly worth his time. However, he did not want to look weak in front of his subjects either. “Very well, if I win, you become my new court jester,” the Prince declared mischievously. “Patches is getting rather old; I could use another fool.” Both ponies shook hooves and walked away from each other. The other unicorns in the lounge moaned and grumbled at the injustice of their situation. Two of the most despised ponies in Equestria were going to have at each other, and they didn’t even get to watch. The magician grinned evilly as she turned to her new acquaintance. “Hee, hee. Trixie has always wanted a royal servant.” Lyra shook her head. “Trixie, since you’ve given me some advice about this competition, let me give you some about common sense. Don’t go looking for trouble. That’s what got you thrown out of town the last two times.” The show pony scoffed. “The little prince was out of line. Somepony had to put him in his place. It might as well be me.” The minutes crawled by, but at last the doors opened and in stepped Mayor Mare with a checklist. She read from the list, “Lyra, and C . . .” “NO!” A stallion yelled over the shocked mare. “I beg your pardon!” The mayor said indignantly. Prince Blue Blood pushed his way to the front of the crowd of unicorns. “Yes, you may, and I shall grant it to you this time, but not again.” The mayor bowed deeply to the Prince. “My deepest apologies, my Prince. How may I serve you?” He smiled at the earth pony’s discomfort. “I have been issued a challenge by one of these ragamuffins. I demand that I and my opponent go next.” Biting her hoof nervously, she replied, “My Prince, I—I don’t know if . . .” “What’s the problem, peasant? Surely you would not prefer that we take this matter up with my aunt, do you, about how you denied the Prince’s request? Oh, I would hate to be you if it came to that.” The mayor stiffened. “No. Of course you and your opponent can compete now.” Before the Prince could say anything further, Trixie, rod in hoof was already walking through the door. “It’s about time. I was afraid we were all going to run out of oxygen from his blathering.” Blue Blood’s nostrils flared as the howls of laughter washed over him from the other unicorns. “You’ll pay for that, peasant,” he muttered as he walked after the magician. Mayor Mare bolted after the two opponents down the long hall that led to the arena. Before either of them could exit, the Mayor said quickly, “Begging your pardon, your majesty and Trixie, but if you two could wait here for just a moment, I will announce the change in plans to the judges.” The Prince frowned at the Mayor’s request, but nodded. “Be quick about it.” “Yes, the Prince is in a hurry to serve Trixie. Make haste, Mayor.” The Mayor tried to stop a smile from breaking on her face but was unsuccessful as she stifled a laugh. Blue Blood’s eyes narrowed at the grey-maned pony. She quickly sobered and left at a gallop. Never taking his eyes off the retreating city official, he said crossly, “You think you’re so clever, don’t you, daring to talk to me in such a way? Well, I shall teach you proper respect young filly. Mark my words.” The magician smiled back wickedly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie doubts if she can learn anything from a yellow mane with a pony attached to it.” Blue Blood’s face turned from pasty white to scarlet. “How dare you? That’s it. You shall receive no mercy from me.” Trixie’s smile broadened. She knew that an angry opponent was more likely to make mistakes. Finally, the doors to the arena opened, and the duelists heard the mayor’s voice through the battleground’s sound system. “Presenting, his highness, Prince Blue Blood.” A smattering of applause could be heard throughout the audience. Trixie noted that a good portion of it was coming from Princess Celestia who was sitting in the judge’s booth. Princess Twilight and Princess Luna were seated next to her. They were whispering to each other and looking at Prince Blue Blood. Luna must have said something particularly funny because Twilight could not stop laughing after she said it. Celestia shot Twilight a disapproving look that instantly made her sober So that’s where Blue Blood gets his trademark glare, Trixie thought. A healthy dose of fear clouded the magician’s heart at that moment. She realized that if she harmed the Prince with her random magic spewing device . . . Trixie was so busy dwelling on this possibility that she almost didn’t hear her name being called out by the Mayor. No applause greeted her, save from two tiny unicorns who were seated in the front row. “Go get em, Trixie!” yelled Snipps. “You’re the greatest!” Snails echoed. The two continued to cheer despite the many hostile glares they were accumulating. Trixie absently waved back at the pair, her mind spinning at the possibilities of what could go wrong. The Mayor’s voice snapped the worried magician to attention. “The rules are simple, contestants. The first pony who steps outside the white circle loses. On Princesses Celestia’s word, the match shall commence.” Princess Celestia stood. In a voice that was as smooth as silk yet loud as thunder she said, “Begin.” Showing no mercy to his unprepared opponent, Blue Blood struck first. Far faster than Trixie expected, the stallion lashed out with his purple magic and struck the sky-blue unicorn in the face. The show-pony went flying backwards, but fell just short of going out of bounds of the circle. Slowly, Trixie sat up and saw three Blue Bloods smiling at her. In a moment of panic she thought the Prince had copied himself somehow. After a few headshakes, two of the stallions disappeared. Still grasping the rod in her hooves, she flicked it at the Prince. Blindingly bright colors erupted from her horn. Blue Blood screamed as he covered his eyes with his hooves, “Augh! What have you done to my gorgeous eyes?” Trixie didn’t answer as she watched the now fading lights dizzily. She didn’t wonder how come she was not blinded by those same lights, for she was thinking about something else. She looked at the rod and said to herself, “So this is what this thing does. It is a rod of blinding.” It didn’t matter that it had performed other feats of magic before this one. For some reason, it was now clear to the magician what this rod was made for. As Trixie struggled to her hooves, she heard something. From the audience, she heard actual cheering. Ritzy, upper class ponies were standing on all fours, stamping their hooves in delight at seeing the obnoxious Prince finally put in his place. There were still plenty of native Ponyville citizens who booed and hissed, but being the showpony that she was, Trixie just smiled and waved back. A gust of wind at that time blew the magician’s pointed hat off of her head. Frowning in irritation, she bent down to pick it up. As she did so, a purple bolt of magic flew over where her head was moments ago. The magic attack bounced harmlessly off the golden barrier Princess Celestia had erected around the spectators. Whirling around, Trixie saw a furious Blue Blood. The Prince’s eyes were bloodshot and teary as he glared at the show-pony. He threw all caution to the wind and charged. Panicking, Trixie fumbled and dropped the rod. Knowing it was her only hope of surviving this round much less winning it, she dove to the ground. She could feel the earth shaking as Blue Blood galloped closer and closer. Finally, Trixie got hold of the rod. At the very last second as the furious Prince was about to trample over her, she closed her eyes and pointed the rod at her opponent. After several moments, Trixie slowly realized that she was still alive. She cautiously peeked out from beneath her cape. She half expected to see Blue Blood writhing on the ground again, eyes ruined by her rod of blinding, but to her surprise, she saw a portal instead. This portal was not unlike the one that she had opened to that dark place where she had sent Maud. However, instead of teleporting the Prince to a creepy place full of creepy things, she saw the stallion charging down the middle of what looked like a city hall. Frightened ponies dove out of the way of the white unicorn’s path, and at the last moment before Blue Blood hit a brick wall at full gallop, he looked back at Trixie, who just grinned at him. As the portal closed and disappeared, the show pony’s sigh of relief turned into gut-wrenching terror. Celestia towered above Trixie. Trixie instinctively backed away from the Princess, then bowed deeply before her. Bracing for the punishment she knew would come, she waited for Celestia to act. “Where did you send him?” Trixie blinked and rose to look at the Princess. Near tears she stammered, “I—I think, I sent him to App—Appleoosa your highness. The banner above that brick wall he ran into had those words on it. Please, please don’t banish me.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she frowned at the magician. A muffled laugh escaped the Princess’s lips, followed soon after by another. Trying to cover up her laughs with a fake cough, she asked, “And why would I do that? You have bought me at least a few hours of peace and quiet from my nephew.” Trixie gaped at the Princess in shock. “So, I’m not banished?” “Banished?” Celestia asked. She then leaned in close and whispered to the magician, “I should give you a medal and a key to my castle.” Celestia motioned to the metal stick clutched between Trixie’s hooves. “That’s quite an interesting rod. May I examine it?” Trixie’s heart froze in her chest at the Princess’s request, but there was only one answer she could give. “Of course, your Highness.” The pony’s grip loosened as she felt Celestia’s warm aura around the rod. Celestia turned the rod end over end, curiously investigating the device like one examines a sword for defects and balance. To Trixie, it felt like an eternity before the Princess finally gave the rod back to her. “I must say, Trixie, you have come a long way with your magic since the last time I saw you.” The show pony smiled back nervously. “Y—you know what they say. Practice makes perfect.” Celestia nodded. “Indeed. Tell me, how much practicing have you done?” The magician swallowed. “Oh, whenever I get time. It’s pretty hard to practice when you work on a rock farm.” At this, the Princess raised an eyebrow but did not reply. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the alicorn finally said, “I’ll catch you later.” Trixie’s eyes widened at this, but before she could say anything, Celestia had teleported back to the judges’ booth. In her royal Canterlot voice, the Sun Princess boomed, “My subjects, I give you the victor of this glorious match.” Several ponies cheered, more than ever before for the magician. However, to Trixie the adulations seemed miles and miles away as she thought. Did Celstia know? Did the Princess know that she had cheated? This, and many questions like it, plagued the unicorn as she hesitantly waved back at the crowd.