Trixie waited and watched as first Sunset and then Twilight got their assignments and well wishes from Princess Celestia. The happiness she felt from being able to spend the last couple of hours with Shining Armor, taking him around Canterlot looking for his sister first at the library, the science lab, for a cup of tea at a nearby cafe, then a walk through a park side by side, was slowly fading away, but would never be forgotten.
Now a different sort of excitement and anxiety grew at the prospect of being sent to a foreign land instead of yet another dusty old building at the Academy. The monasteries in Fawntaine were world renowned for possessing books with beautiful calligraphy adorning their pages. Seeing the hieroglyphs of the pyramids outside Nadira could be worth the trip, as well. Having a pint or two in Flankfurt on the way to Shanghay to see Ibex logograms written out before her eyes would be perfect. Then again even if those were exciting prospects, somewhere a little closer to home would be preferred. While Manehattan was the bigger metropolis, there was nowhere better to find expert street magic than in Fillydelphia. Maybe take time in Las Pegasus to study with the great headliners and amazing performers like Sapphire Shores or even a great illusionist like Shiny Chariot. The possibilities were endless!
“Princess, where am I going for my studies?” Trixie asked, unable to help her tail wagging to and fro.
Celestia smiled as she was wont to do and said, "Rather than having you seek tutelage like Sunset and Twilight, what I have in mind for you will be a simple test, Trixie. All you have to do is get back to Canterlot.”
Trixie's ears flattened to that. "What?"
A royal guard appeared from behind and unceremoniously dropped a heavy saddlebag onto Trixie’s haunches. After the initial surprise she adjusted her footing to accommodate the load. “There are enough rations in this saddlebag for a month. You will also be provided a number of supplies to help you through most anything you may come across, Celestia continued. “Remember your lessons, and stay alert. Most importantly, be safe, Trixie,” Celestia said, walking behind the pony and ushering her toward the center of the room by the supplies which comprised of the unicorn's trunk and a few wooden crates.
“When did you even…?” Trixie wondered in amazement at the sight.
“I’m quite excited to see how much you develop from this experience.” Celestia’s horn glowed brightly and Trixie found herself enveloped in the warmth of her teacher's magic.
“Seriously, wh-?” Before Trixie could say anything else the palace grounds disappeared in a flash. In its place the cool smell of a forest and shade offered by tall tree branches filled the pony’s senses. For a full minute Trixie looked around, only able to see thick brush and trees where she stood. Nothing seemed familiar, though it wasn’t like she was even remotely any good at land navigation in the first place. Foliage crunched under her hooves as the soft mossy earth muffled the sound of her increasingly frantic steps.
She fought to take control of her anxious breathing as the alarm bells in her mind rang less and less in the unfamiliar setting she found herself in.
Of course, she still had one thing left to say:
“...WHAT?!”