Cutie Mark Crusader Magicians, Yay!
Chapter 6
The morning sun shining over Sweet Apple Acres moved higher to mark midday. In the orchard below, the three foals had been awake and at work beneath the shade of their treehouse since daybreak, their new teacher ready with new lessons.
“No, no. I told you, you have to relax.” Trixie frowned and reached out a hoof to adjust Sweetie Belle’s posture, pushing her hooves apart and tilting her neck up. “It’s like a wave, from your hind hooves to your horn. Did you practice those breathing exercises I told you about last night?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Uh, a few minutes?”
Trixie glared. “Are you taking this seriously?”
“Yes…”
“Good. Because this is going to take time, dedication. You three have spent a few years trying to earn your cutie marks, what are a few hours?” She stood next to Sweetie Belle and assumed an identical posture as her. “Remember. Breathe in—” Trixie inhaled deeply “—and then out. And as you do, push your body down, forward, and up. Then on the inhale, draw back and repeat it. The breathing and the physical movement will help consolidate your energy and make it easier to draw on your magic.”
Sweetie Belle followed Trixie’s example. She took a deep breath and as she let it out she leaned forward and raised her head. She stopped. “I don’t feel any power coming out.”
“Give it a few more tries, you’ll start to feel it flow. When it does…” Trixie nodded her head at a ruby laying on a crate in front of Sweetie Belle. “Begin spellcharging that gemstone. However, don’t force it. Whatever magic comes from the exercise, let it go. You shouldn’t even need to focus on doing it, the exercise will draw forth your magic on its own. It won’t generate much, just a wisp. But it will train your body to use its magic better, so you can do so consciously later. Understand?”
“I think so.”
“Good.” Trixie patted Sweetie Belle on the head. “Keep going on your own.”
Trixie moved to the other side of the tree. Scootaloo was laying various construction tools across a workbench, a wagon of wood, and aluminum sheets beside her. A rolled-up strip of parchment lay next to the bench. She glanced up at Trixie’s approach. “‘Sup, boss! What’s the work today?”
“Trixie presumes you have cut the wood and aluminum into the ordered measurements?”
Scootaloo grinned. “Of course, piece o’ cake! I helped build the set for our first talent show performance together, after all.”
From the other side of the treehouse, a high-pitched voice yelled, “Scootaloo, the set fell apart and we all got splinters!”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. Scootaloo’s grin didn’t falter as she called back, “Shut up, Sweetie Belle!”
“Trixie trusts a wooden box will be easier for you than a stage backdrop?” Trixie said, keeping her eyebrow raised.
Scootaloo’s grin faded. “Really? I’m building a box?”
“A transporter box. Two, actually. They come in pairs.” Trixie lifted the parchment in front of her and unrolled it. “Here are the measurements. Keep within them as the magic field is delicate and the construction must be precise. Use the wood for the frames and then plate the outsides with the aluminum. Once the other ingredients are procured, we can use the silver and the sapphires as the anchors for the spell.”
Scootaloo scratched her head. “Yeah, that magic stuff doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Pegasus and all.”
“Of course it doesn’t. Pegasi rarely study magical theory. Fortunately, you have Trixie and her profound wealth of knowledge to call upon. She’ll handle the actual magic, you just construct the base prop according to her blueprints.”
“No problem.” Scootaloo began to examine the blueprints closer.
Trixie moved to the stairs of her wagon. Apple Bloom was there reading over an alchemy textbook. A large cardboard box was next to the stairs, its flaps closed. She kept reading as Trixie stopped in front of her. “And Ah thought math variables were confusing. Everythin’ mixes with everythin’ else here! How are you supposed to know what to mix without blowing yourself up?”
Trixie scoffed. “Trixie assures you, there isn’t a magician alive who hasn’t had a potion blow up in their face once or twice. Occupational hazard.” Apple Bloom lifted her head and scrunched up her face, giving Trixie a knowing look. Trixie sniffed. “Four times. And the third was hardly Trixie’s fault; her supplier gave her mislabelled ingredients.”
“Uh-huh. Am Ah gonna be blowin’ mahself up with what we’re doing?”
“Not if you listen and do as you’re told.” Trixie opened the box and withdrew a pestle. She next pulled out a sack and dropped it in front of Apple Bloom. Several large crystalline rocks were inside, shining brown and gold. “Orichalcum used for amplifying base magic components, and is quite useful when we include sea serpent scales as a complimentary compound. The scales are a stabilizing agent; ground into powder, they can render a volatile reaction inert until a new catalyst is introduced.” Apple Bloom blinked and stared blankly. Trixie huffed and put a hoof to her forehead, rubbing for a moment. “The scales stop reactions that are supposed to happen from happening, and the orichalcum helps kick-start them back up.”
“Couldn’t you have just said that in the first place?”
“No. The point is, powdered sea serpent scales allow you to pre-mix certain potions and save them for later activation. It doesn’t work with all mixtures, of course, but it will work for what we’ll be making, namely smoke bombs and sleeping powder.” Trixie pulled a scroll from the box and unfurled it to show the list of ingredients for different types of the two creations.
Apple Bloom frowned as she read through the list. “Ah didn’t think sleeping powder was somethin’ a magician would use.”
Trixie rolled up the scroll. “We don’t, officially. But a tiny pinch in your smoke bombs or other inhalants can make an audience dazed and more susceptible to suggestion. Helps sell the illusions.” Trixie grimaced. “And, admittedly, it helps when audience volunteers are in short supply.”
“Cool!” Apple Bloom grinned. “Can you teach me how to make a potion that’ll make mah sister do whatever Ah tell her?”
“Perhaps later.” Trixie gave her a wink, then turned serious again. “For now, we need the orichalcum, and for that we need the copper.” Trixie withdrew a large metal file from the sack. “Grind the rocks against this and collect the flakes in the pestle. We don’t need much, but get what you can.” Trixie withdrew a pair of safety goggles from the box. “Wear these, you don’t want to get any in your eyes.”
“Gotcha.” Apple Bloom took the goggles and pulled them on. “But if Ah’m working alone, what are you gonna be doing?”
Trixie sighed and turned away. “Trixie is going to engage in a most unsavory and distasteful act for the good of her apprentices. She will not enjoy it, but there is no alternative.”
“Gonna go kiss Rarity’s flank for the sapphires we need?”
“Watch your language, your sister will think you got it from me. Also, no.” Trixie tilted her nose in the air and walked into her wagon. “Trixie has more dignity than that.”
Rarity hummed to herself as she ran the blue and white fabric through her sewing machine. She reached the end and pulled it out to hold it up for examination. Then, the door to the shop rattled with three sharp knocks. Rarity looked up, set the fabric down over the table, and walked to the door. She pulled it open and her eyes narrowed into a glare.
“Hello, Trixie.”
“Hello, Rarity.”
Rarity stepped aside. “Come in.”
“Certainly.” Trixie strode into Carousel Boutique with her head held high, her horn poking from the brim of her hat and her cloak trailing on the ground behind her. She stopped and turned on her hooves, her cloak swirling. The clasp clicked open, and Trixie floated her hat and cape to the coat rack by the door.
“I trust Sweetie Belle delivered my message?” Rarity asked. She shut the door and turned to face Trixie.
“She did. Trixie understands an apology is in order.”
“Quite. I’m glad we understand each other.”
“That we do.”
The two fell silent, the only sound the ticking of a clock on the wall. Rarity bit her lip, but Trixie kept watching her, her face passive. Rarity scowled. “Well!?”
“Trixie is waiting.”
“For what?”
“Her apology.”
Rarity stumbled in place and almost fell. She sputtered to respond, staring at Trixie. “You… you think, I’m, I, you… I’m going to apologize to you? FOR WHAT?”
“As Trixie recalls, she had her wagon destroyed, along with most of her possessions that were therein at the time, her reputation was ruined, and none of you offered even a shred of aid or sympathy. Tell her again, who is the victim here?”
Rarity slowly came forward, glaring. “Snips and Snails never would have brought that ursa minor to Ponyville if you hadn’t boasted about vanquishing one! You were just an arrogant show-off that got what she deserved for what she did to this town!”
Trixie snorted. “Oh yes, punishment for such misdeeds is indeed deserved. Except for when we’re talking about you. Trixie hears much while out on the road. Apparently something happened here that required the intervention of three alicorns to clean up dark magic somepony had spread through the city.”
“That was hardly my fault, I was under the control of an ancient evi—” Rarity stopped herself. Trixie smirked at her. Rarity shook her head. “Fine, fair enough, we have each dabbled in ancient forbidden magic that got the better of us. But that hardly excuses your behavior the first time you came here.”
“Oh, Trixie doesn’t blame magic for her behavior. You each brought it on yourselves.”
“Excuse me?”
“Did Trixie force you to come up on stage? Hardly. You each came up and showed off your talents, trying to upstage Trixie, and she turned them back on you. You came onto my stage and talked about how graceful and beautiful you are. And then you try to say Trixie is the arrogant show-off?”
Rarity growled and shoved her muzzle into Trixie’s face. “You turned my hair green!”
Trixie scowled and pushed her face back. “You tried to upstage me!”
“You took over the town!”
“You covered it in dark magic!”
“You’re a stuck-up, rude, arrogant little brat!”
“You’re a vain, shallow, narcissistic whiner!”
“You don’t know a thing about me!”
“And you don’t know a thing about me!”
Their faces pressed so close their eyes were almost touching, Rarity and Trixie continued to glare at each other for what seemed like hours. Then, as one, they pulled back, but didn’t break eye contact.
Rarity spoke first. “I want an apology.”
“And so do I.”
“You’re not getting one.”
“Hear, hear.”
The clock continued to tick as the two unicorns fell back into a silent staring contest.
Apple Bloom put down the copper rock and wiped her brow. The pestle had a pool of copper shavings in it, but it seemed a small amount to show for an hour of work. She moved the file and pestle and walked to the other side of the cart where Scootaloo was working.
“Scootaloo?”
“Yeah?” Apple Bloom rounded the corner and saw Scootaloo looking over a misshapen wooden box.
“Is that your box?”
“Yeah.” Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess I’m not as good at building as I thought.”
Sweetie Belle called over from behind the tree, “I could have told you that!”
Scootaloo scowled and ran around to where Sweetie Belle was working. “Hey, I’m trying! How about you, how’s that ruby working?” Apple Bloom followed her to see the two glaring at each other.
Sweetie Belle tossed her head and pointed at the ruby on the crate. “Behold, peons, as the Great and Powerful Dazzler shows off her newfound magical talent!” She swung her head to leer at the ruby, and her horn lit up green. A faint green aura appeared over the ruby and it shook on the crate. Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth and focused harder. The ruby lifted into the air and floated towards her, hovering in place. “There!” Sweetie Belle was panting, but she had a wide grin. “How about that?”
Apple Bloom reached out and touched the gem. “It’s a bit warm.”
“That’s ’cause it’s radiating with all the magic I’m pumping into it!”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Well, you’ve got the ego of a magician down.”
Sweetie Belle let the gem drop to the ground and nodded. “Trixie said being a magician is about more than just doing some magic tricks; you need to have flair and style. So that’s what I’m gonna have!”
“Ah’m still kinda surprised she’s helpin’ us after how we tried to blackmail ’er,” Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo frowned. “Yeah, I don’t get it. She said she was gonna take us home and didn’t want anything to do with us, then I got talking to her that night we met and suddenly she’s acting all nice.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle tilted her head, her brow furrowed. “What did you tell her that night, anyway?”
“Like I said before. I told her about what it means that we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and how we’re trying to get our cutie marks. And then she got all weird and told me to go inside.”
“Maybe she just really does want to help us,” Apple Bloom said. “Trixie really knows a lot about bein’ a showmare. Maybe she thinks it’s cool that we look up to her and wanna be like her.”
“Eh, speak for yourself.” Scootaloo shrugged. “I mean, the box she’s got me building sounds cool, but I really don’t want to be a magician. I mean, sure, it’d be cool if we have the talent for it and it got us our cutie marks, but it’s not what I thought it would be.”
“It’s better than what she was showing us before,” Sweetie Belle said. “We’re actually learning cool skills instead of just how to pose and look cool. That might work for Trixie, but I wanted to actually learn magic, and now I am.”
“Ah gotta agree with ya. I just wanted to know how she does her tricks and got to travel, but Ah don’t wanna end up like Trixie, boasting and showing off all the time.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Nah, Trixie’s okay. I think she just acts like a show-off on-stage because that’s how showmares act. Like you said, she’s been a lot nicer since we came back to Ponyville.”
Sweetie Belle snickered. “She acts so dramatic and silly, but she’s actually really nice. She and Rarity should get along fine.”
“Want to go and see how they’re doing?” Scootaloo asked.
Apple Bloom nodded. “Ah think we can use the break. Besides, if those two get fightin’, somepony’s gotta break them up.”
The door to Carousel Boutique was shut and the curtains on the windows drawn as the three fillies approached it.
Apple Bloom stopped and regarded the front of the shop. “This doesn’t look good…”
Sweetie Belle approached the door and pressed her ear to it. She listened carefully for a moment. “I can hear voices. It’s Rarity and Trixie.”
“What are they saying?” Scootaloo asked.
“I can’t tell… hang on…” Sweetie Belle lifted her head, her eyes widening moments later.
Apple Bloom came closer. “What is it?”
“They’re… laughing.”
Sweetie Belle pushed open the door and the three stared.
Rarity and Trixie were sitting at a table, a teapot and two steaming cups between them. Rarity was speaking as Trixie held her hooves to her mouth, barely stifling a laugh.
“And when he used me as his own personal shield, I finally had enough of that disgusting snob. I shook my head as vigorously as I could and took great pleasure in watching that pristine white coat of his get caked in icing.” Rarity smiled proudly.
Trixie lost her personal battle to keep from laughing and let it burst out. “Rarity, you’re so mean!”
Rarity giggled. “Only to those who have it coming, and he certainly had it coming.”
“Oh, no doubt, from the way you tell it.” Trixie sipped her tea. “I was putting on a show in Manehattan, and some ridiculous heckler kept booing me and telling me my tricks were foal’s play. Then I got to the grand finale where I call on an audience volunteer.” Trixie grinned. “Few ponies can resist being put on the spot like that, especially when the crowd cheers for them.”
“Ooo, what did you do?” Rarity leaned over the table.
“Well, let’s just say he got the best view in the house. From twenty hooves in the air suspended over a glass of water.” Trixie tossed her head and held a hoof to her forehead. “Alas, Trixie was so distracted from his mouth earlier, she didn’t quite do the trick properly. He limped off the stage as she took her curtain call.”
The two shared another laugh and clinked their tea cups together.
Scootaloo lifted an eyebrow. “I think we missed something.”
The two mares noticed the foals and Rarity smiled widely. “Sweetie Belle, darling, you and your friends come inside and close that door, you’re letting a chill in.”
Sweetie Belle trotted towards her, blinking rapidly the whole way. “I thought you two didn’t like each other.”
Trixie scoffed. “We had a spat, for sure. But once all that nastiness was out of our systems, we settled down to talk and worked everything out.”
“Indeed.” Rarity turned to Trixie. “I really don’t even recall why we were so hateful to each other. You’re a delight to talk to.”
“And you, as well. I didn’t realize you six have been on so many adventures.”
“Oh, the stories we could tell, darling.”
“You must pick out some of the better ones to tell me over tea sometime.”
“Absolutely.”
Apple Bloom leaned over to Scootaloo and whispered, “Is it just me, or is this a little freaky?” Scootaloo nodded dumbly.
Rarity turned her attention back to them. “Sweetie Belle, you’ll be happy to know those sapphires you need are already packed up for you to take along.” Rarity nodded at a small purple velvet bag near the dresser on the other side of the room. “Trixie, you said you four need changeling silk as well, yes?”
Trixie took a drink of her tea and nodded. “When woven into the curtains for the transporter boxes we’re building, they help contain the magic of the boxes once we use them.”
Rarity nodded and got down from her chair, crossing to the dresser. “Ah, I see. I do believe Twilight asked me to come up with some similar fabric for her for some experiment or another she was doing. I couldn’t come up with an acceptable facsimile, but I believe she found some workaround on her own using some mineral compound she mixed up. Perhaps you could consult with her?”
“Marvelous idea.” Trixie stepped away from the table. “If that’s all, then.” Trixie walked to the door and lifted her hat and cloak from the coat rack. “Rarity, it has truly been a pleasure, but we have a lot of lessons to cover today, since it seems tomorrow we’ll be busy with Twilight.”
“Oh, must you go so soon?” Rarity pouted as she approached, bringing the bag of sapphires with her. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo stepped back to make way for her. “Very well, I understand. But you don’t be a stranger, now.”
“Of course, of course.” Trixie smiled and wrapped her hooves around Rarity’s neck. “Thank you for having me. And of course, I’m sorry about the whole hair incident.”
Three sets of eyes watching the two widened.
“Not at all, darling, it’s water under the bridge. And I’m quite sorry for my behavior that night, I don’t know what came over me.”
Three sets of jaws dropped.
Trixie stepped back from Rarity and took the bag from her. She looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders and smiled. “Well, girls, let’s be off. I’ll check your progress and we can go over our next steps for your training.” Trixie turned and flung open the door to the boutique, trotting down the street. Rarity hummed to herself and returned to the table, gathering up the tea cups and taking them upstairs.
Standing by the doorway, the Cutie Mark Crusaders blinked as they processed what had just happened. Then, Scootaloo dropped her head and let out a low groan.
“Adults are weird.”