“Your highness, it’s time to wake up.”
Trixie looked around. She frowned when she didn’t see anyone. The stallion’s voice seemed very close, almost like he was right next to her. She thought it sounded familiar but could not quite put her hoof on who the speaker was. Shrugging, she focused on the new castle she had just bought for herself. It was monumental, a beacon to her glory as well as an unbreakable fortress from which to rule. The platinum castle towered above the Everfree Forest.
But something was wrong. Cracks began to show in the flawless edifice. Horrified, Trixie tried to use her magic to fix it but to no avail. The cracks spread faster than lightning as it moved upwards and splintered, forming fresh fissures. Off to the side, the magician heard an enormous crash. One of the great platinum towers had split off from the palace and plummeted to the earth. Unable to speak or move, the magician watched as the beautiful spire fell into her massive purple moat.
The moat rose beyond its confines and swept Trixie away. Her last thought before her head went below the surface, “Why is my moat purple?”
Awaking with a drowned scream, the magician sputtered and coughed. Flailing around in her hammock, she overbalanced and fell out with a loud thump. Untangling herself from her soaked cape and hat, she spied Prince Blueblood standing above her with a pitcher of purple punch.
Blueblood stamped his hooves in applause mockingly. “Bravo, Your Highness. I’ve never seen such grace when one awakens from slumber.”
Trixie wiped the juice from her face. “How dare you do this to the Great and Powerful Trixie. I should skin you alive for this blatant assault.”
Blueblood gave his mistress a wounded look. “But Your Highness, you told me to wake you precisely one hour before your next match. You did not specify how. And since Her Highness did not rise a minute ago when I called her, I feared the worst and took more . . . exotic measures.”
Trixie discarded her sopping outfit. “You ever wonder why everypony in Canterlot hates you?”
He gave the magician a confused stare. “Honestly, I don’t see why I am not as beloved by the masses as my aunt. I am handsome, quick-witted, and above all, charming.”
Trixie shook her head. Some of her anger dissolved as she saw a food-laden picnic blanket underneath one of the trees. Stomach growling, she headed over to the buffet and began to chow down. In-between mouthfuls she said, “At least you picked out some descent food.”
“Yes, I’d thought you’d like the bounty the commoners consume day in and day out,” replied the stallion as he wrung the punch out of Trixie’s costume with his magic. “That’s why I asked your two followers to procure this . . . ” Blueblood shuddered, “meal.”
Trixie stopped chewing and narrowed her eyes at her new servant. “I told you to fix me my dinner yourself, you pompous buffoon.”
The Prince’s cheeks reddened in anger. “Am I not allowed help in doing my mistresses’ bidding?”
“No. And to see that you remember my orders next time, today you shall wear that cape and hat you soiled.”
Blueblood’s jaw dropped in horror, but before he could protest, two small unicorns bounded up to where Trixie sat.
“Oh, Great and Powerful Trixie, how is the meal Snails and I have bought for you?”
Before answering, the show pony grabbed an apple fritter with her magic and tasted it. The treat was the best thing she had tasted in months. “It is adequate, but tell me, how did you pay for all this?”
The two friends looked at each other proudly. “We used our own allowance to buy it just for you, Trixie.”
The magician almost choked when she heard that answer. She drained a glass of apple juice. “You two paid for all this by yourselves? Why didn’t you get the money from the drag-queen?”
Snips and Snails laughed as Trixie pointed at the fuming Prince, who was busy taking down the hammock.
“Naw, we wanted to do this on our own,” Snails said happily.
Thunder-struck, Trixie didn’t know what to say, “Th . . . Thank you, boys. I’ll see that you two are paid back with interest.”
“Ah, that’s okay. We’ll call it even if you give us a magic lesson after the finals today,” Snips said eagerly.
The show pony winced. “Yes, I’ll see what I can do.”
Grinning, Snips and Snails exchanged a hoof bump.
As Trixie was about to take another bite from her fritter, she spied an Earth pony heading toward her little group.
The magician stood up and waved. “Maud! Over here.”
Maud made her way to the clique of four unicorns.
“Why aren’t you eating with the other ponies?” Maud asked uninterested.
“Come now, Maud, you were there in the arena. Except for Snips and Snails, everypony else hates me.”
“Well, no pony hates me,” Blueblood smirked. “If anything, they are just jealous of all my charms.” The Prince ran a hoof through his now purplish hair. Horrified that his mane was sticky to the touch, he whimpered, “Mistress, can I wash my mane?”
Snips and Snails looked at the Prince in disgust. “You’re worse than Sweetie Belle,” declared Snips.
“Yeah, at least she smells good,” Snails chimed in.
“Hush, you cretins. I was talking to the peasant, uh I mean, Her Majesty,” the Prince quickly amended.
Trixie frowned. She was about to refuse her servant’s request when a thought occurred to her. “Yes, Yes,” she said distantly. “And buy me something decent to wear while you’re dawdling in town.”
After expressing his gratitude, Blueblood took off toward the shops, desperate to get himself cleaned. She whispered to Snips and Snails, “Make sure that what he gets me is something good. If he gives you any trouble, just throw some dirt at him.”
The two young colts laughed maliciously as they galloped after the Prince.
Trixie turned back to Maud. “What did the Star Swirl memorabilia expert know about that piece of parchment?”
“He thinks it’s the real deal. He offered me two thousand bits after he looked at it,” Maud replied in her monotone voice.
Trixie’s jaw dropped. “Two thousand?!”
The magician’s outburst attracted some looks from the neighboring picnickers.
Trixie blushed. “Sorry.”
She whispered to the earth pony, “Could he read what it said?”
“Not all of it. But from what he could make out, he said that the rod is meant for amusement, and that anypony can use it. You don’t have to be a unicorn.”
“Wait, what? Amusement?” Trixie asked.
Maud nodded. “Apparently, Star Swirl called it his ‘party rod.’ He found it on one of his trans-dimensional travels with Celestia. That’s pretty well all the expert was able to translate.”
Trixie stared wide-eyed at her friend. “This is incredible.”
“If you’d give that note to Twilight Sparkle, I’m sure she would be able to translate all of it,” the rock farmer added.
Trixie’s face darkened. “No need. The Great and Poweful Trixie’s curiosity has been satisfied.”
The earth pony shrugged.
“Maud, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Were you the one who threw that frog into the arena?” Trixie asked softly.
The grey pony froze. “What makes you think I did that?”
Trixie smiled. “Because you’re the only pony who would even consider helping me.”
Maud nodded. “You looked like you needed it. I just walked over to the nearest pond and waited until the right moment to throw it over the arena walls.”
“I guess the thunderclouds were a pretty obvious sign, huh?” the unicorn giggled.
“Yeah.” Maud smiled.
The magician picked up an apple. “Well, we better get some of this food eaten. The Great and Powerful Trixie can’t win on an empty stomach.”
But before the show pony could take a bite, she saw a mint-colored unicorn waving at her. Trixie grinned and motioned for Lyra to join her.
“How did you do?” Lyra asked.
Trixie smiled wickedly. “Let’s just say Blueblood will be getting his hooves dirty for a while.”
The other unicorn covered her mouth with her hooves. “Oh my gosh, you won!” Lyra was so happy that she gave Trixie a hug.
Caught completely off guard, the magician didn’t know how to react until Maud whispered, “You’re supposed to hug her back.”
Blinking, Trixie found her voice. “Oh, Lyra, have you met Maud? She’s my supervisor at my day job.”
Breaking the embrace, Lyra nodded. “Yep, I know her.” She paused for a moment before she asked. “Wait, do you work on a rock farm?”
The show pony nodded shyly. “Uh, yeah, a pony has to eat.” She quickly changed the subject. “So how was your match?”
Lyra sighed and looked down at her hooves. “I lost.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” replied Trixie.
“It’s no big deal. I was just going to use some of the money to restore my mother’s old lyre.”
“Can we see it? Boulder is always interested in antiques,” Maud said.
Lyra smirked. “Sure.”
From her saddle bag, the unicorn levitated a beautiful stringed instrument. Despite the scuffs, nicks, and blemishes, Trixie could tell that the lyre was once a thing of great beauty. At that moment, the magician made a decision.
“It would be a travesty for that instrument to be in its current state a moment longer. I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, hereby declare that she will use her prize money to restore the beautiful and lovely lyre.”
Lyra shook her head. “Oh, no, Trixie, I couldn’t accept that.”
Before the show pony could reply, Maud spoke up. “Oh, yes, you can. Trixie can be as stubborn as me.”
Lyra’s eyes widened. “That’s pretty stubborn. Alright, I could use the help. Thank you, Trixie.” And this time when Lyra hugged Trixie, the magician was ready and hugged her back.
“I’ll let you get back to your lunch. You deserve to win this thing.” And with that, Lyra turned and walked away with a skip in her step.