//------------------------------// // Magic is so Dumb! // Story: Tiny Trixie Tales // by Zodiacspear //------------------------------// Magic is so Dumb! “Just concentrate, Sweet Pea,” Maximus Lulamoon said as he watched his daughter strain with the little pebble. “Don’t over think it; focus only on the rock.” Trixie’s tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as her horn fizzled with a few violet sparks.  Her eyes squeezed shut as her magic tried so hard to lift the small rock from the dirt.  The small pebble shook, but refused to leave the ground. “Nngh!” she grunted before her magic flashed, and the stone grew still once more.  She blinked as she stared at the stone before flopping onto her haunches with a frustrated moan. “This is so hard!  It’s too heavy!” A soft smile tugged at his lips as he considered her frustration.  He easily remembered the same frustration when he was her age—everything was so much more difficult back then.  “Don’t be like that, Trixie.  All it takes is more practice and determination, and you’ll be lifting rocks and other things like the best of them.” She flopped to her belly and huffed. “Not when it’s so hard, Daddy.  I wanna lift things and make them dance like you do, but it’s just so tough.” He walked over and settled in the grass beside her, ruffling her mane a bit. “It always starts out that way, Sweet Pea.” Her ears pinned back at the affection and shook her mane out when he stopped. “Not for you.  You always make it look so easy.” She turned her wide eyes up at him. “Tell me how to do it, Daddy.  I wanna be as good as you.” A warm laugh escaped him. “Trixie, you’ll be better than I am. I know you will.  You just have to practice and want to do it.” He nuzzled her a bit. “You’re a smart filly; I know you’ll figure it out in no time.” She harrumphed but giggled anyway. “You think so?” “I know so.” Standing back up, he nodded toward the rock. “Try again.  Just remember not to overthink it.” Sighing through her nose, Trixie got back to her hooves and glared at the rock. “All right, rock, you’re going to listen to the Gweat and Powewful Twixie, and you’re going to like it!”  She spread her legs out and shut her eyes tightly, her horn again sparking to life. Maximus watched as her horn continued to spark and spit wild magic. He knew that her magic hadn’t fully developed yet, but he also knew that constant practice would help it along.  A filly her age needed to learn to control her magic sooner rather than later. He cringed as he remembered the scorch marks in her room when she tried practicing without him. Grunting with effort, the sparks started increasing, and, once again, her aura surrounded the rock—the stone shaking and struggling to leave the dirt it called home. “You can do it, Trixie.  Just focus and remember that it obeys you and not the other way around.  Your magic is  yours. It heeds your call.” He watched her closely as the sparks started getting brighter. “I-I’m trying, Daddy.  It’s just so—” She screamed in fright as her magic flared and poofed out at the tip of her horn. He winced as he looked at the little burn mark that now marred her horn, and walked toward her. “Are you all right, Sweet Pea?” She gingerly touched at the mark before wincing. “No! This is stupid! Magic is stupid! I’ll never get it right!” His gaze hardened. “Stop that now! You know better than to act like that.” Turning her gaze up to him again, she hunkered down a bit at his tone. “But, Dad, it is!  I’ll never be as good as you.” Taking in a long breath and letting it out slowly, he let the edge of his tone fade away. “Yes, you can, Trixie.  You can’t expect to get everything right the first time.  That is why you practice.”  His eyes shifted to the mark on her horn. “Does that hurt?” “A little…” she said in a soft voice. Again, a soft smile tugged at his lips. “Come on. Let’s go inside and put a bandage on it, and you’ll feel better.” She perked up, her eyes sparkling a bit. “Ice cream?” He gave her a flat glare. “Don’t push it.” “Aww…” She followed after him into their home where she took a seat in the living room before he came back with a first-aid kit. He levitated some ointment from the box before he spoke, “This might sting a little, okay?” Her eyes widened a bit and she hunkered down as if he had told her she was about to get a shot. Removing some of the ointment from the tube, she clenched her teeth and hissed as he spread it across her horn. “Owie!” He smiled a bit at her antics. “Come now, it can’t hurt that badly.” She glared at him defiantly. “Oh yeah? You never had your horn burned like mine did, Daddy.” “Actually,” he said as he floated a gauze and bandage over the spot, “I burned my horn more times than I can count when I was your age.” She blinked a few times, her ears standing a bit straighter.  “You? But, Daddy, you’re so perfect at magic. You don’t ever make a mistake.” “And do you know why that is?” he asked as he sat down on the couch beside her. She tilted her head at him.  “Why?” “Because I never gave up, Sweet Pea.” He floated a book from a nearby bookshelf and flipped open the first few pages.  The photo album was full of pictures depicting a much younger Maximus alongside a unicorn mare that Trixie recognized as her grandmother. “Mom used to tell me the exact same thing I’m telling you.  If you put your mind to it, you can do it.” Trixie looked over the old picture of her father rubbing at a singed horn while her grandmother was putting a number of bandages over it.  She smiled sadly, remembering the days she spent with her grandmother. “Did Grandma teach you any twicks?” she asked, looking up at her father. He smiled wistfully, looking at the picture. “She taught me many things after I learned to control my magic.” He turned, smiling warmly. “And I’ll do the same for you once you learn to control yours.” Trixie’s eyes widened, as did her smile. “Even how to make moving ponies with lights?” A smile tugged at his lips. “That will be the first lesson.” “Yay!” She hopped off the couch and ran outside—her burn now completely forgotten. Maximus chuckled as he put the old photoalbum away, and turned to watch Trixie from the window.  She was once again focusing on the little rock, her little horn sputtering with magical sparks.  A smile grew as each time she failed to lift the rock; it didn’t dissuade her from trying again.  He knew that resolve would help her in the long run and was glad to see it develop. Seeing that fiery determination in her eyes, he knew she would succeed eventually. He sighed as she gave another whine when her magic misfired and he gathered the first-aid kit once more.