//------------------------------// // 03--Rowdy Rumble // Story: Aqua--The Magic of Friendship // by 621Chopsuey //------------------------------// By the time Aqua and Pinkie arrived at Town Hall’s square, the crowd had become dense with the townsponies. And with ponies packed tightly in one spot, it was harder to see where the Unversed were. They could be hiding among the crowd, the bushes, the fountain, the supports beams of Town Hall, anywhere. The problem was, Aqua couldn’t sense whether or not any Unversed were within the vicinity. It was as if the they suddenly vanished without a trace, something that unsettled the young Keyblade Master. “Can your Pinkie Sense tell us anything?” She asked. If Pinkie could detect them like she did on the roof, then the task of wiping them would be considerably easier. Pinkie literally stretched her neck several heads above the crowd. “Nope. I’m not getting a reading.” She lowered herself down, ashamed. “My Pinkie Sense only works right when something is about to happen, and right now I got nothing. Sorry, Aqua.” “Don’t be. It was worth a try.” Aqua assured with a hoof to the shoulder, even though internally the revelation only furthered her concern. What was going on? Lyra and Bon Bon skidded to a halt before the pair. Judging from their panting, their respective tailings had been strenuous. ‘I see you’ve met Pinkie Pie.” Lyra commented once she caught her breath. “Any luck?” Aqua shook her head. “They’re gone.” “You, too?” Lyra was shocked, a sentiment Aqua and Bon Bon shared. The situation was becoming more and more worrisome by the minute. Bon Bon warily scanned their surroundings. “Something screwy is going on around here. In any case, we ought to stay within the area. They are drawn towards negative emotion, right? Then something must be going on to bring them over here in the square.” “Maybe it’s gotta do with the caravan over there?” At Pinkie’s suggestion, the four of them peeked their heads over the crowd. Sure enough, a yellow wooden caravan with a red roof was situated at the front steps of the town’s hall. A wooden sign with a blue wand and wisp of magic hung at the front, and image both Aqua and Lyra found oddly familiar. Bon Bon narrowed her eyes with determination. “It’s as good of a lead as any.” She brushed past Aqua with a little more force than necessary and led them around to the edge of the crowd, where they managed to find a suitable view in the front. Once they situated themselves, a theatrical voice came over the audience. “Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” The caravan opened up into a stage, then from a burst of smoke appeared a blue unicorn in a wizard’s hat and cape that blew in the breeze. “Trixie?” Lyra and Aqua said in unison, surprised. The audience voiced their awe, and Trixie built up her momentum from their reactions. “Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witness by pony eyes!” Fireworks flew and burst in a dazzling light show. The audience was awed indeed, Pinkie especially. “Oo-ooh!” “Huh,” said Lyra with amusement. “Trixie actually went with the whole magician thing.” “She certainly has the personality for it.” Aqua chimed in. Bon Bon quirked a brow at the two. “You know her?” Lyra nodded. “Anypony who went to CSGU knew her. Trixie loved to show off her magic tricks. Nothing like lasers, but fireworks and smokescreens are pretty spectacular in their own right. Her showboating was annoying at first, but we got used to it after a while.” “Besides, it’s necessary for an entertainer to be boastful,” Aqua again chimed in. “If you want to sell the audience, you need a sizable ego.” Bon Bon glanced to an adjacent group of ponies. “Tell that to them.” Aqua followed her gaze and immediately recognized Applejack among the group, who voiced their mutual disapproval at Trixie’s show. Not even five minutes into a magic show and already some were frowning upon it? For goodness sake, it was only entertainment. Trixie’s eyes narrowed at a pegasus’ jeering. “Well, well, well… it seems we have some neigh-sayers in the audience.” Aqua deadpanned. This world and its horse puns… “Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical abilities of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know they are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?” Needless to say, the tension between Applejack and company and Trixie was practically palpable, and rising. The pegasus hovered over to the stage and brought herself nose-to-nose with the showmare. “What makes you so awesome?” “Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded ursa major!” Wearing her everlasting confident smile, Trixie summoned a neon-lit ethereal image of herself and a bear four times her size with the cast of her horn. “When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic--” the bear burst into sparkles, “--vanquished the ursa major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!” Excitable murmurs rippled through the crowd. Of course, the encounter was most likely nothing more than a tall tale for show, but it certainly was a riveting one. The young dragon in Applejack’s group believed the contrary. “Please, Twilight, just show her up! It’s unbearable!” He begged to the purple unicorn in question. “What do you mean show her up, Spike? I’m nothing special.” “Yes you are!” Spike countered. “You’re better than her!” Twilight calmly tried to convince him otherwise. “I’m not better than anyone.” Having caught whiff of their argument, Trixie stepped forward to the edge of the stage. “Hmm? You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent?” Her smile grew all the more cat-like and arrogant. “Well, come on, show Trixie what you've got. Show us all.” The sudden attention jarred Twilight. Instantly she began to ramble nervously. “Who, me? I'm just your run-of-the-mill citizen of Ponyville. No powerful magic here. I, uh... I think I hear my laundry calling. Sorry, gotta go.” She dashed off, her dragon friend looking on in dismay. Aqua couldn't help but feel sympathetic. Twilight didn’t believe she was anymore powerful than Trixie, and yet the magician belittled her in front of an audience. Of course, Aqua had no clue as to how powerful either were magically, but either way such arrogant bullying was uncalled for. But wasn’t I arrogant before? When they had reunited in Radiant Garden, Ven called Aqua out for letting the title of Master get to her head. She denied it, believing she was only doing her duty and following Master Eraqus’ orders, but over time, especially now, Aqua came to realize that maybe her new status did bring her to feel superior over her friends. Her gaze firmly settled on Trixie. As tempting as it was to show up Trixie in a magic duel, Aqua restrained herself. She wasn’t a unicorn, for starters; merely a human in the guise of one. Even if she were a unicorn, as a Keyblade Master, Aqua had a far greater advantage over the showmare, and an unfair one at that. It would be best for karma to take its course without foreign intervention. One day, Trixie will know humility. But for now... “Was there ever any doubt?” Trixie’s voice was dripping with pride. If there were any objections, they were prematurely silenced when someone among the audience screamed. Heads whirled at the interruption and Aqua’s jaw dropped in horror. A score of Flood Unversed had Sweetie Belle trapped and surrounded. She was positively terrified, trying to keep herself away from them, but only futily brought her closer to one than the other with every backpedal. The Unversed pounced. “Sweetie Belle!” Someone screamed. Instinct kicked in and Aqua found herself shielding both her and Sweetie Belle with her magic barrier. The group of Flood rebounded the instant they hit the shield, sprawling on the cobblestone. Little did she realize another, larger Unversed, the Bruiser, had materialized behind them. It swung a fist that brought about the same punishment Aqua gave to its fallen brethren only moments before. Aqua looked down at herself. Sweetie Belle was held tight in her forelegs, protected by her body. Good, she was unharmed. Aqua wished she could say the same for herself. The strike left her weak and woozy. In desperate need of a potion, she reached into her saddlebag and retrieved a bottle. She chugged down the minute amount of liquid and waited for it to take effect. It did, but not in the way she expected; she was enveloped in energy that rhythmically thumped through her being and surrounded by a few floating neon cubes. Aqua read the label and mentally facepalmed. Instead of restoring her health, she inadvertently powered up her Rhythm Mixer ability with a Daisy Sorbet. Well, no use complaining. Better make the best of a bad situation. Before the Bruiser could strike again with a charge, Aqua rolled out of the way. She quickly deposited Sweetie Belle to the side and rushed at the Unversed. She spun forward and swiftly cut it down. When more Unversed--Flood and Hareraisers--arrived to take the fallen bruiser’s place, they were wiped from existence just as quickly with several blasts of sound. To Aqua’s dismay, more Unversed appeared after that, sending the townsponies into a fit of hysteria. They ran in all directions like roaches in the light, crashing into one another and screaming in terror as the Unversed ran amuck in the square. Three such ponies cowered behind an overturned cabbage cart. “This is a disaster!” “This is awful!” “The horror! The horror!” They screamed in unison when Scrappers and Archravens rushed at them with claws outstretched. Before the Unversed could reach their targets, a few fireworks struck them from behind. Many sets of red eyes whirled on the pony who dared to intervene. “Do not fear, Ponyvillians, for the Great and Powerful Trixie shall rescue you!” In another puff of smoke, Trixie had moved from the stage to the center of the calamity. The Unversed closed in to attack. However, Trixie was quicker to react, having summoned several more live fireworks and sending them at the abominations in spectacular fashion. One by one, the Unversed were shot down in a burst of light and color, and soon they were nothing more wisps of darkness fading away in the wind. The remnants of the crowd cheered at the display. Trixie took in the praise, removing her hat and bowing to those present. “Thank you, thank you. The Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates your praise and is glad you are safe. However, the fight has tired Trixie greatly and she requires her rest.” The crowd voiced their disappointment, having expected much more. “Do not fret, for the Great and Powerful Trixie shall return tonight with another show of magic that will bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses.” The stage folded itself back into a caravan and with that Trixie disappeared in a puff a smoke. The crowd dispersed soon after to resume whatever earlier chore or project. “Oh thank goodness, Sweetie Belle!” The white unicorn rushed over to the young filly and embraced her tightly. “Are you alright?” “Yeah, I am, thanks to Aqua.” The unicorn turned her gaze to the young Keyblade Master. “You have my gratitude for saving my sister from those dreadful monsters.” “I was simply doing my job, ma’am.” Beneath her outward calm, Aqua was somewhat nervous with the small group of ponies forming around her, no doubt to thank the stranger for her part in driving the Unversed out. “Please, darling, call me Rarity,” she insisted with a flip of her purple mane. When Aqua introduced herself, Rarity bowed her head. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Aqua. I must say, I never knew we had another powerful magus in town.” “Actually, I’m not from around here, only visiting a friend.” “Visitor or resident, your presence has certainly made a difference.” The pegasus from earlier swooped in. “I’ll say. Those were some sweet moves you pulled after drinking that potion, when you spun around like ‘skritch skritch skritch’ and fired shots all like ‘wub wub wub wub’.” She copied the motions with gusto. “Whooping tail with beats? So awesome!” A nearby pony in purple shades agreed with an enthusiastic nod. Aqua held up her hooves, somewhat overwhelmed by the attention. “Honestly, it was no trouble at all.” “Don’t be so modest, darling. You can afford to bask in a little praise every now and then, unlike some ponies.” Rarity shot a sly smile at her rainbow-maned friend before it went sour. “Trixie… such a boastful character, and so rude.” “And a loudmouth,” her friend chimed in, shooting an equally sour look at the caravan. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, and a loudmouth.” Aqua was moderately put off by their disdain towards the showmare. “She may be rude, but a magician is supposed to be boastful. It’s all part of the entertainment.” “There’s entertainment and then there’s slander. Trixie rubbing in this victory is rather callous if it’s directed at Twilight.” “True, that was uncalled for, but Twilight leaving left only a few of us to handle the Unversed when they attacked. And for a showmare, Trixie did a fair job in ridding of them.” “I suppose she did…” Rarity let out a patient breath, then genuinely smiled. “In any case, the town is safe and sound. Allow me to thank you for your selflessness. I’m having afternoon tea with a friend at my establishment and would love for you to join us.” Before Aqua could object, Rarity forestalled her with a hoof. “Ah ah ah, I will not take ‘no’ for an answer.” Sweetie Belle, who had remained silent during the exchange, spoke up. “It’s true. She always gets her way in the end.” “I can vouch for that,” Rainbow Dash added. “All a matter of persuasion, darling, among other things, but I wouldn’t necessarily say I get my way all the time.” Rarity tolerated the younger unicorn’s roll of the eyes. “Forgive me if I come off as rude, but…” Aqua glanced at Lyra and Bon Bon, who had also been patiently hanging back since the calamity blew over. She did not want to abuse Rarity’s generosity, but she did come to this world with the intention of spending time with Lyra. “I don’t suppose you have room for more?” The implication dawned on Rarity and her eyes widened. “For your friends? No no no, how rude of me not to take them into account. I didn’t mean to intrude on your visit. Of course they can join us! The more, the merrier.” “Count me out. I’ve got a speed record with my name on it.” In a rainbow streak, Rainbow Dash was gone. “You will have to forgive Rainbow Dash. As great of a friend as she is, her priorities can sometimes outweigh her manners.” Aqua chuckled. “Believe me, I’m familiar with that.” Rarity mirrored her chuckle. “Then you know what to expect of her once you two meet. Now, enough dawdling. We need to find Fluttershy first. Poor dear can be fearful of the simplest things, and with this recent debacle she must be downright terrified.” She motioned for her guests to follow. Aqua couldn’t help but shake the feeling they were being watched. Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a black hood peeking from a nearby alley. She could have simply been seeing things, but that tiny little voice in the back of her mind said otherwise, as did her sixth sense to darkness. Something was rotten in the town of Ponyville. Journal Entries Trixie Lulamoon The Great and Powerful Trixie is a travelling showmare, a former student of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and allegedly the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria. As a magician, Trixie’s role is to dazzle audiences with charisma and illusions, but no one said they had to like any of the boasting. The Great and Powerful Trixie took the stage in “Boast Busters” (2010). Rarity She helped save Equestria from Nightmare Moon from her eternal darkness. As the Element of Generosity, Rarity possesses a willingness to sacrifice with no expectations of payment, a trait that makes this fashionista shine like a diamond. She made her fabulous entrance in “Mare in the Moon” (2010). Rainbow Dash Fast, fierce, and did I mention fast? Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, helped save Equestria from Nightmare Moon and her eternal darkness. She may be cocky, but she always has her friends’ interests at heart and never leaves them hanging. She made things 20% cooler in “Mare in the Moon” (2010).