On Common Ground
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a great and powerful magician. She was so great and powerful, in fact, that both adjectives were deemed a mandatory part of her namesake by all who, through their own free will and not by force of magical enchantment or spells of infatuation, looked up to and adored the Great and Powerful Trixie.
The Great and Powerful Trixie lived in a luxurious mansion in the bustling capital of Canterlot, decked from top to bottom with rare and expensive gifts from her admiring fans. However, she did not reside there and was rarely seen at home. In fact, if even her most trusted of companions offered to visit her most glorious and much-deserved estate, she'd quickly deny them proper directions, for she simply preferred to camp in her wooden mobile trailer so much that to her, it felt more like home than her real home ever could.
Having once again won the hearts of millions in her brave and, might I add, humble task of letting the Meek and Powerless Twilight Sparkle—the modifiers of whom were entirely optional when being addressed—believe she had singlehandedly subdued the fearsome and ferocious Ursa Minor in the quaint, suburban town of Ponyville, the Great and Powerful Trixie rested in the dark depths of the Everfree Forest. Not too deep, though, so as not to call the attention of manticores and cockatrices and other dangerous creatures of the night, which would dwell within the forest's pitch black interior. Not because she was afraid that she couldn't handle them, of course. Trixie always enjoyed a hearty and delicious morning repast of cockatrice eggs and manticore sausage with a side of freshly-grounded hay bacon. No, it was simply more convenient this way, and of all the nights to inconvenience Trixie, this was perhaps the least preferable night to do so, for tonight the Great and Powerful Trixie was stricken with a great and powerful eruption of anger.
“Who does that Twilight Sparkle think she is?” demanded Trixie, to nopony in particular. Of course, nopony else was there, but that's beside the point. “Does she really think she is so much better than me, The Great and Powerful Trixie?!”
The Great and Powerful Trixie stomped her hoof violently. “How dare she attempt to show me up in front of the whole town!”
She paced about the tiny confines of her trailer, shaking with unspeakable hatred and fury, before coming to a stop at an adjacent shelf, lined with books and scrolls of all different shapes and colors. Every spell the Great and Powerful Trixie had ever learned, to various measures of success, was contained within the books upon this very shelf. She looked to them longingly, her lips sagging with despair as if pleading for their infinite wisdom to be absorbed into the inner workings of her mind.
But alas, they did not. They were just books. Books don't do that sort of thing.
Frustrated and bemused, the Great and Powerful Trixie continued to stomp in place. “Why must this happen to me?” she yelled.
But the Great and Powerful Trixie, as she is often inclined to do, underestimated the extent to her greatness and powerfulness. The vibrations of her hooves colliding with the solid wood floors of her trailer sent a loose book spiraling from a high shelf and careening into her tender and delicate skull.
“Ouch!” she yelped, rubbing her forehead gently. She felt no bumps, which meant she was unharmed. Indeed, much like the manticores and the cockatrices that permeated her morning diet, this lone book was no match for the Great and Powerful Trixie!
“Why, the nerve of you!” shouted Trixie as she marched towards the fallen literature to deliver swift judgment. “I have just the right mind to--”
She stopped as she saw that the book had fallen open upon its crash landing with the ground. It had opened to the first page of a chapter simply titled, “Teleportation.” Intrigued, Trixie sat on her hind quarters and scanned the pages. A sly grin washed over her face as a brilliant idea formed in her mind.
“I know what I'll do!” she said, slamming the book shut with a loud poff and replacing it neatly on the shelf. “I'll find that Twilight Sparkle and give her a piece of my mind!”
She closed her eyes and concentrated furiously, straining ever so hard until her horn began to glow with a gentle, aqua hue. “Yes!” Trixie exclaimed with triumph. “I'm doing it! Now, to pay Twilight Sparkle a little visit!”
Once again, Trixie set her sights on Ponyville, and in a flash of blinding light, she was gone.
But oh, dear readers, if you could see the looks of astonishment and bewilderment upon your faces when it becomes clear that Trixie's destination was not Twilight Sparkle's residence, but a variety of different locales. Always the informative type, Trixie demonstrated, with much deliberation and tact, a common rookie mistake when attempting to perform the delicate art of teleportation. She first found herself in an apple orchard, stuck in a golden delicious apple tree, which newly-awakened unicorns often tend to be. Her second generous demonstration of magical trial and error led her to the frozen, abysmal depths of the ocean floor, where—to the untrained eye—it would seem that the Great and Powerful Trixie would become a late night snack for the Large and Fearsome Blue Whale, but any esteemed unicorn who was even half as well-rounded in her craft as Trixie—aka nopony—would be envious and admiring of the incredible feat of bravery at work.
After deliberately putting herself in harm's way for the sake of educating the youth of Equestria, Trixie successfully managed to evade the jaws of the beast as she disappeared from the vicinity in another flash of light just in the nick of time. In doing so, she not only escaped certain death, but also graciously provided useful information in case any little fillies or colts within viewing distance ever found themselves in a similar emergency. Foal safety is of the utmost concern to the Great and Powerful Trixie. One should really bestow their thanks for the sacrifices she makes on behalf of such a noble cause.
Her final attempt at teleportation landed Trixie just where she wanted. Yes, this must have been Twilight Sparkle's residence, thought Trixie as she scanned the room for the mare in question. There were bookshelves nearby which, from what was visible in the sparsely illuminated room, seemed to line up along two of the four surrounding walls. Spell books, she presumed, as that Twilight Sparkle was presumably quite the studious type.
“Still, though,” Trixie thought, her brow furrowing in concern as she poked a hoof forward to feel her immediate surroundings. “I didn't expect Twilight Sparkle to live in such a dark and macabre home.”
The Great and Powerful Trixie's eyesight may have indeed been great and powerful, but not even the greatest and most powerful of ponies could see well in such dim lighting. The only notable source of light was the brilliant glimmer of the full moon casting a ray of translucent, albescent light through the navy blue drapery. For Trixie, every step was a gamble, her only reward for each successful bet being a chance to step forward without tumbling or breaking her neck.
“There simply must be a light switch around here somewhere,” moaned Trixie.
“There isn't.”
The Great and Powerful Trixie jumped in place, her back stiffening as she shot her head to and fro. “Who said that?”
“The owner of the room in which you are trespassing.”
“Trixie is not afraid of you!” Trixie taunted with an anticipatory quiver in her voice. “Show yourself!”
“As you wish.”
Just then, a tiny dot of faded, cyan light drifted into Trixie's line of sight, bouncing a few leagues above her head. The light began to draw nearer and nearer, punctuated only by the click-clack of metallic horseshoes. Trixie could feel a modest splash of perspiration beading down her tender brow as the beacon of light came to a full stop before gradually expanding and revealing the source of luminosity.
Trixie gasped.
Through the brilliant, shimmering aura that slowly began to engulf the entire room, Trixie could just barely make out the pristine figure of a tall and elegant mare. She'd a coat of regal, midnight blue pelt and a long, free-flowing mane of glistening cobalt. Most alarmingly, she adorned both the expansive pair of feathered wings of a pegasus pony as well as the sharp, delicate horn of a majestic unicorn. Her flank was embellished with an opaque crescent moon, which—immediately upon notice—disclosed to Trixie the identity of the mysterious pony and the room in which she had stumbled.
“You!” Trixie's eyes narrowed as she exclaimed. “You're Princess Luna, princess of the night!”
“Yes,” said the night princess, a stoic beam resting on her face as she slowly inched nearer to Trixie, “and the room you've fallen into by mistake is my private chamber.”
“Mistake?” scoffed Trixie, sputtering her lips in disgust. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not make mistakes! Sometimes she just does things she does not mean to do!”
Princess Luna took a few steps closer to Trixie, examining her hunched back that was indicative of her level of preparedness for combat. “I see,” she said, an eyebrow raised as she reached a comfortable distance. “In any case, you may rest your shivering muscles. I have no intent on harming you.”
Trixie breathed a sigh of relief, momentarily allowing her back to be at ease before fixing herself in a battle pose yet again. “Wait!” she demanded, stomping a hoof. “Do you dare imply that Trixie would be afraid?”
Princess Luna opened her mouth to say something, but Trixie would have none of it.
“Trixie fears nopony! Not even the mighty, alicorn princesses who rule the land! Trixie shakes not in fear, but in excitement! Trixie is excited for the thrill of the fight, should one come to pass.”
“Forgive me,” said Luna, her lips curving into an amused grin as she just scantily avoided expelling a few giggles. “So do tell me, what has brought you here? What is your mission?”
With the looming threat of a hostile battle out of her hair, Trixie relaxed once more and cleared her throat. “Trixie was on a quest,” she answered, trotting closer to her majesty to emphasize the fear she did not have. “It was a dangerous quest, one which required Trixie to find a vantage point. These towers were the closest thing she could find, where she could watch her target from above while remaining out of sight.”
It wasn't the truth, but the real story was on a need to know basis. For even the princesses could become her enemy if they knew of her true objective. Before you ask, no, it had nothing at all to do with several failed teleportation attempts that she was too embarrassed to admit.
“Oh my,” said Luna, this time failing to keep a modest chuckle from escaping as she sat on her hind legs by the window. “Who is this target, and why are you hunting them?”
Trixie's brow furrowed as she recalled the agony she had suffered earlier that evening. With another mighty stomp of her hoof she answered boldly, “She disgraced the name of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“That cur!” Luna gasped. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Well, once she finds her,” Trixie began, her own sinister smirk forming as she marched to the alicorn's side, “Trixie will give her a piece of my own medicine!”
“Er,” Luna muttered, raising a brow, “I think you mean--”
“Trixie always says what she means!”
“Very well,” returned Luna. “Perhaps, then, I should aid you on your quest.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need...”
Trixie jumped in place as the velvet drapery beside her suddenly began to shimmer and slowly withdrew into the jet black corners of the room, thus flooding the entire chamber with the brilliant glow of the full moon. It seemed like ages since Trixie had last seen the light. Though the sensation was highly welcomed, the sudden rays of bright stimuli had sent her vision into a temporary state of disarray. Once her eyes became reacquainted with the ability to see, Trixie hazarded a gander out the nearby window and let loose a surprised gasp.
“...help?”
The night view was unlike anything Trixie had ever seen. From this high up, the entire capital city of Canterlot was spread out like a map in front of her. The moon and the stars were all that were needed to make out the rich architecture of the nation's wealthiest metropolis and the bare, stone-paved streets that supported the travel of countless ponies in cart and on hoof during the day. Aside from the yellow glow of one or two night owls spread sparingly apart, the entire landscape seemed perfect, completely unspoiled by the ware and stains of modern living.
“Beautiful, isn't it?”
Only after being startled out of her peaceful gazing did Trixie realize her mouth was hanging agape. She quickly snapped it shut and met the princess's stare. That did not make things much easier, in hindsight. Trixie had never laid eyes on the elusive Princess Luna before. At least, not in person. Ancient scrolls and countless textbooks depicted her in illustrations that were often notably embellished and not accurate to the monarch's most current aesthetic. Now, in the completely-lit, private chambers of Canterlot royalty, Trixie was laying eyes on a real princess for the first time, in flesh and blood and in the light of... well... night, and what she saw immediately exceeded her expectations.
She was beautiful—no, gorgeous—and unlike any pony that Trixie had ever seen. Her midnight blue coat appeared ever so soft and smooth, like a thick blanket of cotton. The cobalt hair that ran freely from her tender scalp down the length of her back was pristine and pure, innocent of any and all imperfection. Even that was nothing compared to the delicate fibers of her enormous wings, strong and firm both so as to support her tall and regal figure as well as aid in protecting her subjects, but none of those admittedly impressive features held a candle to the most glorious assets in Luna's possession: Her eyes.
Yes, her eyes.
Her misty, cyan eyes which peered into the darkest reaches of a pony's soul. Much like the rest of her figure, they were large and narrow like a hawk, but contrary to what one might expect, they were bright and glowing, clearly visible no matter the lighting. However, that's not what Trixie found so alluring.
One would think that Princess Luna would have a pair of eyes as mysterious as her presence, that somepony as royal and important as her would be equipped with a consistently unreadable expression, but such was not the case. For as well as her fur camouflaged her in the dark, her eyes provided a layer of transparency that was not often seen in ponies of her stature. Just the tiniest glimpse into those enormous, all-seeing eyes provided everything Trixie needed to know about the mare's personality.
For starters, she was as kind as she was regal and as friendly as she was majestic, but there was much more to her than that. It was clear that Princess Luna had a complex past life which overflowed with both accomplishments and failures, things she was proud of and things she was not so proud of. That didn't change the way Trixie saw her, however, for even someone as great and powerful as she had to admit, though not without a hefty amount of coaxing, that she too had a past riddled with many failures and things she was not proud of. Though divided by social class and upbringing, it was clear to Trixie that the two mares were clearly on even footing.
“Yes,” she said at last, gulping mid-sentence to catch up with her frenzied heart, which continued to skip the occasional beat. “It's magnificent.”
Princess Luna took a peek out the window as well. “Any sign of the target?” she asked.
“Oh, right,” Trixie replied, fixing her gaze back on the incredible view before her. “No, I don't see her yet. We'll find her, though.”
For what felt like hours, the two scanned the entire city of Canterlot and waited for the mystery target to finally reveal herself. She wouldn't, though, and Trixie knew it. She wasn't there. She was at home, in Ponyville, probably sleeping soundly knowing she had successfully humiliated her in front of the whole town. She was so angry when she'd arrived here, so fuming mad and ready to pounce at the nearest pony she saw, but as she gazed on at the world beyond with Luna at her side, the tension had since subsided. Any desire to pounce had been washed clean from her memory. At least, it had for the time being.
“It must feel good being this high up all the time,” said Trixie, breaking the silence. “It must feel good to be this tall.”
“It has its advantages,” agreed Luna, squinting her eyes at a tree that seemed to have something moving. Alas, it was just a squirrel gathering a midnight snack.
“You'd never feel like a defenseless bug, living in a world of careless hooves just waiting to step on you.”
“Oh?”
“Not that I'd need it,” Trixie continued, “but if I had the power of a princess, I'd never feel so small or weak or insignificant.”
Luna frowned and averted her eyes from the window. She examined the figure of the soft blue mare in front of her. Her eyes looked heavy as they continued to dart from building to building, street to street. She then turned her attention behind her, in the darkest corner of her bedroom, where she could just make out a single ornament: A steel, blue helmet suspended from a rack. At one point in time, Luna could see her own reflection in the headpiece's surface, but as dust and decay continued to claim it as their own, her face soon became scarcely visible under the mess of age and time. She intended to keep it that way.
“You really think so?” she asked.
“Of course,” replied Trixie. “For I would be the most powerful equine to ever live. Not that I'm not already the most powerful, but then I'd have a castle to show for it.”
Luna sighed as she returned her focus to the window. This was becoming boring, but the mare showed no signs of stopping.
“So, Great and Powerful Trixie,” she said, hoping to keep the conversation alive for as long as possible, “what do you plan to do when we find the target?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie will think of something,” Trixie returned.
“Well, while we're waiting--” Luna turned her back and strolled to the bookcase nearest her. “--why don't I teach you a few spells so you can get the drop on her?”
Trixie turned her attention away from the window and into Luna's eyes once again. Already she'd forgotten just how mesmerizing she looked. Her jaw dropped as she inched herself slowly towards the alicorn. “Teach me some spells?” she whispered.
“Yes, that's right,” said Luna, opening one of the books which rested on a high shelf. “Surely a magician of your natural talent wouldn't mind having a few new spells to add to your already expansive repertoire of skills?”
Trixie stiffened in place, furrowing her brow as she forced a smug composure upon herself. “Teach me some new spells? Ha! That's rich! Why, the Great and Powerful Trixie could probably teach you a thing or two if she were willing!”
“So is that a 'no?'”
“Let me finish!” Trixie demanded, pointing an assertive hoof towards the princess. “Trixie does not need to learn any new spells, but she is also well aware that professionals practice the basics. So, what spells did you have in mind?”
Luna set the book down on the floor and rested herself on the carpet. “None in particular,” she said, flipping through the pages with her magic. “I thought maybe you would help me find one that would prove a reasonable challenge to somepony of your expertise.”
“Hmpf!” scoffed Trixie, joining the princess at her side once more. “I doubt we will find any such thing in here, but it never hurts to check.”
Trixie's heart thumped loudly in her chest as she was now laying on her stomach, flank to flank with the other mare. Luna's eyes only grew more radiant as the distance between the two ponies lessened. They sparkled like the stars in her very own night sky, making her both highly approachable and strangely intimidating.
“Say, princess...”
“Please, call me Luna.”
“Ahem, Luna,” Trixie paused before continuing, “I, er... Trixie doesn't often honor other ponies with compliments, but Trixie has very much enjoyed your company this evening. It has been more than worth the long trip.”
Luna beamed. “As have I. It feels wonderful talking to somepony on common ground.”
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Completely Serious Headcanon™: the "Royal Canterlot Voice" was actually a silly prank thought up by Trixie and Luna to mess with Twilight.
There, timeline fixed. ;P
4643983 Someone get Hasbro on the phone! This is brilliant! Brilliant I say!
Hm, nice. Some of the descriptions might be on the edge of too flowery, but not so that it'd be annoying. Also, needs more romance and cuddling.
4644684 Hi, thanks for the feedback ^^
Yes, I do see what you mean. It's, of course, something I only notice after publishing. XP
4644718
Yea it's weird, it has a romance tag but it doesn't have anything related exept trixie loving her eyes, if that's the correct term.
4645005 LOL I don't know if this warrants a "romance" tag or not, but I thought the several mentions of the butterflies in Trixie's stomach sort of made it fall under the "romance" tag. I may not have given proper emphasis to that, though, so that's probably my fault. XD
4645157
No biggie, just was a bit confused why the tag was there.
4645157 well, that's what chapter 2 is for XD
4646589 Now I need to contemplate as to rather or not I want to make a chapter 2, lol. I don't know if it demands my attention of every other project in my life.
I hardly see many fics on here with the same effort that went into this one chapter.
4648187
A second chapter would be appreciated
You have truly captured the magnificence of The Great And Powerful Trixie! Bravo sir, I can not wait for chapter 2.
It might be just me, but I have a hard time seeing the romance in this.
5403107
No, you're right, I quite enjoyed it but I don't see the need for the Romance tag as it stands.
And there's only ONE chapter. How horrifying.
No real need for Romance tag, that seems completely out of place.
Saying that, the initial interaction between Luna and Trixie doesn't quite seem completely believable, if only because I can't see Luna completely suffering Trixie's attitude, or Trixie continuing to be so haughty in an alicorn princess' presence. The later part of the chapter though works a lot better as Luna warms up to Trixie some more, treating her as a friend.
6297648 ditto, Trixie's egotistical, not stupid. Luna could crush her like a bug, not that she would.
6773034
6297648
Oh wow, I have not logged into Fimfiction for so long and had no idea more people had commented.
As for my own response, I do get what you're saying. Luna is by all accounts a much more powerful entity, and Trixie (as with all non-alicorn citizens of Equestria) would probably (realistically speaking) be humbled at the sight of an alicorn princess in her sight.
However, given what we know of the characters in the show, I find it extremely hard to believe that a post-Nightmare Moon Luna would ever do anything to harm someone who she demonstrably sees as harmless for the petty reason that she's being arrogant. Celestia and Luna both show a great deal of patience and fascination, even with the more eccentric of ponies. (Celestia, especially, showing reserve when Pinkie Pie steals her cupcake in A Bird in the Hoof) It simply doesn't align with how I see either of the Day/Night sisters to not be tolerant of a pony who is clearly harmless, and with The Magic of Friendship (TM) being a prominent theme of the show, I also find it extremely easy to believe that Luna would attempt to boost Trixie's confidence by helping her master a few basic spells.
I also find Trixie being stubbornly boisterous even in the face danger pretty believable. I don't see her as completely collapsing in fear when faced with somepony of actual intelligence (as compared to the Ursa Minor, who was just a savage beast).
That being said, after retrospectively reading through this, I do agree that maybe Luna's tolerance is stretched a little. Not because I think she would have told Trixie to take a hike, but I do think that Luna would perhaps be a little bit annoyed at first, but gradually softening up to her as time went on and she began to see the two have very similar plights. As is, I feel like Luna immediately sees Trixie in the same way Rose Quartz initially sees Greg Universe. That is, charming in how meagre she is by comparison to herself. Instead, I definitely feel I could have worked on building up the relationship.
And as controversial as it appears to be, I stick by the "Romance" tag, while also acknowledging and accepting that what I look for in a romance story is probably different from what the majority of people on this site do. I find Trixie's obvious infatuation with Luna and Trixie's emotional response to them to be... well, romantic, and I find that as compelling in a romance story as the hugging, the kissing, the pony weddings, etc. Not to mention, when there are obvious elements of shipping within the story, it seems misleading to me to not have that indicated somewhere.
As a general note, reading this again was quite interesting, because of how proud of it I was at the time compared to now. So many places where I think "Wow, that sentence really should have just ended there," or "Okay, you made that joke already." XD - I was planning on making a follow-up story that might get a little more intimate (just to address the complaints about the romance tag if nothing else) but that project got lost a while ago. Might have to dig it up someday.
Trixie and Luna fuse to make Trixie Lunamoon