Chapter 7
Cutie Mark Crusader Magicians, Yay!
Chapter 7
Twilight rolled up the diagram she held in the air. “And so, with the trans-dimensional vortex held in check by the atomic distortion field created by the close proximity of the cryst particles to the magnesium and potassium, the only danger is if you leave the curtain open for more than a minute at a time. Otherwise the vortex will remain stable and contained.”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared blankly.
Standing next to Twilight, Trixie rubbed her chin. “But won’t the atomic distortion field disrupt the molecular integrity of items passing through it and cause them to break down after repeated passings?”
Twilight shook her head. “Not a problem. The distortion’s effects on objects only reaches critical levels if it makes enough passings over a short-enough period of time; say, a dozen times in a few hours. Otherwise its effects are negligible and even then, it would take closer to several dozen passings before the object actually begins to undergo molecular destabilization.”
Trixie raised her eyebrows and nodded. “And the repercussions for violating Neighton’s Second Law of Trans-Spacial Mechanics are completely irrelevant because we’re using the boxes to teleport non-biological matter. Brilliant!”
Twilight beamed. “Thank you.”
“Ah think that’s the first time anypony’s ever understood Twilight’s technobabble.”
“Hey!” Twilight scoffed at Apple Bloom’s remark and tilted her head up. “It is not technobabble! These are highly studied and recognized scientific principles on the interactions of different types of magical particles and energies. Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Unicorns have dedicated their entire lives to studying these concepts and translating their findings into practical applications.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “In other words, it’s technobabble.”
Twilight grunted angrily.
Stepping away from Twilight, Trixie faced the fillies. “Yes, but it’s technobabble we can put to practical use. All you need to understand is that we can use a normal curtain for the transporter boxes, provided we weave samples of sun-cryst into the fabric and put some powdered magnesium and potassium along the edges of the box itself.”
Sweetie Belle thrust a hoof forward. “Yeah, see, that we understand. Is that why we’re out here?”
‘Here’ was the base of Winsome Falls. Trails of rainbow descended from the sky around the lush green grass on top of a high hill. Further down the path were the falls themselves, a massive wall of water and rainbow mix crashing down into a lake where the rainbow mix then flowed into a natural river and diluted into the water.
Trixie nodded. “Yes. Sun-cryst is a naturally occurring byproduct of exposing rainbow mix to sunlight and water in the proper amounts.” She turned to the cart she had pulled up the falls and withdrew a glass jar from the trunk inside. She unscrewed the lid and floated it down in front of Apple Bloom. “Go to the base of the falls and watch the rainbow trails carefully. When the light hits the rainbows just right, you’ll see a shimmering golden dust appear in the air. Gather it in this jar. Get as much as you can, better that we have plenty more than we need.”
Giving a smile and a nod, Apple Bloom said, “No problem!”
Scootaloo lifted an eyebrow. “So, is this gonna take very long?”
Trixie nodded. “Hours.”
“Seriously?” Sweetie Belle said, her jaw dropping.
Trixie shrugged and said, “Maybe. Maybe not. The only thing I can tell you for sure is the longer you stand here complaining about it, the longer it’s going to take.”
Apple Bloom gasped, then turned and ran towards the falls. Scootaloo looked back at Trixie. “Are we just supposed to watch her?”
Trixie simply smiled and pulled two more jars from the trunk. “Now get a move on. Trixie doesn’t wish to be here all day, and she doubts you three do either, but she is willing if that’s what it takes.”
Sweetie Belle grinned and nodded. “Leave it to us!” She nudged Scootaloo and the two ran to join Apple Bloom.
With the fillies gone, Twilight turned to Trixie. “What are we going to do while they work?”
“Fear not, Twilight Sparkle, for Trixie has prepared for that as well.” Trixie walked to the trunk and pulled out a rolled-up blanket. She spread it out over the grass and then removed a picnic basket. She sat on the blanket and set the basket next to her. “After the chaos of the last few days, Trixie believes she has earned a rest.”
Twilight giggled. “I’ll say. Those three are a hoofful and you’ve clearly worked hard with them.”
“A redundant expression. Trixie works hard at all her endeavors.” As she spoke, Trixie took a sandwich out of the picnic basket and began chewing. “Although, teaching those three is indeed a lesson in patience. Trixie is used to heckling crowds and unruly assistants, but they're something else.”
Twilight approached Trixie and sat down next to her. She looked down at the basket and saw another sandwich. “May I?”
Trixie glanced at her and then where her eyes were directed. She shrugged. “Help yourself. Daisy and hay.” She took another bite of her own.
“Simple but filling.” Twilight set her lesson plan down, and then lifted the sandwich and began chewing. The two fell into silence as they watched the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The three had formed a line by the rainbow falls and were taking turns swiping their jars in the air to gather the sun-cryst. Twilight chuckled through a mouthful of bread, flowers, and hay. “Look at them, concentrating so hard.”
Swallowing her own bite before answering, Trixie nodded and said, “They don’t understand the theory behind my lessons, but they understand the practical enough to take direction. That’ll do for now.”
“Given their ages, I think the types of magic we’re studying is a bit advanced for them, anyway.” Twilight gave a small frown and looked at the rolled-up lesson plan nearby. “I have to admit, in spite of how she said it, you’re one of the few ponies I’ve met who understands the magical lectures I give. It’s a bit refreshing.”
Trixie shrugged. “If you want Trixie's honest opinion, you make it sound far more complex than it need to. All that matters is the bare basics, everything else is simply fluff.” She gave a small smirk. “Professor Burette used to give the same sorts of lectures and got a similar reception for the class until I stepped up to simplify it for them one day. His face was priceless.”
Twilight paused mid bite and stared. “You know Professor Burette?”
“We’ve kept in touch since I left his school. He helps me with my alchemical needs.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “You went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?” Before Trixie could react, Twilight was directly in front of her with a wide grin, their sandwiches falling to the ground. She leaned in, her wings flapping rapidly and her hind hooves rising off the ground. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you never mentioned that! I can’t believe I never saw you there! What was your major? Who was your favorite professor? What year did you graduate?”
Trixie leaned back and darted her eyes away. “Um… I didn’t. I dropped out.”
Twilight’s grin vanished and she plopped back to the ground. “What?”
“I left by choice. It wasn’t for me.”
“But… but…” Twilight shook her head. “That’s impossible! There are ponies across Equestria who would give anything to be enrolled there! Nopony just leaves!”
“I did.” Trixie held up her hooves. “I went there for a year after I dedicated myself to becoming a professional magician. But they didn’t teach me much that would be of use, so I dropped out. Besides, I got bad grades and barely passed my entrance exam. If I didn’t leave they probably would have kicked me out, anyway.”
Twilight thought aloud. “But you know so much about magic. You’re teaching those three so much.”
Trixie snorted. “You don’t need to attend a school to be smart, Twilight. Obviously it worked for you, but Trixie is a different breed.” Trixie’s horn lit up pink and she created a field of crackling starbursts in front of her, swirling them through the air. “Take the fireworks, for example. One of the first spells Trixie learned. She knew she wanted a way to create magical fireworks, but had no idea how. So she read up on some energy transmutation spells and learned to modify one of them to create a burst of light. Build off of that and voila; fireworks.”
Twilight watched the fireworks spells burst through the air in Trixie’s magic. “There’s quite a few actual fireworks spells. You could create bursts of light in specific formations, or launch them in pre-coordinated directions.”
Trixie nodded. “I learned about those later and took to them well. I’m just saying, I learn differently than you. I don’t care about magical theory itself, I just care about what it can do for my act. I’m always mailing Professor Burette to ask him for help on pulling off an idea I had, or what sort of ingredients I need for a specific type of potion. He supplies me the why and the how and I focus on making that into reality.” Trixie collapsed the field of starbursts, the particles exploding in one final blast of light.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So, all this knowledge you have about alchemy and spellcharging…”
“Picked it up over years of practical experience, learning what I needed as I needed it.” Trixie frowned and her eyes narrowed. “You seem surprised at the depths of Trixie's knowledge. Did you think she was some sort of dullard?”
Twilight backed away and quickly shook her head. “No, of course not. I’m just trying to figure you out, and that was a bit of a doozy. I never would have pegged you to go to the School for Gifted Unicorns.” Trixie’s glare grew darker, and Twilight stammered. “I-I mean, that is, you know, you just said you’re not the type to go, and you never acted like - scratch that, I’m trying to say…”
Trixie waved a hoof. “Oh, stop it. Trixie is simply having her fun with you. She understands well enough, and you’re not wrong. As I said, I left, anyway.”
“Right.”
Trixie picked up her fallen sandwich, examined it, then she took another bite. Twilight turned her attention back to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They had stopped working for the moment and were talking. She sighed. “Well, your methods worked well for you. My teaching made a bit of progress with them, but maybe you’ll succeed where I failed.”
“We shall see,” Trixie said. “If nothing else, their persistence is admirable. Few have the patience to gather sun-cryst by hoof and just rely on pegasi alchemists.”
“Oh, they’re persistent, all right.” Twilight laughed. “They’ve been trying to get their cutie marks for years. I haven’t seen them focus this much on one task since the talent competition.”
Frowning, Trixie turned her head. “Beg pardon?”
“The talent competition was the last time they stuck to one thing this long. They built a set, wrote their own song, all to try and earn their cutie marks. It didn’t quite work out, but they tried their hardest. It just shows you how strong their commitment can be when they get passionate about a project.”
Trixie held up a hoof and shook her head. “Back up. When was this? What did they do?” She watched Twilight intently as the other mare thought.
“A couple of years ago, they put together a musical performance for a talent show. I think they mis-assigned duties, though. Instead of trying to hone their natural talents, they did what they wanted to do.” Twilight gave a sheepish smile. “It was more than just a bit of a mess. Their song wasn’t very good, and the set fell apart. But they had fun, if nothing else.”
Trixie lowered her head, her brow creased. “Scootaloo told me they had performed in a talent show, but not that they tried it for their cutie marks.”
“Maybe she didn’t think it was a big deal. After all, they’ve tried dozens, even hundreds of things, and it’s never worked out.” Twilight leaned down and peered closer at Trixie. “Though, it seems a big deal for you. Why are you so interested in this?”
Trixie blinked and looked up into Twilight’s eyes. Another blink and her expression changed, from one of thought to one of dismissal. “Trixie isn’t any more interested in this subject than the overall subject of her apprentices. She was just confused that they had not brought this up to her yet and sought further explanation of the matter to understand why.” She folded her hooves behind her head and lay back on the grass.
“Uh-huh.” Twilight looked at her suspiciously and walked back into Trixie’s field of vision. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, Trixie. Really, be honest. What are you up to, helping them?”
Trixie frowned and tilted her head to look back. “Really, Twilight Sparkle? You forgive Trixie yet remain suspicious of her?”
“No. I don’t think you’re doing anything bad or wrong. But there’s definitely something you’re not telling us.” Twilight shook her head. “It makes no sense why you would bring these three back here and then stay here for days training them as your apprentices. Why do you care so much?”
“Is it so hard to believe that the Great and Powerful Trixie has taken these three foals under her horn out of the goodness of her heart?”
“Yes,” Twilight deadpanned. “You’re a good enough pony, Trixie, sure. But for somepony who says she didn’t want to come back to Ponyville, you sure put that old grudge aside quickly enough for their sake. And you’re spending a lot of time and supplies on them. It doesn’t add up, not unless there’s something more going on.”
Trixie grumbled under her breath and sat up. She had a sour look on her face as she watched the Crusaders in the distance. She breathed deep and turned her eyes to look at Twilight. “If I tell you why I came back to help them, promise me you’ll keep it a secret from them. I know what I’m doing, and it’s something they’ll appreciate more if they don’t know the truth.”
Smiling, Twilight nodded. “I’ll promise for now, as long as it isn’t something that puts them at risk.”
Trixie looked at the three again to make sure they were still at the falls and out of hearing range.
“Ah think Trixie was just jokin’ when she said this would take hours.” Apple Bloom lifted her jar and peered at it closer. Small golden-yellow particles swirled in the air inside it. “Ah almost filled mine.”
“Mine too.” Scootaloo swung her jar at a trail of sun-cryst, the dust she missed blowing away in her wake. “Hopefully we can finish soon and go home. This is boring.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head, leaning on her jar. “I don’t think so. We gotta be patient and keep a close eye on the falls. If we wanna be showmares, that’s important stuff to know. Rarity always said a seamstress needs an eye for detail and good concentration, but you can pick up that stuff doing other things, right?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess. I never wanted to be a showmare anyway. I wanted to be a stuntpony. If this is what being a showmare is about, it’s dull. I’m sick of just preparing to perform. I wanna perform already!”
Reaching over, Apple Bloom patted her on the back. “Look at it this way, Trixie’s lessons will still come in handy.” She smiled. “Just think of how cool it’ll be if you know how to mix smoke bombs. You can ride your scooter through a blast of smoke.”
That got a more positive reaction as Scootaloo grinned. “That’d be so cool. And she was talking about that potion that makes a flaming dragon, too! Maybe I could mix up something like that!” Her grin faded. “So how come I’m learning how to make a transporter box instead of cool potions?”
“Ah dunno. But we’re still workin’ together, so Ah could mix up the bombs for you.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sweetie Belle perked up and stood, and swiped another wave of sun-cryst into her jar. “I’m getting really good with my magic, but I’m getting tired of training. Think Trixie will let us put on a show?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “We should be ready soon. Ah’m learnin’ how to mix stuff, Scootaloo’s got all she needs for her boxes, and you’ve really improved your magic.”
“You bet. Watch this!” Sweetie Belle focused and a green aura appeared over her jar. She withdrew her hooves from it and the jar wobbled in the air but remained floating. Sweetie Belle licked her lips and gritted her teeth and the jar raised back up to where she had been holding it. “A bit more practice and I’ll have this magic stuff down great!”
Apple Bloom saw a trail of sun-cryst and lifted her jar from under it to catch it. She looked into the jar and shook it around, watching the dust shimmer. “Ah think that should be good. Wanna check in with Trixie?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Hopefully we can go. I wanna finish my boxes and start seeing what they can do.”
The three turned and headed back to Trixie and Twilight. As they neared, Trixie stopped talking to Twilight and regarded them. “Welcome back. How did it go?”
The three ran forward and dumped their jars on the ground. Apple Bloom smiled proudly. “We got as much as we could.”
Trixie raised her eyebrows. “Well, you certainly did more than Trixie was expecting. No offense. This is certainly enough for what we need.”
Scootaloo buzzed her tiny wings and grinned. “Hey, we’re awesome. No biggie.”
Trixie rolled her eyes, but smiled at the remark. “Well, then. Twilight, is that all?”
Twilight looked over the jars, peering at them closely. “There’s still some more practical work to be done, but like you said, they have plenty. I might even be able to use the leftovers myself.” She looked up at the three and nodded. “Good work, girls.”
Sweetie Belle put a hoof over Scootaloo. “Like she said; we’re awesome.”
Trixie floated the jars into the trunk in her cart, and loaded her picnic basket next to it. “Well then, let’s be off.”
Trixie and Twilight led the way, leaving the Crusaders to follow them. Apple Bloom ran a bit faster to walk beside Twilight. “By the way, Twi, thanks for helpin’ us.”
Frowning, Twilight said, “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, Ah thought with you and Trixie maybe not gettin’ along, you might not wanna help. Not to mention she’s trying to get us our cutie marks where you couldn’t.”
Twilight scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just happy you three are developing your skills and learning more about the world. Besides—” Twilight looked at Trixie “—I think Trixie may just be the perfect pony to train you three after all.”
Apple Bloom swiveled her head between the two. Trixie was giving Twilight a pointed look, while Twilight had a smile on her face. “Uh, why’s that, Twi?”
Trixie looked away and chuckled. “Twilight Sparkle is simply acknowledging Trixie’s superior skill at training foals. She is a gracious loser.”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight snorted. “Yeah, that’s it.”
The two older ponies continued to walk in silence, leaving the foals to wonder what they had just heard.
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Loved the update!
6447552
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Excellent development. I approve of Twilight's input and participation as the more bookish type, yet Trixie can keep up with her. Really, it's probably easiest to say that your interpretation of the characters (Trixie, Twilight and the Crusaders all) mesh almost perfectly with mine. Thumbs up.
Oh Trixie. And Twilight why so sour with the whole technobabble? Loved it! I'll have to double back to earlier chapters to see if I can remember why Trixie was helping them in the first place aside form the blackmail.
Nice little chapter, even if not much happened. Good character development.
6461295 Yeah, I had to try hard not to fall into Talking Head Syndrome here. I tried to think of something more substantial to be done in terms of action, but there was a lot of character building and plot points being dropped already and I wasn't sure what more could be done that wouldn't distract from that.
The Great and Intoxicated Hat Man is curious what secret Trixie is keeping to herself.
The Great and Powerful Trixie should have gotten her Cutie Mark in diplomacy between this chapter and the last with Rarity
Excellent chapter. i love Trixie's practicality as opposed to Twilight's more esoteric knowledge. And Trixie's right, Twilight. Not everyone learns the same.
6528629 Whoops. Thank you!
First orichalcum, now sun-cryst... surely not... have I actually managed to find another single person on this planet who actually likes... no, it's just too good to be true.
Got a few more derps in here than normal; I'll PM them to you instead of leaving them here.
Dammit, now I need to know what the rare and exotic materials are for. I'm guessing they're not for building a Tournesol, though...
Oh my gosh...my gramer nazi is...breaking free...
I 'tink ya meen hofful, m8.
Sorry, I couldn't resists.
This reminds me of one of the best small scenes in the tv adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand". Stuart Redman (played by Gary Sinise), and some fellow folks from his backwater Texas town are being rounded up by guys with machine guns under order from doctors with flu masks. One of the doctors makes some comment in the vein of "Come along or we'll beat your teeth in and then drag you away anyway" (That was the meaning, even if it was in pompous bureaucrat speak) and Stuart Redman just looks at him and goes "Country don't mean dumb".
I like the dynamic between Twi and Trixie, how they're starting to get along as colleagues. I wonder what Tixie told Twi?