Magic and Confetti

by MrAlterad

1.4 - 'City Living'

Trixie waved as the last vendor carted away. She arched her back as she stretched, a big smile on her face as she took in the early evening skies, where dark clouds were being gathered above the city. She then eyed her bulging purse, giving it a pleasant shake, before letting out a small yawn.

Turning around, she paused as she saw Reina, who was giving her a very upset look. Glancing past, Trixie could see that the park looked exactly as it had when they arrived, minus the young, dirty lamia with a pair of stuffed trash bags at her side. Trixie then nodded to herself.

“Good job, assistant!” she said, ruffling the filly's mane with a hoof, which Reina swatted away with her tail.

“It's Reina,” the filly shot back, before pointing to the bags, “And why'd I have to clean up the mess?” she asked, making Trixie scoff.

“Trixie thought you wanted to help. Besides, you said you're her assistant, didn't you?” she asked, making the filly glare at the ground for a moment.

“Couldn't you have cleaned up with your magic?” she asked accusingly.

“Trixie could,” she said, before looking terribly dejected, “but there's only so many Great and Amazing feats Trixie can do a single day.” She then leaned close, giving Reina's glasses a lite tap. “Making these took a lot out of Trixie. Because of that, she had to use all of her reserved fireworks. Still, it was all worth it in the end,” she said, wearing a big grin.

“So, you were tired, and made me do it,” Reina said flatly.

“Exactly~!”

The filly let out a small sigh, giving Trixie an odd look for a moment, before looking over herself. She was covered in mud and spilled carrot-juice. There were popcorn kernels sticking to her scales, and there were a number of other unidentifiable things clinging to her. All of it, compiled together, left Reina with a particularly strong desire for a sand bath.

“...I smell funny,” she admitted, getting a small chuckle from Trixie.

“Luckily for you, it's supposed to start raining soon.”

“I'm doing what soon?” the filly asked, looking a little confused. “Oh,” she added, her eyes widening in realization, “You meant rain.” Her gaze then softened. “Like, pony made?” Trixie nodded, making Reina eye the clouds, blinking as a drop of rain left its mark on her glasses.

By the time they'd tossed the trash and returned to the wagon, the opening drizzle had upgraded into a downpour. “How does this make me lucky?” Reina asked, both of them under the carriage's extended canopy. Trixie looked to her, tilting her head at the filly's question as she lit a pair of lanterns.

“You can take a shower,” Trixie replied, sounding a little surprised by the question.

“A … shower?”

“...You don't have those where you're from?” Trixie asked, wide-eyed.

“She doesn't even know what 'those' are, you dum-dum!” Tiko pointed out, making Trixie glance at the window-perched doll, before sighing. She then levitated out a washrag and bar of soap, before pulling a half-barrel off from the back of her carriage, placing it in the rain.

“Trixie will clean you this one time, so pay attention,” she said, indicating for Reina to get in the tub, making the filly blush.

“I- I can do it myself!” she insisted, looking between Trixie, the barrel and the rain.

“Alrighty then,” Trixie replied, tossing the rag and soap to the filly, who barely caught them. “Trixie needs to take care of something else anyway,” she added, letting out another long yawn, before taking off her hat and cape, letting them hang over the door before entering her home.

The mare let out a sigh as she glanced out the window, seeing Reina standing at a loss, looking between the items in confusion. Adopting a small smile, Trixie opened one of the cupboards, pressing her horn to a gemstone embedded in the door's back. The gem pulsed, lines of magic covering the wooden surface, revealing a spell matrix that gave a small hum as it came to life. She then closed the cupboard, feeling the spell finish setting up.

“Do you think she'll come begging for Trixie's help?” the mare asked the doll, getting silence in return, making Trixie glance to the filly outside, before pulling out a quill and parchment.

Reina was no less perplexed. She was supposed to stay inside when the rains came. Equestria was a little too different from home. She then eyed the half-barrel, reaching for it with her tail and pulling closer. Looking in, she saw a small amount of water had begun to pool in the bottom, and a memory came to mind when she ran her tail through it.

The rains had just passed, and the long sleep was over. Water was plentiful, as it was when the raining season ended. And her mother had taken the opportunity of giving her daughter the rare luxury of a water bath...

Reina hugged herself, feeling a pang of home-sickness. She glanced back to Tiko, silently looking over her. She then gazed past the carriage, beyond the nearby trees, seeing the lit high-rises beyond the park. Her sickness went as quickly as it came, a fire lighting in her eyes as she pushed the barrel back into the rain. After taking a deep breath, she slithered into the tub, rag and soap in her hooves.

It didn't take long for her to figure out the purpose of the rag, but she was at a loss on what the soap was for. The fact that it was starting to get slippy was only complicating matters. Her eyes then widened in wonder as she saw bubbles born from trying to hold the bar.

Tiko watched the filly stoically as Trixie eyed her letter with a frown.

Dear Luna,

I, your Greatest and most Powerful 'former student', finally made it to Vanhoover, and her performance at the park was a smashing hit. As if there was ever any doubt! :)

So the strangest thing happened this morning. I found a filly in a box! And, she was a lamia! I don't know too much about lamia, and was hoping you could help

Trixie considered her incomplete work, eyeing the last paragraph, before letting out a sigh, making a quick motion with the quill.

So the strangest thing happened this morning. I found a filly in a box! And, she was a lamia! I don't know too much about lamia, and was hoping you could help

Naturally, I'm doing just fine. It was tiring, but I managed to do everything I needed to by myself! I even made enough bits to make my way to Manehattan, with some left over! And that was just from one show! Just imagine how well off I'll be by the time I reach Manehattan!

The mare then glanced out the window, noticing the rain lightening up as she saw Reina playing with the soap.

Well, mostly by myself. Look's like the Great and Powerful Trixie has gotten herself an assistant. But, that's a letter for another day.

She then hesitated, considering scratching off the last two sentences, before shaking her head.

So you don't need to worry about me. I'm doing just fine on my own. Like I said I would when I left, The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't need anypony's help.

Pretty soon I'll be heading back to the east coast. I'll try to hit Ponyville and Canterlot on the way, so let the others know for me.

My best regards and wishes, Trixie Lulamoon~

She looked over the letter, nodding to herself with a smile on her face as she pulled out another parchment. In short order, she made a copy, free of edits. She then rolled it up, sealing it with wax. Her horn glowed, the candle's flame shifting to match, before she burned the letter. She watched with a smile as it burned, the ashes whisping out the window to their destination.

Another yawn greeted her, water in her eyes as she wound up her alarm clock. She glanced outside as she placed the clock on the desk, smiling as she took in the mass of bubbles formerly known as Reina.

...

Trixie raised an eyebrow as she stepped outside. Indeed, the tub and the filly inside had been covered up by bubbles. Trixie could hear the occasional giggle as she got closer, making her shake her head. Her horn tingled, Trixie's instincts warning her of an unseen danger in the tub, making her glance away as she cleared her throat. The patch in the sphere of bubbles parted, Reina's glowing eyes looking out curiously.

“...Is it bed time?” Reina asked, adopting a confused look as she noticed Trixie glancing away. The filly's eyes then widened when her tail reached for her face, feeling for glasses that weren't there. Her head disappeared into the plume of bubbles for a moment, her tail and hooves rummaging through the water before she found her treasure. Silence fell between them, the rain slowly washing the bubbles away, revealing a down filly, her back to the mare. “I- I'm very sorry Trixie, I didn't mean too...” she said, her ears low as Trixie let out a sigh.

The mare then frowned for a moment, her horn protesting as she lifted Reina from the barrel. The filly floated still, shame in her eyes as Trixie emptied the barrel, bringing it and Reina out of the rain. Placing it on the ground upside down, Trixie nodded to herself, levitating out a towel as she sat Reina on the barrel.

“Look, just, try not to lose those,” Trixie said in a composed tone, pointing at the glasses, “Trixie will make them even better tomorrow.” Reina's ears perked at that, making her give Trixie a curious glance. Which was smothered by being drenched from water pooled in the canopy. “Now, let's get you rinsed and dried off. And yes, it's just about bed time,” she said, helping Reina with the towel, before the filly insisted on finishing off by herself.

“...Trixie, do my eyes scare you?” she asked, making the mare raised an eyebrow at her.

“Scare?” she scoffed, “Trixie is concerned, but you don't see her running for the hills, do you?” Reina shook her head, getting a smile from Trixie.

“Maybe you should be...” Tiko said in a small voice, making Trixie eye the doll for a moment.

“If your eyes are that big a deal, then be more aware of these,” she said as she tapped Reina's glasses, getting a small nod from the filly. “Let's move along and get some sleep. Trixie has a magical trap set for those two goons, and when they attack Trixie in her sleep, they'll be as good as ours,” she said with a rueful smile, “Then we can … ask them where your mother is.”

“Okay...” Reina replied, letting out a short yawn as she slithered into the carriage, Trixie a step behind her. Both paused, becoming aware of a certain problem almost in unison. The carriage only had one bed. Reina eyed Trixie for a long moment as the show-pony considered the problem. “It's okay, I can sleep here,” Reina said, easily slinking under the desk, before coiling into a ball, getting a troubled look from Trixie.

“You want to sleep on the floor?” she asked, getting a small nod from the filly as she hugged Tiko close. Trixie glanced to the side, looking troubled, before letting out a sigh.

Her horn glowing, she levitated her cape over, unlatching the gemstone from it's clasp, before laying the garment on the filly. Reina didn't seem to notice. She was breathing soundly, already asleep, getting a small chuckle from Trixie. “Guess we both had a busy day...” she said with a small smile. With a clap of her hooves, the candle and one of the outside lanterns went out. Letting out one final yawn, Trixie curled into bed, and was out just as quickly.

~~~

The alarm went off. Its loud, infernal, otherworldly ringing made Reina stand up with a start, causing her head to hit the desk's underside. She let out a small yelp, tears forming in her eyes, cradling her head as the source of the ringing fell to the ground, landing on the floor next to her.

“Make it stop!” Tiko cried out, making the filly eye the offending cacophony with a heated glare. She then blinked as the clock was wrapped in magic. Becoming a blur, it disappeared with a crash, leaving a clock-shaped hole in the wall.

“Take that, you ruffians,” Trixie mumbled, punching a hoof in the air, before rolling around in her bed. Reina eyed her in wonder, the mare making strange, egotistical noises as she continued sleeping. Reina glanced at the hole. Despite being chucked, the clock still rang, albeit not as loudly. Correction. Several seconds after being ejected outside, the ringing grew in intensity, as if it had been designed to get noisier if it were ignored.

Reina, rubbing her head, slithered out from under the desk, surprised to find Trixie's cape resting on her. She adopted a small smile, which melted when she considered the sleeping mare, no different from a rock at this moment. A snoring rock.

“Behold, the dum-dum in its natural environment,” Tiko said in a sagely tone, “See how it drools~”

Reina shook her head, before looking to the hole Trixie made, her brow furrowing as the alarm continued singing its song. She sighed to herself, moving to the door, before the ringing came to an abrupt end. Her ears perked up, her back tingling as a worried notion came to mind. She then flinched as somepony knocked on the door.

“Ms. Trixie, have a letter from the mayor for you,” the knocker said, speaking the voice of a unfamiliar mare, sounding a little impatient.

Reina glanced from the door to Trixie, who was mumbling something about how amazing she was. Reina frowned for a moment, before glancing back to the door.

“I- The Great and Powerful Trixie is busy!” Reina replied, trying to imitate Trixie's voice.

“Don't hafta tell me twice, Ms. Trixie. I'll leave it by the door. The mayor would like ah reply as soon as possible. G' day to you.” Reina blinked, surprised that actually worked. She peeked through the window, seeing the mare trot off. When the coast was clear, the lamia opened the door, finding the alarm clock sitting in front of the door, the letter nestled underneath. She brought both of them in, eyeing the letter curiously, before turning to Trixie.

“Reina, don't be a dum-dum,” Tiko said in a sad voice, getting an annoyed look from the filly. “Once you start speaking like one, it's just a matter of time!”

“...Tiko, how do you wake a sleeping pony?”

“Oh, that sounds like a fun question!” he replied, Reina picking the doll up, before climbing onto Trixie's bed. “Roll her outta the bed?” he offered, which she considered, before placing her tail on Trixie's shoulder. She paused, becoming self-aware of her donned glasses, making her smile as she shook the mare.

“Don't me shilly Twilight,” the mare mumbled, “the shquare root of four ish delicious pie.” Reina tilted her head, appraising the sleeping mare in wonder.

“Maybe she's not a dum-dum, but some creature from another world,” Tiko offered with a small snicker.

“Trixie, wake up. The mayor has a letter for you. And...”

“We wanna climb the tall building!” Tiko added, “Oh, and find mom.”

“Tiko, that should have been first,” Reina mumbled.

"Well, Reina wants to also see from the top, right?" Tiko asked, getting silence from Reina, her brow furrowing as Trixie showed no signs of waking up. “So, knock her outta bed?”

…

There was a thud as the carriage rocked for a moment, before a surprised voice broke the silence that fell over the park.

“Tr- Trixie is awake!” the mare declared, sounding as dignified as she could, sprawled out on the floor. She then blinked, seeing Reina peeking at her from the bed. As Trixie tried to register this, another detail came to mind. One that took precedence, and quickly got her sluggish mind rolling.

There was an alarm-clock shaped hole in her wagon. Her eyes narrowed as she gave Reina an accusing look.

“H-Hey, you did it, not me!”

“The dum-dum did it! We saw the whole thing!” Tiko exclaimed, making Trixie consider them for a moment, before rolling her eyes as she got on her hooves. She spotted the alarm-clock on the desk, as well as the letter, taking a moment to consider it before giving the lamia her attention. Trixie had a rough look on her face, and Reina felt an urge to slink back under that stare. The mare then took in a deep breath, followed by a lengthy exhale, before looking to the hole.

“Guess this means those two fools are a little smarter than Trixie gave them credit for,” she said absentmindedly as she spent a minute addressing the wounded carriage. “It'll be hard, finding out where your mother is, if those two are too scared to approach the Great and Powerful Trixie,” she explained, getting a thoughtful look from Reina, before the filly pointed to the letter.

“Somepony said this was from the mayor.”

“Really?” Trixie said, her mood flipping around as she gave the letter her attention. Freeing it from the envelope, Reina watched Trixie read through it. Trixie's expression slowly went from curious to elated, a big smile growing on her as she reached the bottom, her shoulders shaking before she stood tall.

“Yeesss~!!” she let out, before falling back onto the bed with a hearty laugh. “It's only natural after all!” she added, laughing for a little longer, before she let out a happy sigh, her eyes on the carriage's ceiling. “There was never a doubt I could do it.”

“She said I,” Tiko pointed out, making Trixie flinch.

“What happened?” Reina asked, getting a surprised look from the mare. Trixie then blinked, before her smile faded. Getting up, she eyed the letter left on the desk for a moment, a conflicted look on her face. “Trixie?”

Before the mare could answer, there was another knock at the door, making the two share looks. Trixie's horn glowed, opening the cupboard to see the spell circle was still active.

“Who is it?” Trixie asked, getting on her hooves, tossing the letter in the trash as she approached the door. Trixie and Reina blinked when the door opened, revealing a cloaked zebra, who was appraising Trixie with a curious look.

“I'm sorry if I made you totter,” the mare began, “But I'm seeking a friend's daughter...” Her eyes widened when she noticed Reina, giving Trixie and odd impression.

Did this rhyming zebra know the filly?

Author's Note:

Does the sun know how to shine?
Does an eagle simply fly into Mordor?
Is the next chapter called Explosition?
The answer is yes. Rhymes in this story are on the rise...

Thanks as always for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!

Comments

[Dipti]

oh finally see who was fallowing the two idiots.

[DracoDarastrix]

“Don't me shilly Twilight,” the mare mumbled, “the shquare root of four ish delicious pie.”

This line made me laugh my pants off me.

[Emperor Of Nothing]

So Trixie is a heavy sleeper? Why am I not surprised?

[howard035]

Sleeping Trixie is most adorable Trixie!

6882479 Don't forget, one of the main stories in the Trioverse is 90% just Trixie sleeping.

[Emperor Of Nothing]

6885060 How is it that I tend to remember subtle details, yet forget mundane details like that all the time?

[howard035]

6885065 I saw "Shadow's Flare" in the side box, and now I keep thinking "I wish every single chapter where Trixie is dream-walking had a quick-cut to her in real life, snoring like a buzz saw."

[Razzy]

And now the epic battle of destiny, third person versus rhyming.

[Lord King Cocoon]

“Behold, the dum-dum in its natural environment,” Tiko said in a sagely tone, “See how it drools~”

Seriously, there's more to Tiko than meets the eye.

I also get the feeling that Luna enchanted that alarm clock specifically for Trixie. Is that alarm clock the reason why Trixie isn't with Twilight and Sunset anymore? And how much louder does the alarm get? For example, if it's on the other side of the world from Trixie, will it continue to get louder until it can be heard from the other side of the world? And if so, how many ponies would go deaf? If it were on the moon, could the sound penetrate the vacuum of space?

I think Trixie should invest in earmuffs so Reina won't have to suffer from Trixie ignoring her alarm.