The Last Illusion

by ScientistWD

Versus the Honor and Beauty of Ordinary Rocks

Miss Doo nibbled on a cob of corn while Amethyst Star sat next to her. They waited together, on a stone bench a few blocks from where they arrived. Trixie was in some kind of queue on the other side of the road, to fill out the paperwork necessary to enter the Music Competition.

“Can you stop chomping so loudly?” asked Amethyst Star, sourly. “I’m trying to read the book.”

Miss Doo gulped her last bite. “Heh. Sorry, Amy! It’s been awhile since I’ve had corn that good.”

Amethyst Star raised a disgruntled eyebrow. “Amy?”

“Oh! Yeah, sorry it just came out…”

“Whatever.”

“Isn’t that book funny? It’s really clever sometimes!”

“Ugh. I’m up to the part where she spends all her time constantly undermining you. How can you stand her? She’s a jerk.”

“Oh, she’s not so bad once you get to know her!”

“Ditzy did you even read this book? Look at this…”

The pegasus peered over Amy’s shoulder, following the unicorn’s hoof along the pages best she could. This part of the fairground, while cobbled with the same large stones, was not as bustling as the rest. They had traveled from the fountain to the left, passing the corn cart Miss Doo had insisted on. Rather a filly in situations like this. But, from what could be gathered from the passerby, the Music Competition was not until deep afternoon; there was time before the event for the mares to waste on fair fiddle-faddle, but certainly not much for Trixie to practice her routine.

“See, she just leaves you to fight those dangerous criminals!”

“I mean… that’s true, but she did come back to help me!”

“Yeah, after ‘the crossest of looks’ and ‘some hint of malice’.”

“…”

Miss Doo had eaten an entire two corn cobs, and Trixie three at lightning speed. A certain Amethyst Star was not hungry for some reason. But, in all, the festivities were yet to begin. As much was evident, for the sun was still high and ponies were lazing about beneath the shade of nearby trees. Some were eating snacks nearby the rocks. Some were singing, or practicing instruments. The Competition must have been very important to them. Some were sweating. They probably should have been taking a break.

“And she made you carry all of the carrots, look! She barely even talks to you like you’re a pony.”

“S-she said she couldn’t store food…”

“What does that even mean!? She’s just hiding things for no reason!”

“You’re being kind of mean.”

“Well, she was mean first! The evidence is all right here, Ditzy. ‘Great and Powerful’? More like Mean and Awful.”

But there was not much wind. A mare beneath a rock stood, finishing her meal and returning to the path. It was a slow, high kind of midday. The heat would have hummed in ponies’ ears if it were not for nearby brass players raising the bells of their instruments. Trixie trotted back over, hovering a ticket and a short piece of paperwork.

“Look here, companions. Trixie is ready to compete,” she boasted.

“Do I absolutely have to keep hanging out with you two…!? This is just as bad as school!”

A dry voice called from the distance.

“Humph! She is much better than your boring school. Miss Doo can escort you home while Trixie practices if you wish… but know that you will certainly be missing out!”

“Oh, she’s right Amy! Trixie is really talented. She’ll probably do something cool!”

The distant voice returned, a little louder. It was a mare’s, saying Trixie’s name. How odd. Firm, and with pressure.

“Ugh fine. But only because I have nothing better to do.”

“Of course you don’t,” Trixie’s lilt continued. “Neither of you have yet to see Trixie really perform, and she always assures that her audience will be awestruck and—“

“Trixie.”

Finally, the voice was heard. It was not loud, nor particularly boisterous. When Trixie stopped talking, it was to the surprise of her companions. They had only barely heard. Though it is to be expected that a showmare like Trixie was especially attuned to hearing her own name. When she had heard it, she hesitated, blankly staring in attempt to recall. Then, when she did remember, the smugness on her face burned straight up to eleven as she turned her head to meet the oncoming challenge.

“Well, well,” she chided. “If it isn’t the little pebble in the rough.”

When she had fully come around, she was glaring down her nose to a grey earth pony, wearing a navy frock and an expressionless face. Yet it seemed to speak a thousand words, carrying some obvious yet unknowable quality to it. Simultaneously, it presented an objective beauty not unlike that of an unearthed crag. Features of stone exposed to air at last.

“Maud Pie. My nemesis!”

“Trixie,” the oncoming mare said flatly and in a manner that foiled the melodrama Trixie had tried to create. All the same. Her voice was not so tempered as to soil the verisimilitude of her accusations. However, it was steeled enough to strike decisively. “I remember your words. Your insults to my profession, my family, my passion, and my way of life. Take them back.”

“Oh, you know she never surrenders, Maud. Rocks are still boring and hardly worth anypony’s time. And she’d still advise you to take what little ‘passion’ you have and invest it in something somepony actually cares about!”

“How dare you,” came Maud Pie’s shallow voice again. She did not waver her eyes, nor her knees. “I challenge you to a duel.”

“Again? Fine, if you’re so anxious to have another. But let’s make this quick, hm? Trixie has to practice for the Competition yet today.”

“This time, I will not be defeated.”

Amy nudged Miss Doo’s shoulder. “Um, what is happening right now?”

Boom! The curtain rises! A sound like timpani and cymbals struck from on high!

The nemesis had charged forward at vicious speed, cracking the earth as her forehoof clashed with Trixie’s sword, conjured at the last possible moment. Sparks flew off of the blade, showering the combatants in pink glitter and the sound of arcing electricity. The staleness on Maud’s face, that stony glare was an object of determination. Maud pushed, pushed with her might, causing Trixie to slide backward on the road and dig into the stones with her hindhooves. Maud’s power must have put the smile on Trixie’s face.

“Nnnot… bad… Pie…!” her teeth grit. “But!”

Trixie vanished, reappearing on an empty stone bench not far with her usual flair. “You’re going to have to be faster than the—“

Crash!

Maud Pie had charged headlong, and in an instant had broken the bench in half with another crackling strike. Dust scattered in a blunt cloud. Trixie managed to flee preemptively with a graceful dodge.

“Goodness, Maud!” lilted Trixie from just off the road. “You have so much talent, but so little aptitude to use it.”

As the dust cleared, Maud could be seen raising her head. Pebbles and stone dust rolled off of her smooth mane, scattering to the floor like marbles. She had used her forehead to shatter the bench, now in twain at her hooves. Her posture was so focused, so potent as she moved to face her opponent again. “I have been waiting for this Trixie.” she deadpanned. “I have written poetry for this occasion.”

“Ha! Really?” Trixie teased, chuckling from a fair distance away. “Do tell!”

Maud lifted a cleaved half of the bench over her head with a single hoof.

Rock.

You are crushed because you got crushed.

But you do not despair.

Rocks do not have feelings.

Maud hurled the chunk of rubble at Trixie, only to have her easily avoid the attack by sliding to the left. She spoke after the boulder bounced loudly on the cobbled ground. “Honestly, Maud. Is that even metaphorically relevant?” The nemesis reared, lifting the second hunk of debris and charging like an avalanche to fight Trixie head-on, slamming the rock into the ground in front of her. It crashed, shattering its debris. But Trixie had jumped up. She had used a jumping spell to gain considerable height, eclipsing the sun for a blink as she reached her peak. “At least try to make your words meaningful!” she called from above.

Maud replied shortly. “Rocks are great, Trixie. Do you not get it?”

“Trixie ‘gets it’ just fine!”

The showmare was careening like a shooting star, launching bright fireworks down at her foe in succession. Maud lifted a large and flat stone from the road, and used it to defend from Trixie’s inevitable finale. “I don’t think you do.” she replied. Her words were solemn, but her voice was not.

What art thou, rock?

A rock is a solid collection of minerals that exist within the earth.

You, as a rock, have no hence nor since.

Eternal.

What art thou, rock?

Thou art eternity given form.

Trixie’s magic sword sizzled. When she landed, the sharp of her blade seared through Maud’s defense, slowly melting the stone until her opponent pushed back hard. To that, Trixie had a brief retreat to avoid the earth pony’s desperate strike.

“Humph!” Trixie grunted, smiling and proud of herself. “You’re wounded, Maud Pie.”

She was unfazed by the bruise on her shoulder. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Trixie chortled antagonistically. “Ha ha ha ha ha~! Just what I’d expect from my nemesis!”

“Give up, Trixie. Can’t you see what I’m talking about?” she flatly asked. “Rocks are good. And interesting.”

“Rocks are boring! Trixie has no time for petty squabbles; let’s finish this!”

“Okay, Trixie. I’ll show you how special rocks are to me.”

The two mares locked gazes firmly, neither stepping down despite whom was correct. A few moments later, the final moves were made.

Lo, rock, where hast thou gone?

Are you beneath the earth? High, high in the mountains? Lingering on the edge of the horizon?

Rocks are deep. Deep down, and very full of rockness.

But not just literally; they are figuratively deep.

Lo, rock, where hast thou been?

Magma, you were hot. Very hot. Too hot to touch.

Then you cooled and became a rock.

Do you remember?

Lo, rock, where will thou go?

Rocks do not go anywhere.

You cannot move, except by gravity.

Rocks are always falling.

Lo, rock, I will search for thee.

Thou art not so deep to be forgotten.

Thou art not hotter than my love for thee.

Thou will fly in my eyes.

Throughout this world, I will search for thee.

Oh. Um.

It would seem that Maud Pie hath been dunked on. During her previous poem, Trixie had used a kinesis spell to bury her with large stones from the road, wearing the earth pony considerably until she could stand no longer. The cobbled street had been ripped up, now leaving the flat stones in a shambling heap on top of Maud. Trixie had gotten on top of one, looking down her nose at her defeated foe, again. With that, there had been a tired, but flashy smirk on her face. Maud had only looked down a moment in defeat, not so weak that her eyes had been closed. Now, she looked up at the showmare.

There had been no space to record their battle over the verses. Too bad, but of little consequence.

“Huff… Humph…!” The showmare gasped her words, almost out of breath. “Ha…! I hope you’ve had….! Enough, Maud Pie!”

From beneath the bunker of stones, the earth pony stirred slightly. “Yes,” she said, her voice becoming slightly rugose.

“H…ha…! Any last words…!?”

Maud blinked a few times, obviously as a function of contemplation, then spoke. “Rocks will always be special to me, Trixie. I’m sorry that you can’t see it.”

“Ha…! Trixie can always, um…” Her bravado had quickly dropped once the words’ meanings met her. She brought a hoof to her chin, mouth twisted as if she was caught in a lie. “What? No, I… Trixie sees.. she can, she just—!”

“I’m leaving. Please get off of me.”

“Oh…! A-a-apologies…”

A flustered swish of Trixie’s horn lifted every fallen piece of stone from the pile. The magenta glow escorted each of them from whence they came, fitting broken rubble back together and tucking them into their original places in the road. Maud Pie watched them. Her eyes followed every detail, every act of unity as the rocks passed by overhead like clouds tepid with rain. Or rather, like floating rocks, for that is what they actually were.

Trixie watched her defeated foe, something expectant caught on her eyebrows. But Maud did not respond, only returning to the conversation for a moment to say her farewell. Her voice was dry as a rock.

“Bye, Trixie.”

No other words came to anypony as Maud Pie’s hoofbeats whispered down the path and out of sight. Trixie only watched the back of Maud’s head for a moment or two before becoming crestfallen. For just a moment, though it was difficult to see with her hat on, her ears fell as her frown sunk. But soon enough, the haze of battle lifted. A hoofful of ponies that had stopped from fear or fascination resumed their activities and practices. A few arrived late, looking about for a battle now ended.

It was then that Miss Doo and Amethyst Star emerged from the audience.

Miss Doo started. “Trixie…? Are you, um…?” Her words got tangled, unable to grasp what she was trying to ask.

“H…ha!” the showmare hesitated. “F-f-fear not, Miss Doo and Amethyst Star! Trixie still has plenty of time to practice for the Competition! Y-you’ll see! Trixie will impress; she g-guaruntees it!” She had pointed a hoof to emphasize this point, though at nopony in particular. To this end, it lingered at the end of her proclamation awkwardly before she continued. “S-s-she will see you then!” Poof! Trixie twirled her cape once, vanishing underneath it. The thing breezed up on the wind a little, blowing down the path a short ways.

Miss Doo was a little mystified at the dandelion Trixie had blown until until Amy nudged her shoulder again. The pegasus gasped to attention.

“You gonna get that?” the youngster snarked, nudging toward the flowing cloth.

“Oh!”