Twilight the Third

by MagnetBolt

Prestidigitation Part Two! - Mind Over Magic

"There was no sign of anypony on the roof across the street," Gilda said, when she sat down at the table. "There also weren't signs of trash, dirt, animals..."

"Someone dropped a cleaning spell?" Twilight asked. Gilda nodded. "So it's probably a unicorn. Can't be Black Tie, since he's an earth pony."

"He could have hired a unicorn," Maud said. Her dress was gone and had been replaced with bandages. Trixie kept looking at her, guiltily. "A good unicorn wouldn't even need a crossbow. I saw one throw knives with telekinesis so hard that they went through rock."

"Not a lot of unicorns that are that good," Twilight noted. "It's more likely that it's a pony with a crossbow."

"Not a lot of unicorns are that good, but there are a lot of them in town right now for the competition," Trixie noted. "There are only seven actual competitors, but more come to watch the show."

"Of the seven competitors, two are pegasi, one is an earth pony, three are unicorns, and one is a Yak," Twilight said. "For the record, I don't think it's the Yak. He hasn't even been in the country for a year."

"It's got to be Black Tie," Trixie said. "The accidents follow his competition around like a curse."

"Maybe we should go talk to him," Gilda said. "Let him know that we're onto his game. He already made a move, we need to respond to it." She slammed a talon into the table, rattling the cups. "You don't win at Battleclouds by refusing to take a shot!"

"I'm not going to use the same tactics he is," Trixie said. "I want to win fairly."

"Not all problems can be solved fairly," Twilight shrugged. "Some things are simple and straightforward like a hammer, but if you wanna open a bottle of wine, you gotta be as twisty as a corkscrew."

"I have an idea," Maud said. Eyes turned to her.

---

Episode 8
Prestidigitation Part Two! - Mind Over Magic

---

"This is a terrible idea," Twilight groaned.

"Stay still so we can put in the mane extensions!" Trixie snapped. "And you have to learn to act like me."

"I'm a master of disguise, you know," Twilight protested. "I have a certificate!"

"You bought the certificate from a con artist," Gilda said. She leaned against the wall, watching as Trixie tried to make Twilight look less like a rogue and more like a showmare.

"And then I stole the money back," Twilight retorted. "So I came out ahead. Besides, Groomsby gave me a lot of great mustache tips."

"You have to admit it's a solid plan," Trixie said. "If you're taking my place, you'll be the target of whatever evil plans and curses they have. It'll be easier to see it coming if you're the target."

"That's what I'm worried about," Twilight said. "I'm really not looking forward to having a target painted on my flank."

"It's a magic wand, not a target," Trixie noted. She followed it up with a quick slap as she applied the false cutie marks to Twilight's flanks. They wouldn't last more than a day (considerably less if they got wet) but they were good enough to fool even a trained eye at a fairly short distance. Having a cape over them helped to hide any small defects.

"I'm surprised you had those ready to go," Gilda said.

"I did a disappearing and reappearing trick once that required I be in two places at once," Trixie explained. "The easiest option was for me to have my beautiful assistant be my twin for the night."

"Too bad you've only got Twilight instead of a beautiful assistant," Gilda quipped, smirking. Twilight glared at her until the expression was smothered by a hat being put on her head.

"Be careful with those," Trixie said. "A magician's cape and hat are expensive and very difficult to replace. They have to be custom made, and it's expensive to make sure the tailor doesn't reveal the secrets."

"Does this hat have a flask in it?" Twilight asked, reaching up and touching the tip with a hoof.

"Yes. I'd appreciate if you refilled it with decent gin if you're going to be drinking from it," Trixie said. "I've removed most of the other little features so you don't have to worry about flash paper going off. The cape's lining can be detached and allow it to expand to several times its apparent size, and there's a hidden pocket in the collar."

"With hoofcuff keys in it, I see," Twilight noted.

"Yes. Now, the most important thing will be to sell the act." Trixie huffed. "I trust you can manage to act like me?"

"The Agile and Clever Twilight Sparkle can sell any act!" Twilight declared. "She will amaze you with her ability to pretend to be Trixie!"

"Close enough," Trixie sighed.

---

Shining Armor walked down the street. A small crowd had gathered, watching something. There was a burst of magical light and sound and Shining Armor's first thought was that he was witnessing a fight. He pushed through to the front of the crowd.

"Is this your card?" Asked a mare in a hat and cape standing behind a table. She smiled at the foal standing in front of her. The colt shook his head.

"No, Miss Trixie," the colt said. "That's the seven of diamonds."

"Really?" Trixie looked at the card. "But then what's that in your saddlebags?"

"My saddlebags?" The colt reached in and blinked in surprise, taking out a card. "The three of clubs?"

"Is that your card?" Trixie asked, smirking. It was a very familiar smirk.

"How did you do that?" The colt held the card out, and Trixie took it, shuffling it back into the deck she held and putting it on the table she'd set up on the street.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is the greatest magician in all of Equestria," Trixie said. She tapped her horn. "And she did all that without even having to use magic."

Shining Armor considered what to say. He'd gone to all the trouble of pushing his way to the front, and his instinct as a Royal Guard demanded that he say something to justify his presence.

"What's all this, then?" He asked. The Sergeant who had trained him would have been proud of his dedication to tradition.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is putting on a small show," Trixie explained.

"Weren't you involved with that suspicious fire in the boarding house?" Shining Armor frowned. "Not to mention all of the other things that I should arrest you for?"

"Trixie reminds you that nothing was ever proven in a court of law," Trixie said. She put three cards out on the table, the deck to the side. With a wave of her hoof she flipped them over. "Perhaps you'd like to play a game?"

"What are the stakes?" Shining Armor asked.

"Trixie would love to take your money, but gambling is sadly illegal in this city. Instead, find the Princess and Trixie will answer a question. If you don't, Trixie will ask you a question."

"Or I could drag you by your ear to the local guard post and make you tell me everything," Shining Armor countered.

"You could drag me there," Trixie agreed. "And Trixie would say nothing, and you would have to let her go after a few hours where both of us would be annoyed and inconvenienced." She flipped the cards back over and mixed them up. "Or you can play Trixie's game."

"Fine," Shining Armor grumbled. He pointed to a card and Trixie flipped it over, revealing a stylized version of Celestia.

"Very good," Trixie smiled. "Ask Trixie anything."

"Did you start the fire in the boarding house?"

"Trixie was attacked. A careful investigator would find the remains of a crossbow bolt among her alchemy set. It was on fire when it came through the window."

"Then why didn't you report the attack to the Guard?" Shining Armor demanded.

"One Princess, one question," Trixie retorted, shuffling them again. Shining Armor watched her hooves carefully and pointed at a card.

"The three of clubs. Why is the captain of the guard here in the city?"

"That's an easy one. I'm here to catch Twilight Sparkle. She's here to try and steal something, I can just feel it in my bones! It's got to be connected to the magic contest!"

"The one with free admission."

"Right."

"And no prize money."

"That's the one."

"What would she even steal?" Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Disappearing flowers?" She produced a white rose from thin air and stuck it behind Shining Armor's ear.

"I don't know," Shining Armor admitted, frowning. "Maybe she's just in it to make sure one of her old friends wins. There've been accusations of foul play for years."

Trixie shuffled the cards in front of her. Shining Armor flipped one open at random, holding his breath. He'd sworn the cards had actually gone through each other in her hooves, she'd moved them so quickly.

Celestia's face smiled up at him.

"Right, so, why didn't you report the attack to the Guard?" Shining Armor said, relaxing.

"I didn't feel like it," Trixie said.

"That's not an answer."

"Fine, if you really must know..." Trixie hesitated. "I'm competing in the competition in a few days. If I get involved in a police investigation, or put into protective custody, or anything like that, I might be disqualified, or worse."

"Worse?" Shining Armor asked.

"I might end up dead in a cell," Trixie patiently explained. "No offense, but a lot of the locals are about as sharp as a sack of hammers. Not like you, of course, Captain. You're an example to all of us."

"I can make sure you're protected," Shining Armor whispered.

Trixie patted his cheek. "I know you'd try. How about one more round?" She reshuffled the cards.

Shining Armor glared and pointed at a card. She flipped it over and revealed a joker. There hadn't even been a joker in them before.

"Sorry, Captain. I guess you're only breaking even on luck today."

"Well, what's your question? You must have one with the way you're stacking the cards. Find the Princess has never been a fair game."

"Oh, well," Trixie smiled crookedly. "I think I'll save it for later. Call it an IOU for an answer?"

Something about that smile gave Shining Armor pause. It reminded him of a smile he'd seen before, many times. He was about to say something regarding it when he spotted the motion in the corner of his eye.

He pushed Trixie back with his magic just as the sword came down on the table. Cards, many of them cleanly bisected, fountained into the air.

"Talk about cutting the deck!" Trixie yelped. The crowd screamed and started trampling over each other to get away, the ones closest to the table running fastest, or at least trying to, on account of being nearest to a large sharp thing. Unfortunately, there was a slower-moving crowd between them and safety, and this resulted in a lot of pushing and shoving and a general lack of quick progress.

"Stop right-" Shining Armor looked at the end of the sword. Not the sharp end, the other one, where traditionally there was somepony holding it. There was nothing there. For a moment he thought it had just been thrown, until the blade rose back up into the air, without a magic aura around it.

"What kind of mess has Trixie gotten herself into this time?" Trixie muttered.

"How is it doing that?" Shining Armor asked.

"Does Trixie look like she's an expert in magic?"

There was a significant pause.

"Okay, yes, Trixie concedes that she looks like an expert in magic."

Shining Armor blocked the sword as it swung at Trixie, the edge scraping along his shield. He had an eye for weapons, and he could immediately tell two things - first, this wasn't really a practical sword. It was too big and heavy and stylized in the fashion of curved Saddle Arabian blades. It was meant to be impressive and showy and had a gilded hilt that would never stand up in a real fight.

It was also, he noted, as sharp as a razor.

"Hah! Trixie has figured out the trick!" Trixie fired a blast of magic through the place where a pony would be standing if they were holding a sword. "Never mind! Not an invisible swordspony!" She screamed and ducked as a horizontal slash almost took her head off her shoulders and instead took the tip off of her hat. Gin splashed to the ground.

"Not an invisible swordpony, no magic aura... Aha!" Shining Armor picked up the fallen table and threw it above the sword, intending to catch the invisible wires holding it up. What he discovered, as the table went through the air without hitting anything, was that there were in fact no invisible wires. "Well now I'm out of ideas too."

"Trixie has one idea left."

"I'd love to hear it," Shining Armor said.

"It's a disappearing act." She tipped what remained of her hat and vanished in a burst of pink teleportation.

Shining Armor looked nervously at the sword. It twitched in the air, then flipped around and flew back over the heads of the still-escaping crowd, dipping into an alleyway and disappearing from sight.

---

"You ruined my hat," Trixie noted. "The competition is tonight, Twilight! What if I need a backup hat?! I'm due to be on stage in an hour!"

"I almost got killed!" Twilight protested, as she threw what was left of the hat on the floor. "So much for you all covering me. I have no idea how they did it! There was no visible aura on the sword, no wires holding it up, and no invisible pony using it."

"I couldn't do anything with Shining Armor there," Gilda muttered.

"A phantom sword," Trixie considered. "Outside, with so many ponies around, there aren't a lot of ways to manipulate it, at least not with that kind of strength."

"How would you do it?" Maud asked.

"Me? Outside like that?" Trixie paced for a few moments. "I'd use a fake table that was designed to break in half and the sword would just be an illusion."

"It wasn't an illusion," Twilight said. "The thing almost gave me a very close manecut! So close it goes all the way through my neck!"

"If I needed to use it as a weapon, I'd... have to use magic. It can't be done otherwise." Trixie kept pacing. "You can disguise that you're casting a spell, wear a hat over your horn like I do and don't use enough magic that you shine right through the material. A come-to-life spell would just make the sword hop on the ground or slither like a metal snake, it couldn't make it fly."

"What about, um, that gravity reversing spell?" Gilda asked. "The one you use all the time, Twilight."

"It'd fly, sure," Twilight snorted. "Right into the sky and you'd never see it again. Had to be telekinesis. Really strong telekinesis, too, but it couldn't be, because there wasn't an aura."

"What if..." Maud hesitated. Eyes turned to look. Maud never hesitated. "Wat if there was an aura, but you just couldn't see it?"

---

Black Tie adjusted his tie. It ended up a little crooked. When he looked away, it straightened, apparently by itself. He didn't notice. He wasn't a terribly perceptive pony, in some ways. He had the same blind spot a lot of successful but not very introspective ponies had - he attributed anything good happening to his own skill.

"How do I look?" Black Tie asked.

"Wonderful as always," Pinstripe said, blushing. She opened the door for him. He didn't notice that she didn't have to touch it, or that the knob turned on its own. "I'm glad you've decided to perform here more often."

"Well, this stage is good luck," Black Tie noted. "Whenever I'm here everything just seems to go right. Maybe it's Pepper's Ghost."

"Ghosts aren't real," Pinstripe said, quietly, frowning.

---

"An aura you can't see?" Gilda asked.

"A magical aura could be any color, right?" Maud asked.

"In theory, though there are some shades that are more common than others," Trixie said. "Blue, pink, and yellow tend to be the most common, in that order."

"On the farm, sometimes we'd use these special lamps to identify rock," Maud said. "They had black bulbs and they didn't look like they were making much light at all, but-"

"-but they'd make some types of rock glow or change color, right?" Twilight asked. "That's because of the ultraviolet light. The lamp was actually really bright but... we couldn't see it because we can't see ultraviolet."

"If something's glowing in a color you can't see, that's the same as not glowing at all," Maud said.

"We've been thinking about this all wrong," Twilight said. "Black Tie - he's no unicorn, he can't be doing all of this, but... Trixie, you said you saw him in Las Pegasus and he was only okay. But here he's good enough to win a competition of judges who are basing things on skill alone."

"Of course."

"Would you say that if he had magical assistance - magical assistance that the judges couldn't see - he'd be much improved?"

"Any magician who had an invisible aura would be astoundingly successful," Trixie said. "You'd have carte blanche to cast as many spells as you wanted!"

"And he didn't have that edge in Las Pegasus, when you saw him. That means it's somepony here. You know the old psychopath test? A mare meets a stallion at her mother's funeral and falls for him, but doesn't get a chance to get his name or number. A few days later she kills her own sister. Why?"

"...Because if he showed up for her mother's funeral he might show up for her sister's," Gilda said, slowly.

"And if a stallion that you fancy wins at a magic competition, he's going to show up next year to defend his title," Trixie whispered. "So somepony gives him some help to make sure he wins. Then he keeps winning, but they can't catch his eye."

"Another competitor?" Twilight asked.

"No," Trixie shook her head. "Black Tie is the only one who was here for every year he was the winner. I checked that angle myself. The only other ponies that have been here every year were..."

"The staff," Twilight finished.

---

"I'm going to win again, I can just feel it," Black Tie said. "Lady Luck is on my side!"

"If you do win, we should go somewhere to celebrate," Pinstripe suggested.

"Capital idea," Black Tie nodded. "I'll invite everyone. I wouldn't trade a trick with an amateur, but I've got good competition this year. Especially that Trixie Lulamoon. I've gone to a few of her shows and I'm still not sure how she did a few of the tricks. I wonder if she'd be interested in a partnership..."

"A partnership?" Pinstripe asked, her voice fragile. Black Tie didn't notice.

"Put on a few shows together, trade tricks, that sort of thing. There are a few routines that I've wanted to do, but you need a good partner for it."

"You know, I'm actually quite skilled myself," Pinstripe noted.

"Well, of course, you see the back end of it. The mechanics and such. Comes with working with all these props, right?" Black Tie shrugged. "Trixie is something special, though. Real charisma. Honestly I just can't see you doing magic."

"Not many can," Pinstripe growled.

---

"What's going on right now?" Twilight asked, as she walked next to Trixie backstage. There was a lot of noise and ponies running around.

"Opening acts," Trixie said. "Comedians, amateur local magicians, that kind of thing. They'll start calling up the competitors soon."

"They need opening acts for a magic show?" Twilight blinked in surprise.

"It's the event of the year, Twilight," Trixie explained. "What the Grand Galloping Gala is to fops and old money, the Equestrian Championships of Magic is for illusionists and entertainers. Even being an opening act ensures that you'll find a patron in the coming year."

"Twilight," Maud said, quietly. "Why aren't we just staying in the dressing room?"

"If the pony is a member of the staff, they've had days to plan whatever they want," Twilight replied, leaning closer to Maud so she could whisper. "It's safer to be out here where they'll have to improvise. Gilda is watching from the rafters to give us some early warning."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Maud said.

"Trixie just has to keep things together until she's on stage," Trixie whispered.

"Watch out!" Gilda's voice hissed from Twilight's earring. Twilight pushed Trixie to the side just as a light fell from above, smashing to the ground. Stagehands jumped in surprise.

"Was that you?" Twilight asked.

"No. But I saw it. Twilight, the damn thing tore free of the rigging on its own. I didn't see any magic at all!"

"I saw something," Maud noted. "Everypony was surprised when it fell. Everypony except her." She pointed.

Pinstripe glared at them.

"I think we found our saboteur," Twilight said.

"I think we're in trouble," Trixie hissed. "We're surrounded by things she could kill us with, and we won't see it coming."

"I'm taking the shot," Gilda whispered. From above, there was a faint twang. A bolt stopped in midair a few inches from Pinstripe's head. She didn't even look at it. It dropped to the ground at her hooves.

"Did she catch it, or was it a shield?" Twilight asked.

"What does that matter?" Trixie asked. There was a groan as a crate scraped along the ground for a moment before being propelled at Trixie's head. Maud caught it with both hooves, the momentum sending her skidding back into Trixie.

"We need to end this quickly," Maud said. "Bodyguarding is much harder than assassination."

"If we attack her it's going to look like we're the ones in the wrong!" Trixie pointed out. "As far as other ponies are concerned, she's just standing there looking at us!"

"You're right," Twilight agreed. "We're on her territory. Time to change that." She ran for an exit. Any exit. There were many of them, half unmarked. As she'd found out on her first visit, the place was like a sieve.

A pile of luggage fell down in front of them, blocking the path.

"This way!" Twilight yelled, going for a different door. As soon as she touched the doorknob it slammed shut in her face with enough force to make her fly back and land on her flank with a bloody nose.

"I don't think she wants us to leave," Trixie said. Pinstripe stalked closer, loose junk from the piles of props surrounding her in a storm of fake flowers, old hats, and false noses.

"Think you can give us another disappearing act?" Twilight asked.

"...No. I'm a showmare. I'm not going to run from the crowd, especially not during the big climax." She took a deep breath and stepped towards Pinstripe.

A knife floated into the air at Pinstripe's side. At this point, stagehands were watching the commotion, paralyzed with fear.

"What do you even want?" Trixie demanded. "Are you really this bent out of shape over a stallion?"

"We could have been perfect together!" Pinstripe snapped. "I'm the reason he keeps winning! But now he wants to partner up with you? You?! You're just some... second-rate sorceress!"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie graduated from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns," Trixie countered. "With very high marks."

"I helped!" Twilight put in.

"You probably cheated," Pinstripe growled, glaring.

"She totally did," Twilight agreed.

"You're not helping," Trixie muttered.

"I've tried for two decades to get ponies to recognize me!" Pinstripe yelled, tears starting to stream down her face. "I've learned spells, I've done so much work, and they all think it's just little tricks! Ponies think I can't even do magic just because they can't see it! I can't even keep a coltfriend! I thought Black Tie could understand, but he doesn't even notice I'm there!"

"Let's all calm down," Maud said, slowly.

Trixie glanced at the knife. It was a long slim, shiny blade with a thick handle wrapped in black. Pinstripe had to have grabbed it from the piles of props and crates lying around.

"If you kill me, you'll never get to be with him," Trixie said, quietly. "Do you really want to go to jail for nothing?"

"Shut up!" Pinstripe snapped, throwing the blade at Trixie. It hit her chest, and the blade buried itself up to the hilt. Trixie fell over, clutching the knife, and curled up around it.

Maud ran over, leaning down and checking on her. Her ears twitched. She looked up.

"She's dead," Maud said, flatly.

Pinstripe started laughing, and the floating debris in the air rained down around her. The laughter quickly turned to tears, and she ran away in a sobbing mess.

"She's gone," Maud noted.

"Finally," Trixie muttered. She stood up and brushed herself off, unhurt. "Thankfully she got the knife out of a prop bin." She produced the blade and tossed it to Twilight.

Twilight pushed the blade against her hoof. The blunt metal slid smoothly into the hilt on a spring.

"This thing looks like a toy," Twilight snorted.

"With the distance between an audience and the stage, all you need is a glint of silver and they'll believe it's real, as sharp as imagination itself." Trixie smiled.

Gilda's voice popped up again. "I have eyes on her. You want me to make sure she doesn't cause trouble ever again?"

"No," Twilight said. "Just alert a guard. Let's give my brother something so he doesn't go home empty-hooved."

"And the Great and Powerful Trixie needs to get ready," Trixie said. "It's almost her turn on stage, and the show must go on."

---

"I can't believe I lost!" Trixie groaned, her head down on the cafe table. "How did I lose to a yak?"

"The part of his act where he made the watermelon explode was exciting and dramatic, and putting it back together was very impressive," Maud stated, impassively. "I thought your trick where you set yourself on fire was better, though."

"Thank you," Trixie said. "I guess that counts for something."

"Shining Armor left for Canterlot this morning with Pinstripe," Twilight said. "And get this - Black Tie went with them. I guess he finally noticed her."

"If she ever gets out of prison she'll be a big hit on stage," Gilda said. "He could barely even shuffle a deck of cards without her help. Poor guy had gotten so used to having unseen helpers that he forgot how to do things himself."

"Thank you for your help," Trixie said. "Even if I didn't win, at least I had a fair shot at it."

"There's always next year," Maud replied. "I'd like to see you perform again."

"You know, after all this nice stuff, I have an urge to steal something really valuable," Twilight said. "What do you think, Gilda?"

"I think I like the sound of that. Back to basics?"

"Yeah," Twilight smiled crookedly, looking down the street at a bank. "And I know just the thing."

Author's Note:

You can't win 'em all, even if you're Trixie.

With all this action I think for the next episode we need something a little more romantic...

Comments

[Torchwood202]

You just keep spewing these chapters out. I love it.

[Mini Minrie]

I NEED Twilight to actually shack up with some sexy mare, preferably Rarity even though i know poor Lupin would never get the chance. Give me my desire, dammit!

Also, if you ever slow down with the updates, i swear to Raptor Jesus that I'll feast upon the succulent flesh of your children.

[Sylica telca]

Im still loving this story. I love how you keep putting out chapters on a bi weekly schedule it's awesome

[lord Martiya]

"I can't believe I lost!" Trixie groaned, her head down on the cafe table. "How did I lose to a yak?"

This one was unexpected...

[MagnetBolt]

8049568

The yak's performance was amazing.

[lord Martiya]

8050844 I suppose that, if that video was the first part...
I also still believe you're actually Monkey Punch in disguise.

[Greatazuredragon]

Interestingly enough my favorite part of the chapter actually was the interaction between disguised Twilight and Shining.

Nice work, keep it up.

[Pinklestia]

8053087

That was fun.

[ShadowLDrago]

"Not many can," Pinstripe growled.

She did it.