Double Trouble

by StormLuna

Busted!

Departing Canterlot

The past week in Canterlot had been very stressful for Starlight as she had to fill in for Princess Celestia while she was ill, taking care of everything from daily court to making major economic decisions regarding construction requests from various communities across Equestria. After checking on Celestia one more time and discovering that she was feeling better, she was allowed to return to Ponyville.

As they left the palace Starlight said, "You know Spike, I don't think I've ever been so relieved in my life! It will be so nice to get back to Ponyville and be with my friends."

Spike replied, "I bet. At least once we get back home I won't be locked up in your old study tower while you're handling important business, at least I can be out and about again."

Starlight sighed, "Spike, I know you are upset that I had a lot of meetings but you have to realize, it was over matters......" Starlight's ears shot up and her sixth sense kicked in, "Spike, we have to hurry up and get home. Something isn't right back in Ponyville."

Spike knew how Starlight would get when her sixth sense kicked in and asked, "Starlight, what do you think could be going on? Is it something bad?"

Starlight levitated Spike onto her back and yelled, "No time for small talk! The train for Ponyville leaves in five minutes, we need to hurry up and get to the station."

Starlight broke into a full gallop as she rushed to the station. When she arrived, she was able to buy their tickets and board the train with seconds to spare. By the time they got seated, Starlight had already begun to sweat and her mane became a bit unkempt like it always does when she gets nervous.

Spike saw this and suggested, "Starlight, you need to calm down. I know you get paranoid but what could possibly be going on that would make you this nervous."

Starlight replied, "I'm not sure but I do know one thing, things won't be good if we don't get home soon."

---

Harassing Celestia's Students

After engaging in some mischief that morning, Trixie and Sunburst decided to avoid passing by the market in the event the local florists were to see them and come after them. The route they took led them through a quiet part of town but one thing they didn't know is that it led them by an apartment owned by the government, a building that four ponies they weren't fond of lived in.

As they were passing by it, four ponies came out and immediately noticed them. Three of them looked at the two in shock that they would still be in town but one gave them a frown. Moondancer glared at them and commented, "Oh, so the two charlatans are still in town I see."

Trixie yelled, "Just because we are showponies does not mean we are charlatans!"

Moondancer sneered, "Oh really? Then why is it that when you allegedly did that transfiguration spell, you had to throw smoke balls down." She then turned her attention to Sunburst and added, "Oh that's right, it is because your friend here can swap the apple out for the orange, that's why!"

Neither one of the two were thrilled with her behavior but Trixie wanted to nip that in the bud. Trixie laughed, "Oh so you think The Great and Powerful Trixie can't do transfiguration spells?" She then began to laugh, "Watch this!"

She grabbed Moondancer's glasses in her aura, focused on them, fired some energy at them and yelled, "Snake" causing her glasses to be transformed into a garden snake.

Sunburst knew that if one of them knew how to reverse the spell that they would have to have the original object and he wanted to make acquiring it more difficult on them. He grabbed the snake in his aura, focused and then duplicated it. Suddenly Moondancer could hardly see and yelled, "Stop it you two, I can't see!"

Trixie laughed, "Still think we are charlatans?"

While Moondancer was struggling to get around, Minuette grabbed the snakes in her aura and demanded, "You change that snake back right now."

Sunburst mocked, "Oooh, you change that snake back right now!" He then laughed, "And what if we don't?"

Trixie added, "Are you going to tell Celestia's favorite pet about this? Are you going to snitch on The Great and Powerful Trixie?"

Lyra grabbed Trixie in her aura and snapped, "Yes we will and trust me, Starlight will not be one bit happy and given how advanced her magic is, maybe she will turn YOU into a snake!"

Lyra's hold on Trixie was strong enough that all she could do was mumble but Sunburst would answer for her, "Give us a break. Starlight may have advanced magic but no way could she turn either one of us into anything!"

Lyra released her hold on Trixie and demanded, "Now you tell us, which snake is the original?"

Trixie was sick and tired of dealing with those four knowing that they needed to get to the library in a decent amount of time in the event Starlight was to return home that day. She grabbed the snake in Minuette's right hoof, focused on it, fired energy at it and yelled, "Moondancer's glasses."

Immediately the snake transformed back and her glasses were returned to her. When she could see again, Moondancer gave the two a death look and growled, "You know what, I'd hate to be you when Starlight gets a hold of you!"

Twinkleshine added, "Yeah, she'll probably haul you two failures up to Princess Celestia!"

Sunburst mocked, "Oooh, she'll haul us up to Celestia. Why, so she can tell us we were bad students?"

Trixie wanted to leave and suggested, "Come on Sunburst, we have better things to do that deal with these four."

Sunburst nodded and they rushed away from the apartment in the direction of the library. The two knew that they had better do what they planned with the library and then get out of town in the event Starlight's friends were to follow them or worse, Starlight was to get home and catch them.

---

Caught in the Act

Trixie and Sunburst ran as fast as they could and by the time they reached the library, Starlight's friends were nowhere to be seen. The two looked at the library, gave one another a smile and realized the time had come. Sunburst asked, "Well, who gets to do this?"

Trixie boasted, "Well, The Great and Powerful Trixie should because she hates Starlight more!"

Trixie grabbed the library in her aura, focused on it intently, fired some energy at it and yelled, "tea cup" and immediately there was a tea cup where the library was. The two knew that if there was only one and they got caught, that it would be easy for it to be transformed so Sunburst cast multiple duplication spells, changing what was just one tea cup into a whole pile of them.

After he did this, the two began dancing around and cheering about how they had got revenge for Starlight failing them when they were young. Their celebrating would not last long when they suddenly found themselves being held in somepony's aura. They figured that it was likely that of one of Starlight's friends and that they should be able to break out of them until they were approached by a very angry unicorn and a baby dragon.

The unicorn yelled, "What the hay are you two doing?"

Spike added, "What did you two do to the library?"

Starlight released her hold on the two enough that they could speak. She gave the two a glare and snapped, "Would you two care to explain this? Would you care to explain how my home turned into a pile of tea cups?"

Despite knowing that they were likely in a load of trouble they began to snicker. Sunburst began, "Well, you were a horrible tutor so The Brilliant and Amazing Sunburst..."

Trixie interrupted, "And The Great and Powerful Trixie decided you should be punished for making sure we failed our remedial magic exams."

Starlight snapped, "You know what, you two simply didn't have it in you to cast those spells." She intensified her hold on them again and continued, "Speaking of casting spells, how is it you two can suddenly cast transfiguration spells and duplication spells?"

Spike added, "Yeah, last time we saw you two, you were below average showponies."

They again tried to speak so Starlight lessened her hold on them. Once she could speak again Trixie laughed, "Well, that unicorn with the glasses learned the hard way you don't call The Great and Powerful Trixie a charlatan so she had to do what she had to do to fix that!"

Starlight got up in her face and snapped, "What did you two do to her?"

Before Trixie could reply, a voice interrupted, "She turned my glasses into a snake."

Trixie laughed, "And it was so funny seeing her stumble around and not be able to see!"

Sunburst added, "That was quite humorous, don't you think Moondancer?"

Before Moondancer could reply Starlight intensified her hold on Trixie and Sunburst to the point to where they couldn't move. She turned to her friends and asked, "Did Lemon Hearts witness any of this?"

Twinkleshine asked, "No she didn't but why do you have to know?"

Starlight replied, "I need to know because WE are taking these two up to Canterlot so they can answer to Celestia and she will likely need answers from everypony who saw this."

Twinkleshine asked in return, "Well no she didn't but are we going to go now?"

Starlight replied, "Yes we......" She released her hold on Trixie and Sunburst and ordered, "But before we go, whichever one of you two turned my home into a tea cup will change it back!"

Trixie boasted, "Well The Great and Powerful Trixie does not know which one is the original so she can't change it back."

Starlight turned to Sunburst and asked, "Do you know which tea cup it is?"

Sunburst walked over to the pile of tea cups and found the one that he believed to be the original and said, "The Brilliant and Amazing......"

Starlight glared at him and ordered, "Just speak normally, alright?" She then turned to Trixie and ordered, "Now change that tea cup back to my library."

Trixie began to mumble something before changing the tea cup back to the library. Once she did that, Starlight grabbed the two in her aura and ordered, "Follow me ladies, follow me Spike, we're taking these two up to Canterlot so they can answer to Celestia."

Given everything that happened up in Canterlot, Spike was not exactly in the mood to have to go right back. He asked, "Starlight, do you think I could go over to Sweet Apple Acres and visit Lemon Hearts? I don't feel like being forced out or anything when you take care of whatever business you'll be dealing with."

Starlight sighed, "Very well, perhaps it is for the best you stay here anyway. I don't know how long this will take and I'm sure you can't stay by my side during all of this."

Spike replied, "Thanks Starlight!"

As they headed towards the train station, Starlight intensified her hold on the two to the point where all they could do was breathe. Starlight had a feeling that she would encounter them again one day when they failed their remedial magic exams but never imagined it would be like this.

Comments

[Speedy Silverstreak]

I'd say.........

A year in maximum security prison with very bad criminals should do.

Granted I'm going off easy

[StormLuna]

8674231

What they did to Moondancer certainly isn't going to help their case any.

[Speedy Silverstreak]

8675441
Your right.

Two years minimum

[StormLuna]

8675490

It depends on who gets to make the decision. With Celestia, perhaps so. Given that it happened to Starlight's best friend, well she would have a much harsher punishment in mind.....one that would be seen at night.

[Speedy Silverstreak]

8675511
Hey. If Luna was still there she would've appreciated the company

[StormLuna]

8675533

I'm not sure if Luna would want to put up with them the way their personalities are....although I'm sure it would have beat being all alone.