Something to be Proud of

by Eighth

Taking a Stance

"Okay Trixie," says Trixie's own voice in her head in a hearty attempt to be reassuring, "You can do this. This is one of the hardest things you will do, but you're going to pretend otherwise. Take Anon's approach. Tell everyone how wise and strong you are until they believe it."

Trixie skulks through the school halls, carefully looking around each corner before stepping out. Any minute now, Rotten Apple and Floribunda will appear to give Trixie a hard time. She and Anon went through so many details, possiblities, and scenarios until you could decide the best one. The dunderhead duo won't be able to help themselves, especially if Trixie looks like she is trying to avoid trouble.

As she makes the third circle around the hall, she decides to try Anon's idea. He was adamant about it but Trixie didn't see how it'd work. She went to her locker, opened it up, and pretended to root around. Then, once she closed the door she saw Rotten Apple's toothy grin appear. The sudden surprise causes Trixie to help. Which makes Rotten smile wider, then from behind him appears Floribunda who looks down her nose at Trixie. Trixie makes a mental note to kick Anon for being right.

"Well, Trixie. What are you up to?"

"Go away," Trixie jeers before poking out her tongue.

Rotten Apple's smile turns into a grimace before reverting back. A big part of Trixie feels impatient, it urges her to just cut straight to the challenge. She takes a sharp breath and hardened her commitment to the plan.

"That's not very nice," Rotten Apple says as he turns back to Floribunda for the usual parroting opinion.

"I'm not in the mood for this today."

Trixie tries to squeeze past the already cramped space between Rotten and the lockers. So, as one would expect, Rotten Apple blocks the way.

"What has got you in such a sour mood? Was it Professor Inkwell?"

She shoots a quick scathing glance up at him. Internally, Trixie pats herself on the back. If there was a drama class in this school, it'd be her best class. This whole scene is taking a mental fortitude Trixie didn't know she had, having the ability to look so angry while not laughing right in Rotten Apple and Floribunda's face for taking this bait so easily.

"No," Trixie retorts defiantly.

"I heard you were going to get kicked out soon," Floribunda adds from behind Rotten Apple, "They're probably ashamed to have let a unicorn of your ability in."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh?" Rotten Apple pushes, believing they're onto something, "So how did you get in this school then? You're useless at magic after all, so what was the trick?"

"I performed magic the likes of which you'll never see in a million years," Trixie brags.

The two look at each other and laugh.

"Don't believe me? I'll prove it. In a duel."

"A duel? With you?" Floribunda jeers.

"Get real Trixie."

"Scared?"

---

Trixie paces back and forth behind the school gym. Emotions rock back and forth inside her with the force of a tsunami. She did it. She reminds herself over and over with a giddy pride that she goaded Rotten Apple into this duel and he never suspected a thing. But then, she reminds herself she is about to duel Rotten Apple. It's pretty much a consensus among the students that Rotten Apple is the strongest unicorn there. Obviously not counting the adults. Rotten is smart, sly, strong and harsher than any other. Even if he's not the best at everything, they're all too scared to find out. Then there is Floribunda who capable in her own way. It adds to his atmosphere. He has free reign to mess with whoever he pleases.

"Until today," Trixie tells herself to try and cling to whatever confidence she has.

Like a wave of adrenaline, the belief in herself has been fading. Any attempt to build herself up is met with an equally effective strike in knocking herself down. And Trixie remarks to herself, that she has never been so scared before. Floribunda and Rotten Apple were wandering around the school to tell people they know won't dob on them to the teachers. Because those like Rotten Apple get a rush from an audience. Then the chattering of student reveals their approach.

"I'm surprised you were here," sneers Floribunda.

"Let's get this over with."

"So eager?" Rotten Apple curiously replies.

The two unicorns take a stance at opposite ends each other as onlookers take up a position on the sides, leaving the area behind the duelists free in case of stray magic.

"Ladies first," snorts Rotten.

With a great ease, Trixie whirls up a little light with wings with a warm blue glow. The little wisp flutters about, small bits of glitter fall from its wings like a kind of pixie dust. A few of the girls from the crowd can be heard remarking how cute it is or gasping as they call out "fairy."

A red bolt fires from Rotten Apple right at the tiny ball of light. The light of the magic envelops and morhps it. The shape is stretched and pulled, twisted and compressed as the texture turns wooden. Slowly the fairy creature is changed into a small trebuchet that launches a rock at Trixie.

Without hesitation, Trixie shoots a bolt and turns the rock into a seed that then sprouts into the same flower Trixie grew with Anon's help.

The stare between them intensifies. They glare, almost daring the other to blink first. Then without warning, Rotten Apple takes his turn. The flower freezes over, the ice seems to continue growing and growing in size as it takes the shape of Rotten Apple. The likeness is mediocre. If it weren't for him standing near it, then you'd likely never guess it was him proudly beaming down on Trixie with his usual arrogance. Still, this is impressive magic to a bunch of novices so a series of ooh's and ah's echo from the audience. Which only inflates Rotten Apple's ego.

"Come on blank flank, what else have you got?"

Thinking of hot and fiery thoughts, Trixie immolates the ice sculpture's face to make disfigure ice Rotten Apple's face. His gaw falls slack with what looks like a tongue hanging out, an eye has closed, and his unicorn horn has sagged like a wet sausage.

The gathering of students laugh. Loudly. And it smacks the smirk right off Rotten. He glares at Trixie who is laughing at her own handiwork.

"Enough," bellows Rotten as he shatters the sculpture.

"There is no need be upset," Trixie smiles warmly, doing her absolute best to seem as friendly and genuine as possible.

Rotten's teeth grind as the laughter continues. Then in a red haze, he fires a bolt at Trixie's feet. She is quick enough to raise her hoof in time to miss it but the now smoking spot still does a bit of damage, if only morally. Trixie looks into the eyes of her opponent to see him ready to fire another, and then makes what she can only think of as the wisest decision, and runs.

"Get back here," howls Rotten.

He fires two more bolts, easily dodged with a zig-zag maneuver as Trixie refuses to look anywhere that isn't over her shoulder. The scene she finds herself glued to is like a rabid dog after smaller prey, only without the foaming mouth. This spurs her little legs to hit the ground harder and faster than she ever has before. Then after a few more lengths, she decides she must tear her eyes away and look forward. Which turns to be just in time as the school walls get closer.

"What are you doing?" Trixie mumbles to herself as she whirs around and lets loose her own magic as Rotten hurls his.

The two bits of magic collide and cause a huge knockback effect. Rotten Apple is sent sliding back for metres on end, tearing up the grass as he goes while Trixie is slammed into the wall. The effect winds her. Her lungs scream for air and her throat feels drier than if she were in a desert. When she tries to speak, all that comes out if a suffocated gasp, though she has no idea what she would say. Looking up, Rotten Apple is still motionless for a moment before he begins to steadily rise and all the students are rushing over to see.

"What is going on here?" Shrieks what can only be a teacher off in the distance.

Trixie gives up and makes a break for it. She rushes past Rotten as he gets to his feet just in time to dart through the mass of fillies and out the other side. She doesn't slow down either. As Rotten Apple tries to find out where in the crowd she is, Trixie heads towards the Witching Thicket.