Share a Laugh
Daybreaker gnashed her teeth furiously. After everything she had done to divide the Mane 6, none of her attempts had borne fruit. If anything, they were closer than ever. All of her schemes had backfired in ways she had not imagined. And to make matters worse, the ponies were almost at the edge of the forest and nearing her former domain. She was so certain the tracking spell would turn them against each other….
“Are you ready to admit defeat, sister?” asked Luna; the wretched alicorn hiding behind her starry barrier.
“You obviously don’t know me that well,” hissed Daybreaker, leering over her shoulder. “I’ve only just started….”
“How many more humiliations are you willing to go through before admitting defeat,” Luna questioned. “You’ve already tried guilt, doubt, and mistrust. All of which have failed. What do you have left at your disposal?”
Daybreaker paused, actually having to think about the answer for a moment…. When a soft thump rang above their heads. The regal sisters turned their attention to Daybreaker’s barrier as a second thump sounded, followed by a third and fourth. Something was smacking against her dome.
Daybreaker’s horn flared toward the viewing portal, which shifted from the Everfree Forest to the grounds around Luna’s castle. Circling the air above Daybreaker’s barrier were a small group of pegesi throwing themselves against the orange dome, only to bounce off and start again. The Mare of the Sun noticed these pegesi were all wearing matching blue uniforms with lightning-themed patterns. Daybreaker couldn’t help quirking at brow at the oddity she was witnessing when she heard her sister utter a small, surprised gasp.
“The Wonderbolts,” Luna muttered. “No, they should’ve stayed away.”
“Wonderbolts, you say,” Daybreaker said over her shoulder. “A ridiculous name, to be sure, but it implies that they are a talented bunch. No match for me, of course, but still.”
“Don’t hurt them, sister,” Luna pleaded.
“Hurt them? Perish the thought,” Daybreaker said with a cruel smile. “You were right, dear sister, sublty will not work on those ponies anymore. So it’s time to take a more…direct approach.”
Daybreaker cackled with wicked glee as she flapped her wings and shot to the top of the barrier, leaving Luna behind to watch through the viewing portal…
The Wonderbolts hovered the skies above the orange dome, most panting from exhaustion and others biting back the throbbing sting in the bodies. They were starting to think that smacking themselves against a solid barrier might not be the best idea.
One Wonderbolt, however, was still trying to punch her way through the magical wall despite her hooves screaming at her to stop. Sweat was dripping down her fiery mane and her lungs were gasping out for air, but she wouldn’t stop; she couldn’t stop. She would’ve kept going until she dropped if one of her teammates hadn’t flown up behind and pulled her away.
“Whoa, whoa, ease up there, Spitfire!” The stallion yelled, leaning back when she took a swing at him.
“Let me go, Soarin!” Spitfire roared, still flailing her arms. “We have to get in there! Princess Luna’s inside. My sister’s inside! We can’t just – GAH!”
“Wearing yourself out isn’t going to help anypony!” Soarin yelled at her, wincing when she hit his muzzle. “We need to keep our cool and come up with a different strategy, because beating ourselves against a wall doesn’t seem to be working.”
“But my sister – “
“We’ll get her out; we’ll get everypony out, I promise,” Soarin reassured her. “It’s like you always tell us: keep a level head under pressure. First thing we oughta do is figure out where this thing came from.”
“Allow me to save you the trouble.”
The Wonderbolts perked up as a spout of flames exploded from the top of the barrier and Daybreaker burst into the air, her wings outstretched to their full length. The Wonderbolts gasped and muttered to one another in hushed voices. The wings, the horn – they could guess she was an alicorn like Princess Luna, except her burning mane and hollow eyes gave off an aura of intimidation.
Spitfire was the first to break out of her stupor, ripping herself free from Soarin, and shouted, “Hey, hotshot! Are you the one who made this mess?!”
“I am,” Daybreaker admitted proudly. “And the name is Daybreaker – “
“I don’t care if you’re name is Queen Elizabuck III!” Spitfire roared, shooting toward Daybreaker. “Give me back my baby sister, you bucking piece of cud!”
“Spitfire, don’t!” Soarin cried.
Daybreaker’s lips curled into a sadistic smile. She stretched her wings back and flapped them once, creating a wave of golden flames. Spitfire was flying too fast to stop herself and flew directly into the fire, her screams echoing across the Canterlot skyline. Soarin was flapped in place, stunned with shock, before he was caught up in the flames as well. The remaining Wonderbolts immediately turned tail and started flying in the opposite direction, but they barely made it within a few feet before they were swallowed up by the fire.
Daybreaker grinned and let out a low chuckle, floating down so that she stood on top of her barrier. She waited patiently for several seconds until six silhouettes appeared over the edge, hovering loftily in the air across from her. The Wonderbolts flapped in a line, now garbed in matching white uniforms with orange sun emblems on their chests.
“Now that I have your attention, my Wonderbolt,” said Daybreaker giddily, “there is a certain group of ponies that are causing trouble for me in the Everfree Forest…. Take care of them.”
The Wonderbolts saluted Daybreaker and flew in the direction south of Canterlot….
The Mane 6 had been following the ethereal trail of the tracking spell for several minutes and they could tell they were getting closer to the exit. The forest was becoming thinner, rays of sunlight were beaming through the gaps in the trees. And yet, somehow, the air was still cool and refreshing even as Daybreaker’s curse cast down on them from above. The Everfree Forest was a great enigma that nopony would ever understand.
Tempest was ahead of the pack, looking irritatable. Granted, she was always irritable, but even more so now as she leered back at the mares behind her.
Twilight and the others were flocked around Trixie as the showmare regaled them with tales of her travels across Equestria, soaking in all the attention with glee.
“…and that’s how Trixie became queen of Diamondia…for a day,” Trixie concluded; the audience oohed and aahed.
“I never knew that the Diamond Dog society had such a complex monarchy,” Twilight said with sparkling interest. “To fashion a magic crown for the specific purpose of ‘leashing’ somepony into the position of rulership permanently. I can only imagine what series of events led to them creating such a thing.”
“It was pretty lucky The Dash was there to rescue you, huh?” said Starlight, nudging the magician teasingly.
“Trixie was not rescued!” Trixie sniffed importantly. “It was a team-up! The Dash just happened to find out the secret to removing the crown and Trixie came up with the plan to set Trixie free.”
“I don’t like Diamond Dogs, personally,” said Sunset. “They’re always so…rough.”
“Yeah, Trixie didn’t have a pleasant time hanging around with those smelly dogs either,” said Trixie. “But on the subject of diamonds, let Trixie tell you about the time Trixie teamed up with the White Diamond in Manehatten to catch a jewel thief who disguised themselves as a police officer – “
“Ah, great, another tall tale,” Tempest groaned loudly.
“Do you have a problem with Trixie’s stories,” asked Trixie, glaring at the back of Tempest’s head.
“Only that you’d have to be an idiot to believe any of that cud,” said Tempest rudely.
“Trixie will have you know that Trixie is telling nothing but the truth!” Trixie shouted, pointing a hoof accusingly.
“If even a word of that is true, I’ll eat my right hoof,” said Tempest. “No, wait, that’s my favorite hoof. I’ll eat the left one.”
“C’mon, Tempest, it’s just a story,” said Sunset lightly. “It’s not like they’re hurting anypony.”
“Wait a minute; you don’t believe Trixie either?” asked Trixie, looking offended.
“Well…your stories are kind of…unbelievable,” Moon Dancer admitted sheepishly. “But – they’re really good stories! Top notch! They’re very entertaining in my opinion.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie is insulted by your disbelief,” Trixie said in a huff.
“And what exactly makes you so great and powerful,” Tempest grumbled displeasingly. “So far, you haven’t done anything to deserve that title.”
“Okay, Tempest, let’s calm down – “Twilight said in a calming voice.
“No, seriously, what the hay has she done for us!” Tempest snapped, finally spinning around to confront them. “The entire time we’ve been on this trip, all she’s done is goof off or cause trouble for the rest of us. Twilight and Sunset found out where the Elements are. Moon Dancer went out of her way to make the Midnight Shroud for Ponyville. Starlight got us the tracker spell. But what have you done to help?” she pointed a hoof at Trixie.
“Her wagon saved us from Daybreaker’s barrier,” Twilight spoke up in Trixie’s defense. “And she did get us to Ponyville.”
“The first time was an accident and that trip almost killed us because she was careless,” Tempest retorted. “Why do we even keep her around? Moon Dancer, didn’t you say she got kicked out of magic school after only a year? I bet that’s because she can’t even do real magic.”
“Okay, you’re pushing it a little too far, Tempest,” said Starlight defensively.
“No need to stand on my behalf, Starlight Glimmer,” said Trixie, holding the lilac mare back with a hoof while glaring at the broken-horned unicorn. “Are you really challenging the Great and Powerful Trixie? You may soon come to regret it.”
“Oh, this ought to be good,” said Tempest sarcastically.
The blue showmare levitated her hat off her head, pointing the brim at Tempest, and declared, “Behold, as the Great and Powerful Trixie shows this neigh-sayer just how great and powerful she truly is with her amazing and fabulous display of Firework Magic © - that’s copyrighted, by the way. Now, taste my pyrotechnic fury!”
Twilight and the others ducked out of the way, but Tempest stood her ground, staring down the showmare. A moment of tense silence passed between them…because nothing was happening. Trixie’s brows flew up to her mane and shook her hat; still nothing. Tempest snorted amusingly.
“What the hay?” Trixie muttered to herself, flipping the hat around and sticking her muzzle inside. “I could’ve sworn I put those darn things in here. Did I forget to light them again – “
BOOM!
The Mane 6 jumped as thundering explosion erupted from Trixie’s hat, exhaling a cloud of smoke. The mares stared curiously as the showpony slowly pulled her muzzle out. Her powder-blue face was covered in ash, a small flame flickering on the tip of her mane. Trixie’s face was frozen in a blank stare as she quietly used her hoof to snuff out the flame with a soft hiss.
Twilight knew she shouldn’t have, especially when Trixie looked so unhappy, but the lavender unicorn couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud. Neither, it seemed, could the others. Starlight and Sunset at least were conscientious enough to hide it behind their hooves, but Tempest threw her head back, howling, and Moon Dancer was laughing so hard, she started crying. The scene was just too hilarious, especially with Trixie looking so serious.
Trixie, however, did not appreciate the humor.
“Oh, sure, laugh at the big loser, is Trixie right?!” Trixie shouted harshly, stomping her hoof. “Let’s all make fun of the big stupid pony who can’t even do a simple firework spell! It soooo funny!”
“Well, come on, you have to admit it’s a little funny,” Sunset snorted.
“Yeah, of course it is, because the Great and Powerful Trixie is nothing but a big joke to you!” said Trixie, glaring.
“That’s not what we’re saying at all – “ Twilight started.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Tempest interjected.
“Ignore her,” Twilight continued, shooting a sideways glare at Tempest. “Nopony thinks you’re a joke, Trixie. It was just a humorous accident, that’s all. Nopony is making fun of you.”
“Yes, you are; you always are!” Trixie snapped, pointing an accusing hoof at Twilight. “Ever since we met, all you ponies have made fun or Trixie, or insulted Trixie, or acted like Trixie is a dumb and annoying nuisance! Trixie's heard the way you ponies talk about Trixie, always excluding Trixie from the group in your conversations, like Trixie is an outsider that doesn’t belong! Just a while ago, Starlight excluded me when she talked about her new friends!”
“I wasn’t being serious,” said Starlight, rightfully looking guilty. “That was just some friendly teasing, that’s all.”
“If that’s how you treat your friends, Trixie would hate to see how you treat your enemies,” said Trixie, glaring.
“Trixie, we’re sorry, we didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” said Twilight earnestly.
“You didn’t hurt the Great and Powerful Trixie’s feelings,” Trixie declared, turning her flank to them in a huff. Despite that, Twilight could hear a sniffling noise. “The Great and Powerful Trixie just realized that her help isn’t appreciated here. If you want to find the Elements of Harmony, you can do it without Trixie’s help!”
“Trixie, wait!” Twilight cried out, but the showmare had already marched off. She turned to her friends and said, “We have to go after her.”
“Why should we?” Tempest questioned harshly. “If she wants to throw her tantrum, I say let her. At least now we won’t have anything hold us back for the rest of the trip.”
The broken-horned mare turned around and continued along the trail before Twilight had a chance to speak. Sunset, Starlight, and Moon Dancer looked between them, uncertain of which one to follow. Twilight hanged her head sadly, feeling equally conflicted. Getting to the Elements of Harmony was their priority, but Trixie was their friend. They couldn’t just leave her all alone, especially in the Everfree Forest.
Twilight rubbed her head with her hooves, mentally weighting the two options, when Moon Dancer trotted up and gently rested a hoof on her shoulder with a reassuring smile.
“You go find Trixie and bring her back,” said Moon Dancer. “We’ll try to cool down Tempest and meet you at the castle later.”
Twilight smiled appreciatively, thanking Moon Dancer, then galloped off in the direction Trixie had fled. Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten very far; she caught sight of the glow-in-the-dark patterns on the showmare’s cape as she climbed over an exposed root. Said cape ended up getting caught in one of the low hanging branches of the tree, nearly choking Trixie when she tried to jump. By the time Twilight cantered up to her, Trixie was standing on her hind hooves, attempting to pull her cape free with great effort. Trixie stopped pulling when she noticed Twilight approaching with an amused grin.
“Come to laugh at Trixie some more,” Trixie said in a hollow tone.
“No, I promise,” said Twilight lightly. “I just wanted to talk.”
“If you’re going to talk, you mind helping Trixie with this,” said Trixie, gesturing to her cape. Twilight’s horn glowed as she used her magic to gently untangle Trixie’s cape from the branch. “Trixie appreciates your assistance.”
“Always happy to help,” Twilight said proudly. She trotted up beside the blue mare as they walked further into the forest. “Trixie, you really should come back with us. It’s dangerous out here all by yourself.”
“Why should I?” Trixie grumbled. “Trixie knows when nopony wants her around. Trixie is used to it by now.”
“That’s not true, Trixie,” said Twilight, frowning. “If nopony wanted you around, do you think I would be here talking to you instead of going after the Elements of Harmony.”
“…Trixie…appreciates the sentiment,” Trixie mumbled. “But you’re the only one who came after Trixie….”
“The others are trying to calm down Tempest, but they’re all really worried about you,” said Twilight. She jumped in front of the showmare, holding a hoof to her chest. “Trixie, you can’t let what Tempest said bother you. She’s rude to everypony; it’s her thing. But deep down, I’m sure she doesn’t mean it.”
“But she’s right, you know,” Trixie said miserably, hanging her head. “Trixie already knew it. Trixie knows she’s not as great or powerful as she boasts. The teachers at Princess Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns made that clear when they kicked Trixie out.”
“Yeah, I heard about that,” said Twilight, brushing her hoof awkwardly. “B – But you still became a great and powerful stage magician anyway! I mean, even after you got kicked out, you still worked hard to perform magic. You traveled all over Equestria learning from dozens of magic teachers. That’s more than anypony else can say.”
“Heh, yeah, Trixie guesses that’s impressive,” Trixie said with a small smile. “Ever since Trixie was a foal, she has always wanted to be a stage magician just like her hero, the Great Hoofdini.”
“The Great Hoofdini?” Twilight repeated curiously.
“He was the greatest stage magician in the time before we were born!” Trixie perked up excitedly. “Trixie found some antique film reels in her dad’s old stuff and Trixie used to watch them all the time. Trixie would sit there, entranced for hours, as the Great Hoofdini would perform trick after daring trick. Even though he was a unicorn, he never once used his horn magic to perform his stunts. That’s what made him so fantastic. Ever since then, it’s always been Trixie’s dream to become a great stage magician just like him.
“So when Trixie got accepted into Princess Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns, Trixie thought it would be her best chance to accomplishing her dream…. But then….”
“You got kicked out,” Twilight finished for her.
“Trixie was so heartbroken; she thought she had lost everything,” said Trixie. “But then Trixie’s mom told her, ‘Keep your chin up, Trixie. The only time you fail is when you give up.’ And with what little bits she could scrap together, Trixie’s mom bought her this fabulous cape and hat that you now see upon Trixie’s visage.”
“She sounds like an amazing pony,” Twilight complimented.
“She is,” said Trixie, smiling nostalgically. “She encouraged Trixie to keep trying; she was Trixie’s number one fan. Trixie wanted to make her proud, so Trixie set out on a quest to become the greatest magician ever! It started out pretty small: birthday parties, local parks, street performances – you name it. And as Trixie’s stagemareship improved, she started gaining a name. Soon, everypony from Manehatten to Las Pegasus would look forward to seeing Trixie’s wagon on the horizon, awaiting to be dazzled by her great and powerful performance! Do you know what it’s like, standing on that stage, looking out to an applauding audience? It feels like you’re standing on top of the world.
“But…it’s been getting harder, too.’ She continued solemnly. “As Trixie started getting more popular, Trixie has had to deal with all kinds of hecklers trying to put Trixie down. Calling Trixie a fraud, mocking Trixie…laughing at Trixie. And it just kept getting worse and worse until Trixie just…Trixie just lost her temper. Trixie got kicked out of so many clubs because she attacked the audience and it’s only been getting worse. Trixie thought she might be able to save her reputation in Canterlot, but….”
“But…?” Twilight repeated slowly.
“Trixie may have…turned a couple heckler’s hair into seaweed and then sold them some hair remover,” Trixie admitted sheepishly.
Trixie hanged her head shamefully until she heard a surprising sound: Twilight’s laughter. The showmare looked bewildered as the lavender unicorn wiped a tear from her eye.
“I – I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Twilight said as her laughter died down. “I know it’s mean, but you gotta admit, that does sound funny out loud.”
“…Heh, yeah, I guess it does,” Trixie cracked a small smile.
“Even so, it still doesn’t make it right,” said Twilight. “You can’t take their criticism to heart. If you let those hecklers rile you up, you’ll never become a great and powerful magician.”
“And what do you suggest Trixie should do?” Trixie questioned.
“Well…,” Twilight hummed, rubbing her chin. “If they’re going to laugh at you…then give them a reason to laugh.
“…You lost Trixie,” Trixie said blankly.
“Turn it around on them,” Twilight explained. “If ponies are going to laugh at you, then play off that. Make it seem like it’s a part of your performance. Who says a magic show can’t also be a comedy? And if ponies start heckling you, don’t rise to it; that means they win. Instead, challenge them without resorting to violence. Prove that you’re the better mare. Show everypony why you are the Great and Powerful Trixie."
“Hmm…that does sound appealing to Trixie,” Trixie hummed delightfully. “Yes, The Great and Powerful Trixie will be the better mare!” She held her head high and puffed out her chest, her cape flapping dramatically. “From this day forward, Trixie will not give in to the neigh-says spiteful jeers! Trixie will rise above and show them all how great and powerful she truly is. Even Princess Luna shall bow before Trixie’s greatness!”
“Okay, let’s not get over our heads here,” Twilight interrupted, bringing Trixie back down to Equestria.
“Er, sorry, Trixie kinda got carried away there,” said Trixie, chuckling embarrassingly.
“Just a little,” Twilight giggled, then rested her hoof on Trixie’s. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re great and powerful.”
Trixie felt something strange happening that she had never felt before. Her face felt warmer than the sun and she was sure her heart had skipped a few beats. Trixie gulped loudly. She – she was just hot from Daybreaker’s curse, that’s all, Trixie told herself. It had nothing to do with Twilight! Nothing at all!
“Don’t you think you were being a little too hard on Trixie back there,” Sunset said to Tempest as their herd of four followed the spectral trail. Tempest huffed and kept her eyes forward. “You know, she didn’t have to come with us – “
“It would’ve been better if she didn’t,” Tempest snorted in annoyance.
“My point is that she chose to help us when she could’ve easily just walked away,” Sunset retorted. “And she did help us, whether you want to admit it or not.”
Tempest remained stoically silent and appeared to trot a little faster; Sunset smirked victoriously.
“I just hope Twilight manages to convince her to come back,” Moon Dancer said worriedly.
“She’ll be fine,” said Starlight confidently. “She says that she doesn’t know much about friendship, but it comes natural to her when she applies herself. They’ll be back in no time.”
As they followed the ghostly trail, the trees around them became sparser and the temperature began to rise rapidly. Before they knew it, they had reached the edge of the Everfree Forest and they came out into a wide clearing with the full fury of the sun beating down their heads, to their dismay. The trail continued up a steep up a steep slope where the ponies could see the faint outline of a pair of tall spires in the distance.
“That must be the castle of two sisters where the Elements of Harmony are stored!” said Moon Dancer, pointing to the distant structure. “We’re almost there!”
“You see, I told you would could make it,” said Tempest in a condescending tone. “And we did it without – AUGH!”
The violet mare trotted a few steps forward before a white blur tackled her from the side, throwing her across the ground. Sunset galloped after her, crying, “Tempest, what ha – OOF!” when another blur kicked her in the back of the head, plowing her muzzle first into the dirt.
“Sunset, what’s – GAK!”
“What’s going – HURK!”
One by one, they were all taken down by an unseen adversary and thrown roughly into the ground. Tempest was the first to recover and jumped to her hooves, the hollow of her horn crackling with magic. She spotted one of the blurs shooting across the air and took aim on them until something – or somepony – suddenly lifted her off the ground and flung her into the air. The mare yelped and flailed her hooves in surprise before something rammed her in the stomach, slamming her back to the ground with a great deal of force to make a small hole in the dirt.
Starlight shook the flashing dots from her eyes and looked up to spot two white blurs twirling in the air before suddenly shooting in her direction. Starlight’s horn flared with magic as she summoned a transparent wall in front of her. Unfortunately, the blurs expertly pivoted around the shield and sandwiched her in between them, dazing her, before a third kicked her in the flank and threw her at the ground near Tempest.
Moon Dancer tried to make a run for it; she was a bookworm, not a fighter! However, she could not get far enough before somepony lifted her off the ground and unceremoniously dropped her in a pile on top of Starlight and Tempest.
Sunset was just picking herself up, rubbing her throbbing head, when she felt herself being lifted off the ground with a surprised yelp. Whoever it was kept her suspended fifteen feet off the grounds, hanging upside-down by her tail. With some effort, Sunset craned her head to look down (up?) and gasped.
“Spitfire?” said Sunset, surprised. The fiery-maned pegasus did not respond to her, mostly because she had Sunset’s tail in her mouth. “Spitfire, wait, it’s me, Sun – “
The words died on Sunset’s lips as Spitfire started swinging the sunny unicorn around in circles, causing her to scream in pain and terror. After what seemed like a hundred rotations, Spitfire released Sunset’s tail and hurled the unicorn back to the ground, flying toward the unicorns –
Twilight and Trixie nearly jumped out of their coats when they heard several screams echoing across the forest. Those voices sounded like –
“It’s Sunset and the others!” Twilight gasped, panic setting in. “Something’s happened to them! We have to help!”
Twilight immediately started galloping along the ghostly trail toward the castle, but it was a surprise when Trixie ran alongside her as well. Even Trixie seemed astonished that she was running to their aid even after they (meaning Tempest) had insulted her. Her body just instinctively started moving.
They had reached the edge of the forest when Twilight suddenly came to a screeching halt, grabbing Trixie by the cape (inadvertently choking her) and pulled her behind the trees. Twilight and Trixie cautiously peeked around the trunk and surveyed the scene.
Sunset, Starlight, Tempest, and Moon Dancer were all bound back-to-back in rope with their horns tied together, ensuring they couldn’t cast magic without hurting one another. It took a while for Twilight to remember who the herd of pegasi surrounding them were due to the difference in their uniforms.
“Trixie, I think those are the Wonderbolt!” Twilight hissed.
“The Wonderbolts? The aerial acrobats?” Trixie asked surprisingly.
“Yeah, my big brother used to watch their performances all the time,” said Twilight.
“But aren’t they supposed to be Princess Luna’s personal flying team?” said Trixie. “Why are they hogtying our friends…and Tempest….”
“I don’t know,” Twilight shook her head. “Something seems different about them….”
“Is that all of them?” Spitfire suddenly spoke up; Twilight and Trixie quickly fell silent.
“We have four of them in custody,” said Soarin with a salute. “We think the other two are still somewhere inside the Everfree Forest.”
“Have everypony ready for an aerial recon,” Spitfire commanded. “Daybreaker’s not gonna be happy if we let even a single one of them get away.”
“Daybreaker?! They’re working for Daybreaker?!” Trixie yelled quietly.
“She must have them under some kind of mind control,” said Twilight. “They would never work for Daybreaker willingly.”
“Can you snap them out of it?” asked Trixie.
“I might be able to with a counter spell,” said Twilight. “But I’m going to need Sunset and Starlight’s help if I’m going to have enough power to counteract alicorn magic. The problem is getting past the Wonderbolts. If they see me, they’ll take us out before we even have a chance to use it. We need something to distracted them long enough for us to free the others and use the counter spell.”
Trixie tapped her chin, looking over the Wonderbolts thoughtfully, then said, “Trixie will do it?”
“What?” Twilight chirped.
“Trixie will keep them distracted while you free the others,” Trixie declared, readjusting her hat with a confident smile. Twilight, on the other hoof, didn’t look so certain. “Don’t worry, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie has a plan to keep their attention.”
“What’re you going to do?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Trixie will do what Trixie does best,” Trixie grinned playfully. “Put on a show.”
Spitfire was going over a detailed plan of how to best search for the missing mares when a smoke bomb exploded at the mouth of the forest. The Wonderbolts jumped, crouching low with their wings outstretched and ready for takeoff, when Trixie appeared through the smoke. The stagemare rose on her hind hooves, flapping her starry cape behind her, and shouted in a dramatic and mystifying voice, “Come one, come all! Witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
The Wonderbolts blinked, looking dumbfoundedly at one another. They likely never thought Trixie would reveal herself so openly to them. None of them notice even Twilight quietly crawling on her belly behind them.
“Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!” Trixie proclaimed loudly. She levitated the hat off her head, pointing the brim to the sky. “But what is a performance without…fireworks!”
The Wonderbolts tilted their head and raised some brows when the sky remained clear of colorful explosions. Trixie groaned agitatedly, mumbling, “Seriously? Again?”, turned the hat over, and started patting it with her hoof as if expecting something to fall out. The Great and Powerful Trixie yelped as her missing firework dropped and exploded on the ground at her hooves. The showmare danced around the colorful explosives, shrieking like a chimpanzee.
Soarin snickered behind his hoof; Spitfire looked like she was trying to stop herself from grinning.
Twilight paused, afraid that Trixie might upset after her trick had failed again. But, to her astonishment, the blue mare stared laughing as she topped her head again. That’s when Twilight realized something: Trixie did it on purpose!
“Well, now we know the Great and Power Trixie isn’t a graceful and elegant dancer,” she said jokingly. That earned a few sniggers from her audience, who were watching with rapt attention. “Now for her first trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie will pull a rabbit out of her hat!”
She levitated the hat off her head again, but the audience was surprised to find that the rabbit was already sitting on her mane. The rabbit made a “shush” gesture to the Wonderbolts as Trixie reached her hoof inside the hat, feeling around. Trixie’s brow creased curiously and stuck her face into the hat while the rabbit laughed quietly behind its hands; several Wonderbolts were chuckling quietly. And when Trixie pulled her head out, the rabbit stealthily dived back into the hat when she wasn’t looking.
“Where did that darn rabbit go,” Trixie pretended to pout, returning the hat to her mane. “Did it run off again? Trixie knew she should’ve bought them wholesale.”
The Wonderbolts were cracking up; even Spitfire was giggling behind her hoof. Trixie swept up to one of the Wonderbolts, throwing a friendly hoof over their shoulder, and said, “Hey there, stranger, tell Trixie your name.”
“Surprise,” the blonde-maned mare answered excitedly.
“Ooh, I love surprises,” said Trixie theatrically. She reached inside her cape and pulled out a party popper. “And the best kind of surprises are the ones that just ‘pop up’ when you least expect it.”
Trixie pulled at the string and the popper exploded a cloud of confetti and streamers in Surprise’s face. But without anypony noticing, the blonde-maned pony was suddenly wearing a rainbow afro with white makeup all over her mask and a big rubber ball on her nose. Several of the Wonderbolts laughed and pointed their hooves; one of them even rolled around on the ground. Surprise wasn’t even upset and started clapping her hooves gleefully.
The whole time Trixie performed, the Mane 6 watched in astonishment.
“Wow, Trixie’s pretty good,” Starlight complimented.
“Eh, she’s all right,” said Tempest begrudgingly.
“Admit it; you think she’s awesome,” said Moon Dancer teasingly.
“Psst, girls,” The mares looked down, spotting Twilight as she crawled up to them. “Hang on, I’m going to get you out in a moment.”
“Hurry, Twilight, I think there’s something wrong with Spitfire and the Wonderbolts,” said Sunset urgently.
“I think they’re being mind controlled by Daybreaker,” said Twilight, using her horn to pull at the ropes. “We might be able to break them free, but I’m going to need your help.”
Back over at Trixie’s performance, the showmare had made one of the Wonderbolts cough up The Never-Ending Scarves of Mystery, making a grand show of pulling out the long strand of colorful clothes. By now, the Wonderbolts were completely enamored by Trixie’s performance. Even Spitfire and smiling and clapping her hooves with the rest of her team as Trixie took a bow.
“Thank you, thank you, you have been a beautiful audience – some more than others,” Trixie said, clicking her tongue and winking at Surprise; the blonde mare giggled. “Now, for my next trick, Trixie will need a volunteer from the audience!”
“Ooh, ooh, me! Pick me!” said Soarin, waving his hoof excitedly.
“Yes, the stallion who’s about to wet himself!” Trixie called, pointing a hoof at him.
The Wonderbolts laughed as Soarin grinned sheepishly. Trixie used her horn to levitate a fall enlog from inside the forest and laid it on the ground in front of them, gesturing Soarin to her side.
“Trixie’s brave volunteer will now enter the Mysterious Everfree Log of Mystery!” Trixie said in a mystified voice.
“But that’s just an – oof!” Tempest started until Sunset jabbed her in the side with her elbow.
Soarin crawled inside the log as he was told. The trunk was quite small and left Soarin’s head and legs exposed. That seemed to be exactly what Trixie was going for as the showmare reached into her cape pulled out a cartoonishly large hoofsaw.
“Behold, as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the oldest and most lethal trick known to ponykind!” Trixie declared dramatically. “Trixie will now saw this pony in half!”
The Wonderbolts leaned closer in awed silence as Trixie put the saw’s teeth to the log and started cutting. One of the Wonderbolts gasped and another covered their eyes with their hooves. Trixie had cut halfway through and Soarin was showing no signs of discomfort or that he even noticed what was happening at all. When she had cut the entire way through, Trixie returned the saw to the mysterious space of her cape and pushed the two halves apart.
“Ta-da!” said Trixie, stepping between the two halves. The Wonderbolts cheered and clapped their hooves. All of a sudden, Soarin’s legs jumped up and started running. “Wah! My act is getting away from me!”
The Wonderbolts laughed themselves silly as Trixie chased the stallion’s legs in circles, rolling around in the dirt with tears in their eyes. They were so caught up in Trixie’s act that nopony realized Twilight had cut their friends free.
“She’s is good,” Tempest admitted dumbfoundedly.
“Told you so,” said Moon Dancer smugly.
“All right, everypony remember the spell?” asked Twilight. Sunset and Starlight nodded seriously. “On the count of three. One…two…three!”
They shot beams of magic from their horns, intersecting them into a single stream of rainbow light that washed over the Wonderbolts like a tsunami. The Wonderbolts shrieked as Daybreaker’s magic was forcefully expelled from their mouths and eyes, evaporating in the air. When the colorful flood had passed over, the Wonderbolts were back to their blue-and-yellow uniforms, groaning and rubbing their throbbing heads.
“Ugh…how much cider did I drink last night…?” Spitfire moaned.
“Spitfire!” Sunset cried. The Wonderbolt captain barely had time to register the incoming mare before Sunset threw herself into Spitfire’s hooves, hugging her like her life depended on it. “I was so worried about you!”
“That’s my line,” Spitfire said gruffly as they pulled away. “I thought you were stuck in that dome in Canterlot. Me and the Wonderbolts were trying to bust in when that creepy alicorn with her mane on fire ambushed us. Did I mention her mane was on fire?”
“Daybreaker,” said Sunset shortly. “She’s the Mare in the Sun – Princess Luna’s older sister. You didn’t stand a chance.”
“Yeah, I kinda figure that,” said Spitfire, wincing. Then she smiled and petted the top of Sunset’s head. “Oh well, the important thing is that you’re safe, baby sis.”
“Spitfiiiiire, not in public,” Sunset whined childishly, pushing her sister’s hoof away.
“Wait a minute,” Moon Dancer spoke up. “You’re Princess Luna’s student and your sister is the captain of the Wonderbolts?” Sunset shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “Leave some cool points for the rest of us, will you?”
“What I wanna know is what you ponies are doing in the Everfree Forest,” said Spitfire. “Do you know how dangerous this place is?”
“Yeah, we know,” said Twilight gravely. “But this is the only way to the Elements of Harmony.”
“The what?” asked Spitfire, tilting her head.
“It’s a long story,” said Sunset. “The short version is that the Elements of Harmony are the only thing that can defeat Daybreaker. They should be hidden somewhere in the nearby castle.”
“You want us to help?” Spitfire offered. “The Wonderbolts are the most elite fliers in all of Equestria.”
“You should head back to Canterlot,” Tempest Shadow suggested, to the confusion of the other ponies. “If Daybreaker is sending minions to physically stop us, that means she’s done playing mind games. Next time, she might show up to stop us herself and then we’ll be in deep dung.” She pointed a hoof at the aerial acrobats. “You need to get back to Canterlot and figure out if there’s a way to break Princess Luna out. With Daybreaker distracted, her barrier might weaken. At the very least, you could keep her distracted for a little while.”
“Hmm…strategically, it makes sense,” Spitfire hummed, tapping her muzzle. “But I don’t like the idea of my baby sis putting herself in danger like this.”
“Spitfire, I’ll be fine,” Sunset reassured her. “And it’s not like I’m by myself. I’ve got my friends to help me.”
“Well…all right, I trust you, baby sis,” Spitfire conceded, petting Sunset’s head again to the mare’s embarrassment. She then pointed a hoof at Trixie and said, “Hey, you.”
“Yes?” said Trixie, taken aback.
“You should stop by Wonderbolt Academy some time,” Spitfire offered, grinning. “I wanna see the rest of your show when this is over.”
“Heh, it would be Trixie’s great pleasure,” said Trixie proudly, tipping her hat.
“All right, Wonderbolt, back to Canterlot!” Spitfire commanded.
The elite aerial squadron spread their wings and shot into the sky, flying northward with a trail of thunderclouds in their wake.
With that little matter tucked away, the Mane 6 started climbing the steep hillside in the direction of the castle in the distance. As Sunset, Starlight, and Moon Dancer went on ahead, Twilight and Trixie started to follow when Tempest suddenly blocked their path. For one terrifying moment, Twilight was afraid Tempest might pick another fight with Trixie. But Tempest was oddly quiet, looking down and pawing at the ground with a hint of shame in her eyes. After a moment, Tempest lifted her head and mumbled a soft, “I’m sorry….”
The broken-horned pony didn’t give Trixie a chance to respond, quickly turning tail and galloping up the hillside to catch up with the others. Twilight and Trixie exchanged curious glances. They giggled quietly between themselves and followed their friends.
“Uh…guys? Hello? Still here!” Soarin’s head called out in desperation, but nopony heard him. His legs walked by and plopped down beside him. “So…wanna play charades?”
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I really like The Great and Funny Trixie.
I should've guessed by your name this would have Twixie in it.
I loved this update! And I laughed so hard when I realized Trixie really DID cut Sorin in half XD
I must admit, at first I didn't think I would like Trixie making a fool of herself, but you actually made it work past the first joke. Good job.
Also, Sunset and Spitfire? I wasn't expecting that.
Sister? So Spitfire was also a clone Sunburst made of himself to take as a date to the school dance?
Is Twixie a popular ship?
Moondancer in the earlier chapters as well. Wonder if this Twilight's gonna get all the mares...
Oh! Would this universe's Grand Galloping Gala be over Twilight not being sure who to take as her date?
More and more I'm thinking that Twilight will be loyalty instead of magic.
Wow if I had a nickel for every story I read where Spitfire is Sunset’s sister I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice right?
Great chapter can’t wait for more.
P.S. more Spitfire & Sunset sister scenes please.
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They'll probably form a harem at this point.
...Damn. That's some serious mind control magic.
Interesting having Sunset and Spitfire as sisters (though there's the Cake twins so it's definitely doable), and I agree with Moondancer— leave some cool points for the others, eh?
Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Trixie to be the Eo Laughter, but given how you wrote her it works quite nicely. Leaving Soarin in the log(s) at the end was a great last touch to the chapter.
Nice job! Looking forward to the next update!
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It's not that weird. They both have Sun/Fire motifs.
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And if not Spitfire, I've heard Sunburst as being a brother to Sunset.
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And then there's that story where Sunset is a Rule 63 clone of Sunburst (with a little essence of alicorn thrown in accidentally.)
Nice adaptation of comic continuity there! It fit so well that I would've thought it was an original idea had I not known about it!
(For those who don't know, I'm referring to the Diamond Dog escapade Trixie was telling.)
So Trixie knows the Justice Ponies?
It's certainly a clever way of using the comics.
And nice addition with Surprise
Heh i just watched a video of that comic!
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Yeah!
Sun...something i believe
Sunburned?
Uhh maybe
My prediction was:
Trixie - Magic
Moondancer - Laughter
Not even close on that one. Oh, and Moondancer has a rival now.