Trixie waited and watched as first Sunset and then Twilight got their assignments and well wishes from Princess Celestia. The happiness she felt from being able to spend the last couple of hours with Shining Armor, taking him around Canterlot looking for his sister first at the library, the science lab, for a cup of tea at a nearby cafe, then a walk through a park side by side, was slowly fading away, but would never be forgotten.
Now a different sort of excitement and anxiety grew at the prospect of being sent to a foreign land instead of yet another dusty old building at the Academy. The monasteries in Fawntaine were world renowned for possessing books with beautiful calligraphy adorning their pages. Seeing the hieroglyphs of the pyramids outside Nadira could be worth the trip, as well. Having a pint or two in Flankfurt on the way to Shanghay to see Ibex logograms written out before her eyes would be perfect. Then again even if those were exciting prospects, somewhere a little closer to home would be preferred. While Manehattan was the bigger metropolis, there was nowhere better to find expert street magic than in Fillydelphia. Maybe take time in Las Pegasus to study with the great headliners and amazing performers like Sapphire Shores or even a great illusionist like Shiny Chariot. The possibilities were endless!
“Princess, where am I going for my studies?” Trixie asked, unable to help her tail wagging to and fro.
Celestia smiled as she was wont to do and said, "Rather than having you seek tutelage like Sunset and Twilight, what I have in mind for you will be a simple test, Trixie. All you have to do is get back to Canterlot.”
Trixie's ears flattened to that. "What?"
A royal guard appeared from behind and unceremoniously dropped a heavy saddlebag onto Trixie’s haunches. After the initial surprise she adjusted her footing to accommodate the load. “There are enough rations in this saddlebag for a month. You will also be provided a number of supplies to help you through most anything you may come across, Celestia continued. “Remember your lessons, and stay alert. Most importantly, be safe, Trixie,” Celestia said, walking behind the pony and ushering her toward the center of the room by the supplies which comprised of the unicorn's trunk and a few wooden crates.
“When did you even…?” Trixie wondered in amazement at the sight.
“I’m quite excited to see how much you develop from this experience.” Celestia’s horn glowed brightly and Trixie found herself enveloped in the warmth of her teacher's magic.
“Seriously, wh-?” Before Trixie could say anything else the palace grounds disappeared in a flash. In its place the cool smell of a forest and shade offered by tall tree branches filled the pony’s senses. For a full minute Trixie looked around, only able to see thick brush and trees where she stood. Nothing seemed familiar, though it wasn’t like she was even remotely any good at land navigation in the first place. Foliage crunched under her hooves as the soft mossy earth muffled the sound of her increasingly frantic steps.
She fought to take control of her anxious breathing as the alarm bells in her mind rang less and less in the unfamiliar setting she found herself in.
Of course, she still had one thing left to say:
“...WHAT?!”
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DAMN IT. Well, let's just say that "Secrets are no fun"
Hmmmm to be honest I don't understand why making a secret scene. I mean I don't understand the point of it.
"Shiny Chariot" Yay L.W.A reference! Now I want a crossover.
Also, I really want to see Trixie go to all those places with Twilight, that would be fun to read.
Ouch! Poor Trixie, that's more than a tad harsh... Um, Celly... I think you may have out-gambited yourself this time. Trixie might be good but I think you underestimate what she can do... At least have her take one or two survival training courses or take her camping before doing that. Jerk...
Bring on the 'secret scene'! Wait... What is it again?
Man, Celly seems to just about be making Trixie a buttmonkey here.
That being said, I think this won't turn out as intended. Either Trixie will starve, or a month later she'll march back into Canterlot, Empress of a whole new country.
This is getting pretty good. I can't wait to read about Sunset and Twilight's studies and hopefully Trixie will be okay.
Well! I think that Donna said it best!
...huh. I'm not sure I understand Celestia's test. Trixie can't starve, she's a pony, she can eat grass (unless she's in the middle of a desert, of course). She can get around most predators with invisibility. There's risk that she'll suffer from exposure out in the wilderness and will need to be able to build shelters but otherwise I don't see her having many problems until she reaches civilization (assuming she can orient herself).
At that point, though, the point of the test seems to be to determine if Trixie will use her skills at deception to become a criminal, stealing whatever she feels she needs to get home (and deal with the consequences if she gets caught), or if Trixie will try and earn her way home legitimately (which carries its own risks).
So... there's no real way for Sunset or Twilight to fail their "tests", but there's plenty of ways for Trixie to fail hers. Pretty clear who the favorites are, then...
Edit: Actually, given Trixie here has such a distaste for authority, this makes even more sense as an attempt to make a clean break. Of the three students Trixie's most suited to surviving on her own without any additional study or training under Celestia.