Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Trixie had concealed the saddlebag she wore containing the alicorn transformation potion and a number of other implements using an invisibility spell modified to be of higher strength. After all, there would surely be a security check.
Standing in a long, snaking line that ran down the wide boulevard outside the palace, Trixie smiled as the rank of ponies inched forward every few moments as another pony passed the security checkpoint.
‘Ah, the smell of fresh victory...’
“Ma’am? May I see your ticket?” the guard asked.
“Oh! Of course!” Trixie told the imposing pegasus, retrieving the slip and showing it to him.
“Will you agree to a physical inspection?”
“Yes.”
“You may feel a slight tickling sensation. That is normal. Make sure to stand still, too; otherwise I will have to cast the spell again, and overexposure to it is admittedly not healthy.”
“You can trust me.”
“Alright, ma’am. I will begin the screening now.”
He closed his eyes and lit his horn in a silvery glitter. A watery light enveloped Trixie and her body shimmered for a few moments. Finding nothing--as Trixie’s spell was not one the standard security spells could detect--the guard ended his scan and motioned for Trixie to continue on in.
‘Almost there...now to get a good seat.’
Trixie pushed towards the front of the crowd of upper-class nobles who were making small talk, dining on amuse bouche, and sipping on juice cocktails.
She managed to secure a place right near the front of the fray, just one row back from the red-carpeted aisle. Slowly, the other ponies began to fill in around her. At ten-thirty on the nose, fanfare erupted from the guards standing by the door, and Celestia, accompanied by Luna, entered.
Trixie shoved both of her hooves in her mouth to keep from laughing. Even still, a few muffled chuckled escaped from behind the blockade.
‘Is ‘Tia actually wearing that? Oh, she’s never going to live this down!’
The two sisters ascended to the raised dais at the other end of the long room, the same one which had been used for the royal wedding of Cadence and Shining Armor the previous year. The flowered trellis adorned with figures of the couple was, after all, still there, as the room was rarely used and nopony had gotten around to removing it.
Celestia launched into what was clearly a pre-prepared speech. “We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion. My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has done many extraordinary things...”
Trixie droned out the rest of Celestia’s ramblings about Twilight’s various accomplishments.
‘Who gives a buck?’
“...crowned Equestria's newest princess. Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia finished proudly.
At that moment, the doors opened again, the fanfare sounded shriller than ever, and a parade of white pegasi with buttery yellow manes entered, who bore a large banner of Twilight’s likeness. That was followed by Twilight herself, complete with an equally-ugly dress.
Then the pegasi broke out in song. Trixie had to cover her ears.
‘Could they be even more off-key?’
After a time, the miniature serenade concluded and Twilight took her place on the dais alongside Celestia and Luna. Spike appeared from the wings with a golden crown held on a small pillow. He held it out to Celestia, who took it in her telekinesis and began to lower it onto Twilight’s head. Twilight herself was looking downwards, her cheeks flushed bright red.
Trixie decided it was time to make her move.
‘Showtime.’
Crouching low to the ground, Trixie let the invisibility spell on her saddlebags dissipate. She retrieved a needle, short length of plastic medical tubing, and hoof pump from her saddlebag. The magician then took a moment to make sure that she had not drawn any attention by laying out the macabre array of surgical tools on the marbled floor.
Satisfied that all eyes were still on Twilight, Trixie hastily assembled the application apparatus, sliding the tube into the fluid bag containing the potion, attaching it to the needle, and lastly hooking up the small pump.
The crowd began to cheer, and Trixie braced herself for what would come next. She plunged the needle into a large patch of exposed flesh and began to furiously work the hoof pump--really a small ball of plastic which when squeezed forced more of the potion through the tube and into her bloodstream.
A burning sensation soon took hold in her back area, and there was the faint sound of tearing skin and cracking bone as two bright blue, fluffy wings emerged from Trixie’s hindquarters.
‘Success. Now to wait for the right time to confront Twilight...’
Up on the dais, oblivious to Trixie’s transformation into an alicorn not ten hooves away, Celestia and Luna were in the middle of a fairly heated discussion.
“So let me get this straight: you kept two students to see which one would be the Element of Magic?” Luna asked.
“Correct,” Celestia replied.
“And when you found out which one held the Element, you were going to kick the other one out?”
“...yes.”
“Then you were planning to have that pony become an alicorn princess and our eventual successor?”
“Luna, what are you getting at?”
“Well, maybe I’m wrong, dear sister, but didn’t you think that the other pony would go out for revenge after their untimely expulsion?”
“Am I not the wiser elder sister who must make weighty decisions hundreds of times a day while ensuring that her younger sister eats her alfalfa? Trust me on this one, dear sister. My plan is flawless.”
“If you say so, sister, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. Say, when was the last time you ate your alfalfa, anyways?”
Celestia ignored the barb and instead turned to Twilight.
“Say something, princess.”
“Oh. Um...” Twilight began, turning to face the crowd and clearing her throat. “A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia--”
Trixie pounced on the opportunity to make a grand entrance and vaulted herself over the ponies standing in front of her. She skidded to a halt in the center of the red carpet and turned to face Twilight.
“She was my teacher first,” Trixie growled, snorting and scraping one hoof menacingly. The entire room fell silent. Twilight had an unreadable expression plastered on her face.
Luna made a scene of glaring at Celestia knowingly.
“...shut up,” Celestia hissed back, though it was loud enough for most everypony to hear.
The door guards immediately dropped their instruments and raced towards Trixie, barking orders left and right. “Take her down! Secure the princesses!”
About five guards piled on top of Trixie, squashing her to the floor. The wind was knocked out of her lungs--no potion could grant the immortality true alicorns possessed. She desperately teleported outside of their range before they could fit her horn with a suppressor ring.
“I’ve had enough of being second-best!” Trixie cried, starting to monologue and slipping into her old third-person persona. “It’s all Twilight-this and Twilight-that. Well, what about The Great and Powerful Trixie? Does she not matter anymore?”
“I...uh...what is this all about, Trixie?” was all Twilight was able to manage through a mouth whose lower half was still practically on the floor. “Why are you an alicorn?”
“Wait, she is?” Celestia gasped, looking more closely at Trixie. Sure enough, a pair of fluffy wings clung to her back.
“Yes, The Great and Powerful Trixie found a potion that could transform her! She seeks revenge for an old deed. Twilight Sparkle, would you care to duel with The Great and Powerful Trixie once more and see how pathetic you actually are?”
“Not particularly,” Twilight grumbled, eyeing her two seniors for support. Unfortunately, Celestia had been frozen in shock, and Luna was practically grinning from ear to ear.
‘This could be interesting, though. I kinda want to see what this potion can do, and maybe I can even get her to learn something from the whole experience, too,’ Twilight pondered in her head.
She took a deep breath after a time and gave Trixie the response she had hoped for.
“Alright, Trixie. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie let you win,” Trixie sobbed, curled up on the floor. She was panting and wheezing heavily. Twilight, in the meantime, stood concernedly over her, having barely broken a sweat in the process.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, The Great...and Powerful Trixie...is just...fine...though she would...care for a glass...of water...” she replied between heavy breaths. The duel had lasted almost an hour, and in the end Trixie had collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Her magical ability had in fact barely improved.
“Please excuse us,” Twilight announced to the others present--Celestia, Luna, Spike, the other Elements of Harmony, and a few interested guests who had placed bets--as she draped Trixie, who was too tired to complain, over her back and slowly trotted out of the room.
“So...I’m genuinely curious...how did you manage to get these wings?” Twilight asked Trixie once she had arrived at her chambers, tucked Trixie in between the cool sheets of her bed, and helped her nurse along a glass of ice water.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie used a special blend of Harmonium, Telekinetium, and Celestium.”
“I’ve never heard of that. Is it permanent?”
“No. Alas, The Great and Powerful Trixie should return to the form of a regular unicorn within just a couple hours.”
“You can drop the stage name, you know.”
“Oh, alright. I guess it does make me sound a little foolish.”
Twilight laughed. “Oh, really now? You don’t say?”
“Yeah...”
“What was this all about? I thought after you last came to Ponyville we were on good terms.”
“I-It was with your becoming a princess and all...it reminded me of when ‘Tia told me once that I might become one, when I was a real little filly. I just got--really, really mad.”
“In your position, I probably would have, too, come to think of it,” Twilight laughed again. “Anyways, in all seriousness, this does bring up an interesting point, one which I don’t think I ever discussed with you the previous times we’ve met. That is of destiny.”
“Huh?”
“Just listen.”
“Alright, I’ll hear you out,” Trixie agreed, taking a slow sip of water.
Twilight began her short lecture. “As you and I both know, a pony’s cutie mark appears when they find their special talent and path in life. Mine represents the Element of Magic--the six-pointed amethyst star. Yours is a bit more complicated, though--the wand seems to suggest to me, however, that it means your destiny is that of a magician.”
“I’ll be the first to say that you hardly give yourself enough credit for your talent--you’re better than you think, and there aren’t many good mages out there these days--but you have to realize that your destiny and my destiny are different. I’m naturally good with magic because that’s how I was born, Trixie. There’s nothing more to it.”
“I suppose the point I’m trying to make here is that you just have to play the hand you were dealt, and stop trying to be somepony else by attempting to fit your round body into a square hole. You follow your destiny, and I’ll follow mine. We don’t have to be mortal enemies, Trixie. Does that sound like a deal?” Twilight finished, holding out a hoof.
Trixie thought it over for a moment.
“Deal,” she replied, shaking Twilight’s hoof and smiling.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Twilight encouraged me to write one of these friendship-lesson things, so I’m trying my hoof at it to see if they’re really as fun as she says.
Today, I learned a very important lesson not only about friendship, but about myself, too. After the duel we had, Twilight and I made up--again, but this time for real--and I realized one of the best parts about having a friend--they bring out the best in you.
She helped me discover what my true calling was by showing me that, while I might never be as good as her, I can make the best out of what I have and still feel fulfilled. Because, after all, you can’t force a destiny upon yourself, or somepony else, that truly isn’t theirs.
And the big thing is, is that I never would have realized that on my own--I let my bragging and self-delusions cloud my vision. But, thanks to Twilight, I can now truly say that I have a real friend--and that’s something I haven’t had in a long, long, time.
Your Former Student,
Trixie
PS. I’m still kinda mad at you. Maybe a simple apology on your part would suffice? It’s what a good friend would do, after all. Oh, and that dress was ugly.
THE END
IT'S DONE! 
Credit to hamcon for the little scene with Celestia and Luna.
Now to work on my next fic...it's a secret...
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Well, that was anti climatic, I expected some huge fight, not a "Lets fight!" than cuts to "You win", and thanks for adding the Celestia/Luna conversation, that made my day.
2305474
Yeah, I find fight scenes really hard and kinda boring to write. I usually let the reader imagine the interim for themselves.
I was expecting Trixie to win and then realize that she'd accomplished nothing and made a fool out of herself and whatnot. Oh well.
Well...that wasn't what I was expecting. That potion sucked. All the looks and none of the power. Celestia really does owe Trixie a real apology...once she's finished swallowing the crow Luna fed her.
2305760 2306332
Well, I did want to do something a little unexpected. I see it worked.
2335445
It's from Ocean's Eleven, yes. Did you peek at the blog post?
2335518
Nope, North by Northwest.
I did kinda rush canon along a bit simply because I knew the interlude would be boring. I do that by saying "x amount of time passed," but you can miss it easily, I suppose.
2335466 Nope, but it was kinda obvious if you have watched it a couple of times.
2335616 Ah well, I have never seen that movie so it's not surprising that I missed that one.
But I still get a cookie right? For Oceans Eleven?
Anyway good story, but what really made me read it was the portrayals of Celestia and Trixie.
2306332
Come to think of it, the potion said "Give you the FEATURES of an alicorn" Not power...
In my opinion, this is arguably the best story I have ever read on Fim Fiction. Great story line.
2452461
Thanks!
I liked that shot at the end; and you know, Trixie's right. That dress WAS ugly.
And Luna never let Celestia live it down.