Spike stood in the library, shoulders hunched, claws clenched, cheering, “Come on, Twilight. You can do it!”
“OK,” said Twilight. “Here goes.” She looked up at her horn and concentrated. Magic flowed out.
Spike leaned forward, and his nose began to glow white with magic. A long, black mustache appeared on his face.
“Ha ha! You did it!” he said. He turned around to an easel where the end of a checklist was written. He found a marker and put a check next to the last item. “Growing magic. That’s number twenty-five! Twenty-five different types of tricks, and counting.”
Twilight looked embarrassed at his praise.
“And I think this is the best trick so far,” said Spike. Staring at himself in a mirror. Twirling his mustache around a claw, he indulged in fantasy. “Hello, Rarity! What’s that? Aw, it’s nothing. Just my awesome mustache.”
“Sorry, Romeo,” said Twilight. “As attractive and enticing as you look, it’s just for practice and it’s gotta go,” said Twilight. Her horn glowed.
“Wait!” Spike said, grabbing at the mustache as if he could hold it in existence with its claws. It disappeared in a puff of light, and he was bare-faced once more. “Aw, rats.”
Twilight chuckled at her assistant’s vanity.
*********************************************************************************************************
As they left the library to go for a stroll, Spike was still effusive in his praise. “Twenty-five, Twilight. Twenty-five different types of tricks, and counting,” he repeated. “I thought unicorns were only supposed to have a little magic that matches their special talents.”
“True,” said Twilight, “for ponies whose talents are things like cooking or singing or math. But what if a unicorn’s special talent is magic?”
“Like you, Twilight! And you know a ton of magic.”
“Oh, Spike, stop. I’m sure there are lots of ponies right here in Ponyville who know just as much magic as me,” said Twilight, looking at the passersby.
“Are you kidding? I don’t think there’s another unicorn in all of Equestria with your kind of ability, Twilight.”
Just then, two young unicorn colts came charging down the road. One was a stout, squinty-eyed pony with a pair of scissors for a cutie mark. His constant companion, a taller unicorn with a snail on his flank, spoke with a northern drawl. “Gang way! Coming through!”
Twilight and Spike were caught frozen and couldn’t get out of the way. The colts, at full gallop, ran Spike right over, but managed to avoid Twilight.
“Snips! Snails! What’s going on?” asked Spike as he was being carried forward. Snails stopped short, and Spike went flying off, landing in a crash a few yards away.
“Well, haven’t you heard? There is a new unicorn in town!” said Snails.
“Yeah,” said Snips. “They say that she’s got more magical powers than any other unicorn ever!” He was hopping up and down in his excitement.
“Really?” said Twilight.
Spike walked back toward the others rubbing his head. “Aw, no way. That honor goes to Twilight here.”
Twilght flattened her ears in embarrassment. “Where is this unicorn?”
“She’s in the town square. Come on!” said Snails, leapfrogging over Spike.
“Yeah. Come on!” said Snips.
Twilight and Spike took off after the two energetic youths.
*********************************************************************************************************
In the town square, a crowd had already gathered. Ponies had formed a circle, all staring at the red-roofed wagon that had parked itself in full view. Pegasi, taking advantage of their wings, had an even better angle to see the action.
From inside the wagon, a high and melodic voice reverberated. “Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” it said, rolling the r’s with anticipation.
Spike and Twilight made their way to the front of the crowd where Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were waiting. The front of the wagon unfolded itself downward, forming a stage. It was quite fancifully decorated and had lollipops, rockets, and planets on its banner. A puff of smoke exploded on the stage, and the speaker emerged.
She was light blue with a mane and tail of ice-blue. Her cutie mark was a moon and star, and that motif was repeated on her wagon and her apparel. She wore a cape of blue with pastel stars, tied around her neck with a large diamond brooch. Atop her head was a matching hat. She exuded confidence in her face and in her voice.
“Watch in awe!” she said, accenting each word, “as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by ponykind!” She punctuated her proclamation with a display of fireworks from the back of the wagon.
Rarity wore a skeptical look. “My, my, my. What boasting,” she said.
Spike said, “Come on, nopony’s as magical as Twi. . . Twi. . . Twi—“ he cut himself short as he realized whom he was talking to. He quickly turned on his charm. “Hey, Rarity, I, uh. . . “ His self-confidence gave out. He knew what he needed. “Mustache!” he screamed, and ran off.
“There’s nothing wrong with being talented, is there?” asked Twilight, filling the space Spike had vacated.
“Nothin’ at all!” said Applejack. “’cept ‘n when someone goes around showin’ it off like a school-filly with fancy new ribbons.” Trixie was entertaining the crowd by conjuring a bouquet of flowers.
“Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us,” said Rarity. Twilight took the hint.
“Especially when you got me around being better than the rest of us,” said Rainbow Dash. Applejack silenced her with a look. “Uh. . . I mean, yeah! Uh, magic, schmagic! Boo!” She checked with AJ to make sure the change of subject had mollified her.
“Well, well, well. It seems we have some nay-sayers in the audience.” Trixie’s anger brought out the primitive horse nature in her words. “Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical abilities of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know that they are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?”
Rarity snorted. “Just who does she think she is?”
“Yeah!” said Spike. “Since we all know that Twilight here is—“
Twilight cut him off. “Spike! Shh,” she whispered as she pushed him away from the action.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Did you see the way they reacted to Trixie? I don’t want anyone thinking I’m a showoff.”
Trixie, sensing the lull in the crowd, stood on her hind legs and set off another display of pyrotechnics and fanfare.
Rainbow Dash had had enough. She flew up on stage and got right in Trixie’s face. “So, Great and Powerful Trixie,” she said sarcastically, “what makes you think you’re so awesome anyway?”
“Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!”
“What?!” said Snips.
“No way!” said Snails.
The display of the wagon exploded once more, and the lights formed an image of the great bear in the sky as Trixie narrated her story. “When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but The Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave, deep within the Everfree Forest!” A small firework cartoon of Trixie was shown with a wand, shooting rays at a larger cartoon of the great bear.
“Sweet!” Snips and Snails said together.
“That settles it,” said Snips.
“Trixie truly is the most talented, most magical, most awesome unicorn in Ponyville,” said Snails.
“No,” said Snips. “In all of Equestria!”
“How do you know?” said Spike. “You didn’t see it! And besides—“
Twilight used her magic to make a zipper appear on Spike’s mouth, then drew it shut.
Trixie gave a chuckle. “It’s true, my enthusiastic little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville.”
Everypony just stared at her skeptically.
“Don’t believe the Great and Powerful Trixie?” she continued, referring to herself. “Well, then. I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians: anything you can do, I can do better.
“Any takers? Anyone? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived?!” One more time, she triggered the firework display from her wagon.
Spike had had enough. He ripped open the zipper on his mouth, causing it to disappear. Then he threw himself at Twilight’s hooves. “Please! She’s unbearable! You gotta show her. You just gotta!” He was openly weeping.
Twilight kept her voice to a low whisper. “There’s no way I’m going to use my magic now, Spike. Especially since—“
Trixie was surveying the audience for a target to challenge. “Hmm. . .How about. . . you?” she said, pointing her hoof in Twilight’s direction. Twilight’s heart rose in her throat. She was on the spot.
Twilight’s legs were shaky as they carried her up to the stage. The eyes of everypony were on her. Her friends looked particularly nervous, but Spike had a look of absolute confidence.
“So, what do think you can possibly do that Trixie cannot?” Trixie asked.
Twilight was visibly nervous, but she concentrated and cast a spell. A few yards from the wagon, there were some reeds growing. A wind came out of nowhere and started to blow through them. As it did, they made a sound like a wooden flute. It started off quietly, but then grew into a pleasant lullaby.
“Ooh, number sixteen,” said Spike. “Music magic. I’m sure Trixie can’t do that.”
“Ha! Is that all you’ve got?” said Trixie. “Your simple tune is nothing compared to the symphony of spectacularness that is the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
She danced a pirouette to the right side of her stage. From behind a panel emerged trumpets, trombones, and a tuba. Suspended in midair, they played a march that drowned out Twilight’s song.
The ponies watching gave a gasp, and then stomped their hooves for Trixie. The pegasi in the air looped and rolled in celebration.
Spike’s expression fell. “Don’t give up, Twilight!” he called. “She just got lucky. Try something else.”
“Um. . . all right. How about clairvoyance?”
For the first time, Trixie’s face showed that she was worried.
Twilight turned and scanned the crowd. “Rainbow Dash. Pick up something and hide it from me, and I’ll tell you what it is.”
Rainbow was surprised to be included, and she looked around for an object to use. On stage, Twilight turned her back to the crowd. Trixie looked at her through narrow eyes.
“Hey!” said Applejack.
Rainbow cried out from below. “OK, Twilight. I’ve got something. Guess what it is.”
Twilight closed her eyes. Her horn glowed again and a white mist formed in front of her. In the middle of the mist, like a television picture, was a blob of color. She concentrated harder and it came into focus. It was obviously Rainbow, and she was holding her hooves above her head. In them was a long string of something manila. She intensified her magic and the picture became crystal clear. “Got it!” she said. “It’s Applejack’s lasso!”
She turned around and saw that Rainbow was indeed holding the rope in her hooves. Twilight wore a look of relief, but Trixie crossed in front of her. “Big deal,” she said. “She probably set that up with her friends before. Let Trixie show you some real magic.”
She put her hoof to her chin and frowned. She surveyed the audience, then pointed at Snips and Snails. “You two!”
The colts stared and blinked.
“If you’re going to swipe cookies from the bakery, the least you could do was to bring some for Trixie!”
Snails took a deep breath. “It’s true!” he said.
“We did take the cookies from Sugar Cube Corner. How did she know?” asked Snips.
“She must be psychic! She’s amazing!” Snails’s eyes expanded, and he stared at Trixie in admiration.
The ponies stomped their applause again. Twilight hung her head. She wished that she could just disappear. That gave her an idea.
“I know there’s something you can’t do! Teleportation!” She focused her magic again. Her teleportation spell was inconsistent at best, but she hoped that her nerves would give her the energy she needed. In a moment, she vanished in a shower of sparks and reappeared back in her spot next to Spike. “Ha! Beat that!”
Trixie chuckled. “Oh ye of little talent. Watch this, everypony!” She reached to the back of the wagon and drew out a large curtain. It covered the entire apparatus. After a wink at the crowd, she pulled it aside with her teeth. The whole wagon had disappeared.
The crowd hooted and hollered even louder than they had the first two times.
Twilight’s jaw dropped. She shook her head. “I’ve never even heard of another unicorn who could do something like that. She really is more powerful than me.”
Trixie gave a sinister laugh. “Was there ever any doubt?” She turned round to indicate the end of the show, and most of the ponies watching returned to what they were doing. Snips and Snails remained to watch Trixie. Twilight simply didn’t want to move. She had collapsed on the ground, her hooves unfolding beneath her. Spike and her pony friends stayed to comfort her.
“I knew that trying to show off wouldn’t end well,” said Twilight.
“It wasn’t you that was tryin’ to show off,” said Applejack. “You got buffaloed up onto that stage, and I think you did pretty well.”
Rarity came over and put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t feel bad, dear. Your magic is much more practical than hers. Why, that clairvoyance spell was simply amazing. You must show me how it works.”
“Yeah!” said Rainbow. “Who cares about some silly travelling magician anyway?”
Twilight looked over at Trixie. “Apparantly somepony does,” she said.
Snips and Snails were fawning over Trixie as if she were royalty. They kept their heads bowed. “That whole show was so cool!” said Snails.
“You’re the best, Great and Powerful Trixie!” said Snips. “Can we buy you a smoothie?”
Trixie pointed her nose upwards, enjoying the attention. “Hmm. . . Trixie is a bit parched. Be sure to ask for extra hay.”
“You got it!” said Snips, and he ran off.
Snails managed to find a chaise longue and a bamboo fan. He was prepared to act as a gentlecolt-in-waiting. “Can I help you to relax?” he said. “Let me take your hat and cloak.”
“No!” Trixie said quickly. “Er, that is, the Great and Powerful Trixie is never seen in public without her finery. It serves to remind the ponies of how wonderful and magical she truly is!”
And Twilight, with a defeated look, could only stand and watch. The other ponies walked away from her. Only Spike stood by.
*********************************************************************************************************
It was late at night. Crickets were chirping and owls were hooting. Twilight wrapped a scarf around her neck and opened the library door. “Twilight? Where are you going?” asked Spike.
“I just want to take a little walk.”
Spike had on his nightcap and clearly thought the time was more suited to sleeping. “Don’t feel bad, Twilight. Trixie’s just a loudmouth. You’re still ten times the pony that she is.”
Twilight looked back over her shoulder and forced out a smile. “Thanks. But I really want to be alone for a little bit.”
She plodded along in the night, her head down. Images of Trixie kept appearing before her. “It doesn’t seem right,” she said to herself, “for somepony so full of herself to have that much magic. But she clearly does."
Twilight slapped one hoof into the other. “Well, there’s no sense beating myself up about it. I’m a student, and I’ve got to learn wherever I can. I need to go to Trixie and ask nicely if she’ll help me improve my own magical skills. Maybe someday I'll be able to reach her level.”
With a renewed sense of purpose, she quickened her pace. Reaching the square where Trixie had parked her wagon, Twilight saw her closing up for the night. She moved closer, but saw Trixie looking all around with her eyes narrowed.
“Hmm. . . what’s she doing?” Twilight said. She snuck up on the wagon.
Trixie went inside and, with one last look to make sure nopony was around, slammed the windows shut. She had a candle burning, and all Twilight could see was the silhouette of Trixie against the shade.
“Whew,” Trixie said, “what a long day. But I’ve fooled another town. I’ll be rolling in their bits tomorrow.” She took off her cloak. Then she took off her hat.
Twilight’s expression became one of shock. “But how could she. . . ? That sneak!”
********************************************************************************************************
The next day, the sun was up and the crowd was even larger. They had formed a line, and Trixie was at the front of it, back in her costume. Snips and Snails were at her side, a dreamy look on their faces. As they made their way toward the wagon, each pony dropped a bit into a collection bag that Snails was holding.
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack were in line waiting when Twilight and Spike came prancing up. They all turned their heads to look at her.
"Twilight!" said Applejack. "Are we glad to see you. Spike said that last night you were feeling down."
Rarity flipped her hair and stepped up. "Yes, there's nothing to worry about. I told Applejack that you're too big of a pony to let a brash unicorn like Trixie keep you away."
Rainbow was hovering next to them, burning off nervous energy by pumping her wings. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. You come to see the show? It’s rotten that we’ve got to pay two bits today," she said.
“You can save your bits, girls,” Twilight said. “There’s going to be a show, all right, but it’s not going to be the one she planned. Hey, Trixie!”
Trixie raised her head from the bag and looked down the line to see who was addressing her. “Well, if it isn’t the amateur from yesterday. I see that you’ve come around to admit to everypony that The Great and Powerful Trixie is the most magical unicorn in Equestria!”
“Hardly. Everypony, listen up!” Twilight marched up to the front of the line with all heads turned in her direction. “This so-called most magical unicorn is nothing but a fraud. And I’ll prove it!”
Twilight’s horn glowed, and a matching glow formed around Trixie’s hat. “Stop it!” said Trixie. “What are you doing? Let Trixie go at once!”
She reached for the hat with her hooves and tried to jam it on her head. She was fighting the magic strongly. Changing tacks, Twilight charged forward and leaped in the air. She caught the brim of Trixie’s hat in her teeth and yanked it off of her head.
Twilight landed a few feet from the stage and spat out the hat triumphantly. All the ponies gasped. Snips’s mouth fell open. Snails dropped the bag of coins. Everypony just stared.
“I don’t believe it!” said Snips.
“Where’s her horn?” said Snails.
“She doesn’t have one, because she’s not even a unicorn!” said Twilight.
Trixie had her head down in embarrassment at being exposed, but it only let everypony see her forehead more clearly. She was still a very pretty pony, but she was definitely not a unicorn.
“Why, she’s nothing but a stinkin’ Earth pony!” said Rainbow Dash. Applejack again gave her a look that threatened to bore a hole through her side, and Rainbow felt it. “Er. . . that is. . . hey! She tricked us all! Boo!”
The ponies stomped and muttered in protest. Trixie turned tail and hitched herself to the wagon, dashing away as fast as her hooves could carry her. Twilight stood there with a satisfied look on her face.
“Well, my word,” said Rarity. “I never even suspected. To think that somepony would fake being a unicorn. What an uncultured thing to do.”
Applejack kicked up her hooves at the excitement. “Well, you sure showed her! It took some real smarts to figure out what was goin’ on.”
“And did you see the look on her face?!” Rainbow said, doubled over with laughter. “She was so upset I think she was going to cry! You were awesome, Twilight!”
Twilight’s satisfied look faltered. “Yeah,” she said. “I guess I was.” She looked off in the direction where Trixie had run.
********************************************************************************************************
Again the crickets were chirping. Again the owls were hooting. Again Twilight opened the door of the library, scarf around her neck.
“Are you going out again?” said Spike. “You’re getting to be a real night owl.”
“Don’t worry, Spike. I just have something that I have to take care of. Don’t wait up for me.”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” Spike said. He started snoring before the door finished closing.
Twilight walked to the edge of town. The road led over a hill. As she climbed up, she saw where Trixie had pulled her cart to the side of the road. She approached the wagon and heard a gentle sobbing from within. Climbing the stairs, Twilight knocked on the door with her hoof.
“Go away, whoever you are,” Trixie’s muffled voice said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie’s show is closed forever.”
“Trixie, it’s Twilight Sparkle. May I come in?”
“Oh, the real unicorn. Come to rub it in some more? Trixie is too tired to speak with you. Be gone!”
Twilight called into the door. “Please, Trixie. I just want to talk. There’s no reason we can’t be friends.”
The latch rattled and the door opened. Trixie, in her cape but without her hat, stood there looking askance at Twilight. Wordlessly, she turned around and went back into the wagon. Twilight followed.
“Look,” she said, “I know that we got off on the wrong hoof, but if you had just toned down the boasting—“
“Ha!” said Trixie, turning abruptly. “As if you’re not showing off just as much with how much magic you have.”
“I’m really not,” said Twilight. “I’m a unicorn and I do magic. Why do you pretend that you’re something you’re not?”
Trixie busied herself straightening up the inside of the wagon. “It’s all right for you, coming from Ponyville. You’ve probably never even been to Canterlot.”
Twilight started to interrupt in order to correct her, but Trixie was oblivious and continued her story.
“The first time I passed through, I could see the difference between the big city and the small towns as plain as the horn on your head. Canterlot was filled with unicorns, running everything by magic. They lead the easy life there, while the poor Earth ponies have to dig a living out of the ground with their hooves. I wasn’t going to stand for it! There was no way that I would let an accident of birth keep me away from the bright lights and wide avenues. If I couldn’t do magic naturally, I’d just have to make my own! Nopony would have to know. So long as I wore my hat, they would just assume that I was what I said I was.”
She shot an accusing glance at Twilight. “I never dreamed that anypony would be so rude as to rip my hat off in public.”
Twilight looked at the ground. “But wait. How did you manage to make your own magic? How did you make the wagon disappear?”
“The wagon never disappeared. You saw the stage unfold and the fireworks come out, but there are more hidden sections that I built in. Some of them have mirrors. When I pulled back the curtain, the mirrors reflect where I pull it to back onto where the wagon is.”
Twilight looked all over the room. “That must have taken a lot of work to know exactly where to put the mirrors and curtain.”
Trixie waved a hoof, passing off the compliment.
“But how did you read Snips’s and Snails’s minds and know that they stole the cookies?” asked Twilight.
“I didn’t. When I first came into town, I saw them sneaking out of the bakery with the cookies in hand. Whenever I go to a new village, I always come early to try to spy out secrets I can use in my show.”
Twilight stood up. “All right, but what about the brass instruments? I saw them floating in midair and playing themselves!”
Trixie walked past Twilight and opened a panel. The instruments were still there. “A very thin cord, the same color as the back of the display, holds them up. I have them rigged to play automatically.”
Twilight ran her hoof through the area above the instruments, and felt the string move the instruments.
“Well, does that answer all of your questions?” asked Trixie. “You can go back now and tell everypony that you know all of Trixie’s secrets. Keep humiliating me. You clearly enjoy it so much.”
Twilight was looking at all the other amenities in the wagon. “You must have practiced for hours every day to make sure you could pull off all these tricks. Not to mention building in all of these secrets."
“Whatever. All that practice couldn’t really make magic. It’s time for you to go.” Trixie pushed open the door.
Twilight walked to the door, then decided that she couldn’t just leave her here. “It’s time for us to go. We’ve got a magic show to put on.”
“Wha?!”
*********************************************************************************************************
As the sun rose over the town square, Trixie pulled the wagon back into position. Snips and Snails were idling about in the square playing leapfrog with each other. Trixie stopped and gave them an apologetic smile. They turned their faces in disgust. Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack were shopping at a booth. Trixie tried to look at them. "Well, look who's back," said Applejack, as she too turned up her head.
“Twilight,” Trixie said, “this is not going to work. Everypony in this town hates me, as well they should.”
From inside the wagon, Twilight’s voice came. “You didn’t give them a chance to like you. Trust me.”
Trixie walked inside, and they stayed there as more ponies gathered. At last, it was Twilight’s voice that announced, “Fillies and gentlecolts! Please look again, as we present the amazing Trixie!”
The stage dropped, and Trixie was there looking sheepish. She wasn’t wearing her hat, and everypony could see that she was embarrassed. The mean looks from the ponies didn’t help.
“Watch as Trixie reveals some of the most incredible advances in the art of prestidigitation!”
“Presti-what?” Snails said, as his eyes grew big.
“Sure, unicorns can do magic,” said Twilight. “But can even the most talented unicorn do this?”
Trixie froze up. She kept looking at the audience. Twilight walked over and whispered, “That’s your cue, Trixie! Just do it!”
Trixie revealed a box with one open side. She pulled out an egg from her cloak and put it inside. After covering the box with a black cloth, she shook her hooves and pulled the cloth off. A fully-grown chicken was in the box, clucking away.
“Whoa!” said Snails.
“How did she make that chicken grow up so fast? She doesn’t even have any magic!” said Snips.
"The hoof is quicker than the eye!" said Twilight.
Trixie, still nervous, filled a glass with water. She put the same cloth over the glass and then turned it upside down on her head. When she pulled the cloth away, instead of being soaked, she was wearing a garland of flowers.
Some of the ponies muttered appreciation. Trixie had the beginnings of a confident smile.
"Wait a second!" called Rainbow Dash from the audience. "How to we know that Twilight isn't just doing the magic for her?"
"Look at her horn," said Rarity. "A unicorn's horn always shines when she performs magic. But Twilight's hasn't glowed once."
The ponies in the audience started to smile again, and more of them gathered around Trixie. With renewed confidence, she went through her act, picking out cards that ponies had guessed, conjuring small coins from behind ponies’ ears, and as a finale, sawing Rarity in half, much to her consternation. Throughout the show, Trixie never once spoke. Twilight did all the announcing and set up lines. When it was finished, some ponies threw flowers on the stage. Trixie bowed deeply, showing off her horn-less forehead to an audience for the first time.
“Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned a valuable lesson about friendship. You don’t get anywhere by pretending to be something you’re not. But if you look deep inside for who a pony really is, you might be able to make a friend out of even the most boastful and arrogant pony. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight’s dictation took her from the show back home to the library. In her hooves, she had a picture of her and Trixie taken after the show, hugging each other. She included it with the letter, and had Spike send it off.
“You really enjoyed helping out Trixie with her pretend magic, huh?” Spike said.
Twilight turned her head. “Well, every magician needs a lovely assistant.”
“I wonder when Trixie is going to get one.”
Twilight gave him a mean look, but Spike just kept laughing.
