> Past of the Rivals
>  by CAPTAIN YOSHI HD
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Past of the Rivals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oohoohoohoo. These tricks are going to make the princess's visit worth while.", Trixie said with excitement, glacing at her magic equipment. Her magician's hat, her cards, wand, you name it, they splayed out in front her wagon. She was getting them prepared for Princess Twilight Sparkle's royal visit. She recieved a letter from her that she was going to come by and see her, and she thought in her honor of her arrival, she would do magic tricks.

"Hello, Trixie.", a voice called from behind the blue unicorn.

Trixie turned and saw Princess Twilight flying downwards towards her. "Princess!", she chirped happily. She then bowed as soon as the tall alicorn landed.

"It's good to see you, Trixie.", the princess said. 

Trixie stood up straight. "So, how are things going in the kingdom?", she asked.

"Pretty well, can't complain.", Twilight said. "So, how's Luster Dawn doing in the school?"

"Oh, she is doing amazing, she even passed one of her current friendship tests.", Trixie cheered.

Twilight put a hoof to her chest proudly. "Ah, I knew sending her to Ponyville was the perfect solution.", she said.

Trixie chortled. "Why's that, because Celestia did the same for you?", she asked.

Twilight scraped her hoof across the grass. "Well, before she and Luna moved to Silver Shoals, I did give her my word that anypony who comes to me to seek guidance, Ponyville is the best option to help them embrace the magic of friendship.", she said.

The magician rolled her eyes. "Of course.", she chuckled. "Anyways, now that you're here, I thought I'd make your visit special by doing magic tricks."

The purple princess chuckled. "Like a little private magic show for me?", she asked.

"Yes indeed.", Trixie said, nodding. She grabbed a stack of cards with her magic and brought them over to Twilight. "Starting with a card trick." She grabbed twenty cards from the deck and spread them out with their backs facing skyward.

Twilight picked a card and revealed the front, it was a 1 with one red diamond. She faced the front of the card back downward and stuffed it back in the deck.

Trixie shuffled the deck and kept them remained in a stack. She picked a card up, revealing a 9 with red hearts.

Twilight shook her head, saying no in body language.

Trixie put the card under the stack, she picked up another, revealing a 4 with black clovers.

Twilight shook her head again.

Trixie did the same as the last card, she picked up another, revealing the exact card Twilight picked.

Smiling brightly, Twilight nodded.

Trixie turned the front of the card towards her face, seeing what the card was and clapped her hooves. "Only three draws and I now got it right.", she giggled.

"Well, you know what ponies say, third time's a charm.", Twilight chuckled. "So, this is what it's like to do the tricks with a magician."

Trixie set up a small table with a big blue cloth placed upon it. "I take it you've been to magic shows?", she asked.

"Only back when I was a filly in Canterlot.", Twilight admitted. "My mom and dad would take me, Shining Armor, and Cadance to late night magic shows after dinner. Participating with the magician was pretty tempting, but I never got a chance to do it."

Trixie frowned sympathically, then regained her smile. "Hey, considering that you're a princess, the Great and Powerful Trixie had to take the opportunity to oblidge in making your chance a success.", she said. She placed a ball on the table and placed three cups along with it, the middle cup trapping it. She removed the cup from around the ball, so that Twilight can remember which cup it's in. She put the cup back around the ball and shuffled the cups around.

Twilight scanned the cups, trying to figure out which one has the ball. She guessed the middle one.

Trixie removed the cup, revealing the ball.

Twilight squeeled with delight. "Seems like today's my lucky day.", she said, watching Trixie put away the table, ball, and cups. "If only I had a bit to give to you for charity, but unfortunately, I don't."

Trixie pulled out a bit from one of her pockets and held it in her hooves. "Though, do you think Trixie could help you out with that?", she asked, pressing her hooves together and then seperating them, revealing that the coin was gone.

"Where did it go?", Twilight asked.

"Search behind your ear.", Trixie suggested.

Twilight reached behind her right ear, but there was nothing.

"Try your other ear.", Trixie suggested.

Twilight reached behind her left ear, and removed the coin from there. "Here it is.", she declared.

Trixie took the coin in her magic and placed it back in her pocket. An idea popped into her head. "Oh, I've got a little something that I think you might enjoy.", she said, running from behind her cart and coming back out, pushing a large rectangular box laid upon a long rectangular table with wheels. "Does this seem familiar to you?"

Twilight scratched her chin. "I think so.", she said. "Is this where they cut the pony in half while they're in the box?"

Trixie nodded. "I've used one of these in my past shows.", she explained. "And when it came to thinking about you, I've made this one alicorn-sized just for you."

Twilight was taken aback. "For me?", she asked. "That's nice. But, maybe not for me, but Celestia too. If you can do a show at where she's living at right now."

Trixie raised an eyebrow slyly. "Are you saying that just to get out of this?", she asked, teasingly.

"N-No, not at all.", Twilight said. "I've seen magicians do this kind of trick, but ponies get terrified when it's being performed. To me, it just looked so intimidating."

Trixie opened the top of the box. "You shall worry no more, Princess Twilight.", she reassured. "Trixie will show you there's nothing to be afraid of while you're in this box. Now, please, Trixie humbly requests Princess Twilight to get into the box."

Twilight was still a little nervous, but she remembered what Cadance taught her when she was still a young mare, deep breath in, deep breath out. Keeping her straight posture, she walked over to the box and climbed in. 

Trixie closed the box up, with Twilight's head popping out one side and her back hooves out the other. She then brought out a handsaw in her hooves and began to saw into the wood. As soon as she got to the bottom, she placed the saw on the left half of the box, and pulled both halves apart with her hooves. "Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle, now half the pony she used to be.", she said, pretending to be in front of an audience. As a preamble, she took a bow.

Twilight tilted her head downwards to see what looked like her back hooves poking out of the other half of the box. She smiled and wiggled them around.

Seeing the alicorn's smile warmed Trixie's heart. If Twilight was happy, Trixie was happy. If Twilight was happy, then she had felt a sense of relief that a superstitious nightmare turned out to be quite fun. "You're right, Trixie, this is really amazing.", she said.

Trixie giggled. "See, Trixie's never wrong when she says that there's nothing scary about a trick like this.", she said. "So, tell Trixie, how does it feel to be cut into two?"

Twilight looked over to the other half of the box from where she was detached from and moved her back hooves slightly. "Well, it's a little weird.", she said. She then started giggling when the moving of her hind hooves become a wiggle. "But, a bit silly."

Trixie got on top of the half of the box where Twilight's head remained. "You see, when you easily get warmed up to a certain trick you're not comfortable with, you'll think of them simple as play.", Trixie said with a wink. "Even for the smartest princess of all Equestria."

Twilight blushed and chuckled. "You're such a flatterer, Trixie.", she said.

Trixie giggled sheepishly. "Am I not supposed to be?", she asked.

"What?", Twilight asked awkwardly. "N-No, I never said anything like that."

Trixie rolled her eyes playfully and got off the half of the box, her hooves meeting the grass once again. She around and took a seat with her back touching the half.

"You know, I wish I could go back in time to tell the filly me that there's nothing to be afraid of a trick like-", Twilight started, but her talking was ceased when she looked at Trixie. She seemed a little... sad? "Is everything ok? You seemed troubled."

Trixie perked up and looked at Twilight. "Huh?", she asked.

"Is there something troubling you?", Twilight asked.

Trixie fiddled with her hooves. "Well,... I just have something to tell you.", she admitted. "I just feel a little... timid about it. You see, the reason why I made you do all these magic tricks with me was because... I wanted to do something to make it up to you after my past evil deeds. How I mistreated you and how I took over Ponyville and exiled you. After I left here, thinking about everything I've done, I felt lousy about it."

Twilight smiled warmly. "I really appreciate that, Trixie.", she said.

Trixie was surprised. "You do?", she asked.

Twilight nodded. "In my book, it's your heart is what made you think of this.", she said. "Even after you befriended Starlight, she really showed you what true friendship is about."

Trixie scratched her chin. "So, it's the thought that counts.", she pointed out.

"Precisely.", Twilight said, nodding. She looked up at the sky. "Oh my, it's getting late. I think it's high time I head off to see Rarity at her boutique. Shouldn't keep her waiting."

Trixie got up on her hooves. "For words like those, you have no idea how happy Trixie's feels.", she said proudly.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Trixie, would you be so kind and, uh, make me whole again now?", she asked.

Trixie walked over to the left half of the box. "Oh, I will.", she said. "But, not without a little incentive, hmmm." With her magic, she took hold of Twilight's slippers.

Huh? T-Trixie, w-what are you doing?", Twilight sputtered, feeling her slippers being tugged on.

Trixie gently removed the slippers, exposing Twilight's purple bare flat soles of her back hooves.

Twilight looked over at Trixie, who was standing by her bare hooves. "What did you remove my slippers for?", she asked.

Trixie made a feather appear in her magic. "You're about to find out, my dear friend. Tickle, tickle, tickle.", she cooed teasingly, as she began to dust the feather rapidly at the undersides of Twilight's hooves.

Twilight fell into a fit of giggling laughter and thrashed her head back and forth, as the magician tickled her hooves. "Hahaha! Trixie Hahahaha! Trixie! Stop! Stop! Oh, oh! Hahahahahahaha!"

"Aw, why?", Trixie playfully whined, as she continuously flicked the tip of the feather against the bottoms of the princess's hooves and listening to those adorable giggles. "You seem to be enjoying it."

"Pleaheaheaheaheas!", Twilight begged desperately between her laughter. "Let me out of here!"

"Ok.", Trixie said, making her feather disappear with her magic. She placed each one of Twilight's slippers back on her hooves. With her magical aura, she used her magical aura to put the boxes back together. The top of the box popped open, Twilight was completely whole again.

"Thank you, Trixie.", Twilight said, as she climbed out of the box.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your time here and your childhood desires a big success.", Trixie said. "Off to Rarity's?"

"Yep.", Twilight answered. 

"Bet she's got some special dress she wants you to try on.", the magician predicted.

Twilight chuckled. "You think?", she asked.

"Uh huh, always her favorite thing.", Trixie said. "Well, I hope you have fun, Princess."

"I will.", Twilight said, preparing to take flight. "See you later, Trixie. And thank you." She took off in the sky.

Trixie waved, as she watched the princess get smaller and smaller in her view. She thought, Twilight was right, in her own heart, she really showed what true friendship was about.