The following morning, Spike left Octavia’s and continued on his quest. I know I have to get these mares on my side to keep myself out of jail, but do I really have to see HER? He thought to himself. After all, the next mare on the list was a very troublesome mare. She was the same mare who made up stories to sound famous, caused Snips and Snails to bring an Ursa Minor into Ponyville, and became a power-hungry tyrant after being influenced by the Alicorn Amulet. The mare in question was none other than…

“The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!!!”

The blue unicorn proudly took the stage as she began her magic show. When she first arrived, she had boasted about her greatness to the point of making up a story just to be popular. But after learning her lesson, she decided to move into Ponyville and perform magic tricks and special plays for entertainment. Yet one thing was still eating away at the back of her air-headed mind. Trixie was going to be on jury for Spike in about 10 days. She believed the drake to be innocent for a few reasons. The first was because of how adorable she thought Spike was when he was a baby dragon. She would even have silly fantasies of cuddling him like a plush toy and making him where a silly pink bow. Some “Great and Powerful” Trixie right there.

The other reason was because of how ridiculous the charges sounded. I mean how is it that somepony could be arrested for jaywalking when there aren’t even any streets around Ponyville? She thought. Such a charge sounded sillier than her boastful story of banishing an Uras Major. And lollygagging? How pathetic are those fools? They must have made it up.

The third reason was because of the Judge. Trixie had heard of what kind of Stallion Prince Blueblood was and could not understand why he was made a judge. He’s just a big, pompous bully who’s jealous of someone as likable as Spike. She thought. How he ever got to be judge I’ll never know. He probably bought the position. One thing Trixie would ever want to do was to turn Blueblood into a cupcake and feed him to Pinkie Pie. But then she’d just puke him back up.

After the show was finished, Trixie went back to her carriage to rest. “Another day, another bit”, she sighed proudly. She was just getting some tea heated up when she heard a knock at the door.

“Now who could that be?” wondered Trixie. She hadn’t expected any company that night. Figuring it might be a fan asking for an autograph, she decided to open the door.

“Greetings, O Great and Powerful Trixie!” To Trixie’s surprise, there at her doorway was Spike. He wore a magician’s cape and a top hat. He held a wand in one claw and a grin on his face. “I can see that I have arrived just in time”.

“Why Spike,” said Trixie, “what a surprise…”

“Shhh,” shushed Spike, putting a scaly finger to Trixie’s lips. “Today, I am Spike the Magnificent; the most talented Dragon Magician in Equestria! I have come to entertain you with my feats of greatness.”

With that, Spike took off his cape and threw it into the air. He then used his dragon flame on it. Suddenly the cape exploded into a bouquet of flowers. It floated into Spike’s arms and he presented them to Trixie, who graciously accepted them. Then he took off his top hat, put it on a small wooden table beside him, tapped it 3 times, and removed the hat. From under it he produced an ice cream milkshake. He gave it to Trixie who tried a taste of it.

“It’s Caramel Coconut Swirl!” she gasped. “It is Trixie’s favorite ice cream flavor!”

“I am pleased that you are enjoying the show,” commented Spike, “but I haven’t gotten to the best part yet. And now,” he declared grandly, “it is time for the Grand Finale!”

Spike snapped his fingers and in seconds, a large rope coiled around him and held him into the air. This caused Trixie to gasp in surprise, especially as a tank full of hungry sharks appeared right below him.

”Are you mad?!” Trixie cried.

“Nope”, replied Spike. “Just insane.”

With that, parts of a box flew in and incased Spike. Just as Trixie thought she’d seen enough, the rope holding Spike snapped, causing the box to plummet towards the shark tank! But just before it touched the tank, the box exploded in a pile of confetti, but Spike was nowhere to be seen!

“Looking for me?”

Trixie looked back and saw Spike sitting on the roof of her wagon as if nothing had happened. Trixie was so amazed by this that she began to clap loudly as Spike stood up to bow.

”Bravo! Bravo!” she cheered. “Trixie has never seen such a performance in her life!”

“Oh it was nothing”, said Spike.

”Don’t be so modest”, commented Trixie. “How did you do it?”

”A true magician never reveals his secrets”, Spike grinned. “But perhaps we can have a little talk?”

So they went inside Trixie’s wagon.

“So,” said Trixie, “I believe you are wishing to discuss your problem with the charges against you.”

”How’d you know?” gasped Spike.

“You just told me”, chuckled Trixie. “And also because I was thinking about the same thing. It’s not fair that some rich snob should convict an innocent dragon out of jealousy.”

“I agree completely”, agreed Spike. He was rather surprised by how quick Trixie got to the point. “And I would appreciate it if I could have your support on showing I’m innocent.”

Trixie grew a flirty grin. “What’s in it for me?” she said in a teasing voice. She needed no answer for Trixie could read Spike’s mind perfectly. “Very well”, she decided. “I will help.”

”Yes!” Spike leaped in excitement.

”But not so fast, lover boy”, interrupted Trixie, playfully booping Spike on the nose. “The Great and Powerful Trixie first demands a sacrifice.”

Spike was puzzled. “A sacrifice? But I don’t want to sacrifice others just to benefit my own…”

Before Spike could continue, Trixie summoned a pair of feathers with her magic and began tickling Spike’s sides with them.

“Stop!” He cried as he fell to the floor laughing. “That tickles!” After a few seconds, the tickling stopped.

”I shall tickle you again,” smirked Trixie, “unless you can appease me. And by the way, I do not want you to sacrifice other ponies.”

“Well alright”, said Spike, getting back to his feet. “What is it that you want?”

”I want…” Trixie paused dramatically for a few seconds, “… a shrubbery! DUN DUN DUUUUNNN!!!”

Spike wasn’t that amused. “That’s it?” he asked. “A plain old shrubbery?”

”Of course”, declared Trixie. “Trixie has needed to spruce up her wagon for quite some time to make it a little pretty.”

Spike was about to object when he saw Trixie summon the feathers again.

“You must bring me the shrubbery,” she said cheekily, “or else you will not pass through… untickled!”

”Fear not, O Great and Powerful Trixie”, declared Spike. “I shall return with your shrubbery.”

“One that looks nice,” added Trixie, “and not too expensive.”

“Of course.” And with that, Spike set out on his quest to find the shrubbery of bushiness.

“I can’t believe I’m on a wild goose chase for a shrub”, Spike complained to himself. “Trixie is so lucky she has a cute face or I wouldn’t be so nice.”

At last, he came across a hut. Outside he could see a stallion with some shrubberies.

“Excuse me”, Spike called to the Stallion, who had his back turned. “Do you sell shrubberies?”

”Of course I do”, replied the stallion. “They call me Shrub-beard.”

“Why do they call you that?” Spike’s question was soon answered once the stallion turned his face towards him. “Holy freak show!”

On Shrub-beard’s chin was a green bushy shrub that acted like a beard.

”It’s quite alright”, he told Spike. “I’m quite used to hearing that. The only downside is that I don’t know whether to use a razor or a hedge trimmer when shaving. Now, which kind of shrubbery would you like?”

Spike examined the selection.

”How about the one with the blue roses?” he asked.

“That’ll be 5 bits”, replied Shrub-beard.

“Deal.” So Spike paid Shrub-beard and headed off with the shrubbery. Just as Spike had left, a bird tried to make a nest in Shrub-beard’s beard.

“Shoo!” he said, shooing the bird away.

Spike soon made his way back to Trixie’s wagon and saw the mare waiting for him.

“O Great and Powerful Trixie,” Spike said as he placed the shrubbery down, “I have brought you your shrubbery. Are you pleased?”

“It is a good shrubbery”, complimented Trixie. “I like the blue roses especially. But there is one small problem.”

”Problem?” asked Spike. “What problem?”

“I am now… no longer the Great and Powerful Trixie”, replied Trixie. “I am now the Great and Beautiful Trixie! Therefore, I must give you a test.”

”What test do you want me to perform, O Great and Beautiful Trixie?” Spike was starting to find it hard to please this mare.

“Firstly, you must find…” Trixie paused dramatically again, “…another shrubbery! DUN DUN DUUUUNNN!!!”

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!” groaned Spike.

“Then when you have found that shrubbery,” continued Trixie, “you must bring it here next to this one, only make it so there’s a path between them.”

Spike face-palmed himself from hearing this.

”Then after that,” Trixie went on,”you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest… with… a feather! DUN DUN DUUUUNNN!!!”

“Oh come on!” cried Spike. “Are you crazy?”

“It’s a slight possibility”, replied Trixie.

Spike rolled his eyes in annoyance. He didn’t want to do so many errands for Trixie, but he also wanted to make sure she would support his innocence. So he headed back to Shrub-beard’s hut. This time Shrub-beard gave him the second shrubbery for free due to him being too distracted fighting off more birds.

“Go away!” he said, shaking a broom at them. “This beard ain't gonna be your new outhouse!”

Once Spike brought the second shrubbery to Trixie, she gave him the feather to cut down the mightiest tree.

“How I’m gonna be able to cut down a tree with a feather, I’ll never know”, Spike muttered to himself.

Before long, Spike came across the mightiest tree in the forest. It was as tall as Canterlot Castle.

“This will not be easy”, groaned Spike. He pulled out the feather and was about to attempt at cutting the tree down when…

Poof!

The feather turned into a machete!

“Awesome!” cried Spike. Using the machete, the tree was cut down in no time. Spike was about to pick it up when…

“Hey there.” The tree grew a face, causing Spike to jump back in surprise.

“Whoa!” he cried. Spike had never imagined a tree to come alive like that. “Uh, hi. Who are you?”

“Eh, most ponies just call me Steve”, replied the tree. “I don’t really care for it though. I’d rather be called something awesome like Uzi Bazooka. Anywho, who are you?”

”Uh, I’m Spike”, the dragon answered. “Sorry about cutting you down and all. You see, there’s this girl that…”

”Don’t worry about it”, interrupted Steve. “I've been cut down about 500 times. It doesn't even bother me.”

”Well that’s cool I gue- wait a minute!” cried Spike. “How is it you've been cut down 500 times but you’re here right now?”

”Easy”, replied Steve. “Watch this.” With that, Steve broke wind and a tiny sprout popped out of the stump where he used to be. Spike could see that Steve’s face had left his body and went to the sprout instead.

“Ta-da! Well, what do you think?” The sprout asked with a high-pitched voice. “I’ve done this so long I actually enjoy it.”

Spike was now dumbfounded at what he saw. “Uh, yeah. Really neat”, he finally said. “Well, I’d better go now. Nice talking to you.”

”Take care”, Steve called as he waved until Spike was out of sight.

“Man,” said Spike to himself, “this is getting completely crazy and random. It’s like Pinkie Pie took over and rewrote reality or something.”

At last, Spike made it back to Trixie’s wagon.

“Well,” he sighed in exhaustion as he heaved the tree off his back, “I did it. I cut down the mightiest tree with that weird feather of yours.”

”Excellent”, congratulated Trixie. “You have passed the test.”

”Finally”, muttered Spike.

“But one last thing”, added Trixie. “Does this cape make my flanks look big?”

“Yes”, said Spike flatly. “Yes it does.”

”Well, at least you weren’t being a jerk about it”, said Trixie. “But enough of these trivial things. How about you and me make a little magic of our own?” She raised her eyebrows up and down in a flirty manner as she entered her wagon. Spike reluctantly followed.

“About time”, he said under his breath. Suddenly he was caught off guard as Trixie jumped and kissed him right on the lips, knocking him to the floor. On the outside of the wagon, the door swung closed after a sign was put on it saying ‘Out to Lunch’. The only noises that could be heard were Trixie’s playful giggles, the sounds of her blowing on Spike’s belly, and Spike’s laughter followed by some occasional kissing. This all went on through the night.

The following morning, Spike woke up with a pink bow on his forehead and Trixie next to him still asleep. Spike’s stirring had caused her to wake up as well.

“Morning, sleepy head”, she chuckled, kissing Spike on the forehead.

“Any particular reason I’m wearing a pink bow on my head?” asked Spike. Trixie blushed with embarrassment.

“When you were a baby dragon,” she explained, “I thought you were so adorable that I wanted to cuddle you like a plush toy and put pretty pink bows on you.”

“You’ve got problems”, said a weirded out Spike.

“Indeed I do”, confessed Trixie. “Please don’t tell anypony else about what I said. I don’t want them to think little of me.”

”I don’t think you have to worry about that, Trixie”, replied Spike.

“Thank you”, Trixie said, hugging Spike.

“Well I have to go now”, said Spike, heading out the door. “But fear not. For one day, Spike the Magnificent shall return again!” And with that, Spike headed off on his quest to secure an innocent vote for the jury. Trixie just slumped off to get some food.

”What a nice guy”, she sighed happily.

Author's Note

Well, that's Riddleja's chapter. And before anyone asks, Riddleja made a deal for a clop-free chapter with FlimFlamBros long before I took over at the guy in charge of this, so I kinda felt I had to abide by the former owner's agreements. That said, if you check it, I also just posted an interlude. It's not counting as my chapter, and it's not necessarily cannon to the story, but it can be if you want. It's basically just an apology for the time it took for this to get out.

Chapter by: Riddleja