Trixie Switch

by Yukito

Rating: teen
Tags: Human, Trixie, Spike, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 29488

Two Trixies from different worlds switch places (Inolves EQG world)

Two Trixies. One tires of her shows being nothing more than smoke and mirrors and wishes for real magic. The other just wants to be appreciated and accepted.

Each Trixie has what the other desires, so when they get the chance to trade places with each other, they of course take the chance. Will they truly be happy with their new lives, or will their exchange take a sudden bitter turn?

Published 2013-10-15 17:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-15 17:20:03 UTC

Trixie Switch - Part I

Derpy Hooves was in deep focus. She needed complete silence all around her. She needed to concentrate hard, for her next decision could prove to be the most important choice in the whole world. Even the slightest peep could shatter her focus and-

“For the love of Pete, just pick a card!” Trixie said, her patience starting to wear thin.

“Okay!” Derpy said, picking a card from the fanned-out deck before her and showing it to her friends behind her. It was a three of hearts.

“And now…” Trixie collected the card and placed it back in the deck. With a grin, she closed her eyes and threw the stack of cards high into the air. In a puff of smoke, the cards vanished as a sea of roses took their place, each one of the flowers fluttering down and landing on a different students desk. Derpy’s rose in particular was special; on it, there was a card attached to one of the thorns. “Is that your card?”

Derpy picked up the card and gasped, her face lighting up with excitement. “It is!” she giggled, waving the card in the air for all to see.

“Wow!” Junebug said, clapping her hands with a majority of the class. “That was great!”

“How’d you do it?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Even I can’t figure it out, and I’ve been trying for like, ever!”

“Sorry, that’s a trade secret,” Trixie said, pointing her nose up into the air as she laughed.

“It’s hardly a big mystery,” Sunset Shimmer mumbled behind Trixie, stopping the magician’s laughter and attracting the attention of the entire class. “… If you guys can’t figure it out for yourselves, I’m not going to tell you.”

“Excuse me…” Everybody in the class gasped and turned their eyes to the front immediately, remaining silent as an angry Cheerilee made her way towards Trixie’s desk. “While that was certainly impressive, could you please, for the last time, refrain from disrupting my class with your magic shows?”

Trixie sighed and gave the teacher a solemn shake of her head. “Miss Cheerilee…” Trixie held up her hand, and in a puff of smoke, produced a bouquet of flowers, which she handed to the teacher. “Please accept the Great and Powerful Trixie’s most sincere apologies. I just figured that such a hard-working and diligent teacher as yourself, should be rewarded with a little entertainment from time-to-time, that is all.”

Behind her, Trixie could hear the sounds of Sunset Shimmer gagging, but she chose to ignore it in favour of keeping her puppy dog eyes on her teacher. They seemed to be effective, or perhaps it was the flowers. Either way, Cheerilee’s expression had softened.

“… This will be your last warning,” Cheerilee said, accepting the bouquet and walking back towards her desk. “Please save you magic shows for outside of lesson times.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie knew that you would understand, and she shall abide by your wishes,” Trixie said with a bow, removing her wizard’s hat and cape and storing them inside of her desk. As soon as Cheerilee’s back was turned, Trixie leaned over to Derpy Hooves sitting beside her and whispered, “Hey, what page are we one?”

“Eighty-eight,” Derpy whispered back. “The one with the cute little caterpillar.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow as she scanned through her textbook. Indeed, there was an image of a caterpillar on page eighty-eight, but it didn’t quite fit under the magician’s definition of ‘cute’.

Trixie rested a hand under her cheek and scanned the page for no more than a few seconds before her boredom maxed out and she was compelled to turn her head and stare out of the window beside her. Outside, she could see a different class playing a game of soccer. Rainbow Dash happened to be in that class, meaning it was a loud one.

‘Like it really matters if I pay attention or not,’ Trixie thought to herself as she watched Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust arguing in the centre of the pitch as the rest of the students continued playing on one side. It didn’t take long for Coach Iron Will to interrupt the match so that he could yell some sense into the two.

‘My grades are already good enough to pass and enter a good college, but I don’t have intention of furthering my education. As soon as I graduate, I’m making my show fulltime! I’ll save enough money and take my magic act to the road!’ Trixie sighed as her eyes drifted upwards and stared into the deep blue sky above her. ‘‘Act’. That’s all my magic is. Smoke, mirrors, and calculated timing. They’re not unexplainable. That Sunset Shimmer sees through all of them, and so can anyone with enough focus.

‘I want something more. Something like what Sunset and that… that other girl, Twilight Barkle? I want real magic, like what they had… I guess that’s just not going to happen though, is it?’

The Great and Powerful Trixie was having a not-so Great and Powerful day. After trying her luck performing in the park where there were just a few foals playing about, Trixie found that her ‘reputation’ had spread even to the minds of innocent young children. It made sense, she supposed; the parents threw insults and laughed at her misfortune, so naturally the children would pick up on that and assume it was the right thing to do.

That being said, it was a sad sad day to finally see children vandalising her home and then treating her like the bad mare. And of course, she couldn’t retaliate. The parents would not care what she had to say, and assaulting minors would result in more than a night’s stay in the local detention centre or being ran out of town by angry villagers.

Trixie glared at what her trailer had become. When she purchased it, it wasn’t exactly the most wonderful home in the world, but it was small, cosy, and cute, just the way she liked it. Now it looked like something Frankenstein cooked up in his lab. Red paint stained the sides, either in splats or as crude drawings of a magician crying or a big bear squashing the same magician. And since money was an issue, so was cleaning. The once-light wood was now dark and soggy, and the door was literally just hanging open.

“This is a joke,” Trixie said as her horn lit up. She could still hear the laughter of the children behind her, but she was about to shut them up. With one flash of light from her horn, the laughter did indeed stop, as the children previously mocking her were now watching with awe, and fear, at the rising flames burning the wooden trailer to ash.

Trixie turned around and walked away. She didn’t focus much when casting the spell, so the safety mechanisms that usually accompanied it weren’t guaranteed. But she didn’t care. What had this town done for her? How had the ponies treated her and her special talent, after she had just tried to bring a little joy to their town? She couldn’t care less if the town caught fire and…

“… Damnit.” Trixie’s horn lit up once more as she stopped for a moment. A strong gust of wind blew the fire out, leaving the charred remains of her crumbling trailer behind. “I hate this damn country. If I could leave, I wouldn’t hesitate for a single moment.”

Trixie continued to walk down the lonely dirt road, wearing her signature hat and cape and carrying only three items: a bag containing three bit coins, a knife for her own safety, and a photograph of what she once was. Of the Great and Powerful showmare that could actually perform a show in peace and was a big hit with all of the ponies who saw her.

It was something to strive for… and an impossible feat. What is dead can never be brought back to life. In essence, the Great and Powerful Trixie didn’t survive the ursa minor that night. She had died, and what roamed Equestria now was but a ghost, seeking a place to lay down and accept its eternal rest.

“I’m tired,” Trixie said as she stopped to look up at the stars. She cursed the Princess of the Night, and her sister, too. She cursed them both. As a filly at Celestia’s School, those teachers hammered the idea into her naïve young mind that Equestria was a land of peace, love, and harmony. That no matter who you were or where you went, friends and family would always be there to support you.

If Trixie could go back in time, she would warn her past self that it was all just one big, colourful lie. That the real world isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, as the princess would have her believe. That the real world is treacherous and unforgiving.

“… Well, it’s no use now,” Trixie muttered as she fell to her haunches. “What’s done is done. My reputation is irreparably ruined, and my life has reached its end.

“If only there was somewhere I could go. Somewhere where ponies don’t care about that stupid incident. Somewhere where ponies appreciate my talent and love my shows.” Trixie’s cutie mark glowed, attracting her attention. “I must be tired,” she told herself as she rose to her hooves and approached a nearby tree. She looked back down at her flank to find that the glow had gone.

“Yeah, just tired. I’ll get some rest here, then… I don’t know. Magic and performing are my destiny. That’s what my cutie mark is telling me. But what life is there for a pony who can no longer carry out their special talent? What place do I have in this world anymore?”

As Trixie closed her eyes to sleep, the glow from her cutie mark returned.

Trixie felt a strange feeling surrounding her body, almost as if her entire body had suddenly become much lighter and was floating in a body of water. A bright light caused her to stir about in her bed, and she slowly opened her eyes to find that… she wasn’t in her bed. She was somewhere… else. Somewhere she did not recognise.

“Hello?” Trixie asked, sitting up on whatever she was lying down on, which was nothing. This place that she was in, it was… bright, and mysterious. It was filled with stars, and there was a faint rainbow colour all around her. There was no floor, yet she wasn’t falling. She could not feel a ground, yet she could walk as if there was on there. “Hello?” she repeated, worry starting to show in her voice.

“Who’s there?” Trixie’s ears twitched. She couldn’t tell from which direction the voice had come from, so she looked in every direction until she found the… the thing that had spoken to her. “W-Who are you? What are you?” the tall, slim figure asked Trixie.

Trixie wasn’t sure what she was looking at. It was some kind of animal, possibly, that stood tall on two oddly shaped legs. It had four legs, just as Trixie did, but its two higher legs – which Trixie assumed to be its forelegs – seemed different from its other two. Both pairs of legs had some odd appendages coming out of the end, but the lower legs seemed thicker, and curved at the end, and the appendages were much smaller.

The body of the strange creature was covered in a pink nightgown – or at least that’s what it seemed to be at a first glance – and had two strange bumps near the top. Nothing unusual about the neck or head, other than the generally large size of the head in proportion to the rest of the body. As for hair, the creature had no tail, but did have a mane. A silver one, just like hers. And styled just like Trixie’s, too. And even the sleeping mask on the creature’s forehead read ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’, followed by her cutie mark being embroidered onto it…

“That’s what Trixie should be asking you,” Trixie said, giving the creature a suspicious glare.

“How did you know my name?” the creature asked.

“Your name is ‘You’?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘What an odd name…’

“No, Trixie,” the creature replied.

“Yes?” Trixie asked.

“Yes,” the creature confirmed.

“… You wanted to ask something?” Trixie asked, starting to feel confused.

“No,” the creature said, shaking its head.

“Then why did you say my name?”

“I didn’t,” the creature said. “I was telling you my name. It’s Trixie.”

“… That’s… quite a coincidence,” Trixie said. “That you should bear the same name as the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“That’s also my title,” the creature said. “And my last name is Lulamoon…”

“… Okay, seriously, who are you?” Trixie asked, her horn sparking as she cast the creature an annoyed glare.

The creature flinched and took a step back. “N-Now hold on a second…”

“How is this possible?” The two Trixies jumped and looked all around themselves for the source of this new, echoing voice. “It should not be possible for somepony to just walk into this plane, and yet…”

Trixie’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped at the regal form standing before her. The long, flowing rainbow-coloured mane, the longest horn she had ever seen on a pony, the most elegant wings, the white coat that shined in the light, and the golden jewellery that belonged to the Princess of the Sun. This was…

“Where are we?” the creature asked the newcomer. “And why am I talking with two horses?”

Princess Celestia turned to the creature with a curious look on her face. Trixie turned to her with an angry one. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is no whorse! You have three seconds to take back that insult, or else-”

“Or else what? You’ll poke me with that little thing on your head?” the creature asked, giving a yawn to show that she wasn’t intimidated.

“Your name is Trixie?” Celestia asked the fuming mare beside her. Trixie calmed herself down for a moment so that she could nod. “… And you?” Celestia asked the creature.

“Also Trixie,” the creature replied.

Celestia put a hoof to her chin and hummed in thought. “It would seem we have an imposter on our hooves,” Trixie said. “And a bad one at that.”

“Imposter? Please! I have been the Great and Powerful Trixie since the day I was born!”

“Lies! If that is true, then the real Great and Powerful Trixie challenges you to recall the incident that happened during your visit to Saddle Arabia!”

“Saddle- You mean Saudi?”

Trixie grinned and turned towards the princess. “You hear that? Clear proof that she is not only an imposter, but an idiot.”

“How dare you! My grades are in the top ten of my year!”

“Enough,” Celestia said, silencing the two bickering parties as she exchanged looks between them both. “It would seem… that you are both Trixie, but from separate worlds.”

“Separate worlds?” Trixie asked.

The creature was silent for a minute as she took that in, and then gasped. “Hold on! Do you know a girl named Twilight… Twilight something-or-other?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said, nodding her head. “As I thought. You must be from the world that she visited a couple of months ago.”

“What world?” Trixie asked. “What privilege has that spoiled princess been given now?”

“But why are you both here?” Celestia wondered aloud, ignoring Trixie’s statement as she observed the other Trixie closely. “It should not be possible… Unless…”

“… Unless what?” the creature asked.

“… Tell me, is there something that you wish for?” Celestia asked. “An aspect of your life that you are not happy with, or something that you seek from the bottom of your heart?”

To Celestia’s surprise, the other Trixie didn’t even have to think before nodding. “Lately, I’ve been wishing I could use magic. You know, like what Twilight used.”

Celestia’s attention turned to Trixie, who flinched and turned her head away, biting her lower lip as she remained silent. The silence, however, answered Celestia’s question quite well. “I see,” Celestia said, turning back to the creature. “Then it would seem – and this is only a hypothesis – but it is my belief that the two of you were summoned here by your strong desires overlapping with one another.”

“Uh… meaning what, exactly?” the other Trixie asked.

“Meaning,” Celestia began, “that the reason the two of you have been brought here is to make a choice. A choice that will ultimately change your lives forever.” The two Trixies tensed and stared intently at the princess as they waited for her to explain their so-called ‘choice’. “Ultimately,” Celestia started, “whatever wishes you both posses, it seems that you both want what the other has. To that end, the Celestial Plane has answered to your desires.”

The other Trixie nodded slowly. “I… see…” she lied.

“Basically,” Celestia said, “what you wish for – magic – can easily be found in our world. And whatever your counterpart wishes for can just as easily be found in your world.”

Trixie’s ears twitched. ‘What I wish for… Acceptance by others…’

“The Celestial Plane is a mysterious place, that even I do not understand,” Celestia explained. “However, the fact that the two of you are here, together, tells me that it is the Celestial Plane’s intention to fulfil your wishes. Should you choose to accept.”

As soon as Celestia was finished, two flashes of light filled the room. When everybody present could see again, two strange shapes seemingly made of light itself were present. One behind each Trixie.

“You must now choose,” Celestia told the two. “You both come from different worlds. It is in each other’s home world that you will both find what you desire. However, to obtain it, you must sacrifice something else.”

“Magic…” The creature took a few steps forward. “I can have magic.”

“Each doorway will only accept one of you,” Celestia continued. “So make sure you choose wisely.”

The two Trixies locked gazes with each other. “… That’s your home world,” the taller Trixie said. “That’s where you live, and where you’ve lived for your whole life.”

“It matters not to me,” Trixie said, trying to act cool as her eyes fixed on the portal behind her counterpart. ‘I can find acceptance there? … Who knows? But I’ve got nothing to lose. There’s nowhere for me in Equestria, but maybe I can…’ “Your wish lies beyond that door,” Trixie said, turning back to the other Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn’t stand in your way of that.”

“… Magic. Real magic. It’s what I’ve dreamed of ever since I was just a little girl, when I saw my first ever magic show.” The taller Trixie took another step forward, then hesitated, looking down at the other Trixie with an uncertain look on her face. “It’s… It’s been my dream for so many years…”

“By all means,” Trixie said, taking a few steps forward herself, “pursue your dream.”

Celestia watched as both Trixies took off in unison, sprinting towards the portals at opposite ends from where they were standing.

Trixie woke up from her strange dream with her head throbbing and her throat dry. She yawned and stretched her forelegs, though the action caused some pain. She decided to take it slowly and stretch out her limbs a bit first, applying her right forehoof to her forehead to ease the pain.

“What a stupid dream,” Trixie said. “Another me? One that looks so grotesque, at that. What a preposterous… Why does my hoof feel weird?” Trixie pulled her foreleg back to examine her hoof. However, it wasn’t her hoof that she was seeing. It was something much more flat, with five strange appendages growing out of it. It wasn’t furry at all, either.

On top of that, Trixie wasn’t outside. Wherever she was, it looked an awful lot like the inside of her trailer. From the shag rug, to the beanbag chair in the corner surrounded by books and a lava lamp, to the record play- “Wait, that’s not a record player,” Trixie observed as she willed the curtains open to get a better look. However, nothing happened…

Nothing happened.

“My magic!” Trixie felt for her horn quickly. There was nothing there. “W-What’s going on? Where am I?” Trixie leaned forward and pulled the curtains open, allowing the sunlight from outside in. The room was almost exactly like her old trailer, the only differences being the wallpaper and carpet, and some of her possessions looking somewhat different. For example, what she believed to be a record player was far too small to be such, but if the record-like objects laying around it were any indication, it was something similar.

“What do I look like?” Trixie wondered as she jumped to her hooves, or whatever she had now. She stumbled her way towards a nearby mirror and saw her reflection. She was that strange creature from her dream. She was… “This is… the other world? The other me?”

Quickly, Trixie galloped towards the door and opened it, finding a hallway outside of the room. She galloped through the hallway and down the stairs at the end of it, not sure of where she was heading. She just needed to find out where and what she was.

“Oh my. You’re up earlier than usual,” a female voice called as Trixie reached the bottom of the stairs. She snapped her head towards the source of the voice. Another creature of similar appearance was standing in the next room, humming some kind of familiar tune as she seemed to be washing some dishes.

“W-Who are you?” Trixie asked, taking a cautious step back.

The female creature stopped humming. “… I’m sorry?” she asked.

“I think somebody’s still asleep,” a male voice laughed. Trixie turned around to see another one of these creatures walking down the stairs. He was teal-skinned, and had grey, spiky hair that ran half-way down his back. He was dressed in some strange black and white clothing. “Still in her nightgown and crawling around like an infant, and now she doesn’t recognise her own parents. I worry about you sometimes.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. The male walked past her with a smile on his face and patted her on the head. Trixie turned her attention to the female, who turned to greet her with a smile. Blue skin, long, flowing white hair, the sweetest, most angelic smile in the world, and her eyes closed as she greeted Trixie ‘good morning’.

“… T-Trisha? Maze?”

“That’s ‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’ to you,” Maze corrected as he sat down at the table behind Trisha. “I hope you weren’t planning on going to school looking like tha-AT?”

Trisha was confused by the sudden surprised tone in her husband’s voice. Maze was even more confused when Trixie suddenly galloped towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hold.

“T-Trixie? What’re you-”

“Good morning,” Trixie said, burying her face into her father’s neck to hide her tears. “Good morning, Dad.” Trixie released Maze and ran as fast as she could towards Trisha, wrapping arms around her next. “Good morning, Mum.”

The husband and wife weren’t sure what had gotten into their daughter that morning, but they simply returned her affections and smiled. Trixie seemed happy, at least, so they weren’t going to question what was up.

Hooves. Trixie was stretching a blue, furry hoof in front of her eyes. A blue, furry hoof and the sky were before her as she awoke from her slumber. The sky… “Why am I outside?” Trixie asked, bolting upright to survey her surroundings. “Daaaaaad?! Were you moving things around in my room again?!” No answer came. Trixie placed her hoof down onto the ground and felt the grass beneath her, which meant that it wasn’t a dream. Or a hallucination.

“W-Where am I?” Trixie asked herself as she stood up tall. Her balance was a little off, but she figured that was more her tail than wooziness. “Wait, I have a tail?” Trixie looked over her shoulder to find that there was indeed a tail brushing against her hind legs. “I HAVE A TAIL!”

“Good for you!” a wandering, wrinkly stallion said as he passed by Trixie. “We all have a tale to tell! Best you keep it close to your heart at all times.”

Trixie ignored the talking horse passing her by to focus on the more important issue at the moment: that she was a talking horse herself! “T-This can’t be happening! No way, no how! This has got to be some kind of… Why is this happening?!”

“Have you forgotten already?” a voice asked above Trixie. With a gasp, Trixie turned her attention skywards, to find a… white, winged and horned-horse flying above her. “Forgive me if I startled you. I merely wished to make sure you woke up feeling fine.”

“Horses are talking to me,” Trixie said. “I’m talking to horses, as a horse, and I just randomly woke up outside somewhere, with no idea of where I even am!” Trixie looked down at her body to find that she wasn’t wearing any clothes, and quickly moved her forelegs to cover her upper and lower areas. “Eep! And worst of all, I’m naked! And I don’t have my cellphone! How can I possibly be alright?!”

“Breathe in,” the white pony ordered, in a calm, gentle voice. Trixie obeyed, inhaling a lot of air and holding her breath. “Now out.” Again, Trixie followed the directions given. “First off, I think we should clear something up: we are not horses, but ‘ponies’.”

“What’s the difference?” Trixie asked.

“Not much, admittedly, but the word ‘horse’ can often be misinterpreted as ‘whorse’, with a ‘w’. And that means something else entirely.”

“Who are you?” Trixie demanded, trying to keep a strong face, even if her legs wouldn’t stop shaking.

“Oh, my apologies. My name is Celestia, Princess of the Kingdom of Equestria.”

“… You’re a princess?” Trixie asked. Celestia nodded. “A pony princess?” Another nod. “… I’m so sorry!” Trixie shouted suddenly, bringing a confused look to the princess’ face. “I-I didn’t mean to throw you all away! It was my mother! She told me I was too old for Pretty Pony Princess and that I should get rid of you all, but I gave you to good homes! Well, I just threw you into the charity bag, but I was sure that whoever got you would love and care for you as much as I did and-”

“Breathe in,” Celestia commanded. Trixie stopped her rambling and inhaled some air. “Breathe out.” Trixie exhaled, and then remained silent as she looked up at the princess standing before her with a fearful look on her face. “You have nothing to fear. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Y-You won’t?” Trixie asked. Celestia nodded. “Well, that’s good,” Trixie said, jumping back up to her hind hooves and stretching her forelegs. “Horses can buck hard. It would be a tragedy for the world if the Great and Powerful Trixie were to wind up in a body cast, rendering her unable to perform.”

“… You recover quickly,” Celestia noted.

“A necessity of being a performer,” Trixie told her with a smile. “Even when things start going wrong, the show must go on.”

“I see. So you are a performer. May I ask what sort of shows you perform?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is a world renowned magician!” Trixie declared, holding her hooves up into the air. Nothing happened, though. She forgot that she didn’t have her fireworks with her. “Well, only in my town, for now,” Trixie corrected. “But as soon as I’m done with school, the Great and Powerful Trixie’s show will take the world by storm! Everybody, both young and old, will come to marvel at the wonderful magic, of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“My, that sounds nice,” Celestia said, earning a brighter smile from Trixie. “If I may ask, then, for what purpose are you here?”

Trixie tilted her head to the side and scratched the back of her neck. “That’s a good question. But, you’re the princess here. Shouldn’t you know? You certainly knew where to find me, and that I’m not from around here.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow at the puzzled mare. “You don’t remember?” she asked. “About the choice that you made? You, and the other you?”

“‘Other me’… Ah!” Flashes of Trixie’s strange dream from the night before appeared in the mare’s head. She met a small, blue pony, who claimed to be Trixie. The same blue pony that she now resembled. “That’s right! You said something about… about different worlds! We… swapped places with each other?”

“That was the conclusion I reached when I found you two in the Celestial Plane,” Celestia said, “and it would appear that I was correct.”

“I remember… I came to this world, because you said my dream was here…”

“Your dream, what was it?” Celestia asked. “If you don’t mind answering me, that is. It’s just that I would hate to leave you here, all alone and vulnerable. I came to make sure that you were alright, after all.”

Trixie nodded. “It’s fine. I don’t mind sharing. You see, the Great and Powerful Trixie’s dream…” Trixie allowed a pause for the imaginary drum roll in her head, “… Is to master the magical arts.”

“… But didn’t you already say that you were a great magician?” Celestia asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Only magical acts,” Trixie told her. “You see, where I’m from, magic doesn’t exist. The closest we have is using science and trickery to make something appear to be magic.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Can’t tell,” Trixie said. “A magician never reveals their secrets. The point is, even though magic doesn’t exist in reality, it does in fantasy novels and video games and the like.” Celestia wasn’t sure what a ‘video game’ was, but she nodded nonetheless. “It’s always been my dream, ever since I saw my first magic show, to master the magical arts and be known as the greatest magician in the world. But when I found out that the magic I was seeing was all stage tricks… well, I was disappointed at first, but there was nothing I could do. Magic wasn’t real, so I just had to accept it.

“But, I never lost my dream. I always wished that one day, I could perform magic, real magic, and become the greatest practitioner in the land.”

“I see.” Celestia smiled and raised a hoof up, tapping it gently to Trixie’s horn. “My my… You have some potential. It seems magic talent is something that you and your counterpart have in common.”

“My counterpart? … Wait, if she switched places with me, does that mean that she had a wish, too?” Celestia nodded. “What was it?”

“I can’t say,” Celestia told Trixie as she pulled her hoof away. “After your counterpart graduated my school, she left to travel the world. She was always good at keeping a low profile, which was surprising considering how much she loved to stand out. I never did learn much about her since then.” ‘Other than the recent down-spiral her life had taken…’

“I see… Wait, she graduated your school?”

“That’s right. My school for gifted unicorns.”

“Unicorns?” Trixie asked, stars in her eyes as she grabbed Celestia’s fur. “There are unicorns here? Where?!”

Celestia couldn’t help it. The giggle escaped her mouth against her will. “S-Sorry,” she managed to say after she had calmed down. Trixie’s face was red, and her expression showed that she was not as amused as Celestia was. “Trixie, you are a unicorn. The horn on your head is what allows you to use magic in this world.”

“I’m a unicorn?” Trixie asked, gasping as she realised what this meant. “Then that means that I can enrol in that special school thingy and-”

“Sorry,” Celestia said, “but I’m afraid you cannot.”

Trixie’s face fell after hearing that news. “W-What? Why not?”

“Because you’re too old,” Celestia explained. “If you were to join now, you would have to start from the beginning. Which would mean I would have to place you in a classroom filled with fillies not even ten years old.”

“That’s fine with me!” Trixie shouted.

“Instead,” Celestia continued, “I think I may have a special tutor in mind, who can teach you all you wish to know.”

Stars once again appeared in Trixie’s eyes, and her smile threatened to split her face into two. “Well why didn’t you say so sooner?! Where is this special master who shall have the honour of tutoring the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

“Please come this way,” Celestia said, turning around and walking down towards the chariot in the distance. “It will be a long journey, but I brought some food along, just in case.”

Trixie nodded and followed after Celestia. Ponies passing by bowed as the large white alicorn passed by them, and gave strange and confused looks as the blue unicorn walked by on her two hind legs. ‘Guess I look pretty silly,’ Trixie thought to herself as she lowered down to all four hooves.

“Don’t be embarrassed!” a voice cried out from the crowd. Trixie turned her head to see a green mare with a horn smiling and waving a hoof her way. “Stand tall and proud, my sister!” This pony was also standing on her hind legs, though she was pulled away moments later by a cream-coloured pony with no horn.

“Guess they don’t all have horns,” Trixie muttered as she continued walking on all fours, taking it slowly so as to not trip. It was a lot different than crawling as a human; the legs and hooves just felt off to Trixie. Her body now was designed for walking on all fours, but her mind was accustomed to walking on just two legs. ‘Guess I’ll pick it up. Hey, I wonder why Celestia has wings? Maybe it’s a princess thing?’

As the two mares climbed onto the chariot – Trixie receiving a little magical help from the princess, which caused her to squeal in delight at her first experience with magic – the two ponies at the front took off, pulling the chariot into the air.

“I see…” Trixie said. “Ponies with horns, ponies with wings, ponies with neither… and then ponies with both.”

“Alicorns are a rare breed,” Celestia told Trixie. “My sister and I are the only two purebloods in Equestria. Artificial alicorns can be made, and two of those also live in the kingdom.”

“‘Artificial’?”

“It means that they have been recognised as great ponies, who have achieved great feats, and proven themselves worthy of so much more. They differ from purebloods in that they don’t have our long lifespans, and their powers are still the same as any ordinary pony’s, but it is a symbol of sorts, that tells the world of their accomplishments. You will be learning under one of these ponies.”

“Really, cool!” Trixie looked out into the sky before her, awestruck by the sheer wonder of flying through the air. ‘Heh, Dash would be so jealous… Hey, wait a minute…’ “If you came here on a chariot, why did you fly in earlier?”

Celestia looked down at Trixie and smiled. “Isn’t a dramatic entrance always the best way to introduce a new character to the show?”

Getting used to her new body was a task indeed, but after spending some quiet time in what was apparently her bedroom and taking some time to examine herself properly, she noticed something: her new hooves were similar to the things that minotaurs had. ‘Hands’ she recalled them being called. That was one mystery solved, but so many others left.

“I must have truly switched places with my other self,” Trixie muttered as she struggled to remove her nightgown. “Darn it, this is much harder without magic. Why was I even wearing this thing?” The nightgown was finally off, and Trixie received her answer in the form of her body suddenly shivering as the cold wind brushed against her skin. “Oh, right. No fur.”

But that still didn’t explain the extra article of clothing around her crotch area, which certainly didn’t seem to have the primary intention of keeping her warm. “It’s pretty, but you can’t even see it under the nightgown…”

“Trixie! Are you changed yet?”

“Almost!” Trixie responded to her mother’s call. She turned her attention to the clothes scattered on her floor and leaned down to examine them. A purple skirt with her cutie mark pattern on the sides, a purple tank top, and a blue hooded jumper. “Well well. These don’t actually look so bad…” Once more, without her magic, such a simple task as dressing was more difficult than it should have been, but with some effort she somehow managed to struggle her way into her clothes.

“Well that was certainly a chore. Still don’t know what this is for,” Trixie said as she held up the strange white clothe in her hand, two dented, padded areas along its length, “but I still look pretty stylish, if I do say so myself.” Throwing the unknown object behind her and taking a moment to admire her appearance in the nearby mirror, Trixie turned to leave her room.

“All ready for school now?” Trisha asked as Trixie walked down the stairs, slowly as she was trying to get accustomed to walking on only two legs.

“School?” Trixie asked as she gave her mother a puzzled look. “But Trixie already graduated from school.”

“Nice try,” Trisha laughed. “Your father left your lunch money on the counter. The bus will be here soon, so get a move-on.”

“‘Bus’?”

“What’s with that girl?”

“Is there something wrong with her?”

“Isn’t that Trixie? What’s she doing?”

Trixie was completely oblivious to the words being spoken around her, too busy focussing on the outside of the large yellow monstrosity she was sitting in, her face practically plastered to the window and a smile permanently plastered onto her face.

“This is unbelievable! How does it move so fast? How does it move without anypony pulling it? Where do these ‘bus’ things come from? Why do we not have these in Equestria?”

“Trixie’s… actin’ kinda weird today,” Applejack said from her seat just a few rows behind Trixie’s.

“She seems fine to me,” Rainbow Dash said, not paying anything else much mind as she focussed on the ball spinning around on the tip of her finger.

“I think it’s great she’s in such good spirits,” Pinkie Pie said, appearing from behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s seats and startling the two. “It’s always good to see somebody so happy so early in the morning. Or the afternoon. Or evening. Or night. In fact, people should be happy all hours of the day!”

Sunset Shimmer, from her seat at the far back of the bus, set her gaze upon the excited Trixie, rambling about the wonders of the ‘amazing bus’ like an excited schoolgirl. “She shouldn’t be here…”

The bell rang to signal the end of class, much to Trixie’s great relief. It had been a few years since she had last attended a school, and she had forgotten why she was so happy to have finally graduated. The teachers were boring, the idea of sitting still and remaining silent for a full hour was almost alien to her, and the work she had been given was so easy it wasn’t even entertaining as a challenge. Not to mention she was still not used to using a pen without magic, let alone with these new fingers of hers.

“So what’s next?” Trixie asked the girl sitting beside her as she gathered her books into her bag and rose out of her seat.

“Next?” the blonde girl with the strange eyes asked Trixie.

“You know, where do we go now?”

“Oh, it’s lunchtime now, so we’re off to the cafeteria!” the girl responded. “Why do you ask?”

“Lunch huh? Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie is in the mood for some hayburgers right now.”

“Uh, don’t you mean hamburgers?”

“‘Ham’? What’s that?”

“This is ham,” the girl – whom Trixie had learned was called ‘Derpy’ – explained to Trixie as she picked up what appeared to Trixie to be a regular old hayburger, just with the hay a darker shade and less grainy. “It’s the school’s speciality.”

“Is that so?” Trixie asked, reaching out and picking up one of the burgers to take a closer look at it. She sniffed and cringed. “W-What is it, exactly?”

“Ham?” Derpy asked. Trixie nodded. “It’s meat.”

“M-Meat?” Trixie asked, her eyes widening as she stared in abject horror at the item of food before her. “Meat from what, exactly?”

“Meat from pigs,” Derpy explained. “We’ve also got beef from cows, and some chicken, though it looks like they’re about to run out. Or if you’d prefer, there’s some fish over the- Hey, are you okay?” Derpy asked as she noticed Trixie’s blue face turning a shade of green.

Trixie quickly put the burger back down and quickly averted her eyes so as to not throw up all over the disgusting foods before her. She noticed a salad tray further down the line. “T-Trixie is fine. I think I’ll just have a salad for today.”

Everybody around Trixie gasped and stopped what they were doing, staring at the girl as if she had just kicked Princess Celestia in the face. “Trixie… eating salad?” Derpy asked, taking a step back.

“Trixie choosing somethin’ healthy over meat?” one of the girls behind Trixie whispered.

Trixie looked around with a confused look on her face. ‘What’s going on? Did the other me honestly eat this horrible stuff? Is the idea of me eating a salad really such a shock to them?’

“W-What’s the big deal?” Trixie asked, directing her attention towards Derpy but speaking to all those around her. “The Great and Powerful Trixie simply doesn’t wish to eat something that was once a living, breathing animal.” This only increased the murmuring around her.

“Alright you!” the pink girl with the curly hair who had suddenly appeared before Trixie said as she pointed a finger at Trixie. “Where’s the real Trixie?!”

Trixie gasped and backed away a little bit. ‘T-They know!’ The pink girl squinted her eyes and closed in on Trixie, casting an accusatory gaze over her. ‘Darn it, they’ve found out, and now they’re judging me!’ Trixie looked around at the strange looks around her. To her, they were looks of people telling her she did not belong. ‘They know I don’t belong here and now they want me gone! I’m sure of it!’

The pink girl’s gaze softened as she noticed an uneasy look on Trixie’s face. “Hey, I was only-”

“F-Fine,” Trixie interrupted, placing her tray down and turning around. “I get it. I know I don’t belong here. I’ll just go already…”

“What? But I-” Before the pink girl could finish, Trixie had already taken off through the cafeteria, pushing past people and slamming the doors open as she made her noticeable escape.

“W-What was that?” one girl asked as she continued moving down the lunch line. “Can’t she take a joke?”

“Honestly, we were just surprised,” another girl said as she reached forward and grabbed a hamburger. “No need to get so worked up over it.”

“After all the jokes she pulls, who’d have thought she’d be so sensitive?” a boy asked as he walked past the pink girl, whose face fell as she stared off towards the cafeteria doors with a head full of guilt and a heavy chest.

Trixie cursed herself mentally as she stared into her reflection. Not knowing where else to go, she just ran into a random direction until she had found a room that resembled a public restroom from back in Equestria. Of course, deducing which one was for mares was difficult without the clear sign on the front, but finding out was a simple task that she had achieved by means of trial and error.

There were mirrors in the empty restroom, and in them she could see herself. See her mistake. “My wish will come true if I come here? What a load of horseapples!” Trixie punched the counter beneath her and cringed in pain. “Darn it! These hands are weak! My whole body is weak, I can’t use magic, and I’m stuck here in a foreign world, where I’m still not accepted by anypony! All I’ve accomplished is making living alone more difficult… At least I still have my parents back, but for how long?”

The door opened beside Trixie, and in walked a girl that Trixie recognised. It was the girl that had say behind her throughout all of her lessons that day. She had a black jacket and striped yellow and red hair. The girl approached Trixie… and stopped.

“… What?” Trixie asked as she glared at the girl out of the corners of her eyes.

“I was just wondering something,” the girl said. “I was wondering what you were doing here.”

“Can’t a mar- Girl stand around admiring her beauty in peace?” Trixie asked. “… Spinner, right?”

“Shimmer,” the girl corrected. “Sunset Shimmer.”

“Oh, my apologies,” Trixie responded in a sarcastic tone.

“And actually, I was wondering what you were doing in this world as opposed to being in Equestria.” Trixie’s attention turned quickly to Sunset Shimmer, who folded her arms and glared the blue girl down. “For that matter, how are you even here, when the portal should be closed?”

“H-How did you-”

“It’s easy to tell,” Sunset told her. “You didn’t exactly do a great job disguising the fact that you don’t belong here. You acted the exact same way she and I both did when we first came to this world.”

“‘She and I’?” Trixie asked. “Wait, then you mean you’re from Equestria, too?”

“You mean you didn’t know?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow and casting a suspicious gaze on Trixie, who shook her head in response. “… I see.”

“Trixie doesn’t know anything about this world. She’s only here because-”

“I don’t care,” Sunset Shimmer said suddenly. “I don’t particularly care what your reasons for being here are, so long as they have nothing to do with me specifically. I admit that I’m curious as to how you got here, but judging by the stupid look on your face, it’s clear you have no idea yourself.”

As Sunset Shimmer sighed and turned to walk away, Trixie glared. Trixie curled her hand into a fist and gritted her teeth together. “What was that?” Trixie asked. “Did you just call the Great and Powerful Trixie stupid?” Trixie followed after Sunset Shimmer, leaving the restroom after her.

“I do believe I did,” Sunset replied as she stopped to give Trixie a wicked grin.

“Who do you think you are?!” Trixie snapped.

Sunset Shimmer chuckled and held a finger to Trixie’s forehead, pushing her back with a gently nudge. “Right, you’re new here. So let me just tell you the ground rules: I am in charge here. I am the boss of this entire school. Whatever I say goes. I tell you to do something, you do it, and I decide on something, you agree. Understand now?”

Trixie continued to glare with an added growl, whilst Sunset Shimmer simply stared back with a grin that just challenged Trixie to retaliate in some way.

“Oh, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset jumped and turned around to find a stack of papers moving closer towards her. Behind that stack was a pale woman with hair that seemed somehow familiar to Trixie.

“… P-Princess Celestia?!” Trixie exclaimed as the papers moved aside, revealing a confused-looking woman on the other side.

“Principal Celestia,” Sunset both corrected and addressed at the same time. “What do you want?”

Celestia looked down at Sunset Shimmer. “Well, I was on my way to deliver these papers to the teacher’s lounge. Perhaps you could lend me a hand?”

Sunset Shimmer fumed from her ears, but took a deep breath and then nodded her head. “Fine, whatever.” Behind her, she could hear snickering. Her face turned red as she turned around to see a mocking grin coming from Trixie.

“You’re the boss, huh? Whatever you say goes?”

Sunset Shimmer took a few steps towards Trixie, who immediately raised her fists into a defensive stance. “Listen you,” she whispered, “I’m doing this because I want to, not because she wants me to. I’ll let you off with a warning for now, though.”

“Sure,” Trixie replied as Sunset turned back around and collected half of the papers from Celestia.

“… Oh yeah.” Sunset turned back around to face Trixie once more. “Pinkie Pie was joking earlier. You know, back in the cafeteria? You should go back there and eat something before lunchtime ends.”

Trixie tilted her head and watched with a bewildered look as Sunset Shimmer walked away from her in silence alongside ‘Principal’ Celestia. “Pinkie Pie?” ‘Is that the girl from the cafeteria? What does she mean ‘she was joking’? But those looks… Weren’t they all judging me? Telling me to go away? Wasn’t I an outcast there?’

“There you are!” Trixie turned around slowly as she heard the familiar voice behind her. Standing behind her and panting heavily with her hands behind her back was the pink girl from before.

“… Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked.

“That’s me!” Pinkie replied with a grin. A grin which quickly fell into a frown. “Um… listen, I wanted to apologise for earlier. I don’t know what I said or did wrong, but I was only joking! I was just trying to get a laugh out of you, but I guess somehow I just made you upset…”

Trixie bit her lip and averted her eyes. ‘She was just telling a joke? W-Well how was I supposed to know that? And then I went and just… Darn it, it’s not my fault! I thought I was being judged! I-’

“Um, you’re not still upset, are you?” Pinkie asked, an almost pleading look in her eyes as she stared at Trixie with the saddest look the showmare had ever seen.

“N-No. It’s not that, it’s just…” Trixie sighed and scratched the back of her head as she stared down at the floor. “I thought I had done something to anger you all. I didn’t realise you were joking…”

“Anger us? What could you have possibly done to anger somebody?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“… N-Never mind. It was just a misunderstanding, that’s all.”

“So, we’re okay then?” Pinkie asked, pulling her hands out from behind her back to reveal a small, white box. “‘Cause I brought you this cupcake, as a little apology present. I know it’s not much, but-”

“It’s fine,” Trixie said, taking the box with a smile on her face.

Pinkie gave an excited gasp and jumped into air with a loud cheer, fireworks erupting around her. “You smiled! That means we’re friends again!” Pinkie Pie landed onto the floor and wrapped her arms around Trixie, almost suffocating the girl before releasing her again. “Wait, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Trixie shook her head, still recovering from the tight hug to be able to say anything. “We’d better hurry back then! Lunch is over in fifteen minutes!”

“O-Oka-AAAAAY?!” Trixie tried not to trip over her feet as her wrist was grabbed by the crazy girl and she was pulled quickly through the hallways at speeds that should only be possible for pegasi to achieve. The sounds of giggling reached her ears, and she noticed the girl dragging her along was smiling. ‘… Maybe there’s hope for me here after all.’ Trixie smiled too, despite feeling like she was going to throw up again.

Twilight Sparkle was in high spirits as she looked over her latest report to Princess Celestia, smiling and nodding to herself as she confirmed that there were no spelling or grammatical errors, no missing pieces of information, and that all of her letters were aligned perfectly along the parchment.

“Are you done yet?” Rainbow Dash asked, breaking Twilight’s good mood as it was the fifth time in less than ten minutes. “I thought we were gonna hang out today.”

“And we will,” Twilight said, not taking her eyes off of her report. “Just as soon as I’m finished checking my report.”

“It’s fine!” Rainbow Dash insisted. “It was fine when I checked it, it was fine when Spike checked it, and it will be just as fine as your other reports when you check it! Now come on, let’s go flying together!”

Twilight sighed as she reached the end of her report. Nothing seemed out of place, but something was bothering her…

“Come on!”

Something that wasn’t Rainbow Dash. Something just didn’t seem right, but she couldn’t quite place her hoof on it. “Maybe just one more check…”

“Argh! Forget it! I’ll just go ask Pinkie Pie if she wants to do something.” Rainbow Dash turned to leave, but stopped as she heard Twilight stand up behind her.

“No, wait! I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just worrying too much.” Twilight used her magic to roll the parchment into a scroll and passed it along to her assistant. She hesitated for a moment, still certain that something wasn’t quite right, but the impatient tapping of Rainbow’s hoof beside her pushed her into relinquishing the scroll to Spike. Not even one second after the scroll was burned by Spike’s magical fire breath had Twilight gasped in horror. “The date!”

“Uh, third of October?” Rainbow Dash said with a puzzled look.

“No, the date on the report!”

“What about it?” Spike asked.

“I forgot it!” Twilight fell onto the floor and placed her hooves over her eyes. “Oh, this is terrible! This is a disaster!”

“Is it really such a big deal?” Rainbow Dash asked. “She knows it’s from today.”

“Yes, the princess knows, but what about anypony else who might read my reports in the future? How will they know?! How will the princess be able to sort my report with the rest if there’s no date to act as a guideline? How will she even know I wrote it today? I could have written that months ago and just kept it aside! She’ll think I cheated! Do you know what the princess does to ponies who cheat on their assignments?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “NEITHER DO I!”

“Alright, Twilight, just calm down!” Rainbow Dash said, commanding Twilight to take steady breaths and trying not to laugh at the ridiculous state her mane was in at that point. “Look, I’m sure the princess won’t mind if you forgot the date. I mean, as long as the report is good, right?”

A knock came at the front door. Spike rose to his feet to answer it. A silence followed for a few seconds, before he called out to Twilight. “Twilight! The princess is here to-”

“MY LIFE IS OVER!” Twilight shouted as she grabbed the nearest cushion she could find and attempted to hide herself underneath it.

‘Wow, she got here fast,’ Rainbow Dash thought as she watched the princess walk into the library. “P-Princess,” she said as she bowed. “What’s up?”

“Besides the sky and the sun? Not much else,” Celestia responded with a laugh. She blushed at the blank looks from Rainbow Dash and Spike. “… It was a funnier joke fifty years ago. Anyway, might I ask why my faithful student is hiding beneath a small cushion? If you are playing hide-and-seek, might I suggest a bigger cushion?”

“P-Princess Celestia…” Twilight crawled out from beneath the cushion and hung her head in shame. “I’m so, so sorry. Please don’t expel me as your student.”

“Twilight Sparkle, whatever in Equestria are you talking about?” Celestia asked with a gentle smile. “You are a wonderful student. Your latest report alone makes that quite obvious.”

“B-But the date-”

“If I were to fault you for forgetting the date once, after several years of nothing but excellent reports, then it would be I who failed as a teacher, not you failing as a student.” Twilight’s spirits seemed to lift at that, as evidenced by the smile forming on her face.

“So, what’re you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean, you didn’t come just to tell Twilight not to worry, right?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Celestia looked to her side, and then turned around. “How odd. I was certain that she was just behind me.”

“Who?” Twilight asked.

A second later, the door to the library opened. In walked a pony familiar to those inside the library. The blue coat, the silver mane and tail, the wand and crescent moon cutie mark… “Why is it so hard to open doors with these things?!” Trixie shouted as she pushed the door open.

“Oh, my apologies,” Celestia said. She had forgot that Trixie was still getting accustomed to her new form, and so she must have fallen behind her and shut outside of the library. Door handles must have been a daunting task for a creature not used to using hooves.

“What are you doing here?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, racing forward and pressing her nose against Trixie’s. “You’d better not be here to start up trouble again! We got the princess here this time!”

Trixie examined the colourful pony before her. The harsh tone, the rainbow hair, the tomboyish appearance… ‘She looks like Rainbow Dash.’ “P-Princess, perhaps you could explain why the Great and Powerful Trixie is being greeted in such a way?”

“Rainbow Dash, please settle down,” Celestia said as she approached the tow, placing a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder.

“No way!” Trixie shouted. “You are Rainbow Dash! Trixie had suspected as much at first, but the fact that you’re in a library made her think it couldn’t possibly be true. So does that mean Rainbow Dash is an egghead in this world?”

“Who are you callin’ an egghead?!” Rainbow asked, ignoring the princess behind her and glaring furiously at the blue mare before her. “And why’re you talking like you know me so well?”

“Because she probably does,” Celestia explained, earning a confused look from Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike. “Because this Trixie is from another world. A world where the two of you are likely friends.”

There was a brief pause as everything fell silent. Rainbow’s gaze went back to Trixie, who was simply smiling through this whole revelation. “Well, not besties or anything, but we do hang out sometimes.”

The library fell silent once more.

“Well, now that we have all settled down, perhaps we can begin?” Celestia asked, looking around the table at the ponies gathered. During their long silence, Rarity had popped into the library to borrow a book, and had shown great displeasure in seeing Trixie’s face once again. At her outburst, Trixie felt offended and fought back, only to result in her angering Spike, who quickly came to Rarity’s defence. Trixie raised her voice at Spike, which angered both Twilight and Rainbow Dash, and it wasn’t long before the library’s rule of ‘silence is golden’ became a moot point.

After using her magic to separate the ponies and giving them some time to cool down, Celestia asked Spike to put on some tea so that they could discuss matters like civilised adults, and not like squabbling schoolfoals.

“I suppose that there is no need for introductions,” Celestia said as she glanced across the table, “but for the sake of Rarity, who had only entered after I had explained this point before, I will reiterate that the Trixie you see before you has come to our land from a foreign world.”

“The same world that I visited to chase Sunset Shimmer for my crown?” Twilight asked, receiving a nod from Celestia. “But how-”

“That I cannot explain,” Celestia told her. “There are still many things, Twilight, that even I do not have the answer to. However, the pony sitting beside me is a visitor from another land. That much is unmistakably certain. Therefore, I hope that you will all show her a warm welcome to your town.”

The three friends exchanged uncertain looks. “But, she’s still Trixie, right?” Rainbow Dash asked. “She’s still gonna go out there and be all: ‘Hey, look at me! I’m Great and Powerful! I’m better than you! Aaaah!’, right?”

Trixie raised her eyebrow. “Whilst that is the most feeble attempt at impersonation that the Great and Powerful Trixie has ever seen,” she said, “at least you got her full title right. Your other self is much less respectful in that regard.”

Rainbow Dash groaned as she ran a hoof down her face. “My other self must be nuts,” she muttered to herself.

“And if you are referring to Trixie’s show,” Trixie continued, “then Trixie is confused. Usually people love to see the Great and Powerful Trixie perform.”

“They do?” Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow. “Even after you call them onstage and humiliate them in front of an entire crowd?”

“That’s the best part,” Trixie said with a grin. “Trixie challenges her audience to best her and she proves that she is better. The crowd goes wild, and Trixie gets the chance to give any rude audience members their comeuppance.”

“In any case,” Celestia interrupted, seeking to cease any further argument before it can even start, “rest assured that that is not why Trixie is here.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is here for a much more important cause,” Trixie elaborated. “Namely, learning how to use this world’s magic!”

The three mares across the table gave looks of utter disbelief, along with Spike, who had started to hand out the tea to everypony present, saving Trixie’s for last. “You don’t know magic?” Rarity asked, remembering quite clearly that magic was Trixie’s proudest feature of herself.

“That’s right,” Twilight said, “you can’t use magic in your world.”

“Unfortunately, that is correct,” Trixie said with a nod. “In Trixie’s world, magic is a thing that only exists in fairytales.”

“You mean ponytales,” Rarity corrected.

“No, fairytales,” Trixie insisted. “Why would you name fantasy stories after something that quite clearly does exist? That just makes no sense.”

Rarity was about to argue back when she realised that she had nothing to say to that. “… Touché.”

“But fairies exist, too,” Twilight mentioned, prompting Trixie to scoff in bemusement.

“Yeah, sure. And I suppose griffons and centaurs are real, too.”

“Well, the centaur tribe was banished to Tartarus thousands of years ago,” Celestia said as she used her magic to switch her own cup of tea with Trixie’s. She noted the look of horror that appeared on Spike’s face. “Is there something wrong, Spike?”

“Uh, no?” Spike replied. “Nothing wrong at all.”

“Oh? So you’re saying that there is nothing I might find unpleasant in this tea?”

Twilight turned a suspicious gaze towards Spike. “Spike, what did you do?”

Spike sighed and crossed his arms in defeat. “Okay, fine! I might have spat in Trixie’s cup before serving it to her!”

“Ewwww!” both Rarity and Trixie cried in disgust, whilst Twilight simply gave the baby dragon a disapproving stare.

“Nice,” Rainbow Dash said as she offered her hoof to Spike. Spike curled his claw into a fist and bumped it against Rainbow’s hoof.

“Don’t encourage him!” Twilight shouted to her friend. “And Spike, I’ve taught you better than that!”

“Now now,” Celestia said, motioning with her hoof for Twilight to settle down. “Spike, could you be a dear and bring me a fresh cup of tea. Preferably one with just milk added to it?”

“… Sure. Sorry, Princess,” Spike said as he picked up the ruined cup of tea.

“It is not me that you should be apologising to,” Celestia told him.

“… Sorry, Trixie,” Spike said through gritted teeth before he turned and marched towards the kitchen.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Twilight said quickly to Trixie. “He’s not exactly your biggest fan. Well, not you, but the other you.”

“Really?” Trixie asked in a sarcastic tone. “Trixie hadn’t noticed.” Trixie reached out for her cup, only to stop as she realised that grabbing it would be a problem.

“You know,” Twilight started, “I’m surprised you’re taking him so well.”

“Boys will be boys,” Trixie said with a simple shrug. “And Trixie has dealt with bratty kids before.”

“No,” Twilight responded, deciding to ignore the ‘bratty’ part of her statement, “I mean, you don’t have dragons in your world, right?”

Trixie paused, and her attention shot up towards Twilight. “He’s a dragon?!”

Twilight nodded slowly. “W-What did you think he was?”

“Trixie thought he was a talking gecko!”

Loud clattering noises sounded from the kitchen, followed by a loud cry. “WHAT?!”

“Well, he’s not,” Twilight said in a flat tone. “He’s a dragon.”

“… Wow,” was all that Trixie could say as a wide, giddy smile formed on her face and her hooves shook on the table. “Trixie thinks that she’s going to like it here.”

“That reminds me, you still haven’t told us why she’s here,” Rainbow Dash said to Celestia. “Why bring her to Ponyville? Wouldn’t Canterlot be a better place to learn magic stuff?”

“Only if she had the right teacher to guide her,” Celestia told Rainbow Dash.

“A teacher?” Rainbow asked. Her face fell. “Oh no, don’t tell me…”

“Twilight,” Celestia addressed her pupil, “I would like you to take on Trixie’s magic training.”

“I told you not to tell me!” Rainbow Dash cried as she brought her head down onto the table. Spike re-entered the room and set a new cup of tea in front of the princess. “Why Twilight? Why here?”

“Because Twilight Sparkle has recently expressed a desire to pursue a path of teaching,” Celestia explained, prompting Rainbow Dash and Rarity to turn to their friend with surprised looks. “I believe that this would be a good place to start.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. “I mean, I’ve never taught anypony before. What if I’m no good at it?”

“You will do fine,” Celestia assured her. “And besides, think of it this way: you’re not dealing with children, so there’s no need to worry about how to approach your pupil. She is an adult, like you.”

“Actually, Trixie is only fifteen,” Trixie corrected. Apparently, this was news even to Celestia. “Is fifteen an adult age here in Equestria?”

“N-No,” Celestia said. “It’s just that, the other you was twenty-two when she left.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. Meanwhile, Twilight caught what Celestia had said and gasped. “Hold on. Trixie has ‘left’?”

Celestia turned to Twilight with a serious look for the first time that day. “Oh, yes. About that-”

“Never mind about that,” Trixie interrupted. “Are you going to teach Trixie or not? Come on, Trixie wants to learn magic so she can drink her tea already!”

Twilight looked at Trixie, who indeed seemed eager and excited to start her magical lessons with her. She looked back at Celestia, who gave her the same comforting, reassuring smile she always gave whenever she entrusted a task onto Twilight. “… Alright,” she said hesitantly. “I’ll… I’ll give it a shot.”

“Wonderful,” Celestia said, bringing her tea to her lips and taking a sip.

“YES!” Trixie cheered as she jumped to her hooves, slipping and falling onto the floor moments later.

“Great,” Rainbow Dash and Rarity responded in unison together as they sent flat stares towards their friend.

Twilight simply responded with some nervous laughter. “Well, how bad can it be?”

“You can do it, Trixie!” Twilight watched as Trixie’s face began to turn red and a grunt escaped the blue mare’s mouth as she tried to channel her magic. “Focus! Close off all other magical access points inside your horn and focus on just the ones that are necessary!”

“What?!” Trixie shouted as she strained her mind to use her magic.

“Magical access points are lined within your horn,” Twilight recited for the third time that day. “They are what allow ponies to use magic, but the majority are unnecessary and need to be closed or else-”

“I know what they are!” Trixie shouted. “You explained that already! How do I close them?!”

“Just use your ether!”

“HOW DO I USE MY ETHER?!”

Meanwhile, Twilight’s friends watched from a distance as Twilight and Trixie practised in their out-of-the-way training spot, seeing Trixie struggling and almost looking like she was about to explode.

“It really is a different Trixie, huh?” Applejack asked as she watched the scene with equal parts wonder and equal parts worry.

“I dunno,” Rainbow Dash said beside her. “She’s still loud, she’s still annoying, and she’s still being all flashy. Seems like the same old Trixie to me.”

“Except she’s not wearing a cape this time,” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “Or a creepy evil amulet that twists your mind and makes you all dark and evil and tyrannical!”

“She did ask me to prepare some clothes for her,” Rarity said, looking over the crude drawing that Trixie had given her to work off of. Or rather, a mess of colours produced by somepony who clearly had never held a crayon in their mouth before. “Honestly though, I haven’t got much to work off from this.”

“Was Twilight like this when she first performed magic?” Fluttershy asked, directing her question towards Spike as she continued to watch Trixie struggling to focus her magic.

“Well, I wasn’t born at that point,” Spike reminded, “but if what her brother and parents told me is any indication… then near enough.”

“Usually a unicorn’s first spell is hard to pull off,” Rarity explained. “However, when it comes out, it tends to be loud and flashy. After that, it’s still no easy feat, but certainly a lot easier than the first time.”

An explosion from the direction of the two mares directed everyone’s attention. “I SAID TO CLOSE OFF ALL UNNECESSARY ACCESS POINTS!”

“I’M TRYING TO!” a dust-covered Trixie said as she closed her eyes and focussed. A spark emitted from the tip of her horn, and Trixie felt its warmth. “T-That’s it!” Trixie shouted cheerfully as she opened her eyes. “I can feel it! I can feel the spark!”

“Don’t lose it!” Twilight instructed. “Keep that feeling going, and put some power into it.”

Trixie nodded and closed her eyes once more. The light grew bigger and bigger, illuminating the area with its brightness.

“Now, as it stands, you’re simply harnessing raw energy,” Twilight told Trixie. “Let’s try to channel it into an actual spell. For starters, try to levitate this rock.” Twilight reached down and picked up a small rock with her hoof.

“Levitation? Very well then. Watch and be amazed!” Trixie followed what little she could remember from Twilight’s lengthy lectures earlier that day and tried to move the energy she could feel flowing around her horn towards the rock. Of course, with her eyes closed it was difficult to locate the rock in question, so Trixie opened them to see. The moment her eyes opened, she felt the energy disperse. Not gradually; it simply ceased in one instant. “Ah! No!” Trixie closed her eyes in an attempt to save herself, but it was no use. The energy was gone. “Why?”

“It can’t be helped,” Twilight told her, a gentle smile of encouragement on her face. “You did very well, though. Harnessing magic energy alone is just the first step, but it’s also one that takes many first-time magic-users a lot of time and practice to master. Of course, most first-timers are foals, so perhaps that’s why you could adapt as quickly as you did.”

“Trixie could just feel the magic calling out to her,” Trixie explained. “Your lectures from earlier did not help much, but there was something inside of Trixie… guiding her, I think.”

“So you could hear it,” Twilight said in an excited tone. “That was your ether. The fact that you could hear it talking to you is a sign that you’re in sync with your magic.”

Trixie both felt and heard her stomach rumbling. Both she and Twilight laughed at the sudden interruption. “We’ve been at this for a while, huh? Trixie used magic today, that’s already a big step towards her dream.”

Twilight nodded. “Using magic for the first time must have drained you. We should go grab a bite to eat.”

“So you two are all done now?” Applejack asked as she and the rest of the group approached Twilight and Trixie. “Ah reckon we should all go an’ get somethin’ fancy, ta celebrate Trixie’s first use of magic.”

“That sounds like a splendid idea,” Rarity said with a smile, though she kept her focus off of Trixie and more on her friends.

“Well, I guess it was pretty cool,” Rainbow Dash said in an uninterested tone, yawning and stretching her forelegs.

“Ooh, ooh! We should go to Sugarcube Corner so we can bake a huge cake to welcome Trixie and congratulate her at the same time!” Pinkie Pie suggested, bouncing on the spot as she giggled cheerfully.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Twilight said. She turned her attention towards Trixie. “What do you think?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is on a strict no-sweets diet for the next two months,” Trixie told everypony, causing Pinkie to stop her bouncing and to stare at the her with a look of complete confusion. As if the idea of a ‘no-sweets diet’ was just completely baffling to her.

“Oh. Well, that’s fine,” Twilight said. “There are plenty of other places to eat around here. I know this one place that does the best salads, and another that’s famous in town for their carrots sticks.”

Trixie gagged at the choices Twilight gave her. “Salads? Carrots? Blech! It’s bad enough that Trixie’s parents force her to eat her greens every Sunday.” Trixie shuddered as images of disgusting broccoli plants entered her mind. “Do you know anywhere that does good steaks?”

“Stakes?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow. “Uh, ya mean like a casino? We don’t have any of those in Ponyville.”

“No, I think she means like the stakes used to kill vamponies,” Pinkie Pie explained, doing an impression of a terrifying vampony getting ready to feast on Applejack’s neck.

Applejack pushed the crazy pony aside. “Now why in the heck would y’all be after somethin’ like that?” Applejack asked.

“Wait,” Rainbow Dash. “You don’t mean steak like… the food steak, do you?”

Trixie nodded slowly, not sure what was confusing everypony. “Uh, or hamburgers will be fine, too. Or maybe beef?”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy exchanged worried looks with each other, and Twilight gasped as the familiarity of those terms finally hit her. “Hold on!” Twilight said. “Those words… they’re food items from the Griffon Empire!”

“Griffon food?” Applejack asked. “Well ah’ll be. An’ here ah thought y’all was jus’ makin’ stuff up. So what kind of food we talkin’ here?”

“Meat,” Rainbow Dash said simply, prompting confused looks from Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. “In other words, dead animals.”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie gasped, while Rarity’s coat quickly took on a shade of green as she pushed a hoof to her mouth to avoid vomiting. “D-Dead animals?!” Applejack shouted.

“What kind of animals?” Pinkie Pie asked as she shook.

“B-Beef is from cows,” Fluttershy explained. “And, uh… I can’t remember, but pigs, chickens, and sheep are the main animals used for food in the Griffon Empire.”

“You all remember Gilda, right?” Rainbow asked, receiving nods from her friends. “She eats stuff like that, too. All griffons do.”

“But ponies don’t,” Twilight said, turning a stern gaze towards Trixie. “We’re herbivores. We eat fruits, vegetables, dairy products… but not meat.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. She looked across the group, hoping to see any hints that they may be joking. There were mixed looks of horror, shock, and worry, but nothing to suggest they were playing her for a fool. ‘Of course. Horses are herbivores. How could I have forgotten?! But then, magical talking ponies don’t necessarily have to be like the horses from my world, but still…’

“So… what do we do now?” Pinkie Pie asked, hoping to break the heavy atmosphere that had formed in the air.

“… I… I don’t know,” Trixie said, her legs shaking as she turned her gaze towards the ground. “I mean, humans are omnivorous. We can eat both plants and animals, but I… I can’t stand vegetables! The taste, the texture, it just makes me gag! It’s hard enough to force some down once every week, but if I have to survive off the stuff, I think I might die!”

“But maybe now that you’re a pony, it’ll taste good ta ya?” Applejack offered.

“Unlikely,” Twilight said in a grim tone. “Considering that when I was a human… Well, let’s just say there was a reason I swore off of hay for two weeks after I returned.”

“What about fruit?” Fluttershy asked, noting that Trixie only mentioned vegetables.

“Same problem,” Trixie said. “The only fruits that Trixie can stand are apples and watermelons, and she can hardly live off of just those, now can she?”

“It’d certainly drum up some business for the farm,” Applejack said with a laugh, hoping to lift Trixie’s spirits. It did not succeed.

“Well, we’re going to have to work something out…” Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin as she contemplated how they were going to solve this problem.

“Well, why don’t you think about it over dinner?” Spike suggested, gaining the group’s attention. “I mean, it’s been a long day, and we’re all hungry. I think you girls should go and have a big dinner together.”

“‘You girls’? You’re not coming along?” Applejack asked.

“Well, I was thinking that there’re some pancakes back in the library. Maybe Trixie can have those for tonight?”

All eyes turned to Trixie, who nodded in confirmation. “Pancakes are fine, but only a few. Trixie still needs to watch her figure.”

“Then it’s settled!” Spike motioned for everypony but Trixie to lean in closer. They all complied, and he whispered to them, “And this way, you guys can set up a party to welcome Trixie, right?”

“Hey, that’s right!” Pinkie Pie whispered. “Wow, Spike, you’re so smart!”

A blush crossed Spike’s face as he chuckled nervously at the compliment. A suspicious look crossed Twilight’s. “Are you sure? I mean, you aren’t exactly Trixie’s biggest fan, and you’ll be all alone with her.”

Spike waved a claw dismissively. “Come on, Twilight, I’m not a little kid anymore. I’ll be fine!”

“… Well, if you say so.” Twilight turned back to Trixie. “Well then, I guess we’ll meet up later, and hopefully we’ll be able to think of a solution to your… special dietary requirements…”

“I hope so,” Trixie sighed as she followed Spike away from the group, back towards the direction of the library.

The group watched in silence until Trixie had disappeared over the hill. Finally, Applejack asked, “Hey, Twi? Those human fellars, they don’t eat ponies, do they?”

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said with a smile. “They don’t eat ponies. They just use them as sideshow attractions and pets…” During the silence that followed, Twilight went over her words in her head and realised how bad they sounded.

“Scratch what I said before,” Pinkie Pie said. “I’m fine with staying in Equestria.”

Spike opened the library’s door and was followed in by Trixie. “Okay, where are those pancakes?” Trixie asked, eager to eat something, as her stomach was threatening to eat itself if she didn’t find some food soon. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is starving over here.”

“This way,” Spike said, leading the way across the library and towards a wooden door beneath the stairs.

“Wait, isn’t the kitchen through here?” Trixie asked as she pointed towards the doorway that Spike had used earlier when he had made everypony tea.

“Just follow me,” Spike said, opening the door and walking down the stairs behind it. Trixie raised an eyebrow, not sure what was going on, but followed anyway.

“So… you’re a dragon,” Trixie said, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence as she descended down into the library’s basement after Spike. “Do you like, kidnap princesses and battle brave knights?”

“Do I what?” Spike asked, looking over his shoulder at the mare behind him. “Why would I kidnap the princesses?”

“Nothing,” Trixie said with a grin. “Just an inside joke… So what’s down here?”

“Well, for now it’s just a storage space,” Spike told her, “but I’m talking with Twilight about moving my things down here. Y’know, so I can have a room to myself. A guy needs his space, y’know?”

“… Out of curiosity, how old are you?” Trixie asked.

“Fourteen,” Spike answered. “Well, fourteen-and-a-half.” The two reached the bottom of the stairs. Spike motioned for Trixie to follow him towards one of the corners of the room, where there appeared to be nothing but a bed. “This is the bed I brought down here a few weeks ago. Won’t be long now ‘til I have my own room.”

“You brought Trixie down to this dark, solitary basement where there is nothing but a bed and the two of us?” Trixie asked, a grin spreading across her face. “A little young to be thinking about stuff like that, aren’t you?”

“Stuff like what?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t know?” Trixie asked. Spike shook his head. “Well then, Trixie won’t tell you.”

As Trixie laughed to herself for reasons beyond Spike, the baby dragon simply shrugged and turned towards his bed. “What I wanted to show you is underneath, but first, you’ve gotta promise not to tell Twilight, or anypony, about this.”

“What? Why?”

“Just promise.”

Trixie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. Trixie won’t tell a soul. Now what is it?”

With a moment’s hesitance, Spike approached the bed and pushed it aside. He then leaned down and opened the secret trapdoor beneath it. “You know… dragons aren’t omnivores.”

Trixie tilted her head to the side. “Uh… okay?”

“We aren’t herbivores either,” Spike said. “We can’t survive off of just plants or fruits. Our diet requires…”

“Meat?” Trixie asked, her tone suddenly becoming very serious as she realised what Spike was getting at.

“Yeah,” Spike said as he reached into the secret compartment beneath the floor. “Well, we can also eat gemstones, but they’re more like junk food to us. They taste good, but too much would… not end well.”

“That’s some expensive junk food,” Trixie muttered as she watched Spike pull out a wooden box from the secret compartment. “So wait, does that mean-”

Spike nodded. He opened the box, and inside was… “I… also need meat, to grow up big and strong.”

Trixie gasped as she looked inside the box. Steak. Plenty of steak, all inside of plastic containers, surrounded by blue crystals that shined bright and illuminated the area.

“What are these crystals?” Trixie asked as she pointed a hoof towards one of the glowing crystals.

“They’re enchanted crystals, designed to keep the meat cool and preserved, and also to stop the smell from leaking out of the box,” Spike explained as he pulled out a couple of the steaks from inside of the box. “There’s a reason there aren’t many dragons here in Equestria. It’s because we need meat to survive, and when we’re adults, we need lots of it.

“I’m an exception because I’m Twilight’s assistant. But even then, I still need meat from somewhere. So Princess Celestia imports all this from the Griffon Empire for me.” Spike opened the containers and placed them both onto the ground. “Nopony knows, not even Twilight.”

Trixie watched as Spike breathed out green flames from his mouth onto the steaks, presumably heating them up. “I see…” she said as she sat down on her haunches, the feeling still awkward for her but slowly becoming more comfortable. “That’s…”

“It’s okay,” Spike said as he stopped his fire-breathing momentarily. “It’s not hard to keep it a secret. Not much is known about dragons, so it’s not likely that anypony will question what I eat.”

“But why share this with Trixie?” Trixie asked. “Trixie got the impression that you didn’t like her too much.”

“Uh, yeah. About that… I wanted to apologise for earlier.” Spike looked down at the floor and scratched the back of his head nervously. “I… I shouldn’t have acted so cold towards you, not after I found out you weren’t the same Trixie as before. It wasn’t very nice…”

“Trixie is hardly a stranger to grudges,” Trixie told him. “At least you didn’t poison the tea,” she joked with a laugh, though Spike visibly found it not-so-amusing.

“I’m serious,” he said with a stern look. “You hadn’t done anything to me, and I acted like that. I’m sorry.”

“R-Really, it’s fine,” Trixie said, now starting to feel uncomfortable. She had never dealt with anybody apologising to her before. Not ones that were sincere, at least. “Look, today was the first day we had ever met each other, so let’s just start fresh, okay? This steak looks tasty, so let’s not ruin it with sappy apologies.”

“… Okay,” Spike said with a smile, turning back to the steaks. “Oh, and this isn’t the first time we’ve met,” he told Trixie. “We met once before. Remember when Twilight was in your world?” Trixie nodded. “I was the dog with her.”

“That was you?” Trixie gasped. Spike nodded his head with a proud smile on his face. “Oh ehm gee, you were so cute!”

“‘Oh ehm gee’?” Spike asked. “Cute?! No way! I’m tough! I’m handsome!”

“You were adorable!” Trixie said with a giggle. “Trixie almost wanted to take you for her magic show.”

“Dragons aren’t cute!” Spike shouted, his face flushed and his claws clenched into fists. With a groan, he went back to heating the steaks, trying his best to ignore Trixie’s laughter beside him.

“So you don’t hate me now?” Trixie asked. Spike shook his head. “That’s good. Y’know, Trixie was kind of worried. Two of her friends, Rainbow Dash and Rarity, both hated her suddenly. And then some talking lizard-boy she had never met before in her own world.” Trixie’s smile faded and became a look of worry instead. ‘I wonder why they hated me in the first place? And… I wonder if they’re the only ones?’

“Here,” Spike said, offering one of the nicely-cooked steaks to Trixie.

“Wow, that was fast,” Trixie said as she grabbed the container with her hooves, taking great care not to drop it.

“Yeah, well, I’m kind of awesome like that,” Spike said, checking his claws in a nonchalant pose as his face beamed with pride.

Trixie simply laughed and brought her steak to her mouth, taking a steady bite to see how it tasted in her new form. Just as when she was human, it was delicious. So delicious that she took another, much bigger bite. It didn’t take long before both were finished with their meals, and Spike used his magical breath to send the packages to Celestia, allowing her to dispose of the evidence whilst he hid the rest of his stash away.

“Well then, shall we wait for Twilight to return?” Trixie asked as she turned to head up the stairs.

“Actually, I think Twilight said something about meeting her at Sugarcube Corner when we were finished,” Spike said with a grin, walking past Trixie to lead the way. “… You’re not prone to heart attacks, are you?”

“Uh, no?”

“Alright then, follow me!”

Trixie was once again confused, but nonetheless, she followed her new friend out of the library’s door and through the streets of Ponyville.

The final bell rang, signalling the end of school and waking Trixie from her half-slumber. She looked around to find the other students packing their bags hurriedly and rushing out of the classroom, ignoring their teacher’s call to remember their homework assignments.

“Finally, the day’s over,” Trixie said as she packed up her own bag and stretched out her limbs. “I guess now I can go home and see my parents again.”

“You’re going home?” asked Derpy, who was standing beside Trixie. “But what about your show?”

“Show?” Trixie asked with a questioning glance.

“You know,” Sunset Shimmer said as she rose out of her seat behind Trixie, “the show you were going to perform today, after school?” Sunset Shimmer grinned at Trixie as she threw her bag over her shoulder. “You weren’t planning on cancelling it, were you? Your fans would be so disappointed.”

“Fans?”

“Well, if you do, I’m sure it would be for a good reason.” Sunset snapped her fingers. A moment later, two boys rushed into the classroom, both grabbing her bag before proceeding to fight over who would hold it.

“I’ve got this!” the blue boy shouted as he tried to push the yellow boy away.

“No, me!” the yellow boy responded.

“Snails, let Snips carry my bag!” Sunset Shimmer ordered. Snails immediately released the bag and stood at attention. “I am going shopping on my way home. I will need you to carry my bags then.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Snails replied with a salute.

“Wait. ‘Snips’ and ‘Snails’?” Trixie asked, climbing out of her seat and glaring at Sunset Shimmer.

“But no puppy dog tails!” Derpy giggled to the side.

Trixie ignored her, though made a mental note to save that joke for later. “What are you doing serving her? Aren’t you Trixie’s fans? Or stalkers? Or whatever you two are?”

“Uh, well, we were,” Snips said, rubbing his arm nervously as he looked to the side.

“But Sunset Shimmer yells at us more,” Snails told Trixie. “And lets us hold her things.”

‘More like forces you,’ Trixie thought. ‘And I can’t help it if I don’t like two idiots touching my valuable possessions.’

“So sorry, Trixie,” Sunset said, “but it appears my planned trip to the mall coincides with your show, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to borrow two of your biggest fans.”

“Oh, we don’t mind!” Snips said cheerfully. He flinched under the glare given to him by Trixie. “Er, I mean, it’s a shame, but what can ya do, eh?”

Trixie harrumphed. “Too bad? It is too bad… for you! Too bad that you’ll miss the most spectacular performance that the Great and Powerful Trixie will have ever given to date. Too bad that you will miss a show so amazing, so full of wonder, that it will knock your stocks off.”

“‘Socks’,” Derpy corrected with a whisper.

“That too,” Trixie said.

“Oh? You mean your show is still on?” Sunset Shimmer asked, an amused look on her face. “And it will be impressive, you say?”

Trixie bit her lip and cursed herself for running her mouth like that. But she couldn’t back down now. She made a bold claim and now she had to fulfil it. “O-Of course. And you’ll be sorry if you miss it.”

“Well then, I’d better make sure I don’t. Snips, Snails, change of plans.” Snips and Snails cheered behind Sunset Shimmer as she simply smirked victoriously at Trixie. “Good luck out there. Hope you put on a good show.”

Sunset Shimmer left the classroom, Snips and Snails following behind her and leaving just Trixie and Derpy behind. Trixie’s legs shook as she realised what she had done. She had fallen right into Sunset Shimmer’s trap. Now, she was practically forced to perform a show, which wouldn’t have been such a big deal… if not for the body she was in.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Derpy asked, giving Trixie a worried look. “You’re shaking. Are you nervous?”

“N-Nervous? Of course not! Don’t be silly!”

Derpy smiled. “Right! You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie! You’ll do great out there, just like always! And I’ll be sure to cheer for you!”

Trixie’s eyes slowly grew wider at that. “Y-You’ll be cheering for Trixie?”

Derpy nodded. “Right! Me, Vinyl, Dash, and the others! We’re all rooting for you! We know how much your magic shows mean to you.”

Trixie couldn’t believe her ears. People were cheering for her. People wanted her to succeed. And they believed in her, too. Suddenly, the shaking in her legs had stopped, and she felt like there was nothing to worry about.

“You’re right,” Trixie said as a smile formed across her face.

“Right!” Derpy confirmed.

“Right!” Trixie curled her hand into a fist and grabbed her bag with her other one. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can do whatever she sets her mind to! You just wait and see, Sunset Shimmer! This show is going to blow you away!” Trixie ran past Derpy and out of the classroom’s door. Derpy remained behind and stared at the door for a few seconds before Trixie’s head peeked back in.

“Gymnasium, to the right of the front entrance.”

Trixie nodded and took off once more. “You just wait! The Great and Powerful Trixie is on her way!”

The gymnasium was more packed the Trixie was expecting. Many students, and even some teachers, were gathered to watch her show. At first she was worried that her body would make it difficult, if not impossible, to perform, as she still wasn’t used to it, but after reviewing the schedule her other self had left in her bag she felt much more at ease.

“This is it?” Trixie asked herself as she looked over the schedule one final time. “This is child’s play! The Great and Powerful Trixie was performing tricks like this back in school! … Which makes sense considering she’s now at school again.”

“Gym’s full,” the girl behind Trixie – Vinyl Scratch – informed her, “and the music’s good to go.”

“And the lights?” Trixie asked.

“All set,” Vinyl told her with a thumbs up.

“Alright. Then Trixie will be out in five minutes. No, make it ten. Need to do some stretches.”

“Stretches?” Vinyl asked. “For a magic show?”

“It’s necessary, trust me.” In truth, Trixie just wanted to buy a little extra time to experiment with her body, in order to determine which acts she would have to drop due to them simply not being possible in her new body.

“If you say so… I’ll go let everyone know.”

As Vinyl Scratch left, Trixie opened the trunk set aside by her other self and looked through all of the props inside. “Now let’s see here…”

The magic show started ten minutes later. Trixie made sure to provide Vinyl Scratch with the updated schedule to ensure that the music and lighting matched, took a deep breath, and ran out onto the stage to begin her show.

As she looked out into the crowd, she felt her breakfast working its way up her throat at all of the eyes staring at her, judging her every move… but not quite as harshly as she was used to as of late. They were simply waiting to see what would happen. Trixie’s nerves calmed down a little, but she still felt uneasy as she pulled off her hat and performed her first trick – she revealed to the audience that the hat was empty, and then poured water into it until it was full.

She then turned the hat upright and shook it a bit. Instead of water pouring out of it, a solid object fell out instead. More specifically, an ice sculpture of her hat.

The audience applauded, but she wasn’t finished yet. Picking up the ice sculpture, Trixie threw it high into the air, and channelled energy into her horn to-

“… Oops,” Trixie whispered as she remembered that she didn’t have her horn. Her plan was to fire a beam of magic at just the right spot to create a beautiful rainbow emerging from the other side, but she couldn’t do that now.

As the ice sculpture fell towards her, Trixie knew that she had to act fast. Quickly, she stretched out her hand and allowed the sculpture to fall onto it, quickly throwing it back up again and catching it with her other hand, essentially juggling the sculpture for a few seconds before throwing it really high and holding her hat open, allowing the sculpture to land nicely inside.

‘Not quite as impressive as pinpoint magic creating a rainbow,’ Trixie thought to herself as she breathed a sigh of relief, ‘But sometimes things don’t always go as planned. Thankfully I know how to improvise.’

The audience cheered, and to her surprise, they cheered much louder than she had expected. Sure what she had done was cool, but when her show boasted the greatest magic in all of Equestria, nopony ever cheered so much for a simple show of reflexes that did not require magic.

Trixie picked up her pace and continued the show. She performed a range of tricks that, while simple in her own mind and in the minds of her previous audiences back in Equestria, received much applause from the audience she had here.

She requested to borrow a sketchpad from a member of the audience and performed a favourite classic of hers – drawing a bowling ball in the pad and then pushing the pages together until a ball actually fell out.

She had a teacher come onto the stage to tie her up inside of a box, and then reappeared untied from another box on the stage.

She performed the classic ‘Is this your card?’ trick on a student she had called up, only by having the card she picked out be lying on the student’s chair after picking out the wrong card a few times.

Of course, they were all calculated and well-timed smoke-and-mirror tricks, many of which were basic, low-level acts as far as Trixie was concerned. If her magic was available to her, she would be able to really show these people a show that they would never forget.

Even so, it had been a long time since she received such a spirited response from the audience. Since she had been able to truly enjoy a show, because the audience enjoyed it, too.

It was a nice feeling, one that she hadn’t even realised she had been missing. When the time came that she had to stop, she didn’t even care anymore if she had impressed Sunset Shimmer as she had boasted she would. The audience applauded her. The audience loved her, and that was all that Trixie needed.

Trixie waved goodbye to Derpy and Vinyl Scratch as she stepped off of the bus. She hadn’t known that travelling with other people could be so fun. She had been travelling on her own for so long, and she regretted not seeking out an assistant sooner.

After finding her way back to her new home, Trixie opened the door and stepped inside, stretching her limbs as soon as the door closed.

“Welcome home,” a voice called out.

Trixie jumped and found her father approaching her. “Oh, right. You two are-”

“Hm?” her father asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Trixie said quickly, laughing nervously. “I-I’m home.”

“How’d it go?” Maze asked. “The show, that is.”

“It went great!” Trixie replied enthusiastically. “You should have seen everypony’s faces! They absolutely loved the Great and Powerful Trixie! Even though it wasn’t real magic, to them it might as well have been. It’s been such a long time since Trixie was able to feel so-”

“Okay, calm down,” Maze said, laughing happily at his daughter’s cheeriness. “I’m guessing you’ll be taking a bath now. What would you like for dinner? I’ll bring it up when you get out.”

“Dinner?” Trixie asked, putting a fist to her chin. She stared into her father’s eyes. “Actually, would it be okay if we ate dinner now? Together?”

“You mean… as a family?” Maze asked. “Are you sure? You’re usually so tired after a show-”

“Well I’m not today,” Trixie responded. “Beside, Trixie wants to talk with you.”

“Oh? What about? Did something happen?”

Trixie shook her head. “Trixie just wants to talk. You know, how our days went, how our school and work lives are… Just stuff like that.”

“… Are you feeling okay?” Maze asked, stepping forward and placed a hand on her forehead. “You feel okay…”

“Very funny,” Trixie said in a flat tone, playfully pushing her father back. “Is there something wrong with a daughter wanting to spend time with her family?”

“Of course not,” Maze told her. “Unless that daughter is my daughter,” he added with a laugh. “But if that’s what you want, fine.”

“Also, Trixie wants to help prepare dinner,” Trixie said as she walked past Maze.

“… You cook?” Maze asked in a surprised tone.

“Oh, and Trixie doesn’t want to eat any meat,” Trixie added, trying to remember the word that Derpy had mentioned to her earlier that day. “A purely vegetarian meal.”

“Vegetarian?!” Maze echoed, now past the state of surprised and utterly shocked. “Blimey, I think you really are coming down with something. Should I book an appointment with Doctor Stable for you?”

“Trixie told you, she’s fine,” Trixie repeated, stopping for a moment as a wave of dizziness washed over her, a sharp sting hitting her brain for just a second. ‘… Well, maybe a little tired, but this is my chance to spend time with my parents. I’m not going to pass this up for anything.’

After being welcomed to Ponyville by Twilight and her friends in what was apparently the ‘typical Pinkie Pie welcoming tradition’, Trixie Lulamoon spent the evening getting to know her new friends. Or at least, she would have liked to, but they instead saw it as an opportunity to learn all that they could about Trixie’s world. Still, she got to keep the conversation mostly focussed on her, so she didn’t mind so much.

What she did mind however was that she felt very tired suddenly, despite it still being bright outside. “Oh dear,” Twilight said as she moved quickly to stop the drowsy Trixie from falling over. “You must be drained from our earlier exercises. I thought you would be fine since you seemed so energetic, but I guess it just took some time for the effects to kick in.”

“Does that mean the party’s off?” Pinkie Pie asked, her smile falling.

“I’m afraid so. For us, at least. But you guys should stay. We put a lot of effort into this, after all,” Twilight said as she shook Trixie to wake her up a bit.

“Huh? What?” Trixie asked, her eyelids heavy.

“Come on, let’s go,” Twilight said. “I’ll prepare a bed for you back at the library.”

“Oh, we’re going back?” Trixie asked with a yawn. “Alright then…”

On their way back, the two ran into many ponies in the street that Trixie found familiar. Going by the similarities of Twilight’s friends and the people who Trixie knew from school, she was able to make many educated guesses about the ponies she passed by.

“That looks like Minuette,” Trixie said as she pointed towards a blue unicorn mare. “She’s the local dentist, but she’s actually kinda nice.”

“‘But’?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. “And you’re right. That is Minuette.”

“I’ma say hi,” Trixie said as she wandered away from Twilight, who was calling out to her. Her voice was drowned out by Trixie though as the blue mare approached Minuette, waving her hoof. “Hey ther-”

“Trixie?” Minuette asked in a surprised voice. “Wow, I can’t believe you’re showing your face here. What’s wrong, ran out of cities to embarrass yourself in?”

Trixie stopped and looked confused as Minuette laughed. ‘… What? What did she just say?’

“Oh, if it isn’t the Lame and Fake Trixie,” a voice called out, catching Trixie’s attention. This purple mare with the curly mane reminded Trixie of her Art teacher, Berry Punch. “Watch out, Minuette! She might ‘vanquish’ you!”

Both mares laughed at their inside joke while Trixie continued to look confused. “Come again?”

“Just get lost already,” Minuette said, stunning Trixie more. “We’re totally not in the mood for your stupidity right now.”

“Why don’t you go find a rock to talk to or something?” the other mare asked. “You know, something that might want to listen to you?”

Both mares continued laughing as they walked away, leaving Trixie to herself until Twilight approached her from behind. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

“… Who were those mares?” Trixie asked, turning to Twilight with a look of horror on her face.

“Those were… It’s not important, let’s just-”

“Tell me.”

“Trixie-”

“Tell. Me.”

“Okay, okay!” Twilight gave in. “They were Minuette and Berry Punch, the town’s dentist and sommelier, respectively.”

“You’re lying,” Trixie said.

“Trixie, I-”

“There’s no way that could have been them! Minuette is always kind and gentle whenever I see her, and Berry Punch might like a good laugh, but never at somebody else’s expense!”

“Let’s just go back to the library!” Twilight pleaded. “You’re tired. You need your rest. Please?”

“… O-Okay then…”

The rest of the walk back was relatively silent as Trixie trudged behind Twilight with her head hanging low, dropping even lower every time she encountered somepony she recognised… but for the familiarity to be destroyed by a spiteful comment or a mean jab at the blue mare.

“Vinyl Scratch, Scootaloo, Carrot Top, even Derpy looked at me like she wanted to chew my head off…”

“Trixie, we’re here,” Twilight announced as the two finally arrived back at the library.

“What happened? Why does everybody treat me like an outcast?” Trixie looked into Twilight’s eyes with her own pleading ones. “Am I an outcast?”

“Of course you’re not,” Twilight told her.

“Then why-” Trixie cut herself off with a long, stretched-out yawn.

“Go get some sleep,” Twilight instructed. “We can talk about this in the morning. For now, just get some rest and try to take your mind off of it.”

With a reluctant nod of understanding, Trixie followed Twilight into the library. She spared one final look at the town behind her. ‘Those were my friends once… What the heck happened to make them hate me so much?’

Morning came, but Trixie was not feeling any better. Her dreams were invaded by the unpleasant memories of people who she once called her friends now ganging up on her and throwing a barrage of names and hurtful comments her way. When Trixie finally awoke from her nightmares, it appeared to already be afternoon, and she could smell something cooking downstairs.

As she was still tired, Trixie took things slowly as she climbed out of Twilight’s spare bed and made her way down the stairs, not wanting to fall over and hurt herself. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia sitting together at the table and drinking tea.

“Oh, good morning,” Celestia greeted as she spotted Trixie, alerting Twilight to the mare’s arrival.

“Good morning!” Twilight quickly followed after she swallowed the tea in her mouth. “Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” Trixie replied in a groggy tone, approaching the table and slumping over it lazily.

“Oh my. I’m sorry to hear that,” Celestia said as she regarded the mare with a worried look. “You see, I came over this morning to check up on you. Make sure that you were adjusting to your new world. Is there anything that I can do to help you feel more at home?”

Trixie dismissed the offer for a second, before actually taking the time to listen to and consider it in her mind. There was something that she found could possibly help her to feel better. “Yeah… there is one thing.”

“Yes?” Celestia pressed.

“Would it be possible to see my parents?” Trixie asked, looking up at the princess. “This world’s version, that is.”

Celestia froze on the spot, her teacup suspended in midair as she was about to bring it towards her lips.

“Trixie’s parents?” Twilight asked. “Come to think of it, I wonder what kind of ponies they are?”

“They’re wonderful people,” Trixie said with a proud smile on her face. “My mother is blind, but she uses her other senses to carry out everyday tasks just fine and is a wonderful singer. My father is the chief of police. He can be a little strict, but he’s…” Trixie stopped as she noticed the petrified look on Celestia’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Twilight turned her attention to the princess and also noticed the nervous, and almost-scared look on her face. “Princess?”

“I’m… I’m terribly sorry,” Celestia said, lowering her teacup to the table. “I’m afraid I… I cannot grant you this request.”

“… Why not?” Trixie asked. “What’s wrong?” Celestia did not answer. “Tell me. Why can’t I see my parents? Why not?!”

“Trixie, calm down,” Twilight whispered as she leaned over to keep her friend seated.

“I… I’m so sorry,” Celestia said as she closed her eyes. “Your parents… they passed on, twenty years ago.”

The room fell silent. Celestia refused to open her eyes. Twilight could only stare at the princess with her jaw hanging low. And Trixie couldn’t stop her hooves from shaking or her eyes from tearing at the news she had just heard.

“My parents…” Trixie faintly whispered, breaking the heavy silence that had been created from Celestia’s revelation.

“I’m back!” Spike announced as she opened the library door, walking into the room only to be greeted by three depressed mares circling around the table. “What’s going on?” he asked, scratching his head.

“Nothing,” Twilight said, rising to her hooves and offering a smile to Trixie. “Trixie, how about we go and eat some breakfast and then get started on today’s lessons?” she asked, hoping to raise the mare’s spirits with some friendly company.

Trixie simply shook her head. “… Princess Celestia?” she asked, looking up into Celestia’s now-open eyes. “I… I think I’m having second thoughts about this whole changing worlds thing.” Celestia didn’t respond through either sound or motion. She simply stared back into Trixie’s eyes. “I want to go home…”

Author's Note

Thanks to Mager Blutooth for proof-reading ^_^

Trixie Switch - Part II

Another bright and beautiful morning marked Trixie’s second awakening in what had become her new home. After spending some time with her parents the previous night, she found out about this thing called the ‘internet’, and used it to perform some research on her new home. In particular, about the customs and mannerisms of ‘humans’, as she had learned they were called.

After changing into her clothes – a feat much easier than the day before, though this time she knew what a ‘bra’ was and put it on with some minor difficulty – Trixie examined herself in her mirror and picked up the brush resting on her table, ready to tidy up her hair for another day at school. She had to look good for her new friends, after all.

“Huh, that’s odd,” Trixie muttered as she saw the mirror shimmer before her eyes. “Are human mirrors supposed to do that?”

“Is it working?” a voice asked. Trixie stopped her brushing immediately and looked around for the source.

“Hold on, I see something,” another voice said, this one sounding very familiar to Trixie.

Moments later, Trixie turned back to the mirror. She yelped and jumped back as she saw not her own reflection, but the faces of three very familiar ponies staring at her from within the glass. One was Twilight Sparkle, the purple unicorn-turned-alicorn who had inadvertently sent her life into a downwards spiral that ultimately brought her to where she was now. The second pony was Princess Celestia, there were no doubts about that.

The final pony, standing in-between the two… was Trixie herself. It was Trixie back when she was a pony, only this Trixie looked cleaner, and her hair and fur were more tidy.

“It worked!” the Trixie from within the mirror shouted. “That’s my body!”

“W-What’s going on?! Why is the Great and Powerful Trixie seeing herself?!” Trixie demanded. “Well, obviously that’s what you see in a mirror, but usually in the same form that you’re currently in!”

“Please calm down, both of you,” Celestia said to both Trixies. “It seems that my plan worked, but I do not know for how long. The Elements of Harmony might only be able to keep the link open for a few minutes, or perhaps a few hours. Whatever the time limit, we should act fast.”

“Oh, Trixie sees,” the human Trixie said, calming herself down and giving her pony counterpart a friendly smile. “So you’re just using magic to talk to Trixie. And? How is life in Trixie’s old world? Have you mastered the art of magic yet?”

“Not yet,” the pony Trixie said.

“Trixie would be surprised if you had. Still, keep at it. It’s your dream to master the magical arts, no?”

“About that… I kind of had a change of heart…”

“Oh?” the human Trixie asked, her smile fading into unease as she lowered her brush and listened to what her counterpart had to say.

“You see, I… I thought that this was what I wanted, and maybe it still is, but… but I don’t think I was ready to make the sacrifice I had to in order to fulfil my dream.” The pony Trixie gave a solemn sigh. “I’m not ready to say goodbye to everyone I know yet. Mum, dad, my friends…”

The human Trixie hummed in contemplation. “But you were told that you were to pay a price for this ordeal, were you not?”

“I didn’t think it through properly,” the pony Trixie replied. “I made a mistake, I admit. And trust me, that’s not an easy thing for Trixie to do.”

“Admitting you made a mistake?” Twilight asked.

“No, making a mistake in the first place,” the pony Trixie replied. “Anyway, I was kind of wondering… if we could switch back?”

“There’s no guarantee, but my theory is that the magic that swapped the two of you around was reversible,” Celestia explained to the human Trixie. “In other words, if the two of you agree to the swap, it should theoretically be possible for you to return to your original worlds.”

“Interesting,” the human Trixie said, holding her hand up and examining her fingernails. “… And if Trixie doesn’t want to go back?” she asked with a grin.

The pony Trixie gasped. “B-But before, you said it was my choice. You didn’t care one way or the other if you switched! You-”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie had a change of heart,” the human Trixie cut off with a flick of her hair. “Trixie quite likes it here. The weather’s nice, the food’s good, once you get past the dead animals, and the people are friendly towards Trixie.” A knock came from Trixie’s door, and Trixie’s grin grew wider. “And best of all, they’re here, too.”

“My parents,” the pony Trixie said.

“They’re my parents now,” the human Trixie told her in a cold tone. “You had your chance. You had your shot to be a part of this world, and you threw it away. Now, this is my home, not yours.”

“Y-You can’t!” the pony Trixie pleaded. “Please! I just want to be with my friends and my family again! I’m begging you! I won’t leave again. I won’t desire power out of my reach, so please, just-”

“Trixie,” Trixie’s mother called from behind the human Trixie, “are you almost done chang-”

“IN A MINUTE!” the human Trixie shouted, startling both her mother and the three ponies.

After a brief moment of silence, a shaking voice came from behind the door. “O-Okay. I-I’ll just be downstairs… if you need me…”

“Hey! Don’t yell at my mother!” the pony Trixie shouted, baring her teeth and glaring at her counterpart.

“She’s my mother, now,” the human Trixie replied, grinning at her angry counterpart, and the two disapproving glances from the princesses beside her.

“Please,” was all that the pony Trixie, now sweating bullets as she continued to glare at the human Trixie, could say. “Please, just… just let me go home. Please.”

“No,” the human Trixie said flatly. “And you know what? This conversation is starting to bore Trixie, so she’ll be hanging up now?”

“Hanging up?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow. “But how-”

“Ciao.” With a flick of her hand, a red wave of energy washed over her mirror, shocking the three ponies on the other side. As the image in the mirror slowly turned back to just her own reflection, Trixie laughed. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and grasped the broach around her neck as she filled the room with maniacal laughter.

“That was the Alicorn Amulet!” Twilight shouted as soon as the image of the human Trixie faded in the mirror. “There’s no doubt about it! Just as she waved her hand, I saw the amulet around her neck!”

“I saw it too!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, standing with the rest of the group behind Twilight and to the side.

“Me too,” Applejack said, the rest of the group nodding in agreement. “But, it looked different somehow.”

“It was only partially there,” Rarity pointed out. “Just one wing and the head, from what I could tell.”

“What could this mean?” Fluttershy asked, a worried look spread across her face.

“It means… that I finally have an answer to all my questions,” Celestia told everybody in the room, bringing confused and questioning looks to their faces. “I know now how the two Trixies were able to swap places like they did.”

“Uh, excuse me,” Trixie said, raising a hoof, “but what’s an ‘Alicorn Amulet’, exactly?”

“The Alicorn Amulet,” Twilight started to explain, “is a cursed magical artefact, thought to have been locked away centuries ago. It was designed with the purpose of matching Princess Celestia’s power, and it does just that. With it, the wielder will have the power of an alicorn in whatever magical discipline they can use.”

“Magical discipline?” Trixie asked.

“In other words, if the pony is an earth pony, they will become so in tune with nature, they can manipulate it. Earthquakes can be conjured with just a stomp of their hooves, and trees will follow their orders and attack living creatures.

“If the pony if a pegasus, their power of flight and weather manipulation is increased. They can form hurricanes strong enough to level Canterlot with just their own two wings and could create a lightning storm from just ordinary, non-storm clouds.

“And finally, if a unicorn wields it, they can perform any spell they wish, with no effort whatsoever. It is the ultimate magical artefact, but it comes with a terrible cost; whoever wields the amulet is corrupted by its darkness, and the longer they wear it, the more their mind becomes corrupt.”

“Trixie wore it once before,” Spike told the Trixie before him. “She tried to use it to get revenge on Twilight for some… events, not really important right now.”

“And you just let her keep it?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No! Of course not!” Twilight assured her. “The only way to remove it is for the host to remove it willingly. After tricking her into taking it off, Princess Celestia locked it away.”

Celestia nodded. “I did, and I used my most powerful seals in order to do so. However, it would seem that the power of the amulet is far greater than I ever could have imagined. It broke out of its confinement at some point, and found its way back to Trixie, its previous and still-compatible host.”

“You talk like it’s alive or something,” Rainbow Dash said.

“It might as well be,” Celestia told her. “When the Alicorn Amulet is worn by somepony for the first time, it forms a bond with them. After that bond is formed, for reasons beyond our current understanding of the object, the amulet will try to stay attached to that pony until the day they die. It is undoubtedly trying to do the very same to Trixie, but I never feared for Trixie’s safety.”

“Why not?” Applejack asked.

“Because I knew Trixie when she was a filly,” Celestia explained. “If Twilight’s reports were anything to go by, then the Trixie of today shares with her the same quality that shined most bright within her as a foal: a will that can never be broken. A strong resolve and the determination to never give up.”

“I’d have guessed ‘ego’,” Spike said, “but that works too.”

“She certainly seemed ta be holdin’ up well after we got that amulet off of her,” Applejack noted.

Rarity nodded in agreement. “Even after all that had happened, she was still smiling when she left Ponyville.”

“That is why I was never worried for her,” Celestia said. “I had no doubts that the Alicorn Amulet could not take over her mind a second time. Not after she had experienced its treachery and corruption once before. She would simply not allow it, and thus her magic would put up a strong shield against its influence.”

“Her magic put up a shield?” Twilight asked, to which Celestia nodded. “Wait, if her magic was defending her, then…”

“Precisely,” Celestia said. “If her magic was her defence against the amulet, then what the Alicorn Amulet needed to do was to send Trixie to a place where she could not use her magic. And as fate would have it, such a place existed, with another Trixie, and both Trixies wanted nothing more than what each other’s worlds had to offer.”

“I’m… not sure I’m followin’ here,” Rainbow Dash admitted, scratching her head in confusion.

“Put simply,” Twilight said, “the Alicorn Amulet took advantage of the two Trixies wanting to switch to make it happen. After that, Trixie – our Trixie – was placed into a world where her magic couldn’t protect her!”

“After that, it wouldn’t take long,” Celestia said in a grim tone. “Her determination would only hold up so long on its own, and the amulet, though exhausted, would recover fairly quickly. Now, it seems that its takeover of Trixie’s mind had already begun. And unlike Trixie, the amulet can use magic.”

“Not just unlike Trixie,” Twilight pointed out. “Unlike that entire world!”

“This is bad,” Celestia muttered. “That entire world may be defenceless for all we know. Even if they aren’t, magic is something new to them, and the Alicorn Amulet is a power that even I fear.”

“So what do we do?” Applejack asked. “We can’t just stand around doin’ nothin’!”

“My family,” Trixie said, her legs shaking as she stared blankly into the mirror beside her. “My family’s in danger! I have to help them!”

“But the portal’s closed!” Twilight reminded everyone. “How are we going to get there?”

“I have a plan,” Celestia announced. “It’s crazy, and that’s exactly why it might just work.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“The portal is closed, and linking worlds together is no easy feat,” Celestia said, receiving a nod from Twilight. “Even the Elements of Harmony were only able to open a line of communication.”

“Right, so what can we-” Rainbow Dash began, only for Celestia to interrupt her.

“What we need, is somebody who can make the term ‘impossible’ a nonsensical notion,” Celestia said. “Somebody who doesn’t care for order. Somebody who doesn’t care for what makes sense, and just breaks every single rule that the rest of us are forced to follow.”

“… Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Think grander,” Celestia said. “And with the power to make his delusions a reality.”

Twilight’s ears fell against the sides of her head as her brain pieced the puzzle together. “No. You don’t mean-”

“Enterrrrrr… DISCORD!”

Everybody jumped in surprised as a ball of confetti exploded above their heads. All eyes turned to the centre of the room. Standing there, in a fancy black tuxedo and a wearing a top hat, monocle, and a cane, was the nonsensical master of chaos himself.

“Discord!” everybody besides Trixie scolded at once.

Discord simply shrugged towards the far wall as a cheeky smile crossed his face, laughter sounding around him as he held that pose.

“Who?” Trixie asked, not quite sure what to make of the strange creature before her. “What is that? A Dr. Seuss reject?”

Celestia sighed. “Trixie, allow me to introduce you to Discord. The Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony.”

“… Spirit?” Trixie asked. “Like a deity?”

“Unfortunately,” Celestia said with a solemn nod. “And as such, I am quite sure he already knows who you are. Now, Discord, how did you get here so fast? Were you eavesdropping again?”

“Why, most certainly not!” Discord scoffed, his cane disappearing into a puff of smoke and being replaced by a candy cane, which her proceeded to such the red stripes off of as though they were spaghetti. “And I resent the allegation. I was merely saving time by appearing now and foregoing the need to explain how you summoned me here.”

“… What?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Makes sense to me,” Pinkie Pie said with a proud smile.

“As I said, Discord doesn’t give a crap about making sense.” Celestia immediately clasped her hooves over her mouth and turned the brightest shade of red anybody in the room had ever seen on another living creature. Meanwhile, everybody gasped at the princess’ sudden use of foul language. “DISCORD!” Celestia shouted, steam shooting out of the two kettles suspended behind her head by magic to give the illusion that they were coming out of her ears. “I have told you, countless times, not to put words in ponies’ mouths!”

“Well, you told me I needed a hobby,” Discord said as he straightened out the hammock he had made out of Twilight’s books and lay down on top of it, “and ventriloquism is such a fine, beautiful art, don’t you think? Personally, I think I have it down to a T. Speaking of…” Discord used his magic to bring the kettles behind Celestia’s head towards himself and then summoned a cup, into which he poured tea from one of the two kettles. “Tea’s ready! Anypony care to join me? Or anydragon, not to discriminate against poor Spikey-wikey.”

“Don’t call me that!” Spike shouted, crossing his arms and glaring at Discord. “Only Rarity can call me that.”

“Discord, we have a serious matter on our hooves,” Celestia said in a stern tone, using her magic to reorganise Twilight’s bookshelves and narrowing her eyes at the loafing draconequus.

“Oh, you are such a wet blanket, Celestia,” Discord said as he teleported himself closer to the princess.

“The Alicorn Amulet has found its way into another world,” Celestia told Discord as he placed a cigar stick into his mouth and lit it with a fire on the tip of his thumb. He then pulled the cigar out and breathed out rings of multi-coloured smoke. “Discord!”

“I heard you,” Discord said with a sigh. “Honestly, you never let me have any fun.”

“There will be time for fun after an entire world has been saved.”

“But that’s so much work, and I’m over two thousand years old.” Discord snapped his fingers, and in a flash of light his formal attire had been replaced with a bathrobe and a newspaper, the cigar in his mouth now a pipe that released bubbles. “I’ve got my retirement to be thinking about.”

“Discord, I believe we had a deal?” Celestia said in a cautionary tone.

“Indeed,” Discord said with a grin. “The deal was that I, Discord, would be allowed to roam about free and use my powers as much as I desire so long as it does not disrupt the lives of the common citizens. In return, I must report for duty if and when I am summoned by either you or your sister, to use my powers for the good of Equestria.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“But you don’t. You see, the Alicorn Amulet isn’t in Equestria.” Celestia’s brow furrowed. “Using my powers to open a pathway between two worlds isn’t an easy task, you know? It doesn’t really appeal to me to do it for free.”

Celestia sighed. She had made sure to be very careful in the wording of her contract with Discord, but evidently she had not been careful enough. “Very well then, Discord. What do you want?”

Discord threw the newspaper behind himself and gave the princess a devious smile. “Oh, not much. I would just like a day where I’m in charge of the day and night skies.”

“You must be joking,” Celestia said, hopeful that he was.

“Well, if you can’t do that-”

“Okay!” Celestia said quickly, sensing that Discord was about to leave. “I will have to talk about it with Luna, but… it shall be done.”

“Excellent!” Discord cheered, confetti exploding from the ceiling once more as he jumped for joy and threw his arms around Celestia. “But there’s still one problem,” he told her as he backed away. “I don’t even know if I can link our two worlds.”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “After all that, you still don’t know if you can even do it or not?!”

“Well, nothing ventured nothing gained,” Discord said in a dismissive tone. “To be quite frank, entering the Celestial Plane shouldn’t at all be a problem. If Celestia can do it, I most certainly can. The problem comes with opening two simultaneous doorways, which will act as the passage between the two worlds. Even with all of my power, I’m not sure if it can be done.”

“This isn’t one of your big jokes, is it?” Applejack asked.

Discord put his bear paw over his heart and raised his eagle claw into the air. “Scout’s honour.”

“You were in the Scouts?” Fluttershy asked. “You never told me that.”

“Oh yes. I joined just last week,” Discord told her. “Lovely group, though I can’t shake the feeling they keep staring at me. I wonder why?”

“In any case,” Celestia said, trying not to let the conversation steer off topic, “we don’t have any other choice. If your power isn’t enough, then I’m not sure what is.”

“What about the Elements of Harmony?” Trixie suggested, drawing the group’s attention. “Can’t you, you know, use those and Discord’s power? Wouldn’t that, like, double our chances or something?”

“… The Elements and I working together?” Discord pondered. “That might just be crazy enough to work!”

“Indeed,” Celestia agreed. “If the Elements of Harmony are used along with Discord’s powers, then we might be able to open a pathway that will last for some time. The issue is timing. One will have to be used right after the other, or else the powers of harmony and chaos will simply cancel each other out.”

“And then after that portal’s open, we’ll just go in there and get Trixie to remove that amulet!” Rainbow Dash said.

“No,” Celestia responded. “Only Twilight may go.”

“What?! Why?!”

“For the same reason as before, right?” Applejack asked, receiving a nod from Celestia.

“No sweat!” Spike said with a smile. “I got her back.”

“I’m afraid not,” Celestia said. “This mission will be too dangerous for you, Spike. Especially since, if it is anything like your last visit, you will have no means to defend yourself.”

“But I was just fine last time!” Spike insisted.

“Yes, but the difference here is your opponent. Sunset Shimmer was willing to take a hostage, but somepony wearing the Alicorn Amulet is willing to harm their hostage.”

Spike froze and gulped at Celestia’s warning, delivered in a tone that lowered the temperature in the room by a few degrees.

“So it will just be me?” Twilight asked, worry clear in her voice.

“You and your Element,” Celestia corrected. “With it, you will need to awaken the part of Trixie’s mind that resists the amulet’s hold and convince her to remove the Alicorn Amulet.” Celestia turned to Trixie. “The portal will open fairly close to where the possessed Trixie will be at the time. However, if you run through after Twilight, you should be able to get away whilst my student has the other Trixie’s attention. It is entirely up to you, but be warned that this time, there really will be no going back. Not until the natural portal is open, at least. Do you still wish to return?”

Trixie looked around the room. She looked at Spike, her first new friend she had made in this world and the one she felt she could connect with the most. She looked at Twilight, who had offered to teach her magic despite still being in the middle of her own studies herself, and who had offered her a place to stay and friendship, all without asking for anything in return. She looked at Rainbow Dash and Rarity, two people who were her friends in one world, but complete strangers in this one.

“It will certainly be hard to forget all of you,” Trixie said, “and it would be a lie to say I won’t regret leaving this world behind. Leaving you all, and my chance to learn magic. But that world is my home. It’s where I belong, where all my friends and my family are.”

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said, “not to pry or anything, but weren’t you thinking of hitting the road anyway when you got older?”

“Of course,” Trixie said, “but I never intended to never see my home again. I had every intention of returning home to see my family every now and then.”

“But magic’s been your dream ever since you were a child,” Twilight said. “Are you sure you want to give up on that when you finally have the chance to learn it?”

“Well, it’s not like I’ll never have another chance,” Trixie replied. “Thirty moons is a long time, sure, and the portal is only open for a few days. But when that time comes, let’s all hang out again, and maybe at that time, I can finally get the hang of the levitation spell.”

Pinkie Pie gasped and pulled a calendar out of her mane. “It’s totally a date! … How long is one moon?”

Trixie giggled at Pinkie’s random behaviour. “And besides,” she continued, “I’m still in high school. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me. I don’t need to master magic just yet. I’d much rather spend as much time with my friends and family as I can, while I still have the chance.”

Everypony in the room exchanged smiles as Trixie’s words rang through their ears. Discord yawned and did his best to look uninterested, and Spike simply approached Trixie silently.

“… I guess this is goodbye then,” Spike said. “Um, I-”

Trixie leaned down and wrapped her forelegs around the baby dragon. “It was nice to get to know you,” she said as she felt Spike return the hug. “Thanks for the dinner yesterday,” she whispered.

“I-It was fun,” Spike said as the two parted. “Um, good luck with you show and all…”

“Thanks.”

“It sure was nice meetin’ ya,” Applejack said as she and the other mare walked towards Trixie. “Even if it was only for a short while.”

“Do take care now,” Rarity said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make you those clothes that you wanted.”

“Well, just try to get them ready for the next time Trixie comes to visit,” Trixie responded with a grin.

“Be safe out there,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Be cool,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Be happy!” Pinkie Pie chimed in as she gave a balloon with a smile drawn on it to Trixie.

“Be quick!” Discord shouted, startling the mare as her suddenly burst out from inside of the balloon. “I do have other things to be getting on with today, you know?” Discord snapped his fingers and his clothes changed once more, this time into white golfing attire. “I’ll have you know I’m due for a match with Prince Blueblood in one hour.”

“I must agree,” Celestia said. “Every second is vital when the Alicorn Amulet is concerned. The longer Trixie wears it, the harder it will be for her to resist its power.”

“Alright, let’s do this!” Twilight said. Her friends nodded and moved into position, forming a semi-circle around Discord.

“Discord, you take the lead,” Celestia said. “Girls, make sure to fire the Elements as soon as Discord’s power creates the initial tear.”

“How will we know when?” Applejack asked.

“You’ll know,” Discord assured her with an unnerving grin. “Trust me, you’ll know.”

“Spike, you stay behind me,” Celestia ordered. “Trixie, you be ready to run in.”

“Well then, if everypony is ready,” Discord said, “let’s begin.”

Derpy Hooves hummed a tune as she hopped off of the school bus and skipped down the pathway towards the school’s front doors. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Trixie smiling at her and sporting a new piece of jewellery around her neck. “Oh, good morning! Nice necklace.”

“It’s not a necklace,” Trixie corrected, placing her hand over the half of the Alicorn Amulet around her neck, “it’s an amulet. And good morning to you too, Derpy. I take it you enjoyed Trixie’s show yesterday?”

“Yeah! It was great!” Derpy said, stopping for a moment as she noticed a red glow in Trixie’s eyes.

“Something wrong?” Trixie asked as she stopped after Derpy.

“What? Oh, no. Nothing,” Derpy said, deciding that she must have been seeing things.

“By the way,” Trixie said, “there will be an encore show tonight. The Great and Powerful Trixie needs you to help her round up an audience.”

“Tonight?” Derpy asked. “That’s… sort of short notice. And I’ve got a meeting with my baking club after school today.”

“Is that a no?” Trixie asked, her smile fading and her brows furrowing as she took a step towards Derpy.

Derpy saw the glow in Trixie’s eyes once more and backed away, starting to feel fear from the cold glare being sent her way. “I-I…”

“You know,” Trixie said, holding up her hand as it glowed the same red aura as her eyes, “you could choose some silly baking club over your dearest friend, but then again, it’s not easy to bake with burned hands now is it?”

“Trixie? You’re scaring me…”

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Trixie tilted her head to find a girl running towards the two from behind Derpy. She seemed familiar to Trixie. “Don’t you dare lay a hoof- hand on her!”

“Twilight Sparkle?” Trixie asked as the purple girl wearing a large golden tiara stopped beside Derpy. “This world’s Twilight, huh? No, there’s something about you… Something magical. You’re the Twilight Sparkle from Equestria.”

“That’s right,” Twilight confirmed as she turned to Derpy. “Get out of here. That’s not the real Trixie right now.”

“Not the real Trixie?” Trixie asked. “I’m as real as you, I assure you.”

“She’s not in her right frame of mind,” Twilight told Derpy.

“W-What should I do?” Derpy asked, turning to Trixie with a worried look.

“Just get someplace safe. I’ll save her, I promise you.” With a hesitant nod, Derpy turned around and ran as quickly as she could towards the crowd of students around them.

“I’ll deal with the traitor later,” Trixie said as she kept her focus on Twilight. “For now, the Great and Powerful Trixie has an old score to settle.”

“Trixie, I know you’re in there somewhere,” Twilight said as she steeled her nerves, “and I’m going to get you out.”

“Oh? How will do that when your legs are all tied up?” Trixie asked as she flicked her hand. A moment later, two long vines shot forth from the ground beneath Twilight Sparkle and constricted around her legs, preventing her from moving and causing her to scream as she felt her bones being crushed.

“Stop that!” Trixie gasped as she felt two arms wrap around her body, holding her tightly in place and pressing into her stomach with such force that her focus on the spell affecting Twilight was broken.

“Who’s there?!” Trixie demanded as she looked over her shoulder. What she found was herself. Or rather, a version of herself not wearing the Alicorn Amulet. “The inferior Trixie? Fool! You should have stayed in Equestria!” With a wave of her hand, a red light pulled the other Trixie into the air and threw her towards the crowd of students behind her. Most of the crowd parted, but two students acted quickly to catch Trixie so that she wouldn’t crash into the ground.

“Trixie!” Twilight shouted as she watched the scene in horror. “I told you to find somewhere to hide!”

“She has guts, Trixie will give her that,” the possessed Trixie said as she turned back to Twilight Sparkle with a sadistic grin on her face, “but guts can only take a pony so far.”

Twilight gasped as she noticed that the amulet had grown in size since she first arrived at the scene. It was now almost complete; all that was missing was the left wing. “I will save you,” Twilight assured Trixie as she took a step forward.

“I don’t think so,” Trixie responded as she waved her hand once more, this time creating a powerful gust of wind that circled around Twilight, preventing her from moving forward any further. “You won’t be interfering. I won’t give you the chance.”

Twilight was forced to close her eyes in response to the powerful wind keeping her trapped, and whimpered as she tried desperately to think of a way out of her current predicament. ‘If only my friends were here…’ A bright light shone from Twilight’s crown, startling Trixie for a moment before it flashed even brighter. Twilight felt the wind come to a sudden stop, and opened her eyes to find…

“Well ah’ll be,” the orange-haired girl said as she smiled and reached a hand out towards Twilight.

“This is so cool! I knew we’d see each other again, for sure!” the rainbow-haired girl said as she extended a fist towards Twilight.

“I hope you’re alright,” the pink-haired girl in the yellow dress said. “That looked scary.”

“I thought it looked fun!” the other pink-haired girl in the pink dress cheered.

“I must disagree,” the purple-haired girl said in response to the previous girl’s comment. “But it is good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Y-You guys,” Twilight said in utter disbelief as she looked over all five of her friends. “You guys saved me…”

“You think we’d just leave a friend hangin’ like that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Um, we didn’t really do anything,” Fluttershy said in a timid manner.

“Wrong,” Twilight assured her with a warm smile. “You girls resonated together with my Element. The six of us, together, we’re the embodiments of friendship itself, the most powerful magic there is. Without you guys, I would never have been able to free myself… Thank you, everypony.”

“You mean everybody,” Rarity corrected, earning a giggle from Twilight.

“Yes. Everybody,” Twilight amended, taking a moment to laugh with her friends before a cold feeling down her spine reminded her of Trixie’s presence.

“How touching,” Trixie said, glaring towards the six friends with both of her glowing hands at the ready, “but the Great and Powerful Trixie has a class to attend, so we’re going to have to close the curtain on this little act a bit early.”

“Indeed,” a voice behind Trixie called out. Trixie looked over her shoulder to see Sunset Shimmer approaching her from behind.

“Ah, the other Equestrian girl,” Trixie noted with a grin. “And? What exactly have you got planned?”

“Oh, you know me,” Sunset Shimmer said as she examined her fingernails. “I don’t like to get my hands dirty. I have lackeys who do that for me. Snips, Snails!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Snips and Snails shouted in unison as they jumped out of the crowds from either side of Trixie, running towards her and grabbing her legs.

“What? Let go!” Trixie ordered as she raised a hand into the air. The two boys closed their eyes and whimpered as they awaited their punishment, but all that they heard was a whistle. Trixie turned to the source of the whistle – Rainbow Dash – only to find a round, black-and-white object flying towards her at a high speed.

As the soccer ball collided with Trixie’s face, Trixie’s magic faded and she was forced to bring her hands to her face as she cried out in pain.

“Bullseye!” Rainbow Dash cheered as she smiled proudly at her accomplishment.

“Now’s yer chance, Twilight!” Applejack told her friend, who nodded and immediately made her way towards Trixie, crown glowing all the while.

“You!” Trixie shouted in a venomous tone as she reopened her eyes and found Twilight Sparkle standing directly in front of her.

“Don’t worry, Trixie,” Twilight said as she placed her hands on Trixie’s shoulders and closed her eyes, “I’m coming to save you.” The light from Twilight’s tiara exploded into a bright flash.

Twilight Sparkle was no longer standing outside in front of Canterlot High, that much was clear. Where she was now was dark, gloomy, and almost eerie. If Twilight Sparkle didn’t know for a fact that ghosts were a scientific impossibility, she would be willing to bet that the place she was in now was haunted.

A cold wind blew down Twilight’s back, making her fur stand on end. “YAH!” Twilight screamed as she turned around immediately, shaking on the spot as she stared down the dark, endless corridor before her. “T-There’s no such thing as ghosts. All scientific knowledge and theory proves that ghosts are an impossibility.” Twilight lifted a leg to move forward and suddenly realised that she was a pony again. “But I didn’t go through the portal again. I guess this really must be Trixie’s mind…”

Twilight wondered if all minds looked as Trixie’s did. Dark, cold, lifeless… She appeared to be in some kind of medieval-styled castle, only one that had not been cleaned for decades. In fact, the more she observed her surroundings, the more she noticed similarities between this place and the old castle ruins in the Everfree Forest. “Why is it so dark? Is it the amulet’s corruption, or is this just how her mind is?”

To her right, Twilight noticed a wooden door. Deciding that standing around would do no good, she approached the door and reached towards it. It was locked, but there was a keyhole, meaning that she could pick it with her magic. Concentrating, she attempted to do just that. However, before her spell could finish, the door did something unexpected; it zapped Twilight’s horn, sending a shock through her system and forcing her to back away with a yelp.

“D-Did the door just attack me?!” Twilight shouted, her voice echoing through the empty corridor, followed by the walls around her shaking. “… L-Let’s just move on.”

The next door that Twilight found was also locked, so she ignored it and continued on. The third door wasn’t locked, but as it opened, all that Twilight found inside was an angry lion charging towards her at a high speed. She quickly slammed the door shut and ran away. It didn’t seem that the lion was following her, so after taking a few moments to recover, Twilight continued on.

Many other doors were either locked or held similar dangers behind them. There were doors that lead to angry lions wasting no time attacking Twilight, and there were some doors that held intricate traps for anypony who dared step through them. Some such traps involved magical shocks, darts being fired from the walls, floors crumbling away, and armoured ponies attacking Twilight with spears.

“What is with this place?!” Twilight shouted as she came to another stop after running away from yet another ferocious lion. “Why are all of these doors here if there’s nothing behind them but dangerous traps?”

“You should just surrender,” a voice called out from further down the corridor. Twilight tensed and slowly crept further along her path until she could see who the voice belonged to. “You’re the last one left. What chance do you have?”

“I won’t give up! There must be a way to stop you!” Twilight stopped and stared at the two ponies before her facing each other off. One was a large pony with both wings and a horn, her mane-style and cutie mark similar to Trixie’s, but her coat was covered by thick purple smoke. The other pony, the one who had spoken last, was a small blue filly, who resembled Trixie in every way save for the lack of cutie mark on her flank.

“I have a special cell for you,” the alicorn pony said as sparks of red formed at the tip of her horn.

In one swift motion, Twilight used her magic to teleport herself to the filly’s side, and then teleported again to move herself and the filly out of the way of the alicorn’s sudden magical attack. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked the filly as soon as they reappeared.

“Twilight Sparkle?!” the filly shouted in utter shock and bewilderment.

“An outsider?” the alicorn asked. “Interesting, but I have no use for you. You can just die right here.”

“Hold on tight,” Twilight instructed as she used her magic to lift the filly onto her back. She then turned around completely and started to run as quickly as she could down the corridor. Twilight didn’t even have to turn around to know that she was being chased. “What is that thing?!” Twilight asked. “And for that matter, who are you?”

“That’s the corruption brought on by the Alicorn Amulet,” the filly answered, her tone surprisingly calm for a filly being chased by a powerful alicorn trying to harm her. “As for me, I’m Trixie’s innocence. You can just call me Innocence if you like.”

“Trixie’s innocence?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“Let’s see, how to make this simple enough for you to understand?” Innocence muttered, bringing a frown to Twilight’s face. “Simply put, we’re inside Trixie’s mind right now. And inside here, there are a bunch of Trixies of all different appearances and personalities, but ultimately the same pony, who incorporate various aspects of who Trixie is. Take a left.”

“What?”

“LEFT!” the filly shouted. Twilight found herself coming up to a fork and followed Innocence’s command, turning left. “So there’s a Trixie here who incorporates Trixie’s greed, and one that incorporates her logical reasoning, and many more.”

“So you’re like Trixie broken down into her base components?” Twilight asked.

“Something like that. One second.” Innocence turned around closed her eyes. Her horn lit up a faint purple light, and the next second, the walls began to shake. The roof caved in mere inches behind Twilight, shocking and forcing her to run faster as she looked back to see what had happened. “That should slow it down. It still hasn’t got used to this place yet.”

“Y-You could have killed me!” Twilight shouted.

“Relax. I had it all planned out,” Innocence said. “Would you like to see the diagram I made?” she asked, holding up a crayon drawing of a purple blob carrying a blue blob and a bunch of brown circles falling behind them.

“When did you even- Never mind. Listen, I’m here to save Trixie, but so far all I’ve found are these doors that are either locked or just want seem to want to kill me.”

“The locked doors are doors that Trixie herself locked at some point in her life,” Innocence explained. “They’re doors that lead to either memories or feelings that she doesn’t wish to share with anypony else. As long as Trixie is wearing the Alicorn Amulet, they won’t be opening any time soon.”

“What do you mean by ‘memories or feelings that she doesn’t wish to share’? There sure are a lot of them!”

Innocence sighed. “Unfortunately, Trixie’s pessimism has been fed a lot over the past year-and-a-half. She’s locked away many doors because she feels there’s no benefit to lingering in the past, and she’s locked away others simply because she does not wish for anypony else to see what lies beyond them, ever.”

“So what about the doors with traps?” Twilight asked. “Are they also Trixie’s doing?”

Innocence shook her head. “Those are the rooms where fragments of Trixie’s personality are locked away,” she explained.

“So the traps are to keep them from leaving?” Twilight asked.

“In that case, why not just lock the doors?” Innocence retorted. “No, the traps are to stop the amulet from reaching them. Think about it: lions, armoured knights… If the amulet were to lock away a piece of Trixie’s heart, then it doesn’t matter even if the amulet is removed, she’ll never get it back. Therefore, they all scattered and hid themselves, setting up traps to keep the amulet from taking them.”

“Did any get captured?” Twilight asked, worried about what the answer may be.

“Only one did,” Innocence answered. “As long as the fragments of Trixie’s personality remain hidden, the amulet doesn’t care about them. Both last time and this time, the amulet only focused on one aspect of Trixie. The last time it was here, Trixie removed the amulet before it caught her. This time, however…”

“Which aspect was that?” Twilight asked.

“The only one that can defeat the amulet,” Innocence told her. “Hope.”

“And what about you? Why weren’t you hiding?”

“‘Cause I don’t hide from the face of danger!” Innocence proclaimed. “I don’t care how powerful that thing is! I don’t care if I’m on my own, or if I’m the weakest of all us Trixies, there still has to be a way that I can win!

“… Some of the others call me ‘Naivety’… but I am who I am. I’m not going to surrender to anything. I’m going to stand strong and protect Trixie’s mind, not matter what!”

“That’s why I’m here,” Twilight said. “I’m here to save Trixie from the amulet’s hold. You told me that those captured by the amulet are locked away for good, but does that account for my Element of Harmony?”

Innocence put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Not sure,” she admitted. “I mean, we never even considered an Element would find its way into Trixie’s mind. I guess it’s worth a shot.”

“It might be the only shot we have,” Twilight told her in a solemn tone. “Where is Trixie’s hope? We’ve got to find it and set it free.”

“Even if you do that, will it be strong enough to defeat the Alicorn Amulet?” Innocence asked.

“It will be,” Twilight said. “Or rather, it has to be. We don’t really have any other choice… and this time, I’ll be here, too. I won’t let Trixie lose hope, no matter what.”

Innocence smiled and leaned down, planting a kiss on Twilight’s cheek. “Thank you,” she said as she leaned back up. “Also, we’ve passed Hope’s door already. Three doors back.”

Twilight skidded to a halt and groaned as she turned around. “Say something that important sooner!”

Innocence giggled, though it was short-lived as she and Twilight soon came face-to-face with the alicorn once again. They had made it to Hope’s door, but if the alicorn was here with them, then there wasn’t much that Twilight could do.

“Go inside,” Innocence whispered. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Can I see the drawing first?” Twilight asked in a tone half-joking to keep her spirits up, and half-serious as she was truly concerned about the filly’s plan.

“Just trust me,” Innocence pleaded. Twilight nodded. “Now!”

The alicorn made a move to stop Twilight as she galloped towards the door. However, it was pushed back as Innocence used her magic to open the next door down, causing an angry lion to jump out and pounce the alicorn standing just outside of it.

Twilight quickly opened the door and ran inside, slamming it shut without any hesitance. “I’ll hold it off!” Innocence announced as she jumped off of Twilight and pressed her body to the door. “Free Hope!”

“Right!” Twilight confirmed with a nod as she ran further into the room. It wasn’t a big room, so it only took a second for Twilight to see what she assumed to be ‘Hope’. It was a pony who resembled Trixie in every way, but who also had clear, translucent wings growing out of the sides of her head. “What the…”

“That’s Hope,” Innocence told her. “The wings represent Trixie’s freedom. The more see-through they are, the more trapped she feels.”

Twilight noticed that the blue mare before her looked almost dead. Her head was staring constantly at one spot on the floor and had not budged an inch even with all of the noise that Twilight and Innocence were making. Furthermore, her forelegs were chained to the wall behind her, and her hind legs were shackled to the floor. Her horn had a metallic ring around it that Twilight suspected repressed her magic, and her coat was so dark, so dim, that one would think the mare simply hadn’t bathed for weeks.

Something slammed against the door from the other side, startling Twilight and grabbing her attention. “What are you doing?!” Innocence shouted. “I can’t hold it back for long! Get Hope out of there!”

Twilight nodded and turned back to Hope quickly. “Hope… Trixie, can you hear me? It’s Twilight. Twilight Sparkle?”

Hope remained silent and motionless.

Twilight sighed and closed her eyes. “Please, Element… Please help me to snap Trixie out of it…”

The jewel on Twilight’s tiara shined for a brief moment. When it ended, Hope moved ever-so-slightly before slowly lifting her head and looking into Twilight’s eyes. “… Twi… light?”

Twilight opened her eyes and smiled, lunging forward to wrap her forelegs around Hope. “You’re awake!”

“W-What are you doing here?” Hope asked. Her attention was drawn to the door as another loud banging sound echoed through the room. “Innocence?”

“Twilight, get those chains off of her!” Innocence shouted. “We need her to defeat the amulet!”

“The amulet!” Hope gasped before her face fell and she stared down at the ground once more. “… No, I can’t,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “You aren’t saying that you’re going to just give up, are you?”

“You can’t!” Innocence told her. “Think about all the Great and Powerful performances we’ve yet to give!”

“Kid, face it,” Hope said, “nopony really cares about any of that. Stop fooling yourself and look at the reality of it all.”

“The people at Canterlot High beg to differ!” Innocence retorted.

Twilight noticed Hope’s wings brighten up for a second, before they dimmer right back down again. “… Yeah, but how long will that last?” Hope asked with a sigh. “Even if they look past Trixie’s actions today, the Trixie who actually belongs here has returned. How much attention will they give to just a copycat?”

“Even so, that doesn’t mean you’ll never belong,” Twilight assured her, to which Hope simply scoffed at the notion. “I know for a fact that Princess Celestia herself had high regards for your skill.”

“… S-She did?” Hope asked, her wings lighting up a little brighter once more.

Twilight nodded. “That’s right. And she said that your determination was a quality of yours that she truly admired.” The wings grew even brighter, and the shackle holding Hope’s left hind leg down shattered.

“… But what of the others?” Hope asked. “Sure they might just follow suit if they hear that the princess is impressed with Trixie’s skills, but that wouldn’t be genuine admiration.”

“Then you make it real,” Twilight told her. “You can’t impress anypony by sitting around here moping for the rest of your life, but if you show them what you can truly do, then I’m certain that you’ll find plenty of ponies that look up to you.” The shackle binding Hope’s right hind leg shattered.

“But Trixie’s tried that before,” Hope pointed out. “Nopony will even give her a chance.”

“I will,” Twilight told her. “And so will my friends. We’ll give you the chance that everypony deserves, and the friendship too.”

“HURRYYYYYY!” Innocence pleaded as she felt her hooves slipping against the floor.

“And think about it,” Twilight continued, “nopony’s ever beat the Alicorn Amulet before. You’ll be the first to do so. Now wouldn’t that be a story you’d want everypony to hear?”

The two chains binding Hope’s forelegs shattered, and her wings were now illuminating and spreading warmth throughout the entire room. “What was that part about being Trixie’s friend again?”

Twilight smiled. “Well, the others might need a little time to warm up to you, but everypony needs a friend or two in their life, right?” Twilight put a hoof to her chin and looked around, taking note of the degraded stone and the moss hanging around everywhere. “A friend might be able to help you clean this place up a little bit. Maybe repave the floor, make a few windows…”

“Are you making a joke right now?” Hope asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yep,” Twilight giggled. “That’s what friends do. They joke when things look bleak to keep each other’s spirits up. Don’t you like it?”

Hope simply stared at Twilight blankly for a few seconds, before she had to put a hoof to her mouth to stifle a laugh. “You can’t be for real.”

“As real as you are,” Twilight assured her.

“And if it turns out your other friends don’t like Trixie?” Hope asked with a smug grin.

“Then that’s their loss,” Twilight answered. “I don’t only pick the popular ponies as my friends. I’m too much of a ‘dork’ to have that luxury.”

Hope laughed at Twilight’s response, so much so that it actually started to hurt her stomach. As she laughed, the ring around her horn shattered, and her wings started to pulsate as they glowed so bright that Twilight had to avert her eyes.

The door broke down at just that moment. Innocence made a quick retreat behind Twilight, who stood her ground and glared at the alicorn approaching the three with a menacing look on its face.

“Allow me,” Hope said, using her magic to grab Twilight’s tiara and bring it over towards her own head.

“What are you-” Twilight began, but was cut off by a purple light shining from the tiara’s jewel. “No way…”

“What did you expect?” Hope asked. “This is Trixie’s head, which means that whatever Trixie decides will happen, will happen.”

“Oh yeah,” Innocence said, “I forgot we could do that.”

“Furthermore,” Hope continued, “the Great and Powerful Trixie will never allow an outsider to run rampant inside of her own mind without repercussion, nor will she allow her new friend’s life to be place in jeopardy.”

“Uh, thanks, I guess,” Twilight said as she watched the light from the Element grow brighter and brighter. The alicorn backed away, shielding its eyes from the intense light as it hissed.

“Now, you foul demon,” Hope said as she stepped towards the alicorn, “AWAY WITH YOU!”

“GAAAAAAAAH!” the alicorn cried as the light washed over it, its body evaporating into thin air and its voice growing quieter until it disappeared completely. As Twilight stared at the spot where the alicorn was previously standing, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and her eyelids growing heavier as all faded into black.

“Trixie?” Trixie groaned and opened her eyes slowly, using a hand to block the intrusive sunlight entering her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Trixie saw a purple blur slowly come into focus and take the shape of a purple girl with striped hair looking down at her. “… Who are you?” she asked.

Twilight gasped. “Y-You don’t remember?” Trixie shook her head. “I-It’s me. Twilight?”

“Who’s Twilight?” Twilight looked as if she had taken a strong blow to the gut as she stared disbelievingly at Trixie, whose mouth slowly curved into a smile as she brought a hand to Twilight’s shoulder. “Just kidding. Trixie thought you had a sense of humour, but apparently not.”

Twilight’s nerves settled, and she gave an exasperated sigh as Trixie chuckled in front of her. “Gee, thanks,” Twilight said in a flat tone as she rose to her feet. “Yeah, seems like you’re fine. But then, why are you still wearing the amulet?”

“I’m what?” Trixie asked as she looked down at her neck, finding that the Alicorn Amulet was indeed there. “Huh. How strange… but Trixie doesn’t feel its influence on her right now.”

“What about its power?” Trixie answered by holding her hand up and harnessing a faint purple aura. “Guess that answers that.”

“I don’t feel any corruption, though,” Trixie reiterated, grabbing the amulet and removing it without much effort. “It comes off easily, too.”

“Maybe Princess Celestia can tell us something,” Twilight suggested. “… You will be coming back, right?”

Trixie thought about it for a second before nodding. “It’s probably for the best,” she said. “And Trixie is curious as to what this friendship with you will be like.”

“I won’t let you down, then,” Twilight said with a smile. “I don’t know how long the portal will remain open for, so-”

“Hold that thought.” Trixie turned to face the seven girls standing behind her. In particular, she focussed on the blonde girl in the centre. “Derpy?”

“Y-Yeah?” Derpy asked.

“… S-Sorry for before,” Trixie said. “For scaring you like that and all…”

“It’s okay,” Derpy told her. “You… weren’t yourself, right? Um…”

“It was fun,” Trixie added, to which Derpy nodded in agreement.

Twilight felt a wave of energy passing through her mind, followed by a voice: “Twilight! The portal is closing! Hurry up and return or you’ll be trapped there!”

“Trixie!” Twilight shouted. “We have to leave, now!”

“Take care you guys!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Don’t be strangers now!” Applejack said.

“Though do try to bring less darkness and demonic power with you if you ever come back,” Rarity requested.

“It was great to see you all again,” Twilight said as she looked over her five friends. “I’m sorry it wasn’t a more casual visit.”

“Hey,” Trixie called out to her other self, “other me. Can you… say goodbye to my- your parents, for me?”

“Of course,” the other Trixie nodded. “And they’re just as much your parents as they are mine.”

“It was nice to see them again,” Trixie continued. “I only wish I could have spent more time with them… but I guess I have some place else I belong, huh?”

Twilight grabbed Trixie’s hand with her own and gave her a reassuring smile. “Let’s go home.”

“Lead the way,” Trixie said as she and Twilight waved one final goodbye to their otherworldly friends. Together, the two jumped into the portal, neither one looking back as they crossed the Celestial Plane back into their own world.

Upon their return, Twilight was welcomed back quite enthusiastically by her friends, who all tackled her immediately upon seeing the librarian stepping out from the portal. Whilst Twilight’s friends attempted to suffocate her with their hugs, Trixie followed after Twilight through the portal and met Celestia’s eyes. Now she wasn’t sure what to do other than wait for the princess to have the first word.

“Welcome back,” Celestia said, catching Trixie off guard. “I see you chose your old home over your new one.”

“Y-Yeah,” Trixie said, glancing over towards Twilight for a moment before turning her attention back to Celestia. “Trixie decided to find her own friendship, rather than take somepony else’s. Guess we’ll see how smart a move that was…”

“I think it was a very brave move,” Celestia told her, “and I’m certain that my student will not let you down.”

“It’s not her,” Trixie explained. “It’s the others. Everypony else in Ponyville, and in Equestria. Twilight might accept Trixie, but-”

“You aim quite high,” Celestia interrupted, “but you are impatient. Canterlot was not built in a day, you know? Rather than worry about impressing everypony all at once, you should start with just the ponies you really care about… and work your way up from there.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said, herself and her friends now off of Twilight so that the poor mare could breathe again. “Even I had to start with just impressing Fluttershy and… another friend, before I could move on and spread my talent across Cloudsdale. Then I moved to Ponyville and showed Applejack here what I got, and slowly worked my rep all around the town!”

“Unless you’ve forgotten,” Trixie said, “Trixie’s ‘rep’ isn’t starting fresh here. She was already popular once, but her fame was destroyed when that ursa minor crushed her trailer.”

“Well then, we’ll jus’ fix it up,” Applejack responded. “Old Apple family sayin’: ‘Ain’t nothin’ can’t be fixed with a lil’ hard work an’ a good friend by yer side’.”

“You think that Trixie hasn’t already tried to fix her reputation?” Trixie asked.

“You ever tried it with friends helping you out?” Twilight countered.

“… Touché.”

“Well then,” Celestia spoke up, gathering the group’s attention, “Discord and I must be returning to Canterlot soon.”

“Thank you for all your help, princess,” Twilight said, bowing along with all of her friends.

“Before I leave, however…” Celestia approached Trixie, motioning for her to rise. “I can’t help but notice that you are still wearing the amulet.”

“Oh, that,” Trixie said with a nervous smile. “It isn’t corrupting Trixie, though.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Celestia said. “It was the bond that you forged with Twilight, amplified by her Element, that allowed you to overpower whatever evil lurks within the Alicorn Amulet. However, it is still a dangerous artefact, and the corruption may still spread to anypony else who may wear it. It is for this reason that I would like to keep it safe within Canterlot. Of course, you paid good money for it, so the decision is ultimately yours.”

“… It does grant Trixie great power,” Trixie muttered, just loud enough for Twilight to hear.

“But you don’t need it,” Twilight assured her. “You’re great just are you are.”

With a smile, Trixie removed the amulet and offered it to Celestia. “And that’s all that Trixie needs to hear. If her friend says that she doesn’t need this power, then Trixie will trust her judgement.”

Celestia took the amulet with her magic, keeping it at a distance from herself as it was held in the air by a golden aura. “I sense that you will all be just fine.” Trixie and Twilight exchanged glances and nodded together. “Well then, I’ll be looking forward to the report.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow as Celestia walked by her and left the library, turning to Twilight with a puzzled look. “What report?” she asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Twilight said. “But first, I think some introductions are in order.” Twilight turned to her six friends standing beside her, ready to introduce each one properly to the showmare.

“Hey, Shimmer!” Sunset Shimmer stopped and turned in the hallway. She saw Trixie Lulamoon catching up to her and stopping by her side. “The Great and Powerful Trixie heard that you convinced the other Trixie to go along with Trixie’s show whilst she was here. Trixie would like to thank you for that.”

“I wasn’t trying to help you,” Sunset told her, “I was trying to embarrass you.”

“But it backfired,” Trixie said with a grin. “You’re losing your touch.”

“I’m sorry, did you want to thank me, or did you want me to hurt you?” Sunset asked, an annoyed expression crossing her face. “Anyway, why did you even come back here? Didn’t you go to Equestria so you could learn magic or something? Why would you leave after finally getting what you wanted?”

Trixie sighed and shook her head. “It’s true I had what I wanted,” she said, “but at the same time, it wasn’t what I wanted. I could have all the power in the world, but it would be lonely without everypony who had supported me my whole life there with me.”

“Everybody,” Sunset corrected.

Trixie blushed and gave a silent laugh. “Y-Yeah. Anyway, what made up my mind was the idea of never seeing my family again. Could you imagine what that’s like?”

“… I guess so,” Sunset Shimmer muttered.

“Put simply, I guess it’s a matter of ‘appreciate what you’ve got’, and especially who you’ve got.” Trixie continued to walk down the hallway. “Trixie will have to part with them someday, but just not yet.”

Sunset Shimmer simply watched as Trixie walked down the hallway away from her. “Appreciate who you’ve got?” Sunset Shimmer sighed and followed after Trixie towards their class. “Thirty moons, huh? It’s a long wait, but I suppose I could check in on my folks when the time comes…”

“This is harder than Trixie had first thought,” Trixie said as she held the quill above the paper, glaring down at the piece of parchment as if it were evil incarnate.

“It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, Trixie,” Twilight told the showmare as she tapped her hoof impatiently on the floor behind Trixie. “Just write down what you learned, that’s all. It can even just be a brief summary.”

“Hay, just five quick words would be fine by this point,” Spike said, tapping his claws against his chin as he sat beside Trixie with an irritated look upon his face.

“Trixie knows that, but if this is to be a letter for the princess to read, then Trixie would like to ensure that her hornwriting is top-notch.”

“Trixie!” Twilight pleaded, burying her head into a pillow as her voice became muffled moans.

“Oh, very well then!” Trixie cleared her throat and brought the quill down to the parchment. “… Dear Princess Celestia… Is that too informal?”

“It’s fine,” Spike told her. “Keep going.”

“… Today, the Great and Powerful Trixie learned something about friendship.”

Twilight waited for a few seconds before noticing that Trixie had stopped. “Go on?”

Trixie hesitated for a second, her face turning red as she tried to force the words out. “This is so stupid,” she muttered.

“Come on Trixie,” Twilight said. “Just say what’s in your heart.”

“And cheesy,” Trixie gagged before letting out a sigh. “But if you insist… The Great and Powerful Trixie learned that friendship is not that hard to figure out when you find it. The tricky part is the journey, something which Trixie has struggled with for much of her life. But everypony has a place where they can call home, and ponies whom they can call their friends. Maybe… even their families.” Trixie turned around to see Twilight smiling sweetly in her direction. “And you can always confide in these friends, but you have to find them first.

“Finding that certain place where you belong is tough, and might even seem impossible. But what is important is that you never give in and always move forward. And once you find that special place, you will never want to let it go, not even for all the power in the world… however tempting it may be.”

“Is that it?” Spike asked as he prepared to send the letter off to the princess.

“Wait. A footnote.” Spike sighed, but held his breath. “Since Trixie has proven herself by defeating despair and besting the Alicorn Amulet, she feels that it is only right that she receive an Element of Harmony of her own. Trixie was thinking the ‘Element of Determination’ would suffice. What do you think?” Trixie heard laughter coming from both beside and behind her. She turned to both Spike and Twilight with an irritated look on her face.

“That’s a good one!” Spike said through his laughter.

“You should do a comedy act, Trixie!” Twilight managed to say as she held her stomach.

“‘Element of Determination’, nice!”

Trixie used her magic to roll the parchment into a scroll and turned her back to the still-laughing mare and dragon. “Trixie was being totally serious…”

Author's Note

Thanks to Mager Blutooth for proof-reading ^_^