A Short Tale

Chapter Fourteen: Petty Magic

Mayella had finished learning English, the national pony language. She could finally fit in with pony society. Travian was happy with this as he could go into Ponyville with no fear in the world. Fluttershy returned to the cottage, but went directly to Travian. Mayella turned into a bunny. "Hello Flutterrye. Any news?"

"Hello Longshot. Hello Mayella. Did you know a magician called 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' is coming to town today?" How was he supposed to know? "Everypony's talking about it, and I'd like to see it."

"Sounds..." His brother wouldn't approve. At all. "Interesting. I suppose we'll come as well." They agreed on coming together to this little event. They all came together in to Ponyville, and Mayella was resting on Travian's shoulders.

"So... How do you get her to do that?"

"Do what?" She pointed at Mayella.

"How do you get her to rest on you? I mean, Angel never does that with me..." Angel was a bully. Of course he didn't do that.

"Have you not seen how Angel acts? Mayella is a good bunny, Angel is not." She looked at Travian in surprise.

"What? Angel always acts good... At least as far as I know..." She doesn't know much, then. They turned a corner to the center square. There was a cart and a crowd of ponies. He followed Fluttershy to one of the front spots. He attracted quite a few eyes as he sat down next to Fluttershy. When he looked over, he saw Rarity, Applejack, the hated one that shall not be named, an Pinkie Pie. He tried to make himself unseen. He succeeded so well that ponies stopped staring at him. Though he had to hand most of the honors to the voice that boomed out from the stage.

"Come one, come all!" Twilight and her pet dragon made their way into the front row. "Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" There was a poof of smoke and out from it came a blue pony with silvery hair. She had the most stereotypical wizard hat and wizard cape he had ever seen. Travian was unimpressed.

'I can do better magic then that... and I can't even magic!' he thought to himself. It was partially true. There were plenty of ooh's and aw's for her.

"Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" There were dozens of fireworks behind her.

"Oh come on... I can do that with a blind fold." Mayella put her bunny ears over Travian's eyes. This reminded him to have a little talk with her about what she said when she was Rainbow Dash. "Not what I meant." She lifted her ears.

Rarity was next to speak. "My my my, what boasting." The dragon spoke next.

"Come on, no pony's as magical as Twi-" He stopped and his eyes grew large. "Twi... Twi! Oh... Uhm..." He coughed. "Hey Rarity, I uh..." Something must have dinged in his head as his eyes went wide open. "Mustache!" He then sped off. Twilight took his place.

"There's nothing with being talented, is there?" Travian decided to speak up.

"Being talented is a part of being you. Of course, when you aren't talented at what you think you are, example here, you often come off as a obnoxious fool." They all looked at him, surprised he was even there. Rarity took off.

"Well... I suppose so, but just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us." Twilight was looking rather sad at that. Suddenly, the forsaken one spoke.

"Especially when you got me around being better than the rest of us!" Applejack and Travian together got on her case. "Uh... I mean, yeah! Uh... Magic shmagic! Boo!" Travian shook his head slowly.

"No." Suddenly, the stage seemed to take the focus again.

"Well well well, it seems as though we have some naaaayysayers in the audience!" Travian could have killed himself because of that pun. He could have. He contemplated it and found it a likely possibility. "Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie! Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?" Travian laughed a little, but kept himself relatively unseen.

Rarity started talking and 'nay-saying' as it were. "Just who does she think she is?" The dragon butted in between the two horned ponies.

"Yeah! Since we all know that Twilight here is-"

"Spike!" She brought him out back away from the crowd. Suddenly, more rockets and flares everywhere. This Trixie character was turning into Travian's average con artist. The cyan one rushed forward, like she always does.

"So, 'the Great and Powerful Trixie', what makes you think you're so awesome anyways?"

"Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!" Travian looked at all his previous knowledge of 'no real extreme violence in Equestria'. Suddenly, vanquishing of major things.

"Well... That escalated quickly." Rockets shot up in to the air. Out came the shape of a... He didn't even properly know what it was. It was so foreign to him. There was a bunch of woahs.

"What?!" "No way!" He specifically heard that in the crowd.

The G and P T continued her annoying tirade. "When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to but the Great and Powerful Trixie!" They picked her when all hope was lost and they had no one to turn to. That was not something to be proud of. "The Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in and with her awesome magic vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!" So it was still alive in a forest that actually wasn't all that dangerous. That was fantastic news.

The same voices from before in the crowd said "Aw sweet!" "That settles it." "Trixie truly is the most talented, most magical, most awesome unicorn in Ponyville!" The pony that said that overly long praise had a snail on it's rump.

He was beginning to notice that every pony had one of those things on it's rump. Normally, he wouldn't look there, especially for a horse, but now it seemed necessary. They seemed to state some sort of personality or some sort of talent of theirs. A snail must have meant he was slow, which he kind of was.

"No! In all of Equestria!" There was a short and stubby one next to the one with a snail. He really wondered about those two. The dragon was royally pissed, which usually wasn't a good idea. Of course, he was supposedly a baby. With the rate at which he whined, it seemed so.

"How do you know?! You didn't see it, and besides Twili-" His mouth was now a zipper. Magic literally turned his mouth into a zipper. Travian was once again horrified at the monstrosity of magic.

Trixie laughed. "It's true, my enthusiastic little admirers! Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville!" There was a massive silence. Travian spied the audience and found that Pinkie and Fluttershy had left. Apparently, a boasting fool isn't their style. Travian also noticed that this pony loved referring to itself in the third person, which was indeed strange. Trixie continued. "Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie? Well then. I hereby challenge you Ponyvilleians: Anything you can do, I can do better." Travian laughed so hard internally. "Any takers? Anyone? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who ever lived?!" More flashy fireworks. He was just about to step it up, but then the dragon caught his attention as he unzipped his mouth.

"Pleeease! She's unbearable! You gotta show her! You just gotta!" He was grasping Twilight's leg. Stockholm syndrome probably already took it's course on the little bugger.

"There's just no way I'm gonna use my magic now, Spike. Especially since-" Trixie hmmed, cutting her off.

"How about..." She pointed her leg at Twilight. "You?" Twilight was quiet and probably freaking out for some time. "How about it, hmm? Is there anything you can do that the Great and Powerful Trixie can't?"

Twilight opened her mouth a little. "Um... We-" Trixie interrupted her.

"Well, little hay seed?" Trixie was pointed at... Applejack? Now he was confused. She was a bad pointer. Applejack exploded in anger.

"That's it! Ah can't stand for no more of this!"

"You show her AJ!" The little dragon said while she walked on up. Travian had confidence in Applejack. What could go wrong?

"Can yer magical powers do... This!" She started swinging a rope in a circle around herself by her tail. She then stood on one leg and did so. Then she started jumping in and out of the hole... Vertically. Travian wondered.

'What are physics how even do?' His thoughts were scrambled at that. She did a few more of the impossible. Then she let her rope go out and lasso an apple off of a tree. She then pulled it towards her, letting it shoot into her mouth. She then eat it. Trixie definitely had some competition. Everyone cheered and whooed.

"Top that, Missy!" She crossed her hooves.

"Oh ye of little talent... what and be amazed at the magic of Trixie!" She lifted off her stupid wizard hat and revealed her horn. Shen used her magic to turn the rope into a snake. It distracted Applejack long enough for another end of the rope to grab an apple. It then grabbed her lies and tied her up. It then turned her upside down and put an apple in her mouth. Ponies cheered and ponies laughed. There were no lizard-people laughing in that audience. "Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie prevails!"

Slainbow Crash flew right behind Trixie and then said "There's no need to go strutting around and showin' off like that!" Travian actually found a reason to respect her. He had to check his ears and eyes at least three times.

"Oh?" Trixie said.

"That's my job!" And so went her respect with her as she flew off towards a windmill Travian hadn't seen until just then. She used it to fly into the sky and punctured some holes in a few clouds. She flew through the holes left in the clouds, which he saw no point in doing so. She then went through the windmill again and landed on the stage. There were water droplets that were trailing her, and they all splattered on her. A rainbow appeared over her. "They don't call me *unspeakable* and *unthinkable* for nothin'!" Cheering as normal. Travian wasn't cheering at all. It was just a rainbow.

Travian really hoped Trixie would show her up for a few reasons. "When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is loser." Now he hoped the forsaken one would win because of such a horrible comeback. He could have come up with that in his sleep. He probably already did, maybe once or twice. She shot a beam of magic at the rainbow above the braggart's head, causing it to encircle her. It created a rainbow tornado that lifted her up off the ground and flung her off stage.

When she got on the ground, she slowly spun to a stop. "I think I'm... Gonna be sick..." Travian made a single ha before looking back towards the stage.

"Seems like anypony with dash of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great Trixie." He wanted to laugh and face palm at that. Suddenly, a small little cloud shot a bolt of lightning at the light blue winged one's behind. Now, he was fine with the whole tornado thing, and the whole bad jokes/comebacks. Heck, he was fine when she bragged a little! Travian, however, was not fine with the lightning bolt that was just launched. There was only one person he knew of with permission to touch her behind with anything, even if it were a lightning bolt, and it was him. Laughter ensued from the crowd.

The little dragon continued trying to get Twilight off her dumb face and do something. "What we need is another to challenge her." He poked Twilight with his elbow. "Someone with some magic of her own."

The cyan flyer continued. "Yeah! A unicorn to show this unicorn's who's boss!"

Applejack joined the team effort. "A real unicorn ta unicorn tussle!" Travian could stand it no more.

"Just get your lazy face up there, Twi-" Suddenly, a white unicorn appeared in front of him.

"Enough! Enough all of you. I take your hint, but Rarity is above such nonsense. *Undreamable* and Applejack may behave like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace." Now he knew what it was like to be Spike. This ruling race of mammals thing really bothered him now.

Trixie jeered. "Ooh, what's the matter? Afraid you'll get a hair out of place in that rat's nest you call a mane?" Rarity got super serious.

"Oh it is on." Rarity started heading up there. Travian had to comment, now that he thought about it.

"Your hair is a little ridiculous..." Rarity turned towards him.

"You don't even know anything about beauty!" She turned again, and started speaking to Trixie. "You may think you're tough with all your so called 'powers', but there is more to magic than your brutish ways." Travian could and couldn't confirm this. "A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle." She magicked the curtains over to her, and covered herself in them. "A unicorn needs to have style!" Suddenly, her hair was elegant, and the curtain had gold on it. When this happens, he didn't know. Magic is love, magic is life supposedly, so he guessed that is what happened. "A unicorn's not a unicorn without grace and beauty." The crowd of course ooh'd and ah'd again.

Trixie and Travian were disappointed and disapproving. Trixie had magic though, so she used that on Rarity. The dragon spoke. "Rarity won't let Trixie get the best of her! She's strong... She's beautiful... She's-" Suddenly magic blinded Travian. When he looked again he saw Rarity's hair was a messy probably literal rat's nest. It was green and had worms protruding from it. The crowd, as it could not shut up for a minute after every little thing, gasped.

"Quick! I need a mirror! Get me a mirror! What did she do to my hair? I know she did something terrible to my hair!" This would turn out horrible.

"Nothing." Twilight tried.

"It's fine!" The unnamed one lied.

"It's gorgeous!" Applejack cried.

Both Travian and the dragon said at the same time, "It's green." He attracted plenty of angry glares. "What, he said it too!" They still looked at him. "Racists..." Rarity was having a panic attack.

"Oh no! Green hair! Not green hair!" She started running away. "Such an awful, awful color!" She cried as she ran off.

"Now that is racist! It ain't easy being green, I tell you!" Travian attracted a little bit of attention, but thankfully not from Trixie. He did a good job having her avoid noticing him.

The dragon was not done. "Well Twilight, I guess it's up to you. Come on, show her what you're made of!" Twilight played it dumb.

"What do you mean? I'm nothing special..." The crowd shifted their gaze from Travian to her.

Both Travian and Spike said "Yes you are!" Spike looked at him before talking to Twilight again. "You're better than her!" The two thought alike sometimes. Travian supposed it was the scales communicating telepathically.

"I'm not better than anyone!" Trixie took notice.

"You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent? Well come on. Show Trixie what you've got. Show us all!" Twilight of course played it stupid.

"Who me? I'm just your average run of the mill citizen of Ponyville! No powerful magic here." Travian's lie detector was showing massive amounts of lies and disappointment in this one pony. "I uh... I think I hear my laundry calling! Sorry gotta go!" She bolted right out of there, breaking Travian's lie detecting record.

"Twilight?" Spike called out. Travian was agitated at this point. He felt a little presence requesting him on his shoulder.

Mayella was nodding at him. "You wanna do this?" She nodded again. "Alrighty." He looked forward, prepared to stand.

The G P T continued. "Ha! Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria. Was there ever any doubt?" The crowd almost started to leave and she was walking off stage when Travian stood, dwarfing the small ponies.

"Yes there was, actually." The crowd stared at him. Trixie came back with a look of disgust.

"And just what are you to try and dispute the awesome powers of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"

"Oh, I'm a guy. A guy who is gonna teach you a lesson. So pull up a chair as we get started, and sit yourself down, fool." He walked up on to the stage with Mayella standing at the ready.

"And just what kind of magic can you do?" He grabbed Mayella and presented her in bunny form.

"I can pull another Trixie out of a bunny." Everyone looked extremely surprised.

"What? That's ridiculous." Travian smiled as he was able to say the next line.

"Behold, the great and mighty powers of the Magnificent and Awe-Inspiring Longshot! Huzzah!" His hand erupted in green flames and in just a few seconds there was a Trixie right where his hand was. "Look before your very eyes and witness the powers of my magic!"

"But... But how did you even..." Trixie stuttered as Mayella switched back into a bunny and took her rightful place: On his shoulders.

"A good magician never reveals his secrets." He then attempted to walk away.

"Well I can make your tail disappear!" There was a sound of magic. Travian was stunned at her statement. Too stunned to move, or react. Suddenly, he felt a familiar weight disappear from his body. He turned and looked at Trixie. The crowd was laughing until they saw his look.

"So when will it come back?"

"You said a good magician..." She gulped at the sight of him. He was properly angry. He's been ticked off before, and he has been tempered before. He may have been grumpy at a time. Right now, however, he was properly enraged. "... Never reveals her secrets?" Travian was literally about to burst into a swearing hissy fit that was expected of a child.

But then he stopped himself. He could just ask Twilight for his tail back. 'Problem solved.' His entire face turned into a friendly gesture. "Oh, of course I did. Have a nice day now." He turned and walked away off stage. Trixie probably boasted behind his back. The crowd left shortly after he left.

Soon enough, he was all alone with Mayella. "You did good." She transformed into her normal sexy body.

"It was nothing, really. I am a changeling, after all."

"But you erupt into flames! Flaaaaaames!" He was practically whining about how cool it was.

"But I told you... I'm one of those weird ones they threw out, remember?" Travian saw his golden opportunity.

"So would you call yourself a..." He paused for dramatic effect. "STRANGELING?!?" She stared at him for the longest time before applying a sorely needed hoof to the face. Her reaction caused him to laugh until he hit the floor. Then he started rolling on the floor, laughing.

"What's so funny?" He brought himself up in a quick motion.

"I just love making stupid jokes or puns and having people pause before they react. It makes it that much more funny!"

"You are so weird..."

"Well you're a strangeling." He was going to call her that from now on. It was going to be a thing.

"... Are you seriously-"

"Yep. Get used to it, toots." It was a long walk to the cottage.

Travian woke up for some odd reason in the middle of the night. Mayella was snuggling right next to him, creating quite the cute display. He looked off towards Ponyville, expecting something. He grabbed his bow and quiver quickly, making sure not to wake Mayella. He started running towards town. Something was really off. Normally, there wasn't this much magic he could feel.

When he reached the edge of town, he saw a giant... Star-filled creature stand and roar. Travian nocked a single arrow and headed towards it. A single shot should have done it in. As he advanced to where it was, he saw many a terrified pony. "Help! Someone save the town!" He looked again to see the beast ready for a clear shot. He readied his bow, but stopped halfway in pulling his arrow back.

'I'm not getting paid for this. Why am I doing this?' He put his bow to rest, and took the arrow out. He then broke the arrow, dissipating it. He took up his bow and started walking away. Then he saw Twilight running.

"Longshot! You need to help me save the town!" He was in a bitter mood. This horrid event woke him up and prevented an adorable little love stealer from cuddling him. It may have been for warmth only, but cuddling is still cuddling!

"No. I ain't getting paid, I ain't doing anything." She had to stop and stare at him. He turned his back to her. The beast roared.

"But... That's cruel! Why not save the town and feel like you actually did something to help others from the kindness in your heart?" Travian's heart held little to no kindness for something of this nature.

"This town has a savior. A magical savior who's better than me. I'm being a villain by preventing her from doing her job." Twilight looked like she was thinking for a moment before she got it. "Now go out there and be you Twilight. The only one stopping you is yourself." Travian continued walking away. He wanted to be cuddled now. He felt as though he did something... Right.