Dusk had all but settled upon the quiet streets of the town, bringing with it the tranquil hours of slumber that the population enjoyed. The weeks that have passed before seemed to drag on without so much as a peep, activities remaining mostly routine, an occurrence that was hardly familiar to the residents. Even with a local party-planner, things seemed far too dull, leaving masses that would look to any avenue for a fresh sense of entertainment. This was a feeling that a certain traveling magician was very experienced in, having seen it, and consequently having failed to alleviate it.
Days without a shred of glory, and without a single bit of green to your name, did a lot to spur her into some drastic measures. The gravy train had stopped dead in its tracks, and surely she had tried everything else she could possibly think of, but they did little to repair her fractured image. No amount of crazy light-shows or endangering sword swallowing would ever stop her downward spiral, and return her fame to its previous glory.
...Or perhaps it could.
Either way, she was willing to find out. Willing and able.
It was not easy to sneak around the library. There were no shrubs or other buildings nearby, making any potential stalking or hiding spot a lot to ask for. But, this quandary was no match for the Great and Powerful Trixie! She simply took a page out of the Magic 101 textbook, and one moment she was there, the next she had vanished, into thin air!
The door creaked open. It was Saturday, and the last place most people wanted to be was the library, so the only people to be seen were those desperately trying to catch up on studying for university, and a few that genuinely had nothing better to do. But no one had noticed when the door was acted upon by an invisible force, opening fully, and light sounds of footsteps leading along the least populated library wall. Leading past shelves of dusty books, past the college student deeply invested in the nap he was currently taking, and up the stairs, quietly as possible maneuvering their way up the creaky stairs, until they reached the librarian’s personal domain.
Hopes were that the obsessive library keeper was slumbering, that Trixie would be able to match her intentions without a hitch. While it wasn’t as neat and clean as desired, it was close enough to still pull off without forcing a retreat on Trixie’s part. The wooden door creaked open, slowly, showing Twilight nose deep into some text-book sized novel. She seemed completely immersed and enthralled, as if nothing short of an earthquake would rouse her to attention. The thought of that brought a wicked smile to the magician’s transparent face. Lessons in humility weren’t lost on her, but exacting a plan that would both bring a sight of revenge to Twilight, and massive success, was a wondrous feeling.
Carefully, Trixie stepped into the room, dispelling her shroud as she focused upon the girl sitting opposite of her. This next spell was far more complicated than the previous, requiring all of Trixie’s skill and talent to pull off. The last thing she needed at this point was another unfortunate misfire, something that had nearly caused her death at the hand of otherwise harmless wildlife in practice sessions before. She knew that wouldn’t be the case this time, however! Brimming with confidence, she took another daring step forward, her star-spangled cape rising as magic coursed through her.
Glimmering blue light filled the cramped bedroom, originating from the show-girl standing near the door. This was enough to raise suspicion in Twilight, though by the time she had turned in her chair, it was far too late for her! Much like the spell that Trixie used to sneak into the library, Twilight had seemingly vanished! The chair that once held Twilight became empty, in its place leaving a doll-sized woman down on the floor-boards.
Saying that Twilight was disoriented would be an understatement. At one second, her vision was filled with blinding blue lights, and in the next, she felt as if she was flying head over heels, landing with a thud against hard wood! Her vision blurred, she slowly pulled herself onto her knees, groaning. Little time was allotted to her for recomposure, as the foreign world about her would shake with the shuffling of a massive weight. Quickly swiveling her head to look upwards, Twilight Sparkle laid eyes upon a gut-wrenching spectacle.
Trixie’s face loomed high over her head, her entire body casting a shadow in the dim light that would have easily dwarfed the entire library itself. That is, if she had grown instead, and not have reduced Twilight to such a puny size.
“Ahhh, a wonderful success! Trixie is always so delighted to see a plan go her way.” The giant smiled downwards, her voice, while hushed, commanding all of the shrunkee’s attention.
“Tr-trixie!? What is all this about, what did you do!?” She screamed, with a new voice that wouldn’t carry hardly far enough to alert any students below to her plight.
Trixie took one step towards Twilight’s kneeling form, her bright blue boot slamming down with resounding force, merely half a foot away from the six-inch princess. Twilight fell back, uncomfortably, onto her rear, a simple step from Trixie enough to make her heart skip a beat. From where she sat, she could see every little detail in the toe of the boot, every scratch, knick, and little speck of dirt. It was both fascinating and horrifying, with Twilight leaning far towards the latter at the moment.
“Trixie simply transformed you to a more fitting size.” The titan of a magician kneeled down, legs spread with her arms left resting on her knees. It gave her more of an eye-level view of her new “friend,” even if she was still multiple times higher than her. “You see, Trixie has a proposition for you. She requires a bit of…” She paused for a moment, searching for the right word, “creative assistance.”
“A proposition!? Trixie, you could have just called me, we would have talked this over!” Twilight shouted in anger at the massive figure, soon standing tall at her full, lacking height. “You didn’t have to… To turn me into Thumbelina, especially over something so trivial!”
The small protests erupting from Twilight was a guilty pleasure to Trixie. Her grin merely extended, brimming from cheek to cheek as she pouted in her high-pitched voice. “Trixie COULD have done that. Trixie could have done a lot of things, Trixie tried a lot of things!” She extended an arm towards Twilight, giving her little time before wrapping her in a hand-hold. Only her shoulders, head, and feet were left out in the open, the rest of her body sealed in the warm softness of Trixie’s palm.
Lifted to a neutral level, Trixie stood up once again, holding Twilight opposite her face. “However, Trixie’s plans require a bit more commitment than a simple verbal pledge.” She rubbed her thumb playfully against Twilight’s face, a short giggle coming with the jest. “And Trixie would hate to have spoiled the surprise before she was ready!”
Twilight shook her head every which-way as Trixie smothered her, wriggling with a ferocity that did little to aid to an escape. As Trixie removed her digit from her captive’s face, Twilight stared daggers at her. “At least put me down! We can still talk about this without the chance of falling to my death!”
“Oh, relax! Trixie isn’t that careless. Besides, she’s having too much fun with a cutie like you,” she teased, in a voice that one would use to speak to an infant, or a drunkard. The situation was hardly as amusing to Twi, who resumed her struggling, though the fact that it was in vain didn’t change. “Now, there has to be a way we can arrange this.”
She reacted firmly. “I don’t think so, Trixie, not after what you’ve just done.” The hand-held Twilight had quite a bit of trouble believing her situation, giving it some thought as she continued to writhe and fail, to Trixie’s delight.
“You’re rich. Trixie doesn’t believe you’re in much of a position to refuse!” She chuckled to herself, giving Twilight a playful squeeze to re-assert her control. It was an intoxicating feeling to her, holding her nemesis so closely in her own hand. “It’ll be fun for both of us, Trixie is more than sure you’ll have the time of your life!” Trixie continued to wear that smile.
“And if I continue to say no?” Twilight asked, close to fuming. She wouldn’t easily forget all that Trixie had tried to do before.
The magician laughed loudly, “Well, let Trixie just say she didn’t get where she was without a silver tongue.” She stuck her own tongue out at her, teasingly, before lowering her hand down to waist level. “However, it may be a long night at this rate. Trixie will take you back to her wagon, talk over drinks!” She, rather roughly, stuffed the girl into the dark fabric of her pocket, keeping her hand in with her. It was a tight fit, but thankfully Trixie had prepared for such a scenario, choosing a wardrobe that provided ample room for princess kidnapping.
“Y-you can’t just abduct me like that! You have NO idea what Celestia will do to you when she finds out!” Twilight shouted, squirming in the confines against Trixie’s warm fingers.
Trixie’s response came with another face-smothering by her index finger, “Calm down, little Twilight Sparkle. Celestia herself will be delighted to see what I have in mind!” She begun her walk outside, taking soft steps down the stairwell. “Given, of course, you comply. It simply wouldn’t work if you didn’t put your heart into it!” She kept Twilight hushed as she wandered back out to the dark streets, taking time to even wave at an unsuspecting studier with her free hand.
Wandering out of earshot of any would-be-heroes, Trixie released her suppressing hold over her tiny captive. She did, however, teasingly rub a finger down her body as she drew back her hand. “Trixie’s wagon is parked only a couple streets away, she’ll be there before you know it.” She patted down on her pocket, not comforting the bumpy ride Twilight endured in the slightest. “If you have anything to say before we get there, Trixie advises that you make it quick.”
Twilight was quick to meet that offer, kicking and tumbling about in the fabric-walled darkness as she tried to collect her bearings. “I thought you actually learned a lesson from the last time! That you WOULDN’T come and do this kind of thing to innocent people anymore!”
“Relax, this is nothing like that! You’re probably not going to get hurt, and this isn’t permanent, or some bizarre method of embarrassing you.” Trixie added, somehow failing to reassure Twilight Sparkle. “It’ll all be explained to you simply once we’re in a more comfortable location. Honestly, it’s for the best of both of us that Trixie did this. You’ll see soon enough!”
“I don’t WANT to see! Just put me back home already, you’ve had your fun!” Twilight continued to protest.
“You complain way too much. Trixie thought this would be a good time for us to talk, a real girl gossip bonding moment!” She chuckled, reaching back to pull Twilight out, not content enough to leave her “alone” in there. She held her with a tight grip by her lower legs, ensuring she wouldn’t be dropped, as she was dangled precariously upside-down.
“Trixie!” Twilight screamed, flailing about in a rather comical manner before the giant’s face. She was prepared to make another rushed plea to dissuade Trixie and save herself from what must have been a terrible fate, but the brimming grin across the magician’s visage suggested that she take another course of action.
“Yes, Twilight?” Trixie asked, with as innocent and sing-songy a voice as she could possibly muster.
Twilight halted her panicking attempts of flailing about, taking a deep breath, arms hanging downwards. “If… If you just stop dangling me, I’ll talk to you about… Whatever it is you have in mind!” Twilight hastily followed, “But all I can promise is that I’ll talk about it! Like reasonable, calm human beings!”
“That’s more like it!” Trixie blew a lighthearted kiss towards Twilight, before lifting her up and dropping her on the rim of her oversized wizard’s cap. “See how much nicer things are when you take the time to hear someone out?”
Twilight held tight to the cloth of the hat, not daring to look down as her giant convoy proceeded at an all-too-fast pace. “Yes, whatever you say, just keep your head steady!” The shrunken one continued to complain.
“Twilight, you of all people should know that Trixie is far too methodical in her processes to make a slip like that. Just relax, and enjoy the ride! Trixie is sure it’s not something you get to experience every day.”
The purple-haired princess huffed, sitting with what resembled a pout. She could make her mind known when she was in a position that allowed her to relax a bit more, not when she was on top of some massive lunatic. Twilight did realize that Trixie had some point, too. Twilight had never been in a small circumstance like this, and was truly baffled with how everything looked at her new size, even if most of what she had seen was Trixie. It was something she could put to good use to her studies… After she dealt with the more immediate problem.
The rest of the voyage was mostly silent, given that Twilight had little sway over Trixie’s actions, and that Trixie would like to save her jests for when they were properly alone together. To alleviate the quiet suspense building up within Twilight, the wagon soon came into view. It was just as small as Twilight remembered, mostly at least. Its proportions were still accurate, even if it appeared large enough to house an entire apartment complex now.
“Here we are! The Great and Powerful Trixie’s very own traveling show! You should be thanking me, only the most dedicated of fans are allowed backstage.” The showgirl pushed open the small doors leading inside, ducking her head down to enter, with a hand to brace her passenger. With a flick of a light, the interior was presented brightly to the two of them.
It was hardly anything worth getting excited over, Twilight thought. It appeared to be an entire home sandwiched into a few square feet. A mini-refrigerator, a small bed, couple of cupboards and a condensed dresser, all cramped in among several boxes, which Twilight assumed carried fireworks and other stage props. The clutter of the wagon was complemented by one single window, giving it all a rather claustrophobic feel. It was almost a relief that Twilight had shrunk before being drawn in here, she doubted the two of them would fit at normal sizes.
“Alright Trixie, what do you want from me?” Twilight inquired dryly.
“Always so serious and to the point!” Trixie seized Twilight up once more, and unceremoniously deposited her on a round coffee table. Trixie then removed her boots, followed by her cloak and hat, hanging the both of them on a hook by the entrance. The magician sat herself on the bed across from Twilight, and then reclined back, her back against the wall, with her black-socked feet kicked up on the table near her companion. “Taking the time to relax would do you some good, would save some years on your life!”
Twilight was hardly amused. It was evidently clear from the inhospitable surroundings that Trixie wasn’t exactly one to care for house-guests, but did she really have to completely forsake manners? “Trixie! Get your feet off the table, I’m trying to do this for YOUR sake!” The little one tried to appease to Trixie, while simultaneously trying to heave a foot out of the table and away from her face.
“Alright, alright, geez, you win.” Trixie responded, even though the opposite was true. “All Trixie needs from you is to agree to just one,” She held up a finger, clear for Twilight to see, “show. Agree to be my assistant, we’ll rehearse, and then we’re done! You’re free to go back off to your friends, and Trixie’’ll go along my own way. That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?” The hostess “sweetly” asked, refusing to budge from her reclined position.
“No!” Twilight immediately replied. “That’s your thing, I’m not going to make a public embarrassment of myself like that!” She was at the end of her fittingly short fuse, made clear by her brash insult of Trixie’s profession.
“Oh come on, you and Trixie, we’re friends, aren’t we?” Trixie asked, jocundly pushing her leg forward to topple Twilight with her foot. “It’s really the least you could do. Trixie would even have an illustration for you in her poster. A mutual benefit!”
Landing with an audible “oof,” Twilight looked up to Trixie, abandoning further attempts to keep the small table space to herself. “Tell me, IF I agreed to this, and that’s a very big if,” Twilight failed to see the irony in her comment, “what exactly would I be doing?”
“Now now Twilight, relax, you’re really too stressed to talk to reasonably!” Trixie continued to enjoy teasing Twilight, a pleasure that she was sure to squeeze the most out of. Trixie swung her feet around, removing her socks, mostly to make herself at home, but in another effort to toy with Twily.Tossing one off casually, she wandered towards her fridge, ruffling through it.
Twilight was granted the luxury of being assaulted by footwear bigger than she was. Falling back in a huff, she flailed to push the large heap of warm fabric away from herself, “Ugh, Trixie! That’s disgusting, at least have SOME decency!”
“Twilight, your words are so harsh! Is that any way to talk to a friend that invited you into her very home?” The giant, in relation, removed a bottle of cheap wine. Placing it on a narrow counter, she then a bowl, and a large glass from the cupboard overhead. It was a mug that she held, likely not owning any wine glasses. Pouring a copious amount into both, she soon returned to Twilight, placing both on the table besides her. “This will do wooonders for you.” Trixie waved her hands in front of Twilight, attempting to make a “magic” charade.
“Trixie, I’m not going to climb into a bow-” Twilight’s words were interrupted by a finger-shove from Trixie, sending the girl careening into the pool of alcohol.
“A drink and a swim! Honestly, you should consider yourself lucky.” Trixie giggled overhead, sitting herself onto her bed. She took a sip of her own drink as the soaked Twilight straightened herself out, left sitting in a waist-high pool of fittingly purple liquid. “Now, we’ll speak business. You really won’t have to do much at all! The first act of my performance will be standard, fireworks, explosions, beautiful lights! It is when I request an assistant, that is where you’ll come in.”
Twilight did her best to remain standing in the uneven surface of the rounded bowl, keeping her mind on Trixie’s words while attempting to ignore the stains in her clothes that would never come out. “You’ll be standing in the crowd, at normal size, of course. You’ll come up, act as if you’re completely surprised… And that is when the Great and Powerful Trixie presents something never before seen! “The Incredible Shrinking Woman!” A bit of magic of some of the highest level, the crowd will absolutely eat it up!”
“Really!?” Twilight simply responded, “THAT’S what this is? Why couldn’t you just get ANYONE else from the crowd to do it?”
“Ah, well, you see… The spell requires a… High level of concentration. It will only work if Trixie has absolutely no distractions. Normally, this would make it impossible to perform on my show, but not if I have you! See, Twilight, as much as Trixie hates to admit it, you,” she pointed to the unfortunate wine-drenched girl, “are the most powerful magician I know. Only you could assist Trixie, by helping her perform the spell!”
Twilight sighed heavily. “And if I still say no?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t do that, would you? Trixie just gave you quite the compliment, you should be all buttered up now!” She leaned over Twilight. “But, I suppose this will be a good place for you to stay until you change your mind. After all, you’re the one that drove Trixie to this.”
“I drove you to this!? Trixie, all I did was point out what was wrong with your shows, I saved the town, and after that YOU came and attacked us! You can’t honestly believe I’m still at fault for that!”
“Be that as it may!” Trixie drifted from the subject, “Trixie cannot make any headway with her shows ever since. This is the only option left, so, Twilight, Trixie cannot allow you to refuse!” Trixie retorted, some real anger in her voice for the first time of the night. She had been doing a fine job up until that point masking her frustrations, but she couldn’t consistently ignore the failings in her life that all led back to the girl sitting on her table.
This took Twilight aback. She hadn’t expected Trixie to still be so scathed from their last encounter. She hardly considered the certifiable maniac a friend, but still, it was difficult to look at someone so damaged. Especially if said person was capable of crushing you under a fist.
“Okay, okay Trixie, I’m sorry, I guess!” The apology wasn’t very heartfelt, given that Twilight didn’t feel she was culpable in the least. “Just, there are different ways of going about this! The last thing you need to do is try kidnapping and extortion to get your career back in line!”
“Oh, so was Trixie supposed to just ask you on equal levels, groveling for your help? You would have spit in Trixie’s face!” She shouted, the girl far too heated now to keep a level-head.
“No, Trixie, that’s not what I meant!” Any attempts of Twilight’s to calm Trixie down would fall on deaf ears.
“Trixie is doing nothing that no one else would do in her position! How exactly would you feel if all your subjects turned around and started laughing at you?” Trixie brashly questioned.
“Well, I…”
“Exactly!” The giant interrupted, slamming an open palm down onto the table. “But no, everyone loves Princess Twilight Sparkle! Do you have any idea how Trixie felt when she heard you had become princess? The girl that RUINED her life was suddenly worshipped from every corner of the world!”
“Trixie, I-”
“Don’t even try to explain yourself, Trixie has had more than enough time to mull over this!” Trixie leaned forward on the table, her face near inches away from Twilight’s own, the sheer volume of her amplified voice nearly deafening the poor woman. “So, what’re you going to do, little miss Twilight Sparkle? Are you going to make amends for what you’ve done to me!?” Trixie’s bumptious shouting had resulted in a bit of spit hitting Twilight in the face, surely winning no favors.
Wiping her self down with an already soaked sleeve, Twilight heaved a heavy sigh. “I… I don’t know.”
Trixie stood herself up in a huff, using every ounce of self-control in her body to prevent herself from toppling the table before her. “You know, Trixie has been awfully patient with you.” Both palms placed atop the tabletop, she leaned over her companion, as menacing a look as possible held by the magician. Not that she would have any difficult creating such a look, however, as naturally appearing to be over fifty feet tall does wonders for fright appeal. “Trixie could have already done so much worse to you! Does she need to give you any idea of what she’s capable of?”
“No!” Twilight hastily replied, her mind racing to rather unpleasant imagery from Trixie’s words, “I just… Can I get some time to think about it?” The princess figured that was the most of a compromise she could reach. She wasn’t going to agree to something likely very humiliating and degrading, not to mention dangerous, but she also didn’t want to see anything a frustrated Trixie had in mind.
Trixie displayed only the faintest of smiles. It seemed that her methods were making some progress. “Fine, take all the time you need. Trixie can wait.” Trixie stood up at her full height, retreating from her forward lean, and took a heavy sigh. It was no surprise that such a powerful spell would drain her physically, as would shouting. She figured that even though her adrenaline was at a high from a bit of emotional stress, she would do well to try and sleep it off. Peering down to her friend, she came up with an idea to assist in coaxing her.
Plucking Twilight up with a few fingers, she placed the little one onto the wide stretch of her sheets, rather carelessly at that. As the little girl managed to roll over back into an upright position, she looked to Trixie, completely unsure of her intentions. “Hey, Trixie, I already said I’d think about it. No need to do… Whatever it is you’re planning!”
Trixie carried about her business, scooting over to the sink to secure a dishtowel. “Relax, Trixie isn’t going to hurt you.” She said, with a coy grin. Returning to Twilight post-haste, she gently held the girl from behind with her left hand. It was rather endearing, she thought. Applying a rag to dry Twilight down, like one would do after giving a small animal a bath. It almost made Trixie want to keep her around like this. That is, if she wouldn’t soon have the entirety of the royal guard on her tail for it.
“There, was that so bad?” Trixie asked with a soft grin. Twilight merely sputtered and shook, panting softly from the rough abrasions of Trixie’s care.
Scowling, she looked upwards. “Trixie… Can I just get two seconds without you trying to smother me?” The little one retorted, her question operating in both the physical and metaphorical sense.
Trixie tossed her rag back to its original location, her smile growing a tad wider. “Oh, of course! You see, Trixie was going to catch some of her beauty sleep. After all, her planning and initiative today was rather exhausting.” She turned away from the small one, giving her only a passing glimpse at eye level of her backside. It was a sight that Twilight was somewhat distressed to see disappear, as the giant flicked off the light illuminating her small wagon. It was not that she enjoyed the sight, however, merely that the thuds and bangs of all of Trixie’s movements were far more intimidating when she could barely make out the outline of the titan of a girl.
“And, what better a way for you to catch up on your own rest than to spend the night with Trixie?” Giving Twilight little time to respond, the girl hopped onto the bed, careful not to step on her friend as she did so.
This created quite the uprooting sensation for Twilight. In the span of a second, she went from conversing somewhat civilly, to bracing for a soft earthquake. She tumbled heads over heels as relative tons of weight shifted around on the bed, her arms flailing wildly as she tried to keep herself from tumbling off in the unforgiving darkness. She would be incapable of holding a high-pitched scream as she was suddenly seized up into the air, believing that she was going to fall into an unfortunate accident on the hard floor below.
The truth was anything but that, as Trixie had simply grasped Twilight’s fleeting form while she made herself comfortable. Holding her softly as she lied down onto her front, the magician swooped her little catch around, and deposited her onto the pillow beside her.
“Twilight, you really should calm down, you’re shaking.” Trixie said tenderly. Her ability to switch between a wide array of emotions didn’t go unnoticed. It was likely a product of her showmanship, which made Twilight wonder exactly how Trixie felt about all this. Sadly, she’d have little time to ponder it, as she had much bigger problems to face.
The feeling of Trixie’s fingers and palm didn’t leave her, despite any wriggling she’d make in protest. “Trixie, I don’t really want to-”
“Shh, it’s okay! Trixie will make sure you don’t hurt yourself.” Her words, while in a quiet whisper, were still amplified by her proximity, the girl close enough to feel the warmth of her breath. She had a point, as much as Twilight wished to keep her mouth shut about it. If she was left to free-roam, she’d likely end up falling somewhere, or getting lost among all the clutter of the floor. Still, she doubted that she’d be able to enjoy eight more hours of this.
“Trixie, I-”
Trixie interrupted by leaning forward, delivering an enveloping kiss to Twilight’s small face. It did more than catch her off guard, leaving her with a blush on her now dampened visage. “Just relax, Trixie knows what she’s doing.” With a small sigh, the magician closed her eyes, and began to deliver herself to sleep. Sure, she’d be awake for a small while longer, but she wouldn’t muster a response to any of Twilight’s further complaints, feeling she made her point abundantly clear.
This gave Twilight a deal of her own time to think this through. Being the methodical worker she was famous for, it was a blessing to be given some time to concentrate, however fleeting it might be. Was Trixie’s endgame so simple, she first questioned. Surely there were other ways that she could have been able to recover, despite how far she had fallen. It had only been months since they last saw each other, she couldn’t have possibly exhausted every avenue in that short time.
Twilight had no doubt that there were fabrications in the story, but she had no plan to confront Trixie about the truth. After all, she had no leverage in her current state. Perhaps she should agree to this, just to return to normal? There was little that Trixie would be able to do to stop her once Twilight was regained, beyond shouting at her in public and making a further fool of herself.
That scenario played out in Twilight’s head a few times. It was highly amusing at first, the shrunkee naturally revelling in the idea of Trixie receiving her comeuppance. However, it wouldn’t be very long at all for the girl who boasted about the power of friendship to see it in another light. She could potentially destroy Trixie by leaving her like that, she thought. Given the way she was acting, and the way she was living, it didn’t seem like she was entirely in one piece anyways.
It seemed like her only choice, truly, would be to agree to everything Trixie had in store for her. If not for any of Trixie’s threats, but to keep her own values intact. She sighed heavily, turning as much as Trixie’s soft hold would allow, to make herself somewhat more comfortable. She was tired too, being six inches tall usually does that. Having come up with a reasonable ploy to handle the showgirl, Twilight didn’t have much more use for thinking it through again and again. She would get the answers she’d hope for soon enough, and if that night was any indication of what she’d have to suffer through, she’d need all the rest she could get. Closing her eyes, Twilight thought of the same cheesy things she thought of when she desperately needed to sleep for an upcoming event. While it was rather embarrassing to share, she could always place her trust in organizing books to help her relax.
With the sun hardly beginning to rise in the sky, Twilight yawned, and groggily opened her eyes. She stretched her arms above, rolling her shoulders as she tried to remain comfortable in the heavy “blanket” of hers. It took the girl a few seconds to realize that it was anything but, and to recall the events that had happened the night prior.
Twilight spurred awake, and looked up. Light was just above her head, and she was curled up in some confining, warm space. She must have been more tired than she believed, given how she was clearly moved from where she slept. The girl stumbled around, awkwardly groping her hands around to get a footing on the uneven ground.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Twilight heard overhead, just as she finally managed to pull her arms and head over the ledge above. The first thing she would see is Trixie’s face, looking down at her with an innocent smile. Being the clever girl that Twilight was, it didn’t take long for her to trace down Trixie’s body, and figure out where and how she was being held.
“T-Trixie! You can’t just… Hold people in your breast pocket!” The flustered princess shouted.
Trixie tapped Twilight’s head with a finger, “Don’t make such a fuss, I figured it’d be better than leaving you to accidentally be stepped or sat on.”
“The only way that would happen would be if you were a clumsy idio-” Twilight corrected herself, “err… Just weren’t watching what you were doing!”
“You’ve barely been up for thirty seconds and you’re already shouting. Don’t you ever take time to just lighten up?” Trixie asked, bending down to pick an article of clothing off the floor. She braced Twilight with a hand, effectively muffling any response she may have had.
“Now, do you have anything to say to Trixie?” The showgirl placed the undergarments atop the dresser, seemingly making an effort to tidy the place up a bit. Her clothing had been changed from what it was last night, to actually accommodate carrying Twilight as cargo. It was a blue overcoat, custom made to be luxurious and frill, complemented by white stockings. It seemed like she was already prepared to present herself to the masses, even if her sense of style was a little tacky.
“Yes! You need to stop carting me around like your own personal…” Twilight took a deep breath, “I mean, yes. Just, yes. I’ll do what you want, okay?” Twilight craned her neck, looking up to Trixie from the curious location she was so cozily snug in.
“See? Trixie told you, it wouldn’t be hard at all! You’ll truly enjoy this!” She chuckled, “After all, anyone in their right mind would enjoy so much time with Trixie.” The giant tenderly rubbed at Twilight’s face, before sitting herself on the bed once more.
“Yeah, yeah, just, you know I’m not really an entertainer-”
“Don’t worry about that! Trixie will make sure you’re more than prepared.” She carefully pulled Twilight from her pocket, and then placed her down in her lap. Twilight did her best to ignore where she was stood, and peered upwards.
“Now, first things first…”
And so, Trixie went through her plans with Twilight. Most of the show didn’t have her involvement, being simple tricks that the magician had performed a thousand times. Twilight’s part was fittingly small, hardly needing much rehearsing beforehand. Trixie had planned for this, and had planned for Twilight’s involvement today, already having advertised her show to be played in a small town just miles from Twilight’s. She chose not to spread word in the princess’ home, for good reason.
Giving Twilight a rough run-down of the expected procedures, she practiced with the girl in the cramped space of the wagon, her magic already carting them off to their destination. Trixie elected not to return Twilight to normal for the rehearsal, feeling that Twilight should be able to work with just the idea of what would happen. After only an hour of giving the girl ideas of what to say, and how to handle herself, Trixie relayed onto her the last bit of information she would need. Slowly and methodically, she told her how to channel the spell, ensuring that there would be absolutely no errors in her performance. Twilight was a natural learner, and picked up quickly, on paper, at least. Her actual usage of the spell remained to be tested.
After an impromptu preparation, Trixie felt the pair was truly ready. She took the remaining time to make sure Twilight was fed, and comfortable. Trixie made it abundantly clear throughout the entire time that she enjoyed this size for Twilight, telling her how “cute” and “proper” it looked on her. Twilight took each jest in stride, taking comfort in the fact that it would soon be over.
Trixie stepped out of her wagon as the time passed noon, holding Twilight in two cupped hands. The home was parked outside in the village square, only a few curious spectators arriving so early to witness the magician’s works. Trixie took notice of them peeking around at her, and immediately clamped her palms closed over her shrunken cohort. With that squirming and shifting against her warm fingers, Trixie addressed the few that had gathered, holding the hope that none of them saw her carting a miniature of a princess around. "Welcome to the magnificent and extravagant magical show, brought to you by the world-renowned Great and Powerful Trixie!" The showgirl lifted her hands above herself to attempt and strike a pose fitting of her splendor, though it was more silly than anything with her fingers curled tight around one another.
Two adult males in the audience whispered among one another, while a younger girl looked on with a soft smile. Trixie's wondrous talent may be squandered on the back-water folk here, but at least she could always inspire the imagination of the young ones.
"The show will be beginning in no more than one hour. In this time, Trixie would implore you all to invite any family and friends, anyone that is fully ready to have their minds blown before the awe-inspiring Trixie!" Her unbridled confidence warranted a couple strange glances, but she was more than ready to ignore them. "In the meantime, Trixie will be preparing herself." She stated, quickly scooting around to the opposite side of the wagon, obscured from the vision of any onlookers.
"You could at least try not to make a fuss when Trixie is addressing her future fans." Trixie whispered with irritation to Twilight, releasing her grip to cup Twilight a few inches from her face.
"And you could try not to suffocate me!" Twilight shouted, only for Trixie to shoot her a disapproving glare.
"Whatever, that doesn't matter now! Trixie will not have you ruining her big day with whining and complaining." The giant leaned herself down, and as tenderly as one can, dropped Twilight Sparkle down into the mud. As the tiny one collected herself, and tried to clear some of the dirt off her already beyond stained clothing, Trixie spoke further. "Now, Trixie will be returning yourself to your original height. You will use the time bestowed upon you to clean yourself up, and ensure that you're fully prepared. Is that understood?"
Standing in an ankle-deep puddle of goopy soil, Twilight Sparkle leered upwards. It was the first time since her initial reduction of size that she was left on ground level, and it was every bit as breath-taking as the first. Now before the black dress shoes that Trixie had changed into, Twilight Sparkle was left with the sight of a living and breathing tower stretching into the sky. Even for someone that was naturally as focused as Twilight was, she found it impossible to look just to Trixie's face when presented with her entire impossibly over-sized form.
The only things that broke Twilight from a small trance of beholding the sight of a girl larger than life were a few quick snaps from Trixie. "Trixie asked if that was understood. Or should she re-affirm who's in charge here?" She said with a huff, staring downwards.
"N-no, I was just... Just... Yes, okay, I understand!" Twilight Sparkle responded quickly, diverting attention away from the fact that she was, in essence, ogling Trixie.
Trixie nodded, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Once again, blue light pooled around her, coursing from her fingertips to her toes. It was enough to bring attention to those still lingering on the other side of the wagon, though thankfully none would be daring enough to investigate.
Twilight Sparkle was again treated to a sight unlike any other. This mountain of a girl was now beaming with celestial light, radiating an essence of power and elegance that was otherworldly in captivation. She had cast her fair share of spells before, and had even been granted the privilege of observing Celestia herself weave incantations unlike any other. Those spells paled in comparison to the sheer scale of this one, the sight of it being a sight to behold.
Once more lost in the marvel of Trixie's comparative size, Twilight wouldn't be snapped back to attention until the spell had come to a close. That close would come with a stumble from the girl, falling forward and landing face-first in Trixie's chest. The magician reacted quickly, wrapping her arms around Twilight Sparkle to catch her... Only to immediately push her away. "Ugh, you smell like dirt and alcohol," was all the white-haired girl said before stepping to the side entrance of her wagon.
Wasting no time at all, Trixie returned outside with a wooden box held against her, dropping it down before a curious looking Twilight. She turned her attention all around, looking from her feet to the sky above, seemingly entranced by how everything looked when she was the size of a normal human again. "You really need to knock that off. You're a princess, stop staring at every little thing you see."
Twilight shook her head, "It's just that I got used to being... Well, you know. Tiny. It's a wonder what everything looks like after you've experienced something like that."
"Yes, well, you better not get too attracted to the idea of being tall again." Trixie replied, fishing inside the crate of fabrics, "You'll be bringing that size upon yourself again in no time."
With a sigh, Twilight nodded. "I know, I know. Just don't try anything funny when we're on stage, alright? Don't get full of yourself or anything, this is going to be very dangerous."
Trixie stood herself up, holding a pile of clothing in her arms. "Don't try and lesson Trixie. She knows very well what she's getting herself into, and she will do whatever she sees fit. Understood?" Trixie shoved the dressings towards Twilight Sparkle, stumbling her backwards a step or two. Taking the clothing in hand, Twilight noticed that she was still lacking. Normally, she'd be an inch or two taller than her rival, though now she found herself eye level with Trixie's chin. It wasn't an enormous change in size, like before, though it still left a very clear mark on her.
Twilight sorted through the garments, "I can just as easily turn this against you too, you know."
Trixie responded by poking her finger against Twilight Sparkle's nose. "That's cute," she said condescendingly. "All you need to do is change, wash up, and then go mingle with the crowd. When Trixie performs, all you need to do is watch true magic at work. When it comes time for a volunteer, Trixie will choose you, and then she will go through what you rehearsed. That's simple enough for you to grasp, isn't it?"
It was times like this that Twilight was thankful for her lessons in remaining calm and collected. Trixie's tone was far more than grating. "Yes, Trixie." Twilight elected to keep her gaze fixated on the clothing, surveying what she was to wear. It wasn't as grandiose as she might have expected, simply a short purple skirt, white stockings and blouse, with cream loafers. She figured that Trixie elected to not dress her up as an over-the-top performer in order to reduce suspicion. If she matched Trixie's visage, it would surely seem as if she was planted in the audience.
"So... How do you expect me to, you know, clean myself up? My library is miles away now, I don't have time to walk there and back." Twilight asked with a bit of snark.
"Oh, I'm sure a resourceful princess like you could figure that step out." Trixie smiled, ignoring any unruly undertones in her cohort's voice. "Now, run along! The Great and Powerful Trixie needs time to prepare, and she won't have you here mussing that up." Trixie grabbed Twilight's shoulders, and turned her right around, shoving her forward. "Trixie will see you at her show, be sure to get yourself a front row seat!"
"Come one, come all! Today your shanty of a town will receive a blessing unlike any other!" Trixie roared from the stage, her arms shooting to the sky on either side of her. Firecrackers shot into the sky above her, bursting in a cacophony of vibrant colors. The sparks scattered in the open air, falling from the sky after spelling the name "Trixie" in a fiery array.
Twilight buried her face in one of her palms. She knew she shouldn't have expected any less from Trixie, but it was still painfully embarrassing to watch her flaunt that ego around.
"You all might have seen what you think is magic before. Common phonies and tricksters that claim themselves to be great based only on illusions and duplicity!" Trixie paraded across the stage, the glimmering lights atop her stage shining down on the girl clad in a showy display of fishnet stockings, flowing suit, and a small blue magician's cap. "But this show is nothing like those! The Great and Powerful Trixie is here today to show you all what TRUE magic is!" She raised her hand above the crowd, and with not a second of delay, a dozen bouquets fell from the sky. The crowd below were immediately enthralled by this, despite the previous insults, and each took one as the glided gracefully to their hands.
Even still, the crowd was sparse, and this was a spell that any magician worth her salt could perform. Trixie would wow them, all she needed to do was butter them up first. "You see, this is what your average showman appears like!" With the echoes of her words, a small gap opened in the stage floor. In no time at all, a straw dummy had been hoisted up for all to see, made complete with a crude etching of a smiling face. This provoked a few chuckles form the audience, though Trixie didn't wait for this reaction, continuing immediately. "Some of them will attempt a sword in the coffin trick." Trixie flicked her wrist in one fluid motion, pulling the length of a full shortsword out of a pocket that was far too small to feasibly carry it. Without skipping a beat, she impaled the dummy with the length of her sword, only to pull another, and another from her pockets. In only a manner of moments, the straw had been pelted with over a dozen swords, eliciting some well-deserved applause.
"That is merely a mirror show, as anyone could tell you. Trixie is here to show you something truly marvelous!" She addressed the crowd before her, that collection of straw bursting into flames behind her. The weapons disappeared with the glimmer of flame, being nothing more than an illusion themselves. "And for this, Trixie will need a volunteer!" She flashed a wily smile, "One that is attractive and stunning in their own right!"
Twilight didn't know whether to sigh or to feel flattered. Trixie's true attitude towards her was hard to really assess. Though she didn't have time to deduce if this, or any other of her teases were genuine. This was her cue! Raising her hand above her head, Twilight made her willing participation known over all others that stood around her.
"Ah, you there! With the purple hair. Step right up onto this stage here, and you will experience a one-in-a-lifetime sensation!"
Twilight was deep in second thoughts by this point, but she couldn't just drop out now. Somehow, she felt that she owed this to Trixie. Delicately pushing her way through the crowd, Twilight climbed atop Trixie's stage, with the help of that very magician lifting her aboard. As she stood up straight, she looked to face the gathered mob, dozens of eager faces watching both her and the showgirl. "Uh, hi." She stated, trying not to think about what she was about to do.
Trixie followed Twilight's meek greeting with a poised declaration. "She really is quite the cute one, isn't she? But far too tall, Trixie believes she would be served better with a shorter height, don't you all agree?" Giving no time for the crowd to even contemplate her proposal, let alone respond, Trixie took Twilight's hand in her own, spinning about in place. As Trixie placed herself between Twilight and the onlookers, a flash of blue enveloped the two of them. It only lingered for a moment, however, as Trixie turned right back around in a pirouette, holding that smaller girl in her arms.
The crowd was absolutely appalled. Where there was once a normal girl, now was a shrunken adult. She was only half of Trixie's height, no bigger than a child! They cheered for this show, as illusion or not, it was impressive. Twilight needed no training in acting surprised, a wide-eyed look on her face as she suddenly looked towards a collection of giants. To think, it was only going to get worse from here...
Trixie placed Twilight down before her, rubbing at her head of hair playfully, "Isn't that much more fitting? Cute as a button, Trixie would say!" She leaned down on one knee, looking from the spectators to Twilight. "I'd think you would win any young beauty pageant with a look like that." She teased once more, gently rubbing the girl's nose with one of her fingers. "But don't you wish to be truly amazed? After all, anyone can say they've been this size before, Trixie would like to work true magic here on her stage!"
With a forced nod, Twilight smiled to the larger Trixie. This next piece was going to be much more dangerous, she truly hoped that the illusionist knew what she was doing.
"Excellent!" Trixie once again seized Twilight upwards. With not a second to spare, she tossed that diminutive girl straight into the air! With a yelp from the volunteer, another blue flash emerged. Twilight once again seemed to disappear, only to be revealed with another twirl from the energetic magician.
"Ta-da!" She cried, holding her hands forward, palms up, cupping what would look like a doll to anyone watching. That is, until they looked close enough to see the true nature of her tiny cohort. "Now she's truly adorable!" She displayed the tiny Twilight to the eager crowd, the girl going rather pale in the cheeks as such a massive amount of attention was drawn towards her.
"Much easier to maintain, too!" Trixie rolled Twilight into one palm, her other hand nimbly producing a small brush from her pocket. "Her hair can be neatly combed, like so," Trixie demonstrated by gingerly dragging the oversized tool across Twilight's hair. "And even dressed-up! Though, Trixie will have to save that part of the show for when children aren't present." Twilight was at least thankful that her companion didn't treat her this way when they were alone together.
"What's that?" Trixie leaned in close to Twilight, hair dropping over the little girl in a mess as she placed her ear nearby. "You'd like for Trixie to perform it one last time? Oh my, she might even say you're more eager than even she is!" Trixie stood straight once more, confidently stepping towards the edge of the stage, "Though Trixie isn't one to refuse a request from one of her most die-hard fans!"
Hiding Twilight behind her fingers, one final aura radiated. Trixie unfurled her fingers, showing a tiny form atop one of her now monolithic fingertips. Sitting with a look of astonishment, a pill-sized Twilight looked out to a sea of faces that were absolutely breath-taking and terrifying in scale. She was safely held out of the reach of any of the onlookers, only to be seen as an impossibly small girl now being carried upon the finger of a titan! "But now she's far too tiny. Oh, this well never do. I suppose there's only one thing to do in a situation like this!"
Trixie delicately lifted her hand above her head, slow enough to keep Twilight held steady... And then dropped her. At least, that's what the crowd would see, one little Twilight falling right down to the cavern that made the showgirl's mouth. They were in shock! Could she really do that? Did she truly just eat her?
With a smile that defied the looks of fear in every witness' eyes, Trixie brought that hand up to her mouth once again. With a light cough, blue smoke filled the stage in front of her. It cleared in only seconds... To the radiant image of Trixie holding up the hand of a full-sized Twilight Sparkle!
The crowd looked on with disbelief... And then with uproarious applause. They didn't know how she did it, but it was truly unlike any display they had seen before!
When the dust had finally settled after the show, Trixie approached Twilight Sparkle lingering near the wagon. Without a word, she grabbed the princess in a hug, fully embracing her. "Trixie can't thank you enough. It wasn't the greatest show she's ever had, but the word should spread in no time. She'll be on the big stage again before she knows it!" Her words were ecstatic.
Twilight Sparkle was taken aback, simply patting Trixie on the back. "It was... Well... No problem, I guess."
Trixie didn't let up, holding Twilight tight against her. "What are you going to do now? Are you going to tell anyone about what happened here?"
She chuckled, "No, I don't think anyone would believe me anyways. What will you do, though? Are you going to just keep wandering around and performing again?"
Taking a deep breath, Trixie pulled herself away, and nodded. "Trixie will do just that." She released Twilight from that vice-grip, taking a step or two backwards towards the wagon door. "She'll see you later then, thank you for trusting Trixie."
"I didn't really have a choice, did I?" Twilight laughed, walking beside her friend. "If you need help with something in the future, how about you ask before you try to kidnap me. Does that sound good?"
Trixie smirked, "She'll consider it." She poked Twilight on the nose once more, and entered her home.
Before Twilight could even take a step out of the village square, Trixie shouted out to her, "Are you sure you'd like to walk home? Trixie is sure you could use the company back home, someone like you would probably just get herself lost."
Twilight looked over the wagon, "And isn't it just a little bit cramped for us to spend hours together in?"
"Don't you worry, Trixie has just the thing for that!"
