Double the Greatness

"An... alternate dimension, you say?"

"That's right! Previously I used the mirror to journey to Canterlot High and the world of the 'humans' but it seems that Star Swirl's mirror can actually act as a gateway to a myriad of worlds," Twilight's eagerness to explain her most recent discovery had blinded her, as it so often did, to the fact that her one-pony audience probably only had the loosest of grasps on what she was talking about, "Imagine it! An infinite number of possible realities, possible versions of ourselves! This actually presents a remarkable challenge to the unified temporal causality theory proposed by many of the most prominent scientists in the-"

Trixie mulled over the concept for several seconds as Twilight breathlessly bombarded her with a barrage of incomprehensible scientific jargon. The two were eating lunch together, or at least Trixie was eating, at the Ponyville Cafe on a glorious summer's day. The beauty of the day, the chorus of birdsong and refreshing breeze were only soured by the occasional stink-eyed glance that the other patron's threw Trixie's way. The G and PT had yet to live down her rather iffy reputation in Ponyville. Still, eating lunch with the town's beloved librarian-Princess might go some way to restoring her street cred. Perhaps returning to the site of her greatest defeat hadn't been such a bad idea after all. Now if only she could decipher what in Equestria Twilight was yammering on about.

"So you're saying that... on the other side of this... 'magic mirror' thingamajiggy there's... another Trixie?" tried the young magician, prodding unenthusiastically at her hay fries with the plastic fork that the restaurant had provided.

"I'm saying that there might be an infinite number of other Trixies! Some identical to you in morphology and personality and others completely different! Why, we entered into a universe where King Sombra was a benevolent ruler and Princess Celestia was an evil dictator! Can you even imagine? A complete reversal of ethical standards and personal preferences! The possibilities are limitless!" Twilight had not even touched the daffodil and daisy sandwich she had ordered. She seemed too enthused about her newest discoveries to eat.

The two had bumped into one another on Clover Street and had decided, in celebration of Trixie's 'reformation' and Twilight's victory in her most recent adventure, that they should have lunch together. Things had been as awkward as one might have expected such an event to be until Trixie had made the mistake of asking Twilight about the aforementioned adventure. Once a pony pressed one of the purple unicorn's intellectual hot buttons the ensuing verbal tidal wave was almost unstoppable.

"Star Swirl's records spoke of his journeys to hundreds of alternate realities... if one can even call them 'alternate realities'. It remains to be seen if there is a central thread to this cosmic tapestry of divergent possibilities," Twilight grinned, "Our reality might simply be an offshoot from some other reality, everything around us little more than a children's fairy tale to the inhabitants of that world. Or perhaps we truly are the central reality. The real question is-"

"Trixie doesn't care if there's one reality or a gazillion! The Trixie sitting before you is no doubt the Greatest and most Powerful Trixie possible!" exclaimed Trixie, tossing her head proudly. Twilight laughed politely. It seemed the 'Great and Apologetic' Trixie still wielded her enormous ego.

Trixie paused for a moment, the sudden glimmer of a plan forming in the violet pools of her eyes.

"So," Trixie leaned forward and carefully studied Twilight's face, "is this magic mirror in Canterlot Castle... well guarded? Could anypony just walk up and use it?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes, "Now, why would you ask me a question like that?"

"Wha- W-w-well Trixie was just concerned that's all! You said that there was an evil version of Celestia in one of these alternate realities! What if somepony like that came through the mirror and attacked Equestria?! Trixie thinks such a mirror should have guards posted on it!" stammered Trixie, eyeing Twilight nervously to see if the purple unicorn was buying any of this.

There was a long pause filled only with the clinking of fellow patron's cutlery and the distant bird song.

"Oh, no need to worry. A pony would need Starswirl's journal to set the mirror's co-ordinates and open up two-way transit between realities. Without the magic words the mirror is inert," replied Twilight, still looking slightly sceptical.

"So... no guards then... and you said that this... journal is in the castle..." a smile slowly spread across Trixie's cheeks," Ah! Twilight! Trixie just remembered! She has a... um... a dentist's appointment! Trixie has to go!"

With a flurry of her cloak, Trixie took off down Clover Street at full canter.

"Hay! Wait! You didn't pay for your meal! Trixie! Hay!" Twilight's cries rapidly faded into the distance as Trixie charged through Ponyville.

"Step one! Sneak into Canterlot Castle! A difficult task that will require stealth, cunning and finesse! But never fear! Trixie is the top applicant in all those categories and she- WAAAAGH!" Trixie tripped over her own cloak and fell flat on her face in the dirt.

"Ha! Careful there, Great and Powerful Tripsy!" laughed one of the passers-by as Trixie stumbled to her hooves.

"L-l-laugh while you can! Trixie will show all of you!" spluttered Trixie, wiping her face on her cloak. She huffily turned and continued on her way, albeit at a more reasonable pace.

"Step two! Infiltrate this alternate dimension and get in contact with this... other Trixie!" Trixie turned a corner, her caravan was parked up ahead. Time to get packed and ready. Canterlot was quite a journey from here.

"Step three!" she declared, to nopony but herself, "Bring Trixie's double self back to this reality and use her in Trixie's greatest magic act yet!"

She whirled around and glared at the sprawl of the town behind her.

"And step four! Become the greatest magician who ever lived! Twilight was right! The possibilities really are endless!" she gave her haughtiest laugh and set off to enact her most ridiculous, and dangerous, scheme to date.